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toward the far end of the alley.
    Ice crackled under Doon's boots, and garbage gave under his weight as the android struggled to maintain his footing. Small, barely glimpsed scavengers scurried away. He wondered what species they represented, not that there were very many choices, since Zuul lacked the diversity of life found on Earth. A fact that both intrigued and puzzled scientists.
    Doon arrived at what he thought was the correct door— and wished he'd thought to count the openings on the street. Still, it looked right, and felt right, assuming that such a word applied to the complex programming meant to emulate what humans called intuition, or a hunch.
    So, assuming he had the right shop, what next? Knock and announce himself? Wait where he was? Neither option seemed completely satisfactory. The robot shrugged and set to work. Something slipped thousands of feet below ... and a tremor shook Shipdown.
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    It was evening by the time Mary arrived home. The joyful news, plus the need for supplies, had stimulated a shopping spree and consumed her trade goods. But so what? Corley was alive, and Mary would find her—in spite of what that implied: a long and dangerous trip to the Zid-occupied east. The fact that the information was hearsay, and might have been a lie, left her undeterred. She was going... and that was that.
    The roboticist felt Zid eyes bore into her back as she fingered the remote, opened the door, and stepped inside. The bolts made a snicking sound as they slid into place. Hairball bounced into the room and demanded attention.
    "You back—me glad. Nice man pet me."
    Mary shook her head wearily. "There aren't any nice men any more, sweetie—so keep that in mind. If I run into one, I'll let you know."
    It felt good to hang the riot gun on its hook, to divest herself of the packages, and remove the top layer of clothes. It was only then, after Mary had entered the work room, that she sensed another presence.
    The roboticist turned, peered into a heavily shadowed corner, and nearly jumped out of her skin. The man had bright blue eyes, chiseled features, and a large, somewhat threatening body. His hair was silver, cut short, and an important part of his anatomy. Each follicle ended in a tiny solar receptor and fed his power supply.
    The riot gun ... could she make it? Mary turned, and the intruder made no attempt to interfere. "Go ahead, get your weapon. I'll wait here."
    Something about the timbre of the voice brought her to a stop. She turned. "A Beta 410 Police Special... I thought all of you were dead."
    "Most of us are," Doon replied, stepping out into the light. "How did you know?"
    Mary ran a practiced eye over the synthetic's body. The android had lost an arm but was otherwise intact. Externally, at least. She met his eyes. Funny how that meant something—even with machines. "I had a friend once ... a musician. She could tell one violin from another by sound alone."
    Doon nodded. "They said you were good. Now I see why. I chose the right place to come."
    "Maybe," Mary said cautiously, "and maybe not. You broke into my home."
    "I had no choice," Doon said reasonably. "Not with a Zid watching your shop. How long has he been there?"
    "A couple of weeks," Mary said wearily. "I'm planning to move."
    "Good idea," Doon said soberly. "And the sooner the better. I'll help you—if you'll help me."
    "Help you what?" Mary asked suspiciously. "I'll provide you with a tune-up, and renew your nano, but the arm is out of the question. I have one in stock ... but it won't fit."
    Doon shook his head. "Not a problem. I brought my own. Attach it, provide me that tune-up you mentioned, and I'll help you escape. Not only that—I'll find a place where you can set up shop."
    Mary had no intention of setting up shop, not after the news about Corley, but saw no reason to tell the synthetic that. Still, she needed to hide her equipment, or barring that to sell it, and she couldn't handle that alone. The