When Ron awoke, it was under a blanket of darkness and ice. He blinked until his eyes became accustomed to the impoverished light that was glowing behind a glass-paned door.
He was on a block of some cold composition, in what must have been the Medical Center's morgue. He reacted with revulsion at the thought, and leaped off. Then he saw that his left hand was holding a sheet of paper. He carried it to the meager light source and read it quickly:
Ron—
Don't wait another moment. You'll find a suit of clothes in the closet left. Leave through back stairway marked N. There is money in suit. Use it to leave the city. Do not return if you value your safety and the life of
M.
 
He found the clothes as directed, a neatly-cut suit of boy's clothing, with a small wallet stuffed with bills amounting to three hundred dollars. He dressed rapidly, opened the door, and peered down the hall. It was empty as he ran silently towards the exit marked N.
Now he was doubly in debt to Dr. Minton. But he couldn't spare the doctor even now, for his life had been given a new direction and purpose.
He was going to kill the Scholar.
He walked rapidly through the dark streets towards the public parking lot where the helicopter had been stored. He took the lift to the roof, and walked up to it quickly.
"It's about time, pal."
It was Shock, his hair tousled over his hard, bright eyes. There was a gun in his hand.
"I've been waitin' an hour, you punk. Think you were gettin' off so easy?"
"Look, Shock—"
"You thought you were a clever boy, didn't you? Well, I got news for you—"
"Look, I don't want to be leader. I just needed a copter for a few hours."
"Yeah, sure. Only you forgot something. We put Finder equipment on this baby a long time ago, so we could keep tabs on it."
"You can have the copter—"
"I don't want just the copter, Ronnie boy. I want to square a few things with you."
"Look, Shock. I'll make a deal with you. I'll give you two hundred bucks for that gun."
The tall boy's face changed. "What?"
&............