And yet Sands remained a gentleman. In a quiet, reasonable tone he said, 'But that's what it seems to do I wish I could tell you more, but I'm not mechanically inclined.' He smiled, a thoroughly disarming smile that made Erickson ashamed of his own gruffness.

'Aw, hell,' Erickson said, backtracking. 'It's the fault of TD - they could have ironed the bugs out of the 'scuttlers years ago. Too bad you got a lemon.' You look like a not too bad guy, he reflected.

' "A lemon,"'Dr. Sands echoed. 'Yes, that sums it up.' His face twisted; he seemed amused. 'Well, that's my luck. Everything has been running like this for me, lately.'

'Maybe I could get TD to take it back,' Erickson said. 'And swap you another one for it.'

'No.' Dr Sands shook his head vigorously. 'I want that particular one.' His tone had become firm; he meant what he said.

'Why ?' Who would want to keep an admitted lemon ? It didn't make sense. In fact, the entire business had a wrong ring to it, and Erickson's keen faculties detected this - he had seen many, many customers in his time.

'Because it's mine,' Sands said. 'I picked it out originally.' He started on, then, down the sidewalk.

'Don't give me that,' Erickson said, half to himself.

Pausing, Sands said, 'What ?' He moved a step back, his face dark, now. The geniality had departed.

'Sorry. No offense.' Erickson eyed Dr Sands acutely. And did not like what he saw. Beneath the doctor's suavity there lay a coldness, something fixed and hard. This was no ordinary person, and

Erickson felt uneasy.

Dr Sands said in a crisp voice, 'Get it fixed and soon.' He turned and strode on down the sidewalk, leaving Erickson standing there.

Jeez, Erickson said to himself, and whistled. My busted back. I wouldn't want to tangle with him, he thought as he walked into the store.

Going downstairs a step at a time, hands thrust deep in his pockets, he thought: Maybe I'll stick it all back together and take a trip through it. He was again thinking of old Henry Ellis, the first man to receive a defective 'scuttler; he was recalling that Ellis had not wanted to give up his particular one, either. And for good reason.