They go in and Mary immediately asks the clerk if he can get her a fix, but no, those damned Fed narcos have put a freeze on the local drug supply until they get their kickbacks. And so far everyone we've met in America has been either on drugs or selling drugs, while the town in Turkey was focused on producing drugs. I guess the War on Drugs has been a huge success because nowadays you can encounter someone who isn't involved in the heroin trade.
Heller slips back into his accent to assure the clerk that "A room w'd be fahn," and decides to rent one for the night rather than by the hour. The clerk wishes him a "good tahm" but doesn't bother to take down Heller's name or anything, which infuriates Gris, who is hoping the American authorities will do what it never occurred to him to do himself.
They pass the car on the way to their bed, and Mary has the presence of mind to hang a newspaper out of the trunk so that it covers the license plate from casual inspection. Heller is quite interested in the bullet holes in his new car. Then they're in their room, and Mary collapses on one of the twin beds, too exhausted to properly undress herself.
"I'm so sleepy," she said. "You can have it if you want it, kid: I haven't felt anything for a year. But I'd advise against it. You're a good kid and I think I might have some disease."
This offer of free if contagious sex goes completely over Heller's head, and he asks if there's a hospital on "this planet" that he could take Mary to. A jubilant Gris records this definite breach in the Space Codes, while Mary is suddenly energized, vehemently opposing anything that would put her around doctors. She's so worked up that she gets some needles and whatnot from her suitcase, but alas, there's not even a grain of "blanks, Harry, joy powder, ka-ka, skag, caballo, Chinese red, Mexican mud, junk, white stuff, hard stuff, the Big H!" left over from yesterday's fun. She collapses onto her bed and passes into the fitful sleep of drug withdrawal.
Heller puts some salve on his blistered feet (bad shoes), then examines the rest of his luggage, which includes a quick look at some devices that Gris can't identify, making me suspect that they'll be important later. Then he makes some notes.
He wrote: Got to get a diploma before anyone will listen to you. Then he wrote, Psychology is fake. It can't do anything or change anybody. It is the government tool of population control.
Even though it doesn't work, can't do anything, or change anybody.
Then he wrote, Somebody is selling some drug on this planet that kills people.
Wonder what he'll do when he finds out about tobacco? What about alcohol? Or donuts? Man, Earth is a dangerous place. Just breathing or eating can kill you. In fact, not breathing or eating can kill you! We're screwed!
Heller marks these observations with a little "V" at the end of each sentence, Voltarian mathematical shorthand for "Pertinent factor to be employed in a rationality deduction theorem." Gris exults at another Code Break, I wonder if the Voltarians just so happened to use a symbol identical to the Latin V (which in fairness is a pretty simple symbol, so divergent evolution is entirely possible), or if this is part of the book's translation convention and the real symbol Heller put down is incomprehensible. Then Heller goes to bed and that's the chapter.
Note the absolute absence of any sexual tension between Heller and Mary, even though they're sharing a room and she's offering a freebie. I'm not sure how I feel about this - it's kinda traditional when two leads are placed in tight confines, thrown together by the pressures of a police chase or whatnot, especially if one is already in a relationship. But it's also cliche, so I feel like praising Hubbard for avoiding an easy source of titillation... wait, he had Mary offer a freebie, never mind.
Anyway, I'm not sure if Hubbard was actively avoiding the trope, or if this is him trying to keep Heller as a paragon of virtue. Problem is, there's no indication that Heller even noticed what Mary was suggesting. The scene is probably meant to reinforce Heller's goodness, but comes across like he's clueless. He doesn't even explain that he's seeing someone already or why she shouldn't offer her body to people, instead he completely ignores what she said and asks about taking her to a hospital.
Either way, at least it's reinforcing an aspect of Heller's character.
Chapters without anyone commenting on Heller's stupid clothes: 5
Back to Chapter Four
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