The Stainless Steell Rat Sings the Blues

After which, knowing their record for veracity, they probably felt that they could do whatever they wanted with me.

This was sounding familiar. There has never been a strongman, dictator, military ruler, who did not believe that he somehow came from superior stock. “You are different, sir,” Floyd said, almost humbly.

Of course! Obvious by hindsight. I knew of a dozen hypnotic gases that lowered the ability to think clearly, that left the brain open to outside influences. So it hadn’t been emotion but plain old chemistry that had carried me away. Steengo had suspected this-but why hadn’t he told me? Depressingly, I realized that the state of mind I had been in, probably caused by drugs in the earlier session, rendered that impossible. He knew he couldn’t tell me. But had been suspicious enough to wear the plugs himself.