I read the note while wondering if I should ditch the backpack and cube while I worked. I could hide it in the forest, or I could get a room in a hotel. What would carry less risk? The forest would certainly be cheaper. But I couldn’t bring myself to seriously consider tying Bender up in a tree and leaving him to the tender mercies of random chance. I did a quick calculation. I wasn’t destitute yet, but I might end up working for passage on the way back to Garack’s Spine. Meanwhile, keeping Bender safe was job one.