“If he becomes normal. I told you, the Stimulator isn’t a sure thing. There’s a good chance it can fail. And even if it works, you won’t know for a while. It’s an odd process. It goes real slow at first, then all of a sudden the change comes in a big rush. But don’t get me wrong. There’s no guarantee that the change we want will ever come. Chan may stay a mor — a not too bright person, for all his life.” And if it doesn’t work, that won’t be very long.

“Even if it doesn’t work, he’ll be no worse off then he is now. How often will I be able to come here and visit?”

“Maybe a couple of times.” Flammarion wriggled again in his seat. Mondrian would go out of his mind when he learned how Leah Rainbow had bargained. “You see, it’s not a great idea to come here. The period when the Stimulator is being applied is very … intense. Tough for the person being treated, and tough for the one giving the treatment. There shouldn’t be interruptions. For Chan’s own sake, he ought to interact with just one person until the course is finished. And that person wilt be Princess Tatiana.”

“How long — before we know?”

“Nobody can say. Maybe a month or two, but it could be more. Anyway, by that time your training ought to be over, and you’ll have a Pursuit Team assignment.”

“You’re telling me I may not see him at all.”

“I don’t know — and I’m not trying to trick you. Miss Leah, can you get all this across to Chan? It would make Princess Tatiana’s job a lot easier if he really understood what was going on.”

“I can try. It’s very abstract for him, but I’ll do my best.” Leah turned to Chan. “Channy, let’s go away and play, just us, in the swim-room. All right? Tatty and the Captain will stay here.”

Chan nodded. “OK. Captain smell real bad. Well go.”

“There.” Leah turned fiercely on Flammarion. “You think Chan’s not smart, but he just told you something you ought to have been told a long time ago. You smell. Captain Flammarion. To be more accurate, you stink. Come on, Chan, let’s get out of here. Tatty, don’t let him talk you into anything you don’t want to do.”

She headed for the door, pulling Chan along by the hand. Kubo Flammarion stared after them in perplexity. He shrugged, scratched at his scalp, rubbed his sleeve across his nose, and finally walked across to Tatty Snipes. She was still leaning forward with her head on her hands.

Flammarion took a purple globe the size of a small grape from his pocket and pressed it firmly against her arm. “Only half a dose, Princess, but better than nothing. There, now. Give it a minute or two, and you’ll start to feel better.”

She groaned at the first shock of the injection. After a few seconds she raised her head, and a touch of pink began to creep into the livid cheeks. “Ah-h-h. Thanks, Kubo. Oh God, I’ve been feeling wretched. I thought I’d die when I found out there were going to be no more shots.”

“Didn’t Commander Mondrian tell you that?”

“He did. But I tried not to think about it. Are you disobeying orders, giving it to me?”

“Well, I suppose you might say so.” Flammarion sat down next to Tatty. “It’s certainly illegal, I promise you that.”

“So why are you doing it?”

“Because I understand Commander Mondrian. You see, Princess Tatiana, he doesn’t think like you or me. He believes he’s tough enough, himself, to stand anything that’s thrown at him.”

“He’s very strong.”

“Right. So sometimes he assumes we’re all the same. Me, I know better. I’ve got my own problems, and I know just what you’re going through. So I’ve been thinking, if we can just ease you off the Paradox, little by little, then you have a chance of making it all the way and being off it forever — even when you re on Earth and can get it all the time.”

Tatty held out her arm, showing the regular line of blue-black dots from wrist to shoulder. “You’re an optimist, Captain Flammarion. Eight hundred shots say you’re wrong.”

“That’s the past, Princess. Think of the future.”

Flammarion also thought of the future, and Tatty’s next few months. He still had a lot of explaining to do to her. But she was turning to him, gripping his hand in hers.

“I hate him. I do. Captain, when I think of what he did to me … bringing me away from Earth, sending me here — and then not coming here himself, or even calling …”

“He’ll be here in a few days.” Flammarion squeezed her thin, bony hand. “You know, he’s just unbelievably busy. He still has to run all the Boundary security, and now he has to get the whole Pursuit Team activity going as well. And we re having a terrible time with the Ambassador’s office, because Dougal MacDougal wants to be in the middle of everything. The only person who can deal with that is Commander Mondrian.’

“Don’t make excuses for him, Captain. That’s not part of your job.” Tatty gave Flammarion a weary smile. “You’re a very loyal man, and I hope he appreciates you.”

“It’s not loyalty. I just understand the Commander.”

“No. You think you do, but believe me I know him a whole lot better — better than anyone who just works for him. If it fits his own needs, Commander Mondrian would sell you and me and anyone he knows.”

“Now, Princess, you’re just getting upset again. If you think that way, why did you agree to come here? You didn’t have to leave Earth.”

“I’m aware of that. Why do you think I’m so angry with myself? You see, I knew all this, knew it years ago. And still I’m out here, in the middle of nowhere, doing exactly what he wants me to do. I shouldn’t be blaming him. I ought to be blaming myself.” Tatty stood up slowly, stretching to relieve long-tensed muscles. “I’ve had it, Captain. Unless there’s something else we absolutely have to talk about, I want to rest.’

It was very tempting — put it off for another day or two, and hope somehow that it would never have to be done. But Mondrian would ask, the next time he called. “There is one more thing, Princess. About the Tolkov Stimulator. I told Leah Rainbow that the treatment gets very intense, for the person giving it as well as the one receiving it.” Flammarion fixed his eyes on the table in front of him. It was the old story; Esro Mondrian taking an action, and leaving Kubo Flammarion to clean up the mess. “I have to tell you just how intense it might get for you.”

“Tomorrow, Captain…”

“No, Princess Tatiana. Today. I’m sorry, but we have to do it before that shot of Paradox wears off.”

Chapter 8

Esro Mondrian had puzzled over the directions before he tried to follow them. They were far from the usual Fropper territory. He had been sent meandering through an endless series of descent shafts, to the deepest basement levels of the Gallimaufries. So far down in the Earth’s crust, continuous cooling was needed to make the levels even marginally habitable, and only the power maintenance crews visited on a regular basis. It seemed inconceivable that any successful Fropper would have an office down in these smoking warrens. But the directions had been detailed and specific.

The final hundred meters of his journey were in near-total darkness, stepping carefully along a steadily descending shallow ramp. At the foot, the gloom closed in to become absolute. Mondrian paused to unsnap a miniature flashlight from his belt.

“No lights, please,” said a soft voice from a few yards in front of him. “Take hold, Commander Mondrian, and follow me.”

“You are Skrynol?”

“I am.” A warm, fleshy flipper gripped Mondrian’s fingers. He walked, step by slow step, led by the Fropper in front of him. Finally he was guided to a seat covered by warm, velvety material.

“Sit there, Commander. And relax.”

“You have to be joking. Could you relax, in my situation? I’ve been to a lot of Froppers before, but I’ve never had to put up with anything like this. Why the darkness? I’d like at least a little light.”