"How is she, Doc?"
      "Oh, nothing to worry about. She just fainted when she got a little too much radiation when the reactor melted down. Let her rest a little while, and she'll be just fine. Nothing serious."
      "Are you sure?"
      "Yes. Now why don't you go on and let her rest undisturbed. You look like you could use some rest. You probably got a bit of exposure yourself."
      "Oh, it's more my being tired from fighting the out of control robots than anything. I'll be fine as soon as I catch my breath."
      David sighed and hit the remote control. The television screen stayed on, but the sound was muted. "It's amazing how ignorant people were about nuclear energy back in the early fifties. It almost seems comic. And that scene where he pulled the only cadmium control rod from the reactor and used it as a weapon against the robot. Like it would fit back into the slot after a series of impacts like that. Sure was powerful stuff for cadmium. It's amazing just how ignorant people were."
      Sarah replied, "Yeah, like the movie with the uranium hand grenades. As if you could reach critical mass with that little uranium."
      "So what is up next?"
      "A new one, 'Major Enviro vs. Dioxin Man and the Mercury Gang' . Sounds like a yawner. A one concept movie, no doubt."
      "Most of the new ones are, especially with titles like that. Probably no better than 'Forest Man and the Attack of the Ninety Foot Bull Dozer' . You'd think that we'd get the point without having to resort to this sort of trashy screen writing. No wonder our IQ is dropping in this country. Everything important issue comes out as cartoons or camp movies. Whatever happened to the planet of Munimula, aluminum spelled backwards? Now it's nothing but good vs. evil, with no gray middle ground and no wit."
      "Cost. Producers aren't willing to redo a production to get it right. It's 'Do it under budget and on time, and if quality suffers, big deal, it made money.' Quality is no longer a cinematic criteria. You just aim it at the eleven year old mind and crank." Sarah took the remote from David and changed channels. On the screen came was the title, "Uranium Man vs. the Blood Beast."
      "Oh, I've seen this. This is where the alien makes men pregnant."
      "This I'd like to see."
      "Take my word for it, even for a loser, it's a real loser."
      "Because men get pregnant?" she asked.
      "No, that is the good part. Actually, it plants it's offspring in men's bodies for hosting, like some insects do. It's the rest of it that is lousy. Uranium Man is the worst hero I've ever seen. Really stiff dialog."
      "Pregnant men and stiff dialog. Sounds hot." Sarah smiled coyly.
      "If you are referring to half-life, true, but only if. Find something else to watch."
      Sarah flipped through the channels until she came across the remake of "The Ooze." They settled in and watched.

       David walked into the plant with heavy eyes from staying up too late, watching the movies on TV. He entered his office, and in the foyer in the place of Laura, his usual secretary, was another woman. She had dark hair, dark make-up, a dark dress, and black finger nails. On the desk, she had placed a sign that read, "Wicked, evil, mean, and nasty." She looked up at him with a smile on her face that didn't set all that well with him.
      "Where is Laura?"
      "She is out on sick leave. I'm from temporary services."
      "Oh." Rather than continue the conversation, he went into his office and called his supervisor Harris. "What is the matter with Laura?"
      "Some circulatory disorder. Very low blood pressure. The doctors don't know what it is yet. It seems she can't stand up for long without passing out. She's out indefinitely."
      "She didn't get an exposure, did she?"
      "None on the records. All her badges showed clean. We checked that first thing and notified the doctor at his request. Besides, there hasn't been anything on site yet that is that hot."
      "So who's this new woman? I'm not sure I like her. What's her name?"
      "You didn't introduce yourself? Her name is Lucinda. Don't make the mistake of calling her Cindy."
      "I didn't get much sleep last night, and from the looks of her, I'm not sure that I wanted to. She's not what I'd call standard for temporary services. Rather weird for a job of this sensitivity. What is her record like? Is she qualified?"
      "So her record shows. What is wrong with her, except her appearance?"
      "Well, she put a sign on her desk that struck me as odd."
      "What did it say?"
      "Wicked, evil, mean, and nasty."
      "Well, it's probably designed to keep the sexual harassment down."
      "Well, if it didn't fit her appearance so appropriately, I'd probably overlook it. But it seems to fit, and she seems to like the fit. Harris, I'm not at all sure that she will do."
      "I'll grant that she is a bit eccentric looking, but she is within the dress code, and she knows physics."
      "If you have her records handy, give me the last three placements where she served. I want to find more about her before I give an approval."
      "Suit yourself, but you will have to find proof that she is not worthy before I pull her. We have already gone to the trouble of briefing her." Names and numbers came from Harris.
      David called the three and found nothing disturbing except the rumor that her favorite romantic paraphernalia was a stapler. Apparently that was just hearsay, the sort of thing that someone in an office would say as an excuse when striking out when asking for a date. David was not happy. He called Laura at her house and found that she was not doing well, but was not in any pain. She just had to remain in a horizontal position unless she had help at hand. A nurse had been assigned to her during the day.
      Then he called Sarah and warned her that he might not be in a good mood when he got home and to not bother coming over without calling. He explained why.
      "It sounds like one of the movies we saw last night." Sarah giggled.
      "Please don't add fuel to the fire. My imagination is dreadful enough as it is."
      "She's probably not so bad once you get to know her."
      "I hope not. But she really gives me the creeps."
      "It's probably just your imagination."
      "I hope so, though I don't usually react to people this strongly upon first impression. I just get the feeling something is not right with her. There is something about her that just doesn't jive. Not sure what."
      "Give her a chance. She is probably quite good. Otherwise, she wouldn't be with a temporary service. They have pretty high standards for hiring. They can't stay in business if they send out just anyone."
      "Maybe so."
      "Just calm down and give her a chance."
      "It won't be easy. You haven't seen her."
      "Just keep an open mind. You're usually pretty good about that."
      "I'll try. Call before you come over."
      "Okay. Hope to see you tonight."
      David sat at his chair for several minutes thinking about how he could justify replacing the new woman, but he found no reason that would hold. He buzzed her and asked her into his office. She entered with a walk that was very suggestive, and it only reinforced his desire to be rid of her.
      "Lucinda".
      "So, you've been talking about me, huh?"
      "I. . . . ."
      "Wait. Before we go further, I have something I want to say to you privately. This is to go no further than the two of us." She reached down the front of her blouse. David was about to object when she withdrew a badge and dropped it on his desk. "Sorry about that, but it's the safest place to keep it. I'm agent Beverly Furrows with the Justice Department, FBI. This demeanor is just a disguise. I can tell that it set you off. It's designed to disturb people to make things happen. If people respond as you do, they usually don't have anything to hide. So I feel from your response that I can trust you. I'm here on a tip that someone on the inside of this project is planning sabotage."
      "Sabotage?"
      "Now don't get excited. It's not the sort of things where bombs go off, filling the sky with fireballs. It's more a case of things not going according to spec, so that the current contractor is released and another gets a chance to come in and fill their shoes. Problems with alignment, amplifiers failing, magnets going down. Problems are your business, and I was lucky to get your office as assignment."
      "Did you have anything to do with Laura being ill?"
      "No, and I apologize for equating my luck with her misfortune. If it will help to ease your mind, the government will pick up her bills that the insurance company doesn't. We'll also see that she has the best doctors available. But yours is the ideal office to oversee any mistakes that are made. That way, I can look at patterns as the reports come into your office as is routine."
      "Have you been briefed on operations here?"
      "I'm assigned to science and technology oriented cases because of my education and practical background. I have been briefed on the workings of the accelerator and the companies involved in construction and management. I can even be a good secretary. But remember that all of this is between the two of us. If you leak this information, you could find yourself in serious trouble for interfering with an investigation."
      "I'm not sure that I like this."
      "Probably just as well that you don't, since my appearance disturbed you when you came in. That way, you'll keep on being disturbed, and no one will be the wiser to my identity. I'm sorry that this has fallen on your shoulders, but it is a serious matter. The government is pouring a lot of money into this project. We do not look favorably upon people trying to hinder the effort that taxpayer money funds."
      "What do you need from me?" he asked.
      "Access to files, which I already have in my position. I may need your knowledge of the system, code words, passwords, and authorization when needed for access. Also to cover for me when I go after information, as if you assigned me the task. I'm going to make people nervous, and your assurance that I am working under your orders will make my job easier."
      "Who else here knows about your purpose?"
      "Only two others. Mr. Evans and Mr. Lincott. You may confer with them, but don't be obvious about doing so. For you to approach them might draw suspicion upon me, and I don't want that. Neither do my superiors."
      "What about that plaque of yours?"
      "Part of my disguise. It was a gift from several fellow agents as a joke. I have handled some pretty rough assignments. I guess you could call it a sign of respect in a left handed way. I'd like to keep it on my desk. I know that you will be the butt of some jokes because of it. If you need my help in getting through this, I'll be glad to do what I can."
      "What am I going to tell Sarah about this? She knows me too well. She'll sense that I am hiding something."
      "I'll have someone contact her and brief her on the affair. But it's not something that you two should discuss in detail. We are dealing in high tech espionage, and your residences could be bugged or watched. She'll be contacted away from the house. We may need you to ask her to run an errand for you to set up the meeting."
      "She won't like this."
      "Well, I am sorry for the inconvenience, but our files show that you are dedicated to seeing things through to completion. It is our estimation that you'll do what is necessary to see any wrong righted, especially on a project of this magnitude."
      "I guess, if it must be. How can I be sure that this is on the level? How do I know that you are not someone else playing the part of FBI?"
      "Call from a pay phone to regional headquarters. They will verify my identity. My superior is Jake Holstein. Is there anything else you need to know?"
      "Not at the moment. Do you need my help now?"
      "No. I have access to plenty to keep me busy for a couple of days. Just treat me like a normal replacement secretary with a weird personality." She replaced the badge down her blouse and went back to the foyer.

       Sarah was waiting for David when he got home that evening. He got in her car before she had the chance to get out of hers. "Do you have any idea I talked to today?" she asked, seeming rather annoyed.
      "FBI?"
      "So you knew about this."
      "Yes. Look, I'm sorry. I don't have any say in this. I don't even know fully what is going on. I'm pretty sure that you were told not to discuss this with me in depth. I really don't know what is going on, except they suspect someone there of foul play. I don't know who, what, or why. I was just told to cooperate with them, and part of that was sending you out on an errand so they could catch you where you would be sure not to be overheard talking with them. I got the word from my boss to cooperate and not ask needless questions and act normal. It hasn't been a very good day for me. The agent is this weird woman that replaced Laura."
      "The one you told me about this morning on the phone?"
      "Yeah. She's the agent, and I'm supposed to show her the ropes in an inconspicuous way. At least I can publicly blame my bad day on her. I got all kinds of snide jokes thrown at me today."
      "So you are not in a good mood like you warned."
      "Worse than I had imagined I would be at that point. Do you want to come inside?" he asked.
      "Not if you're going to be in that bad of a mood. I don't want to be your whipping horse."
      "Sarah, I don't take my bad moods out on you."
      "Not intentionally, but some of it does wear off. Why are we sitting out here?"
      "I was warned that my house might be bugged. We can't talk about the FBI stuff inside. So we have to talk about it here in your car."
      "Oh. Is it that serious?"
      "I have no idea. I'm just going on what I was told. Actually, I want to forget about it, get my mind on something else."
      "Do you think that this could be dangerous for you?"
      David shrugged. "I doubt that it would be. Not for something like this. This is just an investigation to find out if and who. I don't think that they are sure that anything is even going on. I think that they are working on suspicion and not fact. This just may all be somebody's fantasy for all I know."
      "I guess I can come in for a while, but let me warn you that if you start acting grumpy or sullen, I'm going home."
      "Okay, if you stay bright and cheerful."
      "It won't be easy."
      "We can both try. I need food in my stomach. We can eat and snuggle and watch TV. I think that there is a good movie on tonight. 'Attack of the Sun Creature.' It should be perfect for the day I had today. Can't be any stranger."
      "Is she really that weird?" asked Sarah.
      "On the surface she is. It's hard to tell what is beneath except that she can be very serious. I hope you don't get notions of being jealous."
      "Should I be?"
      "Not by a long shot. One hundred eighty degrees from it. What do you feel like eating?" David inquired.
      "How about something hot and spicy?"
      "As long as it doesn't contain anything black."
      They went in the house and cooked together and ate and watched the movie before turning in for bed. Neither felt romantic, but they were not fast in going to sleep. They both needed the comfort of the other.

       The rest of the week saw nothing unusual. Beverly began to learn the details of being David's secretary. She said little about her investigation to him, except to request certain files. He showed them to her as normal training procedure. They spoke little except for matters about the job, but as time wore on, he began to accept her better, getting used to her appearance and seeing beneath it. The jokes about her continued, but they seemed to letting up as they were told and retold and most of the bases were covered. They became rather boring for David, and people were getting tired of not getting a response from him.
      Once David was reasonably sure that Beverly had the routine fairly well understood, he started going back to work, overseeing and testing the installations on the accelerator. The magnets had already been installed and tested, and the work was concentrating on the emitters. This was more sensitive and liable to false readings, since there were superconductors involved, and things had yet to be fully calibrated. They were not ready to bring the emitters up to power yet, and the true tests would come only when they went on line. But there was enough testing and inspecting to be done on the control circuits. The work was tedious and required more focus than the week had left David. He was having to go back and retest a number of circuits, simply because he was so easily distracted.
      He made the excuse of having to break in Beverly and concentrate on two levels at once. The others made allowances, since everyone had liked Laura and knew that David must miss her presence in the office. He had little trouble in hiding what was really bothering him. Along with the disruption, Beverly's presence made him doubt and suspect those around him of possibly being saboteurs. But he was not certain that there were any, so he had little trouble dismissing such thoughts fairly quickly.
      Things slowly began to fall back into routine with him.

       The next Tuesday, David found himself with nothing for him to do. All the tests he could perform without stepping into someone else's territory had been completed. He returned to his office, hoping to find something waiting his attention, but there was nothing. He was faced with time to kill while waiting for things to progress to where he was needed again. This happened on occasion with this job, and he usually spent them talking to Laura, seeking her perspective on the way things were going. It often gave him information on things that he was missing. Sometimes it sent him back to work, sometimes it didn't.
      He decided to give Laura a call. A live-in nurse answered the phone and gave the phone to Laura. "Hey, David. It's business hours. Come to a dead spot in the schedule?"
      "How well you know me. How are you doing?"
      "Getting better, it seems. I seem to be responding to treatment, though more slowly than I'd like. I am walking some without passing out. How is my replacement? Is she not performing my job for me?"
      "She's learning, though she isn't you."
      "I heard that she is a wild woman. Too rich for your blood?"
      David chuckled. "I guess that you could say that, but I'd think that she is more than her exterior shows. I haven't had the time to get to know her that well yet."
      "Then maybe you should, if you are at a dead spot."
      "Maybe I should. I'd rather that you were back here."
      "So do I, but I'm not that much better yet. These things take time. This is not a common cold I've got."
      "I know. I hate to see you in this predicament."
      "Can't get along without me?"
      "Oh, I'm managing, though not nearly as easily without you. I was thinking more along the lines that I hate to see you suffer like this. You are such an energetic person. The confinement to a bed must be driving you up a wall."
      "Oh, how sweet of you."
      "Well, it's just the way that I feel. You've become important to me."
      "What would Sarah say if she heard you now?"
      "I don't think she'd mind at all. She knows how I care for people. She had accepted you quite well."
      "More than you think, David. We have had long talks about you over the phone."
      "You have?"
      Laura chuckled. "Now don't go feeling insecure. We weren't cutting you to ribbons, at least not often. It was more along the lines of relating the things that affected you at work and at home so that we could better understand why you were acting the way you were. They helped each of us deal with you more knowledgeably."
      "Oh?"
      Laura chuckled. "Now don't feel so tromped. We were usually quite kind to you. It was a matter of caring. You and Sarah talked about me, did you not? Same thing."
      "I miss you. Not just the job, either. You did a lot for me on a personal basis. I miss our talks."
      "So do I. I'm glad that you called. It's nice to hear your voice. Picks up my spirits."
      "Are you up to a visit?" he inquired.
      "Any time. You know where to find me. I'm not traveling much these days. Only time I get out is a trip to the hospital for tests."
      "Are you in any pain?"
      "No. I'm just tired of staying in bed. That's the worst of it. Bed pans and being treated like a little baby. But my nurse is good at her job. Cheerful and respectful, but she doesn't know me well enough to hold a conversation all day long. I'm getting tired of watching TV. Those are my only complaints."
      "Well, I'll drop by after work today, if that is acceptable to you."
      "I'd love your company. But take time to get to know my replacement. Take her to lunch and find out what makes her tick."
      "Maybe I will."
      "No maybes. Do it."
      "Yes, ma'am."
      "Uh oh. Time for my daily exercises. I need to let you go. Can't let my muscles atrophy. Drop by if you can. I'd love to see you."
      "Okay. Anything you want for passing the time?"
      "One thing you could do for me. I had to have my lap top processor serviced. I got a call that it is ready, but I obviously can't go get it. Could you go pick it up for me? I've got an account, so it won't cost you to pick it up."
      "Consider it done."
      "Thank you. Now let me go and take your new secretary out to lunch."
      "Yes, ma'am. Bye."
      "Bye, David."
      He hung up and went into the foyer of his office. "Lucinda, are you busy for lunch?"
      "Not today. Why?"
      "I was wondering if you would like go to out to lunch with me."
      "Are you sure that your reputation could stand it?"
      "People are getting used to you."
      "Why?" she inquired.
      "I guess that you have been here long enough for your appearance to become accepted."
      "I was asking why you wanted to take me to lunch."
      "Oh, I guess it's habit. I used to take Laura to lunch several times a week. We talked shop and discussed personal matters. It helped us work together better to have that time to address problems. It made things flow. We learned what to do and what not to do with each other. I was thinking that maybe we could do the same, take away some of the awkwardness between us. I'm not trying to pry anything out of you that you don't want to reveal to me. Just little things so we can judge each other better."
      "Okay. I see no harm in that. Part of the job. Sure. At noon?"
      "Any reason that you can't go now?" he asked.
      "No. Nothing pressing."
      "Then let's go."
      "Okay. "
      They left the office and headed for the parking lot. They took his car and went to a restaurant he visited on occasion, avoiding his regular spots where she might raise eyebrows and start people talking. They were seated, and Beverly finally broke the silence she had kept on the way over.
      "I guess you want to know how I'm doing."
      "Well, I'm curious, yes, but I wasn't going to ask. That is your business, and I don't see myself with much need to know. I'm not expecting a report from you."
      "That is a pleasant surprise, I must say. I am making some progress. Most of what I've found is coming from repair files. There is an inordinate amount of needed repairs of materials that checked out before shipping, more than one would expect. And they seem to concern the critical control equipment. From what I can ascertain, the target seems to be to get the accelerator to fail where collapse would cause the most damage to the most expensive components. High backlash once the system goes on line."
      "Is this your analysis or is someone advising you?" he asked.
      "Yes, it's mine. I told you that I have a background in technology. I have seven degrees. A BS in electrical engineering, a BS and a MS in physics, a BS in math, a BS in chemistry, a BA in foreign languages, and a BA in criminology. It wasn't as hard as it may sound. After getting all the required courses for physics where I started, it was just a matter of taking enough of the other courses to fill the major requirements with the course of study, and much of that was during my first degree. In physics, you have to take a lot of math and chemistry, and E.E. was my minor. My mother was an interpreter, and she taught me a lot for a good head start in languages. My criminology came last after I had joined the FBI. They paid for the last two, along with my masters. They wanted someone really sharp in science investigation. I was the most likely candidate."
      "How long did all this take?"
      "Eight years."
      "Why did you go into the FBI?"
      "Following in my dad's footsteps. Research was overcrowded, and there was a lot of research being dropped. Not much of a future in it unless you specialized in particle emission for SDI. You had to be on the inside and proven to get into that."
      "So you are having no problem understanding the project."
      "None, I'm very at home working around Mev and digital analysis. I was briefed on the design specs before I came here. My biggest problem has been the filing system. That always takes time in learning."
      "And here I thought that you'd be in over your head."
      "No. Just because I look this way doesn't mean that I can't keep up with anybody at the plant. In fact, I look this way because it leads people to that same conclusion. No one would suspect me of being able to follow their technical conversations, and that leads people to talk as if I weren't there. I don't usually dress or groom like this. It has taught me a lot about the way people react to radical fashion in the scientific world, not to mention the real world. I'm on a twenty four hour routine."
      "Sounds like you lead a difficult life."
      "I like to think of it as challenging."
      "So tell me more about yourself."
      "Such as?" she prompted.
      "Favorite foods, music, books, hobbies, stuff like that. What turns you on when you have free time?"
      "Well, I'm single, as are most women in the FBI. No regular boy friend. I travel too much for that. I take what I can get on the run, like most of the guys in the bureau. I like Chinese and Italian food, but I'll eat most anything that isn't too unhealthy. Can't be routine while I'm in disguise. I like most forms of music except crying-in-your-beer country, but I don't pay too much attention to it. I read mostly non-fiction, and I have little time for recreational reading. My biggest hobby is resting from assignments, doing as little as possible. I have a part time maid for that. I'm not at home often, so I rent a security apartment.
      "Most of my life is professional. I work out as much as possible to stay in shape. I play a mean game of racquet ball. I like to swim. Most everything I do is designed to keep me alive and make me a better agent. I know that it doesn't sound very glamorous, and by most standards it isn't. But it's the way I have chosen to go. I feel that I'm making this country a better place to live. I don't always agree with policy, but most of that is quite minor."
      "Sounds rough."
      "It's something that one needs to meet head on. I can't afford to be sloppy. It gets taxing at times, and I've faced my share of dangerous situations, but it's also full of boredom. There are hours and hours of paper work and surveillance situations where there is nothing to do but watch nothing happen. That is harder than the rough spots."
      "Any regrets at all over the things that you're missing?"
      "Sure, but I don't think that there is a person alive that has no regrets or desire for more than life gives. It's human nature. But mine are relatively minor. Not nearly enough to make me change my ways."
      "I take it from the way you confide in me that I pass the criteria for being beyond suspicion. "
      "Yes. You have a high security clearance. Squeaky clean as we call it. And my findings confirm it. Most of the failures wouldn't be available to you, and everything you handle shows to be in proper working order when you finish with it. While I never rule out anyone completely, I'd be very surprised to find you involved in this. I take a lot of value in first impressions, and your first impression of me convinced me that you are on the up and up."
      David chuckled. "I apologize for the way I responded to you the first day. I wasn't being fair to you. I'm not usually so quick to deny people benefit of the doubt. It was just you're being there instead of Laura, and that sign you have on your desk. I was thinking more in terms of impression that people coming to see me would get."
      "No need at all. I take no offense. I designed this to get that response. You reacted as expected. If I had come in glamorous and you had let your tongue hit the floor, then I might have been offended."
      The waiter brought their meal, and they began to eat. During the meal, Beverly demonstrated her knowledge of current events. She discussed national and international affairs, professional football and basketball, the economic trends, both local and national, and added a bit of tabloid gossip to the list. David was duly impressed, but he noticed a lack of opinion. "Do you have any personal feelings over all this?"
      "We learn to keep our feelings to ourselves except in disguise, and that often is invented and isn't our own. Opinion tends to step on toes. I know that it can sound like I'm a bit cold, though I'm not. I'm just careful. I try hard not to alienate the few people around whom I can feel comfortable."
      "Is that a general statement, or is there an implication in there toward me?"
      "I do rather like you. Not that I'd go chasing you, since you are already involved with Sarah. But I do like the way that you think. You are intelligent, inventive, witty, and fun-loving to a point. There is a quiet sense of class to you. I like that. But don't expect me to show it at work. It doesn't fit the guise of Lucinda."
      "I understand."
      "I guess what I like about you most is that you've never jumped on my case. You took a lot of heat because of me, you didn't even particularly like me in the beginning. But despite all you endured over me, you never once took it out on me. You were very fair. That is a rare trait in this society of today. I appreciate that. I consider Sarah lucky to have you. I also like the way you blush."
      David sighed and couldn't think of anything to say. Beverly smiled and winked at him and continued eating. David insisted on paying, citing a larger paycheck as justification, denying sexist motives.
      In the parking lot, Beverly stopped David. "The reason I didn't talk on the way over is playing to the side of caution, on the off chance that your car is bugged by someone other than me. I want to say that I truly appreciate the caution that you have shown about discussing my true identity with others. I hope that you continue to be as cautious in the future. Let me say that whomever is working against the construction of the accelerator is well funded and cunning. I'd hate to see you get hurt."
      "Itll do my best."
      "I know that you will." She gave him a warm smile, then gestured him on to the car.

       Work progressed on the accelerator
      .. and David's dead spot ended. He was soon quite busy testing the installations, working long hours. He took Beverly to lunch when he could afford the time, and they became better friends as the days rolled on.
      She found more evidence as time progressed, but she was still stumped for a suspect. She had narrowed leads, but there were still too many that could be sabotaging the efforts of construction, and the clues pointed to more than one person, since everybody on her list couldn't be associated with every failure. This made things more difficult for her to determine, but she stayed tenaciously on the investigation. It became obvious to her that the saboteurs were wise to efforts to uncover their work. Equipment that had been repaired was once again showing failure. The failures became less obvious, but they were designed to accomplish the same results, damage to the entire system when it was initiated into operation. She became more wary in her accessing files, finding justification for each search, turning more to David for written orders to access certain files. Since he was a primary person in testing, she had the cover she needed.
      Sarah began to question David's feelings toward Beverly. He assured her that his feeling were purely professional and gave her extra attention, even though he was often too tired to do a satisfactory job of it. She sensed that his opinion had softened, but she didn't know how much and in what direction. She had never felt jealous of Laura, since Laura often followed David home and the three of them would have dinner together. This let Sarah talk to Laura and the friendship that grew removed any suspicions.
      But with Beverly playing the part of Lucinda, it was not appropriate for her to visit, and the two had never met. The lack of contact felt to Sarah like secrecy, which it was, for protection against the saboteurs. But she was not at all certain that that was as far as it went, though she tried to believe David. She tried her best not to let the suspicions get the best of her, but the strain began to show.
      So all three were not at their very best when time came for the first active tests to be run for the accelerator. Beverly requested with top management that the site be closed to all but the testing crews, excluding all on her suspect list, until a final and thorough inspection of all the components could be run before powering up. Her suggestion was considered but denied as adding to cost overruns, since they were already behind schedule. She sent out a request to her supervisor to intervene, but the response did not come in time.
      As she expected, the first run test, done at minimal voltage, caused the system to fail. Fortunately, the voltage was not enough to cause any severe damage to the system. They had at least taken her warning seriously enough not run the first test at full standard operating voltage as had been planned. There were minimal plasma traces in the main tube, so inspection went ahead immediately with all but the most trusted personnel removed from the plant.
      The trouble had been located in the control section and the parts that had failed were replaced. Again Beverly advised caution and requested a thorough inspection of all control sections. Again her request was denied in favor of not going too far over-budget.
      The test proceeded at minimal voltage necessary to create the ion stream, though there was little acceleration involved in the stream. This seemed to satisfy the management, and tests at higher voltages and stronger magnetic fields were ordered. At this point, both Beverly and David made one last final plea, pointing out that some of the failures noted in the inactive tests had shown that some of the failures would not occur until the voltage level was at normal operating levels.
      The accelerator was brought on line, and the voltage was raised from eleven megavolts and raised in three megavolt increments. Everything proceeded smoothly until they got into the sixty megavolt range. Then there was a fluctuation in particle emission, and David went against management's orders and shut down the ion flow and accelerating magnets.
      There had been a heavy flow of plasma, so the tests that David wanted to do required heavily protective suits. He and Lucinda went to get dressed for inspection of the main tube. One of David's colleagues made a call for management to return to the site, since they had left because everything had been running so smoothly. The two were in the tube before management had returned. They began walking the tube, looking for signs of damage and items that might have caused the fluctuation.
      David carried test equipment and checked for signs of plasma residue, magnetic anomalies, static voltage, and radiation, hoping to spot something out of the ordinary to see if there was a physical cause for the fluctuation rather than electronic. After walking half the circuit, David noticed a reading on his voltage meter. He felt the hair on his neck start to rise, and he signaled Beverly that they needed to evacuate the area.
      His other equipment started to indicate growing levels, and the air outside the suit started to glow with a ghostly blue luminosity. He realized that the system was up and running. He watched in horror as the voltage meter began to rise into the megavolt range and go off the scale. He switched to a higher range and watched it continue to rise.
      David then expected that he had but a few minutes, if that long, to survive. The accelerator was the largest and most powerful in history, and the only exit was the one they had entered, and it was a good mile and a half's walk away. He pulled Beverly to the wall and pushed her down and then tried to cover her, shielding her from the flow.
      "What are you doing?" she complained.
      "Look at the air. It's glowing. The system is running. We are probably going to die. Look, five megavolts and rising." He pushed the static voltage meter in front of her face plate. He saw the comprehension and resulting alarm on her face. He looked again and watched the reading go right off the scale.
      The light changed from blue to a dim gold-white in the center of the tube, and it started growing more brilliant.
      "What is that?" she inquired.
      David watched in fascination at the stream that grew turbulent after it passed them. "Something that has never before been seen close at hand and later described by man. Plasma, the fourth state of matter, at megavolt levels. No one has ever survived contact with it or close proximity to it. Our presence is disrupting the flow. Look at the turbulence."
      "We are going to die, aren't we?"
      David never got to answer. The brilliance flared, and David watched in sheer agony as the meter registered over three hundred megavolts. They never saw the collapse of the field as the system failed. Their brains shut down as the energy penetrated the insulation of the suits, blinding them in unspeakable pain and into blackness.

       David woke in a bare bed in a mostly bare, white painted room. He was surprised to be alive and waking. He had fully expected to be quite dead. He was quite groggy, but the few apparatus that existed in the room told him that he was still in the corporal realm. He looked first at his arms, and other being a bit pink and tender to the touch, they appeared quite normal. There were no windows in the room, only one door that was more a hatch than anything else. He knew that he was in isolation. He spotted a microphone along the wall. Then there was the sound of an intercom being turned on.
      "David, can you speak?"
      He realized that he had pulled loose a trip wire as he raised his arms. That signaled to someone that he had stirred. He coughed, then tried to speak. His vocal chords felt odd, but he had no trouble in speaking. "Yeah, I think so. Who is this? What happened?"
      "Gavrinson. How are you feeling?"
      "Confused. Will you tell me what happened? Who activated the accelerator while we were inside the main flow path?"
      "Nobody."
      "What?"
      "The control system did that on its own. We surmise that a digital delay switch was installed or programmed into the controls. It booted itself up and then climbed right up off the scales. It went to overload and bypassed every safeguard that we installed. The accelerator is one big junk yard. Blew out everything. Magnets, controls, emitter, the works. All we got out of it was the hard copy of the incident. I am truly amazed that you and Lucinda survived."
      "She's alive?"
      "In the adjoining chamber, through that door. She shows vital signs, but she hasn't stirred yet."
      "I take it that somebody had the gall to get suited up and pull us out. Why are we in isolation?"
      "You are as hot as a nuclear firecracker."
      "A walking uranium grenade, huh?"
      "Not that heavy, but you are hot. Too hot to handle."
      "If I'm so hot, why aren't I suffering from involuntary muscular contractions and burned to a charred crisp? Was I treated with curare or something? I was exposed to plasma. I should be cooked well done."
      "You haven't been treated in any way except when you were removed from your suit, and that was to decontaminate the outside of the suit so that you wouldn't suffer any further exposure. As to your condition, your guess is as good as ours. We haven't the faintest idea why you are still alive. Baffled describes it pretty well. Can you give us any clues?"
      "Not in the least. Uh, to change the subject, do you have a way to get things to me? I'd like some clothes."
      "We want to keep you hooked up to the sensors for the time being."
      "I guess that radio remotes are out of the question."
      "You'd drown out any signal. The only things that work in there are things that aren't affected by radiation. You aren't coming through too clearly. We've shielded the leads as well as possible, but it's pretty scratchy. How are you reading us?"
      "No static, clear. What about food?" David asked.
      "You have an appetite?"
      "Some. I assume that you are reading my rad count. What's my level?"
      "Variable. That's the strange thing. You should be putting out a constant level, but you're not."
      "Then give me the range."
      "Background to off the scale. Another thing, David. You gained some weight during the incident."
      "How much?"
      "Oh, a hundred ninety pounds, if your medical records were accurate. You weighed in at three seventy."
      "What?"
      "We figure that you were transmutated. Another thing. There was an accident in removing your suit by remotes. You kept fogging the camera plates. One went out, and when we put in another, the remote was pressing into your arm with ninety pounds of pressure. With the area of contact, puncture should have occurred at thirty one. You have a very tough hide."
      "One hot and heavy armadillo, huh?"
      "At least you retained your sense of humor."
      "Ha ha. You try being in my shoes with a straight face."
      "Don't panic on us."
      "Don't worry. I do want to see Beverly."
      "Who?" asked Gavrinson.
      "Lucinda. Her real name is Beverly."
      "Oh?"
      "FBI. I assume that they have been notified."
      "She was an agent?"
      "Why do say was?"
      "Pardon, a slip of the tongue. Her vitals are still regular, though a bit elevated, as are yours. I was thinking along the lines that she'll do the FBI no further good in her state. We'll notify them."
      "She said that her supervisor's name was Jake Holstein. Her name is Beverly Furrows."
      "Okay. I see that your memory is intact. Wait a minute. We just got the signal that she has moved. Let me get back to you. We had to rig this set up in a hurry. I can only talk to you one at a time."
      "Harris, before you go, let me ask if my vitals have fluctuated to any great degree since you started monitoring."
      "None out of the ordinary."
      "Then I'm going to remove the sensors. I don't feel weak or ill. Can I open the door to the other room where she is?"
      "Yes, it's a simple chock and cam. Quarter turn counter- clockwise. But I wish that you'd leave the sensors in place so that we can monitor you. We don't know what will happen."
      "And I don't want to be cut off alone like this. I want to talk to Beverly. She might not react as calmly as I did."
      "Okay. We just lost her readings. I think that she removed hers."
      "Talk to her. I'll be joining her soon, and Harris, get some clothes to us. I don't think that she is particularly modest from what I've gathered in our conversations, but it would make things more comfortable between us. Please."
      "All right."
      David removed the sensors and went to the door. He turned the locking wheel and opened the door a crack. "Beverly, it's David. I'm as immodestly attired as you are. Do you mind my coming in?"
      "Please do. David, what is going on? What happened to us?"
      "It seems that we survived the ion stream, but certain things happened to us that no one seems to know how to explain."
      "Who is that on the intercom?"
      "A colleague of mine from the plant. Medical section, specializing in radiation poisoning. Charley Gavrinson is his name."
      "Oh. Well, are you coming in, or are you going to be shy?"
      David opened the door and found her sitting on her bed. She eyed him with a smile. "Not bad for an egghead. What gives?"
      "All I know is that we survived, that we are quite radioactive, and that we are heavier than before. Speculation is that we transmutated under the ion stream. How do you feel?"
      "Okay, but different. Kind of funny. No pain, but it feels different in a way I can't describe it."
      "Same here. By all accounts, we should have died, but we didn't. We have changed, and it has everyone including us scratching their heads. This is like something out of the early fifties."
      "What?"
      "Like an old sci-fi film. Solar Woman and Neutrino Man."
      "Is there anything to eat? I'm hungry."
      "That might be a problem. We have doubled our weight in the incident, meaning that we have changed chemically. Normal food might poison us."
      "They said this?"
      "No, the thought just came to me."
      "Oh, no. We survived plasma contact just to starve to death. Would you come over here and hold me? I need the touch of someone right now. Please don't be shy, David. I'm not trying to pull you away from Sarah."
      "Sarah. I hadn't even thought about her. Gavrinson, has my lady Sarah Thurman been notified?"
      "Not to my knowledge."
      "How long have we been unconscious?"
      "Seventy six hours."
      "Three days? She must have called the plant and been told. Would you get someone to notify her that I am still alive? Please. I'd like to talk to her. Has anyone been notified about this?"
      "No, it's been kept quiet. We are contacting the FBI for Ms. Furrows. But otherwise, only the key people in the agencies involved are being informed until we know better the results of the incident."
      "You told them?" asked Beverly.
      "Yes, I told them. I don't see how it matters at this point. You won't be going back on the job in your condition, not as hot as you are."
      "I guess not. Oh, David, what am I going to do?"
      Beverly started fighting back tears and sobs, and David was hit hard emotionally by her response. He moved to her side and put his arm around her. The moment he made contact with her, they both started to glow brightly. David tried to break contact, but the surge he felt took away all voluntary control. The brightness became blinding, and they both felt a violent snap to their bodies. The brightness was gone instantaneously.

       They looked around and saw a flat dusty red plain as far as the eye could see, and a flood of knowledge came to them. They were stunned into immobility as realization upon realization crowded into their minds. They could not judge time in this state, but it lasted for quite a while.
      When it stopped, they looked at each other and started laughing, realizing that they were in mental contact with each other, thinking as one. They broke contact physically and the intensity of the contact diminished to where they thought separately, but the link remained to where they could easily sense what the other thought.
      "Talk about wild!" said Beverly. "Such power."
      "I think that we had better get back to Earth. They will be concerned about us. We should at least tell them what happened."
      "If you say so."
      "It's only proper that we do. No telling what they might do if we don't. I don't want people to wonder when we could save them grief."
      "Okay. But I think that we had best get dressed first."
      "Okay, in our own bodies. Let's not go changing just yet, so they still recognize us."
      "Right. We have plenty of time to experiment once we get that behind us. This is purely wild." Beverly started laughing again. She clothed herself in garments that dazzled the imagination, showing shifting three dimensional geometric patterns in intricate detail, a delight to the eye as would crystal, diffracting light in delicate designs. David chose to wear a conservative tuxedo, white shirt, and red bow tie.
      "My, how handsome."
      "You never looked lovelier, Beverly."
      "Considering my previous disguise, that is not much of a compliment."
      "Picky, picky, picky. You look stunning and fabulous, a vision of pure delectation."
      "That's better. Shall we?"
      They set their minds for Earth and vanished from the plain.

       They appeared in the room and repaired the damage that the reaction of their disappearance had caused, removing all traces of radioactivity. David spoke. "We're back, Gavrinson."
      "What happened in there? The reading went right off the chart and the place shook like an empty coffee can bouncing down a cliff."
      "You have such a marvelous way with words. Unfortunately I can't be so inventively articulate and comprehensible at the same time. We underwent a most interesting metamorphosis."
      "What took place to make this metamorphosis happen?"
      "I touched Beverly. I can't stand crying women."
      "You touched her, and that caused the eruption?"
      "Such loquacious elocution. Gavrinson, that almost sounds dirty."
      Beverly giggled.
      "Will you give me a straight answer?"
      "Take my word for it, it was more earth-shattering for us than it was for you. We made physical contact, and that created a reaction. We were transformed both physically and mentally and arrived in a different plain of existence. We are no longer radioactive. Albeit, we are no longer quite human either. Gavrinson, would you call an assembly of the key personnel of the project so that we don't have to repeat ourselves without end. We'd appreciate having to explain all this only once."
      "David, you can't come out of there. The door has been jammed shut."
      "That poses no problem for us at this stage. Please, Gavrinson, make the call. We pose no threat or danger to anyone. Have everyone assemble in the project auditorium by four o'clock. We'll arrive there and start the explanation promptly. Anyone arriving late will just have to ask others for what they missed. Video taping would not be a bad idea."
      "David, are you feeling okay?"
      "I'm feeling fabulous. I have an errand to run, so we'll be leaving now. The door has been unsealed, if inspection teams want to look for us here where we will no longer be. I know that it sounds crazy, Charley, but Beverly and I have never been so in charge of our sanity in our lives. Trust us. See you at the auditorium at four. Don't be late."
      They vanished from the chamber.

       Sarah was sitting in the living room of her house, feeling sick to her stomach. David appeared behind her silently. He put his hand on her shoulder, calming her so that she wouldn't jump half out of her wits. She turned around to look at him. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you."
      "You aren't the only one. Something happened, Sarah. No, don't jump to conclusions. I'm okay. In fact, I'm better than okay. Stay seated. This is not going to be easy for you to take. Just know that I am fine and there is no need to worry over me anymore. I'm sorry that you weren't notified of what happened at the plant, but things have been very hush-hush. There was an incident during testing."
      "An accident?"
      "No, it was intentional sabotage. By all stretches of the imagination as is commonly known to man, I should have died days ago, but I didn't. What happened is beyond human science at it currently stands. Now just sit quietly and don't interrupt with any questions until I finish. Hear me out first before you ask. There is a lot to explain, and I need to be somewhere in an hour. Please don't slow me down. I'll make everything clear to you if you remain quiet. Okay?"
      "Okay. Why are you dressed like that?" Sarah asked.
      "Whim. Now no more questions." David started relating the full story about Beverly and the tests and the exposure to the plasma stream and the events in the room when he woke afterwards to the point to where he touched Beverly. Sarah sat in shock and disbelief.
      "I know that it is hard to imagine. Believe me, I know all too well. It's well etched into my memory. But now comes the hard part."
      "The hard part?"
      "Yes, the hard part. Beverly started crying. It was just too much for her to handle, as you can now well imagine. And you know me and crying women. You've used that on me more than once to get your way. I tried to calm her by putting my arm around her. Donit get jealous, or I won't tell you the rest."
      "Okay. You were just trying to calm her down."
      "Yes. I was thinking of you worrying yourself to death at the time. My mind was on your feelings, not on starting anything with Beverly. It's the truth. When I touched her, our stored energies combined, and we both underwent a transformation to what we are now. I may look normal to you, but I'm as far from normal human as you can get. Of all the old sci-fi movies that we saw, none of them comes close to the strangeness that wet'e become. I guess that you could call us reality brokers. That is my favorite choice. Gods would be more traditional. We can change reality to suit our desires. We have decided not to ply our trade on Earth except to set a few things straight. We're going to repair the damage done to the accelerator as a little demonstration of our abilities, then depart elsewhere to live as we see fit."
      "You're leaving?"
      "Yes.
      "What about me?"
      "That's the whole point of my being here. I'm offering to take you with us and make you into what we are. The question is your ability to share me with Beverly. Will you stay as you are now and say farewell to me, or do you learn to let Beverly share in what we had going between us? Before you answer this, let Beverly introduce herself to you."
      Beverly appeared in the room. "Hello, Sarah. I'm happy to finally meet the first woman that has made me jealous in some time."
      Sarah sat stunned at Beverly's sudden appearance and at her beauty. "I. . . . I thought that David said that you were really weird."
      "That was before he got to know me better. I was dressed to repulse when we first met. My current guise is designed for a different reaction. Don't let the flash throw you off. I could become plain old me of old, if it would help. But I think that I have a better way. Would you consent to sharing minds with me? That way you could see very quickly what kind of . . . . uh, person I really am. It won't hurt, and I'll break off whenever you like. I know that you have had doubts about me, having never met me and only hearing about me. It was never my intention to make you jealous. Rest assured, you were always first in David's mind."
      "In this joining, you could see what I think?"
      "I already see what you think. I'm offering you the chance to see what I think in return. And if you like, I can pull David in on it as well, so you can see what he's thinking. It's only fair that you make your choice with eyes open to the truth. We wouldn't want you turning back once you became as we are. Do you want to look?"
      "Can't you see what I want?"
      "Yes, but I think that consent in this situation is best verbalized, for your sake."
      "Okay. I'll look. But first a question. Why am I accepting this so readily? This is so incredible as to be unbelievable."
      David sighed, "I'm the guilty one. I had you accept me on the facts at face value. Like I said, we have an appointment to keep at four. Time grows near for us having to go back to the plant. If you had doubted me, we'd have never kept to our schedule."
      "And what if I decide to remain behind?"
      "Then I shall relinquish control of your belief or erase your memory of the incident."
      "What about the people from the plant?"
      "They won't remember that we were associated, and you will believe that I died or the scenario of your choosing. I'll leave it to you. I'm just suggesting. But let's consider that after you experience our minds directly. At this point, it's hypothetical and possibly a waste of precious time. Are you ready?"
      Sarah nodded and turned back to Beverly. The linking began.

       David smiled. "So, ladies and gentlemen, I know that it's a tough pill to swallow, but that is what happened. To distinguished members of the scientific community, my word will not be enough. You will want proof, proof that can not be denied. For that proof, Beverly and I have repaired all the damage to the accelerator. And let me give you fair warning to any that might get the notion that our experience can be repeated for others with the ambition to follow in our footsteps. What happened to the two of
      us was a fluke. We have become what we are now because of an effect of the programming for voltages that was designed to destroy the accelerator, our exact positioning in the tube, along with some other factors that aren't likely to occur in the same combination again. Anybody that enters the tube and experiences the ion and plasma stream is in all likeliness experiencing their last experience. Sheer luck is not likely to be on your side, not by a long shot. Don't be idiots. There are far more pleasant methods of suicide, let me assure you. The pain we experienced under the stream is not something you'd wish to undergo.
      "Beverly and I wish to thank you for your patience. I know that our story is fantastic and not something that you as scientists are accustomed to accepting, to say the least. But enough of you have experienced these circumstances that we have described, added along with the full repair of the accelerator, to make believers out of enough of you. We don't expect everybody to believe. We'd be fools to think that all of you will come away accepting what has happened. It has never been the nature of scientists to unanimously agree on anything, much less something this astonishing.
      "In parting, I would like to address one final question that I sense among you. Some of you who do believe are wondering why Beverly and I don't stick around and ply our newly found powers for the good of mankind. I see some of you conceptualizing all the good we could perform. My answer is this. I do not wish to rob mankind of its dignity, nor do I wish to be the one to dictate the manner in which everyone should behave. If we were to remain, that is what we would end up doing. Maturing is a process that comes to each organism that survives long enough to do so. It is a painful process, one of hard lessons and firm drives. Mankind's greatest asset is its drive toward betterment. Were we to handle the problems of mankind, we would rob it of this asset. You'd no longer have the drive for improvement. We refuse to take that from you. We are not thieves.
      "Our roots are human, but we no longer are human. We would end up being resented for doing more than we would for not doing, and that is also something we do not desire. We are going elsewhere to undergo our own process of self-discovery, someplace where no life will suffer from our ways and whims. We may return on occasional visits to see old friends and update them on our experiences, and if we think that mankind is ready, we may part with a little knowledge of the essence of reality, if and only if we think that you have matured enough to handle it. But I make no sure guarantees. Time will tell.
      "And on that note, we bid you ado and farewell. We shall think of you often, and we shall be watching, even if we are not here in physical being. Be careful with this planet. Treat it well."
      David and Beverly bowed and vanished from the stage. They met up with Sarah back at her house. She smiled at them. "Well, I guess that is done. Time to go."
      "You two girls go on ahead without me. I have one more matter to handle before leaving. I'll be there shortly."
      "Good. It will give us more of a chance to compare notes about you."
      "You don't scare me, Sarah. Now off with you before I get gruff at your pseudo-threats."
      They vanished, and David shut his eyes. He opened them to see a door before him. He knocked. A different nurse than before answered.
      "I came by to see Laura."
      "May I ask who is calling?"
      "Tell Laura that David is here."
      "One moment." She shut the door and returned a minute later. "This way, please."
      David followed her to the bedroom. Laura looked up with a smile on her face. "I was beginning to think that you'd never make good on your promise to visit me a second time."
      "End of the project busies. What can I say?" David shrugged.
      "Is the accelerator up and running?"
      "Like a gazelle. Smooth, clean, and fast."
      "So, was it a rocky finish?"
      "I'll spare you the gory details."
      "I thought so. I'd have seen you sooner if it had been a smooth finish."
      "True. You missed the worst part, so consider your illness a blessing in disguise."
      "Don't be too sure. I'd trade hard labor to be cured of this. It's getting mighty old lying around in bed all day."
      "Not if you had to go through what I went through, you wouldn't. Take my word for it, it was a real pain with a capital P. You definitely got the better end of the bargain. Are you getting any better?"
      "Very, very slowly. I can sit up for a while and make it to the bathroom by myself now, but I'm still in bed for most of the day."
      "Well, think positively. Positive thinking is the best cure. A good attitude tells the body to do its stuff. Tell this nasty bug to vacate the premises, and you'll be running record sprints in no time."
      "I wish."
      "No wishing. You have to demand. Wishing and hoping leaves room for doubt. Demanding doesn't. You tell your body in no uncertain terms that it's going to get better. Absolute authority. No wishy-washy, half-serious requests. Come on, let me hear you say it. I am going to get better."
      "I am going to get better."
      "No soul or conviction. Say it like you really mean it. Repeat after me. I'm one rough, tough mama, GGGRRRRrrr. I am going to get better."
      "Oh, David."
      "Say it!"
      "Oh, all right. I'm one rough, tough mama. GGGRRRrrr. I am going to get better."
      "Much better. Now keep telling yourself that with the same intensity. No more moping and feeling sorry for yourself."
      "Okay. Thank you, David. Uh, now that the project is completed, I guess that you'll be moving on."
      David shrugged again. "Yeah. But you haven't seen the last of me. Don't think that you're getting off easy."
      "I'll miss you."
      "I'll miss you, too. But you'll see me in the future, I promise. I don't forget old friends, and you have been a good friend as well as being a good secretary. I'll be back to see you sprint."
      "Tell Sarah that I'll miss her too."
      "Will do. "
      "Are you leaving soon?"
      "On my way out of town now."
      "I had a feeling."
      "Just proves what good friends were are."
      "Kiss me good-bye?"
      "Okay, but don't get serious, or you may never get rid of me."
      "I wish."
      "Be careful for what you wish, Laura."
      "This is one wish I'd love to see come true."
      "You never were one for learning your lessons except the hard way." He kissed her lightly, and she prolonged it.
      "I love you, David. It was an honor knowing you."
      "The honor is all mine, rough, tough mama, and I'll be back."
      "GGGGRRRrrr."
      He left with a smile, his fingers hesitating in her grasp before parting.