in exactly that much of a hurry. Unless your shields are a good deal more solid now than they were last time.”
His eyelids flickered. “You wouldn’t be foolish enough to—”
“I’ll count to two,” Telzey said. “One.”
Klayung presently laid Telzey’s report sheets down again, sat scratching his chin. His old eyes were thoughtful. “Where is he at present?” he asked.
“Outside the Center, in a Kyth ambulance,” Telzey told him. “We brought Hishee along, too. Asleep, of course.”
Klayung nodded. “Yes, she should have almost equally careful treatment. This is a difficult case.”
“You can handle it?” Telzey asked.
“Oh, yes, we can handle it. We’ll handle everything. We’ll have to now. This could have been a really terrible breach of secrecy, Telzey! We can’t have miracles, you know!”
“Yes, I know,” Telzey said. “Of course, the Kyth people are all right.”
“Yes, they’re all right. But otherwise—”
“Well, I know it’s going to be a lot of trouble for you,” she said. “And I’m sorry I caused it. But there really wasn’t anything else I could do.”
“No, it seems there really wasn’t,” Klayung agreed. “Nevertheless—well, that’s something I wouldn’t recommend you try very frequently!”
Telzey was silent a moment.
“I’m not sure I’d try it again for any reason,” she admitted. “At the end there, I nearly didn’t get back.”
Klayung nodded. “There was a distinct possibility you wouldn’t get back.”
“Were you thinking of having Noal go on as Noal?” Telzey inquired.
“That should be the simplest approach,” Klayung said. “We’ll see what the Makeup Department says. I doubt it would involve excessive structural modifications. . . . You don’t agree?”
Telzey said, “Oh, it would be simplest, all right. But—well, you see, Noal was just nothing physically. He’s got a great body now. It would be a shame to turn him back to being a nothing again.”
Klayung looked at her a moment.
“Those two have had a very bad time,” Telzey continued. “Due to Larien. It seems sort of fair, doesn’t it?”
“If he’s to become Larien Selk officially,” Klayung
His eyelids flickered. “You wouldn’t be foolish enough to—”
“I’ll count to two,” Telzey said. “One.”
Klayung presently laid Telzey’s report sheets down again, sat scratching his chin. His old eyes were thoughtful. “Where is he at present?” he asked.
“Outside the Center, in a Kyth ambulance,” Telzey told him. “We brought Hishee along, too. Asleep, of course.”
Klayung nodded. “Yes, she should have almost equally careful treatment. This is a difficult case.”
“You can handle it?” Telzey asked.
“Oh, yes, we can handle it. We’ll handle everything. We’ll have to now. This could have been a really terrible breach of secrecy, Telzey! We can’t have miracles, you know!”
“Yes, I know,” Telzey said. “Of course, the Kyth people are all right.”
“Yes, they’re all right. But otherwise—”
“Well, I know it’s going to be a lot of trouble for you,” she said. “And I’m sorry I caused it. But there really wasn’t anything else I could do.”
“No, it seems there really wasn’t,” Klayung agreed. “Nevertheless—well, that’s something I wouldn’t recommend you try very frequently!”
Telzey was silent a moment.
“I’m not sure I’d try it again for any reason,” she admitted. “At the end there, I nearly didn’t get back.”
Klayung nodded. “There was a distinct possibility you wouldn’t get back.”
“Were you thinking of having Noal go on as Noal?” Telzey inquired.
“That should be the simplest approach,” Klayung said. “We’ll see what the Makeup Department says. I doubt it would involve excessive structural modifications. . . . You don’t agree?”
Telzey said, “Oh, it would be simplest, all right. But—well, you see, Noal was just nothing physically. He’s got a great body now. It would be a shame to turn him back to being a nothing again.”
Klayung looked at her a moment.
“Those two have had a very bad time,” Telzey continued. “Due to Larien. It seems sort of fair, doesn’t it?”
“If he’s to become Larien Selk officially,” Klayung