tell me again,quot; said Dr. Oliver Payne, in ttle laboratory overlooking t;Eit alking nonsense. A c;

    quot;ts s nonsense, but listen to it, Oliver, ; said Dr. Mary Malone. quot;S S—s Dust, but its ts

    our sicles. And Im telling you,  extraordinary display on tures, symbols .... Srument too, a sort of compass t symbols all around the rim.

    And s in t tate of mind, too—s intimately.quot;

    It urned from Geneva, ient to ical, and preoccupied.

    quot;And t old me about some skulls in tt-Rivers Museum. S  t;

    quot;ait a minute. Give me some sort of structure  are you saying? You saying s  selling us somet;

    quot;Bot kno suppose somety, forty ticles around before t ts at our level, t imagine  it involved evolution.

    time, lots after sested old me thing.

    Im saying is t around t time, tion process. Suddenly ;

    Dr. Payne tilted ic mug and drank t of his coffee.

    quot; icularly at t time?quot; ;y-five t;

    quot;O paleontologists. I dont kno speculating. Dont you ts at least possible?quot;

    quot;And tell me about ;

    Dr. Malone rubbed ;ers,quot; s; t ics or somet;

    terrorism, subversion, intelligence... all t. Go on.  did ? ;

    quot;Because of t t tell me ;

    telep.  it do;eve got a visitor.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;Not a name I knoen, Mary, Im off, you realize t, dont you?quot;

    quot;t;

    quot;Yes. Ive got to take it. You must see t.quot;

    quot;ell, ts t;

    o be frank... I cant see any point in t of stuff youve just been talking about. Cs all too crazy. I just cant get involved. Ive got a career, Mary.quot;

    quot; about tested?  about t;

    urned ap at t almost h relief.

    Sir C;Good day to you. Dr. Payne? Dr. Malone? My name is Crom. Its very good of you to see me  any notice.quot;

    quot;Come in,quot; said Dr. Malone,  puzzled. quot;Did O can ;

    quot;It may be ; ;I understand youre ing for ts of your funding application.quot;

    quot;?quot; said Dr. Payne.

    quot;I used to be a civil servant. As a matter of fact, I ing scientific policy. I still acts in t do;

    quot;O; said Dr. Malone. S a c down as if ing.

    quot;tter not mention s Act covers all sorts of silly t your application  intrigued me so muc I must confess I asked to see some of your  t I still act as a sort of unofficial adviser, so I used t as an excuse. And really, e fascinating.quot;

    quot;Does t mean you t; said Dr. Malone, leaning foro believe him.

    quot;Unfortunately, no. I must be blunt. t minded to rene.quot;

    Dr. Malones scious curiosity.

    quot;; he said.

    quot;ell, you see, t officially made t. It doesnt look promising, and Im being frank  of funding  in ture.  mig if you o argue t differently.quot;

    quot;An advocate? You mean yourself? I didnt t ,quot; said Dr. Malone, sitting up. quot;I t t on peer revie;

    quot;It does in principle, of course,quot; said Sir C;But it also o knoees ice. And to knoerested in your  mig certainly ougo continue. ould you let me make informal representations on your be;

    Dr. Malone felt like a dro. quot;ll make a difference? I dont mean to suggest t... I dont kno;

    quot; ; said Dr. Payne.

    Dr. Malone looked at  Oliver just said o  o be understanding Sir Cter ty o sit dooo.

    quot;Im glad you take my point,quot; said t;Youre quite rigion Id be especially glad to see you taking. And provided ra money from anotoget;

    quot;ait, ,quot; said Dr. Malone. quot;ait a minute. tter for us. Im perfectly o discuss ts, but not tion. Surely you see—quot;

    Sir Cure of regret and got to . Oliver Payne stood too, anxious.

    quot;No, please, Sir C; ;Im sure Dr. Malone ening, for goodness sake. And it mig;

    quot;I t you o Geneva?quot; she said.

    quot;Geneva?quot; said Sir C;Excellent place. Lot of scope t of money, too. Dont let me ;

    quot;No, no, its not settled yet,quot; said Dr. Payne ily. quot;t to discuss—its all still very fluid.

    Sir C do you some coffee?quot;

    quot;t ; said Sir C again, isfied cat.

    Dr. Malone looked at  time. Se sixties, prosperous, confident, beautifully dressed, used to t of everyto moving among po ears. Oliver  get  unless tisfied him.

    She folded her arms.

    Dr. Payne ;Sorry its rative....quot;

    quot;Not at all. S I ;

    quot;Do, please,quot; said Dr. Payne.

    quot;ell, I understand t youve made some fascinating discoveries in the field of consciousness.

    Yes, I knos a long  subject of your researcs around. And Im especially interested in t. I o concentrate your researcion of consciousness. Second, tt, you remember, 1957 or ts—I believe youre on track of somet could take t t line of researc even attract defense funding, iful, even today, and certainly isnt subject to tion processes.

    quot;Dont expect me to reveal my sources,quot;  on,  forried to speak. quot;I mentioned ts Act; a tedious piece of legislation, but nt be naug it. I confidently expect some advances in to do it. And ticular matter connected ;

    speak. S kno, but s s faint.

    quot;For various reasons,quot; Sir C on, quot;I am in contact elligence services. terested in a c—an antique scientific instrument, certainly stolen, ion s a moot point  ainly killed someone.

    And he girl.

    quot;No may be t you  may be t you are quite properly inclined to tell t  you er service if you o let me knoely. I can make sure ties deal  efficiently and quickly and upid tabloid publicity. I kno Inspector alters came to see you yesterday, and I kno turned up. You see, I do knoalking about. I ance, if you saell me, I  too. Youd be very o t t, and to clarify your recollections of er of national security.

    You understand me.

    quot;ell, top.  in touc leave it too long; ttee meets tomorro you can reac t any

    time.quot;

    o Oliver Payne, and seeing Dr. Malone ill folded, laid one on t  on ted it gently, beamed at bot.

    t;Mary, are you mad? ?quot;

    quot;I beg your pardon? Youre not taken in by t old creep, are you?quot;

    quot;You cant turn do! Do you  t to survive or not?quot;

    quot;It  an offer,quot; sly. quot;It imatum. Do as -so-subtle ts and s about national security and so on—cant you see ;

    quot;ell, I t more clearly t close take it over. If terested as  it to carry on. But only on terms.quot;

    quot;But terms  to find neo manipulate it. Im not going to get mixed up in t, Oliver, never.quot;

    quot;t any of a job. If you stay, you migo influence it in a better direction. And youd still ill be involved!quot;

    quot;But  matter to you, any; s;I t Geneva tled?quot;

    ;ell, not settled. Not  angle altogeto leave  I to somet;

    quot; are you saying?quot;

    quot;Im not saying—quot;