“I’ll never get used to the way you pop around all over thedamn place.” Forester grumbled.
“You said you had some questions,” Darkness said. His voicesounded cultured. vaguely Continental. There was nothing about the way he spokethat was overtly arrogant or condescending, but that effect came across justthe same. He was, thought Forester, an irritating bastard.
“What’s the long-term prognosis on Pr
iest’s condition?”
“We were just discussing that.” said Lucas.
“Yes,” said Darkness. “Unfortunately, it would appear thatthe long-term prognosis is not very favorable. There’s been a dramaticallymeasurable decay. It’s apparently irreversible.”
Forester glanced at Priest with alarm. “You mean-”
“He means his particle gizmo,” Lucas said. “not me.”
“Particle gizmo, indeed!” said Darkness, rolling his eyes.
“Well, whatever you want to call the damn thing,” Lucassaid. “It seems the good doctor hasn’t quite got it figured out yet. It’sfailing. Looks like it’s eventually going to stop working altogether.” Hegrinned. “Ain’t that a damn shame?”
“What does that mean in terms of his health?” askedForrester.
“His health?” said Darkness. “His health is excellent andwill undoubtedly continue to remain so. unless he manages to get himself in theway of another bullet. I cannot be held responsible for his propensity forfoolish heroics.”
“He means I’m going to be all right,” said Lucas, smiling.He looked better than he had in weeks, as if an enormous burden had been liftedfrom him. “But the doc’s going to have to go back to the drawing board. Lookslike his thought-controlled transponder is a long way from being perfected.
“You needn’t sound so damned smug about it,” Darkness saidirritably.
Forrester felt enormously relieved. “You mean there’s nochance of his experiencing discorporation
“None whatsoever.” Darkness replied. “There was very littlechance of that to begin with. I was reasonably certain that I had the problemsolved, but it seems that the transponder itself is still unstable. It simplywon’t hold up. I can’t imagine why.” He grimaced. “It’s really quite annoying.”
“So you mean to say he’s going to be the same way that hewas before?” asked Forester, his hopes rising. “Completely normal?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” said Darkness with a sigh of exasperation. “Giventhe rate of decay. I would say within a week or two, at most. Perhaps only in amatter of days. Then he can once more revel in being the same, depressingly ordinaryclod he always was.”
“Thanks,” said Lucas wryly.
“Don’t mention it.”
“That brings up my next question,” said Forrester. “With theexception of the people in this room, nobody knows that Priest is still alive.Or perhaps I should say, alive again. That presents us with a problem. Ishould have informed Director General Vargas of what you’ve done, only I’vedone as you asked and I haven’t. At least, not yet. I’m not at all sure I’vedone the right thing in not telling him at once, but I was more concerned aboutPriest’s health and emotional well-being. Now that that issue seems to havebeen settled, there are a few things I need to know. Is there any reason why Ishouldn’t tell Director Vargas about what’s happened?”
“I suppose not.” Darkness said. “although I really can’t seewhat purpose that would serve. They’d only bury you in official inquiries. Itwould cause them to start running about like chickens with their heads cut off,flying to figure out if there’s been a temporal disruption.”
“Has there been a temporal disruption?”
“I wouldn’t concern myself with that.”
“Perhaps you wouldn’t. but I’m afraid I have to.”Forrester replied.
“The world isn’t going to end merely because Priest issitting there, grinning like a Cheshire cat over the fact that my transponderis decaying,” Darkness said.
“How can you know that for certain?” Forrester asked.
“Take my word for it,” said Darkness.
“I’d like to. Robert, but how can you know that for sure?”Forester persisted. “Unless, of course, you’re from the future?”
The others stared at him.