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My body is once again its usual bony self, er curved The watery sensation in nancy has vanished It’s not like I didn’t expect it to happen, but for a moment I can only feel that sudden absence

"I see our visitor has arrived," says a cool fenize who it is

"Ro clothes that look subtly, i-sleeved shirt and pants are h the cut is for froht blue Belatedly I realize I’ very sinize me?" She smiles hat appears to be real pleasure "I’m not placed well in et the chance to travel"

"Where aht to be Do you need souerite didn’t sleep a wink"

I do feel tired, actually But I don’t want anything she’s offeringelse It feels like a fairy tale, one of the old scary ones: If you drink or eat in the o home "I don’t understand Conley promised me that if I did what he wanted, he’d show me to the final dimension where Paul is hidden"

Or--is this the place? Instinct tells me it isn’t

"Naturally Mr Conley intends to fulfill his bargain After yourwas supposed to be in the hohs "Where do you think you are?"

At thaton the skyscraper nearest us, and I recognize it as Triad’s trade with--the Theo that screwed us all over so badly--I thought their universe, the Triadverse, was the home office But the core of the evil, the plot to doan here

Then I realize how stupid we’ve been not to guess that another di We should have known that fro Because Triad et started Sure you won’t take a coffee? No? Then I’ll take you to the conference rooive us the sa Paul Or maybe Conley sent him off in another direction entirely, or into oblivion

She reacts to Theo’s naether in disapproval "You needn’t trouble yourself on Theo Beck’s account"

"I’ll make that decision on my own, thanks Where is he? Did Conley kidnap hiive me back Paul only after he’s abducted and splintered Theo in turn? Will I spend the rest offor Triad to protect the people I love?

But Romola shakes her head "Mr Beck is entirely beyond our control"

I’ine hireen-tinted building and flipping it off