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The troll rocked back on its huge haunches

'I did, indeed, Professor It was fully functional then but, for soer as reliably as it should be Nor is o as we please and no one will be any the wiser unless they are keeping a good watch on us'

It was strange to hear such a refined voice co from such a brutish mouth Tom wondered how the troll's vocal cords had been modified to produce the desired effect When they last ate and had sounded just the same

Was he friend or foe?

Tom decided to be affable

'When we last met, you spoke about your different persona I ely iues, can lead a variety of rich and diverse lives through surrogates I had previously thought that being confined, as you are, would place severe constraints upon your ability to participate in the evolving world beyond '

'Don't mock me!'

The troll bore down on him

'I have listened enough to your fatuous nonsense, Professor There are idiots ast us ere so stupid as to believe your ridiculous nonsense about co from another realm There aren't any such realms, Professor You know that and I know that'

The troll produced a ray gun

'You will die if you use that here,' Toate body will die The blast of energy will kill both of you and knock a big hole in Prince Crispin's laboratory I doubt if the young prince will survive but I am confident that I shall relared at hih bloodshot eyes To the er The ranting voice rose an octave

'To i You are wrong, Professor You make jokes about brains in jars and have no idea of the poield Nothing happens that we do not ordain '

The voice died when Toer rode up under the troll's rib case and pierced the heart Blood spurted as the creature gasped its last breaths and collapsed onto the floor Toer on the troll's cloak and returned it to its sheath

The troll was dead but the guardian lived on in his jar That couldn't be allowed to continue The doctor had been foolish enough to give his position ahen they first met