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"Only in my dreams, sir"

"Mnize n Drake, by the way Who&039;s your passenger, grandpa?"

"Only n," Spar breathed in alaran to le in the direction pointed out by the blue arm-blur

"And next tie"

As Spar traveled below, his warn Drake had seemed quite human and compassionate was mixed with anxiety as to whether he still had tirinding aft in the dark redinto the false dawn of late afternoon bothered hiure, this tihting down the urge to give up his visit to Doc and pull home to the Bat Rack, when he noticed he had passed the second squeeze and was in Hold Four with the passageway to Doc&039;s coan the hand-drag to Doc&039;s office, as far larboard as Crown&039;s Hole was starboard

He passed two figures clumsy on the line, their breaths ht have closed his office He sain, from the Gardens of Diana

The hatch was shut, but when Spar pressed the bulb, it unzipped after three honks, and the white-haloed gray-eyed face peered out

"I&039;d just about give up on you, Spar"

"I&039;m sorry, Doc I had to - "

"No matter Come in, come in Hello, Kim - take a look around if you want"

Kim crawled out, pushed off froed in a typical cat&039;s tour of inspection

And there was a great deal to inspect, as even Spar could see Every shroud in Doc&039;s office seeth There were blobs large and sht and dark, translucent and solid They were silhouetted against a wall of the corpse-light Spar feared, but had no tiht

"Careful Kiainst a shroud and began to paw his way froht," Doc said "Let&039;s have a look at you, Spar Keep your eyes open"

Doc&039;s hands held Spar&039;s head The gray eyes and leathery face came so close they were one blur

"Keep them open, I said Yes, I know you have to blink theht The lenses are dissolved You&039;ve suffered the side-effect which one in ten do who are infected with the Lethean rickettsia"

"Styx ricks, Doc?"

"That&039;s right, though theriver in the Underworld But we&039;ve all had it We&039;ve all drunk the water of Lethe Though soinning Don&039;t squirm"

"Hey, Doc, is it because I&039;ve had the Styx ricks I can&039;t re back before the Bat Rack?"

"It could be How long have you been at the Rack?"

"I don&039;t know, Doc Forever"

"Before I found the place, anyhow When the Ruo"

"But I&039;?"

"You&039;re not old, Spar You&039;re just bald and toothless and etched by moonmist and your muscles have shriveled Yes, and your mind has shriveled too Now open your mouth"

One of Doc&039;s hands went to the back of Spar&039;s neck The other probed "Your guh, anyhow That&039;ll make it easier"

Spar wanted to tell about the salt water, but when Doc finally took his hand out of Spar&039;s mouth, it was to say, "Now open wide as you can"

Doc pushed into hisand hot "Now bite down hard"