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“Okay, Dave, but I intend to verify that Doctor Mira is unharmed Are you hurt, Doctor?”

“No” And she’d ed so far to hold back hysteria “He hasn’t hurt me And I don’t think he will You won’t hurt me, will you, David? You knoant to help you I understand how difficult all this has been for you, not having anyone who appreciates what you’ve been working to achieve”

“She’s really good, isn’t she?” he said to Eve “So soothing Since I don’t want to show her any disrespect—you’ll note I didn’t re for our little experiment—maybe you should tell her to shut the fuck up Would you mind, Dallas?”

“Dave and I need to handle this, Dr Mira” Eve moved closer “Don’t we, Dave? It’s you and me”

“I’ve waited for this for so long You can see I’ve gone to quite a bit of trouble” He gestured with his free hand “Maybe you’d like a drink, an hors d’oeuvre We have a celebration going on The end of the old, the birth of the new Oh, and before I ja, tell the backup team that if anyone attempts entry, you both die”

“I’m sure they heard you And they already have orders to hold back You said to come alone,” she reht with you”

“That’s right We learned to trust each other”

“Why stop now? I’ve got a deal for you, Dave A trade Me for Mira You let her out of there, you let her go, and I’ll get in You’ll have what you want”

“Eve, don’t—” Mira’s composure started to slip

“This is between me and Dave” She kept her eye on him, level and cool “That’s what you want, isn’t it? To putabout it for three years You’ve been planning it, working for it, arranging it step by step And you did a dao, Dave She was just bait, you got o and I’ll put down et in, and you’ll have the kind of subject you’ve alanted”

She took another step toward hi them consider Desire “She’s a shrink, and she’s not in the kind of condition I’m in—mental or physical She sits at a desk and pokes into other people’s ive you no satisfaction Think how long I’ll last Not just hours, days Maybe weeks if you can hold the outside tea to end here, for both of us”

“Yes, I’m prepared for that”

“But this way, you can get your payback and finish your work Two for one But you have to let her out”

Music crashed out of the entertainment unit On screen the revelers in Times Square swarmed like feverish ants

“Put down the weapon now”