"Says he wants to speak to you ... off the record."

Kim huffed. It would mean going through decontamination again- stripping off one suit and putting on another. For a moment he hesitated, half determined to send Neville away, his tail between his legs. Then he relented.

"Okay. Tell him I'm coming out."

Five minutes later Kim stepped from the tank and, still dripping, made his way through to the reception area. Neville was seated on the far side, reading one of the Company news sheets. Seeing Kim, he got up quickly and came across.

"Kim, I ... well, I didn't plan to see you, but I was passing by and I thought . . ." His eyes took in Kim's condition, smelled the powerful cleansing agents. "Oh, shit. Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were-"

Kim laughed. "It's all right. Do you want to come through? I'm afraid I can't spare you long. I'm busy right now. We've begun reassembling the Model B cranium."

Neville's eyes lit up. "Could I see that?"

Kim hesitated, then nodded. "You'll have to suit up, though. The tiniest trace of infection and we're done for."

"I understand. And look, I'm really grateful. I-"

He handed Kim something. Kim stared at it. It was odd. Tiny, like a domino, and yet heavy.

"Like a scarab," Kim said, looking up. "What is it?"

Neville smiled. "If I'm right, it's going to be the biggest thing in the entertainment industry for the next hundred years. And before you go showing it to everyone, it's embargoed. Only Director Reiss and I have seen it. Oh, and the creator, of course."

"And now me." Kim spun the tape in the air and caught it. "Well, thanks. I'm honored. Whose work is it?""Shepherd's. You know him?"

"I've heard of him. Advisor to Li Yuan, isn't he?"

"That's one of his roles. But this . . ." Neville laughed, his face registering awe. "Well, you'll see for yourself. At least, you'll get an idea of it. The real thing is phenomenal. Totally new. We're having to redesign our entertainment hardware to accommodate it."

"I see." Kim nodded thoughtfully. "Anyway, you'd better come through."

Suited up, they went inside, the air-lock doors hissing shut behind them.

"So what are you trying to do?" Neville asked over the suit mike, a gloved hand pointing clumsily at the exposed brain of the new prototype where it rested in the nutrient tank.

"Right now?" Kim laughed. "Well, right now I'm working on the dopamine and noradrenaline reactions-attempting to extend the time the stuff remains in the synaptic cleft."

"What does that do?"

"Do? Well, it gives the brain a 'high,' for a start. Combined with other things-with certain pheremonal responses, for instance-it can trigger a response of ... well, of love. Of infatuation and desire."

"You're joking!"

Kim glanced at him. "Not at all. In fact, I've never been so serious about anything. It's where we went wrong before. We tried to tailor its emotional range to fit our criteria of usefulness-criteria which stressed the machinelike, rationalistic aspect of the human mind. In the process we made it ... well, effectively we made it mad. Balance, that's what all this is about. Giving our creations balance."

"But love, Kim! What if it develops a crush or something? What use would it be then? Surely the whole idea of developing an android is to create something quite different from us-something free of human emotional weaknesses."

"Is it?" Kim stared at Neville openly now, a faint amusement in his eyes. "That's what's always been assumed. But what if that's wrong? What if we need to put that full range of emotions in? What if it only works if they're all in there? After all, they've served us humans pretty well over the eons."

"So how will your new model be different?"

"It'll be quicker, sharper, smarter than the old model."

"Like you, you mean?"

Kim laughed. "Like me." Then, with a nod, he turned back, pulling the bulky glasses down over his eyes.

Neville watched him, fascinated, seeing how he "fine-tuned" the brain, stimulating it with a delicate-looking wire, injecting it with various chemicals, then checking one of the four screens beside the tank to see what kind of reaction he was getting. On each of the screens outline skulls-normally a regular patchwork of blues and greens-lit up with areas of pulsing yellow and brilliant red. Finally, Kim put the fine wire down and, lifting his glasses, smiled at Neville.

"Okay. I think I'll leave it at that."

Neville nodded toward the screens. "It's certainly colorful.""Isn't it? It's an old system, but still the most effective for this kind of work. You can see what's happening at a glance." Kim lifted the headset off and placed it on the side, then turned, facing Neville.

"Curval said you wanted to talk . . . informally."

Neville waved a hand. "It's nothing sinister. I just thought it might help you if you had another view on things before you made your mind up about the new deal."

"But you're the one who drew up the contract!"

Neville smiled. "So? That doesn't mean I can't detach myself from things. I mean, I've not got SimFic tattooed on my bollocks!"

Kim laughed. "I'll take your word for it. But let me ask you something first."

"Fire away."

"What's Reiss like? You work for him. What's he really like?"

Neville hesitated a moment. "Difficult. I guess that's the best word to describe him. Fucking difficult at times, forgive my Mandarin. But he listens. And he's capable of changing his mind. He doesn't tolerate fools, though, nor losers. And he likes new ideas. Thrives on them, in fact. That's why he likes you so much."

"And you?"

Neville smiled. "Me? I don't know you."

Kim returned his smile, pleased by his honesty. "Let's get these suits off, then go through to my office and talk."

NEVILLE SAT in the chair in the corner, a bowl of ch'a cupped in his right hand, listening.

Kim sat on the edge of his desk, facing him. He had been telling Neville about what had happened in America with Old Man Lever and his consortium.

"I failed once," Kim said, finishing his tale. "I don't want to fail again. Next time . . . well, if it were just myself . . ."

Neville nodded. "I understand. A man needs a family, neh? And you want security for them, right?"

Kim laughed. "Right. But it's not just that. I'm not even talking about myself, really. It's . . . well, it's what I want to do with my talent. I've been given it for some reason-and I want to find out why. Oh, and before you ask, I have glimpses of it, but-"

"You're talking theoretical science, right?"

Kim nodded.

"That's fine. We've been anticipating it."

Kim stared at him. "Anticipating it?"

"Sure." Neville drained his ch'a and set the cup down, then leaned toward Kim. "Look, my job is evaluating risks. Big risks and little risks. With a Company the size of SimFic even the little risks could involve the investment of billions of yuan. Right now, however, my biggest risk is you. When we talk inthat two-page document I gave you of funding you, we mean funding-whatever it takes, and however long it takes. It may cost us very little. Then again it might mean tying up a vast amount of SimFic's capital. And if you died . . . well, we'd have nothing. On the other hand, if one of our competitors got you . . .".

Kim stared at him. "Let me get this clear. You're talking about unlimited funding, right? Guaranteed?"

Neville nodded. "Fully documented. And guaranteed by Li Yuan."

Kim raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What is the connection? I mean, aside from the fact that SimFic are helping him build the android."

Neville sat back again. "I'll tell you. But it's to go no farther than this room, right?"

Kim nodded.

"Good. Then it's like this. Since the GenSyn Inheritance Hearing six years back Li Yuan has been busy steering projects away from GenSyn to various other major Companies, SimFic among them. This was done initially to try to make GenSyn less vulnerable while it was under Tolonen's stewardship, but it proved to have a number of other advantages. What it's done, in effect, is to tie in the fortunes of six of the major Companies with those of the T'ang. Now, as far as SimFic are concerned, we've risen considerably these past few years, but we want to build on that-to make ourselves Number One, not only in commercial terms, but in terms of being the trendsetters, the innovators. It's a policy Li Yuan himself has endorsed."

"I see." He had had no idea this was going on.

Neville smiled. "There's one great weakness to this Corporate strategy, however. And that's you, Kim. In the past seven years we've become more and more dependent on you as a generator of ideas, of new patents and new directions." He laughed suddenly. "Look, I know it must seem a poor bargaining ploy, letting you know just how important you are to us but . . . well, what's the point trying to disguise the fact? You know as well as I what you're worth. No. There's only one question we at SimFic have to answer, and that's got nothing to do with money. It's whether we can provide you with the resources to pursue whatever it is you want to do."

"But what if nothing comes of it?"

"Then nothing comes of it. It's not as if we'll be sitting on our hands. Why, it'll take us the best part of a decade to develop some of the stuff you've already given us. And as I said, it would mean our competitors didn't have you."

"So when do I sign?"

"Look, I'm not trying to pressure you."

"No. I'm serious. If that's the deal, I'll take it."

Neville smiled. "Well-"

There was a knock. Kim stood. "Excuse me a moment."

It was Curval. "Sorry, Kim, but I didn't know if you knew. A package came for you about an hour back.

It's in reception. And this." He handed Kim the bright red envelope. "It's Tolonen's hand, isn't it?"Kim nodded, staring at the envelope suspiciously. The last time he had had a note from the old Marshal it had been to warn him to stay away from his daughter. He turned, looking to Neville. "Forgive me, Jack.

Something's come up."

He stepped outside and closed the door, then slit the envelope open with his nail.

"What is it?" Curval asked. "Is the old bastard still playing his stupid games?"

"No." He handed Curval the card. "You said there was a package. Did it come with the card?"

Curval made a noise of surprise, then handed it back. "That's right. The guard said a young woman delivered them. Tall, long ash-blond hair. Sound like anyone you know?"

"I . . ." Kim hesitated, then touched Curval's arm. "Look, take care of Neville awhile, will you? I won't be long."

He walked through to the reception area, trying to keep calm, but feeling all the while like he wanted to run, to whoop and punch the air. It had come. After all these years she had finally made contact again.

He shivered, thinking of her; of the startling blue of her eyes, and of her smile. She was here, he thought, wondering what she had left him. She actually came here.

The guard rose from his chair behind the desk as Kim approached. "Shih Ward . . ." He reached down and removed something from one of the drawers, then placed it on the desk in front of Kim. "If you'd sign . . ."

"Of course." But Kim's palms were wet and his fingers were trembling. Steadying himself, he took the stylus and made his mark against the screen, then lifted the package.

It was a simple rectangular box, like a standard tray of samples, wrapped in dark green ersilk paper.

Kim shook it gently, hearing a faint rattle from within, and frowned. The guard was watching him.

"The young woman who brought this. Did she say anything?"

"Sir?"

Kim waved a hand. "It doesn't matter." Then, making his way across to one of the interview rooms, he closed the door behind him.

He took a long, calming breath, then slit the seal on the side of the box with his nail, pulled the paper back, and slid out the box.

Tapes . . . the box held a dozen tiny tapes. He lifted one from its indented slot and studied the handwritten label.

Enceladus, Tethys, Diane, and Rhea.

He understood at once. She had recorded it all. All of her travels out there in the System, knowing his fascination with it; knowing he'd want to see.

He slotted it back, then picked out another, then another, nodding to himself. It was all here. Everything she'd seen. Everything she'd done. He shivered. She had waited. She had kept her promise. That was what this meant.

He leaned past the box and tapped out an activation code on the desk comset. There was a second ortwo's delay and then the screen lifted up out of the surface.

"Get me the Ebert Mansion," he said as a young Han male's face appeared on the screen. "It's Kim Ward from SimFic. I wish to speak-"

"I'm sorry, Shih Ward," the operator interrupted, "but I cannot take calls for that destination at present. If you would call later-"

"Look, this is important. Extremely important. I-"

The young Han's face shimmered, then disappeared, replaced by the face of a high-ranking Security officer in his early forties, his blond hair cut stubble neat, his eyes as blue as sapphires.

"Shih Ward? I understand you've been trying to get through to the Ebert Mansion urgently. I'm Major Haavikko, in charge of the investigation. Have you any information with regard to the whereabouts of the boy?"

"The boy?" Kim frowned, confused. "I'm sorry, I don't follow you, Major. I wished only to talk to Nu Shih Tolonen. I-" He stopped, what Haavikko had said hitting him suddenly. "What's happened?"

Haavikko smiled tightly. "You have no information, I assume."

"No. No, but look-"

"I'm sorry, Shih Ward, but time really is tight right now."