Chapter 9

           Leninafeltherselfentitled,afterthisdayofqueernessandhorror,toacompleteandabsoluteholiday.Assoonastheygotbacktotherest-house,sheswallowedsixhalf-grammetabletsofsoma,laydownonherbed,andwithintenminuteshadembarkedforlunareternity.Itwouldbeeighteenhoursattheleastbeforeshewasintimeagain.

           Bernardmeanwhilelaypensiveandwide-eyedinthedark.Itwaslongaftermidnightbeforehefellasleep.Longaftermidnight;buthisinsomniahadnotbeenfruitless;hehadaplan.

           Punctually,onthefollowingmorning,atteno’clock,thegreen-uniformedoctoroonsteppedoutofhishelicopter.Bernardwaswaitingforhimamongtheagaves.

           "MissCrowne’sgoneonsoma-holiday,"heexplained."Canhardlybebackbeforefive.Whichleavesussevenhours."

           HecouldflytoSantaFé,doallthebusinesshehadtodo,andbeinMalpaisagainlongbeforeshewokeup.

           "She’llbequitesafeherebyherself?"

           "Safeashelicopters,"theoctoroonassuredhim.

           Theyclimbedintothemachineandstartedoffatonce.Attenthirty-fourtheylandedontheroofoftheSantaFéPostOffice;attenthirty-sevenBernardhadgotthroughtotheWorldController’sOfficeinWhitehall;attenthirty-sevenhewasspeakingtohisfordship’sfourthpersonalsecretary;attenforty-fourhewasrepeatinghisstorytothefirstsecretary,andattenforty-sevenandahalfitwasthedeep,resonantvoiceofMustaphaMondhimselfthatsoundedinhisears."