Чужак в чужой стране

           ButwhathappensinthisroomduringthenexthalfhourwillbeseenbyaFairWitnessandbycameraswhichare"heleanedforwardandpressedabutton."rollingrightnow.Idon’tthinkAnnecanbehypnotizedwhenshe’sondutyandI’lllaylongoddsthatcamerascan’tbe.Weshouldbeabletofindoutwhatkindoftruthwe’redealingwith–afterwhichweshouldbeabletodecidehowtogoaboutforcingthepowers-that-betodroptheothershoe?andmaybefigureawaythatwillhelpBenatthesametime.GogetMike."

           Mike’sdelaywasnotmysterious,merelyworrisometohim.Hehadmanagedtotiehisleftshoestringtohisright–thenhadstoodup,trippedhimself,fallenflat,and,insodoing,jerkedtheknotsalmosthopelesslytight.Hehadspenttherestofthetimeanalysinghispredicament,concludingcorrectlywhyhehadfailed,andslowly,slowly,slowlygettingthesnarluntiedandthestringscorrectlytied,onebowtoeachshoe,unlinked.Hehadnotbeenawarethathisdressinghadtakenlong;hehadsimplybeentroubledthathehadfailedtorepeatcorrectlysomethingwhichJillhadalreadytaughthim.Heconfessedhisfailureabjectlytohereventhoughhehadrepaireditbythetimeshecametofetchhim.

           Shesoothedandreassuredhim,combedhishair,andherdedhimintoseeJubal.Harshawlookedup."Hi,son.Sitdown."

           "Hi,Jubal,"ValentineMichaelSmithansweredgravely,satdown–waited.JillhadtoridherselfoftheimpressionthatSmithhadboweddeeply,wheninfacthehadnotevennodded.