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thin, unbreakable plastic strips they had used on Clarity. Then they
removed Flinx s mask and replaced it with a blindfold and gag. Fi-
nally, the hood from another environment suit was placed over his
head and locked down, together with its accompanying rebreather
unit. When the intruders finally stepped back, their subject had not
only been rendered immobile but also blind and speechless.
Hypnotism, Clarity thought. Bill still thinks Flinx influences
people through some form of hypnotism. She knew that binding,
blinding, and gagging him would have no effect on his ability to
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FLINX S FOLLY
reach out and affect the emotions of those around him. Of course, he
could do nothing while unconscious. When he awoke, his ability
would allow him to view those nearby without the need to actually
see them. Everything was going to be all right.
Provided, she thought worriedly, their captors didn t shoot them
or throw them over one of the many nearby cliffs. She had no idea
how much time remained to them. In the interim it might be useful
to know what had happened. So she asked.
The woman exchanged a glance with one of the men.  I don t
see any harm in telling her. Ormann didn t say anything about keep-
ing quiet. She smiled humorlessly.  Knowing him, I think he d
want her to know.
The man shrugged.  Your call, Meru.
 In case you ve forgotten, though your boyfriend may hold an
important managerial position within your company now, he was
originally trained as a gengineer like you. He still knows how to
work a lab. She grinned.  Pretty clever, your boyfriend.
 He s not my boyfriend anymore, Clarity muttered.
 You mean you re not enjoying this little drama he whipped up
for you? Did you think he was going to rely on mechanicals and de-
ceptions to ensure that a job like this got done? He s been busy, your
boyfriend has. The woman turned momentarily reflective.  Shows
sufficiently shrewd thinking to get a job in my line of work. But he
hired me and the guys to wrap things up. After you took care of your
friend first, of course. Her expression was a mask of professional
indifference as she studied Flinx.  Nice looking. Too bad.
Confusion swept over Clarity like an ill wind.  After I took care
of him? I don t understand what you mean. I didn t do anything.
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ALAN DEAN FOSTER
 Oh, but you did, sweetie. Grinning, the older woman ran a
gloved finger deliberately along Clarity s bare upper arm. Clarity
flinched at a touch that carried with it a hint of something other
than professionalism.  Though he doesn t know exactly how your
boyfriend does it, Ormann warned us not to get anywhere near
him unless he was already unconscious. He had to find a way to
make that happen, and he did. Ingeniously, if I do say so, and with
your help.
 But I didn t do anything, a bewildered Clarity repeated.
The woman continued to trace idle patterns on Clarity s bare
skin. Observing this, one of her companions shook his head know-
ingly as he finished his own work.
 Oh, but you did, sweetie. Passively, but you did. Since you
were so busy with your boyfriend here, our Mr. Ormann had a lot of
free time. Instead of fuming about the situation, he spent it in one of
your company s labs, gengineering the modified molecular structure
of an illegal but well-known and widely available epidural narco-
tizing agent. We were told to avoid contact with it at all costs.
Absorbed through the skin, it s supposed to put even a healthy pro-
fessional athlete under for four to eight hours.
Four hours, Clarity thought apprehensively. Would they leave
Flinx alive long enough to regain consciousness and bring his singu-
lar talent to bear? Aloud, she said,  I didn t put anything like that on
him. I haven t touched him.
 I believe you. But sweetie, he s touched you.
Of course he had. To sit her up on the couch. To remove her
bindings. To help her stand. Which meant, the chemical responsible
had to be somewhere on her.  Why am I still conscious?
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FLINX S FOLLY
 I told you: Mr. Ormann gengineered the stuff. Did some re-
arranging of the molecular structure. Her grin returned.  Made
the delivery vector site specific, you might say. Again the finger
pressed against Clarity s exposed skin, only this time not across her
arm.  You re the only one in this room who the agent won t knock
out. Why do you think the back room where you were being held
was kept so hot? She peered eagerly into the captive s face, lapping
up the hurt and confusion she found there.
To make me sweat, Clarity realized. The dynamic agent that had
drugged Flinx had been on her skin all along. Her perspiration had
activated it and provided a vector. Driven by his cancerous obses-
sion, Bill Ormann had overlooked nothing.
Regrettably, Flinx hadn t worn gloves.
The heavy-duty environment suits that had protected their cap-
tors from the venom of the minidrags had also allowed them to
handle Clarity without fear of being contaminated by the agent Or-
mann had surreptitiously rubbed into her flesh. Once applied, it had
plainly traveled throughout her body, to emerge and become ac-
tively dangerous when she had begun to sweat. Insidiously and skill- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]