«But I am going to be losing efficiency if I have to carry the whole burden alone too much longer. More than another three or four trips, I suspect. I'm not particularly interested in going back to some places I've already been. So as far as I'm concerned, you can shove Controlled Return up the flue. But I very badly want and need an alternate-or at least a partner. Somebody to guard my back. Consider that suggestion I put in my report.»

«About checking for possible woman partners?»

«Yes. You seem to have drawn a blank with the men so far. I admit women tend to be at a slight physical disadvantage. But suppose they turn out to have more tolerance for the mental stresses of a dimensional transfer?»

«A rather large supposition, one would think.»

«Possibly. But certainly worth exploring.»

«And just as certainly better than risking the whole project, or at least delaying it. I take your point. Very well, I'll extend the search net to qualified women. I doubt if there are more than two or three hundred in the whole free world worth examining. So it shouldn't take that long.»

«I hope not. And-speaking of women-«

«How is Elizabeth?»

«Yes.» Blade's face was slightly flushed. Thank God that Richard could show some concern for someone like Elizabeth! J had met-and even employed-ice-cold killing machines-too many of them. But he had never felt comfortable around them.

«We pushed our inquiry about Elizabeth as far as we could. And as far as we pushed it, her story stood up. So-she's on her way to Canada by now, and there's no reason to think that she won't be perfectly safe. She'll probably be married and have a child or two within five years.»

«I hope so. She was-it was almost obscene, using somebody like that in the game. What turned up about the people behind her, by the way?»

«That we're still having to push along, I'm afraid. Other than the guns, there are no definite signs of any Soviet role in the whole affair.»

«But plenty of vague hints around the edges?»

«I'm afraid so. The whole project is under a Grade Two Security Alert for the time being.»

«Damn,» said Blade.

J grinned. «Richard, you get to escape into Dimension X, where nobody has ever heard of the cold war or security alerts. I have to stay behind and hold a secure base for you while you travel.»

Blade nodded slowly. «You-and me-and Lord Leighton-we're all linked together in this. Like a set of Siamese triplets.»

J could not say anything against that.