"Is he dead?" I asked, awed by the sexual prowess of the injected male.

"No," Barrow said, "just exhausted. After he revived, he started in again. Apparently the testosterone increases physical aggression against males and sexual aggression against females.

It's a very disturbing result that makes me wonder-as I did before, if you'll recall-if a human diet enrichment of testosterone might not have the same results."

"What are you saying, Greg?"

"That it may prove impossible to encourage the kind of behavior we desire without also encouraging the kind we wish to avoid. We're hoping to make soldiers more aggressive in combat.

We certainly don't want to create an army of rapists."

"Yes," I said, nodding, "I can see why you might be concerned, and I am, too. Have you considered a weaker dosage?"

"I've tried it," Barrow said. "The results are the same." I thought a moment, then I told Greg about the saltpeter fuss during World War II.

"Look," I said to him, "I'm no chemist, I don't even know what saltpeter is. But there must be some chemical you could add to the injection that has a proven taming effect. You follow? It would increase male aggressiveness toward other males but would dull their sexual appetite, or at least keep it at normal levels."

I could see Barrow was intrigued. "That's an interesting concept, Mr.

Mcwhortle," he said. "It's just possible that such a compound could be formulated. I'll do some research on it. What we're looking for is a sexual tranquilizer that might be combined with testosterone. "

"Exactly," I said, standing up. "See if you can find something like that. It could be the answer to our problem." I must have broken every speed limit on the books while driving to jessica's house, including running a red light. I just couldn't get there fast enough.

I felt so high you'd have thought I just had one of Greg Barrow's injections. I mean I was in overdrive.

My excitement continued after I arrived. I must confess I tore jessica's panties in my frantic haste to get her undressed, and I acted exactly like that mouse I had just witnessed performing amazing sexual feats. And then, like him, I collapsed, exhausted.

"Oh, daddy," Jess said, "what's with you today? , Why, you're as randy as a teenager. What a lover!"

"Get me a beer," I gasped, "and I'll tell you about it."

I sat up in bed, taking nourishment, and related what I had just seen on Greg's tapes.

She laughed delightedly. "You mean this stuff really works?"

"It sure as hell worked on mice. The chemist is going to try to dampen the aphrodisiac effect. We're trying to produce killers, not rapists.

And, of course, we still don't know if it ill have the same effect on humans."

"It sure had an effect on you," she said. "You better take it easy.

Remember your ticker."

"Screw my ticker," I said. "If I hadn't known you were waiting for me, I'd have popped a gasket. Sorry I ripped your panties, less. I'll buy you more."

"You can strip me bare ass whenever you like. I love it. So you think this ZAP thing is going to be a success? "

"It looks like it. At the rate Greg Barrow is going, we may be able to test it on human volunteers within a few months."

"Volunteers? Who'll volunteer?"

"Barrow will be the first, " I told her. "He insists on trying his new products on himself first. I admire him for it, but I think he's a fool. Enough about business, baby. Let's you and I have-"

"Oh," she interrupted me, "I forgot to tell you. I'm having more trouble with my car. it's really silly to keep paying out good money for repairs. I guess I need new wheels."

"Anything," I said. "Anything at all for my baby.

Buy a new car. Pick out something nice, and I'll pay the tab. it will be a little bonus."

"Oh, daddy," she said, sighing, "why are you so good to me."

"Because you're good to me," I said, reaching for her. "You always do whatever I want."

"I want what you want," she said. "Like this?"

"Yes," I said. "Oh my, yes!"

TANIA TODD ell, I did what Uncle Chas said I should and told my mother he had phoned and invited me to have lunch with him on Saturday. It was going to be a private lunch, just him and me. She could drive me out there but she couldn't stay. Then she would pick me up later.

She laughed and said that was okay because she had some shopping to do on Saturday. She also said she would make some chocolate brownies that I could take to Uncle Chas because you should never go to visit someone without bringing them a gift.

I didn't say anything to Chet Barrow about this because I still wasn't sure my uncle was going to lend me the hundred dollars I asked for.

Anyway, Mother drove me out there, this was a little past noon, and came in with me to kiss and say hello to Uncle Chas, and then she left like she had promised.

I gave him the brownies, and he said that was great because he had bought some almond ice cream which we could put on top of the brownies for dessert. But first he had pizzas, two different kinds, and cream soda to drink, so I knew it was going to be a nice lunch, more like a party.

We started eating, and he got right down to business.

"Tania," he said, "I'm going to lend you the hundred dollars no matter what, but I'd really feel a lot better about it if you'd tell me why you need it."

"I knew you were going to ask me that," I said, "because a hundred dollars is an awful lot of money, and you just can't hand it over without wanting to know what it's for. I thought about it, and I decided that I would tell you if you promise not to tell my parents. "

"I promise," he said.

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

He nodded.

"You've got to say it," I told him.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," he said.

"Well," I said, "I need the money because I'm going to run away from home. With Chet Barrow."

He stopped eating his pizza, looked at me, then started eating again.

"Who's Chet Barrow?" he asked.

"His real name is Chester Barrow. He's a boy who lives next door to us.

He's a year older than I am, and he is very nice.

Also, he is smart."

" Uh-huh, " Uncle Chas said. "Is running away from home his idea or yours?"

"He thought of it first. He hasn't even said he'll take me with him.

But I thought if I told him I had a hundred dollars, then he'd have to take me because I don't think he's got much money." , "Good thinking on your part," my uncle said. "Why does Chet want to leave home?"

"Because he is unhappy there. His father doesn't talk to him, and his mother watches TV all the time."

"I see. And why do you want to run away, honey?. "Because I'm unhappy also. My father drinks alcohol all the time, and he doesn't come home for dinner. And then, when he does come home, he smells from perfume, and he and Mother have these terrible arguments, and once he slapped her and she cried. So I don't want to live there anymore."

He didn't say anything for a while, and we each had another slice of pizza. It had a very thick crust but it was good.

Mostly I ate the topping off.

"Where will you go?" Uncle Chas asked finally. "Have you decided?",

"No, not yet. Chet is planning it."

He sighed very sorrowfully. "Tania, have you thought this over carefully? I mean, you won't have your own room anymore, or your own bed, or three meals a day. And where will you go to school? "

" School's out for vacation."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. But won't you miss the other things?

"I suppose," I said. "But I'll get used to it. And it will be better.

Can we have dessert now? I'll fix it.

"Sure, honey. The ice cream is in the freezer. If it's too hard, heat the spoon under hot water."

"I know how to do it," I told him. "Uncle Chas, did it hurt when you lost your legs?"