continued to walk.
“Well,” continued Donaldson, “we have beefed up the facilities even more, on the chance that you or others of your kind might return. I’m afraid you’re going to have to be quarantined here until we’re sure it’s safe to let you up to the surface.”
“Not again!” said Ponter. “We can prove that we are free of contamination.”
“That’s not my judgment call to make, sir,” said Donaldson. “But the people who
can
make it are on their way here even as we speak.”
Chapter Eleven
Mary Vaughan was bent over a microscope when the door to her lab at the Synergy Group burst open. “Mary!”
She looked up, and saw Louise Benoît standing in the doorway. “Yes?”
“Ponter is back!”
Mary’s heart started pounding. “Really?”
“Yes! I just heard it on the radio. The portal between the universes has reopened at SNO, and Ponter and another Neanderthal have come over to our side.”
Mary got up and looked at Louise. “Fancy a drive to Sudbury?”
Louise smiled, as if she’d expected such an offer. “There’s no point. The Neanderthals are being quarantined down in the SNO facility; there’s no way we could get down to see them.”
“Oh,” said Mary. She tried not to sound disappointed.
“But they’re coming to New York City to speak at the UN once they’re released.”
“Really? How far is that from here?”
“I don’t know. Five or six hundred kilometers, I suppose. Closer than it is from here to Sudbury, anyway.”
“I’ve been meaning to try to get down to see
The Producers
…” said Mary, with a grin. But the grin soon faded. “Still, I probably won’t be able to get to see Ponter there, either. He’ll be tied up with all sorts of diplomatic stuff.”
But Louise’s tone was upbeat. “You’re forgetting who you’re working for, Mary. Our man Jock seems to have keys to open just about any door. Tell him you need to go down and collect some DNA samples from the Neanderthal accompanying Ponter.”
Mary’s smile returned. At that moment, she liked Louise very much indeed.
“Ponter Boddit, my man!”
Reuben Montego entered the two-room quarantine chamber, and held out a clenched fist. Ponter touched his own knuckles against Reuben’s. “Reuben!” he declared, saying the name for himself. Then, Hak picking up on his behalf: “It is so good to see you again, my friend.”
Ponter turned to Tukana and spoke quickly in the Neanderthal tongue. “Reuben’s the physician here at the Creighton Mine. He’s the one who first treated me when I almost drowned upon arriving here, and it was at his house that Mare Vaughan, Lou Benoît, and I were originally quarantined.” Then, turning to Reuben, and with Hak once again translating: “Friend Reuben, this is Ambassador Tukana Prat.”
Reuben smiled broadly—for a Gliksin—and executed a gallant bow. “Madam Ambassador,” he said. “Welcome!”
“Thank you,” said Tukana, via her own Companion implant, which had been upgraded to match Hak’s capabilities. “I am delighted to be in this world.” She looked around the small, austere room. “Although I
was
hoping to see more of it.”
Reuben nodded. “We’re working on that. We’ve got experts on the way from the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control in Ottawa, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. I understand you used some kind of laser-sterilization device. That’s a new one on us, and our experts will have to be satisfied that it really works.”
“Of course,” said Ambassador Prat. “Although we look forward to establishing equitable trade with your world, we understand that this technology is one we must freely reveal. Your experts are welcome to travel over to our side of the portal and examine the equipment. The equipment’s designer, Dapbur Kajak, is on hand, and she will gladly explain its principles and subject it to any tests you require.”
“Excellent,” said Reuben. “Then we should get
“Well,” continued Donaldson, “we have beefed up the facilities even more, on the chance that you or others of your kind might return. I’m afraid you’re going to have to be quarantined here until we’re sure it’s safe to let you up to the surface.”
“Not again!” said Ponter. “We can prove that we are free of contamination.”
“That’s not my judgment call to make, sir,” said Donaldson. “But the people who
can
make it are on their way here even as we speak.”
Chapter Eleven
Mary Vaughan was bent over a microscope when the door to her lab at the Synergy Group burst open. “Mary!”
She looked up, and saw Louise Benoît standing in the doorway. “Yes?”
“Ponter is back!”
Mary’s heart started pounding. “Really?”
“Yes! I just heard it on the radio. The portal between the universes has reopened at SNO, and Ponter and another Neanderthal have come over to our side.”
Mary got up and looked at Louise. “Fancy a drive to Sudbury?”
Louise smiled, as if she’d expected such an offer. “There’s no point. The Neanderthals are being quarantined down in the SNO facility; there’s no way we could get down to see them.”
“Oh,” said Mary. She tried not to sound disappointed.
“But they’re coming to New York City to speak at the UN once they’re released.”
“Really? How far is that from here?”
“I don’t know. Five or six hundred kilometers, I suppose. Closer than it is from here to Sudbury, anyway.”
“I’ve been meaning to try to get down to see
The Producers
…” said Mary, with a grin. But the grin soon faded. “Still, I probably won’t be able to get to see Ponter there, either. He’ll be tied up with all sorts of diplomatic stuff.”
But Louise’s tone was upbeat. “You’re forgetting who you’re working for, Mary. Our man Jock seems to have keys to open just about any door. Tell him you need to go down and collect some DNA samples from the Neanderthal accompanying Ponter.”
Mary’s smile returned. At that moment, she liked Louise very much indeed.
“Ponter Boddit, my man!”
Reuben Montego entered the two-room quarantine chamber, and held out a clenched fist. Ponter touched his own knuckles against Reuben’s. “Reuben!” he declared, saying the name for himself. Then, Hak picking up on his behalf: “It is so good to see you again, my friend.”
Ponter turned to Tukana and spoke quickly in the Neanderthal tongue. “Reuben’s the physician here at the Creighton Mine. He’s the one who first treated me when I almost drowned upon arriving here, and it was at his house that Mare Vaughan, Lou Benoît, and I were originally quarantined.” Then, turning to Reuben, and with Hak once again translating: “Friend Reuben, this is Ambassador Tukana Prat.”
Reuben smiled broadly—for a Gliksin—and executed a gallant bow. “Madam Ambassador,” he said. “Welcome!”
“Thank you,” said Tukana, via her own Companion implant, which had been upgraded to match Hak’s capabilities. “I am delighted to be in this world.” She looked around the small, austere room. “Although I
was
hoping to see more of it.”
Reuben nodded. “We’re working on that. We’ve got experts on the way from the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control in Ottawa, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. I understand you used some kind of laser-sterilization device. That’s a new one on us, and our experts will have to be satisfied that it really works.”
“Of course,” said Ambassador Prat. “Although we look forward to establishing equitable trade with your world, we understand that this technology is one we must freely reveal. Your experts are welcome to travel over to our side of the portal and examine the equipment. The equipment’s designer, Dapbur Kajak, is on hand, and she will gladly explain its principles and subject it to any tests you require.”
“Excellent,” said Reuben. “Then we should get
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