Part Eleven, Chapter Three - There's Some Hope for the Boy After All

Hanging around in the gardens, Gris sees Dr. Bittlestiffender emerge from the operating room and search the outdoors for something.  He goes over to a statue of a (wood) nymph and uses a tool on it, then swirls something held by his tweezers in a vial of blood, before putting the object in a case.  Then he proudly walks over to Gris like he was expecting the agent to pat him on the head and say "Good barker."

"Barker."  Presumably that's a dog.  You didn't even bother to mash two similar animals' names together this time, Hubbard, what gives?   Running out of steam already, in the first book of your epic ten-part series?  I'm not looking forward to the rest of them.

Prahd explains that he's got the "stone arrowhead fragment" he "extracted" from Heller's skull.  Gris, being a quick-witted Apparatus agent, can only stare and say "You didn't get this out of his head.  I saw you pick it up, right over there." But he eventually figures out that Prahd might have some hope as an intelligence asset.

The next page or so is the doctor explaining all the work he did, of skin cells taken and legitimate distinguishing marks removed, but he assures Gris that Heller is good and bugged.  Gris isn't ready to declare the doctor's "test" complete yet, though, and orders him to ship out to his new posting, and study the languages of English, Turkish and Italian during his voyage.  The doctor will board the ship by hiding in one of the supply crates being packed, because pointless secrecy is what the Apparatus is all about.  Gris warns that the doctor is not to interact with a certain homosexual crew member, and to maintain utmost mission security, or else he'll have the mansion razed and the Widow Tayl executed.

I was about to say "rape the Widow Tayl" but she'd be overjoyed by that.

I hear this is just a preview of Gris' future offenses.

Having played the role of Bad Cop (and Rock Stupid Cop) quite effectively, Gris is about to shift into Good Cop mode, which involves staring at the subject while "smiling in a Lordly way," but is interrupted by the Widow Tayl calling the boys in for lunch.  They sit down at the table and she has another episode remembering the way Heller stuffed his red cap in the pocket.  Gris is outraged that the nymphomaniac who has already been physically unfaithful to him, with the man sitting next to him no less, is now committing mental adultery with a man who hasn't even seen her.

I'm trying to take comfort in the fact that a lot of the cast will be left behind on Voltar for the next book or so, except I have a feeling that the new characters we'll be meeting on Earth won't be any better.


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