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temples, too. Does that sound okay?
Very distinguished, Sandra pronounced. She traced her fingers lightly across his chest. And what
about all these beautiful muscles? Are you as good as that, too?
Better, he told her. I used to do a lot of athletics. And I ve got a much deeper tan than this. It was all
too good to be true, and as the last shreds of apprehension flowed away, he found himself starting to
laugh uncontrollably. His laughter triggered Sandra s, and soon they were both writhing helplessly with
tears pouring down their cheeks.
What about those dimples on the sides of your face? she asked between sobs.
I ve got one on my chin, and it s just as cute. They burst into another paroxysm of weeping. And
don t worry about the rest, he managed between heaves of his chest which was beginning to ache. It s
best American stud.
After a while Harry began to calm down, but Sandra was still clutching her stomach and laughing, if
anything, more loudly than ever almost insanely. He watched and grew puzzled, and as her laughter
continued with no signs of abating, his puzzlement changed to concern. Hey, Sandy, it s not that funny,
he said. Cool it, for heaven s sake. You ll get hysterical if you carry on like that.
Sandra wiped her face with the sheet and shook her head as she fought for breath. It s okay, Alex. I m
not getting hysterical, she gasped. It s just that you don t you don t understand how funny this really
is.
She wasn t making any sense. Harry frowned and shook his head. What the hell are you talking
about?
Alex you see, it s She erupted into another spasm of sobbing laughter and bunched part of the
sheet to her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle it. Harry s amusement turned to irritation as he began getting
the feeling that he was being made a fool of somehow, and his mouth clamped tighter as he waited. You
see, Alex, it s funny because because But she never finished the sentence. Her mouth froze half
open, her eyes widened in sudden alarm, and she slumped weakly back against the pillows.
Sandy, what is it? Harry forgot his anger at once. What s the matter? Are you sick?
I . . . don t know, Alex. Her voice was a dreamy whisper. Sleepy . . . just hit me . . . Can t keep . . .
my eyes . . . op
Sandy? Sandy, say something! Harry s voice was close to panic. But Sandra made no further sound.
She lay with her eyes glazed and her mouth gaping as it had stopped in mid-syllable, with every trace of
life and movement gone from her body. Harry stared at her, horrified, and instinctively drew away and
stood up. After a few seconds, a monotonous synthetic voice began speaking from somewhere in the
region of her head.
Please do not be alarmed. This is a malfunction of a remotely animated, nonhuman surrogate owned by
Remote-Activated Biovehicles (U.K.) Limited. We regret any inconvenience. A recovery team is already
on its way to you. If you need further assistance, please call 01-376-8877. Thank you . . . Please to not
be alarmed. This is a malfunction of . . .
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But Harry didn t hear any more. He backed away in wide-eyed horror, unable to tear his eyes from the
lifeless figure draped across the bed. It wasn t the knowledge of what she was that was terrifying him; it
was the way it had happened, and when.
Surely to God it was impossible. He gnawed at his knuckle and forced himself to calm down and think.
There had to be some way of being sure. Then as his shoulder touched the closet door, he remembered
the padded mailer.
He turned toward the closet, opened the door, and reached up to feel along the shelf. The mailer was
still there. He took it down and read the address on the front: Sandra Parnell, 2754 Cunningham Court,
Bayswater, London W.2, U.K. His hands started trembling when he saw that it had been stamped and
mailed in the U.S.A. He turned the mailer over and read on the back:
Sender: Mrs. Lisa Stone
Box 3683
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
A strangled moan escaped his lips as the mailer dropped to the floor. But his anguish was not due to
remorse over Lisa or the realization that Sandra didn t exist. It was due to pure terror.
For all of a sudden he knew why Sandra was always away, but always managed to be free when he
himself was away from home, and he knew why she had needed to leave early on Friday, what Max s
flymobile had been doing outside the house, and where the infusers had come from. But what was worse,
he knew now why Lisa had stopped off in the bathroom on her way back from getting his cigarettes from
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