Part 6 (1/2)

”That's rather obvious, isn't it?”

”But--what for?” Dr. Kalmar stammered.

”Same reason I slipped you a mickey not long after you got here. We can't take any chances that he'll s.h.i.+p back to Earth. You see?”

”I don't,” raged Miss Dupont. ”I think it's a cheap, dirty, foul trick and it won't work, either. You can't _keep_ him drugged.”

”I don't like you talking to Dr. Lowell like that,” said Dr. Kalmar indignantly.

”You should be the last one to object,” Mrs. Kalmar pointed out. ”He said he drugged you, too.”

”I know,” Dr. Kalmar said blankly. ”I don't understand--”

”You will,” promised Dr. Lowell. ”Just come along and don't interfere.

Better give him the order; it'll keep things straighter.”

Mrs. Kalmar was grimly disapproving and Miss Dupont was close to hysteria. Only Dr. Kalmar retained his awed respect for Dr. Lowell. If the old man said it was all right, it was, even if he couldn't see the reason.

”Go ahead,” urged Dr. Lowell.

”Dr. Hoyt!”

”Yes, Dr. Kalmar?”

”You will come with us!”

”Yes, Dr. Kalmar.”

Dr. Lowell took them back to the hospital.

”Now what?” asked Dr. Kalmar.

”You actually don't know?” Miss Dupont demanded. ”He wants to put Leo through the Ego Alter.”

”That's absurd,” Dr. Kalmar said angrily, ”and an outright slander. Dr.

Lowell wouldn't consider such a thing--the boy didn't ask for it and it wasn't authorized by Social Control.”

Dr. Lowell smiled genially and opened the door to the Ego Alter room. ”I hate to disillusion you, Dr. Kalmar. That's exactly what I have in mind--the same thing I did to you.”

”That's absurd,” Dr. Kalmar repeated, but with less conviction and more confusion than before.

”It worked. Tell him to sit down.”

Dr. Kalmar did, and automatically fitted the wired plastic helmet to Dr.

Hoyt's head.

”You can't!” cried Miss Dupont as he reached for the dials on the control console. ”It's not fair!”

”Let's not get involved in a discussion on ethics,” Dr. Lowell said.