rt a few additional black boxes that the
professor had conjured up from the spare parts bins in the basement,
and then reconstruct the machine so that it looked exactly the same as
before they had started.

In between his frequent trips to oversee Hector's work, Leoh had
jury-rigged a rather bulky headset and a hand-sized override control
circuit.

The late morning sun was streaming through the tall windows when Leoh
finally explained it all to Hector.

"A simple matter of technological improvisation," he told the
bewildered Watchman. "You have installed a short-range transceiver
into the machine, and this headset is a portable transceiver for
Dulaq. Now he can sit in his hospital bed and still be 'in' the
dueling machine."

Only the three most trusted members of the hospital staff were taken
into Leoh's confidence, and they were hardly enthusiastic about Leoh's
plan.

"It is a waste of time," said the chief psychophysician, shaking his
white-maned head vigorously. "You cannot expect a patient who has
shown no positive response to drugs and therapy to respond to your
machine."

Leoh argued, Geri Dulaq coaxed. Finally the doctors agreed. With only
two days remaining before Hector's duel with Odal, they began to probe
Dulaq's mind. Geri remained by her father's bedside while the three
doctors fitted the cumbersome transceiver to Dulaq's head and attached
the electrodes for the automatic hospital equipment that monitored his
physical condition. Hector and Leoh remained at the dueling machine,
communicating with the hospital by phone.

Leoh made a final check of the controls and circuitry, then put in the
last call to the tense little group in Dulaq's room. All was ready.

He walked out to the machine, with Hector beside him. Their footsteps
echoed hollowly in the sepulchral chamber. Leoh stopped at the nearer
booth.

"Now remember," he said, carefully, "I will be holding the emergency
control unit in my hand. It will stop the duel the instant I set it
off. However, if something should go wrong, you must be prepared to
act quickly. Keep a close watch on my physical condition; I've shown
you which instruments to check on the control board--"

"Yes sir."

Leoh nodded and took a deep breath. "Very well then."

He stepped into the booth and sat down. The emergency control unit
rested on a shelf at his side; he took it in his hands. He leaned back
and waited for the semi-hypnotic effect to take hold. Dulaq's cho