what happened."

Hector shook his head skeptically. Leoh shrugged, and opened the door
of the groundcar. Hector had no choice but to get out and follow him
as he walked up the pathway to the main entrance of the Embassy. The
building stood gaunt and gray in the dusk, surrounded by a
precisely-clipped hedge. The entrance was flanked by a pair of tall
evergreen trees.

Leoh and Hector were met just inside the entrance by a female
receptionist. She looked just a trifle disheveled--as though she had
been rushed to the desk at a moment's notice. They asked for Odal,
were ushered into a sitting room, and within a few minutes--to
Hector's surprise--were informed by the girl that Major Odal would be
with them shortly.

"You see," Leoh pointed out jovially, "when you come in person they
haven't as much of a chance to consider how to get rid of you."

Hector glanced around the windowless room and contemplated the thick,
solidly closed door. "There's a lot of scurrying going on on the other
side of that door, I'll bet. I mean ... they may be considering how
to, uh, get rid of us ... permanently."

Leoh shook his head, smiling wryly. "Undoubtedly the approach closest
to their hearts--but highly improbable in the present situation. They
have been making most efficient and effective use of the dueling
machine to gain their ends."

Odal picked this moment to open the door.

"Dr. Leoh ... Lt. Hector ... you asked to see me?"

"Thank you, Major Odal; I hope you will be able to help me," Leoh
said. "You are the only man living who may be able to give us some
clues to the failure of the Dueling Machine."

Odal's answering smile reminded Leoh of the best efforts of the
robot-puppet designers to make a machine that smiled like a man. "I
am afraid I can be of no assistance, Dr. Leoh. My experiences in the
machine are ... private."

"Perhaps you don't fully understand the situation," Leoh said. "In the
past week, we have tested the dueling machine here on Acquatainia
exhaustively. We have learned that its performance can be greatly
influenced by a man's personality, and by training. You have fought
many duels in the machines. Your background of experience, both as a
professional soldier and in the machines, gives you a decided
advantage over your opponents.

"However, even with all this considered, I am convinced that you
cannot kill a man in the machine--under normal circumstances. We have
demonstrated that fact in our tests.