“Mr. Wu . . .”

Alan jumped at the sound of his name.

“. . . can read your lines to Ms. Harding and Mr. Polintripolous. Mr. Polintripolous can read your lines to Ms. Harding and Mr. Wu. While I appreciate your willingness to do the job, at this exact moment I would rather you tend to your health. Mr. Foster.”

Tony’s turn to jump.

“Accompany Mr. Nicholas to his dressing room and then, once he has washed up and changed into his own clothing, to my office.” As Lee began to protest, he raised a hand. “If whatever happened just now happens again, I want someone near enough to you to help.”

So much for not being associated in Lee’s mind with personal disaster.

A lesser man would have extended his scene by sweeping those assembled with an imperious glare; CB merely turned on one heel and left, his force of personality such that Tony almost expected to see the swirl of an Imperial cape and hear the studded sandals of his Praetorian guard slap against the floor.

No one moved until they heard the door to the soundstage close.

“All right, people, let’s reset for Laura’s reactions. Alan, you’re reading Lee’s lines.”

As Peter moved back behind the monitors, Adam gently took hold of Lee’s shoulder and shoved him toward the exit. “You’d better go; he’s waiting.”

“I don’t need to see a doctor.” He sounded annoyed. It wasn’t quite enough to cover the fear.

“CB thinks you do, so . . .” Adam shrugged. “What can it hurt? It’s probably nothing.”

“Probably,” Lee repeated, but from the look on his face he was thinking of some of the things it probably wasn’t.

Tony wanted to tell him that it was none of those. It wasn’t MS, it wasn’t ADSS; it wasn’t any of a dozen neurological disorders that would destroy his career then finally take his life. Unfortunately, it was something worse. Worse numerically anyhow, since an invasion by the Shadowlord would also destroy his career and take his life—along with countless other lives.

“Tony.”

About to fall into step beside the actor, he glanced over at Adam.

“The moment Lee’s in CB’s office, you head right back.”

He felt his cheeks flush. “Sure.” Skip out early once and never hear the end of it.

Lee was half a dozen steps in front of him now, the set of his shoulders announcing that he neither needed nor wanted company. Too bad. As Tony hurried to catch up, he checked out the spot where Arra had been standing and wasn’t surprised to find her gone. He hadn’t actually expected her to stay around and do something useful. Something wizardy.

The red light came on seconds after they closed the door.

The show going on.