Seven frowned with his fourteen-year-old male face, and swirled around. Cyprus was blinking on and off, or here and there, disappearing entirely in her essence, and then returning. Exactly what was she doing? Taking herself out of his experience and then reemerging in it? “All right. Come back,” he said.

She reappeared beside him, looking rather severe. She said, “When you talk about my position, you aren’t thinking straight, as that little performance of mine should show you. Obviously my position is a changing one. It isn’t static. And neither is yours. Or Josef’s, for that matter.”

“I think I understand,” Seven said. “But why are we here?”

“Window is going to put on a demonstration for Proteus,” Cyprus said. “But afterward, I’ll want you to tell me what you think the significance of that demonstration is.”

“But Window isn’t even one of my personalities,” Seven cried. “And if the demonstration is for Proteus, then Proteus should be tested, not me.”

“This is a particularly important part of the examination,” Cyprus interrupted. “So stop objecting and listen….”

“You have a very adventurous nature,” Window was saying to Proteus. “But because you were taught to curb your sense of wonder, you’re often frightened of where your curiosity might lead. Story’s abilities worry you because you’re going to have to open your mind to them, or reject Story—and you don’t want to do that either.”

“I was brave enough to come here,” Proteus said.

“Exactly. So I hope you’ll be courageous enough to accept what you find.”

“Well, I accept you,” Proteus said, with a shrug. “And I’m ready to accept whatever abilities you have as, uh, real.”

“That’s only the beginning,” Window replied. “I’m going to take you on a tour—”

“Story was right. You are going to show me around, finally. I was afraid that you weren’t, that you were hiding something,” Proteus said. He grinned; already he liked Window better than he did his own father, a fact that struck him as very strange. “I’ve been a little disappointed,” he added. “This part of the … dig … is nice enough, but you’ve kept me isolated, really.” He broke off. He’d also seriously wondered whether or not there was anything else to see; and whether Window was lying. Now he blushed, remembering.

Window stood there, ready to leave, when the door burst open. Story ran into the room. “There’s another search party coming. I don’t know why, but they’re more determined than they were the last time. The news came from one of our outposts. I didn’t wait to get the details, but now they’re beginning to think that Proteus was kidnapped.”

Window whirled around. His face was white.

“Did you … take him around yet?” Story asked.

Window shook his head. “We were just ready to leave.”

“You weren’t going to show him all—”