“Watch your tongue,” I whispered.

He went quiet. “I’m sorry. I meant no offense, truly.”

“What locket?” I asked. Could he hear the sudden racing of my heart? I tried to still it, to keep the warmth from rising again in my face.

How meek he looked as he answered. “A gold locket on a chain, little oval miniature inside. Oh, I didn’t steal it. I swear to you. I left it there. Ask your friend Talbot. It’s still in the vault.”

I waited, commanding my heart to be still, and banishing all images of that locket from my mind. Then: “The point is, the Talamasca caught you and they put you out.”

“You don’t have to continue insulting me,” he said humbly. “It’s entirely possible for us to make our little bargain without any unpleasantness. I’m very sorry that I mentioned this locket, I didn’t—”

“I want to think over your proposition,” I said.

“That might be a mistake.”

“Why?”

“Give it a chance! Act quickly. Act now. And remember, please, if you harm me, you’ll throw away this opportunity forever. I’m the only key to this experience; use me or you’ll never know what it’s like to be a human being again.” He drew close to me, so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. “You’ll never know what it’s like to walk in the sunlight, to enjoy a full meal of real food, to make love to a woman or a man.”

“I want you to leave here now. Get out of this city and never come back. I’ll come to you at this address in Georgetown when I’m ready. And it won’t be for a week this switch. Not the first time at any rate. It will be … ”

“May I suggest two days?”

I didn’t answer.

“What if we start with one day?” he asked. “If you like it, then we can arrange for a longer time?”

“One day,” I said, my voice sounding very strange to me. “One period of twenty-four hours … for the first time.”

“One day and two nights,” he said quietly. “Let me suggest this coming Wednesday, as soon after sunset as you like. We shall make the second switch early on Friday, before dawn.”

I didn’t reply.

“You have this evening and tomorrow evening to make your preparations,” he said coaxingly. “After the switch you will have all of Wednesday night and the full day Thursday. Of course you’ll have Thursday night as well up until … shall we say, two hours before Friday’s sunrise? That ought to be comfortable enough.”

He studied me keenly, then became more anxious: “Oh, and bring one of your passports with you. I don’t care which one. But I want a passport, and a bit of credit plastic, and money in my pockets over and above the ten million. You understand?”

I didn’t say anything.

“You know this will work.”

Again, I didn’t answer.

“Believe me, all I’ve told you is true. Ask Talbot. I wasn’t born this handsome individual you see before you. And this body is waiting right now this very minute for you.”