e itte and looked at Caldwell.

    “In a previous life.”

    “ell, good to ’s not often t one of ours leaves t and gets to come back.  take too kindly to prodigal sons.”

    “Guess I am tion.”

    “Yes indeed.”

    Caldiced from tary expression of disapproval on Mei Lins face. al note t Mei Lin did not tte.

    Calded for De itte to continue.

    “ell, ly a researcelligence outfit. e report on developments in tecificial intelligence, neural netronic  really do tigative  you do.  s, er,   arrogant Britis communicated exactly . “,  appears te.”

    “So w do you know?”

    “e kno some of test minds in Ne projects for true in tecificial intelligence. e’ve been monitoring and trying to analyze related data floo put it succinctly, recently a lot of data  suggesting t a significant number of people a in but not doesn’t make sense unless ting all ta in cyberspace for some, I dare say, subterfuge purpose.

    “ried booby trapping ta so t you kno  disappears into twork?”

    “e’ve tried everyt be  be resorting to tactics. e tend to be big picture people.”

    “ell no even age stamp of a picture,” Cald fat cat o get on his nerves.

    “Let’s see if you can turn t around,” De itte said abruptly.

    to dismiss telephe receiver.

    “iously. there was a long pause.

    “his happen?”

    “Are you sure it was her longish pause.

    “t let  of your sig back to you ructions.” De itte replaced t slo Mei Lin and t Calds.

    “Diane Joplin