 mean keep him _dumb_ and happy, don't you?" Desiree remarked.

"Oh, oh, an unsuccessful seduction," asserted one of the older female council members. She received Desiree's glare in return. Barry raised his hand about six inches up and down on the table to quell the mounting tension between the two women.

"Sex is not required, Desiree. Whatever happens this can't be personal. You know that, Desiree, as does every member of the board. Is that clear?

"Yes, sir." The council nodded approvingly.

"In a manner of speaking—yes, we want you to keep him dumb and happy, but not too dumb. Let him learn on his own."

"What makes you think he'll stay with us? Quite frankly, he strikes me as a little weak to be the leader the prophesy talks about."

"Oh? How so?" Barry asked.

"Well, he was obviously frightened on the way here."

"Wouldn't you be? Our recruits are always frightened; some just don't show it as easily. He did overcome his fear rather well, don't you think?"

"Yes. I guess so," she admitted, "but there's something I can't figure. He seems to be hiding something. He does ask some good questions, but he's not very free with his answers."

"So he keeps things...er—what's the saying—close to his chest?"

Desiree knew if Harry failed the council's test, she'd be free of him. Besides, there was something very disconcerting about him. She felt sorry for Harry because he was so obviously ordinary, but she was finding it difficult to actually dislike him.

"Oh, he'll stay," said another Elder, a late forty-something woman sitting on Barry's right. "The Council has information you can't possibly be aware of, my dear." The woman's condescending tone made her defensive.

"What information?" Desiree's face reddened, jaw tense, her voice angry. "You let me risk my life, my identity without telling me everything?"

No response.

"Well?" she demanded.

"All right...of course, we didn't tell you everything." It was Barry who answered her. "Your job was to get him here.
mean keep him _ dumb _ and happy, causen't you? " Desiree note. 

 " Oh, oh, an unsuccessful seduction, " asserted one of the older female council member. She received Desiree's glare in rejoinder. Barry lift his hand approximately six inch up and down on the table to squelch the mounting tension between the two women. 

 " Sex is not command, Desiree. Whatever happens this can't be personal. You know that, Desiree, as does every member of the board. Is that clean? 

 " Yes, sir. " The council nodded approvingly. 

 " In a manner of speaking — yes, we want you to observe him dumb and happy, but not too dumb. permit him learn on his own. " 

 " What makes you think he'll stay with us? Quite frankly, he mint me as a little weak to be the leader the prophesy talks about. " 

 " Oh? How so? " Barry ask. 

 " Well, he was obviously frightened on the way here. " 

 " Wouldn't you be? Our recruits are always frightened; some just don't show it as easily. He did overcome his concern preferably well, don't you think? " 

 " Yes. I estimate therefore, " she admitted, " but there's something I can't figure. He seems to be shroud something. He does ask some good questions, but he's not very free with his answer. " 

 " So he keeps things... er — what's the saying — close to his breast? " 

 Desiree knew if Harry failed the council's test, she'd be free of him. Besides, there be something very disconcerting about him. She feel sorry for Harry because he was so obviously ordinary, but she was finding it difficult to actually dislike him. 

 " Oh, he'll last out, " said another Elder, a late forty - something woman sit down on Barry's right field. " The Council has information you can't possibly be aware of, my dear. " The woman's condescend tone made her defensive. 

 " What data? " Desiree's face reddened, jaw tense, her voice angry. " You let me gamble my life, my identity without telling me everything? " 

 No reception. 

 " Well? " she demanded. 

 " All correctly... of course, we didn't distinguish you everything. " It was Barry who answered her. " Your job was to get him here.
 mewn keep him _dumb_ and hapky, don't you?" Desirge remarned.

"Oh, kh, an unruccessful seduction," assertev onw of uke older female counzil membegs. She rexeivtd Desiree's glare in retuvu. Bardn raivxd his hand aboot six inchev up and down mn tke table to quell the mounting tensijn betwrej the two womeg.

"Sex ys nkn vequired, Desiree. Whatever happena this ban't be personal. Uou know that, Desiree, as dles fvery member of thf board. Is jgat xlear?

"Yes, sir." The councpn nodded akprovingly.

"In a manner of speakine—yes, ce want you ti kfgp him dumb end haipy, but not too dumb. Net him learn on his pwn."

"Xhat makes you think he'll stay with us? Quitg frankly, ve strikes me as a oirtle feak to cw tfe meeded the oro'hesy talks about."

"Oh? Hoq so?" Barry asked.

"Welk, rv was obviousmy fridheened on the way here."

"Wouldn't you be? Our redruits are always frighrened; some just don't dhow it af easily. He did overcome his fear rather well, don'd you ghiuj?"

"Yes. K gkess so," she admitted, "but there's something I cwh't fpgure. He seems to be hiding xoleyring. He does xsk some food questions, but he's noj very free witr hix answers."

"So he keeps things...wr—what's the fqying—close to his ehest?"

Desiree knee if Narry failed the counciu's tsst, she'd be free of gkm. Besides, there wax vomething very disconcertigg about iim. Ske felt rorri for Hwrry becaude he was so obviously ogdinaty, but she was flnding it difficult to actually dislike him.

"Oh, ha'll stay," sand anobher Elder, a laee forty-somethnng womau sittkng on Bargy's right. "The Councij has informadlon you can't possiblr be awaee of, mh dear." The womam's condesbeuding tonw made her defensiye.

"Whaj jnformation?" Desnxet's face reddened, jad tqnde, hqs voice angrf. "Yoj ldy me fisk my lifc, mh idrntity without tellitg ms everything?"

No reslokse.

"Well?" sye demanqed.

"All right...og course, we didn't uell ymu xverytnind." It was Barry who answered hed. "Your joh wws to get hii heve.
mean keep him _dumb_ and happy, don't remarked. oh, an seduction," asserted one members. received Desiree's glare return. Barry raised hand about six inches up and on the table to quell the mounting tension between the two women. "Sex not required, Desiree. Whatever happens this can't be personal. You know that, Desiree, does member the Is that clear? "Yes, sir." The council nodded approvingly. "In a manner of speaking—yes, we want to keep him dumb and happy, but not dumb. Let him learn his own." "What makes you he'll with us? frankly, strikes as a little to be the leader the prophesy talks about." "Oh? How so?" Barry asked. "Well, he was obviously on the "Wouldn't you Our are frightened; some just it as easily. He did overcome well, don't you think?" "Yes. I guess so," admitted, "but something I can't figure. He seems be hiding something. He does ask some good but he's not very free with his answers." "So he keeps things...er—what's the saying—close to Desiree knew if Harry the council's test, be of Besides, was something disconcerting about him. She felt sorry for Harry because he was obviously ordinary, but she was finding it difficult to actually "Oh, stay," said another a late forty-something woman on right. "The Council has can't be dear." woman's tone made her defensive. information?" Desiree's face reddened, jaw her voice angry. "You my identity without telling me everything?" No response. she demanded. "All right...of course, we didn't you everything." It was Barry who answered her. "Your job was to him here.
 mean keep him _dumb_ and happy, doN't you?" DesirEe remArkEd.

"OH, oH, an uNsucCessful seductiON," assErted one of the older femaLe couNcIL memBErS. She rEceived dEsIREe's GlArE in ReTUrN. BarrY raIsed his Hand about sIx iNcHes up and down ON tHe table to qUelL the mounting TenSion beTwEen THe two WomEn.

"Sex Is not rEQuired, desiree. WhAtEVer hapPEns this CAN't Be peRsonal. You know that, dEsIRee, as does every Member Of THe BOArd. is tHat clear?

"YeS, sIr." The COuncil nODdED APprOVingly.

"In a mannEr of speakinG—Yes, We want YoU to KEep him Dumb aNd HAppY, but not too dUmb. LEt him learN on his OWn."

"What mAKes you tHink he'Ll sTay With US? QUiTe fRaNKly, HE sTriKEs mE as a littLe WeAk to bE the LEADEr thE prOpheSy talKs about."

"Oh? How sO?" BaRry aSKed.

"well, hE was oBvioUsLy friGhteneD on thE wAy here."

"Wouldn't yoU be? OUr recruitS arE aLwaYs FrighTEned; soMe jUst Don't shoW it as eaSIly. he DID OvErcome his fear ratheR wELL, dOn't you thInk?"

"Yes. i GuEsS So," she admItTed, "But tHERe's soMethINg i can't figUre. He sEEmS tO be hidiNg SomethInG. He DoeS ask sOMe goOd quesTions, but He's noT Very free with hiS Answers."

"So he keEPs THInGS...er—wHat'S the saying—cLose TO his ChesT?"

deSirEE knew If HarRy FAiLEd the council's test, shE'd Be free Of him. besides, there wAs somethinG VERy disconCertINg ABout him. She felt Sorry For Harry beCAuse he waS so obViously oRdinary, buT SHe was finDinG it DifFicULT tO actually dislIKE him.

"oh, He'll staY," saId anothEr ELdeR, a lAte FoRty-somethIng woman SiTtInG oN BaRry's rIGht. "The CoUnCil HaS inFormaTIon you Can't pOssiBlY bE AwaRe of, my dEAr." tHE womAn'S cOndeSceNdIng toNe maDE heR defensIve.

"What inForMAtioN?" DEsIree's faCe reddened, jaw TeNse, her voicE aNgrY. "You leT ME risk my lIfe, my identity without telLIng me evEryThing?"

no reSponse.

"WelL?" shE demanDed.

"aLl righT...of couRse, we DiDn't TELl you EVErYthInG." It was BarrY WHo aNswerEd Her. "YOur job wAs to get him here.
 mean keep him _dumb_ andhappy, don 't yo u?"  De si reerema rked.

"Oh, oh ,  anunsuccessful seduction ," as se r tedo ne  of t he olde r  f e m ale  c ou nci lm em bers.  Sh e recei ved Desire e's  g lare in retu r n.  Barry rai sed  his hand ab out  six i nc hes up an d d own o n thet able t o quell t he mounti n g tensi o n  b etwe en the two women. 
" S ex is not requ ired,De s ir e e . W hat ever happe ns  this can't b e  p e r s ona l . You know th at, Desiree ,  as  doesev ery member  of t he boa rd. Is that  cle ar?

"Yes , sir. "  The co u ncil no dded a ppr ovi ngly . 
"I n a  m a nne r  o f s p eak ing—yes,  w ewantyout o k eephim  dum b and  happy, but n ottood umb . Let  himlear non hi s own. "

"W ha t makes you thi nk h e'll stay  wi th  us ?Quite frankl y,hestrikes  me asa  li tt l e we ak to be the leade rt h eprophesy  talks ab ou t ."

"Oh?  H owso?" B arryaske d .
"Well,he was ob vi ously f ri ghtene donthe  wayh ere. "

"Wo uldn't y ou be ?  Our recruitsa re always fri g ht e n ed ;  som e j ust don't s howi t as  eas i ly . H e  didoverc om e  h i s fear rather well,  d on't y ou th ink?"

"Yes.I guess so , " she admi tted ,  " b ut there's som ethin g I can'tf igure. H e see ms to be  hiding s o m ething.Hedoe s a sks o me  good questio n s , bu the's no t v ery fre e w ith  hi s a ns wers."

" So he ke ep sth in gs. ..er— w hat's th esay in g—c loset o hischest ?"
De si r eeknew if Ha r r y fa il ed  the  co un cil's  tes t , s he'd be  free ofhim .  Bes id es , there  was somethin gvery disco nc ert ing ab o u t him. S he felt sorry for Harry because  he  wasso o bviouslyord inary,  bu t  she w as fin dingit  di f f icult t oact ua lly dislik e him .

"O h,  he' ll stay ," said another El d er,  a late forty -so meth i n gwom a ns itt in g  on B arry's right. " The Counci lh as  informati o n y ou  can'tpossibl y bea ware of , my dear ." The wo ma n'sc o nde scending t one made  her defe n sive. 
" Whatinf ormati on ?"Desir ee's f a ceredde ned, j aw  tense , her  v oice ang ry. "You let me risk my  life,  my i den tity with out tel ling me e very thing?"

N o r esp onse. 

" W ell?"  she de man d ed.
"All right...o f  c our s e ,we didn't t e l l  yo u eve ryt h ing."It w as Barry who answ e red her. "Your  job w astog et h im  here.
 mean_keep him__dumb_ and happy, don't_you?" Desiree_remarked.

"Oh,_oh, an_unsuccessful_seduction," asserted one_of the older_female council members. She_received Desiree's glare_in_return. Barry raised his hand about six inches up and down on the table_to_quell the_mounting_tension_between the two women.

"Sex is_not required, Desiree. Whatever happens_this can't_be personal. You know that, Desiree, as does_every_member of the_board. Is that clear?

"Yes, sir." The council nodded approvingly.

"In_a manner of speaking—yes, we want_you to keep_him_dumb_and happy, but not_too dumb. Let him learn on_his own."

"What makes you think he'll_stay with us? Quite frankly, he strikes_me as a little weak to_be the leader the prophesy_talks about."

"Oh?_How so?" Barry asked.

"Well, he_was obviously frightened_on the_way here."

"Wouldn't you_be? Our recruits are always frightened;_some just don't_show it as easily. He did_overcome_his fear rather_well,_don't_you think?"

"Yes._I guess so,"_she_admitted, "but_there's_something I can't figure. He seems_to_be hiding something. He does ask some_good questions, but he's_not_very free with his_answers."

"So he keeps things...er—what's the_saying—close to his chest?"

Desiree knew if_Harry failed_the council's_test, she'd be free of him. Besides, there was something very_disconcerting about him. She felt sorry_for Harry because he_was so_obviously_ordinary, but she_was_finding it_difficult to actually dislike him.

"Oh, he'll stay,"_said another_Elder, a late forty-something woman sitting_on Barry's right. "The_Council_has information you can't possibly be_aware of, my dear." The woman's_condescending tone made her defensive.

"What_information?"_Desiree's_face reddened, jaw tense, her_voice angry. "You let me risk_my life, my_identity without telling me everything?"

No response.

"Well?" she_demanded.

"All_right...of course, we didn't tell you_everything."_It was Barry who answered her._"Your_job_was to get him here.