Cold of alcohol on his arm. Frosty ring. Nice of them to do that. Rubber tourniquet twisting and binding. The sly incisive bite of the needle. Intruder in the vein. Pain slight. Dark liquid flowing into his big body. Flowing - flowing - flowing -
He was in a spinning coracle on a blue-black sea. Far ahead on jutting white rock a phallic lighthouse.
Voice from lighthouse: 'Can you hear me, Mr. Blade?'
'Yes.'
His own voice? Amplified and distorted so? He must believe it. Believe in himself.
'Good. Can you understand what I am saying?'
'Yes.'
Summon now all will and strength. Fight. Concentrate every last bit of power, brain, guts. Cling. Hold on.
'We know, Mr. Blade, that some new installation has been built under the Tower of London. We think it has something to do with MI6. Is this true?'
Truth still easier. 'No.'
'Come, Mr. Blade, come now. You must tell the truth, you know. You cannot help but tell the truth. Now again - what has MI6 to do with the new construction beneath the Tower?'
'Nothing.'
So sly. So true. Blade laughed and laughed in the dreamland where he roamed. Truth paid. Best policy. MI6 didn't have anything to do with the Tower or the computer. It was MI6A. But they didn't know about - about - about -
Voices now. Not addressed to him. One voice a bit irritated.
'It isn't working. Are you sure you gave him the right dosage?'
'Positive. He is a big man, tremendously powerful. Sometimes it takes a bit longer with that sort. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing.'
'For what we're paying you had better know!'
The cave was huge and dark. Bats floated like bad dreams. Dim light. A hag on a throne of stalagmites. Crone. Crone crooning. Sibyl.
Voice from high vault of cave: 'What is hidden in the Tower, Blade?'
Must answer. 'Machine.'
Chuckles. Nudges. Nods. He could not see them. He felt them.
Coaxing voice: 'What kind of a machine?'
Must lie now. Fire exploded in cave. Flames writhed to form letters. LIE. No good. Couldn't. Drug too powerful.
'Comp her.'
Silence. Respite. Blade sailed a yellow sea.
Voice: 'Repeat that, Blade. Try to speak more distinctly. What kind of a machine?'
'Pute her.'
Voice off stage, sibilant, triumphant: 'Computer! That's what he is saying. Go on. Keep after him.'
Voice: 'A computer? Explain that to me, please. What sort of computer? What does it do? How are you connected with it?'
Tell truth. Sleep now. Leave alone. No! Lie a bit. Lie - lie - Truthful lie. Try - try -
'Skull wire. Wire skull. Explode brain and send out - out - all brain molecular structure torn, scrambled, put back in new place - new place - go Alb see Taken - kill Horsa - Horsa - '
Voice, bitter: 'This is sheer nonsense! He's talking about horses. And that bit about the computers doesn't make much sense, either. You must do better.'
'Give it time. The drug is just beginning to work. And you mustn't expect miracles. He is resisting the drug - I have never before seen such resistance!'
'You mean he could be lying? Even drugged?'
'I don't know, The possibility is there. I told you not to expect miracles with a subject like Blade. All you can do is make notes and try to sort it out later.'
Voice: 'Tell us more about what the computer does, Blade. Do you like to work with it? Does it make you feel good? Talk, Blade. Just talk. Empty your brain. You will feel so much better then and you can sleep for a long time. Talk - talk - '
'Pute her. Brain wire. Fly and sink - pain - hurt - pain - no clothes and cold find sword axe - wall so long never ends and did not believe but was so and not true for did end and Mongs and Caths fight fight forever and big cannon shoot and - '
'Sheer gibberish!'
'Sshhhh - you never know.'
'Heads falling all time like tree apples - love perfume smell death of women - women - thighs and breasts rub together thighs so silky and smooth hair gone and skin like lemons and lemurs - ha-hah - that is good - lemurs and lemons - axe-redbeard and Beata come cage - I - I - Taleen - I - '
