I had been living in western Ireland for twenty-seven years, far from the scientific mainstream. True, I had indulged my own interests and followed progress in related fields through the web, but that did not add up to an ability to serve Seth Parsigian’s needs.

However, it would be unwise to suggest that. Instead I said, “I’ll be glad to help you. But how?”

“First, you can answer a couple of questions. I’m pretty sure I know the answers, but let’s get ’em out of the way. You were a world expert on cloning-don’t go modest on me an’ deny it. Did you ever clone yourself?”

The idea was so ludicrous that in spite of my internal tensions I snorted with laughter. “Clone myself? Certainly not. Do you think the world is ready for a second Oliver Guest?”

“Not ready for the first one, if you ask me. But I wanted to be sure. You see, I knew you were living here and had been for ages, so cloning was a natural thought.”

Not to me. But before I could comment he went on. “All right, tell me this. How much do you know about Sky City and the shield? And have you ever been out there?”

More easy questions, although disquieting ones because of their possible implications. We were moving to an area of expertise where my chances of helping Seth Parsigian were negligibly small. “I know very little about Sky City, and even less about the space shield. Far less, I suspect, than the average interested ten-year-old. I have never been into space, and furthermore I never intend to go there.”

“Don’t be too sure on that last one. How much have you heard about the deaths in Sky City over the past six months?”

“I have heard not one word. Don’t deaths happen all the time during space construction work?”

“Not these deaths. Twelve of ’em. All teenagers. All girls. All beauties. Your personal specialty, an’ you’ve not heard a word? Jeez.” Seth stood up and walked through to stare at the dining hall, with its long, solid oak table that we used only when all my darlings were home. “I hope you got some way of feeding me tonight, Doc, because we gotta talk about those deaths on Sky City, an’ we gotta figure out what’s goin’ on out there. An’ I can tell you, from a standing start that might take us quite a while.”