The two men moved toward the lift shafts.

"This 'balance' you speak of," said Helman. "There is no such thing. You speak as if the pathogens formed ranks, warring against one another, and then sign a truce for a time where none of them misbehaves. This is nonsense. The body does not work that way."

"I know," said Heidel, as they entered the lift. "It's just an analogy. As I said, I'm not a doctor of medicine. I've coined my own simple, pragmatic terms for referring to what occurs to me. Translate them as you would. I'm still the expert on the effects."

The lift dropped them to the ground floor.

"Shall we stop in the office?" said Helman, as they emerged.

"You say you have to be going soon, and I know when your air car is coming in. This means you want to go up into the hills and undergo another coma. I'd like to arrange to observe it and--"

"No!" said Heidel. "That's out. Definitely. I don't allow anybody near me when I do that. It's too dangerous."

"But I could put you in isolation."

"No, I won't allow it. I've been responsible for too many deaths already. Things like what I did here are my way of trying to partly make up for them. I won't chance causing more by having people around me during the coma--even trained people. Sorry. No matter what the precautions, I'd still be afraid that something would go wrong."

Helman shrugged slightly.

"If you should ever reconsider, I'd like to be the physician in charge," he said.

"Well ... Thanks. I'd better go away now."

Helman shook his hand.

"Thanks for everything," he said. "The gods have been kind."

To your patients, maybe, Heidel thought. Then, "Good afternoon, Doctor," he said; and he walked through the door that led to the lobby.