«No doubt,» said J. «And also, if we can equip Richard adequately, so that what he takes with him will help him to survive but won't look too peculiar to the people of another Dimension, it will help protect the Dimension X secret.»

Blade choked on his drink and muttered something that sounded to J rather like «Bugger the Dimension X secret.» J almost sympathized with the sentiment. Richard had been through a good deal on his return to the Dimension of Kaldak to protect the Dimension X secret. The Kaldakans had looked upon him suspiciously because of the strange equipment he carried, and in order to avoid interrogation about how he had come to be in Kaldak, he had to go to great pains, including nearly committing incest with his own daughter.

«I dislike admitting this,» said Leighton slowly, «but I find myself compelled to suggest that perhaps there is no such thing as the Dimension X secret.» Both J and Blade stared at him.

«Consider the Wizard of Rentoro, who traveled into Dimension X by his own unaided mental powers,» Leighton continued. «Consider the Menel, the space-traveling aliens who seem to exist in more than one Dimension. Consider how little we know for certain about Dimension X and how to get from here to there. Then ask yourself-are we the only people who know about Dimension X? I find it increasingly difficult to be terribly optimistic on that point.»

With the proposition stated that way, J found it hard not to agree with the scientist. «If that's the case, we'll have to be particularly careful about security for our research in telepathy. Computers like ours don't exactly grow on hedges, but almost anybody with a thousand pounds' worth of laboratory and equipment can study the paranormal.

«We may not have the only path between the Dimensions. But I'd wager we have the most reliable one. I still want to make sure that everybody else who develops an equally reliable one is on our side.»