"What the blue blazes are you trying to tell me?"
        "He's vanished, sir. We can't find him anywhere."
        "Mr Green, I told you three weeks ago to keep that boy under
        surveillance. We cannot *afford* for him to be poncing around the
        country while the Depth Star is nearly completed. My plans will
        *not* be destroyed by some pathetic little prophecy, do you hear
        me?"
        "Yes, your Majesty"
        "Now, when was the last time you saw him?"
        "James was on du..."
        "No, Mr Green. *You* are James. Try again"
        "No, *James* was on duty"
        "Mr Green, as you wander around the complex, how do we know who you
        are?"
        "I have a name-tag, Your Majesty"
        "And what, Mr Green, does your name-tag say?"
        "James Green", said the hired help, "and then it has a photo. Which
        I need to change, I mean, There is no way I'd ever contemplate dying
        my hair that colour now. Bright *Pink*? *eww*. It would have to be
        green, at the very most..."
        "Mr Green?"
        "Yes, Majesty?"
        "I find your lack of taste disturbing," quoth the ruler.
        "Nevertheless, Your name-tag states your name as 'James' does it not,
        Mr Green?"
        "Yes"
        "Therefore you are blaming the loss of your charge upon yourself?"
        "No, I said that /James/ was watching when..."
        "James, who is in fact you?"
        "No, James who is my brother"
        "Hmm?"
        "My brother, James McGraw"
        There was a long pause in the office of the ruler, while the figure
        in the long black cape gazed at the figure in the purple wig, wondering
        why in the name of anything it had been hired.
        "Your brother."
        "Yes"
        "Who shares your first name"
        "Yes"
        "But not your second name"
        "No"
        "And he saw? I assume it is a he, I hate to attempt to draw more
        conclusions from the name?"
        "He says he saw the target climb up a mile-high beanstalk."

        There was a longer pause.

        "Your brother. He exists, doesn't he?"
        "Indeed so"
        "And enjoys certain types of mushroom?"
        "I'm sorry?"
        "Your brother is seeing things"
        "Oh no, he isn't"
        "Oh yes, I assure you, he is"
        "Oh no, he isn't"
        "Oh yes he is"
        "Oh no he isn't"
        "Enough. You will go back, With your brother, and you will find Jack,
        or you will be killed. Slowly. With the aid of a paint roller.
        Do I make myself clear?"
        "Perfectly, Your majesty"
        "In which case, farewell."
        "Yes, your majesty".

        The bewigged figure backs slowly out of the room, hitting the edge of
        the door at one point, and then runs down the corridor. While the dark-
        cloaked figure turns away, and silently wonders where all these morons
        are recruited from.

        [To Be Continued...]

        [Tomorrows part may be a little late, or may turn out to be a double-
        part on Friday. Dunno yet :-)]

        [Everything still archived at http://www.aquarionics.com/afp/afpanto/]

        [May the farce be behind you :-) ]

        Yours in Total Sincerity

                Aquarion