l sceptical
challenges.

"That was the highest moment of our race," Newbridge sighed. "We had
harnessed infinite complexities to our needs. But the success was too
complete. Ever since then humanity has become more and more dependent on
what was to be essentially a tool and nothing more. Each generation
became lazier and there's no one alive who can keep this Central System
in proper working order." He leaned forward to emphasize his point. "You
see, it's very slowly breaking down. There's a steady accretion of
inefficiency mutations in the axons and that's why more and more
switching mistakes are being made--as in your case."

* * *

Connor was dazed by it all. "What's going to be the upshot, I mean,
_how_ is it going to break down?"

Newbridge threw up his hands. "I don't know--it's probably a long way
off anyway. I guess the most likely thing is that more and more errors
will accumulate and plenty of people will be Suspended just because
Central is developing irrational quirks. Maybe the critical social mass
for change will exist only when more are outside the System than inside.
I suspect when that happens we'll be able to return to _direct_
telepathic contact. As things are, our projection attempts are always
blocked." A buzzing sound came out of a small black box on the doctor's
desk, startling Connor who in his executive days had received all such
signals directly in his head. "Well, I've another patient waiting so
this will have to be the end of our chat."

Connor and his wife exchanged glances. He said, "I'd like to come back.
I'll probably have a twenty-hour week so I'll be in town a few days a
week."

"More than welcome to come again," Newbridge grinned. "Just make the
arrangements with Miss Richards, my nurse."

When they were in the street Rhoda asked, "Well, what do you think now?"

"I don't know what to think yet--but I do feel better. Rhoda, would you
mind going home alone? I think I'll find a job right away."

"Mind?" she laughed. "It's wonderful news!"

After he left her he wandered around the city awhile. In his paraNormal
days he had never noticed them but it certainly was true that there were
a lot of Suspendeds about. He studied some of them as he went along,
trying to fathom their likes and dislikes by the way they moved and
their expressions. But, unlike the paraNormals, each was different and
it was impossible to see deeply into them.

Then, as he rounded a corne