The Practice Effect Read Online Free Page A

pixolet, he grinned and picked up the little alien so it could get a better look. Dennis put down his notes and watched the two interact.
    The pixolet appeared less enthralled with what Schwall did than how the tech
felt
about it. When his face showed pleasure, the creature looked back and forth quickly, from Schwall to the sketch pad and back again.
    Although it was clearly not a sentient being, Dennis wondered just how intelligent the little alien really was.
    “Hey, Dennis!” Schwall grew excited. “Look at this!I’ve made a real neat picture of the launch tower in Ecuador! You know, the Vanilla Needle? I’ve never really noticed how good I am at this! Your little friend here really
is
lucky!”
    There was a commotion at the back of the lab. Dennis nudged his associate. “Come on, Rich,” he said. “Get up. They’re here at last.”
    Escorted by Bernald Brady, the lab Director approached the zievatron. With Flaster walked a short, stubby man with dark, intense features, who Dennis realized must be the new Science Minister of Mediterranea.
    As he was introduced, Boona Calumny seemed to look right through Dennis. His voice was very high.
    “So this is the brave young fellow who’s going to take over your wonderful work here, Marcel? And he’s starting right off by stepping through into that wonderful new place you’ve found?”
    Flaster beamed. “Yes, sir! And we certainly are proud of him!” He winked conspiratorially at Dennis. Dennis was starting to realize just how badly Flaster wanted a success to show for his tenure at S.I.T.
    “You’ll be careful in there, won’t you, my boy?” Calumny’s finger pointed at the airlock. Dennis wondered if the man really understood what was going on.
    “Yessir, I will.”
    “Good. We want you to return hale and hearty!”
    Dennis nodded pleasantly, automatically translating the politician’s remarks from Executivese to English.
He means that if I don’t come back there’ll be some nasty paperwork to fill out
.
    “I promise, sir.”
    “Excellent. You know, bright young men like you are hard to find these days!”
(Actually, you squirts are a dime a dozen, but you’re helping my buddy out of a jam.)
    “Yessir,” Dennis agreed again.
    “We have a real shortage of daring, adventurous types, and I’m sure you’ll go far,” Calumny went on.
(We’re a bit low on meatheads this month. Maybe we can use you for a few more suicide missions if you come back from this one.)
    “I expect so, sir.”
    Calumny gave Dennis a very democratic handshake, thenturned to whisper something to Flaster. The director pointed to a door, and the minister waddled out of the lab. Probably to wash his hands, Dennis thought.
    “All right, Dr. Nuel,” Flaster said cheerfully, “hoist your little alien friend and let’s be off with you. I expect you back in under two hours … less if you can control your inclination to explore. We’ll have champagne chilled by the time you return.”
    Dennis caught the pixolet in a midair glide from Rich Schwall’s hands. The little creature chirped excitedly. After all the crates were loaded ahead of him, Dennis stepped over the airlock’s combing.
    “Beginning closure procedure,” one of the techs announced. “Good luck, Dr. Nuel!”
    Schwall gave him thumbs up.
    Bernald Brady came forward to guide the heavy door. “Well, Nuel,” he said lowly as the gears slowly turned, “you checked everything, didn’t you? You poked through the machine from top to bottom, read the biology report, and didn’t need to consult me at all, did you?”
    Dennis didn’t like the fellow’s tone. “What are you getting at?”
    Brady smiled, speaking softly so only Dennis could hear him. “I never mentioned it to the others, since it seemed so absurd. But it’s only fair to tell you.”
    “Tell me about what?”
    “Oh, it could be nothing at all, Nuel. Or maybe something pretty unusual … like the possibility that this anomaly world has a different