When I pulled the second lever something seemed to jar my brain into a long tunnel full of mercury. At one end was this coffin affair and my earthly clay. The other end let out through the eyes of my proxy in the white laboratory of the Government Health Bureau eight miles away. After a few minutes of this mental ice-skating I decided to take over my understudy, which just required, apparently, a curious feeling as to what was going on at the other end of the line. I stood my new container up on its feet and did a little experimental shadow-boxing. After a few minutes a blonde, red-star female came in and tossed me a towel to wipe off the salty scum of synthetic perspiration and said, “Nothing wrong with that build. It’ll get you there and back. If you want to leave now, your clothes are in there.” The long mirror in the dressing room showed the one flaw in my proxy. I was _supposed_ to be blushing. * * * * * Back at the apartment I smeared some makeup over the red star. My Venusian complexion, which was still about the color of an old soccer ball, and which they had refused to improve in my proxy, made it easy to disguise the mark. It was a penitentiary offense I’d been told, but I wanted to find out something about Tommy. Knowing that Gwen had a date with Tommy, I got there early. She let me in and then invited me to get out. “Tommy’ll be here any minute,” she told me, avoiding her star with a powder puff. I said, “You almost look human in that purple outfit.” “Well, I don’t want blood spattered all over it,” she said. “Oh Bill, why didn’t you get a proxy. I--I think a great deal of both of you. You’re no match for Tommy’s proxy. Tommy will kill you, then he’ll be executed, then I’ll throw away my proxy and let myself dry up to be an old maid.” “I don’t quite get this Gwen. You’ve changed a lot. The Gwen I used to know hated a bully. You stand there and tell me that Tommy will use his proxy to mash me up in my skin, and still you’re sweet on him.” She looked just a little embarrassed. “You aren’t used to things yet, Bill. The ethics are changed. If you stay you’ll be leering at Tommy and baiting him. You know what a temper he has.” “Well, my ethics haven’t changed any,” I said. “And personally, I doubt that you’re right about Tommy. I like Tommy. We were pals. Sure he’s got a temper, but if it’s changed him into an adolescent maniac, then maybe you shouldn’t be running around with him. Anyhow, we’ll find out pretty soon.” “The hard way.” She looked so bleak and concerned I knew she wasn’t just feeling sorry for herself. The trouble was I couldn’t be sure if it was Tommy or me she was really worried about. I finally figured there was one way of finding out, but I got only half way to her when Tommy busted in. Very sweet he looked until he saw me.