"Perhaps not, Pat, but I'm learning. If you're in this thing as deeply at all that, I'm in too--to the finish. Want me?" She reached out her hand, plucking at his coatsleeve. Abruptly she leaned toward him, burying her face against the rough tweed of his suit; she sobbed a little, while he patted her gently with his great, delicately fingered hand. "I'm sorry, Honey," he rumbled. "I'm sorry." The girl drew herself erect and leaned back against the wall, shaking her head to drive the tears from her eyes. She gave the Doctor a wan little smile. "Well?" she asked. "I'll return your compliment of the other night," said Horker briskly. "I'll ask a few questions--purely professional, of course." "Fire away, Dr. Carl." "Good. Now, when our friend has one of these--uh--attacks, is he rational? Do his utterances seem to follow a logical thought sequence?" "I--think so." "In what way does he differ from his normal self?" "Oh, every way," she said with a tremor. "Nick's kind and gentle and sensitive and--and naive, and this--other--is cruel, harsh, gross, crafty, and horrible. You can't imagine a greater difference." "Um. Is the difference recognizable instantly? Could you ever be in doubt as to which phase you were encountering?" "Oh, no! I can--well, sort of dominate Nick, but the other--Lord!" She shuddered again. "I felt like a terrified child in the presence of some powerful, evil god." "Humph! Perhaps the god's name was Priapus. Well, we'll discount your feelings, Pat, because you weren't exactly in the best condition for--let's say _sober_ judgment. Now about this story of his. What happens to his own personality when this other phase is dominant? Did he say?" "Yes. He said his own self was compelled to sort of stand by while the--the intruder used his voice and body. He knew the thoughts of the other, but only when it was dominant. The rest of the time he couldn't tell its thoughts." "And how long has he suffered from these--intrusions?" "As long as he can remember. As a child he was blamed for the other's mischief, and when he tried to explain, people thought he was lying to escape punishment." "Well," observed the Doctor, "I can see how they might think that." "Don't you believe it?" "I don't exactly disbelieve it, Honey. The human mind plays queer tricks sometimes, and this may be one of its little jokes. It's a psychiatrist's business to investigate such things, and to painlessly remove the point of the joke." "Oh, if you only can, Dr. Carl! If you only can!" "We'll see." He patted her hand comfortingly. "Now, you say the kind, gentle, and all that, phase is the normal one. Is that usually dominant?" "Yes. Nick can master the other, or could until recently. He says this last--attack--is the worst he's ever had; the other has been gaining strength." "Strange!" mused the Doctor. "Well," he said with a smile of encouragement, "I'll have a look at him."