Curl's hyperimage began forming in his mind. "Everything all right now?" the physician inquired genially.
"Perfect," replied Tensor contentedly. "This won't be so bad, even if it is useful work. Maybe I'm just a little peculiar."
"Ha, ha," Curl replied noncommittally.
"Oh, one thing further. What about the privacy screen set up around the aliens?"
"That was dropped months ago," Curl laughed. "Can you imagine the Council sustaining anything like that for long?"
"It doesn't require any effort."
"Yes, but it looks like it ought to, and you know how that affects a civilized man. You can go any time you like."
Tensor nodded and withdrew.
Abruptly, he was hovering over the delightful green-and-orange-streaked sands of the central landscape. This was one of Prime's favorites, and the network of drainage channels was the most effective on the planet. Tensor approved. It really was beautiful.