"I—"
"Come now." She smiled endearingly, and brushed back the hair from his forehead. "You must have had something on your mind."
"Yes," he said at last, his voice strained. "Yes, Adrian. I—I'm Ron...."
"What?"
"I'm Ron Carver! No, listen, I'm not mad. It's really me, Ron!"
She had stood up, shocked. Then she laughed.
"Adrian, listen to me! Something happened to me when I returned from Andromeda. I don't know what. I found myself at a boy's home near Spring Harbor."
"Now, really! This is the craziest—"
"I know it's crazy!" He wiped his forehead in an adult gesture. "But it's true, Adrian. I've been—changed somehow. I don't know why. But it's something to do with Dr. Minton."
She sat down again, limply. Then she studied his face, and for a moment, Ron thought she was seriously considering his predicament. But then the laugh started again, the same slightly off-key laugh Ron remembered.