"We'll flip a coin for the bed," I said. "Then we'll alternate in its use for as many nights as we're here."
Augie chose heads and flipped the coin. It came up tails.
"D-damn," he reiterated. "Seems my luck has flown the coop for good!"
He crossed the room and snapped the cap down over the candlewick. Darkness rushed in, probing inky fingers under the cot and in crevices, eager to strangle any loitering mote of its fleeing enemy.
Pordo visited us the next day, anxious to let us know how he was progressing. He bowed his silly, condescending bow.
"I drusd you have slepd well, gendlemen. I am indeed sorry dere are no bedder quarders available, bud de choice rooms of de palace are quide well-filled wid de visiding diplomads of our allies. Incidendally, de Pludonians have also arrived for de experimend!"
"You mean you're going to conduct the experiment right here on Jupiter?" Augie exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"Dad is precisely whad I mean!" the Jovian bit out. "Do you objecd?"
Augie was too confused to offer a reply. He just stood staring at Pordo, tiny beads of sweat popping out on his forehead.
"You will ask why," Pordo divined. "And I can see no danger in delling you. We have god do desd de formula firsd on a selecded few individuals from Pludo. Accordingly, de dwendy-five mosd highly advanced indellecds of Pludo have been broughd here do de palace and will undergo de speeded up evolushion process. In dis way, we may make advance condacd wid de enlighdened Pludonians, before evolving de masses, and make a pacd wid dem, pledging deir planed's aid in our projecd. Den, de millions of odders will receive de dreadmend and we will be ready do acd! We are nod doo sdupid do realize de evolved creadures mighd possess animosidy doward our purpose. Dus, in our firsd experimend, we are evolving no more dan can be easily eliminaded, should dey prove hosdile. De formula is even now being prepared and will be applied immediadely. According do Misder Dwilken's dada, de process should be complede in dwo monds, ad de mosd. Id is pleasand to condemplade, isn'd id, gendlemen?"