**Lycan,** the Elder instructed, **continue with training until then. We'll cut off the greater transmitter five hours from now. Twelve hours should give Walt more than enough time to kill her. It will be mutant trying to kill an earth-normal. He can't fail!**
**He can't fail,** they echoed nervously.
**Will twelve hours be enough?**
**If he does, somehow, fail, we can't risk delaying the invasion more than that.**
**I will see that it doesn't delay the invasion,** Lycan promised. **I'll train them right through normalcy.**
Walt had arrived in Hollywood. Wait for me there. Julia (dressing carefully) projected to him. I'll be right over to get you.
She finished combing her hair. She went to her handbag, snapped it closed decisively, and slipped it over her arm. She was smiling.
On her way out of the room, she picked up the book on brain surgery that she hadn't yet had the chance to read. She skimmed through it in the taxi on the way to pick Walt up.
She paused a fraction of a second over one of the illustrations; in that time, she was able to memorize it. My brain, she thought, is different right there; but I can't see my own brain well enough to tell much; I want to look at his for a minute if I can.