Harker felt faintly irritated. He liked the priest, but he felt no desire for unasked advice. "Father, if you've come to tell me I ought to quit this outfit while I still have my soul, forget it."
"The time for telling you that is past."
Harker stared at the priest coolly. "Then why are you here?"
"To help you. I have a suggestion for you—a rather strange one. But first let me tell you that the Church is reconsidering its stand."
"What?"
Carteret smiled gently. "The Church moves slowly; don't anticipate anything for the next several years. But I have it on good understanding that as soon as your technique is perfect—that is, as soon as you can restore body and mind every time—the Church will no longer withhold its approval from reanimation."
Harker chuckled. "I'd say that bet was pretty well coppered. The if there is a pretty big one."
"I know. But a necessary one. I'm praying for your success, Jim."
"You? But you warned me away from this thing!"
Carteret nodded. "You took the step anyway. And perhaps I made an original error in judgment."