Her hand tightened on his arm. "Are you all right? You look so pale!"
In a dry voice he said, "Maybe we'd better postpone our party a few minutes. I'm—not quite well."
"Oh! Can I help?"
He shook his head. "It's—something I picked up on Alpheratz." Turning, he handed her the packaged bottle and said, "It'll just take me a few minutes to get myself settled down. Suppose you go to your room and wait for me there."
"But if you're sick I ought to—"
"No. Beth, I have to take care of this myself, without anyone else watching. Okay?"
"Okay," she said doubtfully.
"Thanks. Be with you as soon as I can."
They rode the gravshaft together to the 58th floor and went their separate ways, she to her room, he to his. The signal in his abdomen was repeating itself steadily now with quiet urgency: Rasp rasp rasp. Rasp rasp rasp. Rasp rasp rasp.
He neutralized the force-field on the door with a quick energy impulse and opened the door. Stepping inside quickly, he activated the spy-beam jammer again. Beads of sweat were starting to form on his skin.