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In Star Town； Mars did his obligatory movie…star turn； charming everyone： the bureaucrats who ran the mini…city； the technicians who thought they ran it； the theoreticians who thought they ran the technicians； and the cosmonauts who inhabited it。
All of Star Town's citizens were pleased to see Mars； save one； and he was the real reason that Mars made this trip twice a week。 It was with him that Mars spent most of his time。 After the glad…handing of the bureaucrats； the political smiles directed at the technicians； the cogent but not too probing questions asked of the theoreticians； and the backslapping of the cosmonauts in training； came Mars's real work。 Interrogation。
The Него of the disastrous Odin…Galaktika II mission； the first attempt at a manned landing on Mars； had his own building in Star Town。 A city within a city within a city； it was manned by its own battalion of scientists； theoreticians； doctors； lab technicians； and security personnel。 The place was like a fortress； and deliberately so。 First； because of the wishes of the Hero； second； by order of Mars himself。 Cleaning up in the aftermath of the Odin…Galaktika II mishap had been Mars's responsibility； and it had been no easy matter。 In fact； twenty months after the event； it was still very much an open case； an ongoing…though highly secret…investigation。
The Hero's building was a four…story affair。 The basement was filled with generators that powered every appliance in the structure。 The first two floors were given over to laboratories and testing chambers； where the doctors read through reams of twice…daily medical readouts on the Hero： heart rate； respiration； EKG； BEG； stress； and the like。 The top two floors were for the Hero's living； such as it was。
As Mars went through the elaborate security procedures that he himself had set up； he considered that he had been ing here for more than a year now； ever since this building had been erected； yet the Hero was still as much of an enigma to him as he had been the first day they met。 How this was possible； Mars could not imagine。 It was not that the Hero was recalcitrant in any way。 He responded to interrogation with an openness； even sometimes an eagerness； that Mars found mendable。 And yet Mars still had no idea what went on inside the Hero's mind； how he felt； what he thought of anyone or anything。 It was as if they had shot a human being out into space and what had e back to them was some kind of an alien。
He had been changed。
Of course； there was the trauma to think of。 Not only the sudden； heartstopping death of the man he had trained with； lived with； lifted off with…the man who had his life in his hands…but also the shock of the damage to the spacecraft； the certain knowledge that the mission had failed； and the nagging fear that he would never get to see Earth again。 And then there were the effects…still unknown； still being debated by the theoreticians and the scientists…of the seepage of cosmic rays through the fault in the Hero's EVA suit。
All this had to be taken into account when one interviewed the Hero； and Mars； with great diligence； did make allowances when trying to decipher his responses。 To no satisfactory conclusion。
〃Where is he？〃 he said to Tatiana； one of the Hero's hand…picked female panion…guards； as he gained the top floor。
〃In the pool； rade；〃 Tatiana said。
〃Is he alone？〃
〃Lara is with him。〃
Mars nodded。 The Hero insisted on women； and who was Mars to deprive him of whatever pleasures were left to him？ Heroes had earned the right to take their pleasures wherever they could find them。
Increasingly； it seemed； the Hero preferred water to land。 Not surprising； since； alarmingly； the scientists had discovered one of the effects of prolonged weightlessness was to weaken not only muscles but bones； damaging the bones irreparably。 These days the Hero looked something like the Hunchback of Notre Dame。 By all accounts； Lara and Tatiana； the women assigned to him； apparently did not find his physical appearance all that repugnant； another mystery for Mars to try to decipher。
He saw Lara first； her long； muscular form； clad only in a clinging American…style bathing suit； stretched intriguingly over the edge of the saltwater pool as she fed the blue dolphin。 The dolphin had been installed in the pool about six months ago。 At first Mars had balked at the outlandish request。 But then； in her weekly debriefing； Lara had offered the startling opinion that the Hero required panionship on a plane other than the ones she and Tatiana could evidently provide。
Mars heard the odd； rhythmic clicking the dolphin used as its form of munication。 Some weeks ago the monitoring had picked up two sets of this clicking in the dead of night； and upon checking； it had been discovered that the hidden microphones… the concealed cameras could not penetrate the water…had recorded the Него in the pool； seemingly in verbal contact with the mammal。
Lara turned when she heard his approach。 〃Good morning； rade；〃 she said。 But she did not stop her feeding of the mammal。
As Mars returned her greeting； he saw the Hero floating in the pool beside the dolphin。 It was odd and； if Mars were honest with himself； a bit disquieting that there were so many similarities between the Hero and the dolphin。 The radiation that the Него had been inadvertently exposed to in space had caused his skin to bee slick and utterly hairless。 He dove and flashed through the water with the ease and apparent familiarity of one born to the sea。 He had even； so Lara had reported； spoken to her about asking for an operation that would add membranes between his fingers and his toes。
Mars did not； in fact； know whether or not he was serious。 The Hero was prone not only to making bizarre requests； but to playing eerie and disconcerting pranks on those who were observing and monitoring him。 Once； for instance； he had placed his heart monitor over the dolphin's heart instead of his own。
The Hero； Mars had concluded； may have been physically maimed in the event； and as a result may or may not have been mentally scarred； but he was still an exceedingly clever fellow。 Mars had no illusions concerning the underlying reason for the pool。 The Hero knew he was being observed； listened in on； monitored。 But in the water his time was his own； and the cunning electronic eyes that followed him were blind there。
〃I am；〃 he often told Mars； 〃like Odysseus stranded on the island of Polyphemous。〃 The first time； to his delight and Mars's chagrin； he had been obliged to explain that Polyphemus was the name of the Cyclops who Odysseus； by cunning and guile； managed to defeat。 〃Don't be embarrassed；〃 he had said with his poker face； 〃nowadays I have far more time to read than you do。〃 Mars never knew whether he was being blandly pleasant or cynically ironic。
〃Good morning； Viktor；〃 Mars said。 〃How are you feeling today？〃
〃Lousy；〃 the Hero said。 〃And I've told you； don't call me Viktor。 I want no names connected with the event used here。〃
〃I should use it；〃 Mars said； sitting on the edge of the pool。 〃It's your name。〃 He thought； Ah； nothing's changed。
〃I'll tell you something which will； no doubt； e as a surprise to you；〃 the Hero said。 〃I won't lie down。 I lived through a horror no man was meant to see； let alone live through。 But the fact remains； I did survive。 I'm alive。 And I will not go willingly into that unquiet night out there just because it may suit your purposes； just because it will salve your embarrassment for me to be swept under the rug。 My rades out there beyond these walls know I'm alive。 You can't hurt me and you can't kill me； because they'll know。 The cosmonauts。 And they'll rebel。〃
〃You are afforded many privileges；〃 Mars said softly。 〃Lara。 Tatiana。 The pool。 The dolphin。 Especially the dolphin。 I brought them to you and I can take them away。''
〃And I can stop talking；〃 the Hero said。 〃To you and to everyone。〃 He looked at Mars。 〃Now what have we proved？〃
Mars took a small fish from the bucket beside him； dangled it over the water。 The dolphin stared at him； then began a long series of clicks。
The Hero threw his head back and laughed。 〃You know； she's got a better sense of humor than the whole lot of you。''
Mars wrinkled his brow in annoyance。 ''What did the dolphin say？〃
〃Her name's Arbat；〃 the Hero admonished。 〃And she doesn't like you one bit。〃
Mars bit his lip； said as calmly as he could manage； 〃And did she say why？〃
〃First； you don't use her name。 Second； she says you're not to be trusted。〃
Mars made a sound of disgust。 It was intolerable that he should be forced into having a conversation…if that was what you could call this farce！…with a dolphin。 But he knew that in order to engage the Hero； he had to make the effort。 He said； 〃How would Arbat know whether or not I can be trusted？ She won't even take the food I offer her。〃
A flood of clicking was followed by the Него saying； ''If you give the fish to Lara； Arbat will take it from her。〃
〃I'm disappointed；〃 Mars said； but he dutifully plopped the fish into Lara's palm。 Immediately the dolphin dipped her head； scooped the fish up； swallowed it。
〃Viktor；〃 Mars said。 〃We must talk。〃
〃All ri