Stan didn't like this at all.  He didn't care that a meddlesome woman had been shrunk; it had obviously made his money source happy, so in fact that was a good thing.  He didn't care that his only available technician might be shell-shocked;  she'd get over it and anyway techs were a dime a dozen.  Come to think of it, Claire didn't have any formal credentials anyway.  What Stan didn't like was the way this thing had suddenly spun out of his control.

The problem was, the last few minutesí results were way too advanced for the current stage of funding.  Shrinking an animal would have enabled him to suck a whole lot of dollars, maybe millions, out of Douglas Winters for the 'next stage'.  To Stan Montour, the purpose of any research  project was to justify an infinite string of next stages, each one bringing in more funding.  He'd never been involved in any research that had advanced anywhere near to completion and he never really wanted to be.  Commercialization?  Profit and loss?  No, no, not his game at all.

The decapacitor hadn't even obligingly self-destructed, as advertised.  He checked the saturation level again.  A bit above 55%, dropping, but  slowly.  If somebody had the bright idea of turning the POWER back on, it might even start to rise again.

While he was pondering  this, Doug was snapping out of his stupor.  ìMan, I didn't think you could do that, that's the greatest thing in the world.î  He got up and looked over to the counter where Claire had laid Teri, still out of it,  onto an impromptu bed of paper towels.  'Let me look at her.  Is she all right?'

'She'd be a lot more all right if it wasn't for you.  Just stay away.  Why don't one of you two call an ambulance.  Do something useful.'  Claire was savagely angry.  Teri hadn't made much of a first impression on her but she certainly didn't deserve to be used as a guinea pig.  Lord, these guys were slime.  She couldn't wait to see them pay for this.

'Ambulance? Why an ambulance?  Is there something a doctor could do to help her?'  Stan didn't think that publicity about this incident would be useful at all and calling an ambulance would almost certainly cause the loss of what remaining control he had of the situation.

Doug was in instant agreement.  'I don't see how an ambulance would be of any use, either.  Let's be rational now.  Can't we just use this wonderful machine  to reverse this successful...um, I mean, bring her back to normal.'

'No, we can't 'reverse this', the controls can only shrink things.  It can't enlarge her.  I'm not sure anything can enlarge her.  Anyway, the LanthPal cells degrade when they uncharge.  This unit is toast.'

Doug cleared his throat.  'Uh, maybe not.  It still shows over 50% saturation.'

For a second, Claire's anger lowered a notch.  'Really?  All the earlier ones died immediately.'  Then she was enraged again.  'It doesn't matter though.  You don't want to get her to a doctor.  Fine.  Let me see about getting you two to the cops.'  She took a step toward the phone hanging on the wall.

Stan had half expected that, though and he was there almost instantly.  'That's a really bad idea, Claire.  Let's be reasonable about this.  We need to be reasonable; that's the only  way to help Ms. Steiner at this point, don't you think?'  He certainly hoped she would think so, or would think so soon, at any rate.  Police!  Jail!  Not that again.  Right now, he was relieved that Claire didn't have a gun handy, or even a pair of scissors.  He'd thought he knew enough to watch out for out for the seemingly docile ones, too.

By now, Doug was bent over the miniature form on the counter, mesmerized.  Teri's eyes were closed but she was breathing, and breathing deeply.  He'd thought her figure was  spectacular before, but she looked much better now.  He couldn't tear his eyes from her, from this secret  fantasy come true.  He reached toward her stirring form.

His reverie was cut short by a stab of pain in his gut.  Maybe Claire didn't have knives and guns handy but she did have two elbows, one of which had just drilled Doug  right below the ribs.  'You get away from her.  You've done enough to her already.'

'That was uncalled for.î' He gasped and staggered but quickly regained most of his bearing.  'I wouldn't hurt her for... '  A sudden thought came to him.  'Stan!  You said this machine was still working.  Could it...could you...I mean could I be...?'  His tone was almost imploring.  He couldn't look at Teri and the target cube at the same time but he tried mightily, his glance flickering back and forth at every eye blink.

'Shrunk?  You?  No, no, that's not a good idea either I don't think.'  Contradicting someone like Doug tore against every instinct in Stan's soul but the thought of shrinking his benefactor, his meal ticket,  now THAT was an unthinkable thought.   How could he sign checks that way?   'We don't understand the safety issues, do we Claire?'  His tone was absolutely imploring.

'Ohh, it's tempting.  But no, I hate it, but I have to agree with you.  We can't risk even a so-called human being like this creep in another run.  Wouldn't do anybody any good.'  Claire was still more angry then she'd ever been in her life but her anger had switched from hot to cold, or maybe from vicious to icy.

Doug's eyes slipped back to Teri, still unconscious but now stirring noticeably.  'Well, I guess it wouldn't be prudent after all.'  He paused, then turned slightly to peer at the little figure directly.  And  suddenly grabbed Claire's wrist and forced it behind her back.  He spun her in front of him and forced her in the direction of the target cube.  'Quick, Stan!  As soon as I get her in there,  throw the switch.  Let's see if we can go for two.'  Claire was attempting to simultaneously tap dance on his insteps, work her captive arm free, and grab anything in sight with her other hand, but it was no use.  Doug had all the leverage on her, and while she could slow him down but, in a moment, he'd have her in the cube.  Once Stan flipped the FLUX switch over, she'd lose her footing, and soon there'd be two living dolls over on the counter.  Doug gave the struggling girl another shove, almost to the edge of the cube.

'Let her go.'  Teri might be doll sized but it turned out her voice was as loud as ever and clearer, more piercing than any voice any of them had ever heard.  'Let her go, NOW.  And you,' she directed her gaze and that amazingly clear voice at Stan, 'get you hand away from that switch.  You've got enough trouble as it is.  If two people disappear from around here, you'll never get away from the heat.'

Stan wavered for a moment but any last trace of control he had over the situation was now gone.   He stepped away from the control board and leaned in a partial collapse at the far end of the counter.  Doug's  stopped, startled, and relaxed his grip.  Claire immediately broke free, turned, and raked his face with her clawed right hand.

'Stop that.  He deserved that, and more, but not right now.  Get a grip, girl! These two losers have done enough damage and I'm going to need all the help I can get.'

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