Interlude A

  Paris, France, Erd simulation

  Year 1952 of the Current Era (local time)

  Two people dressed as doctors walk through the men’s psychosis ward, discussing what they see. The patients have been injected with a new medicine known as chlorpromazine and are not only less agitated than before but also more responsive to queries. One of the doctors is describing the improvements as dramatic and clearly believes that this new medicine will be of great benefit; the other is listening with increasing interest. Both of them ignore one unmedicated patient over by the windows who is muttering something to himself in a language unknown both to himself and to every other person in the ward. In translation, the muttering presents the following message: “My friend Scelera Ignosce! I believe the thief was traced back to the Diankoran dimension, which is currently being probed by Confluence agents. XOXO”

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