On the first day of the research project, George gave Anya a ride to the Eden Research Institute, a complex on the other side of Berlint from the Academy campus with an ornate but formidable iron gate. Anya leaned over to kiss him on the cheek before she climbed out of his tiny Kabinenroller. He drove back out through the ornate but formidable iron gate they had entered through. Anya trotted happily down the main walkway. It was lined with lab facilities, all attractively styled in a vaguely Ancient Classical form. Her destination was a small building near the rear, with a stylized bas relief archway around its wood doors. A single teacher's assistant was there to let her in. "Thanks," she said. "I know I've seen you around, what's your name?"

"I'm Kyle Heinzel," he said. She followed him deeper into the lab. In close proximity, she realized that his scarecrow frame was a full fifth again her 1.5 meter height. "High Energy Physics Department. I'm Professor Liebman's student."

"Yeah, I'm taking one of his classes," Anya said. "Half of it goes right over my head. Trying to read his mind only makes it worse." She looked the student over more closely. "Say, how old are you? Twenty… four? Don't worry, I'm not reading your mind."

Kyle's expression became uncomfortable. "Actually, I'm… fourteen," he said. Anya froze in her tracks. "I know," he said. "It's always the beard." He sheepishly stroked a tufted goatee.

"Sorry," Anya said. Then she laughed. Kyle sincerely joined in.

The rest of the small crew were waiting in the lab. Anya immediately frowned at a 6-meter tube lined with instruments. The first to approach was Demetrius Desmond, a junior but quickly rising social sciences professor. He was accompanied by Yuri Briar, who had joined the same department as an already well-credentialed lecturer. "Hello, Ms. Forger," Demetrius said. "I hope you're doing well. Becky asked if she could come. I told her it would be easier without an extra observer."

"Thanks," Anya said. "I wasn't sure I wanted her here myself. You know, new hairstyle…" She removed her Eden beret. Beneath it, her pink hair had been cropped nearly down to her scalp.

"It wouldn't have worked, anyway," Yuri said. "With that equipment, she would have had to go through 8 weeks of security screening." He led Anya to the tube. "They invited me here, so there would be someone you know present. I am knowledgeable in both physics and psychology, so I should be able to answer any questions…" The inside proved to be just high enough for her to walk inside. At the sealed far end was a chair with what amounted to a helmet attached, for all the world like a dryer chair from a salon. Anya eyed a pair of straps on each arm as she sat down.

"Those are blood pressure cuffs," Yuri said, leaning over her shoulder from the far end. She slid her right arm into one of them. It tightened comfortably. At his gesture, she tried to withdraw her arm. She pulled free without effort. He lowered the helmet. It pressed lightly down on her prickly fresh-cut hair. "Understand, you can exit the apparatus at any time," he added with a smile. Anya nodded, with a wary smile of her own.

"So, there's a lot of complicated stuff here," Yuri continued. "All you need to know is that it is lined with sensors that can detect almost all known forms of radiation, plus enough insulation to keep out serious interference. The helmet will monitor your brain activity." He climbed into a second chair at the open end. "So what do you say, pooka girl?"

Anya slid her arms into the cuffs. "Let's go," she said.

Uncle Yuri talked, and talked, mostly about Mama and Aunt Fiona and her cousin. His thoughts stayed pleasant, though there were flashes of memories of his previous work for the SSS. Anya told him about Gloomy, which immediately drew an enthusiastic barrage of questions, interspersed with his meandering and sanitized account of how he had met and married Papa's former partner. Finally, he asked, "So, has your boyfriend, ah, asked if you want to make love?"

Anya burst into laughter. "Eww, Uncle Yuri, I'm fifteen," she said.

"Well, most guys definitely get interested by then," Yuri said. "It's normal, really. You know, you can talk to your Mama. I definitely should have a lot more when I was your age. The first time she told me about what boys do with girls, I swore I would never do that. Then we didn't talk about it again until we were both married. So don't shut her out."

"We've got another," Kyle said when Yuri exited. "They wanted this one to be a surprise…"

A statuesque blonde sat down in the chair. She wore the uniform of an Eden staff member, given when she became a school counselor. It seemed barely able to reach across her swollen belly. "So," Aunt Fiona said, "what has my husband been saying about me?" She steepled her hands. "And don't worry, you don't need to tell me who he's cheating on me with. I'm going to figure that out on my own."

"Aunt Fiona," Anya said, "you give me a headache."

After a few minutes of small talk, Fiona said, "They wanted to see if your powers worked on a fetal brain." She patted her abdomen. "What do you think? Can you say hello to your cousin?"

"No," Anya said. Fiona's face darkened at that. "Look, here's what nobody gets. Telepathy isn't just about what's in your brain, it's all of you. Papa says that's where organs and glands and things come in. When there's a person in another person, they're just… tangled up."

"That's interesting," Fiona said with a nod. "It could change how we look at a lot of things."

There was a long silence. Anya finally said, "I knew you loved Papa."

Fiona showed neither surprise nor concern. "I suppose I knew that then," she said. "Did you want to know if I love Uncle Yuri?"

"No," Anya said. "They told you marrying Yuri would help Papa, so you made yourself believe you love him."

Fiona nodded. "Maybe," she said. "It's a skill you learn for the work we used to do. Maybe I did that with your Papa, too. The drawback is, sometimes you forget. Want to tell me what's really on your mind?"

"I like my boyfriend," Anya said. "I don't know if I love him. If I do, does it mean I'm going to marry him?"

Fiona smiled. "Oh, it takes time to figure that out," Fiona said. "You'll have plenty. Here's something I can tell you." She leaned closer. "You're going to do better."

When Fiona exited, Kyle leaned in the open end. "We have time for one more," he said. "What do you say?"

"It's fine," Anya said. On a whim, she said, "Why don't you do an interview with me?"

"Ah," Kyle said. "Well. All right." Anya felt a pleasant hum of a busy mind as he took a seat.

A chauffeur from Eden was waiting for Anya at the end of the day. As she rode home, she heard a now familiar song: "It's never too late/ No, it's never too late/ 'Cause you're never too old to grow young!"

"What station is this?" Anya asked.

"I dunno, somethin' out of Frigis," the driver said. Anya breathed a sigh, still unsure if it was relief or disappointment.

When she arrived home, Mama was already cooking stew for dinner. "Hello, Anya!" she called out. "Papa is out with Bond Junior and Baby Brother. Oh, and Yuri dropped in! He said today went really well!" Anya had already deduced as much from a large bouquet in a vase on the table. "Come tell me about it!"

Mama sat down at the table. Anya followed, somewhat cautiously. She told about the day, and the machines, and the doctors, and briefly about the odd boy with the goatee, and she answered the questions Mama asked. Just when Anya was sure she was free and clear, Mama smiled wide and asked, "So, are you still a virgin?"

Anya bolted for her room with a cry, "Mamaaaaaaa!" Mama smiled and giggled behind her.