has gone on far enough. This man is not your sort, and you'd be a fool to go any further with this, this, infatuation!"

Barbara parted from the embrace of the handsome young man and turned as if she had heard her mother.

"That's better," said Christine, "Now wake up and get some sense into that silly head of yours. I want you to leave this man's house and get back to your flat. Now!"

Barbara was looking at her mother, but her eyes were dull and unseeing. She walked to the door and stopped. Her mouth made the shapes for words and she opened the door and went out. Christine followed.

"Get this girl back home, right now!" ordered Christine.

The chauffeur snapped to attention and opened the back door of the car. Barbara climbed in and shut it. She smiled at her mother and raised a hand to wave gently.

Christine squared her shoulders and marched back through the Holo-City, to the door she had entered it by. Her husband was there, waiting.

"Now what did you go doing a thing like that for?" said Travis as he guided his wife back to the Observation room.

"I wasn't going to just stand by and watch our daughter ruin her life!" growled Christine, "I'm still her mother you know!"

"Yes, I know," said Travis.

"Well," said Trent, as Christine came into the room, "Sorted that erring child out have you?"

"I certainly have!" said Christine.

Travis winked at Trent and smiled. It had been a difficult program to insert at such short notice, but the effect had been precisely right for me occasion.

"It looks like there's always a place for a mother," said Trent, "Even after the child is dead and gone."

"She's not dead and gone," said Christine, "And she'll do what I tell her for a few more years yet!"

"That might well be," said Trent thoughtfully, "That might very well be."