_Garnon of Roxor, discarnate, communicating_, they read. The machine
stopped for a moment, then began again. _To Dallona of Hadron: The
question you asked, after I discarnated, was: What was the last book I
read, before the feast? While waiting for my valet to prepare my bath,
I read the first ten verses of the fourth Canto of "Splendor of
Space," by Larnov of Horka, in my bedroom. When the bath was ready, I
marked the page with a strip of message tape, containing a message
from the bailiff of my estate on the Shevva River, concerning a
breakdown at the power plant, and laid the book on the ivory-inlaid
table beside the big red chair._

Harnosh of Hosh looked at Dallona inquiringly; she nodded.

"I rejected the question I had in my mind, and substituted that one,
after the shot," she said.

He turned quickly to the upper-servant. "Check on that, right away,
Kirzon," he directed.

As the upper-servant hurried out, the writing machine started again.

_And to my son, Girzon: I will not use your son, Garnon, as a
reincarnation-vehicle; I will remain discarnate until he is grown and
has a son of his own; if he has no male child, I will reincarnate in
the first available male child of the family of Roxor, or of some
family allied to us by marriage. In any case, I will communicate
before reincarnating._

_To Nirzav of Shonna: Ten days ago, when I dined at your home, I took