Book excerpt: WANTED: ONE ENGINEER FOR MANAGERIAL POSITION IN IRUNIUM. WAGES HIGH. DEATH BENEFITS SUDDEN. "I am the Contessa Perdita di Montevarchi. Here in Irunium the only law is my will. "I shall seek out another engineer. But this time he will be a real engineer from a dimension that understands these things, from Slikitter, probably from Earth. He will be treated with respect because his function is valuable to me. Almost inevitably he will terminate as this offal terminated, but that is to be expected of imperfect tools. "He will not at first see the slaves in the mines and I do not with him treated as a slave. My mines must continue to produce gems for my trace across the Dimensions. An engineer is needed so I shall find one...."