"Yes ma'am that will be $300 per night," the not very American looking man said to me. He actually looked a little like a middle eastern gentleman. I ...could feel my skin crawl a little. Screw him I thought. I decided to pay with cash, since I expected that he would doubt my credit card was for real. Cash usually worked well. The little clutch bag I carried at night, since we found the murder victim in the deserted factory, contained a money clip with very close to a thousand hundred dollars.Even. "Who the fuck are you?" Jane asked.The stranger said, "Language!" then smiled at us and looked around. "I can'tbelieve there's sentient life in this tiny little universe."We were confused, I mean I know we are in a reality removed from the world Iknow but I didn't think anyone besides me Mary and Evelyn knew this. Thewoman in blue saw that in me and said nothing to the others, instead sheexplained but went into details I didn't know: "You are all in a universewithin Evelyn's mind and it's. "But he was working on... ourproject. How did I not know?" John lied. A lot. You were too busy with your own research so younever even bothered to go to his lab. When he was fired, the recoveryteam snuck her out, got her a job under a false identity, and paid herto keep quiet... about everything." ...until she told you."The other man shook his head. "Wrong. I've never spoken about any ofthis, until now... with you."Martin's eyes were starting to have trouble focusing. "Wait. . He looked away quickly and examined what was playing on the television. "Have I missed anything interesting?" he asked politely, a slow throbbing headache beginning to bite right behind his temple."No, not really. Once Hope settled, I switched it on, but I guess I zonked out almost immediately!" She rubbed her eyes ruefully."Did she go down alright?" Hope seemed the safest subject to talk about while he was feeling this way.Ellie stood. "She was great — didn't give me any bother."Michael was.