AS I SUSPECTED .

HOW WONDERFUL !

PERHAPS IT IS TIME FOR

A CALLBACK .

IT WILL HAVE BEEN QUITE SOME TIME

SINCE THEY VENTURED LAST .

DO YOU SUPPOSE

IT IS TOO OBVIOUS ?

OUR POOR HERMIT

DID REFUSE THE CALL .

PERHAPS

WE SHALL FIND MORE LUCK

WITH ANOTHER . . .

GEM . . .

YOU HAVE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY .

I AM PROUD OF YOU .

BUT PLEASE DO NOT STAY OUT SO LATE NEXT TIME !

HA HA .

I AM ONLY KIDDING .

I SUPPOSE SOMEONE

MUST BEAR THE ROLE

OF " NORMAL ONE "

THE LOST PRINCE . . .

HA HA !

YOUR INTEREST IN HIM
IS MOST SURPRISING .

I SUSPECT THAT YOU
SHALL HAVE NO ISSUE
KEEPING HIM PRESENT THERE .

GLOBAL TO THEM ,
SOLITARY TO MOST .

IF YOUR SAFETY IS WHY YOU ASK

THERE IS NO REASON TO BE ALARMED .

MY IVORY TOWER
TRANSCENDS THEIR VERY BEING .

I WILL SIMPLY HAVE TO RESUME TESTING ,
THIS TIME WITH A GROUP
THAT ACTUALLY WISHES TO SEE THEIR WORLD PROSPER .

I WOULD SAY
" IT IS NO SKIN OFF OF MY BACK "
BUT THERE IS HARDLY A BACK LEFT ,
NEVER MIND SKIN .

VERY WELL !

IF I AM TO KEEP DOING THIS OVER
AND OVER
AND OVER AGAIN
I WILL NOT START WITH YOUR CONNECTION .

WE WILL BEGIN
EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE .

IN THE SANCTUARY .

HEAVENS , NO .

THIS IS NOT MY FAULT
AND AS SUCH
DOES NOT REQUIRE MY ASSISTANCE .

THEY , CLEARLY ,
HAVE DECIDED TO EXPEDITE THE INEVITABLE .