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transformed into one of rage.
    Since achieving ometeosis—the phenomenon of “thinking oneself into being”—QUALIA had devoted a considerable amount of time to analysing the diverse responses of the people SHE dealt with regularly. SHE therefore felt confident that the plot of Whitesmith's changing emotional state was sound. But SHE was also aware that his actual state of mind was, to all intents and purposes, unknowable. Humans communicated only so much by means of their facial expressions, postures and tone of voice, and a significant proportion of this communication was not consciously directed. Although SHE was aware that humans possessed unconscious minds, SHE did not entirely comprehend how they functioned or what purpose they served.
    Lacking that natural comprehension, any interpretation SHEmade of Whitesmith's behaviour was bound to be suspect. Whether he was simply trying to perform well under a great deal of pressure, or was subconsciously perturbed that Blaylock was not only an extremely capable officer but an attractive woman as well, SHE was unable to decide. Perhaps it was both. Human behaviour was most difficult to read when conflict existed on different levels simultaneously.
    Still, it didn't hurt to read the man's words. Since studying his subconscious behaviour was the principle means by which SHE hoped to understand him, and words were the medium of the conscious, what he didn't say told her much about him.
    Blaylock's position was more difficult to analyse without the benefit of her report. Whitesmith's would be no use as a guide, judging from past experience. In addition to their gross cosmetic disparities, each reacted quite differently to what seemed—on the surface, at least—to be identical data.
    On an intellectual level, SHE guessed, Blaylock was experiencing conflict between her duties as an officer of the MIU and as an old associate of McEwen. It showed in the way she and Whitesmith circled each other, changing sides at the slightest hint of new evidence (adding an extra level of complexity to their usual semantic sparring). First McEwen was in the tank, then he wasn't; SHE wished Blaylock would just make up her mind what she thought, or at least wait until she had enough evidence before taking a stand—in the case of v-med particularly, as she insisted Whitesmith should do elsewhere—rather than allow issues from the past to interfere with present duties.
    The information SHE possessed regarding Blaylock's relationship with McEwen came from her official recollections and a few scraps SHE recovered from Lindsay Carlaw's diaries. The rest was covered by Privacy, and SHE was not permitted to part that veil of secrecy. But SHE suspected that there was more to the relationship than met the eye, that SHE may have uncovered yet another example of human self-censorship. Exactly what Marylin Blaylock was protecting herselffrom, however, again remained to be seen. It may have been nothing more sinister than embarrassment, or regret.
    Even as SHE considered the possibilities, SHE realised how unlikely it was that SHE would ever be able to model human behaviour with even a modicum of accuracy; complex systems were notoriously easy to misinterpret. But if, somehow, after all QUALIA's musings upon the people SHE knew well, SHE earned just one revelation about the killer, then the exercise would have been worthwhile.
    After giving an overview of McEwen's initial interrogation, Whitesmith concluded:
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    McEwen agreed to the use of a cage, but proved resistant to interrogation. Even under extreme duress, he professed to have no knowledge of the body found in his unit. Showing him the body did elicit a confession of sorts, but not the one we were after—subsequent to which he lost consciousness again.
    Preliminary examination indicated the presence of two unusual nanoagents within his system. Both appear to have been employed longer than the prescribed time, resulting in