"You can put it into effective use immediately, then?" Baelheit looks faintly sanguine, Miriel's unhesitating confidence enough to bolster his own. It seems Daimon had been right to put his faith in her. "I would ask you to explain to me in greater detail how this device works, but I am afraid there is no time for that now. Besides, I feel it may be better if I know less, at least for the time being."

He rises from his chair, resting his palms on the surface of his desk, his face grave as he looks at Miriel. "But that in itself may not be enough, Dr. Frost. Even with as secure a measure as I am sure you've devised, hiding the formula in only one place strikes me as a foolish move. Rather, the data will be heavily encrypted and then split -- you will possess one half, and I will take measures to protect the other myself."