AS RISING IMPATIENCE constricted his throat, Daniel Saxon flicked a non-existing speck of dust from his crossed knee and glanced at his wristwatch. Damn.... Though the frantic rush triggered by an anonymous threat letter delivered to Halloran, EYE ON'S popular, white-haired host, was quieting down, the delay it caused had destroyed his schedule for the rest of the afternoon. A very busy afternoon! Purposely overloaded in order to help him forget that--"10 seconds to airtime!" a disembodied male voice announced, interrupting his reverie. The anticipatory murmur of the large audience, an amorphous, hazy mass behind the glaring spotlights, swelled and deflated simultaneously. The cameras wheeled into position and with a low-key hum, began rolling. Halloran's brief introduction about his next guest flew by him without arousing his interest. Daniel felt weary, a splitting migraine reminding him of yesterday's long karate practice and the studied agility of his younger opponent.

"And now, my dear ladies and gentlemen, let us give a hearty welcome to the author of The Scorpion Child, Ms Ariadne O'Neill Kayhanolu!" Halloran declared, pronouncing the lengthy name with feigned enthusiasm.

Recalling that she was the controversial subject of that letter, Daniel's curiosity was piqued. His gaze, outwardly polite but remote, swept the petite, slender blonde who appeared from behind the blue velvet curtains. Her hair styled in a chignon, she was wearing a red linen suit, white lace Victorian blouse, and red, sling-back pumps. As she steadily walked up to the platform containing Halloran's desk and the pastel blue modular settee for his guests, Daniel recalled the agitated whispers among Eye On's staff: the letter had branded her as Enemy of the Armenian People, and angrily demanded that Halloran forego interviewing her, lest his show be boycotted by a massive campaign. Halloran, however, aware that controversial guests boosted his ratings, had refused to comply.

"Captain Donovan!" the author exclaimed now. Then, blushing deeply, "Uh, hello, Mr. Saxon," she amended and with an embarrassed glance toward the rolling cameras, sat down, crossed her legs and faced their host.

"Ah, so you too are a fan of Daniel's galactic Commander Donovan," Halloran observed with a broad smile, and she nodded agreement, her color heightening.

Her delicate profile with its small and upturned nose came into Daniel's focus now; just like her voice, it radiated delight and surprise. He felt pleased. Good, she seems to have recovered, he mused as his gaze traveled down to her tan nylon-clad legs. Noticing this from the corner of her eye, she pulled her skirt and covered her exposed knees. Challenged as well as amused by her attempt for modesty, Daniel continued studying her.

"Ariadne, I understand your novel doesn't fit in any conventional category," Brian Halloran declared abruptly, raising the thick, hardcover book for the cameras to focus upon. "How would you describe it best for our viewers?"

The author smiled, dimpling, and replied, "The Scorpion Child could be called fiction based upon facts."

"Hmmm. And does its title have a special meaning?"

"Yes it does. The scorpion is the embodiment of adaptability and resilience, for it has survived through eons by adapting yet remaining essentially the same. Also, my heroine is reincarnated several times during highly turbulent eras in history, and although each time she adapts to her surroundings, her values and personality remain unchanged."

"Ah-haa. But if your novel is fiction based upon facts," Halloran countered deadpan, "does this mean you take reincarnation as fact, too?"

"Yes," she replied simply.