The hair, of course, is perfect, and the chiseled cheekbones have a Leisureman’s tan—but there is a hint of cold desperation in the delicate, semivisible tracery of lines around the glycerine eyes, and the lips that part over the polished teeth have a faint, barely half-detectable twist of bitter self-contempt.
“Hello, I’m Bronson Underwood. For the past ten years, I’ve brought you the best of Studio action from all over the world, as the host of Adventure Update. Today, and for a short time only, I’m proud to bring you this special offer, direct from where it all began, the San Francisco Studio of Adventures Unlimited:
“For Love of Pallas Ril, the Limited Edition Boxed Set.”
The eyes go glassy and the smile sets like gelatin as he numbers the special features of the Limited Edition Boxed Set: excerpts from Race for the Crown of Dal-Kannith and Servant of the Empire; several hours of The Pursuit of Simon Jester, leading up to the Eternal Forgetting; deep-background interviews with Caine, Pallas Ril, and Ma’elKoth himself, speaking on both his own behalf and that of Lamorak;
“. . . and, direct from the Confidential Archives of the San Francisco Studio, exclusive to the Limited Edition: ‘When the Lifeclock Stopped!’
“You remember that incredible instant, when Caine brought his beloved out of the blazing noon on those arena sands, back to Earth, back to safety. You saw it live; you may have even experienced it as Caine.
“Now, it can touch you all over again. . . for in that instant ‘When the Lifeclock Stopped,’ the recording of Pallas Ril started once again.
“This special offer will not be repeated; this Limited Edition Boxed Set is your only opportunity to receive this precious moment. This is your only chance to step inside the heart of Pallas Ril, as she kneels upon the transfer platform, saved from certain death by the only man she has ever truly loved. This is your only chance to see what she sees, feel what she feels, as her tears touch the face of her fallen hero.”
The eyes seem to recede, just a little; perhaps dust has settled upon them. The smile becomes fixed, as though the lips have been stapled to the teeth.
“And to commemorate this incredible offer, in honor of this extraordinary Adventure, if you order before midnight tonight, you will also receive the Special Edition Personal Pallas Ril Lifeclock!
“Calibrated by Studio scientists using your personal actuarial data compiled from the global medical database, including data from as many as six generations of your ancestors, the Special Edition Personal Pallas Ril Lifeclock will accurately number the hours of your life! This handsome unit fits attractively on a nightstand, on an office desk, even a kitchen table . . .”
The advertisement, which runs until most of the world has forgotten why they should care who any of these people are, includes a subtitled disclaimer: Special Edition Personal Pallas Ril Lifeclock is not intended as a predictive tool.