"Well, the hardest part of it was trying to find people who were willing to risk testing it. Belby... He would've had the smarts to perfect the potion, without a doubt, but he didn't have the bedside manner it took to get test subjects. If it took him another ten years, I'd be willing to bet almost anything that's what held him up so long." He grinned and his gaze slid slightly out of focus, as if he was actually looking back in time. "I nearly lost one subject when she threatened to quit after I gave her three weeks' worth of hiccups one month, boils on her arse the next month, and puce skin the month after that... Took a lot of charm to keep her on the project."