won't be going together?"

"No," replied the Chief, and his lips twisted in a faint smile. "I have
my own method of exit, which should give them other things to think
about."

He left, moving with quick, short steps. Dark stayed for a few moments
more, then he too went back into the building to help with packing.

The Lowland Flower Shop, on the other side of Mars City, near the west
airlock, was the clearance point for the evacuees. The flower shop was
operated by a Phoenix agent, and each pair that left the barber college
passed through there before leaving the city to let those behind know
that they had not been stopped by government men. Other Phoenix agents
watched the heliport and bus station for any evidence that the
government was trying to block these routes out of Mars City.

The evacuation moved steadily, and it began to appear that Childress was
right. Singly, the first two of the five trucks moved out, and all of
the ESP instructors and thirty-two of the students had reported back
safe clearance from the flower shop, when....

Dark was moving a stack of charts from one of the classrooms to the
basement when bells all over the building set up a tremendous clangor.
Immediately the quiet evacuation dissolved into an uproar, with men
running and shouting and the bell ringing incessantly.

Dark knew what had happened. Childress, in the front office, had seen
government agents approaching, or perhaps they had actually entered the
building. He had pressed the alarm bell, then sought to delay them with
the righteous indignation suitable to the administrative head of a
barber college which is invaded by government officials.

The bells stopped suddenly, and the scattered shouting sounded strange
and thin in the comparative silence. Then the piping voice of the Chief
came over the loudspeakers spread throughout the building.

"Attention!" said the Chief. "We are temporarily safe. The alarm
automatically sealed all doors to the building behind the front
corridor.

"Kensington, please come to my office. The rest of you, tie up the
customers still here and leave them unharmed, and then leave the
building by the emergency exits. Scatter, and make your way by whatever
private transportation methods you can to the rendezvous assigned to
your respective group. Do not use public transportation, because
Marscorp will undoubtedly be checking public transport now."

Dark set the charts down on the stairs and made his