around for you."

"Right."

"I've got calls to make, then. You give me the details later."

"Goodby."

Julia hung up.

* * * * *

She felt elation. She went to the window and breathed deeply. The air
was exciting.

Two hours later, she was in a staff car speeding toward an experimental
laboratory on the outskirts of town.

She was hustled inside the building by a sergeant and a colonel; gray,
cloudy dawn hovered in the east.

Dr. Norvel was already waiting.

"Let's go to work," the doctor said.

"Right."

"What do you propose? The general said something about interfering with
the frequency controlling your mind. How? We can't even detect it."

"We don't need to. We generate a signal, vary the frequency until I lose
my mutant powers--and that's it! We generate as strong a signal as we
can. Then we have every transmitter in the country put on a direct line
to us. When the radar spots the first saucer, we let go with every
kilowatt of power we've got."

"Good, good, good," Dr. Norvel said excitedly. "See if you can find some
good coffee, you there, with the bird on your shoulder."

The colonel said, "Yes, ma'm."

"I'll try to get some electronics men in to help," Dr. Norvel said. "We
may need plenty of help."

"Is there a technical library around?" Julia asked. "I better read up on
electronics."

"There's one in there," the puzzled night watchman said.

"I want you to get me somebody from the Army that can get me equipment,
and fast," Dr. Norvel told the sergeant. He was standing helplessly by
the door.

"I--"

"Hurry up, damn it!"

The sergeant shrugged in resignation. "All right, but they won't like
it. I'm the one you should have sent for the coffee."

After, the sergeant was gone, the colonel came back.

By noon, the laboratory was alive with activity.

By six o'clock, the signal generator was beginning to grow.

Julia supervised the crew laying cable. The cable would be connected to
the nearest radio transmitter.

"Your transmitter will handle our signal?" Julia asked.

"You give it to us, and we'll tell you."

A general interrupted Julia. "I'm from General Tibbets. How's it going?"

"Can't tell."

"We're trying to scatter paratroops--detachments of them. All over. How
long do we have?"

"It's up to _them_," Julia said. "I don't know when we'll be finished
here."

"Our men should be stationed by morning."

"I hope we're through that early.