ular telecasts,
but nobody outside seems to be paying much attention to us."

"There's a lot of equipment down in the electricians' shop," Latterman
said. "Maybe we could rig up a sending set that could contact one of
the telecast stations outside."

"That's an idea," Prestonby said. "Let's see what we can do about it."

They went into Pelton's office. The store owner was still lying
motionless on his stretcher. Claire was fiddling with a telecast
receiving set; she had just tuned out a lecture on Home
Beautifications and had gotten the mid-section of a serial in which
three couples were somewhat confused over just who was married to
whom.

"Nobody seems to realize what's happening to us!" she said, turning
the knob again. Then she froze, as Elliot C. Mongery--this time
sponsored by Parc, the Miracle Cleanser--appeared on the screen.

"... And it seems that the attack on Chester Pelton has picked up new
complications; somebody seems determined to wipe out the whole Pelton
family, because, only ten minutes ago, some twenty armed men invaded
the Mineola High School, where Pelton's fifteen-year-old son, Raymond,
is a student, and forced their way to the office of Literate First
Class Ralph N. Prestonby, in an attempt to kidnap young Pelton.
Neither Literate Prestonby, the principal, nor the Pelton boy, who was
supposed to be in his office, could be found. The raiders were put to
flight by the presence of mind of Literate Martha B. Collins, who
pressed the button which turned in the fire alarm, filling the halls
with a mob of students. The interlopers fled in panic after being set
upon and almost mobbed--"

Prestonby looked worried. "I left Ray in my office, with Doug Yetsko,"
he said. "I can't understand--"

[Illustration:]

"Maybe Yetsko got a tip that they were coming and got Ray out of the
school," Cardon suggested. "I hope he took him home." He caught
himself just in time to avoid mentioning the platoon of Literates'
guards at the Pelton home, which he was not supposed to know about.
"Don't worry, Claire; if anything'd happened to Ray, Mongery'd have
been screaming about it to high heaven. That's what he's paid to do."

"Well, I'll stake my life on it; if anybody tried to do anything to
Ray while Yetsko was with him, you'd have heard about it," Prestonby
said. "It'd have been a bigger battle than this one."

"... Can't seem to find out anything about what's going on at
Pelton's store," Mongery continued. "