pen the door for anyone. For _anyone_,
do you hear?"

She was gone into the outside darkness.

Alcorn felt it himself then, the indefinable certainty of approach. A
turbo-copter, then another, slanting down toward his hideaway, two
speeding machines filled with grimly intent men--Jaffers' agents.

The 'copters landed about a hundred yards away from the cabin. There was
a dragging silence and then a booming, amplified voice.

"Alcorn, come out!"

He stood fast, feeling above their tension the swift progress of Janice
Wynn through the darkness toward them. She was close to the nearer
machine when he felt a sudden veering of her attention, followed the
direction of her probing, and sensed another 'copter angling down out of
the night.

Her mental order was as urgent as a shout: _Let no one in. No one!_

She moved on. The pilot of the third 'copter was only beginning to
assume identity to Alcorn's sharpened senses when Janice Wynn drew
within effective reach of the nearer grounded machine.

The amplified voice was calling again: "Come out, Alcorn, or we'll have
to--"

It broke off short in a scream. There was a flurry of shots, a white
flash in the darkness and a concussion that shook the cabin.

He felt Janice turn and run purposefully through the darkness toward the
second 'copter.

The third machine was dropping in for landing when he identified its
pilot.

"Kitty!" he breathed. "Dear God, Kitty!"

She was at the door, the terror and tenderness of her crying
overwhelming his flinching perception. "Philip, let me in! Philip
darling, are you all right?"

She was inside and in his arms before he could prevent it.

She clung to him frantically until the effect of his presence calmed
her. The terror went out of her eyes slowly, but the tears glistening on
her cheeks contradicted her smile of relief.

"Thank God you're safe, Philip! When I heard on the visinews about Dr.
Hagen--"

Janice Wynn's silent command was violent in Alcorn's head. _Put her out
quickly! Do you want her there when your own change comes?_

He caught Kitty's hands and drew her toward the door.

"You can't stay here, Kitty. There's no time to explain. I'll call later
and tell you everything."

She showed her hurt beneath the placidity his gift imposed upon her. "If
I must, Philip. But--"

He threw open the door. "Don't argue, Kitty. For God's sake, go!"

* * * * *

The blast of the second turbo-c