"I told the children you were coming," Gail added. "I think they'll be
glad to see you. I've an idea Fran especially liked you, Brad."

"No word of him?"

"N-no," said Gail in an odd tone.

"Did he run away?" demanded Soames. They were walking through a
soft-warm dusk toward the cottage where Gail stayed with the children.

Gail said in a low tone:

"Careful! The idea of telepathy is alarming. Everything's overheard,
Brad. The children are watched every second. I even think there are
microphones...."

Soames scowled.

"It's security," said Gail. "It would be taking too big a gamble to risk
that the children can only receive sensory impressions and only through
those little devices in their belts. Nobody's been able to make the
belt-devices do more than that, but they can't be sure...."

"They took the belts away!" insisted Soames.

"Yes. But it doesn't seem enough. You destroyed their signalling device.
But you don't feel safe. They've taken the devices, but they still don't
feel sure that the children can't do more.

"And, I thought it was wise to tell Captain Moggs about us. To explain
why you might want to come back here. They know I'm rather protective of
the children. An explanation for you to come back seemed wise. The
children aren't popular since they've been thought able to read minds.
So I wanted you to be able to come back without anybody suspecting you
of friendly feelings for them."

"I'd have come back on account of you," growled Soames. "So it mustn't
appear that anybody wants to be decent to them, eh?" Then he said
abruptly, "About Fran...."

"He ran away," said Gail with a hint of defiance. "I'll tell you more
later, maybe."

They reached the cottage, and Soames reminded himself that anything he
said would very probably be overheard and recorded on tape. They went
inside. The boy Hod, and the younger girl Mal lay on their stomachs on
the floor, doggedly working at what would be lessons. Zani sat in a
chair with a book before her and her hand seemingly shielding her eyes.
Her expression was abstracted.

As they entered, Hod made a clicking sound in his throat. Zani put one
hand quickly in her pocket and opened her eyes. They had been closed.
The book was a prop to hide something.

* * * * *

Soames had a flash of insight. He'd worn a belt with a built-in
quasi-telepathic device just once and for the briefest of times. While
he wore it, too, he'd been f