e teach the other children some words."

But the boy Hod had picked up the ball-point pen Gail had needed to show
Zani the use of. He didn't need to be shown. Without a glance at it, he
began to write. A moment later he read off, slowly and clumsily and from
the completely cryptic marks he'd made, the English words that Gail had
taught Zani. Fran and Mal joined him. They painstakingly practiced the
pronunciation of words Gail had taught Zani but not them.

It was another development that did not make sense.

CHAPTER 4

Captain Moggs landed and went directly to the main building of the base.
The children were playing with Rex.

"Children," she said with authority, "go inside and pack up. We are
going back to the United States."

The girl Mal seemed to understand and went to tell the others.

Captain Moggs came upon Soames, feverishly making up bundles of objects
the children had brought out of their ship before Fran--in the brown
tunic--had burned it. Captain Moggs said approvingly:

"You must have anticipated my orders! But I thought it unwise to tell
you by radio on the inter-base wave-length."

Soames said curtly:

"I don't know anything about your orders. They're refuelling your ship
now. We need to get it aloft with Gail and the kids inside of fifteen
minutes.

"We were clearing away a snow-weasel to take to the woods," he growled.
"Not the woods, but the wilds. We've got company coming."

"Impossible!" said Captain Moggs. "I have top-level orders for this
whole affair to be hushed up. The existence of the children is to be
denied. Everybody is to deny everything. Visitors cannot be permitted!
It's absolutely unthinkable!"

Soames grinned mirthlessly.

"It's six hours since the French asked if they might come over for a
social call. We stalled them. The English suggested a conference about
the extrawd'n'ry burst of static the other night. They were stalled off
too. But just about an hour ago the Russians pulled their stunt.
Emergency S.O.S. One of their planes with engine trouble. Can't get
home. It's heading this way for an emergency landing, convoyed by
another plane. Can you imagine us refusing permission for a ship in
trouble to land?"

"I don't believe it's in trouble!" said Captain Moggs angrily.

"Neither do I," said Soames.

He passed a wrapped parcel to one side.

"They must be acting on orders," he said coldly. "And we don't know what
their orders are. Until we realized you'd