has decided to remain at the Residence for a time," he
thought confidently. "You may have your drivers load up and move to a
more permanent location."

The answering thought was unexpectedly distinct.

"This location looks as though it were designed for a caravan's stay.
Where's Dar Girdek?"

Barra looked at the man in surprise. What was this? This fellow didn't
think like any pseudoman. Had Dar Girdek somehow managed to persuade a
halfman to act as his lead driver? But why?

He drew back a little, tensing. There was something wrong here.

"Now, look," persisted the man before him. "I'd like to see Dar Girdek.
I'd like to know why I haven't been able to get in touch with him this
morning."

Barra blinked, then activated the new probe. He would have to find out
what this man knew--how much others might know. Abruptly, he felt a
violent return of the fear sickness which had temporarily subsided with
the death of Dar Girdek.

The probe was met by an impenetrable barrier. Barra's eyes widened. This
man was no halfman, either. He was one of the great psionics.
Frantically, Barra's thought retraced the past.

Was this an investigator from the Council? Was he, Kio Barra, suspect?
But how had any leak occurred? The fear grew, till he could almost smell
the sour stench of it. And with it, came a buoying lift of pure fury.

This man may have unmasked him, to be sure. The Council might even now
be sending men to take him, but this spy would never know the results of
his work. He would profit nothing here.

He flipped the distorter from under his arm.

* * * * *

As the Master Protector started to raise his distorter, Naran felt a
sharp twinge of regret. He had resigned himself to this, and had made
his preparations, but he hated to leave Barra to someone else. Of
course, the man had no chance now. The disturbance he had keyed himself
to make if he were hit with a distorter would be heard by every scholar
in Ganiadur, and by half the Council. But--

Suddenly, he felt a sort of pity for the killer before him. The guy
wasn't really altogether to blame. He'd been living for all these years
with everything against him.

Born into a psionic family, he had been the family skeleton--a thing of
disgrace--to be hidden from the rest of the world and given tolerant
protection.

And when this barely tolerated being had managed somehow to gain power
and get amplifying devices? Well--

The cry