ld be crazy to try to get down to the highway tonight. The
county's been promising us a new road for five years, but you see what
we've got. Even the oldest citizen wouldn't tackle it in weather like
this, unless it was an emergency. You put up for the night with us.
You'll get home just as fast by leaving in the morning, after the storm
clears. And it will be a lot more pleasant than spending the night stuck
in the mud somewhere--or worse."

Baker seemed to accept the invitation as he ate without comment. To
Fenwick he appeared stunned by the events of the day, by his inability
to find a hoax in connection with the communicator crystals.

* * * * *

It was only when Baker and Fenwick were alone in the upstairs bedroom
that Baker seemed to stir out of his state of shock.

"This is ridiculous, Fenwick!" he said. "I don't know what I'm doing
here. I can't possibly stay in this place tonight. I've got people to
see this evening, and appointments early in the morning."

"It's coming down like cats and dogs again," said Fenwick. "You saw the
road coming in. It's a hog wallow by now. Your chance of getting through
would be almost zero."

"It's a chance I have to take," Baker insisted. He started for the door.
"_You_ don't have to take it, of course."

"I'm not going to!" said Fenwick.

"But I must!"

Fenwick followed him downstairs, still trying to persuade him of the
foolishness of driving back tonight. When Ellerbee heard of it he seemed
appalled.

"It's impossible, Dr. Baker! I wouldn't have suggested your not
returning if there were any chance of getting through. I assure you
there isn't."

"Nevertheless I must try. Dr. Fenwick will remain, and I will come back
tomorrow afternoon to complete our investigation. There are important
things I must attend to before then, however."

Fenwick had the sudden feeling that Baker was in a flight of panic. His
words had an aimless stream-of-consciousness quality that contrasted
sharply with his usually precise speech. Fenwick was certain there was
nothing sufficiently important that it demanded his attention on a night
like this. He could have telephoned his family and had his wife cancel
any appointments.

No, Fenwick thought, there was nothing Baker had to go _to_; rather, he
was running _from_. He was running in panicky fear from his failure to
pin down the hoax in the crystals. He was running, Fenwick thought, from
the fear that ther