and dialed. After a brief
conversation, he turned back to her. "Well, now we know where they came
from," he said. "The zoo. Disappeared for about half an hour. Then
reappeared again."

"I don't care where they came from," his wife said. Her dark head was
bent over some work in her lap. "What difference does it make whether
they came from the zoo or from Burma? The point is, bringing them in is
dangerous--it's hooliganism, and don't tell me that boys will be boys."

"It doesn't show very mature judgment," he admitted. "But Bobby and his
pals aren't very old."

"Only about four hundred and eighty-five years old, according to his
I.Q. Do you think it was Bobby?"

"Bobby isn't the only genius we've got. There's Danny, remember, and
William Tender--and Bobby said he couldn't teleport big stuff."

"Well?"

John Ward had to confide his theory. He felt that he had to tell Ann
everything, all the speculation and suspicion he'd carried around with
him for so long.

"I think we're being invaded," he said.

Ann looked at him steadily for a moment. "You mean the Outspacers?"

"Yes--but not in the way you're thinking. It's been reported that the
Saucers are Russian or Argentine or Brazilian or Chinese--that's what
we're told. But that's simply Pretend War propaganda and almost no one
believes it any longer. Most of us think of them as Outspacers."

"And you think they're moving in?"

"I think they're watching--sort of--well, sort of monitoring."

"Monitoring us? What for?"

"No, not us. I think they've planted children among us. I think the
Outspacers are _school-teachers_."

Ann got briskly to her feet. "I think," she said, "that we'll take your
temperature and see if perhaps you shouldn't be in bed."

"Wait, Ann, I'm serious. I know it sounds crazy, but it isn't. Think of
it this way--here's a race, obviously humanoid, on another star system.
For some reason, overpopulation or whatever, they have to find room on
another planet. Let's assume they're a highly civilized race--they'd
have to be to have interstellar travel--so, of course, they can't simply
take over Earth in an act of aggression. That would be repugnant to
them.

"So they _seed_ our planet with their children. These children are
geniuses. When they grow up, they are naturally the leaders of the
world's governments and they're in a position to allow the Outspacers to
live with us on Earth. To live peacefully with us, whereas now, if the
Outspacers w