anxious attention in each face. He
pushed his chair back, said: "Well, if you really don't mind--"

"Mind!" barked Polly. "You scoot along now!"

"See you in the morning. Lew," said Diana.

He nodded, turned away, thinking: _What a handsome woman!_ As he started
down the hall, he heard Bullone say to Diana: "Di, perhaps you'd better
not take that boy out tomorrow. After all, he _is_ supposed to be here
for a rest." Her answer was lost as Orne entered the hall, closed the
door.

In the privacy of his room, Orne pressed the transceiver stud at his
neck, said: _"Stet?"_

A voice hissed in his ears: _"This is Mr. Stetson's relief. Orne, isn't
it?"_

_"Yes. I want a check right away on those Nathian records the
archaeologists found. Find out if Heleb was one of the planets they
seeded."_

_"Right. Hang on."_ There was a long silence, then: _"Lew, this is Stet.
How come the question about Heleb?"_

_"Was it on that Nathian list?"_

_"Negative. Why'd you ask?"_

_"Are you sure, Stet? It'd explain a lot of things."_

_"It's not on the lists, but ... wait a minute."_ Silence. Then: _"Heleb
was on line of flight to Auriga, and Auriga was on the list. We've
reason to doubt they put anyone down on Auriga. If their ship ran into
trouble--"_

_"That's it!"_ snapped Orne.

_"Keep your voice down or talk subvocally."_ ordered Stetson. _"Now,
answer my question: What's up?"_

_"Something so fantastic it frightens me,"_ said Orne. _"Remember that
the women who ruled Heleb bred female or male children by controlling
the sex of their offspring at conception. The method was unique. In
fact, our medics thought it was impossible until--"_

_"You don't have to remind me of something we want buried and
forgotten,"_ interrupted Stetson. _"Too much chance for misuse of that
formula."_

_"Yes,"_ said Orne. _"But what if your Nathian underground is composed
entirely of women bred the same way? What if the Heleb women were just a
bunch who got out of hand because they'd lost contact with the main
element?"_

_"Holy Moley!"_ blurted Stetson. _"Do you have evidence--"_

_"Nothing but a hunch,"_ said Orne. _"Do you have a list of the guests
who'll be here for the election party tomorrow?"_

_"We can get it. Why?"_

_"Check for women who mastermind their husbands in politics. Let me know
how many and who."_

_"Lew, that's not enough to--"_

_"That's all I can give you for now, but I think I'll have more.
Remember that ...