we flopped on the ground and panted our
lungs full of nice biting cold air. Then she pointed at the collection
of buildings and said, "Steve, take a few steps out of this deadness and
take a fast dig. Look for cars."

I nodded; in a few steps I could send my esper forward to dig the fact
that there were several cars parked in a row near one of the buildings.
I wasted no time in digging any deeper, I just retreated into the dead
area and told her what I'd seen.

"Take another dig, Steve. Take a dig for ignition keys. We've got to
steal."

"I don't mind stealing." I took another trip into the open section and
gandered at ignition locks. I tried to memorize the ones with keys
hanging in the locks but failed to remember all of them.

"Okay, Steve. This is where we walk in boldly and walk up to a couple of
cars and get in and drive off."

"Yeah, but why--"

"That's the only way we'll ever get out of here," she told me firmly.

I shrugged. Farrow knew more about the Medical Center than I did. If
that's the way she figured it, that's the way it had to be. We broke out
of the dead area, and as we came into the open, Farrow linked her arm in
mine and hugged it.

"Make like a couple of fatuous mushbirds," she chuckled. "We've been out
walking and communing with nature and getting acquainted."

"Isn't the fact that you're Mekstrom and I'm human likely to cause some
rather pointed comment?"

"It would if we were to stick around to hear it," she said. "And if they
try to read our minds, all we have to do is to think nice mushy
thoughts. Face it," she said quietly, "it won't be hard."

"Huh?"

"You're a rather nice guy, Steve. You're fast on the uptake, you're
generally pleasant. You've got an awful lot of grit, guts and
determination, Steve. You're no pinup boy, Steve, but--and this may come
as a shock to you--women don't put one-tenth the stock in pulchritude
that men do? You--"

"Hey. Whoa," I bubbled. "Slow down, before you--"

She hugged my arm again. "Steve," she said seriously, "I'm not in love
with you. It's not possible for a woman to be in love with a man who
does not return that love. You don't love me. But you can't help but
admit that I am an attractive woman, Steve, and perhaps under other
circumstances you'd take on a large load of that old feeling. I'll admit
that the reverse could easily take place. Now, let's forget all the odd
angles and start thinking like a pair of people for whom the time, the