ther speech nor motion was allowed
them here. But he didn't doubt that Kilby was awake, or that Santin and
Rane Rellis were in the farther chairs, though he hadn't seen either of
them clearly. Their captors had given them a brief glimpse of one
another, perhaps to let them know all had been caught. Then, as the
light disappeared, Halder's glance had shifted for an instant to his
right hand lying on the armrest--long enough to see that the dark tinge
was gone from his skin, as it was from Kilby's, that he, too, had been
deprived of the organisms which disguised him.

And that, his studies in Draise had showed clearly, was something the
Federation's science would be a century away from knowing how to do
unless it learned about Kalechi's deadly skills.

Once more, it was almost as if the thought were being given an answer.
In the darkness of the room a bright image appeared, three-dimensional,
not quite a sphere in form, tiger-striped in orange and black, balanced
on a broad, bifurcated swimming tail. Stalked eyes protruded from the
top of the sphere; their slit pupils seemed to be staring directly at
Halder. Down both sides ran a row of ropy arms.

* * * * *

Simultaneously with the appearance of this projection, a man's voice
began to speak, not loudly but distinctly. Dreamlike again, the voice
seemed to have no specific source, as if it were coming from every
direction at once; and a numbing conviction arose in Halder that their
minds were being destroyed in this room, that a methodical dissecting
process had begun which would continue move by move and hour by hour
until the Federation's scientists were satisfied that no further scraps
of information could be drained from the prisoners. The investigation
might be completely impersonal; but the fact that they were being
ignored here as sentient beings, were not permitted to argue their case
or offer an explanation, seemed more chilling than deliberate brutality.
And yet, Halder told himself, he couldn't really blame anyone for the
situation they were in. The Kalechi group represented an urgent and
terrible threat. The Federation could not afford to make any mistakes in
dealing with it.

"This image," the voice was saying, "represents a Great Satog, the
oxygen-breathing, water-dwelling native of the world of Kalechi. There
are numerous type-variations of the species. Shown here is the dominant
form. It is highly intelligent; approximate