d as
were the meandering paths and walks he trod so unseeingly.

Chapter 3

As Hanlon entered his dormitory room, his roommate looked up from his
studies.

"What'd the Big Brass Bull want, Han?"

"Huh?" Hanlon snapped out of his abstraction and grinned. "Nothing
important. You'll be up soon. Just about our first assignments after
graduation." He was thinking swiftly. "... Uh, I get some extra
instruction in piloting, and a chance at the controls."

"Gee, I hope they let me work on codes."

Hanlon shrugged. "They probably will, Dick. They try to fit us where we
can do the most good, Rogers said." He picked up a book and sat down,
apparently studying intently, and young Trowbridge resumed his own
lessons.

Hanlon began practicing his mind-reading at every opportunity. At first
he felt sure he would be caught at it, but quickly remembered that, as a
child, his victims never suspected they were being mentally invaded
unless he told them or acted carelessly upon information so gleaned.

Yet it had been his naive, boyish pride then, that had made him boast to
his playmates of his ability, and prove it by telling them things he had
learned about them. All that, naturally, got him into much trouble and
not a few fights, and caused the loss of all his early boyhood friends.
That was why he had quit using his wild talent and had been so
determined never to do so again, as he had first told Admiral Rogers.

But now he realized he must use it with all the ability and skill he
could acquire. For this mind-reading, whatever of it he could do, was
decidedly his dish. The SS would be sure to hand him all the jobs where
it might best get them what they needed--if he showed he could produce.

Yet with his present equipment Hanlon knew he could do little. As he had
also told the commandant, he couldn't actually read anyone's mind to the
extent of getting definite wording or specific information. But he could
get quite clear sensory impressions that helped him deduce what the
other person was thinking.

He had partially learned--and now practiced with all his abilities and
gained knowledge and intellect to improve and perfect the technique--to
gauge the other's looks, glances, facial expressions, muscle movements,
sudden tensenesses, and so on. For those, together with the
mood-impressions and bits of fleeting thoughts, enabled him to know
almost to a certainty what the other was actually thinking at the
observed time