gone off somewhere else, and then covered up by sending reports and
pictures on how things would have developed if they'd stayed."

There was a sense of unreality in the whole conversation. Cal let the
talk flow on, knowing it was a reaction to shock. What if a modern ocean
liner pulled into the harbor of New York--to find an untouched Manhattan
Island in its virgin state?

It couldn't happen, therefore it wasn't to be treated seriously.

"Better set up communication with Earth," Cal said quietly.

In E science the unpredictable, the incredible, the illogical could
happen at any time. With a mind more open to acceptance of this, he had
felt the run of shock sooner. For them, the shock impact was delayed
since their minds rejected the illogical as unreal. For him the human
shock came at once, and then, as E thinking took over, passed off.

"Sure, Cal," Lynwood agreed. It was a measure of their acceptance that
they had quite normally fallen into using his first name.

On the emergency signal it took less than three minutes to clear through
eleven light-years to E.H.Q.--and then sixteen minutes for the operator
at base to find Bill Hayes.

"Sector Chief Hayes here," the voice said at last through the speaker.

"Gray here, on the Eden matter," Cal answered. "Any other E's
available?"

"Hm-m," Hayes answered. "Wong has picked up on a problem in the Pleiades
sector, and left this morning. Malinkoff has given out word not to
disturb him if the whole universe falls apart. That leaves McGinnis,
who, I believe, is spending his time working on the defense against the
injunction by Gunderson. An example of the way petty restrictions can
bring a fine mind down to trivial problems. But he said call him if you
need him."

"Please," Cal said. "And you might stay on while I talk to him, if
you're not busy."

"Sure, E Gray, sure," Hayes answered. "I'm flashing the operator to
locate McGinnis. Seen anything of the police ship, yet? I understand one
is following to observe what you do."

"I'm sure it will be a big help," Cal said drily. "Not that it matters,
so long as it doesn't get in the way."

McGinnis came on at that point.

"I'm not yelling for help, yet," Cal told him. "But here's what it is
like at this end." He sketched in the details, and heard a sharp gasp at
the other end from Hayes.

"Now I'd like to stay on this problem," he concluded his brief summary.
"But somewhere there's fifty colonists in trouble beca