meditation with which to occupy himself during
overdrive travel from one planet to another. Calhoun made use of those
resources. He acted as if he were completely unconscious of the
stowaway. But Murgatroyd watched her with charmed attention.

Hours after her discovery, she said uneasily;

"Please?"

Calhoun looked up.

"Yes?"

"I--don't know exactly how things stand."

"You are a stowaway," said Calhoun. "Legally, I have the right to put
you out the airlock. It doesn't seem necessary. There's a cabin. When
you're sleepy, use it. Murgatroyd and I can make out quite well here.
When you're hungry, you now know how to get something to eat. When we
land on Orede, you'll probably go about whatever business you have
there. That's all."

She stared at him.

"But--you don't believe what I've told you!"

"No," agreed Calhoun. But he didn't add to the statement.

"But--I will tell you," she offered. "The police were after me. I had to
get away from Weald! I had to! I'd stolen--"

He shook his head.

"No," he said. "If you were a thief, you'd say anything in the world
except that you were a thief. You're not ready to tell the truth yet.
You don't have to, so why tell me anything? I suggest that you get some
sleep."

She rose slowly. Twice her lips parted as if to speak again, but then
she went into the other cabin and closed herself in.

Murgatroyd blinked at the place where she'd disappeared and then climbed
up into Calhoun's lap, with complete assurance of welcome. He settled
himself and was silent for moments. Then he said;

"_Chee!_"

"I believe you're right," said Calhoun. "She doesn't belong on Weald, or
with the conditioning she'd have had, there'd be only one place she'd
dread worse than Orede, and that would be Dara. But I doubt she'd be
afraid to land even on Dara."

Murgatroyd liked to be talked to. He liked to pretend that he carried on
a conversation, like humans.

"_Chee-chee!_" he said with conviction.

"Definitely," agreed Calhoun. "She's not doing this for her personal
advantage. Whatever she thinks she's doing, it's more important to her
than her own life. Murgatroyd--"

"_Chee?_" said Murgatroyd in an inquiring tone.

"There are wild cattle on Orede," said Calhoun. "Herds and herds of
them. I have a suspicion that somebody's been shooting them. Lots of
them. Do you agree? Don't you think that a lot of cattle have been
slaughtered on Orede lately?"

Murgatroyd yawned. He settled hi