speed, and telepathy. He can see in the
dark and hold his breath longer than any man. No, he isn't human."

Bancroft looked at Dalgetty's motionless form. The prisoner's eyes
clashed with his and it was he who looked away again. "A telepath, did
you say?"

"Yes," she answered. "Do you want to prove it, Dalgetty?"

There was stillness in the room. After a moment Dalgetty spoke. "You
were thinking, Bancroft, 'All right, damn you, can you read my mind?
Go ahead and try it and you'll know what I'm thinking about you.' The
rest was obscenities."

"A guess," said Bancroft. There was sweat on his cheeks. "Just a good
guess. Try again."

Another pause, then, "'Ten, nine, seven, A, B, M, Z, Z ...' Shall I
keep on?" Dalgetty asked quietly.

"No," muttered Bancroft. "No, that's enough. What are you?"

"He told me," put in Elena. "You're going to have trouble believing
it. I'm not sure if I believe it myself. But he's from another star."

Bancroft opened his lips and shut them again. The massive head shook
in denial.

"He is--from Tau Ceti," said Elena. "They're way beyond us. It's the
thing people have been speculating about for the last hundred years."

"Longer, my girl," said Tighe. There was no emotion in his face or
voice save a dry humor, but Dalgetty knew what a flame must suddenly
be leaping up inside him. "Read Voltaire's _Micromegas_."

"I've read such fiction," said Bancroft harshly. "Who hasn't? All
right, why are they here, what do they want?"

"You could say," spoke Dalgetty, "that we favor the Institute."

"But you've been raised from childhood...."

"Oh yes. My people have been on Earth a long time. Many of them are
born here. Our first spaceship arrived in Nineteen Sixty-five." He
leaned forward in the chair. "I expected Casimir to be reasonable and
help me rescue Dr. Tighe. Since she hasn't done so I must appeal to
your own common sense. We have crews on Earth. We know where all our
people are at any given time. If necessary I can die to preserve the
secret of our presence but in that case you will die too, Bancroft.
The island will be bombed."

"I...." The chief looked out the window into the enormity of night.
"You can't expect me to--to accept this as if...."

"I've some things to tell you which may change your mind," said
Dalgetty. "They will certainly prove my story. Send your men out
though. This is only for your ears."

"And have you jump me!" snapped Bancroft.

"Casimir can stay," s