other road, though it will sap our power
temporarily." Her head inclined slightly to the left as if she listened.
"Good! Our people are now in the passage which will take them to safety.
What those outside will find here when they break in will be of little
aid to their plans. Secrets of the Foanna remain secrets past others'
prying. Though they shall try, oh, how they shall try to solve them!
There is knowledge that only certain types of minds can hold and use,
and to others it remains for all time unlearnable. Now--"

Her hand reached out, flattened against Ross's forehead.

"Think of your Rover ship, younger brother, see it in your mind! And see
well and clearly for me."

Torgul's cruiser was there; he could picture with details he had not
thought he knew or remembered. The deck in the dark of the night with
only a shaded light at the mast. The deck ...

Ross gave a choked cry. He did not see this in his mind; he saw it with
his eyes! His hand swung out in an involuntary gesture of repudiation
and struck painfully against wood. He was on the cruiser!

A startled exclamation from behind him--then a shout. Ashe was here and
beyond him three cloaked figures, the Foanna. They had their own road
indeed and had taken it.

"You ... Rosss--" Vistur fronted them, his face a mixture of
bewilderment and awe. "The Foanna--" said in a half whisper, echoed by
crewmen gathering around, but not too close.

"Gordon!" Karara elbowed her way between two of the Hawaikans and ran
across the deck. She caught the Agent's both hands as if to assure
herself that he was alive and there before her. Then she turned to the
three Foanna.

There was an odd expression on the Polynesian girl's face, first of
measurement with some fear, and then of dawning wonder. From beneath the
cloak of the middle Foanna came the rod of office with its sparking
knob. Karara dropped Ashe's hands, took a tentative step forward and
then another. The knob was directly before her, breast high. She brought
up both hands, cupping them about the knob, but not touching it
directly. The sparks it emitted could have been flashing against her
flesh, but Karara displayed no awareness of that. Instead, she lifted
both hands farther, palm up and cupped, as if she carried some invisible
bounty, then flattened them, loosing what she held.

There was a sigh from the crewmen; Karara's gesture had been confident,
as if she knew just what she was doing and why. And Ross hear