mes made a gesture to her. Puzzled, she came to his
side. He said quietly:

"Watch the kids outside and Zani at the same time."

Fran retrieved the rabbit and went away with it, to give it back to its
owners. Zani returned to her drawing. The two children outside went back
to the puppies. One small dog sprawled triumphantly over the other with
an expression of bland amiability on his face. For no reason at all, he
began to chew meditatively on the other puppy's ear. His victim
protested with no indignation at all.

* * * * *

Zani, with her back to the scene, giggled to herself. The two children
outdoors separated the puppies to play with them again, individually.

"Zani knew," said Soames under his breath. "She knew what the others
saw."

"It happens all the time," said Gail in a similar low tone. "I've
noticed, since you pointed it out. But they aren't telepaths! They talk
to each other constantly. If they were telepaths they wouldn't need to."

Captain Moggs exclaimed. She'd gone to look at Zani's drawing:

"Really, Gail, the child draws very nicely! But do you think she should
waste time on pictures like this, when it's so important that she and
the others learn English?"

Gail said quietly:

"She's drawing pictures of her own world. That's a city like her people
build. I thought it would be a good idea to get such pictures from her."

Gail went to look at the drawing, at which Zani labored with a young
girl's complacent absorption in something she knows will be approved by
a grown-up when it's done. With a gesture, Gail invited Soames to look.
He did.

Zani had drawn the sky-line of a city, but it was an odd one. There were
tall buildings, but their walls were draping, catenary curves. There
were splendid towers and soaring highways, which leaped across emptiness
to magnificent landings. There were groups of structures with no
straight line visible anywhere.

"Interesting," said Soames. "That kind of building has been suggested as
ultra-modern architecture. They don't have an external steel frame.
There's a central mast from which all the floors are hung. They have to
be braced by cables, which make catenary curves like suspension-bridges
on end."

Zani went on with her drawing. Gail said:

"It isn't fantasy, then. Look at this. It's a--maybe you'll call it a
car. Only it looks like a sled. Or maybe a motorcycle."

She showed him a finished sketch. With a childish