a half, she had noted a dozen reference symbols. She tapped in
another of the pinhead tapes, glanced over a few paragraphs, licked
salty sweat from her lip, and said in her thoughts, emphasizing the
meaning of each detail of the sentence so that there would be no
misunderstanding, "This is the Federation law that applies to the
situation which existed originally on this planet...."

There were no interruptions, no commenting thoughts, no intrusions of
any kind, as she went step by step through the section, turned to
another one, and another. In perhaps twelve minutes she came to the
end of the last one, and stopped. Instantly, argument exploded about
her.

Telzey was not involved in the argument; in fact, she could grasp only
scraps of it. Either they were excluding her deliberately, or the
exchange was too swift, practiced and varied to allow her to keep up.
But their vehemence was not encouraging. And was it reasonable to
assume that the Federation's laws would have any meaning for minds
like these? Telzey snapped the library shut with fingers that had
begun to tremble, and placed it on the ground. Then she stiffened. In
the sensations washing about her, a special excitement rose suddenly,
a surge of almost gleeful wildness that choked away her breath.
Awareness followed of a pair of malignant crimson eyes fastened on
her, moving steadily closer. A kind of nightmare paralysis seized
Telzey--they'd turned her over to that red-eyed horror! She sat still,
feeling mouse-sized.

Something came out with a crash from a thicket behind her. Her muscles
went tight. But it was TT who rubbed a hard head against her shoulder,
took another three stiff-legged steps forward and stopped between
Telzey and the bushes on their right, back rigid, neck fur erect, tail
twisting.

Expectant silence closed in about them. The circle was waiting. In the
greenery on the right something made a slow, heavy stir.

TT's lips peeled back from her teeth. Her head swung towards the
motion, ears flattening, transformed to a split, snarling demon-mask.
A long shriek ripped from her lungs, raw with fury, blood lust and
challenge.

The sound died away. For some seconds the tension about them held;
then came a sense of gradual relaxation mingled with a partly amused
approval. Telzey was shaking violently. It had been, she was telling
herself, a deliberate test ... not of herself, of course, but of TT.
And Tick-Tock had passed with honors. That _her