d or two digesting O'Connor's reply.

"Well," he said at last, "I'm not sure that's what I meant. I mean,
I'm not sure I meant to ask that question." He took a breath and
decided to start all over. "It's not like a mob," he said, "with
everybody all doing the same thing at the same time. It's more like a
group of men, all separated, without any apparent connections between
any of the men. And they're all working toward a common goal. All
doing different things, but all with the same objective. See?"

"Of course I do," O'Connor said flatly. "But what you're suggesting--"
He looked straight at Malone. "Have you had any experience of this
... phenomenon?"

"Experience?" Malone said.

"I believe you have had," O'Connor said. "Such a concept could not
have come to you in a theoretical manner. You must be involved with an
actual situation very much like the one you describe."

Malone swallowed. "Me?" he said.

"Mr. Malone," O'Connor said. "May I remind you that this is Yucca
Flats? That the security checks here are as careful as anywhere in the
world? That I, myself, have top-security clearance for many special
projects? You do not need to watch your words here."

"It's not security," Malone said. "Anyhow, it's not only security. But
things are pretty complicated."

"I assure you," O'Connor said, "that I will be able to understand even
events which you feel are complex."

Malone swallowed again, hard. "I didn't mean--" he started.

"Please, Mr. Malone," O'Connor said. His voice was colder than usual.
Malone had the feeling that he was about to take the extra chair away.
"Go on," O'Connor said. "Explain yourself."

Malone took a deep breath. He started with the facts he'd been told by
Burris, and went straight through to the interviews of the two
computer-secretary technicians by Boyd and Company.

It took quite awhile. By the time he had finished, O'Connor wasn't
looking frozen any more; he'd apparently forgotten to keep the freezer
coils running. Instead, his face showed frank bewilderment, and great
interest. "I never heard of such a thing," he said. "Never. Not at any
time."

"But--"

O'Connor shook his head. "I have never heard of a psionic
manifestation on that order," he said. It seemed to be a painful
admission. "Something that would make a random group of men co-operate
in that manner--why, it's completely new."

"It is?" Malone said, wondering if, when it was all investigated and
described, it mig