ting machines used in high-power
mathematics. He scanned the fragment, making no sense of it, except
that it was esoteric enough to belong to any new branch of theory. For
a second, the heat-rays and levitations entered his head--but none of
the symbols fitted such a branch of physical development.

What had been going on here--and why had the machines been removed so
recently that their traces still looked fresh?

He shook his head--and froze, as a key turned in the lock.

There was no time for flight. She stood in the doorway, blinking at
the light before he could turn. She, of course, was the girl whom he'd
barely noticed when he knocked the couple down as he charged out of
his apartment.

Of course? He puzzled over that. He'd almost expected it--and yet, now
that he looked more closely, he couldn't even be sure that she was the
same. She wore the same green jacket, but nothing else he could be
sure of, because he had no other memory of that girl. This one was two
inches shorter than he was, with dark red hair and the deepest blue
eyes he had seen. She looked like an artist's conception of an Irish
colleen, except that her mouth was open half an inch, and she was
studying him with the look of being about ready to scream.

"Who are you?" He forced the words out at her.

She shook her head, and then smiled doubtfully. "Ellen Ibanez,
naturally. You startled me! But you must be Wilbur Hawkes, of course.
Didn't you get my wire?"

He watched her, but there had been no stumbling over his name, and no
effort to make it sound too casual. Apparently, the name meant nothing
to her. He shook his head. "What wire?" Then he plunged ahead,
quickly. "You've heard of amnesia? Good. Well, I've got it--partially.
If you can tell me anything about myself before yesterday, Miss, I'll
never be anything but...."

He choked on that, unable to finish. And behind the surface emotions,
his mind was poised, sniffing for danger. There was no feeling of it,
though he kept telling himself alternately that she had been the girl
at the door and that she obviously had not been.

He'd seen her before. The tilt of her head, that unmatchable hair....

* * * * *

"You poor man!" Her voice was all sympathy, and the bag she was
carrying dropped to the floor as she came over. "You mean you _really_
can't remember--at all?"

"Not for the last seven months!"

She seemed surprised. "But that was when you answered