tied up with the new
girls down at the other end of the line--when Riuku finally managed to
call Nagor again.

"Have you found out anything, Riuku?"

"Not yet."

Silence. Then: "We've lost another ship. Maybe you'd better turn her
loose and come on back. It looks as if we'll have to run for it, after
all."

Defeat. The long, interstellar search for another race, a race less
technologically advanced than this one, and all because of a stupid
Earth female.

"Not yet, Nagor," he said. "Her boy friend knows. I'll find out. I'll
make her listen to him."

"Well," Nagor said doubtfully. "All right. But hurry. We haven't much
time at all."

"I'll hurry," Riuku promised. "I'll be back with you tonight."

That night after work Pete Ganley was waiting outside the gate again.
Alice spotted his copter right away, even though he had the lights
turned way down.

"Gee, Pete, I didn't think...."

"Get in. Quick."

"What's the matter?" She climbed in beside him. He didn't answer until
the copter had lifted itself into the air, away from the factory
landing lots and the bright overhead lights and the home-bound
workers.

"It's Susan, who else," he said grimly. "She was really sounding off
today. She kept saying she had a lot of evidence and I'd better be
careful. And, well, I sure didn't want you turning up at the bar
tonight of all nights."

He didn't sound like Pete.

"Why?" Alice said. "Are you afraid she'll divorce you?"

"Oh, Alice, you're as bad as--look, baby, don't you see? It would be
awful for you. All the publicity, the things she'd call you, maybe
even in the papers...."

He was staring straight ahead, his hands locked about the controls. He
was sort of--well, distant. Not her Petey any more. Someone else's
Pete. Susan's Pete....

"I think we should be more careful," he said.

Riuku twisted his way through her thoughts, tried to push them
down.... _Does he love me, he's got to love me, sure he does, he just
doesn't want me to get hurt...._

And far away, almost completely out of phase, Nagor's call. "Riuku,
another ship's gone. You'd better come back. Bring what you've learned
so far and we can withdraw from the system and maybe piece it
together...."

"In a little while. Just a little while." Stop thinking about Susan,
you biological schizo. Change the subject. You'll never get anything
out of that man by having hysterics....

"I suppose," Alice cried bitterly, "you've been leading me on all th