away from the
integration of their separate terrors. But he couldn't push her
thoughts back from his. She was too frightened. He was too frightened.
The bond held.

"Oh, Pete, Pete, what did you do?"

He didn't answer. He landed the copter, stepped out of it, walked back
to the other copter that was just dropping down behind him. "But
officer, what's the matter?"

Alice Hendricks huddled down in the seat, already seeing tomorrow's
papers, and her picture, and she wasn't really photogenic, either....
And then, from the other copter, she heard the woman laugh.

"Pete Ganley, you fall for anything, don't you?"

"Susan!"

"You didn't expect me to follow you, did you? Didn't it ever occur to
you that detectives could put a bug in your copter? My, what we've
been hearing!"

"Yeah," the detective who was driving said. "And those pictures we
took last night weren't bad either."

"Susan, I can explain everything...."

"I'm sure you can, Pete. You always try. But as for you--you little--"

Alice ducked down away from her. Pictures. Oh God, what it would make
her look like. Still, this hag with the pinched up face who couldn't
hold a man with all the cosmetics in the drugstore to camouflage
her--she had her nerve, yelling like that.

"Yeah, and I know a lot about you too!" Alice Hendricks cried.

"Why, let me get my hands on you...."

"Riuku!"

Riuku prodded. Calm down, you fool. You're not gaining anything this
way. Calm down, so I can get out of here....

Alice Hendricks stopped yelling abruptly.

"That's better," Susan said. "Pete, your taste in women gets worse
each time. I don't know why I always take you back."

"I can explain everything."

"Oh, Pete," Alice Hendricks whispered. "Petey, you're not--"

"Sure he is," Susan Ganley said. "He's coming with me. The nice
detectives will take you home, dear. But I don't think you'd better
try anything with them--they're not your type. They're single."

"Pete...." But he wouldn't meet Alice's eyes. And when Susan took his
arm, he followed her.

"How could you do it, Petey...." Numb whispers, numb thoughts, over
and over, but no longer frightened, no longer binding on Riuku.

Fools, he thought. Idiotic Earthmen. If it weren't for your ridiculous
reproductive habits I'd have found out everything. As it is....
"Nagor, I'm coming! I didn't get anything. This woman--"

"Well, come on then. We're leaving. Right now. There'll be other
systems."

_Petey, Pete