s chopped off and a
familiar voice spoke familiar words.

"Mythox. Contact established. Proceed."

"A message for Orin. Alma Dakin."

A series of almost undetectable clicking sounds; then:

"Alma?" Despite the fact that the voice was coming through an amplifier,
there was no distortion. "Anything wrong?"

It was a man's voice, clear, vibrant, young, and with no trace of an
alien accent. Kirk's theory of an interplanetary menace lost some of its
strength.

"I--I'm not sure, Orin," the girl said hesitantly. "There was a
policeman at my apartment today--the same one Naia went to: The building
superintendent told me."

"That's odd. There's no way _you_ can be tied in with her. Or is there?"

"Not that I know of, Orin. Unless they've decided to check back on me
just for the sake of something to do. If that's what's happened and
they've learned I was working for Dr. Karney at the time of _his_ death,
they may get an idea the three deaths are related. And once a police
officer gets suspicious, he can hound you unmercifully. That's what
worries me, Orin. You know I'm not really an accomplished liar!"

"Shall we bring you here? At least long enough to build you a new
identity?"

A pause. Then the girl's voice again: "Something else puzzles me, too.
There's no mention of Naia's confession in the newspapers."

"_What?_ You mean they haven't released Cordell? What will Tamu say?"

"If they have, nobody knows about it. I told you Naia should have
remained in their hands until the young man was set free. You don't know
my people as I do, Orin--none of you do."

"But the evidence? Nobody, not even the most stupid of Earthmen, could
have ignored that evidence! Tamu won't like this."

"I can't help it, Orin. I keep telling you, Orin: you must use a new set
of standards for this world. If its people thought as yours do, none of
these unpleasant things would have to happen."

* * * * *

Another pause before the man's voice came over Kirk's earphones. "We
didn't dare leave Naia in their hands. That's why we brought her back
here. Look at the chance we took by permitting them to hold her even
briefly. If only she hadn't blundered in the first place...."

His voice trailed off, then came back suddenly brisk. "Well, too late
for regrets. We won't risk letting them question you. Field Seven in,
say, three hours. Time enough?"

"More than enough!" Her relief was unmistakable. "It'll be wonder