tart moving under, scream. I'll
take a look at the cubicle."

* * * * *

Lady Pendrake's cubicle was about half as big again as a standard one;
but, aside from one detail, its outer settings, instruments, and
operating devices appeared normal. The modification was a recess
almost six feet long and a foot wide and deep, in one side, which
could be opened either to the room or to the interior of the rest
cubicle, but not simultaneously to both. Quillan already knew its
purpose; the supposed other cubicle was a camouflaged food locker,
containing fifty-pound slabs of sea beef, each of which represented a
meal for the Hlat. The recess made it possible to feed it without
allowing it to be seen, or, possibly, attempting to emerge.
Kinmarten's nervousness, as reported by his wife, seemed
understandable. Any rest warden might get disturbed over such a
charge.

Quillan asked over his shoulder, "Anyone find out yet why the things
can't get out of the closed rest cubicle?"

"Yeah," Baldy Perk said. "Kinmarten says it's the cubicle's defense
fields. They could get through the material. They can't get through
the field."

"Someone think to energize the Executive Block's battle fields?"
Quillan inquired.

"Yeah. Velladon took care of that before he came screaming up to the
third level to argue with Cooms and Fluel."

[Illustration]

"So it can't slip out of the Block unless it shows itself down on the
ground level when the entry lock's open."

"Yeah," Baldy muttered. "But I dunno. Is that good?"

Quillan looked at him. "Well, we _would_ like it back."

"Why? There's fifty more coming in on the liner tonight."

"We don't have the fifty yet. If someone louses up the detail--"

"Yawk!" Baldy said faintly. There was a crash of sound as his riot gun
went off. Quillan spun about, hair bristling, gun out. "What
happened?"

"I'll swear," Baldy said, white-faced, "I saw something moving along
that passage!"

Quillan looked, saw nothing, slowly replaced the gun. "Baldy," he
said, "if you think you see it again, just say so. That's an order! If
it comes at us, we get out of this level fast. But we don't shoot
before we have to. If we kill it, it's no good to us. Got that?"

"Yeah," Baldy said. "But I got an idea now, Bad News." He nodded at
the other cubicle. "Let's leave that meat box open."

"Why?"

"If it's hungry," Baldy explained simply, "I'd sooner it wrapped
itself around a few chu