quietly past them along Senla's shore promenade in
the summer evening. It was near the peak of the resort's season; a
sense of ease and relaxation came from the people he passed, their
voices seeming to blend into a single, low-pitched, friendly murmur.
Well, and in time, Halder told himself, if everything went well, he and
Kilby might be able to mingle undisguised, unafraid, with just such a
crowd. But tonight they were hunted.

He laid his hand lightly on Kilby's arm, said, "Let's rest on that bench
over there for a moment."

She smiled up at him, said, "All right," turned and led the way towards
an unoccupied bench set back among the trees above the walk. They sat
down, and Halder quickly slipped the watch off his wrist and removed the
scanner's cover plate. The bungalow was a few hundred yards away now, on
a side path which led down to the lake. It was showing no lights, but as
the scanner reached into it, invisible radiation flooded the dark rooms
and hallway, disclosing them to the instrument's inspection. For two or
three minutes, Halder studied the bungalow's interior carefully; then he
shifted the view to the grounds outside, finally to the yacht stall and
the little star cruiser. Twice Kilby touched him warningly as somebody
appeared about to approach the bench, and Halder put down his hand. But
the strangers went by without pausing.

At last, he replaced the instrument on his wrist. He had discovered no
signs of intrusion in the bungalow; and, at any rate, it was clear that
no one was waiting there now, either in the little house itself or in
the immediate vicinity. He stood up, and put out his hand to assist
Kilby to her feet.

"We'll go on," he said.

A few minutes later, they came along a narrow garden path to the
bungalow's dark side entrance. There was to be no indication tonight
that the bungalow had occupants. Halder unlocked the door quietly, and
after Kilby had slipped inside, he stepped in behind her and secured the
door.

For an instant, as they moved along the short, lightless passage to the
front rooms, a curious sensation touched Halder--a terrifying conviction
that some undefinable thing had just gone wrong. And with that, his
whole body was suddenly rigid, every muscle locking in mid-motion. He
felt momentum topple him slowly forwards; then he was no longer falling
but stopped, tilted off-balance at a grotesque angle, suspended in a web
of forces he could not feel. Not the slightest so