imulation of the new energy, set off
along the cliff face.

"This wall in the lake," Hume asked suddenly, "you are sure it is
artificial?"

"Runs too straight to be anything else, and those projections are
evenly spaced. I don't see how it could be natural."

"We'll have to be sure."

Vye thought of that attacking water creature. "No diving in there," he
protested. Hume smiled, a stretch of skin far too tight over his jaw
now.

"Not us, at least not us now," he agreed. "But the Guild will send
another survey."

"What could be the reason for all this?" Vye helped his companion over
the loose debris of a cliff slide.

"Information."

"What?"

"Someone--or something--picked our brains while we were out of our
heads. Or--" Hume paused suddenly, looked directly at Vye. "I have a
vague feeling that you were able to keep going a lot better than I
was. That so?"

"Some of the time," Vye admitted.

"That checks. Part of me knew what was going on, but was helpless
while that other thing," his smile of moments earlier was wiped away,
there was a chill edge in his voice, "picked over my brains, sorted
out what it wanted."

Vye shook his head. "I didn't feel that way. Just thick-headed--as if
I were sleep walking and yet awake."

"So it took me over, but didn't go all the way with you. Why? Another
question for our list."

"Maybe--maybe Wass' techs fixed it so I couldn't be brain-picked, as
you call it," Vye offered.

Hume nodded. "Could be--would well be. Come on." He pressed the pace
now.

Vye turned to look down the slope suspiciously. Had Hume another
warning of menace out of the wood? He could sight no movement there.
And from this distance the lake was a topaz sheet of calm which could
hide anything. Hume was already several paces ahead, scrambling as if
the valley monsters were again on their track.

"What's the matter?" Vye demanded, as he caught up.

"Night coming." Which was true. Then Hume added, "If we can reach the
flitter before sunset, we'll have a chance to fly over the lake down
there, to make a taping of it before we go."

The energy of the tablets strengthened them so that by the time they
reached the crevice door they were moving with their former agility.
For a single second Hume hesitated before that slit, almost as if he
feared the test he must make. Then he stepped forward and this time
into freedom.

They reached the ledge where the flitter perched just as they had seen
it last