"Eldon," she whispered softly, in English. "Eldon, it's me, Margaret. The girl who loves you." "Margaret?" His voice was thick and hoarse, and that was not acting. Thirst had left his throat cracked and dry. "Poor Eldon!" Her tone was soothing, caressing. "What did those nasty Rebels do to you?" Eldon twisted his face in an idiotic grin. He giggled insanely, and when she tried to touch him drew back like a frightened animal. He muttered vaguely of horrors. "Poor Eldon," she said again, and kissed him. With his increased sensitivity it was all he could do to keep from retching as her lips touched his. But he clung to her with his one shaking arm as though begging her protection. At last he lay back and gradually his trembling subsided. Margaret bent over him. "Victor is here," she said slowly and distinctly. "You remember Victor. He tried to kill you. I tried to save you. Now you must get well and kill Victor. You hate Victor, just as you love me." Eldon whispered obediently. "Yes, I must kill Victor!" He found himself wondering why normal people so often speak to invalids and cripples as though they were feeble-minded. He knew full well that if his body had been whole and well Margaret would have been more careful and Sin would have been much more thorough in her examination. This tendency to discount the mentality of a cripple was particularly strong when the victim was full of irrational fears and whining self-pity. All Eldon's hopes rested upon this simple psychological fact. "You must sleep now, lover," Margaret crooned. She gave him a pill and a swallow of water. "This will make you feel better." He let his body relax as though drifting into slumber. He could not hear her footsteps on the deep, rich carpeting but the swish of her gown and the soft opening and closing of a door traced her movements. Quickly he removed the pill from his mouth and tossed it through the open window. Sleep he needed, but drugged sleep he could not afford. * * * * * A murmur of voices came from the next room. Silently Eldon rose and pressed one ear to the door. Margaret was speaking. "Great Sasso! That thing clung to me like a slobbering baby. But he'll be easy enough to control, especially--" "Careful! Want him to hear us?" "It wouldn't matter. He couldn't understand a word. Besides I gave him a control pill." "But we don't want to make a mindless slave of him," Wor remonstrated. "Of course not," Margaret assured her alien lover. "He'd be useless that way. The drug will only paralyze his will so he will believe unquestioningly anything we tell him, and you can see that he does not receive the mark that would make him a complete slave of the Faith." "Ssh!" Eldon heard the big warrior whisper. "I thought I heard--" A chair creaked and there were footsteps. Silently but with utmost speed Eldon threw himself on the bed. "You're nervous as an old woman," Margaret complained.