"Oh, inspector, would you be punching the night latch for me as you leave the shop? I think I'll be closing for the day." Norris paused at the head of the stairs, looking back at the old man. But O'Reilley closed himself inside and the lock clicked. The agent sighed and glanced down at the small being beside him. "Want me to carry you, Peony?" She sniffed disdainfully. She hopped upon the banister and slid down ahead of him. Her motor-responses were typically neutroid--something like a monkey, something like a squirrel. But there was no question about it; she was one of Delmont's deviants. He wondered what they would do with her in central lab. He could remember no instance of an intelligent mutant getting into the market. Somehow he could not consign her to a cage in the back of the truck. He drove home while she sat beside him on the front seat. She watched the scenery and remained aloof, occasionally looking around to ask, "Can we go back now?" Norris could not bring himself to answer. * * * * * When he got home, he led her into the house and stopped in the hall to call Chief Franklin. The operator said, "His office doesn't answer, sir. Shall I give you the robot locator?" Norris hesitated. His wife came into the hall. She stooped to grin at Peony, and Peony said, "Do you live here, too?" Anne gasped and sat on the floor to stare. Norris said, "Cancel the call. It'll wait till tomorrow." He dropped the phone quickly. "What series is it?" Anne asked excitedly. "I never saw one that could talk." "_It_ is a _she_," he said. "And she's a series unto herself. Some of Delmont's work." Peony was looking from one to the other of them with a baffled face. "Can we go back now?" Norris shook his head. "You're going to spend the night with us, Peony," he said softly. "Your daddy wants you to." His wife was watching him thoughtfully. Norris looked aside and plucked nervously at a corner of the telephone book. Suddenly she caught Peony's hand and led her toward the kitchen. "Come on, baby, let's go find a cookie or something." Norris started out the front door, but in a moment Anne was back. She caught at his collar and tugged. "Not so fast!" He turned to frown. Her face accused him at a six-inch range. "Just what do you think you're going to do with that child?" He was silent for a long time. "You know what I'm _supposed_ to do." Her unchanging stare told him that she wouldn't accept any evasions. "I heard you trying to get your boss on the phone." "I canceled it, didn't I?" "Until tomorrow." He worked his hands nervously. "I don't know, honey--I just don't know." "They'd kill her at central lab, wouldn't they?" "Well, they'd need her as evidence in Delmont's trial." "They'd kill her, wouldn't they?" "When it was over--it's hard to say. The law says deviants must be destroyed, but--" "Well?"