The prone man froze. He well knew the power of the weapon. The taut muscles did not relax, but remained arrested, waiting for one unguarded instant to spring at the other's throat. "Don't be alarmed," the Numan reassured, "I won't hurt you." No sign that the other heard. But in the rigid muscles, distrust was plain. "Try getting up--but slowly. You've lost a lot of blood." The Olman rose with easy grace. As he did he noticed the dressing on his leg, and wild hate flamed his face. "Why didn't you let the rats finish me! It would have been cleaner than death in your experimental camps." "I didn't save you for the camps. You're free to return to your kinsmen." The youth stared. "I never heard of mercy from a Numan," he said suspiciously. "A twenty-year-old like me would last a long time in the hands of the vivisectionists of your people." Pain furrowed Allyn's lean face. "They are no longer my people," he whispered, "I'm an outcast." His beautiful silver head drooped wearily. He had rebelled, flaunted the law of the logicians, even done the supreme crime.... "I have struck a logician," he said, filled with the horror of his own deed. "The Gyro-Gard are hunting me." Apprehensively the two glanced skyward. But there was no dreaded black craft to be seen. The Olman was curious. "Why did you strike your Elder?" "For my sister, Aleena." The Olman spat a furious epithet. "No Numan has a sister! Do you think I'm a fool! It is told around our council fires that your women die at the birth of their first child. You cannot have a sister! You are lying!" Allyn's head lifted proudly. "A Numan does not lie! Aleena and I are twin--a phenomenon among my people. It was decreed that we would mate to pass multiple births on through our progeny. But, when the day of union was set, I refused, knowing that within the year of conception Aleena would die." His head bowed recalling his own heresy. "Metas, our Chief Logician himself came to syko me. He told me I was a throwback, capable of emotions like an Olman." He shuddered with distaste that brought an angry growl from the Olman's throat. Allyn did not notice. "Metas decreed hypno for me." "Hypno?" "Control of the mind, so I would have taken Aleena through no volition of my own." The Olman leaned forward eagerly: "Tell us how to storm the Nyloplast dome that surrounds your city. My kinfolk and I will crush your Logicians and get back your Aleena." Allyn looked at him in horror: "Do you think even if I could I would betray Numan into the hands of beasts." The young savage drew back. His face became hard in bitter lines, and for a moment his hand flashed to his belt, but his knife was rusting in the vitals of a rat. "Beast?" his mouth twisted in hatred. "I--Keeven--am nothing but a beast to you." Allyn was bewildered by the other's emotion. The silver brows drew together in perplexity. Numen were dispassionate, and the Olman's torrent of feeling was totally new to him.