He looked at the bulging head of Gordus. He couldn't see inside it. Maybe there would ultimately be men who could, but he could only contact other minds when they were taken off the level of matter and energy, and placed in null-space. Where there is no space, there can be no barriers. There was nothing but confusion in the woman's mind if he could touch it. Nothing but boredom and routine in the minds of the technicians. Hammen's eyes moved to the dog. He suddenly decided Lad looked sad. But dogs have human facial muscles, and it would be impossible between a man and a dog for one to look into the other's mind, while they weren't in transmission. Uselessly, he permitted himself to wish Lad was going with him.... The heavy shoulder muscles of the dog ripped him free from the technician's grasp and Lad threw himself across the diagram line as the coordinants of the transmatter phased. * * * * * Transmission. No time. No space. Hammen felt an overblown wave of force. "How's that for power?" Gordus demanded. It came as words to him, as communication between people had come to him all of his life. Deaf-mute Companions had told him communication in transmission came to them as hands and fingers feeling of words. "You've never had a _real_ Companion before, have you?" Gordus asked. "You've never felt _real_ power like this before?" "Power? I've heard members of the cargo scream as loud from terror and horror. We don't scream in transmission, Coordinator. Let the Snake sleep." "Power," the coordinator repeated. "I always held my cargo together with power." "When you were a Companion, the Snake wasn't as strong as it is now. Quiet, please." Hammen felt out for his Familiar. A tail wagged somewhere. A head cocked to one side in puzzlement, concern. What wasn't a hand petted that which wasn't a head. "Just us--just the two of us--to see after the woman," Gordus said with a leer in his voice. * * * * * Didn't he know about Lad crossing the diagram? Hadn't he seen? "You sound as if you were about to suggest we team up and rape her. It's hardly practicable here." "But that's it, Hammen! That's it! I want to rape her mind!" "Go away, Gordus. I don't believe in you. Nobody really makes a career out of being that swinish." "My profession is power, Hammen. I find your attitude unprofessional." Hammen reached out for the girl. "What do you want from her?" "She knows everything, Hammen. Don't you want to know everything?" "No," Hammen said. "I'd never be able to remember it." The girl was retreating from them. Had she been snagged by the Mindsnake? No. Only drift. Hammen threw an anchor into her, braced himself against his Familiar, and pulled. She came apart at the seams and flew off in all directions, gibbering. He raced after all the pieces of the woman at a practiced, steady trot and gathered them all in. He made a rough boundary and compartmentalized her.