"You may answer his charge," said Harabond to Guy. "Harabond, do you recall thrashing me for swimming in your abandoned quarry as a youngster? I was four kilodays old, then. At four point three kilodays, Neilamon, your son and I--we were of an age--skipped school and ran away to become vagrants. They found us and we were again thrashed. It is laughable, gentlemen, but I find that I cannot recall any incidents of good, bright, intelligent youth. Apparently I was a healthy, normal youth that got into trouble as any healthy schoolboy will. And there is Tocamay. He knocked out one of my baby teeth for pulling the hair of the girl that sat in front of me in school. Afterwards, we split an apple stolen from Harabond's orchard, and swore never to trust a woman again--she walked home with the school sissy whom we both hated. The sissy, remember him, Tocamay? He sits beside you, now one of the better philosophers of Ertene and destined to go down in history. Did you marry her, Diamony?" "No," grinned the philosopher. "Shall we take a vote?" asked Harabond. "No impostor can be that well read," said Tocamay. "To become educated in the present society might be accomplished, but never to recall childhood things from learning. Impossible." "Then you admit that Elanane is Elanane?" "We do." "I wish to add something," smiled Guy. "If I am this Gomanar, I want to know what Thomakein did with Elanane?" "You answer me that," smiled Thomakein. Guy started. The Ertinian looked as though he were enjoying himself immensely. It worried Guy, and he knew that Thomakein must have a pair of aces up his sleeve. "Then we proclaim that this man is Elanane," said Harabond, "and Lanee Elanane may proceed with the charges against Thomakein." He thought for a moment. "No, we must--by law--listen to any evidence offered by Thomakein that this man is not Elanane." "I'll take the chance," said Thomakein brightly. Harabond looked at Thomakein in amazement. "Yes," nodded Thomakein. "I'll take the initiative now. Members of the Council, a mind-reader could baffle us all. He could recall things of our childhood at will, by reading our minds. This impostor--Gomanar by Ertinian pronunciation--Guy Maynard by his mother on Terra--Elanane by his own selection, has a mental amplifier, which enables him to read thought!" "Incredible!" "Impossible!" "Not at all," said Thomakein. "It is fact. This instrument is not perfect. It reads surface thoughts only--unless the subject is thinking at you. Then the deeper thoughts are clear." "But if this is true, and he is not Elanane, how can he read deep thoughts directed at Elanane?" "Misdirection," said Thomakein. "You and I and Ertene thought he was Elanane. We thought at him as Elanane. He used these thoughts for his own purpose." "Can you prove this?" "Am I talking for fun?" sneered Thomakein. He stepped to the phonoscope, snapped the key, and said: "Bring it in, Lentanar."