"We found no birth record for Shiela, Dr. Stone; can you explain that?" "It was lost in the confusion of my wife's untimely death ten years ago." "But there's not even a record in the courthouse; how do you account for that?" "I'm not concerned with the manner in which government officials conduct their offices," came the curt reply. However, accustomed as he was to the scientist, Don thought he detected a slight note of nervousness. The other pressed relentlessly, "We checked all of your acquaintances, Doctor; none could say definitely when your wife first gave birth to Shiela. In fact, several were even surprised to hear that you had a child." "We never had many close friends; my work made that impossible." "But where did she go to school? Obviously she has a good education." The scientist's lips tightened; he shot a look of appeal at Don before looking at the general again. "My wife and I both instructed...." He broke off suddenly, squaring his shoulders. "It's no use going any further," he told the other; "you're pretty certain of the truth and it was bound to come out sooner or later." The general nodded with satisfaction, "Good, I'm glad that you've come to your senses. Do you want me to tell them?" "Tell us what?" Don asked. "That this 'Shiela' was one of the first roboes to be constructed, even before the rebel Primo." Don's horrified gaze swung to Dr. Stone who nodded his head in the affirmative. "So there's no doubt in my mind now that she obtained the missing key in, ah, some manner or the other and has gone to the rebels with the formula they needed." * * * * * Hours after the disclosure that Shiela was not true flesh and blood, Don was still pacing the darkness in the garden. At last he sat down on the bench and an uncontrolled sob shook his frame briefly as his numbed brain began to relax. No wonder she had quizzed him so hopefully that afternoon; he had thought it the sensitivity of a young girl who hated to see anything destroyed. She had not only been in sympathy with the roboes but one of them. Now they could travel to the stars and the world would well be rid of them. Or would it? His mind flashed an image of the lovely Shiela when she was amused, gay laughter tinkling out or the mischievous twinkle in her eyes when she teased him. "Don?" The youth's head sprang up, hopefully. Surely, with the area guarded so closely, she couldn't have come back. "Don?" the voice asked again. In the dim light from the house, he saw that it was Stone. The scientist had seen him by that time and hurried over to sit beside him. "Forgive me, son," he begged, laying a hand on his shoulder. "If all of this trouble hadn't come about, no one would ever have discovered the truth; she was exactly the same as everyone else."