The smile on her face broadened. "I thought it might be," she said. "Well," Malone said softly, "it is. Kenneth. That's my name. And you're Barbara." Boyd cleared his throat. "Ah," Malone said. "Yes. Of course. Well, Barbara ... well, that's just what we intend to do. Take Miss Thompson away. We need her--badly." Dr. Harman had said nothing at all, and had barely moved. He was staring at a point on his desk. "She couldn't possibly have heard us," he muttered. "That's a soundproof door. She couldn't have heard us." "But you can't take Miss Thompson away," Miss Wilson said. "We have to, Barbara," Malone said gently. "Try to understand. It's for the national security." "She heard us thinking," Dr. Harman muttered. "That's what; she heard us thinking. Behind a soundproof door. She can see inside their minds. She can even see inside _my_ mind." "She's a sick woman," Barbara said. "But you have to understand--" "Vital necessity," Boyd put in. "Absolutely vital." "Nevertheless--" Barbara said. "She can read minds," Dr. Harman whispered in an awed tone. "She knows. Everything. She _knows_." "It's out of the question," Barbara said. "Whether you like it or not. Miss Thompson is not going to leave this hospital. Why, what could she do outside these walls? She hasn't left in over forty years! And furthermore, Mr. Malone--" "Kenneth," Malone put in, as the door opened again. "I mean Ken." * * * * * The little old lady put her haloed head into the room. "Now, now, Barbara," she said. "Don't you go spoiling things. Just let these nice men take me away and everything will be fine, believe me. Besides, I've been outside more often than you imagine." "Outside?" Barbara said. "Of course," the little old lady said. "In other people's minds. Even yours. I remember that nice young man ... what was his name?" "Never mind his name," Barbara said, flushing furiously. Malone felt instantly jealous of every nice young man he had ever even heard of. _He_ wasn't a nice young man; he was an FBI agent, and he liked to drink and smoke cigars and carouse. All nice young men, he decided, should be turned into ugly old men as soon as possible. That'd fix them! He noticed the little old lady smiling at him, and tried to change his thoughts rapidly. But the little old lady said nothing at all. "At any rate," Barbara said, "I'm afraid that we just can't--" Dr. Harman cleared his throat imperiously. It was a most impressive noise, and everyone turned to look at him. His face was a little gray, but he looked, otherwise, like a rather pudgy, blond, crew-cut Roman emperor. "Just a moment," he said with dignity, "I think you're doing the United States of America a grave injustice, Miss Wilson--and that you're doing an injustice to Miss Thompson, too." "What do you mean?" she said.