"Think we might have visitors?" Pete looked at him thoughtfully. Don nodded. "It could be just a build-up," he said. "Did you get that thrust about the tribes?" Jasu Waern cleared his throat. "You mean those four are perhaps----" "I doubt if those four ever lived," Don told him. "At least not with those names. If we have visitors, they'll be more official--and a lot more dangerous." He paused. "Wish Dad had come back. I'd like to get you off to the hills. Not so comfortable, perhaps, but it would be safer." He looked at the ceiling. "Of course, with all those fliers chasing around right now," he added, "it might be complicated." Pete looked at him curiously. "One thing I can't figure, Don," he remarked. "Why didn't you head right on into the hills from Riandar?" Don spread his hands. "Intended to, hang it," he said. "They loused me up. Remember the dipsy-doodle I turned in that box canyon?" "Think I'd forget?" Pete grinned. "Nearly got a busted head out of that one." "Yeah. Well, I'd planned to jump the ridge and go on over to a clan village I know. We nearly caught it right there." "We did?" "Uh, huh. Some border patrol ship had a ripper. Lucky he got over-anxious. He cut loose out of effective range and shook us up. That gave me the news and I ducked for cover and streaked for home before he could get to us for a better shot." "And now, you think perhaps they are trying to hunt us down as they did my brother?" Jasu Waern shook his head. "But this--it would be impossible to represent us as...." Don tilted his head. "Nothing impossible about it--if they know where we are." He looked around the room. "And it looks as though they do. Someone probably spotted my flier when I landed in your courtyard." Pete looked at him unhappily. "Maybe we moved right into his hands. Maybe we're better targets here than we were in the city." * * * * * Don moved his head from side to side decisively. "Never happen. This mythical Wells gang could have been holed up in the city, too, you know. And there, you'd have no warning. You'd have no defense and nowhere to go. This isn't some little summer cottage, you know. We can give them a bad time." Jasu Waern shook his head sadly. "Yes," he admitted, "we can, as you say, give them a bad time. But a flash or two from one of their inductors will destroy this house just as surely as it did my brother's cottage." "Maybe." Don smiled. "I've got some ideas on that, too. But there's more to this house than you see from outside. This place was built during the border wars, you know. We've got a place to duck to." Pete stood up. "What's that?" "There's a basement under this house. Shelters down there. Even total inductor destruction of the house wouldn't hurt anyone down there." Don pointed with a thumb. "Got entry locks right out in the court." "But their clean-up crews. Where would you hide from them?"