"At any rate," said Pollard, "we all have something tangible to fight, now. Go to him, Rita. You have his confidence, even though he believes you to be one of the 'aliens'." "Go to him?" she asked with a smile, "I'll not have to. Carroll will come to me." "You seem certain." "You may scoff at feminine intuition," she said with a laugh, "but in some cases it works. You see, no matter what Carroll thinks of me, he is aware of the fact that I am a woman. Meanwhile I'll merely borrow that portable teleport and wait." * * * * * The room was dark save for a slight streak of yellow moonlight. As the night progressed, the streak of moonlight passed across the room, illuminating the sleeping girl, the dresser, the desk, the teleport, the blank wall. And in the early morning hours the perfect plane of the teleport flashed briefly to admit James Forrest Carroll. Blinking, he looked around the darkened room until his eyes adapted themselves. Then he made his way to the side of the bed. The motion of the bed as he sat upon the edge awakened the girl, who sat up quietly enough to allay Carroll's fears that she would shriek. "Rhine," he said softly. "Yes," she replied. "I need your help." "I know. I'll give it." "You will?" was his reply. The tone of his voice was indefinable. There was mingled wonder, and scorn, and suspicion. "I will." He laughed sardonically. "Now you'll help," he said. "Why didn't you help me when they accused me of trying to murder you?" She shook her head sadly, and reached for his hand. He tried to withdraw but she held it fast. "James," she said with a note of pleading in her voice. "Please believe me. I wanted to. But you see, my testimony was worthless. All I remember was a blow on the back of the head. Blinding lights, roaring sound and waves of pain that came and went in crescendo and diminuendo until I came to in Doctor Pollard's surgery." "They blamed me." "I know," she said. "Perhaps you blamed me too." His hand tightened on hers as though he were silently praying for her denial. Rhine lifted her other hand and put its palm against his cheek. "James," she said softly, "I did not see nor did I hear, but I know that whoever it was it was not the man who is here tonight." He smiled quietly. "I keep forgetting the quality of mind that I am up against," he said. "Mind?" "Mind--or mentality," he said. "You see, Rhine, parallel evolution is impossible. So is the idea of brain transplantation. Hence the only way in which your race can invade ours is by mental replacement, invasion, control--or by wiping the other brain clean and clear and taking over. This leaves you an alien mind in a human body." She laughed faintly. "I've often told you that you nor anybody else would ever get evidence to prove that I am not a very human person," she said softly. Her hand upon his cheek moved slightly and then slid around to the back of his head. She drew it forward and met his lips with hers.