The girl, Nancy Comstock, was alive in the back. He knew that. But he couldn't stop to prove it or to help her. Candle would make them lynch him first. Why hadn't Candle stopped him from getting away? He had managed to break his control for a second. He had done that before when he deflected Nancy's aim. But he couldn't resist Candle for long. Why hadn't Candle made him turn around and come back? Candle's control of him had seemed to stop when he got inside the cab of the truck. Could it be that the metal shield of the cab could protect an Earthling from the strange mental powers of the creature from another planet which was inhabiting the body of Doc Candle? Collins shook his head. More likely Candle was doing this just to get his hopes up. He probably would seize control of him any time he wanted to. But Collins decided to go on playing it as if he did have some hope, as if a shield of metal could protect him from Candle's control. Otherwise ... there was no otherwise. * * * * * Collins suddenly saw an opening. The steel mesh fence was ruptured by a huge semitrailer truck turned on its side. Twenty feet of fence on either side was down. This was restricted government property, but of course spaceships were hardly prime military secrets any longer. Repairs in the fence had not been made instantaneously, and the wreckage was not guarded. Collins swerved the wheel and drove the old wagon across the waffle-plate obstruction, onto the smooth tarmac beyond. He raced, raced, raced through the falling night, not sure where he was headed. Up above he saw the shelter of shadows from a cluster of half-finished buildings. He drove into them and parked. Collins sat still for a moment, then threw open the door and ran around to the back of the truck, jerking open the handles. Nancy fell out into his arms. "What kind of ambulance is this?" she demanded. "It doesn't look like an ambulance. It doesn't smell like an ambulance. It looks like--looks like--" Collins said, "Shut up. Get out of there. We've got to hide." "Why?" "They think I murdered you." "Murdered me? But I'm alive. Can't they see I'm alive?" Collins shook his head. "I doubt it. I don't know why, but I don't think it would be that simple. Come with me." The blood on her breast had dried, and he could see it was only a shallow groove dug by the bullet. But she flinched in pain as she began to walk, pulling the muscles. They stopped and leaned against a half-finished metallic shed. "Where are we? Where are you taking me?" "This is the spaceport. Now shut up." "Let me go." "No." "I'm not dead," Nancy insisted. "You know I'm not dead. I won't press charges against you--just let me go free." "I told you it wasn't that simple. He wants them to think you're dead, and that's what they'll think." Nancy passed fingers across her eyes. "Who? Who are you talking about?" "Doc Candle. He won't let them know you're alive."