_I must warn them_, Kent Knight thought. _They mustn't be taken by the Things. But I cannot move my lips. The Thing knows I want to speak. There is a way! he thought excitedly._ The Thing became angry, began scrabbling through his mind, seeking the way, found it. "You will not forget to do it," _It_ ordered. "Do it!" With a sudden movement, Kent Knight's body grew taut. His left arm came up in a quick salute, and the SP commander suddenly stiffened, his four aides whipped atomic pistols out, held them at ready. The left-handed salute! Knight's mind was laughing. _I fooled you, Thing! That's what I wanted to do, salute with my left hand. And you didn't catch the thought! We'll lick you now, Thing! Sure, you conquer by thought, but you can't conquer all of an Earthman's mind!_ _The left-handed salute. To an SP man, that means danger, proceed with caution, destroy everything which you know or feel is inimical to you. So, Thing, just try to get them to pick up one of your fuzzy animals. The SP man's prime rule_: When warned, distrust everything and everybody! You will live longer. The SP commander left on his glassite helmet, turned on the little speaker. "Damn my eyes," the rich vibrant voice which issued from the speaker exclaimed, "Kent Knight! Of all the exiles who should know better than to cross the line, it's you. But damn it, Kent, it's swell to see you." Gauntleted fingers reached to the SP commander's throat, twisted twice, and then pushed the glassite helmet back from a shock of flaming hair. Even before the red hair was exposed, Knight had recognized the voice. Bob Mallory, the lightning which had struck Mary Jo's love from him. _Please, God_, the mind which still belonged to Kent Knight whispered, _don't let the Things get him and his ship. He belongs to Mary Jo. She loves him, and he can't be her Bob Mallory with a Thing in his brain._ _Ah, but what a sweet revenge! Here is the man who stole my girl. Let a Thing take his brain and let my Thing give me Mary Jo. If I cooperate I can be powerful among men. Just shake that gauntleted hand and he will have your Thing and you will have Mary Jo._ Mallory strode forward, his face smiling, one hand outstretched. _He is your enemy, Kent Knight. He brought you to this exile. He stole your Faith from you._ No! The part that was still Kent Knight rebelled and the sharp stabbing memory of the pain he felt when he touched the furry little animal made him flinch. He stepped back instinctively from the outstretched hand. _It_ became angry. Through the tornado of pain which tore through his body, drowning out his will, Kent Knight heard his own voice saying, "Sorry, Bob, you startled me." Heard the words his lips voiced, the words which his pain-fighting mind couldn't silence. Saw his hand reach out, the hand he could not control, felt it clasp Mallory's firmly. Knew his lips smiled a smile of treachery masked in friendship. The pain stopped. But it was too late for Mallory.