The alien entities were close, all about them, apparently without substance. The tingling sensations were like hot and cold flashes now, signaling him of something present, something which he couldn't identify. They were not the girl's men, whatever she thought. He would have recognized them by their feel. No, these escaped classification. He had never experienced anything like them before. His strange sixth sense, the first extra-human sense which he had begun to develop inexplicably in his twenty seventh year, could perceive nothing beyond their presence. He took his hand from Ileth's shoulders, groped for the button controlling the door against which they crouched. "_Stop!_" The thought rang like a bell in his skull. Jon Saxon stiffened. "_What is it?_" he concentrated. "_Who are you?_" Again the bodiless thought struck into his mind. "_That is not for you to know--now or possibly ever. The girl is working for General Atomic. Do not allow yourself to be duped. It is decidedly not our policy that General Atomic or any of the corporations learn the secret of the stellar drive!_" * * * * * Saxon's eyes opened with surprise. He had no intention of giving G.A. the secret of the stellar drive. It was a government secret, for one thing.... "_We are quite aware of your intentions_," came the telepathic communication. "_Otherwise, you would no longer be._" Saxon swallowed dryly, realized his palms were sweating. He glanced at Ileth. The moonlight had crept into the doorway, illuminating her oval face clearly. He noted the perplexed slant to her fine black brows, the sober, half frightened expression clouding her patrician features. "Why don't we go?" she asked. "What are you waiting for?" "In a minute." He sent his thought probing out toward the alien minds. And brought up sharp before an absolute mental barrier. No neophytes here. Whatever the creatures were, they were masters of thought-transference. Excitement sent the blood surging through Saxon's veins, blotted out momentarily his alarm. Until this moment, he had believed himself unique, the single telepath on Earth. He had been thirty-one when he first became aware of his telepathic potential. It had developed overnight, a seventh extra-human sense, that isolated him forever from the rest of mankind. There had been something indecent, prying about seeing into the minds of his fellows--like a peeping Tom. It had been intolerable at first, the naked baring of souls before him, intolerable and shocking, until he had learned to block out their thoughts. He felt the girl shiver against him. "But what are you afraid of, Jon?" He didn't answer because the alien thoughts intruded on his mind again. "_This is a warning, Jon Saxon. Do not divulge the stellar drive to anyone. It is not and never was intended for you to know. Only the unfortunate development of a telepathic sense enabled you to steal it from Villainowski's brain...._"