They descended the elevator and come out at the main exit. Twitty bolted forward and grabbed a guard by the arm. "Sir, I wish you to arrest this woman on suspicion as an alien from outer space or a candidate for Bellevue." A burly guard with a kind face looked into Gelerie's eyes. Now her father's brain was at anxiety's peak, calling the plays. "Go ahead, double your fingers into a fist, shove it forward, now, under his jaw--" "But--" Gelerie was stammering. "No buts!" Threlkeld's internal instructions poured. "When Homekind made you beautiful, my dear, they also made you big. You are an Amazon." "Amazon?" "No time to explain," he said. "Let the bruiser have one!" Gelerie shrugged and took a swing. The arms of the guard shot skyward, and the big, hulking body in uniform fell backwards and plopped against the floor. As he rose up, shouting, Gelerie grabbed the slim Mr. Twitty around the waist, lifted him bodily and ran like a sudden gale through the lobby, out the door, down the ramp and to the river. With an Olympic leap, she made it to the stable, sturdy leafboat. * * * * * On orders from Homekind the craft quietly slid toward the trysting place. Gelerie was aware of a flood of congratulations from her father in her brain. Twitty was red with humiliation. "You know, of course, they will be flying over us momentarily. You'll be courtmartialed, or whatever it is they do to the American kidnapers of international diplomatic corps persons." "You don't like me," Gelerie pouted. "I came all the way from Alpha Centauri to take you home with me and you don't even as much as like me." The young Englishman lifted Gelerie's chin and studied her tears. "By jove, they are not crocodilian. I believe you are serious. You are innocent and serious... strong, of course, but innocent." "I love you. I want no one but you," she said. "I can see there would be an advantage in a fellow my size having a wife your size," he said reflectively. "But Babs would never approve." Gelerie shrugged her broad shoulders. She hugged herself lovingly. "Babs can always get another fellow. I'll never be able to get another guy." "Why? Are you planning to resign from the human race?" "That's exactly it," she agreed. "However, if I get you to come back with me, Homekind may consent to my staying in the human form and living with you the rest of my life." Twitty laughed. "Boys, come and get me," he muttered at the sky. Threlkeld stayed on guard mentally, and Gelerie depressed into a morose, human activity known as sinking one's head into one's knees. The U.K. man's laugh turned abruptly to awe when he saw the helicopter flutter over them and land on a spot of riverbank just ahead. Vaguely he could see military pilots, and two civilians hop out and run for the woods. He watched with disturbed concern as the leafboat made a sharp right turn of its own volition and headed for the bank.