"It doesn't show very mature judgment," he admitted. "But Bobby and his pals aren't very old." "Only about four hundred and eighty-five years old, according to his I.Q. Do you think it was Bobby?" "Bobby isn't the only genius we've got. There's Danny, remember, and William Tender--and Bobby said he couldn't teleport big stuff." "Well?" John Ward had to confide his theory. He felt that he had to tell Ann everything, all the speculation and suspicion he'd carried around with him for so long. "I think we're being invaded," he said. Ann looked at him steadily for a moment. "You mean the Outspacers?" "Yes--but not in the way you're thinking. It's been reported that the Saucers are Russian or Argentine or Brazilian or Chinese--that's what we're told. But that's simply Pretend War propaganda and almost no one believes it any longer. Most of us think of them as Outspacers." "And you think they're moving in?" "I think they're watching--sort of--well, sort of monitoring." "Monitoring us? What for?" "No, not us. I think they've planted children among us. I think the Outspacers are _school-teachers_." Ann got briskly to her feet. "I think," she said, "that we'll take your temperature and see if perhaps you shouldn't be in bed." "Wait, Ann, I'm serious. I know it sounds crazy, but it isn't. Think of it this way--here's a race, obviously humanoid, on another star system. For some reason, overpopulation or whatever, they have to find room on another planet. Let's assume they're a highly civilized race--they'd have to be to have interstellar travel--so, of course, they can't simply take over Earth in an act of aggression. That would be repugnant to them. "So they _seed_ our planet with their children. These children are geniuses. When they grow up, they are naturally the leaders of the world's governments and they're in a position to allow the Outspacers to live with us on Earth. To live peacefully with us, whereas now, if the Outspacers were to try to live here, it would mean war." "And you think Bobby is one of these--these seedlings?" "Maybe. He's unbelievingly intelligent. _And_ he's a foundling." "What has that to do with it?" "I've looked up the statistics on foundlings. When the Saucers first began to appear, back in the 20th Century, the number of foundlings began to increase. Not a lot, but some. Then the Saucers disappeared for almost two and a half centuries and the number decreased. Now, since the Outspacers are once more evident, the number of foundlings has increased very greatly." "And your other geniuses? All foundlings?" "Not all. But that doesn't mean anything--plenty of foundlings are adopted. And who knows which child is an adopted one?" Ann Ward sat down again. "You're quite serious about this, John?" "There's no way of being sure, but I am convinced." "It's frightening." "Is Bobby frightening? In all the time I've been tutoring him, has he ever been out of line?" "Bobby's no alien!" "He may be."