necessary information is being distributed as fast as we can produce. The capture is being given top priority, all other criminological investigations to be dropped pending its achievement. Unfortunately, at this stage, we cannot warn the public as a whole without creating widespread alarm and consequences that may get out of control."
"Good enough," approved Harper. "So this is where I go out."
"On the contrary, this is where you stay in. We have you, and we intend to keep you. There's a war on, and you're drafted."
"Then I apply for indeterminate leave forthwith."
"Permission denied," snapped Conway, too concerned even to smile. He walked around the table, sat down behind it, let' his fingers tap restlessly on its surface. "The air forces are out in full strength scouting for that ship. Every civilian plane that can be mustered is under orders to assist. We have confiscated the bodies of that girl and the trooper, and handed them over to scientists for special examination. Everything that can be done has been or soon will be done. The issue of the moment is that of how to deal with you. "
" Me?"
"Yes. There are a lot of questions that must he answered. Have you any explanation of your telepathic power? Can you say how it originated?"
"No."
"It just happened?"
"So far as I can recall, I was bo rn that way."
"H'm !" Conway was dissatisfied. "We are making exhaustive search into the backgrounds of your parents and grandparents. If possible, we must discover the reason why you are what you are."
"Personally," remarked Harper, "I couldn't care less about the reason. It has never interested me."
"It interests us. We m u st determine, as soon as we can, whether any more of your kind may be hanging around and, if so, in what number. A l so, whether there is any positive method of finding them and conscripting them until this crisis is over."
"After which, they in turn will be treated from the crisis viewpoint," thrust Harper. "And your big problem will be how to put them out of hum's way until such time as they may be needed again."
"Now see here—"
"I know what you're thinking, and you cannot conceal it from me. I know that authority is squatting on the ho rn s of a large and sharp-pointed dilemma. A telepath is a menace to those in power, but a protection against foes such as we are facing right now. You cannot destroy the menace without depriving yourselves of the protection. You cannot ensure mental privacy except at the prospective price of mental s lavery. You're in a first-class jam that doesn't really exist because it's purely imaginary, and born of the conditioning of non-telepathic minds."
Conway made no attempt to dispute this vigorous revealing of his thoughts. He sat in silence, his cold attention on Harper, and spoke only when he had finished.
"And what makes you say that there is no such quandary? "
" Because all the irrational bigots swarming on this cockeyed world invariably jump to the conclusion that anyone radically different from themselves must be bad. It inflates badly shrivelled egos to look at things that way. Every man his own paragon of virtue and goodness." He glowered at General Conway and said with ire, "A telepath has a code of ethics fully as good as anyone else's, and perhaps a damn-sight better because he has to beat off more temptation. I don't listen unless circumstances make it necessary. I don't hear unless I'm shouted
"Good enough," approved Harper. "So this is where I go out."
"On the contrary, this is where you stay in. We have you, and we intend to keep you. There's a war on, and you're drafted."
"Then I apply for indeterminate leave forthwith."
"Permission denied," snapped Conway, too concerned even to smile. He walked around the table, sat down behind it, let' his fingers tap restlessly on its surface. "The air forces are out in full strength scouting for that ship. Every civilian plane that can be mustered is under orders to assist. We have confiscated the bodies of that girl and the trooper, and handed them over to scientists for special examination. Everything that can be done has been or soon will be done. The issue of the moment is that of how to deal with you. "
" Me?"
"Yes. There are a lot of questions that must he answered. Have you any explanation of your telepathic power? Can you say how it originated?"
"No."
"It just happened?"
"So far as I can recall, I was bo rn that way."
"H'm !" Conway was dissatisfied. "We are making exhaustive search into the backgrounds of your parents and grandparents. If possible, we must discover the reason why you are what you are."
"Personally," remarked Harper, "I couldn't care less about the reason. It has never interested me."
"It interests us. We m u st determine, as soon as we can, whether any more of your kind may be hanging around and, if so, in what number. A l so, whether there is any positive method of finding them and conscripting them until this crisis is over."
"After which, they in turn will be treated from the crisis viewpoint," thrust Harper. "And your big problem will be how to put them out of hum's way until such time as they may be needed again."
"Now see here—"
"I know what you're thinking, and you cannot conceal it from me. I know that authority is squatting on the ho rn s of a large and sharp-pointed dilemma. A telepath is a menace to those in power, but a protection against foes such as we are facing right now. You cannot destroy the menace without depriving yourselves of the protection. You cannot ensure mental privacy except at the prospective price of mental s lavery. You're in a first-class jam that doesn't really exist because it's purely imaginary, and born of the conditioning of non-telepathic minds."
Conway made no attempt to dispute this vigorous revealing of his thoughts. He sat in silence, his cold attention on Harper, and spoke only when he had finished.
"And what makes you say that there is no such quandary? "
" Because all the irrational bigots swarming on this cockeyed world invariably jump to the conclusion that anyone radically different from themselves must be bad. It inflates badly shrivelled egos to look at things that way. Every man his own paragon of virtue and goodness." He glowered at General Conway and said with ire, "A telepath has a code of ethics fully as good as anyone else's, and perhaps a damn-sight better because he has to beat off more temptation. I don't listen unless circumstances make it necessary. I don't hear unless I'm shouted
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