pattern. Then he broadcast on old-fashioned amplitude modulation which
a modern communicator would not pick up at all, and which therefore
might be used by men in hiding.

He worked for a long time. Then he shrugged and gave it up. He'd
repeated to absolute tedium the facts that any Darians--blueskins--on
Orede ought to know. There'd been no answer. And it was all too likely
that if he'd been received, that those who heard him took his message
for a trick to discover if there were any hearers.

He clicked off at last and stood up, shaking his head. Suddenly the
Med Ship seemed empty. Then he saw Murgatroyd staring vexedly at the
exit port. The inner door of that small airlock was closed. The
telltale light said the outer door was not locked. Someone had gone
out quietly. The girl. Of course.

Calhoun said angrily, "How long ago, Murgatroyd?"

"_Chee!_" said Murgatroyd indignantly.

It wasn't an answer, but it showed that Murgatroyd was vexed that he'd
been left behind. He and the girl were close friends, now. If she'd
left Murgatroyd in the ship when he wanted to go with her, then she
wasn't coming back.

Calhoun swore. He made certain she was not in the ship. He flipped the
outside-speaker switch and said curtly into the microphone, "Coffee!
Murgatroyd and I are having coffee. Will you come back, please?"

He repeated the call, and repeated it again. Multiplied as his voice