There was an awful moment of silence, and the weapon-muzzles held steady, even if the dozen hands that gripped them were momentarily incapable of flexing trigger-fingers.
And then the Senior Quadrate had found his full voice.
"There has of course been some error. S-men do not enter the home of a Senior Quadrate—"
And Lisa's voice cut across her husband's.
"They—Douglas, these aren't—aren't S-men! I recognize him—the leader! Mylor Kuun...."
"Of course, Madame," the heavy-faced one said rapidly. "The disguises—a desperate necessity, I assure you. There is very little time, however. Once informed of your escape from the hospital, and of the Senior Quadrate's violation of arrest, it was necessary to act at once to find you. Genuine S-squads cannot be much behind us. We're but one of a number of our groups in the search, and we came to your home only so no possibility might be overlooked. Yet I don't understand—" For a moment a look of puzzled doubt flickered on the underground leader's heavy features. His nervous gaze touched the strange array of forbidden equipment which but moments before had been bathed in the green-blue glow.
"There will be time for explanations later!" Lisa said. She caught herself as she was about to add that what the agent was saying made little sense.
She put a protective arm around each of her still, frightened children. There must be great trouble or the group would not have so brazenly exposed itself, and come here to her home. Something desperate enough so that added confusion might serve only to make a dangerous situation an impossible one.
"But I don't—you said violation of arrest," her husband was saying stubbornly. "I demand a thorough—"
"Your lives are in danger, sir. If we do not move immediately, it will very probably be not at all. Gundar Tayne is relentless, and is reported enroute from Venus to join this search himself."