"Was it on that Nathian list?"
"Negative. Why'd you ask?"
"Are you sure, Stet? It'd explain a lot of things."
"It's not on the lists, but ... wait a minute." Silence. Then: "Heleb was on line of flight to Auriga, and Auriga was on the list. We've reason to doubt they put anyone down on Auriga. If their ship ran into trouble—"
"That's it!" snapped Orne.
"Keep your voice down or talk subvocally." ordered Stetson. "Now, answer my question: What's up?"
"Something so fantastic it frightens me," said Orne. "Remember that the women who ruled Heleb bred female or male children by controlling the sex of their offspring at conception. The method was unique. In fact, our medics thought it was impossible until—"
"You don't have to remind me of something we want buried and forgotten," interrupted Stetson. "Too much chance for misuse of that formula."
"Yes," said Orne. "But what if your Nathian underground is composed entirely of women bred the same way? What if the Heleb women were just a bunch who got out of hand because they'd lost contact with the main element?"
"Holy Moley!" blurted Stetson. "Do you have evidence—"