Eric Nelson was startled by realization that Shan Kar's lips had not moved, that he had not spoken that question.
"Blimy, it works!" whispered Lefty Wister, with awe. "You can hear the blighter think!"
"Only when the thought is projected by an effort of will," the Humanite assured. "You can't pick up a man's inner mental reverie."
"These crowns must be amplifiers-telepathic amplifiers," Nelson muttered. "The scientists say telepathy is a transmission of electric thought-waves and I suppose the right instrument could set up the power. But how did these people get such instruments?"
"The things are platinum!" said Nick Sloan avidly in English. "The first platinum we've seen here. Try to find out where they keep the stuff, Nelson!"
That Shan Kar heard Sloan's thought was proved by his quick answer. "We shall talk later of the metal you want. Now I want you to speak to Tark."
The great green eyes of the wolf had a cold flare in them as they steadily met Nelson's gaze. Here was no blind brute fury, but unmistakable intelligence, poise and hatred.
Yet this was a wolf. The white fangs behind those half-drawn lips had almost had his throat out that night in Yen Shi. The great body, crouched on the chain, was the hairy body of a wild beast.
"Tell him," said Shan Kar to Nelson, "how many guns you've brought. He knows their power. He saw them in action in the outworld."
Again, it took Nelson a moment to realize that Shan Kar had spoken telepathically and not vocally.