Usually, he found Star Watch a bore. There were often Saucer sightings, it was true. He had had many himself, some of them very close in, but all that had become routine. At first, the government had tried shooting them down, but the attempts had ended in total failure and the Saucers still came, aloof and unreasonable, as if they did not even know that they were being shot at. Later, communication had been tried—but with no better results.
Now, when the Saucers were sighted, the Watcher phoned in a report, some bored plotter in Saucer Control took bearings and speed, or replied that they had the thing on radar. The next day, the score of sightings would be Spellcast—it was less exciting than watching for grunnion.
Tonight, however, Ward was excited. As he left his house, he set out at a fast pace for the school. He found Bobby in front of the boys' dormitory.
"What is it, John?" the boy called as he trotted over to the teacher.
"How'd you like to come on Star Watch with me?"
"All right." They went down the street together.
"I want to try something," Ward told the boy. "I think I know how we can get in touch with the Saucer people."
"But they have tried."
"Yes, I know—with radio and blinker lights and all that. But maybe that's the wrong way. Bobby, you're a telepath, aren't you?"
"I'm not very good at it and anyway I don't think it'll work."