They were not the girl's men, whatever she thought. He would have recognized them by their feel.
No, these escaped classification. He had never experienced anything like them before. His strange sixth sense, the first extra-human sense which he had begun to develop inexplicably in his twenty seventh year, could perceive nothing beyond their presence.
He took his hand from Ileth's shoulders, groped for the button controlling the door against which they crouched.
"Stop!"
The thought rang like a bell in his skull.
Jon Saxon stiffened. "What is it?" he concentrated. "Who are you?"
Again the bodiless thought struck into his mind.
"That is not for you to know—now or possibly ever. The girl is working for General Atomic. Do not allow yourself to be duped. It is decidedly not our policy that General Atomic or any of the corporations learn the secret of the stellar drive!"
Saxon's eyes opened with surprise. He had no intention of giving G.A. the secret of the stellar drive. It was a government secret, for one thing....