"I don't know," Zen said.
"But you've got to know. You're one of them."
"Would I stand around here and let you shoot me if I was one of them?" Zen answered.
Some of the logic of the question must have penetrated to the officer's mad mind. "No. No, you wouldn't. That is, I guess you wouldn't. But you might be trying to trick me." The thought of being tricked seemed to bring all his fury to the surface. "You did it once before, you and the girl."
"How?" Zen demanded.
"You put us all to sleep, you and that girl? Don't tell me you didn't. I was there."
"I was there but I didn't have a damned thing to do with it. And neither did the girl."
"Then who did?"
"West. He was outside with some kind of a sleep generator that operated electronically."
Doubt came over the lieutenant's face. How was he to know if this tall, thin yankee was telling the truth. In his book, all Americans were liars. Why trust this one?