As professional soldiers, they couldn't help but speculate on the enemy and his weapons. It was their shop talk.
"Well," Morse said wearily, "Our Detector network covers the system out beyond Mars' orbit."
"Where we sit," Cassel said, watching the indicators now that the others were talking.
"They might not even know we have a detection unit working," Morse said, as he had said a thousand times.
"Oh, stop," Edwardson said, his thin face twisted in scorn. "They're telepathic. They must have read every bit of stuff in Everset's mind."
"Everset didn't know we had a detection unit," Morse said, his eyes returning to the dial. "He was captured before we had it."
"Look," Edwardson said, "They ask him, 'Boy, what would you do if you knew a telepathic race was coming to take over Earth? How would you guard the planet?'"
"Idle speculation," Cassel said. "Maybe Everset didn't think of this."
"He thinks like a man, doesn't he? Everyone agreed on this defense. Everset would, too."
"Syllogistic," Cassel murmured. "Very shaky."