Page:Fantastic Universe (1956-10; vol. 8, no. 3).djvu/77

Rh cook dinner. The prospect, his consciousness eager for change will drift until spotted by one of us. The floating agent is efficient, and alert. The prospect taken under the wing of the agent " he paused in realization of the connotation his phrase now had for her.

She winced and looked away, trying to focus on an object in the room, an ordinary object like a chair or the books across the room. Her gaze returned to him.

"The agent will provide security by giving the prospect his key number and his base. These," once more he paused and smiled faintly, "are the amnesia victims about whom you often read in your newspapers." He seemed highly amused but continued presently.

"A group of us work close to your police stations. Oftimes when one such prospect is picked up by a policeman one of us claims to be a relative."

She had a sense of suffocation, as in deep sleep when, covered too tightly by blankets one struggles to get free.

"Some of our agents," he was saying conversationally, "are domestic help. You have heard of young mothers leaving their families without known cause. These are the result of our agents in the position of domestic help."

Her handbag fell to the floor with a clatter as the frame struck the baseboard.

"Teachers?" she gasped. "Have you infiltrated the schools?"

"No, we take no children," he said. "Our eugenics program is perfected and we want no children since they are disease carriers."

"I'm dreaming all this!" she cried out suddenly. "Tell me. I'm having nightmares!"

"You are awake," his voice came to her faintly. "I am your friend, Sara. Stop struggling and your panic will fade as if it had never been."

He went to the sink and washed his hands. She wanted to move but did not. He looked at her over his shoulder and smiled reassuringly and the roar in her ears became lessened.

She closed her eyes for an instant.

"I am Sara Beals," she said aloud, but the words had the ring of untruth.

He was coming toward her when she looked up.

"Sara," he said. She saw that he carried a glass of water.

"You will be a fine recruit, Sara. And later we can discuss whether you will do your best work here on Earth or on the home planet. You might, if you wish, remain on in the hospital, put in a request for ward duty and assist me directly. You and I would make a fine team I believe."

Did an aura of light surround him or was her vision blurred by the bright lamp he suddenly switched on. To work with him