"Speak the facts. Have you humans grown suspicious?"
"Of the existence of the Sorodromes. Has some member of the crew revealed our existence?" The globe showed a violent green at the question.
"No," Craig answered. "Not so far as I know."
"Then why did you think something was wrong?"
"It wasn't that we _knew_ something was wrong."
"You are in a position where lying will do you no good. What is happening inside the station? Are our controls failing?"
"What controls? Do you mean that you can control the crew of the _Andromeda_ from here?"
"What do you think?" Filo answered. "If there had been any important loss of control, I would have known about it. But there may have been hints, attempts to convey information, which I did not catch. Have there been such attempts?"
Before Craig could answer another voice was whispering in the air, calling urgently, "Great Filo? Please contact me immediately." The voice was a thin whisper of sound, as if somewhere a man was thinking and his thoughts were being built up to audible volume.
"Nuoy insists on coming aboard the ship. Please instruct me."
"He seems to think he is the top dog in the System."
"I have told him a part of the story of Star Goal and that the race which lives on Star Goal possesses immortality. He insists on returning immediately to Star Goal to obtain immortality for himself. After that he plans to establish a regular traffic between Star Goal and the Solar System to peddle immortality to those rich enough to pay for it." A faint repugnance sounded in the whisper.
Filo digested this information. The color coming from him was almost pure white. He seemed to be vibrating at a tremendously high frequency.
"I await your orders," the whisper came again. "Shall I bring him aboard the ship?"
"He is very impatient. Please instruct me immediately."
"I must confer with my fellows," Filo answered. "I will have an answer for you in minutes."
Filo was silent behind the control panel. Craig had the impression that some wordless conference was taking place with other Sorodromes located elsewhere. He stared at Mary in growing horror.
"That whisper was coming from Captain Martin," the girl whispered. "He is the only person from the _Andromeda_ who is with Mr. Nuoy. And that means--"