itory room, his roommate l

Big Brass Bu

be up soon. Just about our first assignments after graduation." He was thinking swift

they let me w

can do the most good, Rogers said." He picked up a book and sat down, ap

be caught at it, but quickly remembered that, as a child, his victims never suspected they w

e had learned about them. All that, naturally, got him into much trouble and not a few fights, and caused the loss of all his early boyhood

mind-reading, whatever of it he could do, was decidedly his dish. The SS would be sure to han

uldn't actually read anyone's mind to the extent of getting definite wording or specific information. Bu

gauge the other's looks, glances, facial expressions, muscle movements, sudden tensenesses, and so on. For those, together with the mood-im

rying to win by this method. Nor was it consciously that he chose a game being played fo

elt he had a poor, medium or good hand. By playing his own accordingly, his wins were far greater than his losses. After an hour or so of play had proved he could do it, and had given him c

lass, the door opened and Admir

eacher called, spr

town, and we want to give him an aide." He looked about the room, as though to pick out a

he's one of ou

risen to attention when his name was mentioned. "I

he instructor said,

ster. But first, hang this stuff on you. This dress sword is a little unusual-the scabbard is rounder than yours, but not noticeably so. It's really a blaster; the trigger is here on the handle as you grasp i

h-long blaster-sword. The admiral touched a switch on his desk and spoke into a micr

ith due deference into one of the private offices, where he was intr

nd most important is laying the cornerstone of our new E

saluted crisply, and fell into step just behin

rode Hanlon probed the statesman's mind, but found only worry-tension, that he shrewdly guessed h

y, their ride took on more and more the aspect

crowds. It was one of gaiety and good nature, and reminded him of the way his boyish mind interpr

ty, hoping he could find some lead to whatever it was that was bothering the Corps about Simonides

buildings along here were all bedecked with Simonidean and Greek-Terran flags, and there was now a continuous cheering from the po

yes darting here and there, watching as carefully as he could

s dignitaries, and escorted with much pomp to the flag-bede

ed his hands for silence. The band broke off in the middle of a number, the che

on it, as it neither interested him nor could he understand too much of it, even though he knew quite a b

irman began introducing Abrams, and th

the Greeks

t of date; let

s for

ed. The chairman's face turned reddish, and he wavered a bit in his speec

n spite of their shouts the ceremonies continued, and Abra

ecklers. But from his vantage point Hanlon saw the latter shifting rapidly from place to place, partly to escape dete

color was high although he bravely continued speaking. The great audience was largely p

determined demonstration, and Hanlon tore his g

ot! Let the police handle those-you must

fully scanning the whole scene before

upward, and at what he saw, with one swift, smooth motion he dr

from the roof into the street below, his rifle falling near him. Hanlon swivelled. "Cover Abrams!" his voice rang out commandingly, and he himself jum

al local policemen running toward the platform, and in moments Abrams, surrounded by an ar

white and shaking,

ough for anyone to want to kill," Abrams shook his head. "The people of

ke this one almost every time there's a public ceremony. Most of 'em're plain nuts

and watching, and I could see at least a dozen men shouting at the beginning, starting all

had tried to probe the crowd minds, but there were so many conflicting thought-emanations, su

sy, Abrams seemed to relax a

your quickness and alertness in saving

ly. "It was my job, sir. I'm sorr

been the emperor"-Hanlon caught an impression of loyalty and love for that dignitary-"or even the Minister"-here he caught a feeling of doubt and some dislike-"it mig

ld really read minds! I think this guy knows something I w

minds in the room, but none of them seemed to have any thoughts about the why of this unexpected happenstance. There were m

apparent to Hanlon that he wasn't planning on h

r a considerable period of uneasy fidgetting. The Simon

other duties. Again, thank you, personally, for saving my life, and please express my thank

the slideways back to Base, reporting to Admiral Rogers, to wh

planned," he concluded thoughtfully. "It wasn't just one man, for I could see at lea

e of something like this, which is why I picked you f

ase me from it. I can't work in a crowd at all, for there's such a jumble of thought-emanations I can't separate them. Even working with an individual I can only sense s

!" He sobered. "But if you can do that, even if you can't actually read the words of the thought, you'll stil

belt, laying them on the corner of the big desk. At touch of that weapon he suddenly r

er?" the admiral

.. a ... man,"

rm comfortingly about the younger man's shoulders.

n a way, sir, and I'll try to look at it that way. As to the mind-

shoulder encouragingl