None of the colonists wore bracelets of this sort. Therefore, Tersen had some other means of controlling them. He had spoken of a "generator." Perhaps he could find that while he remained at large.

"Hello, Earthman. There is trouble here."

Maintaining his stiffness, Reese turned. He saw Kuhli, the addict. The pack he had been carrying was missing.

"Why are you back?" Reese asked.

"I need.... I need...." Kuhli gestured to his back. "I lost my pack. I need...." He could not pronounce the name of the drug he craved but he had been drawn back to the colony by desperate need.

Reese began to say something—then he cut it short and started to run.

"Lois! Lois!"

The girl was walking across the clearing in the familiar stiff-legged stride. Reese caught up with her in a moment or two, his heart pounding. "Thank God you're all right!" he exclaimed.

She stared at him. Her lovely face was void of all expression and her hazel-grey eyes looked blankly at him. "Who are you?" she asked, as if she were sleepwalking.

"Why—I'm Jim! Are you under this dreadful thing, too? Yes, yes, of course you must be. I...."

She interrupted him—speaking in a deep, grotesque voice that sounded more like Dr. Tersen's than her own. "Somehow this Reese is not under control. He must be captured and put out of the way. Get him!"

Reese realized that Tersen had been watching through Lois' eyes. Half a dozen of the colonists were converging on him now. He turned and started to run.

They spread out in a loose ring around him and he saw that unless he could dodge past them and escape into the forest, he was trapped.

He dashed forward toward the nearest man—Chuck Hylan. Hylan was lean and agile but Tersen's control left him stiff and awkward. He brought his fists up and aimed a few wild punches at Reese. Reese ducked them easily and smashed a hard right at Hylan.

It was a blow that could have toppled a tree—but Hylan merely staggered and stayed up. Reese saw that the control gave them extra endurance. He'd get nowhere by fighting with them. Pushing Hylan aside, Reese broke for the clearing.

And froze.

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