Velmar Shonda was in my room when I arrived. I assure you that was enough to keep me from thinking about anything else. Maybe that was the point."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's search the room. And be careful, Xelia. There are some nasty species in the Galaxy and some of them may be concealed in here."

They covered every inch of the room without finding anything that shouldn't have been there. Although he hadn't been aware of working faster than usual, Manning was breathing hard and there was a strange ringing in his ears as he dropped into a chair.

"Nothing," he said. "I don't get it."

"Maybe—maybe—" Xelia Zon seemed to be having trouble getting his words out and he was clawing at his neck.

As he watched the Regulusian, Manning realized that his own breath was getting shorter instead of improving now that he was resting. He struggled to his feet and crossed the room. The effort was almost too much, but he made it to the door and flung it open. He could almost feel the air pressure going up again.

There was something clinging to the other side of the door, but Manning ignored it for the moment. He leaned against the wall of the room and gratefully sucked air into his lungs. Across the room, Xelia Zon was doing the same, his nose slowly turning to its normal color.

"That was a close one," Manning said, finally straightening up. "A little more and I might not have been able to reach the door."

Xelia Zon's gaze was riveted on the door. "What's that?" he asked pointing.

The thing on the door looked like a huge balloon covered with short fur. It was perfectly round, perhaps two feet in diameter, and at first glance seemed to have no appendages.

Manning looked at it with interest. "I never saw one before," he said, "but I suddenly remember hearing about it on the encyclotape. Come over here and look at it."

Xelia Zon joined him as he bent over to look at it. On closer examination, they could see that there was a small mouth which was glued to the keyhole. Even as they watched, the mouth muscles relaxed and the ball dropped slowly. It bounced on the floor once and then began floating out into the corridor. Manning reached out and grabbed it. He held it by the short fur and the ball slowly revolved as though the round, pursed mouth was searching.

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