"What do you want of me?" Telzey inquired.
"You'll know soon enough."
"Why not tell me now?" Telzey urged. It seemed about to dismiss her
again.
Quick impatience flared at her. "Kitten-pictures! Kitten-thoughts!
Kitten-talk! Too slow, too slow! YOUR pictures--too much YOU! Wait
till the...."
Circuits close ... channels open.... Obstructions clear? What _had_ it
said? There'd been only the blurred image of a finicky, delicate, but
perfectly normal technical operation of some kind.
"... Minutes now!" the voice concluded. A pause, then another thought
tossed carelessly at her. "This is more important to you, small-bite,
than to _us_!" The voice impression ended as sharply as if a
communicator had snapped off.
Not _too_ friendly! Telzey walked on towards the house, a new fear
growing inside her ... a fear like the awareness of a storm gathered
nearby, still quiet--deadly quiet, but ready to break.
"Kitten-pictures!" a voice seemed to jeer distantly, a whispering in
the park trees beyond the garden wall.
* * * * *
Halet's cheeks were lightly pinked; her blue eyes sparkled. She looked
downright stunning, which meant to anyone who knew her that the worst
side of Halet's nature was champing at the bit again. On uninformed
males it had a dazzling effect, however; and Telzey wasn't surprised
to find their visitor wearing a tranced expression when she came into
the living room. He was a tall, outdoorsy man with a tanned, bony
face, a neatly trained black mustache, and a scar down one cheek which
would have seemed dashing if it hadn't been for the stupefied look.
Beside his chair stood a large, clumsy instrument which might have
been some kind of telecamera.
Halet performed introductions. Their visitor was Dr. Droon, a
zoologist. He had been tuned in on Telzey's newscast interview on the
liner the night before, and wondered whether Telzey would care to
discuss Tick-Tock with him.
"Frankly, no," Telzey said.
Dr. Droon came awake and gave Telzey a surprised look. Halet smiled
easily.
"My niece doesn't intend to be discourteous, doctor," she explained.
[Illustration]
"Of course not," the zoologist agreed doubtfully.
"It's just," Halet went on, "that Telzey is a little, oh, sensitive
where Tick-Tock is concerned. In her own way, she's attached to the
animal. Aren't you, dear?"
"Yes," Telzey said blandly.
"Well, we hope this isn't going to disturbed you too much, dear."
Halet glanced significantly at Dr. Droon. "Dr. Droon, you must
understand, is simply doing ... well, there is something very
important he must tell you now."
Telzey transferred her gaze back to the zoologist. Dr. Droon cleared
his throat. "I, ah, understand, Miss Amberdon, that you're unaware of
what kind of creature your, ah, Tick-Tock is?"
Telzey started to speak, then checked herself, frowning. She had been
about to state that she knew exactly what kind of creature TT was ...
but she didn't, of course!
Or did she? She....
She scowled absent-mindedly at Dr. Droon, biting her lip.
"Telzey!" Halet prompted gently.
"Huh?" Telzey said. "Oh ... please go on, doctor!"
Dr. Droon steepled his fingers. "Well," he said, "she ... your pet ... is,
ah, a young crest cat. Nearly full grown now, apparently, and--"
"Why, yes!" Telzey cried.