"Very well," Lowry said. "The other advantage of the projector over
unaided natural telepathy is its dependability. It works as well today
as it did yesterday or last week. Until a natural telepath actually has
been tested on these instruments, we can't be certain that the diex
field will be equally useful to him. But let's assume that it is and
that he employs the projector to locate the rogue. It should be very
easy for him to do that. But won't that simply--in your phrasing--put
him at the rogue's mercy again?"
Weldon hesitated, said, "We think not, Ben. A specialist in these
matters could tell you in a good deal more detail about the functional
organization in the mind of a natural telepath. But essentially they
all retain unconscious safeguards and resistances which limit their
telepathic ability but serve to protect them against negative effects.
The difference between them and ourselves on that point appears to be
mainly one of degree."
Lowry said, "I think I see. The theory is that such protective
processes would be correspondingly strengthened by employing the diex
field...."
"That's it," Weldon said. "To carry the analogue I was using a little
farther, we might again be sending a spaniel against a tiger. But the
spaniel--backed up by the projector--would now be approximately tiger
size ... and tiger-strong. We must assume that the rogue would be far
more skilled and deadly in an actual mental struggle, but there should
be no struggle. Our telepath's business would be simply to locate his
man, identify him, and break away again. During the very few seconds
required for that, the diex field should permit him to hold off the
rogue's assault."
Dr. Lowry shook his head. "You can't be sure of it, Ferris!" he said.
"You can't be sure of it at all."
Weldon smiled. "No, we can't. We don't really know what would happen.
But neither, you see, does the rogue."