by Ray C. Noll
aboutfifty miles in altitude."
The others, thought Grant, rode until their oxygen gave out or divedthrough the atmosphere without skin-cooling, or came out of it too lateand found-- He decided not to think about it.
"But I don't think I'm hypnotic," Grant protested.
"Everyone is hypnotic to a degree. Some are a great deal more thanothers, and these are the ones that are apparent. Impose the rightconditions and a quasi-hypnotic condition could be affected on mostanyone."
"But why hasn't this happened elsewhere?"
Bridget took a quick bite of fish before he could stop her. "It has.First documentation I found was in the South Pacific air war in the'40s. One-man escorting fighter planes in several cases slipped out ofbomber formations they were following at night and splashed. One of theexplanations at their hearings, but never investigated thoroughly, washypnosis from the single red taillight of the bombers. In one outfit,the losses stopped when the fighters flew up front."
"Not only sharp, but good-looking, too," Grant admired, and beganchewing on the other half of his French bread. Then he ceasedmasticating and mouthed anxiously, "You've told the general this?"
Bridget clapped her hands. "With exquisite pleasure."
"And he--?"
"... Got excited, phoned for engineering to remove navigational sightsand suggested I join the staff at the base."
Grant coughed on the bread and hurriedly reached for his water. "Hewants you around?"
"Gratitude, I guess, in his own brassy way."
"And you'll stay?"
"If Washington O.K.'s it, and I'm coaxed."
"Then that simplifies the matter," he said and brought out the daintilywrapped tiny gift box. "For you."
Her eyes warmed and smiled as she said, "That's the kind of coaxing awoman wants."
Grant fumed, "Then you know what it is? Extrasensory perception orsomething psychological?"
Their hands met across the table and lingered.
"Purely an emotional response," said Bridget.
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ March 1955. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.