His voice changed quickly to Ragen’s: “How you know?”

“I have learned some new facts and put the information together.”

“Who it was?”

“I guess, since you have been blamed for those crimes you didn’t commit, you have a right to know.”

The conversation went on with rapid-fire switching, sometimes aloud, sometimes in the mind as speech without sound.

“Ragen, do you recall at times in the past hearing female voices?”

“Yes, I have heard Christene. And—yes, other voices of womans.”

“Well, when you went out stealing, three times last October, one of our females got involved.”

“Vat you mean?”

“There is a young woman you have never met, called Adalana.”

“I never hear of her. ”

“She’s a very sweet and gentle person. She’s the one who has always done the cooking and cleaning up for us. She did the flower arrangements when Allen got the job at the florist’s shop. It just never occurred to me that—”

“Vat she have to do about it? Did she take money?”

“No, Ragen. She’s the one who raped your victims.”

“She raped girls? Arthur, how does z she rape a girl?” “Ragen, have you ever heard of a lesbian?”

“All right,” Ragen said, “how does a lesbian rape another girl?”

“Well, that’s why they accused you. When one of the males is on the spot, some of them have the physical ability to perform sex, even though we both know I have laid down the rule that we are to be celibate. She used your body.”

“You mean I am blamed all this time for a rape this bitch committed?”

“Yes, but I want you to talk to her and let her explain.” “So that is vat all this rape talk is about? I kill her.” “Ragen, be reasonable.”

“Reasonable?”.

“Adalana, I want you to meet Ragen. Since Ragen is our protector, he has a right to know what happened. You will have to explain yourself and justify your actions to him.”

A soft, delicate voice echoed in his mind, as if from the darkness beyond. It was like a hallucination or a dream voice. “Ragen, I’m sorry for the trouble—”

“Sorry!” Ragen snarled, pacing. “You filty slut. Why for you go around raping womans? Do you realize vat you put us all through?”

He turned sharply, stepping off the spot, and suddenly the room was filled with a sound of a woman crying.

Nurse Helen Yaegers face appeared at the peephole. “Can I help you, Billy?”

“Blast you, madam!” Arthur said. “Leave us alone!”

Yaeger left, upset that Arthur had snapped at her. When she was gone, Adalana tried to explain herself: “You have to understand, Ragen, my needs are different from the rest of you.” “why in hell you have sex with womans anyway? You are woman yourself.”

“You men don’t understand. At least the children know what love is, what compassion is, what it means to put your arms around somebody and say, ‘I love you, care about you, have feelings for you.”’