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dived to examine the
bottom of the pool. They then looked all over the nature room.
    'I bet you
let Terr play with them', reproached Praw. 'These appliances are very
expensive; you are not being reasonable, Tiwa.'
    Tiwa's red
eyes became veiled dolefully.
    'I assure
you, Father...'
    'I am not
strict enough with you', the Traag cut short.
    'But Father,
Fve never let the Om play with the headset, honestly!'
    The father
did not know what to think. 'And yet that would explain a lot of things', he
said... 'Where is Terr?'
    'Terr!' the
girl called out. The little Om did not answer the call. 'He is hiding, the
little rascal', said Praw. 'Terr, come here! Terr, look what I have for you!
Terr, come and have a treat!'
    The Traag
mother came back into the room. 'What is going on?' she asked. 'What a racket
you're making. This is not the time to play with the Om. Tiwa, I told you to
start your instruction!'
    'She can't', moaned Praw, 'the headset has disappeared! Terr is gone too!'
    'No, Fve
just seen him in the corridor', said Wami.
    'Terr!'
    All three
rushed to the corridor. 'Where was he?' 'Here, on this seat'. 'Dammit!' swore
Praw. He pointed a finger at the chair. 'Why are you gesticulating like this?'
'The headset!' said Praw. 'What about it?'
    'The Om
could easily have reached it by climbing on the chair. I bet you he is playing
with it now. If he breaks it...!'
    He went to
the omhouse. The door was wide open and the small room was empty.
    'Where has
he gone, the little devil?'
    Tiwa burst
into tears, thinking she may have lost her Om.
    'Instead of
crying', said her mother, 'how about you put on your bracelet, it is the only
way to find him. You haven't lost it, have you?'
    'I... I left
it in my tunic pocket', gasped Tiwa.
    'Come on
then, hurry up!'
    The little
Traag ran to the nature room, searched her gown and put on her bracelet. She
pressed one of the switches and looked up downhearted.
    'Well?'
repeated her father.
    'He must
already be faraway', whined Tiwa, 'the bracelet draws me a little toward there,
but not very much.'
    She was
pointing towards the entrance to the house. The door was ajar.
    'He's gone
out! I knew it', said Praw, 'Tiwa, pull on the leash'.
    'No', said
Tiwa, 'if I pull too hard he'll hit something and hurt himself.'
    Annoyed, the
father took the bracelet from her and pressed on the switch as hard as he could
to attract Terr's collar towards him.

4
    Terr was
running. He had already cleared many of the mounds andwas hurtling at full speed
down a slope when he suddenly felt strangled by his collar. He let go of the
headset and put his hands to his neck. Tugged by an invisible force, he went
back three steps and turned around to counter the pulling with his neck and not
his throat. He was forced to take some more steps and held on with all his
strength to a metal bar sticking out from a railing.
    At that
moment he felt a rough hand on his shoulder. He almost shrieked with rage and
turned around, his face twisted by the effort. A big bearded Om was behind him
saying:
    'You really
are a nitwit!'
    'Help me',
choked Terr.
    Sniggering,
the stranger pressed the collar's switch. It widened enough for the little Om's
head to go through. The bearded Om sniggered again, brandished the collar which
seemed to want to fly off, and let go of it suddenly. It flew into the air,
bounced on a mound and disappeared from their sight.
    'It'd be
good if it hit them right in the nasal slit!' exclaimed the bearded Om. 'That
would slow them down!'
    He pushed on
Terr's shoulders.
    'Let's clear
off!'
    At first the
little Om followed his new found ally who had taken to his heels, but he then
stopped and retraced his steps.
    'You're
mad', yelled his saviour.
    Not
replying, Terr picked up the headset he had left behind, placed it on his
shoulders and bending under its weight he caught up with his companion who had
mercifully slowed down.
    'Leave it
behind', advised the big Om without losing a stride.
    'No, I need
it', panted Terr.
    'I knew