"What, actually, have you done? What, actually, have you got?
Practically nothing. You haven"t even started a starship; you"ve scarcely started making plans. You realize dimly that the theory is not in any of the books, that you"ll have to slug it out for yourself, but that is _work_. So you"re still just posing and throwing your weight around.
"As a matter of fact, you"re merely a drop in a lake. There are thousands of millions of planets, and thousands of millions of Prime Operators. Most of them are probably a lot stronger than you are; many of them may be stronger than my partner and I are. I am not at all certain that you will pa.s.s even the first screening; but since you are without question a Prime Operator, I will deliver the message we came to deliver. Miss Mitala, do you want to listen or shall we drive it into you, too?"
"I want to listen to anyone or anything who has a working starship and who can do what you have just done."
"Very well," and Garlock told the general-distribution version of the story of the Galactic Service.
"Quite interesting," Semolo said loftily, at its end. "Whether or not I would be interested depends, of course, on whether there"s a position high enough for...."
"I doubt very much if there"s one low enough," Garlock cut in sharply.
"However, since it"s part of my job, I"ll get in touch with you later.
Okay, Belle."
And in the Main--"What a jerk!" Belle exclaimed. "What a half-cooked, half-digested _pill_! I simply marvel at your forbearance, Clee. You should have turned him inside out and hung him up to dry--especially behind the ears!" Then, suddenly, she giggled. "But do you know what I did?"
"I can guess. A couple of shots in the arm?"
"Uh-huh. Next time he pitches into her she"ll slap his ears right off.
Oh, _brother_!"
"Check and double-check. But let"s hop to Number Two.... Here it is."
"Oh, yes," came a smooth, clear, diamond-sharp thought in reply to Garlock"s introductory call. "This world, as you have perceived, is Falne. I am indeed Baver 14WD27, my companion Prime is indeed Glarre 12WD91. You are, we perceive, Bearers of the Truth; of great skill and of high advancement. Your visit here will, I am sure, be of immense benefit to us and possibly, I hope, of some small benefit to you. We will both be delighted to have you both "port yourselves to us at once."
The Tellurians did so--and in the very instant of appearance Garlock was met by a blast of force the like of which he had never even imagined.
The two Falnian Primes, capable operators both, had built up their highest possible potentials and had launched both terrific bolts without any hint of warning.
Belle"s mind, however, was already fused with Garlock"s. Their combined blocks were instantaneous in action; their counter-thrust was nearly so.
Both Falnians staggered backward until they were stopped by the room"s wall.
"Ah, yes," Garlock said, then. "You are indeed, in a small and feeble way, Seekers after the Truth; of which we are indeed Bearers. Lesser Bearers, perhaps, but still Bearers. You will indeed profit greatly from our visit. You err, however, in thinking that we may in any respect profit from you. You have nothing whatever that we have not had for long. Now let us, if you please, take a few seconds of time to get acquainted, each with the other."
"That, indeed, is the logical and seemly thing to do." Both Falnians straightened up and stepped forward; neither arrogantly nor apologetically, but simply as though nothing at all out of the ordinary had taken place.
Each pair studied the other. Physically, the two pairs were surprisingly alike. Baver was almost as big as Garlock; almost as heavily muscled.
Glarre could have been cast in Belle"s own mold.
With that, however, all resemblance ceased.
Both Falnians were naked. The man wore only a belt and pouch in lieu of pockets; the woman only a leather carryall slung from one shoulder--big enough, Garlock thought, to hold a week"s supplies for an Explorer Scout.
His hair was thick, bushy, unkempt; sun-bleached to a nondescript blend of pale colors. Hers--long, heavy, meticulously middle-parted and dressed--was a startling two-tone job. To the right of the part it was a searingly brilliant red; to the left, an equally brilliant royal blue.
His skin was deeply tanned. The color of hers was completely masked by a bizarrely spectacular overlay of designs done in semi-indelible, multi-colored dyes.
"Ah, you are worthy indeed of receiving an increment of Truth. Hear, then, the message we bring," and again Garlock told the story.
"We thank you, sir and madam, from our hearts. We will accept with joy your help in finishing our ship; we will do all that in us lies to further the cause of the Galactic Service. Until a day, then?"
"Until a day." Then, to Belle, "Okay, ace. Ready? Go!"
And up in the Main--"Sweet Sin!" Belle exclaimed. "What a pair _they_ turned out to be! Clee, that simply scared me witless."
"You can play that in spades." Garlock jammed his hands into his pockets and prowled about the room, his face a black scowl of concentration.
Until, finally, he pulled himself out of the brown study and said: "I"ve been trying to think if there"s any other thing, however slight, that I have and you haven"t. There isn"t. You"ve got it all. You"re just as fast as I am, just as sharp and as accurate--and, since we now draw on the same field, just as strong."
"Why Clee! You"re worrying about _me_? You"ve done altogether too much for me, already."
"Anything I can do, I"ve got to do ... well, shall we go?"
"We shall."
They visited four more planets that day. And after supper that night, standing in the corridor between their doors, Belle began to soften her shield, as though to send a thought. Almost instantly, however, she changed her mind and snapped it back to full on.
"Good night, Clee," she said.
"Good night, Belle," and each went into his own room.
The next day they worked nine planets, and the day after that they worked ten. They ate supper in friendly fashion; then strolled together across the Main, to a davenport.
"It"s funny," Belle said thoughtfully, "having this tremendous ship all to ourselves. To have a private conference right out here in the Main ... or is it?"
He triggered the shields, she watched him do it. "It is now," he a.s.sured her.
"Prime-proof? Not ordinary Gunther blocks?"
"Uh-huh. Two hundred kilovolts and four hundred kilogunts. Backed by all the force of the Prime and Op fields and the full power of the engines. I told you I"d made some changes in the set-up."
"Private enough, I guess ... what a mess those Primes are! And we"ll have to make the rounds twice more--when we alert "em and when we pick "em up."
"Not necessarily. This new set-up ought to give us a galaxy-wide reach.
Let"s try Semolo, on Lizoria, shall we?"
"Uh-huh--Let"s."
"Tune in, then ace."
"_Ace_, darling?"
"Ace, _Darling_?"