"Responsibility is mine," said Bidagha. "I speak with authority of my calling. We will send same set of mathematical tables we have received, and then periodic table of elements as they exist here." Pehn felt confused, battered with warring emotions, and too tired to think or speak. But Nautunal moved with abrupt decision. "If you order it, Bidagha, we will try." He turned to his technicians. "We'll start work immediately." Nearly an hour had passed before the wave modulator was reported ready. In the highest level of the dome, they watched nervously as Nautunal turned up the power and worried the dials. "All set?" he said. There was no reply. In a dead silence he touched the button, and started an impulse driving towards the star Topaz. The door behind them opened with a crash and Premier Karn strode in, his face contorted with an anger he had never shown before in his life. "Despicable traitors!" he shouted. "Turn off that instrument!" White-faced, one of the technicians obeyed, and the power indicators dropped. "Can it be true, what has come to my ears--what I see now with my own eyes--that you would dare to reply to message that comes from foreign planet?" Bidagha's commanding figure grew even taller. "Premier, I speak now, not as Bidagha man, but as Bidagha Healer, and I must give you my Warning: Zenob cannot escape contacts with other worlds! "In my opinion, Zenob has reached fateful turning point in its history. We must face fact that our knowledge of physical science is not adequate. Our fossil fuels are nearly gone, and we must have atomic power. But frankly, our physicists don't know enough to design safe atomic reactors. And at rate science progresses on Zenob, they won't know enough for centuries. All of this could be remedied by exchange of information with this other world." As he faced Bidagha, the Premier trembled with rage, and his usually placid face was contorted. "Bidagha, you could be unfrocked for that! Zenob would be better off if Healers would confine their opinions and activities to healing, and leave politics to those whose business it is. Government will not base its decisions upon visions of dreamers who have dwelt too long in Cave." Pehn closed his eyes as a wave of agony broke over him. The voices receded; dimly he was aware that he was falling. Pain and shouting together faded away into darkness. * * * * * On Earth, at the listening post on Long Island, Joe Weber sat before his recorder, intent on the noise from space. The chief anthropologist studied the star map on the wall as he asked his question. "Have you got anything at all, Joe?"