"A figure of speech," commented Anti. "A figure of speech," agreed Jordan. "To begin with we discovered that when you were exposed to space the cold caused the fungus flesh to die back faster than it grew. Right?" "The fungus came from Venus," said Anti. "It's only natural it wouldn't grow well in the cold." "The origin doesn't have anything to do with it. Normally it doesn't grow in flesh and it had to make concessions to live in the human body, the biggest one being adaptation to body temperature. At the same time the body cells tried to outgrow it but the faster they grew the more there was for the fungus to live in. A sort of an inimical symbiosis." "If you can imagine inimical symbiosis," said Anti. "I can't." "You haven't tried very hard. Anyway, there seems to be a ratio between the amount of fungus in one connected mass and the vigor. The more there is the faster it grows, and conversely." "Such a pleasant reference," said Anti. "Mass. Still it's an accurate description of me, though I can think of a better one. Lump." She swam, splashing ponderously toward the edge of the tank. "Are you trying to say that if I can ever get below a certain point my body will be able to keep the fungus in check?" "Exactly." "What's wrong with the treatment we discovered? Give me an oxygen helmet and tie me to a cable and let me float outside the dome." "You wouldn't float as long as the gravity's on. Besides, we can do it better. In space you lose heat solely by radiation. Radiation depends on surface and the larger a body is the more surface it had in proportion." "Convection is what you meant," said Anti. "Acid alone helps, but a _cold_ acid would combine treatments." "A very cold acid. Supercold." Anti nodded and nodded and then stopped. "A fine piece of reasoning except for one thing. When the temperature is decreased chemical activity slows down." "That's the triumph of my gadget," said Jordan. "It's not only a refrigerant coil but electronically it steps up ionizations as the temperature is lowered. We sacrifice neither effect." Soundlessly Anti sank below the surface and remained there for some time. When she came up acid trickled over her face. "I had to think. It's been so long since I dared hope," she said. "When can I walk?" "I didn't say you would," said Jordan hastily. "There may be a lower limit beyond which it's dangerous to continue the cold acid treatment." "Then what's the use?" said Anti. "I'm not interested in merely reducing. I'll still be bigger than a house. I want to get around." "This is the first step," explained Jordan patiently. "After this is successful we'll think of something else." "What language," said Anti. "The first step when obviously I'm nowhere near taking one. Can't you turn off the gravity?"