Ellik held his head with his hands. "Of course, of course. There's no limit to the depths to which he would plummet." He ran over to the corner and snatched a communicator off the pile of our gear. "I'm going to call him and tell him what I think of him and his wild obsession." I didn't remind Ellik that he had been telling Chon just that at least once a day for a month. I knew his nerves got tighter and tighter and cussing out Chon helped release them and make him feel better. "Come down, Lee!" Ellik called. "The three of us can make the jump together. You're martyring yourself for a crazy reason!" "We've talked this over before," Chon answered. "This is the last time I'm going to respond to your call. I've made it clear to you that I think knowledge of this world will cause great suffering, a lot of death, among the majority of Earth's people." "You're talking prejudice, Lee! _Your_ prejudice. People aren't like that any more." "We haven't gone _that_ far, Mike. The bigots, the hatemongers, the pettiness and xenophobia lurking in everybody haven't been asleep that long. Just look at it from _my_ side, Mike. What will the white people of Earth think about the Orientals, Negroes and Indians of Earth when they find out the dark-skinned humanoids of another planet are--measurably, unquestionably, vastly--_inferior_ to the light-skinned race of the same world? I ask you, Mike!" * * * * * Mike Ellik said, "It's an inept analogy, Lee, and you know it." "But most people reason by analogy," said Lee Chon. "No, Mike. I have to leave you and Johnny to prevent a recurrence of racial hatred, intolerance and all the ugly consequences on both sides. This is the last time I'll answer you, Mike. I'm getting lonesome. In a few years, I'll get hungry for human companionship. I don't want to be tempted down. Good-by, Johnny. So long, Mike." Ellik screamed. "Wait! Answer one more call, Lee. It's the least you can do for me. I don't know when I'll make it. It may be in a few weeks or a few years. It won't be just argument, Lee. I'll have something you'll _want_ to tell Earth about this place and these people." "I'm still here. Tell it to me now," Chon's voice said. "No. I want to get proof. Let me rig up some kind of video circuit for you. I can use parts out of our tape camera and the translators. I want to get it all across to you." I could hear Chon breathing. "Very well. I'll answer your next call." "Lee," I called out, "Mike and me will be expecting you to answer." Chon laughed. "I'm not going anywhere, Johnny. Only around this world every couple of hours." "You couldn't make the jump through hyperspace without us, Lee," Ellik said. "That's right, Mike. I'm--I'm sorry to quarantine you two down there." "_Quarantine!_" Ellik stormed. "_We're_ not sick, Lee. _You_ are the sick one!" There wasn't any sound, not even of breathing. "You have an idea to change Lee's mind, Mike?" I asked.