"Be serene," advised Urushkidan. "Look at it from te aspect of eternity. You are one of te lower animals and your life is of no importance." "You octopus! You conceited windbag! If I needed any proof that Martians are inferior, you'd be it." "Temper, temper!" Urushkidan wagged a flexible finger at Ray. "Be objective, my friend, and if your philosophy is so deficient tat it will not prove _a priori_ tat Martians are always right--by definition--ten consider te facts. Martians are beautiful. Martians habe an old and peaceful cibilisation. Eben physically, we are superior--we can libe under Earth conditions but I dare you to go out on Mars witout a spacesuit. I double-dog dare you." "Martians," gritted Ray, "didn't come to Earth. Earthmen came to Mars." "Certainly. We had no reason to bisit Earth, but you, of course, came to Mars to admire our beauty and wisdom. Now please fetch me tat table of integrals." "There is nothin ve can do to help ourselves," said Dyann, "so ve might as well go huntin. Afterward ve can make love." "Oh, no!" Ray grunted. "If I had that damn interstellar drive I'd get out of this hole so fast that--that--that--" "Yes?" asked Dyann. * * * * * "Gods of Pluto!" whispered the man. "That's it. _That's it!_" "Get me tat table!" screamed Urushkidan. "The drive--the faster-than-light drive--" Ray did a jig, bouncing from floor to wall to ceiling. "We've got a shipful of equipment, we've got the System's only authority on the subject, we'll build ourselves a faster-than-light engine!" Urushkidan grumbled his way back into the lab. "I'll get it myself, ten," he muttered. "See if I care." "The engine--the engine--Dyann, we can escape!" Ray grabbed her by the arms and tried to shake her. "We can go home!" Her eyes filled with tears. "You vant to leave me," she accused. "You vant to get rid of me." "No, no, no, I want to save all our lives. Come on, give me a hand, we've got some heavy stuff to move around." Dyann shook her head, pouting. "No," she said. "You don't love me. I won't help you." "Oh, Lord! Look, Dyann, I love you, I adore you, I worship at your feet. But give me a hand." Dyann brightened considerably, but said only, "Prove it." Ray kissed her. She kissed back and he yelled as his ribs began to give way. "Yowp! Some other time, honey. I want only to save your life, don't you see?" "Some other time," said Dyann firmly, "is not now. Come here, you." "Stop tat noise!" yelled Urushkidan, and slammed the laboratory door. "Ve will honeymoon on Varann," sighed Dyann happily. "You shall ride to battle at my side." Much later the aroma of coffee drew Urushkidan back into the forward cabin. A disheveled and weary-looking Ray Ballantyne was puttering around the hotplate while Dyann sat polishing her sword and humming to herself. "Now," said Ray, turning with what seemed like relief to the Martian, "just how does this new drive of yours work?"