_After a fashion._ Jrann-Pttt yawned and rose. _But why are we sitting here? Let's start back to our camp. We will be able to converse more comfortably._ They made their way through the jungle--now walking, now wading where the mud became water. Small creatures with hardly any thoughts scurried before them as they went. _The commandant may have already made contact with their rulers_, Dfar-Lll suggested, springing forward to illuminate the way. _In that case, we couldn't hope to remain undiscovered for long._ _Oh, these creatures are not Venusians. There's no intelligent life here. They hail from the third planet of this system and, according to their thoughts, this is the only vessel that was capable of traversing interplanetary space. So we needn't worry about extradition treaties or any other official annoyances._ _If they're friendly, why didn't you spend the night in their ship? It certainly looks more comfortable than our collapsible moslak--which, by the way, collapsed while you were gone. I hope we'll be able to put it up again ourselves. I must say this for the lieutenant--he was good at that sort of thing._ Jrann-Pttt made a gesture of distaste. _He was unfortunately good at other things, too. But let's not discuss him. I'm not staying with the strangers because I want to pick up one or two little things--mostly some of our food to serve them. I used up all the supplies in my pack and I want them to think we're living off the land. They believe me to be a primitive and it's best that they should until I decide just how I'm going to make most efficient use of them. Besides, I didn't want to leave you alone._ The younger saurian sniffed skeptically. * * * * * "Honestly, Pitt," Mrs. Bernardi said, keeping to leeward of the tablecloth the lizard-man was efficiently shaking out of the airlock, "I've never had a--an employee as competent as you." But the word she had in mind, of course, was "servant." "I do wish you'd come back to Earth with us." "Perhaps you would compel me to come?" he suggested, as Algol and the mosquito-bat entered into hot competition to catch the crumbs before they sank into the purple ooze. "Oh, no! We'd want you to come as our guest--our friend." _Naturally_, her thoughts ran, _a house guest would be expected to help with the washing up and lend a hand with the cooking--and, of course, we wouldn't have to pay him. Though my husband, I suppose, would requisition him as a specimen._ _I fully intend to go to Earth with them_, Jrann-Pttt mused, _but certainly not in that capacity. Nor would I care to be a specimen. I must formulate some concrete plan._