"It's the payoff question," Cercy said. "No use throwing a spear at a man who can turn into one." "How about this?" Malley asked. "Taking it for granted he can turn into anything, how about putting him in a situation where he'll be attacked even _after_ he alters?" "I'm listening," Cercy said. "Say he's in danger. He turns into the thing threatening him. What if _that thing_ were itself being threatened? And, in turn, was in the act of threatening something else? What would he do then?" "How are you going to put that into action?" Cercy asked. "Like this." Malley picked up the telephone. "Hello? Give me the Washington Zoo. This is urgent." The Ambassador turned as the door opened. An unwilling, angry, hungry tiger was propelled in. The door slammed shut. The tiger looked at the Ambassador. The Ambassador looked at the tiger. "Most ingenious," the Ambassador said. At the sound of his voice, the tiger came unglued. He sprang like a steel spring uncoiling, landing on the floor where the Ambassador had been. The door opened again. Another tiger was pushed in. He snarled angrily and leaped at the first. They smashed together in midair. The Ambassador appeared a few feet off, watching. He moved back when a lion entered the door, head up and alert. The lion sprang at him, almost going over on his head when he struck nothing. Not finding any human, the lion leaped on one of the tigers. The Ambassador reappeared in his chair, where he sat smoking and watching the beasts kill each other. In ten minutes the room looked like an abattoir. But by then the Ambassador had tired of the spectacle, and was reclining on his bed, reading. * * * * * "I give up," Malley said. "That was my last bright idea." Cercy stared at the floor, not answering. Harrison was seated in the corner, getting quietly drunk. The telephone rang. "Yeah?" Cercy said. "I've got it!" Darrig's voice shouted over the line. "I really think this is it. Look, I'm taking a cab right down. Tell Harrison to find some helpers." "What is it?" Cercy asked. "The chaos underneath!" Darrig replied, and hung up. They paced the floor, waiting for him to show up. Half an hour passed, then an hour. Finally, three hours after he had called, Darrig strolled in. "Hello," he said casually. "Hello, hell!" Cercy growled. "What kept you?" "On the way over," Darrig said, "I read the Ambassador's philosophy. It's quite a work." "Is that what took you so long?" "Yes. I had the driver take me around the park a few times, while I was reading it." "Skip it. How about--" "I can't skip it," Darrig said, in a strange, tight voice. "I'm afraid we were wrong. About the aliens, I mean. It's perfectly right and proper that they should rule us. As a matter of fact, I wish they'd hurry up and get here." But Darrig didn't look certain. His voice shook and perspiration poured from his face. He twisted his hands together, as though in agony.