Pordo visited us the next day, anxious to let us know how he was progressing. He bowed his silly, condescending bow. "I drusd you have slepd well, gendlemen. I am indeed sorry dere are no bedder quarders available, bud de choice rooms of de palace are quide well-filled wid de visiding diplomads of our allies. Incidendally, de Pludonians have also arrived for de experimend!" "You mean you're going to conduct the experiment right here on Jupiter?" Augie exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Dad is precisely whad I mean!" the Jovian bit out. "Do you objecd?" Augie was too confused to offer a reply. He just stood staring at Pordo, tiny beads of sweat popping out on his forehead. "You will ask why," Pordo divined. "And I can see no danger in delling you. We have god do desd de formula firsd on a selecded few individuals from Pludo. Accordingly, de dwendy-five mosd highly advanced indellecds of Pludo have been broughd here do de palace and will undergo de speeded up evolushion process. In dis way, we may make advance condacd wid de enlighdened Pludonians, before evolving de masses, and make a pacd wid dem, pledging deir planed's aid in our projecd. Den, de millions of odders will receive de dreadmend and we will be ready do acd! We are nod doo sdupid do realize de evolved creadures mighd possess animosidy doward our purpose. Dus, in our firsd experimend, we are evolving no more dan can be easily eliminaded, should dey prove hosdile. De formula is even now being prepared and will be applied immediadely. According do Misder Dwilken's dada, de process should be complede in dwo monds, ad de mosd. Id is pleasand to condemplade, isn'd id, gendlemen?" "It will never work!" Augie shrieked. "Your plan is utterly mad!" "Id _bedder_ work," Pordo said significantly, "or I'm afraid I shall be forced do adminisder drasdic punishment do dose who have dus wasded my dime. Good-day, gendlemen!" We watched the receding figures through the bars and, when Pordo was out of sight, Augie said through grim lips: "I don't like it, Tod. He's hitting into something he can't handle!" The fifth day of our confinement, Augie did something that almost put the fat in the fire. A guard brought our food and water each day and would dawdle awhile in the cell, heaping salt on our wounds by informing us of how well the experiment was going forward. This day he was exceptionally boastful and Augie was feeling particularly testy about the whole thing. The Jovian had explained in much detail how you could actually _see_ the Plutonians evolving as the formula took effect. His eyes bugged in awe as he told how the skin and flesh stretched and twisted on the skeletons, forming itself into new substance. As he turned to leave, smug in the knowledge he had paved the way for a sleepless night, Augie jumped from the cot and hissed after him: "_Mismu T!_" * * * * *