I waited, watching carefully, until Mannion reported the cannister inside. "Kramer," I said. "Run me a fast check on the samples in that container." Kramer was recovering his swagger. "You'll have to be a little more specific," he said. "Just what kind of analysis do you have in mind? Do you want a full...." "I just want to know one thing, Kramer," I said. "Can we assimilate these substances, yes or no. If you don't feel like co-operating, I'll have you lashed to your bunk, and injected with them. You claim you're a medical officer; let's see you act like one." I turned my back to him. Mannion called. "They say the juice we fed them was 'amusing,' Captain. I guess that means it's O.K." "I'll let you know in a few minutes how their samples pan out," I said. * * * * * Kramer took half an hour before reporting back. "I ran a simple check such as I normally use in a routine mess inspection," he began. He couldn't help trying to take the center of the stage to go into his Wise Doctor and Helpless Patient routine. "Yes or no," I said. "Yes, we can assimilate most of it," he said angrily. "There were six samples. Two were gelatinous substances, non-nutritive. Three were vegetable-like, bulky and fibrous, one with a high iodine content; the other was a very normal meaty specimen." "Which should we take?" I said. "Remember your teeth when you answer." "The high protein, the meaty one," he said. "Marked '6'." I keyed for Mannion. "Tell them that in return for 1,000 KWH we require 3,000 kilos of sample six," I said. Mannion reported back. "They agreed in a hurry, Captain. They seem to feel pretty good about the deal. They want to chat, now that they've got a bargain. I'm still taping a long tirade." "Good," I said. "Better get ready to send about six men with an auxiliary pusher to bring home the bacon. You can start feeding them the juice again." I turned to Kramer. He was staring at the video image. "Report yourself back to arrest in quarters, Kramer," I said. "I'll take your services today into account at your court-martial." Kramer looked up, with a nasty grin. "I don't know what kind of talking oysters you're trafficking with, but I'd laugh like hell if they vaporized your precious tub as soon as they're through with you." He walked out. Mannion called in again from ComSection. "Here's their last, Captain," he said. "They say we're lucky they had a good supply of this protein aboard. It's one of their most amusing foods. It's a creature they discovered in the wild state and it's very rare. The wild ones have died out, and only their domesticated herds exist." "O.K., we're lucky," I said. "It better be good or we'll step up the amperage and burn their batteries for them." "Here's more," Mannion said. "They say it will take a few hours to prepare the cargo. They want us to be amused."