"No," Hilton said, with an almost imperceptible flick of an eyelid. "Coincidence is as meaningless as paradox. I think they found out that--barring freaks--the best minds are in the best bodies." "Could be. The idea has been propounded before." "Now let's get to work." Hilton flipped the switch of the recorder. "Starting with you, Sandy, each of you give a two-minute boil-down. What you found and what you think." * * * * * Something over an hour later the meeting adjourned and Hilton and Sandra strolled toward the control room. "I don't know whether you convinced Alexander Q. Kincaid or not, but you didn't quite convince me," Sandra said. "Nor him, either." "Oh?" Sandra's eyebrows "No. He grabbed the out I offered him. I didn't fool Teddy Blake or Temple Bells, either. You four are all, though, I think." "Temple? You think _she's_ so smart?" "I don't _think_ so, no. Don't fool yourself, chick. Temple Bells looks and acts sweet and innocent and virginal. Maybe--probably--she is. But she isn't showing a fraction of the stuff she's really got. She's heavy artillery, Sandy. And I mean _heavy_." "I think you're slightly nuts there. But do you really believe that the Board was playing Cupid?" "Not trying, but doing. Cold-bloodedly and efficiently. Yes." "But it wouldn't _work_! We aren't going to get lost!" "We won't need to. Propinquity will do the work." "Phooie. You and me, for instance?" She stopped, put both hands on her hips, and glared. "Why, I wouldn't marry _you_ if you ..." "I'll tell the cockeyed world you won't!" Hilton broke in. "Me marry a damned female Ph.D.? Uh-uh. Mine will be a cuddly little brunette that thinks a slipstick is some kind of lipstick and that an isotope's something good to eat." "One like that copy of Murchison's Dark Lady that you keep under the glass on your desk?" she sneered. "Exactly...." He started to continue the battle, then shut himself off. "But listen, Sandy, why should we get into a fight because we don't want to marry each other? You're doing a swell job. I admire you tremendously for it and I like to work with you." "You've got a point there, Jarve, at that, and I'm one of the few who know what kind of a job _you're_ doing, so I'll relax." She flashed him a gamin grin and they went on into the control room. It was too late in the day then to do any more exploring; but the next morning, early, the _Perseus_ lined out for the city of the humanoids. * * * * * Tula turned toward her fellows. Her eyes filled with a happily triumphant light and her thought a lilting song. "I have been telling you from the first touch that it was the Masters. It _is_ the Masters! The Masters are returning to us Omans and their own home world!" * * * * * "Captain Sawtelle," Hilton said, "Please land in the cradle below."