“We didn’t want to come down where we might destroy anything.” “There is nothing to destroy in the jungle,” said Tanub. “Why do you have such a big city?” asked Orne. Silence. “I said: Why do you—” “You are ignorant of our ways,” said Tanub. “Therefore, I forgive you. The city is for our race. We must breed and be born in sunlight. Once—long ago—we used crude platforms on the tops of the trees. Now ... only the ... wild ones do this.” Stetson’s voice hissed in Orne’s ears: _“Easy on the sex line, boy. That’s always touchy. These creatures are oviparous. Sex glands are apparently hidden in that long fur behind where their chins ought to be.”_ “Who controls the breeding sites controls our world,” said Tanub. “Once there was another city. We destroyed it.” “Are there many ... wild ones?” asked Orne. “Fewer each year,” said Tanub. _“There’s how they get their slaves,”_ hissed Stetson. “You speak excellent Galactese,” said Orne. “The High Path Chief commanded the best teacher,” said Tanub. “Do you, too, know many things, Orne?” “That’s why I was sent here,” said Orne. “Are there many planets to teach?” asked Tanub. “Very many,” said Orne. “Your city—I saw very tall buildings. Of what do you build them?” “In your tongue—glass,” said Tanub. “The engineers of the _Delphinus_ said it was impossible. As you saw—they are wrong.” _“A glass-blowing culture,”_ hissed Stetson. _“That’d explain a lot of things.”_ Slowly, the disguised sled crept through the jungle. Once, a scout swooped down into the headlights, waved. Orne stopped on Tanub’s order, and they waited almost ten minutes before proceeding. “Wild ones?” asked Orne. “Perhaps,” said Tanub. A glowing of many lights grew visible through the giant tree trunks. It grew brighter as the sled crept through the last of the jungle, emerged in cleared land at the edge of the city. Orne stared upward in awe. The city fluted and spiraled into the moonlit sky. It was a fragile appearing lacery of bridges, winking dots of light. The bridges wove back and forth from building to building until the entire visible network appeared one gigantic dew-glittering web. “All that with glass,” murmured Orne. _“What’s happening?”_ hissed Stetson. Orne touched his throat contact. _“We’re just into the city clearing, proceeding toward the nearest building.”_ “This is far enough,” said Tanub. * * * * * Orne stopped the sled. In the moonlight, he could see armed Gienahns all around. The buttressed pedestal of one of the buildings loomed directly ahead. It looked taller than had the scout cruiser in its jungle landing circle. Tanub leaned close to Orne’s shoulder. “We have not deceived you, have we, Orne?” “Huh? What do you mean?” “You have recognized that we are not mutated members of your race.” Orne swallowed. Into his ears came Stetson’s voice: _“Better admit it.”_ “That’s true,” said Orne.