"Not too good," laughed the one on Guy's left. "You did better as Inualdi the last time." "You'll excuse us," smiled the first, "if we treat this matter lightly. You know us and we know you. Furthermore, we know you know us and you know we know it. We'd like to follow your wishes, Elanane, but we cannot think of you as anything other than Lanee Elanane. May we have your forgiveness?" Guy smiled, nodded, and gave up. To himself he admitted that he was licked. Whatever his next move was, it was out of the question now. It must be a spur-of-the-moment plan, Guy thought, and he decided to bluff it out as long as he could. He'd try valiantly, for if Ertene failed him, he was a man without a planet. He reminded himself that he had one ace in the hole. The partly-finished thought-beam instrument. If they questioned his motives, he could ask permission to finish that and let them see for themselves that his interest was only in saving Ertene. With the eyes of his captors on his back, Guy strode across the cabin of the luxurious flier and without hesitation opened the door, stepping into the inner compartment. He had little hope that he would be able to fool Thomakein, but he must try. The door swung shut behind him, and as it slammed, the flier lifted into the sky, effectively cutting Guy's retreat completely. * * * * * "Come in--sit down," greeted the Ertinian. "You seem to have been expecting me?" "Yes--but we knew you'd show up sooner or later. Had things become acute, I think we might have made an open appeal. But you are in time." "Anything urgent?" "The Terran, Guy Maynard, ah--talked open!" "Uh ... he--What?" Guy blinked. It was too close to home not to stagger him. This was one place where he'd be forced into carefulness. He'd have to watch his step. Discussing himself as a third party was more than likely to bring out too many things that he, as Elanane, could not possibly know. If he were to fool Thomakein--and it looked all right at this point--he'd have to submerge himself in Elanane's unknown personality, and use Elanane's unknown knowledge. That could be done by permitting Thomakein to do all the talking. Well, he'd permit Thomakein to talk continually. And then it filtered into Guy's dazed mind that the last words had been spoken in Terran. The term "Talked open" was a Terran idiom--and-- _It had been expressed in Terran!_ "You seem surprised, Elanane. I'm amused. Really, I'm sorry that the shock should come to you this way, Guy, but you have lost all resemblance to Elanane in the last few minutes. Guy, don't you recognize me?" Guy stood open-jawed and stared at the Ertinian. Slowly, uncertainly, Guy shook his head in negation.