Ullo snapped his tentacle tip quietly in assent. He remembered from his history the dreadfully long period of his own race's expansion throughout the system of Zillor. These _Earthmen_, however, seemed from Zoya's report to possess certain advantages. Their requirements of air and water were moderate and more easily stored in a space vessel. If they _had_ discovered a form of subspace drive, they might be energetic enough to pop up in the vicinity of Zillor some fine day. "You will imagine my amazement," continued Zoya, "when I heard one of their broadcasts announce that a ship had reached their fourth planet, and another the second--" Ahnu blew out a long, bubbling breath. "All this is doubtless interesting," he snorted, "but what is the immediate emergency?" The image of Zoya aimed both eyestalks rather deliberately at the Supervisor. "They reached and passed this group of satellites," he hissed out. "Do I make clear my dilemma, Great One?" He waited while Ahnu's neck swelled dangerously. Just before the explosion, he continued: "Should they discover me, they will also find the specimens I have collected, except the choicer ones stored on my subspace vessel for transport home. This is what I mean--" Zoya reached out to touch a button, and the scene changed to what was evidently the dissecting laboratory of his base. Behind a transparent bulkhead hung several sorts of carcasses in various stages of dismemberment. Ullo suspected that the storeroom was simply left at the temperature of the moon's surface. "Very well!" exclaimed Ahnu as the scout reappeared. "You seem to be operating a sort of butcher shop with some of the most ugly specimens ever seen. What about it?" Ullo felt sorry for the scout. Even he--indeed, as he saw by the twitch of their eyestalks, even the technicians--had realized the problem. Zoya patiently explained, forbearing to mention that his instructions were laid out by Ahnu. "If you will refer to descriptions in my preliminary report, Great One, you will see that certain of the specimens are _Earthmen_ themselves. Should their explorers discover them, I have reason to believe they would be resentful. It is my opinion that they are a belligerent race." Ahnu was silent for a moment. "Well ... yes ... that is possible," he admitted. "It would appear," he continued in another moment, "that you must either abandon your base or dispose of your specimens if, as you say, the _Earthmen_ have so soon reached your vicinity." Zoya waited. Ullo stirred in his tub. "If I may suggest, Great One--?" "Yes?" "I believe he should destroy his subspace ship!" "_What!_" "I am inclined to agree," Zoya Lar-Tul put in. * * * * * Amazed, Ahnu waited for Ullo's reasons. Encouraged by such consideration, the latter went on. "If these _Earthmen_ are already on their way to the ringed planet, they will undoubtedly stop first at the largest moon--where Zoya has left his main ship."