Halfway through a listing of sociological and psychological observations, Ullo stiffened. He ran the tape through again. "He'd _better_ get to that ship!" he wheezed to himself. "They sound like a nest of trouble-makers--resourceful, aggressive, just the sort to burst into this system some sweet day and tell us Yaradir is _their_ colony!" He ripped the tape out of the speaker and hurried along a dank corridor to Ahnu's office, not even pausing at his favorite spots to rub against the cool, dripping walls. He found his chief relaxing in an adjoining chamber by submitting to a massage. "Not now!" complained Ahnu at the first mention of _Earthmen_. "Wait till we hear from Zoya. I want to enjoy having my scales oiled in peace!" Ullo spitefully dropped the tape into a pot of scale-grease on the way out, but dutifully returned to his work. Late one night, however, he was reminded of the scout in system LL-255-13. The emergency buzzer beside his sleeping pool awoke him with an urgent summons. The number on the screen beside it indicated the communications chamber now reserved for Zoya Lar-Tul. Still dripping, Ullo pumped down the corridor, encountering his chief at the last turn. Ahnu was irritated. "What can they have spoiled now?" he demanded, as if he suspected Ullo of having had a tentacle in it. "It was a perfectly simple arrangement!" "Perhaps something unexpected came up," suggested Ullo. "What could be unexpected? It was utterly simple!" said Ahnu explosively. "If he beats them to it, he reports from the ship. Otherwise he destroys it and goes back to report from his base!" He slap-slapped irately into their destination, wondering audibly why he had to come down here and direct people's eyestalks for them. "Because, Great One," replied Viri Nol-Rin, a trifle more abruptly than was consistent with proper respect for Ahnu's position, "the televisor at Zoya's base has gone dead!" "What? Why? If you can't keep in communication--" "There _isn't_ any communication," interrupted Viri. Ullo saw that the operator was deeply disturbed. To interrupt--_actually interrupt_--Ahnu Nol-Yev! Even if one was his nephew! "That is why, if you will remember," Viri went on, "I insisted Zoya leave his signal in operation. The chance that his base would be approached by a strange ship sooner than we hoped, and blow up." "So the bomb went off?" said Ullo. "It must have. And, by the figures Zoya gave me before he left, he is long, long overdue at the subspace ship." "Well, what of it?" demanded Ahnu. "It merely means he will have to report from the ship when he ... if he ... if _they_ don't--" He snorted and wheezed into silence. * * * * * Ullo traded stares with Viri. Then he looked at Yado, who wore an equally unhappy expression on his wide visage. "Are you _sure_ he would have reached the ship before now?" Ahnu demanded. "Completely."