"Crude pottery and stone arrowheads," snapped Donatti. "So what? What's this Z-wave business?" "--were found among buried sub-humanoid bones. It has been an elementary principle among archeologists that proper burial of the dead is an indication of intell-- "Hell!" exploded Donatti. "Z-wave! So this thing came Z-wave from Neovenus. They all do!" "--igence. The arrowheads bear a remarkable resemblance to prehistoric arrowheads found on Terra. However no connection between the stellar planets can be assumed, since arrowheads are a natural bit of design among primitive peoples and--" Here there came another voice! Superimposed upon the dry voice of the commentator for Neosol Wire, the whole was almost impossible to decode and separate: "--like the lever as the basic simple machine which would be "_Stacey, Morrow! Can you hear me? I'm on the air._" "_Yes_, discovered as soon as the first man discovered how to use a _by all that's holy, we hear you! Or at least I do! Morrow?_ _This_ stick of wood as a means of prying a large boulder aside from _is Stacey on Latham Alpha IV, can you hear us on Latham_ the opening of a likely cave, the similar use of a lever some _Gamma VI_?" "_This is Toby Morrow, fellers. Both of your sta-_ where else in the galaxy would not mean that some cultural _tions are coming in like a ton of bricks_." _Nora, now will you_ connection had ever existed between the distant cultures. How- _believe me_?" "_Paul, I do want to believe you, but isn't this a_ ever it is of basic interest to know that there was a civilized _rather short distance as interstellar distances go? Three light_ culture in the galaxy other than Solarium Humankind. Doubt- _months is not anywhere near as far as several light years_." less as the galaxy is explored, other cultures and civilizations "_But this is just the beginning! Can I bring you the rest?_" will be discovered. It is more than likely that other civiliza- "_Do that, my dear and you will have forever proven your_ tions will be found which are still thriving. In fact it is not _place_." "_With you?_" "_With me? No, Paul, I mean with the_ unlikely that our technical perfection may be overshadowed _worlds of science and men. You should know your place with_ by some greater culture whose history of development may _me_." "_Should I?_" "_You should, Paul._" "_Where?_" "_You wouldn't_ extend back earlier than the history of Mankind. _want me to say this over the air?_" "_Not hardly._" Donatti listened to the unmistakable sounds of ardent osculation with a saccharine expression on his face. Then the fatuous look died to be replaced by sudden excitement. With one hand he stopped the playback and with the other he grabbed the telephone. "Get me Huston!" he roared. "What do you need a telephone for?" asked the operator. The connection was made in a hurry. "Huston! The Z-wave is in!" "In?" "It's in, goddammit and I've got proof!" "Proof?" "Don't stand there gabbing. Get over here!"