"At this point, we must attempt to convey the idea of a search for the master machine." "It will not be hard. This race will search rather than return home with an incomplete mission. The rivalry that exists between the leaders insures the success of our plan despite any set-back." * * * * * Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu faced Lane and Downing. All four shook their heads in complete misunderstanding. Then Hotang Lu sketched a crude diagram of the catmen's star-system. He indicated the master machine and also indicated their search for it and its ultimate destruction. Lane gritted his teeth. "How big?" he asked aloud, and pointed from the machine to several bits of equipment in the ship. Toralen Ki said: "Don't know." Hotang Lu nodded in agreement and tried to convey their ignorance of the size. "I gather that they've never seen it." "Chances are if they'd seen it they'd have bopped it themselves," observed Downing. "Reasonable attitude." "Well, we have about ten to the twenty-seventh power square miles of blank and utter nothing to curry-comb for a dingus of some sort." "Blank and utter nothing--hell! I wouldn't mind blank and utter nothing. We could comb it if it weren't for sun, planets, asteroids, meteors, noise-impulses from nowhere-in-particular, just plain hell, and a crew of wild-personalized catmen." Lane paused to take a deep breath. "As it is, the latter is the most complicated of the bunch mentioned. We can't spread out in a space-lattice and comb. We've got to do one of two things. Either we enlist the help--or get freedom of search--of or from the catmen or we comb in a large and armed body." "That's a nice problem. Either way." "As has been mentioned before--'Take it or leave it!'" "Mind explaining how you go about getting chummy with a race that took a swing without asking questions first?" "That's partly our fault. We just invaded." "We couldn't spend a few months getting chummy first. We needed power--and bad." "All right," agreed Lane. "But they didn't know that. And it's all right with me because I'm leery of letting anyone know that I'm vulnerable. Especially people I don't know and therefore cannot trust." "Have we got what it takes to barge in there and settle down? Can we hold them off until we can make it clear that we don't want their stinking planet?" "Have we?" "If we do right now, there'll be a lot of us that stay there for good." "How many of us are expendable?" "All of us as long as that dingbat is destroyed." Lane grimaced. "And how important is it?" Downing gave an "I don't know" wave of his hands. "We might go looking for trouble, Lane." "Meaning catch us a single shipload of catmen and let 'em go, well filled with cream and a fine explanation?" "Might even get a rat or two for them." "Meaning?" Downing grinned maliciously. "Guilty conscience?" he taunted. "Forget it, hothead."