"I'm not used to going without my Skin. There are things I miss. For one thing, I don't know what you're thinking, Jean-Jacques. I don't know whether you're angry at me or love me or are indifferent to me. I don't know where other people _are_. I don't feel the joy of the little animals playing, the freedom of the flight of birds, the ghostly plucking of the growing grass, the sweet stab of the mating lust of the wild-horned apigator, the humming of bees working to build a hive, and the sleepy stupid arrogance of the giant cabbage-eating _deuxnez_. I can feel nothing without the Skin I have worn so long. I feel alone." Rastignac replied, "You are not alone. I am with you." Lusine spoke in a low voice, her large brown eyes upon his. "I, too, feel alone. My Skin is gone, the Skin by which I knew how to act according to the wisdom of my father, the Amphib King. Now that it is gone and I cannot hear his voice through the vibrating tympanum, I do not know what to do." "At present," replied Rastignac, "you will do as I tell you." Mapfarity repeated, "What now?" Rastignac became brisk. He said, "We go to your castle, Giant. We use your smithy to put sharp points on our swords, points to slide through a man's body from front to back. Don't pale! That is what we must do. And then we pick up your goose that lays the golden eggs, for we must have money if we are to act efficiently. After that, we buy--or steal--a boat and we go to wherever the Earthman is held captive. And we rescue him." "And then?" said Lusine, her eyes shining with emotion. "What you do then will be up to you. But I am going to leave this planet and voyage with the Earthman to other worlds." Silence. Then Mapfarity said, "Why leave here?" "Because there is no hope for this land. Nobody will give up his Skin. _Le Beau Pays_ is doomed to a lotus-life. And that is not for me." Archambaud jerked a thumb at the Amphib girl. "What about her people?" "They may win, the water-people. What's the difference? It will be just the exchange of one Skin for another. Before I heard of the landing of the Earthman I was going to fight no matter what the cost to me or inevitable defeat. But not now." Mapfarity's rumble was angry. "Ah, Jean-Jacques, this is not my comrade talking. Are you sure you haven't swallowed your Skin? You talk as if you were inside-out. What is the matter with your brain? Can't you see that it will indeed make a difference if the Amphibs get the upper hand? Can't you see _who_ is making the Amphibs behave the way they have been?" Rastignac urged the Renault towards the rose-colored lacy castle high upon a hill. The vehicle trotted tiredly along the rough and narrow forest path. "What do you mean?" he said.