"I think that answers it," she said. "We'll have to check on the other planets, but farm problems seem to be what they're most concerned about." He felt dissatisfied. "Shouldn't we touch one of their minds to see if this is really the political center? It may only be a village meeting." It seemed incongruous to use the wonderful reach of Diving to gather little facts like this and to depart knowing nothing else. Then again, he recalled the doctor describing it as a simple problem. He felt her mind move understandingly within his. "All right, let's touch the Speaker and see how far his authority goes. He'd be very conscious of a superior Congress if there is one." They moved together to the dais and brushed against the Speaker's mind. The short, bald man sitting impressively in the center of the bubble immediately leaned forward and banged his gavel. The entire assembly rose to their feet and stood still. The Speaker slouched in his chair. His mind shook off the influences of his body and rose up to touch the two of them. "Welcome, at last," he said. "You have been expecting us?" "Of course. Though why do you say 'us'?" They moved partly from each other, overlapping only at the extreme limit of their own minds, so that he could see there were two of them together. A gasp sounded in the Speaker's mind like an echo and there was a movement throughout the assembly. "Can they hear us?" Pat asked. "Naturally. Psi capacity is a minimum requirement for the Senate. Can't you hear us?" "Only by mental contact." "How odd," the Speaker replied. "Still, we ourselves cannot merge in each other, only into housings." "Housings?" "But surely.... You must know. Of course you must." "I'm afraid we don't." "For heaven's sake, what part of the Solar System do you come from that you don't know a housing when you see one? Ganymede, Mercury, Jove, Venus, Bacchus? Although I was under the impression that the entire system used the same terms." "One moment," Fred said. "What system are you talking about?" "This system here, naturally." "We come from a different part of the Galaxy, a part that is called the Solar System by those who live there." There was a multiple rustling of thoughts which disturbed the Speaker momentarily. "Please, gentlemen, please! Will every Senator please quit his housing so that we have less of these physical interruptions?" * * * * * Every member of the assembly sat down, relaxed his body and rose gently above it with a clear and uncluttered mind. "Thank you, Senators," the Speaker said. "Now. Do we understand that you come from some other part of our galaxy?" "Yes," Pat said. "We call it the Milky Way." "So do we." "You probably brought the name with you." "You are suggesting that _we_ came from _you_ and brought the name of the Galaxy with us?" "Why, yes." "I see. Would you identify this solar system of yours?"