The purple sphere looked after it sadly. A large crystal tear welled up in each of his great, unhappy eyes and trickled slowly down his purple fur. * * * * * "The little punk didn't cross us after all," admitted Ed Bailey grudgingly, turning momentarily from the controls. "This is enough. It's in better shape than when we bought it," testified Archie. "Okay. Set a course out of this Sector, and we'll hit the road." "Wait a second: We've got to go back there and thank Melancholy." "WHAT did you say? THANK it? Why? It won't understand. It'll just stand there with those idiotic eyes and moon at you." "If it's smart enough to fix our ship, it's worth thanking," proclaimed Archie. "Well," grumbled Ed, "maybe you're right. We'd still be rotting here if it weren't for Fido." "Maybe we can even take him aboard and lug him back to YAP, or wherever he's from. He must be awful lonely here." "Over my dead body. He'd take too much weight. And I don't want to get mixed up with any more Chameleon Tigers. They might not all have such nice, sad eyes. If we bring Fido on here, we drop him off at the nearest zoo. I won't go near YAP. One Fido's enough." "We ought to do something for him, Ed." "Thanking him's too much. I'm not going to cart purple spheres around the galaxy. We'd be the laughing stock of the century. He stays here!" He punched a button fiercely and swung the ship into a sharp curve. "Where'll we set? This place all looks the same." "Just put her down," advised Arch. "I'll bet Melancholy gets there in ten minutes." "How much?" "Fifty." "You're on." The ship whirled down from the sky and slid along the sand. Archie opened the escape hatch and waited. Five minutes later the purple sphere mounted a nearby rise and sidled down into the valley. It halted fifty feet from the ship and watched Archie with sad eyes. "You lose, Ed," announced Archie. "Damn monster," snorted Ed. "Thank it and let's get out of here." "Aren't you going to thank it?" "No, damn it! Me thank a big purple ball? You can thank it for both of us. Might try kicking it a few times and see whether you get any reaction." Archie leaped down on the sand and hurried to the side of the purple sphere. The purple sphere looked at him sadly. Archie petted it between and beneath its eyes. Suddenly he stood up. "Hey Ed! It's been crying!" Ed snorted angrily but said nothing. "No, really, Ed! It's all wet under its eyes, here!" He petted it the more tenderly. The purple sphere looked at him sadly. "Come on," yelled Ed. "I'm sick of this mush." "Just a second," replied Archie. "Well--good-bye," he said to the purple sphere. "I don't know whether you get me. Do you know what I'm saying? No. Thanks anyway." He petted the purple sphere between its great eyes; the eyes watched him sadly. He cursed softly, then turned on his heel and hurried toward the rocket ship. Suddenly he pivoted again and said to the purple sphere: