"The human eye is not the animal eye," said the Martian. "An animal eye sees only meaningless shapes; animals use all their senses to identify objects. But the human eye sees concepts, Jery Delvin. Where an animal merely discerns eyes, feeding apparatus and breathing vents, the human eye sees a face. Actually, there is no such thing as a face." It was true enough, in a way, that the human eye tended to group otherwise unrelated objects into concepts of non-actual reality. "So how come I can see you, and she can't?" I reiterated. "You are gifted to see true," said the Martian. "Your mind apprehends concepts where it has previously expected to find none. You relate what you see, and correctly. As in the case of your deriving so much information from your conversation with Clatclit. Another man would not have succeeded in that." I shook my head, confused. "But I--I see you!" "No, Jery Delvin. Your mind sees me. Your eyes alone could not possibly view me since I am never entirely here to be viewed. Your eyes see one part of me, then another, then another and another. But your mind rejects the idea that I am four separate entities, and sees me as I am, a unit." "You're here, you say, but you're not here, too?" I choked, feeling positively giddy. "I am not a three-dimensional creature," said the Martian. "We whom you call the Ancients are existing in four dimensions." "I thought Einsteinian physics says that _time_ is the fourth dimension," I said slowly. "It is not _time_," said the Martian. "It is _place_ that is the fourth dimension. What is _here_, Jery Delvin? Or _there_? Remember, there is no _here_ or _there_ except in relationship to something else. If only one small globe of rock comprised existing matter, Jery Delvin, where would it be?" "It--That's silly. _One_ thing can't be anywhere!" I said. "It'd just be floating in a void." Trying to picture such a void made my brain whirl. I gave it up. "I'm glad you understand," said the Martian. "Very well, then. We, your Ancients, are existing in a perfect _here-ness_, of which you can have no concept at all. We are living in not _a_ location, but in _location_ itself." "It's no use," I said. "I can't even picture it." "You're not supposed to," said the Martian, with a mechanical smile of contempt. "Even your mind, Jery Delvin, cannot fathom the magnitude of our being." "Hold on a minute!" I said, changing the subject. "Clatclit told me that you expected to compel my cooperation by keeping the Space Scouts your prisoners unless I obeyed you." "That is correct, Jery Delvin. And so, our desire is that you--" "Damn it!" I exploded. "Stop taking so much for granted! Before I even scratch where it itches to please you guys, I want to see those kids! And in damned good shape, too!" Snow held onto my arm and trembled. This was it. Now we'd know for sure if the boys were all right.