The day came when I awakened to see both Vauna and her father standing before me. Stern old Tomboldo, with his chalk-smooth face and not a hint of an eyebrow or eyelash, rapped his hand against my ribs, shook the fiber bed lightly, and smiled. From a pocket concealed in his flowing cape, he drew forth the musical watch, touched the button, and played, "Trail of Stars." "I have learned to talk," I said. "You have had a long sleep." "I am well again. See, I can almost walk." But as I started to rise, the wave of blackness warned me, and I restrained my ambition. "I will walk soon." "We will have much to talk about. Your friend has pointed to the stars and told me a strange story of your coming. We have walked around the ship. He has told me how it rides through the sky. I can hardly make myself believe." Tomboldo's eyes cast upward under the strong ridge of forehead where the eyebrows should have been. He was evidently trying to visualize the flight of a space ship. "We will have much to tell each other." "I hope so," I said. "Campbell and I came to learn about the _serpent river_." I resorted to my own language for the last two words, not knowing the Benzendella equivalent. _I_ made an eel-like motion with my arm. But they didn't understand. And before I could explain, the footsteps of other Benzendellas approached, and presently I looked around to see that quite an audience had gathered. The most prominent figure of the new group was the big muscular guard of the black and green diamond markings--Gravgak. "You get well?" Gravgak said to me. His eyes drilled me closely. "I get well," I said. "The blow on the head," he said, "was not meant." I looked at him. Everyone was looking at him, and I knew this was meant to be an occasion of apology. But the light of fire in Vauna's eyes told me that she did not believe. He saw her look, and his own eyes flashed darts of defiance. With an abrupt word to me, he wheeled and started off. "Get well!" The crowd of men and women made way for him. But in the arched doorway he turned. "Vauna. I am ready to speak to you alone." She started. I reached and barely touched her hand. She stopped. "I will talk with you later, Gravgak." "Now!" he shouted. "Alone." He stalked off. A moment later Vauna, after exchanging a word with her father, excused herself from the crowd and followed Gravgak. From the way those in the room looked, I knew this must be a dramatic moment. It was as if she had acknowledged Gravgak as her master--or her lover. He had called for her. She had followed. But her old father was still the master. He stepped toward the door. "Vauna!... Gravgak!... Come back." (I will always wonder what might have happened if he hadn't called them! Was my distrust of Gravgak justified? Had I become merely a jealous lover--or was I right in my hunch that the tall muscular guard was a potential traitor?) Vauna reappeared at once. I believe she was glad that she had been called back.