"Then as I put it, the menslator produces the mental image that Scyth intends. He will say, for instance: 'A gostak distims the doshes,' and because he means that a professional preparer of comestibles has placed an unstated number of crustaceans under an open flame, you receive this statement of Scyth as: 'The cook broiled some lobsters.' Is that clear?" "I can follow you," said Dusty. "This much Scyth explained." "Good. Now let's look at our commonly accepted definition of 'Mechanus'. This means that it works. In other words we have him telling us that their culture has developed a 'workable theory of space-time' which has been taken up after the theory of general relativity displayed a number of gaping holes. So their 'mechanus theory of space-time' is a workable theory." "And where does this lead us?" asked Dusty. "Right back into a circle," said Dr. Ross thoughtfully. "Because if they've developed interstellar travel due to considerations brought about by the mechanus theory, that means that they have proved their theory by practise." Dusty grunted half-humorously. "Isn't this like saying that mud is sticky because it's gooey? Or that winter is cold because of a lack of heat?" Ross nodded. "Or that things fall because of the law of gravity." "But aren't all these things a case of defining 'A' in terms of 'A'?" "What isn't?" demanded Dr. Ross. "You're not looking for the Universal Truth, are you?" "No, but--" "Look, Dusty, the reason that we can afford to accept the fact that one and one adds up to two is simply due to the fact that one and one adds up to two in a great majority of cases." "Wait a minute, Doc. One and one is always two." "Not when you add a quart of alcohol to a quart of water. One and one here adds up to about one point eight." Dusty waved a hand. "That's different." "Not by a long shot, Dusty. There are extenuating circumstances. But this is just a proof of the fact that one and one is not always two." "All right. But where does this leave us?" "In the same damned circle. Granting that your observations are correct, proper, and unwarped by the addition of bourbon, Scyth and his galactic civilization have developed faster-than-light travel which has resulted in the establishment of a galactic government. But the explanation of how it is done cannot be derived from the nomenclature of the theory. Frankly, I have not the faintest idea of how to go about unravelling the word 'phanoband' unless we take it apart from its roots. Let's see, now." * * * * * Brows furrowed and lips pursed, the physicist thought for a long time and then looked apologetically at Dusty.