He only knew that when the tiger roared, he whirled around with his gun leveled, saw the six-inch teeth, got wholesomely and sanely scared, and then everything was all right. He knew he was all right when he got the right reaction from sight of the almost naked girl holding the tiger. For a long moment it was a frozen-action tableau. The huge orange and black beast. The wide-eyed young brunette nudist, and the tropical forest with the great big fat sun overhead. The girl's voice nailed it all down. "Don't be afraid. Rondo won't hurt you." Kirk's resentment flared warmly and, had resentment been a tangible thing, he would have kissed it. "You're tootin' right he won't, sister. This isn't a toy I'm holding." "Rondo is very gentle." Kirk eyed the girl. "Why don't you put some clothes on?" Her teeth were as bright and even as little white knives but her smile took the edge off them. "Only people in the city wear clothes. I wear them when I'm in the city. When I come out here I--" "--you don't wear any clothes. Tell me--where am I?" "Don't you know?" "Let's not play games. If I knew I wouldn't ask you." "Did you come on the ship?" "You saw me get out of it didn't you? Now answer my question." And he realized how certain he was of what her answer would be. "On Mythox." "Well fancy that. Now tell me something else. Do you know what language you're speaking?" "Of course. English." "And why should you speak English on Mythox? Haven't you got a language of your own?" "Certainly. But you're obviously from Earth. I thought you were a Watcher. I tried English. If you hadn't responded I'd have spoken to you in the other Earth languages." "How many do you know?" "Eleven hundred and seventeen. With various dialects, four thousand and--" "There aren't that many." She looked puzzled. Then her face cleared. "Oh you mean Earth languages. I was referring to those of the Five Galaxies." I'm not going to be surprised at anything, he told himself doggedly. Not at anything. "Do you know anyone named Naia North?" * * * * * There was a childlike seriousness in her manner. It tended to deny the maturity of her body. Or was it the other way around? Martin Kirk wasn't sure, and grimly assured himself that he didn't give a damn. The girl said, "I don't know anyone by that name. But I could find her for you." "How would you go about it?" "I'd go to the city and check the video-directory, naturally." "Naturally. And you'd put your clothes on before you went?" "Of course I would. We go without clothing only out here in the playground." Kirk realized he'd been holding the gun rigidly in front of him. The tiger had dropped to the ground and lay outstretched like a lazy, good-natured dog. Kirk lowered the gun, setting his eyes again on the girl. "A minute ago you said you thought I was a Watcher. What did you mean?"