getable were
blue-black when cured, making his frequent expectorations look like
ink.

"Filthy damn stuff!" he grunted, stuffing several handfuls in an empty
overall pocket.

He shuffled down to the brook and tested its temperature with a hand.
Finding it rather cold, he decided against taking a bath. Instead, he
spat into it and watched meditatively as the spot of black was carried
downstream. "I wonder what they turned me loose for," he monologued.

Careful to avoid the spot where the Weapon appeared to have gone, he
returned to the food supply and ate. By then it was getting dark, and
he bedded down for the night on some thick grass under a tree.

"'Y God," he yawned, "I'm glad all these insects don't want nothin' to
do with me."

The Weapon was waiting beside him when he woke up next morning. "Eyes
of your Terran Deity," it said, "I shall now converse with you in your
own tongue. Name yourself, creature!"

* * * * *

The man sat up startled. A moment passed before he said, "I'm
Jake--Jacob Absher. What was that you said?"

"My pronunciation is above reproach, Jacob. Therefore I will not
repeat myself. Attend me closely or I shall punish you."

"'Y God, I heard you all right and you didn't make sense!" said Jacob,
determined not to be frightened. "Now if you aim to talk with me, stop
imitatin' a professor and talk so's a man can understand you. I ain't
scared of you, so leave off makin' threats!"

"Such stupid insolence!" gloated the Weapon. "Already I feel my wrath
growing within me! Since it will anger me even more to explain my
words to you, I will do exactly that. My first words to you were,
'Eyes of your Terran Deity,' an expression you use frequently in a
corrupted form to begin your statements. By studying your language, I
learned that 'Zounds' is a similar corruption referring to the wounds
of the Deity, while 'Strewth' refers to your God's truth. Thus, I was
able to understand, and state in uncorrupted form, your remark, 'Eye
God.'"

"'Tain't what it means," objected Jacob, filling his mouth with ersatz
tobacco. "It just means _by_ God."

The Weapon considered this. "And exactly what is the significance of
such a remark?"

Jacob scratched his whiskered chin. "I reckon you got me there. I
guess it means that I mean what I say."

"In other words, any statement you make following that phrase is to be
taken seriously?"

"Somethin' like that."

"Then it follow