raised an eyebrow. "That ought to rock them," he said.

"They were eager to talk to us," I said. "That means they want
something, in my opinion. And all the big talk sounds like a bluff of
our own is our best line."

"Why do you want to antagonize them, Captain?" Joyce asked. "That ship
is over a thousand times the size of this can."

"Joyce, I suggest you let me forget you're around," I said.

* * * * *

The Mancji whine was added to my message, and it went out. Moments later
this came back:

MANCJI HONOR DICTATES YOUR SAFE-CONDUCT; TALK IS WEARYING; WE FIND
IT CONVENIENT TO SOLICIT A TRANSFER OF ELECTROSTATIC FORCE.

"What the devil does that mean?" I said. "Tell them to loosen up and
explain themselves."

Mannion wrote out a straight query, and sent it. Again we waited for a
reply.

It came, in a long windy paragraph stating that the Mancji found
electro-static baths amusing, and that "crystallization" had drained
their tanks. They wanted a flow of electrons from us to replenish their
supply.

"This sounds like simple electric current they're talking about,
Captain," Mannion said. "They want a battery charge."

"They seem to have power to burn," I said. "Why don't they generate
their own juice? Ask them; and find out where they learned Interlingua."

Mannion sent again; the reply was slow in coming back. Finally we got
it:

THE MANCJI DO NOT EMPLOY MASSIVE GENERATION-PIECE WHERE
ACCUMULATOR-PIECE IS SUFFICIENT. THIS SIMPLE TRADE SPEECH IS OF OLD
KNOWLEDGE. WE SELECT IT FROM SYMBOLS WE ARE PLEASED TO SENSE
EMPATTERNED ON YOUR HULL.

That made some sort of sense, but I was intrigued by the reference to
Interlingua as a trade language. I wanted to know where they had learned
it. I couldn't help the hope I started building on the idea that this
giant knew our colony, in spite of the fact that they were using an
antique version of the language, predating Omega by several centuries.

I sent another query, but the reply was abrupt and told nothing except
that Interlingua was of "old knowledge."

Then Mannion entered a long technical exchange, getting the details of
the kind of electric power they wanted.

"We can give them what they want, no sweat, Captain," he said after half
an hour's talk. "They want DC; 100 volt, 50 amp will do."

"Ask them to describe themselves," I directed. I was beginning to get an
idea.

Mannion sent, got his rep