ly. "They're molluscoid, Captain," he said. He
looked shocked. "They weigh about two tons each."

"Ask them what they eat," I said.

I turned to Joyce as Mannion worked over the message. "Get Kramer up
here, on the double," I said.

* * * * *

Kramer came in five minutes later, looking drawn and rumpled. He stared
at me sullenly.

"I'm releasing you from arrest temporarily on your own parole, Major," I
said. "I want you to study the reply to our last transmission, and tell
me what you can about it."

"Why me?" Kramer said. "I don't know what's going on." I didn't answer
him.

There was a long tense half hour wait before Mannion copied out the
reply that came in a stuttering nasal. He handed it to me.

As I had hoped, the message, after a preliminary recital of the
indifference of the Mancji to biological processes of ingestion, recited
a list of standard biochemical symbols.

"Can we eat this stuff?" I asked Kramer, handing him the sheet.

He studied it, and some of his accustomed swagger began to return. "I
don't know what the flowery phrases are all about, but the symbols refer
to common proteins, lipins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and biomins," he
said. "What is this, a game?"

"All right, Mannion," I said. I was trying to hold back the excitement.
"Ask them if they have fresh sources of these substances aboard."

The reply was quick; they did.

"Tell them we will exchange electric power for a supply of these foods.
Tell them we want samples of half a dozen of the natural substances."

Again Mannion coded and sent, received and translated, sent again.

"They agree, Captain," he said at last. "They want us to fire a power
lead out about a mile; they'll come in close and shoot us a specimen
case with a flare on it. Then we can each check the other's
merchandise."

"All right," I said. "We can use a ground-service cable; rig a pilot
light on it, and kick it out, as soon as they get in close."

"We'll have to splice a couple of extra lengths to it," Mannion said.

"Go to it, Mannion," I said. "And send two of your men out to make the
pick-up." This wasn't a communications job, but I wanted a reliable man
handling it.

I returned to the bridge and keyed for Bourdon, directed him to arm two
of his penetration missiles, lock them onto the stranger, and switch
over to my control. With the firing key in my hand, I stood at the
televideo screen and watched for any signs of t