* * *

Bullard went back to his ship, and Hansen went to bed. He dreamed of His
Exalted Excellency R'thagna Bar, growing angrier day by day as the time of
mating came closer. In his dream he suddenly came upon a magnificent
solution to the problem, a solution involving a telepathic system of
fertilization. He woke up before he had completely worked out the details.

Bullard's friend arrived the same morning. He was a small, dark active
little man whom Hansen immediately disliked.

"Meet Dr. Quemos," Bullard said when Hansen dropped in on them. "Dr. Quemos
is a specialist in the history of technology. He thinks he knows how our
cute little door mechanism is made."

"Can't say for sure," Quemos said, "but I'd guess that those components are
made of metal--real metal."

"I thought that metal was used only in jewelry," Hansen said.

Dr. Quemos grinned slyly. "That's what most people think. Actually, refined
metal of various types was used in large masses, formed masses, for
thousands of years. Historically speaking, the pseudo-mets are relatively
new."

"It's difficult to imagine metal functioning as machinery," Hansen mused.

"And you say that this door mechanism has moving parts, lots of them?"

"Moving parts are nothing to be afraid of," Quemos said. "Here, look at
this." He put something small on the table, much in the manner of a young
boy dropping a garter snake in the midst of school girls. Bullard and
Hansen crowded around. "Now, take turns," said Quemos sharply, "and don't
drop it. It's priceless, I assure you." The ancient wrist watch with its
transparent back was passed from hand to hand.

"Frightening little monster, isn't it," Bullard said.

"Those small round wheels are called gears," elucidated Quemos, "one gear
turns another, which turns another, and so on. I rather imagine that your
door is operated on some similar principle."

"I seem to be the one who asks all the schoolboy questions," Hansen began,
"would somebody tell me why Captain Fromer doesn't take His Excellency to
his home planet, land the ship, and then let his technical staff tear off
the door mechanism?"

"We've gone through that," Bullard said wearily. "Unfortunately we need
special tools. And there's no way to get them into the ship."

"Can I speak to Captain Fromer?" Quemos asked.

"Right away," Hansen said. He pressed his hand in various patterns on his
belt. "This is Hansen. Let us talk to Captain Fromer, plea