said somberly. "In
quicksand, one drowns slowly."

Dfar-Lll gave a start. _Surely you don't intend to lead them back to
base?_

_Precisely. The swamp is unfit for settlement._

_But to return voluntarily to captivity?_

_Who mentioned anything about captivity? Assisted by our new friends, we
have an excellent chance of taking over the ship and supplies by a
surprise attack._

_But why should these aliens assist us?_

Jrann-Pttt smiled. _Oh, I think they will. Yes, I have every confidence
in Plan C._

"I suggest," the professor said, ignoring his wife's pessimism, "that
each one of us pull a branch from a tree. We can test the ground before
we step on it, to make sure that there is solid footing underneath."

"Good idea," the captain approved. He reached out the arm that was not
occupied with Miss Anspacher and tugged at a tree limb.

And then he and the lady physicist were both floundering in the ooze.

"Well, really, Captain Greenfield!" she cried, refusing his aid in
extricating herself. "I always thought you were at least a gentleman in
spite of your illiteracy!"

"Wha--what happened?" he asked as he struggled out of the mud.
"Something pushed me; I swear it."

Jrann-Pttt mentalized. "It seems the tree did not like your trying to
remove a branch."

"The tree!" Greenfield's pale blue eyes bulged. "You're joking!"

"Not at all. As a matter of fact, I myself have been wondering why there
were so many thought-streams and yet so few animals around here. It
never occurred to me that the vegetation could be sentient and have such
strong emotive defenses. In all my experience as a botanist, I--"

"I thought you were a zoologist," Bernardi interrupted.

"My people do not believe in excessive specialization," the saurian
replied.

"Trees that think?" Mortland inquired incredulously.

"They're not very bright," Jrann-Pttt explained, "but they don't like
having their limbs pulled off. I don't suppose you would, either, for
that matter."

"I propose," Miss Anspacher said, shaking out her wet hair, "that we
break up the camp stools and use the sticks instead of branches to help
us along."

"Good idea," the captain said, trying to get back into her good graces.
"I always knew women could put their brains to use if they tried."

She glared at him.

"I thought we'd use the furniture to make a fire later," Mortland
complained. "For tea, you know."

"The ground's much too wet," Professor Bernardi replied