urer eat his guarantee."

"Oh, well, what does time matter to us now?" Professor Bernardi pointed
out as he rose from his leafy couch with a loud creak. All of them--even
the saurians--had aches and pains in every joint and muscle as a result
of the unaccustomed exercise and the damp climate. "We are out of its
reach. It has no present meaning for us."

This depressed them all. Only the vine seemed in good health and
spirits. "I notice you're all wearing clothes except for the short
four-legged gentleman with the home-grown fur coat," it chattered
happily. "Do you think I'll be socially acceptable without them? I
wouldn't want to make a bad impression at the very start--or would
leaves do?"

Everybody looked at Jrann-Pttt. "We are not a narrow-minded species," he
said hastily. "I'm sure your leaves will be more than adequate."

After a breakfast of fish and berries stewed in tea--which the vine
declined with thanks--the various members of the party gathered up
their belongings and resumed their journey. Encrusted with dried purple
mud and grime, their clothes deliberately torn by anti-social shrubbery,
their chins--of the males, that is--disfigured by hirsute growths, the
terrestrials made a sorry spectacle. It was hot, boiling hot, and more
humid than ever.

"Well," said Miss Anspacher, letting the Swahili marching song with
which she had been attempting to encourage the company peter out, "I do
hope we'll reach your city soon, Jrann-Pttt. I must say I could use a
hot bath." She added hastily, "Hot baths are a peculiar cultural trait
of ours."

"I could use one myself," Jrann-Pttt said. He brushed his scales
fastidiously.

"I'm looking forward so to meeting your relatives," she said, grabbing
his left arm determinedly. "I'm not violating a taboo or anything, am
I?" _It isn't really slimy; it just feels that way._

"Not one of my people's. But I'm afraid you are violating a terrestrial
taboo, judging from the thoughts I pick up from your captain's mind."

"Oh, him--he's a stupid fool!"

"Not at all. Rough, perhaps. Untutored, yes. But with a good deal of
native intelligence, although fearfully primitive."

"Perhaps I was too harsh," Miss Anspacher observed thoughtfully. _The
captain ... is good-looking in a brutal sort of way, although not nearly
as handsome or even as spiritual in appearance as Jrann-Pttt. And
sometimes I almost think he_--she blushed to herself--_shows a certain
partiality for my company