the people of Incognita come to know that they exist?"

More silence, then I hear my own voice speaking although it was my
intention to keep quiet for once: it sounds kind of creaky and it
says: "A ship. A crashed ship from Outside."

Whereupon another voice says, "Really! Am I expected to swallow this?"

* * * * *

We had just about forgotten the colonel, not to mention Mr. Yardo who
contributes another "Ha! Ha!" so this reminder comes as a slight
shock, nor do we see what he is talking about but this he proceeds to
explain.

"I don't know why M'Clare thought it necessary to stage this
discussion. I am already acquainted with his plan and have had orders
to co-operate. I have expressed my opinion on using undergraduates in
a job like this and have been overruled. If he, or you, imagine that
priming you to bring out his ideas like this is going to reconcile me
to the whole business you are mistaken. He might have chosen a more
suitable mouthpiece than that child with the curly hair--"

Here everybody wishes to reply at once; the resulting jam produces a
moment of silence and I get in first.

"As for curly hair I am rising twenty-four and I was only saying what
we all thought, if we have the same ideas as M'Clare that is because
he taught us for four years. How else would you set about it anyway?"

My fellow students pick up their stylers and tap solemnly three times
on the table; this is the Russett equivalent of "Hear! Hear!" and the
colonel is surprised.

Eru says coldly, "This discussion has not been rehearsed. As Lizzie ... as
Miss Lee says, we have been working and thinking together for four years
and have been taught by the same people."

"Very well," says Delano-Smith testily. "Tell me this, please: Do you
regard this idea as practicable?"

Cray tilts his chair back and remarks to the ceiling, "This is rather
a farce. I suppose we had to go through our paces for the colonel's
benefit--and Mr. Yardo's of course--but can't we be briefed properly
now?"

"What do you mean by that?" snaps the colonel.

"It's been obvious right along," says Cray, balancing his styler on
one forefinger, "so obvious none of us has bothered to mention it,
that accepting the normal limitations of Mass-Time, the idea of
interfering in Incognita was doomed before it began. No conventional
ship would have much hope of arriving before war broke out; and if it
did arrive it couldn't do anything eff