life. I wish you to transplant me within the bodies of five
living men._"

* * * * *

The words, so unexpected, took Hawk Carse by perhaps the greatest
surprise he had ever known. For a time he was completely astounded; he
could hardly credit his ears. It required a full minute for him to
summon even the most halting reply.

"But--but could that be done?" He strove to collect himself, to
consider logically this course that he had never dreamed would be
requested. "Who could do it? I know of no man."

"_Dr. Ku Sui could transplant me._"

"Ku Sui? He could, but he wouldn't. He would destroy you, rather."

Almost immediately the artificial voice responded:

"_You have said, Captain Carse, that you will soon have Ku Sui
captive. Will you not attempt to force him to do as I desire?_"

Carse considered the suggestion, but it did not seem remotely
possible. Ku Sui could not be prevented from having endless
opportunities for destroying the brains while enjoying the manual
freedom necessary to perform the operations of re-embodying them.

"I do not see how," he began--and then he cut off his words abruptly.

Something had come into his mind, a memory of something Eliot Leithgow
had told him once, long before. Slowly the details came back in full,
and at their remembrance his right hand rose to the odd bangs of
flaxen hair concealing his forehead and began to smooth them, and a
ghost of a smile appeared on his thin lips.

"Perhaps," he murmured. "I think ... perhaps...."

He said decisively into the grille:

"Yes! I think it's quite possible that I can force Ku Sui to
transplant you into living bodies! I think--I _think_--I cannot be
sure--that it can be done. At least I will make a very good attempt."

The toneless, mechanical voice uttered:

"_Captain Carse, you bring me hope. My thoughts are many, and they are
grateful._"

But the Hawk had made a promise, and had to be formally freed of the
duty it entailed.

"You release me, then," he asked, "from my original promise to destroy
you?"

"_I release you, Captain Carse. And again I thank you._"

The adventurer returned the switches motivating the case, and the
faint smile returned to his lips at the thought that had come to him.

But the smile vanished suddenly at the quick, excited words that came
crackling into his helmet receiver.

"Carse? Carse? Do you hear me?"

He threw over his microphone control.

"Yes, Ban? Wha