ere bulging with
smooth muscle.

He was considerably larger than the man in the pilot room, and whereas
the other had been a pale yellow in color, this man was burned to a more
healthy shade of tan. His features were regular and pleasing; his hair
was black and straight; his high forehead denoted a high degree of
intelligence, and his clear black eyes, under heavy black eyebrows,
seemed curious, but friendly.

His nose was rather thin, but not sharp, and his mouth was curved in a
smile of welcome. His chin was firm and sharp, distinct from his face
and neck.

They looked each other over, and Arcot smiled as their eyes met.

"Torlos," said the alien, pointing to his great chest.

"Arcot," replied the Earthman, pointing to himself. Then he pointed to
the stranger. "Torlos." He knew he hadn't pronounced it exactly as the
alien had, but it would suffice.

The stranger smiled in approval. "Ahcut," he said, pointing to the
Earthman.

Then he pointed to the comparatively thin arms of the Earthman, and to
his own. Then he pointed to Arcot's head and to the mechanism he wore on
his back, then to his own head, and went through the motions of walking
with great effort.

Again he pointed at Arcot's head, nodding his own in approval.

Arcot understood immediately what was meant. The alien had indicated
that the Earthman was comparatively weak, but that he had no need of
muscle, for he made his head and his machines work for him. And he had
decided that the head was better!

Arcot looked at the man's eyes and concentrated on the idea of
friendship, projecting it with all his mental power. The black eyes
suddenly widened in surprise, which quickly turned to pleasure as he
tried to concentrate on one thought.

It was difficult for Arcot to interpret the thoughts of the alien; all
his concepts were in a different form. At last, he caught the idea of
location--but it was location in the interrogative! How was he to
interpret that?

Then it hit him. Torlos was asking: "Where are you from?"

Arcot pulled a pad of paper and a pencil from his pocket and began to
sketch rapidly. First, he drew the local galaxy, with dots for stars,
and swept his hand around him. He made one of the dots a little heavier
and pointed at the bright blur in the cloudy sky above them. Then he
drew a circle around that dot and put another dot on it, at the same
time indicating the planet beneath them.

Torlos showed that he understood.

Arcot co