The Galaxy Primes

fraction of a minute, into the Main. "Good

manded, as all four start

brought me a pot of coffee and wou

oug

tapes yet, so they don't know that r

that coffee business

I think of it myse

he other. "Just what are you two talking about

Not fit to associate with man or beast-not even his own dog, if he had one-when he

ily, sweeping the compliment aside. "Especially amon

bout Jim?"

g Brain, not m

han any of the men Lola's ta

aider. Eats in the middle of the night. Clee probably doesn't. It's

an empty stomach got

have you-but no proof. It isn't always true. However, six or seven hours of empty stomach, in

ver and out

y all the time, how can you tell the

"because we've got work to do. Have any of you thou

had.

htfully. "Did any of you happen to notice whether

nd. "I'd scratch anybody's eyes out-if you'd thought of that idea as a woman instead of as

you a bit." Lola paused, studying the other girl intently. "You're quite a problem y

pped. "Study me all you please, but keep the not

ffles me, too. I'm not

the un

I said we had work to do. Jim, you're

sportation? No

're too far away tonight to make it feasible to come back here, send me a flash. Brownie, you'll work this tow

uld tune in remote, but I don't know whe

sure nobody sees or senses you doin

ship; Garlock and Bell

"I'd be scared to death to be alone with you in this great big spaceship. Lola hasn't re

. You have got a sav

l their meanings, all the questions and all the answers, but she doesn't apply any of them to herself. She's always the observer, never the participant. Pure egg-head ... pure? That's it. She looks,

ead. P

Prime's shield? But just out of curi

Let's talk about Jim instead.

-full dampers. I don't want him in

k I kno

d underfoot would weaken the team

I thought you were o

iff and still. "What

r fifteen minutes without taking it over. When you snap the whip everybody jumps-or else-and you swing a wicked knife.

ith actual knives as with figurative ones. If you're still thinking of blistering my fanny, don't try it. Yo

lk sense, instead

uh

unther me. You weigh one thirty-five to my two seventeen. I'm harder, stronger, and faster than you are. You're

ard. "Then why don't

h by eighty-two pounds. I can't figure out your logic-if any-but I'm p

ndpoint, would

by a lot more than the Prime-to-Operator ratio-you've got more initiative, more drive, more guts. You kn

complimen

the truth,

ake? Clee Garlock, I simply

in which the crookedest line between any two given

as taking the Project away from you simply never entered my mind!" She g

ate a light lunch. Shortly thereafter, Garlock put away his reader and all hi

same everywhere-Tellus-type ones, I mean, of course. Is

derive the secondary assumption that humanoid types will be scarce. From there they scatter out in all dir

han before; taking both his hands and pressing them against her firm, almos

ding of the situation here until our anthropologist, Lola Montandon, elucidated it very laboriously to me. She herself, a scientist highly trained in that specialty, could grasp it only by ref

customs, obligations, and limitations

t want to, but you can't?" t

ire. Physically, the act is

uper-child; relief in that, after all, she had not personally failed-if she couldn't have this perfectly wonderful man herself, no other

ogical that as the power of mind increases, physical matters become less and less important. But you will have

east-of interstellar travel. We missed our objective, probably by many millions of parsecs, and it is quite possible that we four will never be able to find our

t such immense distances, sir ... what can

by means of something we call 'Gunther'.... I am not at all sure that I c

so, sir, by

ion, telekinesis, or the like; it was the pure, raw Gunther of the Gunther Drive, which even he himself made n

just as catastrophic as Garlock had expec

n exclaimed, his

red her face with her hands,

across the room to a sofa, and assured himself that she had not been really hurt. She recovered quickly. "I'

and despondent. "This being the first planet you have visited

of genetics, so much more logical and efficient than our strict monogamy, your race will undoubtedly make more progress in a few centu

d gaze to survey her charms. "I am sorry indeed that it cannot be. I trust that you, Governor Atterlin,

mensely glad to have seen you, since your very existence gives us so much hope for the futur

d lady," and Garlo

r Garlock, the Prime Exponent and First Disciple of Truth, what an act! Esthetically, he'd like to father her a child, it says here in fine pri

much in favor of!" Garlock growled t

uite definitely

set out aimlessly to walk. The buildings and their arrangement, he noted-not mu

e, he strolled up one street and down another. He was not attentive to detail yet; he

, or in the cars, was doing any blocking at all. If there were any such things as secrets on Hodell, they were scarce. Each person, man, woman, or child, went about his own business, radiating full blast. No one paid any attention to the thoughts o

quite a few young women, at sight of his unusual physique, had sent out tentative feelers of thought; and some men had wondered, in the same tentative and indirect fashion, who he was and w

fteen minutes. There were thoughts of tidying up desks; of letting the rest of this junk go until tomorrow; of putting a

to call them that until either he or Lola found out their real name. Same as a

tuned, first down, then up; and finally, at the very top of his range, he found something, but he did not at first know what it was. It seemed to be a mass-detector ... no, two of them, paired and balanced. Oh, that was it! One

ptors. Instantly the creature jumped, his powerful, widely-bowed legs sending him high above the heads of the crowd and, it seemed to Garlock, directly toward him. Simultaneously there was an insisten

ckward, bumping into him and almost knocking him down. He staggered, caught his balance, an

ard. The thing, whatever it was, was now braking frantically with wings, tail, and body; trying madly to get away. Too late. There was a bone-cru

he head to pale yellow at the tail. It had a savagely-tearing curved beak;

two lower arms were holding the frightful talons out of action. His third hand gripped the orange throat, his fourth wa

. He wrenched his attention away from the spectacular fight-to which no one else, not even the near-victim, had paid the slightest attention-and now saw that he had his arm

knocking you down, and I thank you for catching me before I fell. I should not have been startled, of co

e they?" Gar

this was the first time, except for that instantly-dismissed thrill of surprise at being the actual target of an attack, that she had thought o

personal contact with the man nor at the savage duel; but at even thinking

th and the guardian had eaten almost through it. There was a terrific crunch, a couple of smacking, gobbling swallows,

wo organs-one of which, Garlock thought, could have been the heart-and ate them both; if not with extreme gusto, at least in a workmanlike and thoroughly competen

let the cover slam back into place. He then squatted down, licked himself meticulously clean with a long, b

d him. He had filed away every detail of what had just happened, and it had so many bizarre aspects that he could not thin

claimed. "I've been gnawing my fingernail

her monster was an intense green in color and looked something like a bat

the name of the th

uld do was that it might be something he had heard another boy say somebody had told him might be a 'lemart.' And

," and he told the girls

tors or receptors, Clee," Lo

found out about the guardians and the Arpalones-besides my regular report, I mean

"That could be taken amiss, you kn

o file that one, in case I want to use

with her captain. "I'm just about done here. I'll be ready tomorrow, I think, to visit their library and tape up some plane

o this stuff Lola and I were chewing

er heard anything t

, "but when, if ever, do we eat? Do we have to wait until that

hungry, we'

ack, and pressed hard with the other her flat, taut belly. "See? Only a couple of i

all three crossed the room to the dining alcove. Whil

nything?" G

ty-five miles from here. No, in that I didn't find any duplication of nebulary configurations with the stuff I had with me.

that. Good

d up the day's reports. Then, tired from their firs

, Garlock tapped li

rily, then relaxed and smiled. "Oh

y have come up with an answer or two. Also, Belle knows we aren't pairing, and if we

ree

ur private rooms are solid? Haven

think Belle woul

hink she

t I wouldn't think she would do anyth

whenever she thinks it migh

rrible thi

wouldn't know about room service, either, then-better scan that tape before you go to sleep tonight-what

ale, p

de, his fingers played briefly on a typewriter-like keyboard. D

Now, fair lady-or should I say beauteous dark lady?-we will fol

obered quickly. "I'm worried. You said I flaunted virginit

en. Belle thinks you're not only a physical virgin, but a psychic-blocked prude. I know better. You're so full of conflict between what you want to do-what you know is right-and what those thr

ept that it's been longer than that ... ever since the firs

, say; enough for me to give

never went screens

t time for ever

for almost a minute, th

ed. "I'm glad I haven'

ruth may lie somewhere in between. I may be as far

million knots. Even that other thing-brotherly love? It'

he matter with you. Nothing warmer th

e even through her heavy tan, "how many times I've felt like running my fingers up and down your ribs a

like a Third instead of an Operator; and you've got to stop acting as though you had never been within ten f

, they're even harder! How do you, a scientist, psio

red sixty-five days a year. Many are

f tension if there ever was one. I haven't felt so good since they picked me as home-town candidate-and that was a mighty small

er me from two such pretze

ve been a pretty go

ase. 'Outstandin

men, too, of course-do bring up

heir tongues and give th

ppropriate actual memories to bring u

I guess. Fare thee well, little sister Brownie, until we meet again." He tossed the remain

ee!" she whisp

"It'd look still better if I p

natural. "You know, if I had had a brother something like you it would have s

laxed, friendly, on very cordial and satisfactory terms. Lola punched breakfast orders for them both. Bel

s, a memory flashed into being above Lola's shield. It was the veriest flash, instan

hough he was, it was all he could do to make no sign; for that fleetingly-revealed memory was a perfect job. He would not have-co

l, Brownie! You're firing on all forty barrels. You're an Operator, al

d thanks a million, real

head down, and kissed him lightly on the lips. The spontaneity and te

, "but this act needs just this much of an extra touch. Anyway, such