an it's a silly damn way to pack transistors."

"But--"

"But they look like they'll do the job," said Keeter, snapping the lid
closed.

The sighs of relief were heard in the corridor.

Keeter pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. "I realize
that I've put you all to a lot of trouble, and I'd like to offer some
kind of payment for your services, but frankly, gentlemen, I don't know
how I can--"

"Oh, you can, you can," interrupted Beemish excitedly. "What I mean to
say is that if you really want to, you can."

"How?"

"Why, er, you could provide us with a small amount of information."
Beemish looked definitely nervous.

"Be more specific, general." Keeter was beginning to look grim.

"Well, we were thinking--I mean, it would be nice if you'd agree to
have a friendly chat with some of our people. For instance, an hour or
so with our physicists, then maybe a half hour with a few sociologists,
and perhaps the same amount of time with the senator's committee--"

Keeter closed his eyes and sighed. "Okay, okay, boys, but let's make it
quick. Also, let's keep it to twenty minutes for each inquisition. Come
on, when do we start? Now?"

The scientists were the first--and the easiest. He gave them just
enough information to whet their appetites, just enough to plant the
suggestion that it took a great deal of tolerance and patience on his
part to hold an interview with such backward people.

"Gentlemen, I'd love to explain the principle of the neutrino drive,
but frankly, I don't know where to begin. You--you just don't have the
mathematics for it." He didn't bother to add that neither did he.

"Yes, of course, I'm sure I understand what you're getting at. My God,
why shouldn't I? Even a child could understand those equations."

"You call _that_ a representation of the mass-energy constant? No
offense, old man, but I'm afraid you're going to have to start all over
again. Invention doesn't take the place of research, you know."

The social scientists were next:

"As I explained a moment ago, we are heterosexual and live an organized
community life, but not in any cultural context that could be explained
by the term. You might say that our cultural continuum (although the
term for us is quite meaningless) is a function of an intricately
structured social organism, with institutional coordinates that are
largely internalized. Do you follow me gentlemen?" They certainly did
not.

But the senator'