ap of the tent. "Come with me," he said, and Charley got up, dumbly,
and followed him out into the cool darkness outside.

Later, Charley couldn't remember all that Professor Lightning had showed
him or told him. There were some strange-looking animals called
salamanders; Professor Lightning had cut their tails off and they'd
grown new tails. That, he said, happened in nature. But he had gone a
step farther. He had isolated the particular factor that made such
regrowth possible.

Charley remembered something about a molecular lattice, but it didn't
make any sense to him, and was only a puzzle. But the professor told him
all about the technique, in a very earnest and scientific voice that was
convincing to listen to, and showed him mice that he'd cut the tails off
of, and the mice had brand-new tails, and even feet in one or two cases.
There were a whole lot of small animals in cages, all together in back
of the professor's tent, and Charley looked at all of them. The
professor had a flashlight, and everything was very clear and bright.

When the demonstration was over, Charley had no doubts at all. It was
obvious to him that the professor could do just what he said he could
do: grow limbs on things. Charley scratched his head with his left foot,
nervously.

"That's why I came to you," the professor said. "I need a human
being--just to show the scientific world that my technique works on
human beings. And I've worked with you for a number of years now,
Charley."

"Five," Charley said. "Five since you came with Wrout."

"I like you," the professor said. "I want to make you the first, the
very first, person to be helped by my technique."

Charley shifted his feet. "You mean you want to give me arms," he said.

"That's right," the professor said.

"No," Charley said.

* * * * *

Professor Lightning nodded. "Now, then," he said. "We'll get right to
work on ... Charley, my boy, what did you say?"

Charley licked his lips. "I said no," he said.

Professor Lightning waited a long minute. "You mean you don't believe
me," he said at last. "You think I'm some sort of a crackpot."

"Not at all," Charley said politely. "I guess if you say you can do this
... well, I see all the animals, and everything, and I guess you can do
it. That's O.K."

"But you're doubtful," Professor Lightning said.

Charley shook his head. "No," he said. "You can do it, all right. I
guess I'm sure of that,