the chest. Then
he glanced at Sora, who stepped away from Sandra. He then went into the
hold and came out with two fuel pellets in his hand, one of which he
tossed to Sora. That is, the motion looked like a toss, but the pellet
traveled like a bullet. Sora caught it unconcernedly and both natives
flipped the pellets into their mouths. There was a half minute of
rock-crusher crunching; then both natives opened their mouths.

The pellets had been pulverized and swallowed.

Hilton's voice rang out. "Poynter! How _can_ these people be
non-radioactive after eating a whole fuel pellet apiece?"

Poynter tested both natives again. "Cold," he reported. "Stone cold. No
background even. Play _that_ on your harmonica!"

* * * * *

Laro nodded, perfectly matter-of-factly, and in Hilton's mind there
formed a picture. It was not clear, but it showed plainly enough a long
line of aliens approaching the _Perseus_. Each carried on his or her
shoulder a lead container holding two hundred pounds of Navy Regulation
fuel pellets. A standard loading-tube was sealed into place and every
fuel-hold was filled.

This picture, Laro indicated plainly, could become reality any time.

Sawtelle was notified and came on the run. "No fuel is coming aboard
without being tested!" he roared.

"Of course not. But it'll pass, for all the tea in China. You haven't
had a ten per cent load of fuel since you were launched. You can fill up
or not--the fuel's here--just as you say."

"If they can make Navy standard, of course we want it."

The fuel arrived. Every load tested well above standard. Every fuel hold
was filled to capacity, with no leakage and no emanation. The natives
who had handled the stuff did not go away, but gathered in the
engine-room; and more and more humans trickled in to see what was going
on.

Sawtelle stiffened. "What's going on over there, Hilton?"

"I don't know; but let's let 'em go for a minute. I want to learn about
these people and they've got me stopped cold."

"You aren't the only one. But if they wreck that Mayfield it'll cost you
over twenty thousand dollars."

"Okay." The captain and director watched, wide eyed.

Two master mechanics had been getting ready to re-fit a tube--a job
requiring both strength and skill. The tube was very heavy and made of
superefract. The machine--the Mayfield--upon which the work was to be
done, was extremely complex.

Two of the aliens had brushed t