a were
older than recorded time, that they had lived in the great citadel
before the race of the Terrans' prisoner had risen from very primitive
savagery.

"What do we do now?" Karara broke in upon Ross's thoughts as she
refastened the containers.

"These slaves that the Wreckers take upon occasion ... Maybe Ashe...."
Ross was catching at very fragile straws; he had to. And the stranger
had said that able-bodied men who swam ashore relatively uninjured were
taken captive. Several had been the night before.

"Loketh."

Ross and Karara looked around. The prisoner put down the water bulb, and
one of his hands made a gesture they could not mistake; he pointed to
himself and repeated that word, "Loketh."

The Terran touched his own chest. "Ross Murdock."

Perhaps the other was as impatient as he with their roundabout method of
communication and had decided to try and speed it up. The analyzer! Ashe
had included the analyzer with the equipment by the gate. If Ross could
find that ... why, then the major problem could be behind them. Swiftly
he explained to Karara, and with a vigorous nod of assent she called to
Taua, ordering the rest of the salvage material from the gate be brought
to them.

"Loketh." Ross pointed to the youth. "Ross." That was himself. "Karara."
He indicated the girl.

"Rosss." The alien made a clicking hiss of the first name. "Karara--" He
did better with the second.

Ross carefully unpacked the box Taua had located. He had only slight
knowledge of how the device worked. It was intended to record a strange
language, break it down into symbols already familiar to the Time
Agents. But could it also be used as a translator with a totally alien
tongue? He could only hope that the rough handling of its journey
through the gate had not damaged it and that the experiment might
possibly work.

Putting the box between them, he explained what he wanted; and Karara
took up the small micro-disk, speaking slowly and distinctly the same
liquid syllables she had used in the dolphin song. Ross clicked the
lever when she was finished, and watched the small screen. The symbols
which flashed there had meaning for him right enough; he could translate
what she had just taped. The machine still worked to that extent.

Now he pushed the box into place before Loketh and made the visibly
reluctant Hawaikan take the disk from Karara. Then through the dolphin
link Ross passed on definite instructions. Would it work as