"No, this is more concrete than a religious
belief."

Ross had a sudden inspiration. Hurriedly he described the cloaked figure
who had driven the castle people from the piles of salvage. "Ask him
about that one."

She relayed the question. Ross saw the prisoner's head jerk around. The
Hawaikan looked from Karara to her companion, a shade of speculation in
his expression.

"He wants to know why you ask about the Foanna? Surely you must well
know what manner of beings they are."

"Listen--" Ross was sure now that he had made a real discovery, though
its importance he could not guess, "tell him we come from where there
are no Foanna. That we have powers and must know of their powers."

If he could only carry on this interrogation straight and not have to
depend upon a double translation! And could he even be sure his
questions reached the alien undistorted?

Wearily Ross sat back on his heels. Then he glanced at Karara with a
twinge of concern. If he was tired by their roundabout communication,
she must be doubly so. There was a droop to her shoulders, and her last
reply had come in a voice hoarse with fatigue. Abruptly he started up.

"That's enough--for now."

Which was true. He had to have time for evaluation, to adjust to what
they had learned during the steady stream of questions passed back and
forth. And in that moment he was conscious of his hunger, just as his
voice was paper dry from lack of drink. The canister of supplies he had
left by the cave entrance ...

"We need food and drink." He fumbled with his mask, but Karara motioned
him back from the water.

"Taua brings ... Wait!"

The dolphin trailed the net of containers to them. Ross unscrewed one,
pulled out a bulb of fresh water. A second box yielded the dry wafers of
emergency rations.

Then, after a moment's hesitation, Ross crossed to the prisoner, cut his
wrist bonds, and pressed both a bulb and a wafer into his hold. The
Hawaikan watched the Terrans eat before he bit into the wafer, chewing
it with vigor, turning the bulb around in his fingers with alert
interest before he sucked at its contents.

As Ross chewed and swallowed, mechanically and certainly with no relish,
he fitted one fact to another to make a picture of this Hawaikan time
period in which they were now marooned. Of course, his picture was based
on facts they had learned from their captive. Perhaps he had purposely
misled them or fogged some essentials. But could he have d