p," Za said. He stretched and reclined on a
transparent slab. "The servants are unloading the vehicle. I captured a
young male, a mature male, an aged male, some sort of official or
guardian male, a mature female, and an aged female."

"Let's view them," Eo said. "You can rest after we're away."

The tall creatures entered a second compartment furnished with a large
table upon which the silent machines deposited inanimate bodies.
"Extraordinary!" said Eo, staring at Miss Betsy Tapp. "These things have
reached a peak of mammalian development!"

"Her correct garments are in this bundle," Za explained. "The servants
are bringing the properties now. I secured a signaling device and a box
used in an extremely primitive system of communication. Also, I brought
the quaint muscle-powered vehicle ridden by the young male. The
photographs should be sufficient for other details."

"Any difficulty?" Eo asked as the machines dumped Patrolman Whedbee on
the table.

"The language was the greatest obstacle," Za said. "The same word has
many different meanings, or many different words have the same meaning.
Rather crude."

"Did you use bait, or force?"

"Bait," Za said. "It's much simpler. This is a completely selfish,
egocentric breed. Most of them have one thing in mind which they want
solely for themselves. Their sending power is weak, but that one selfish
desire is powerful enough to be received. I merely dangled it before
their minds, and they were hooked." He tapped the foot of Calvin C.
Kear. "I killed this one's female companion. She awoke and screamed. The
males and females pair off and live together for years. Strange custom!
Breeding seems to be only one reason for the mutual bondage."

Za pointed to Mrs. Jane Huprich. "The old female may be an exception to
the selfishness. I couldn't decide whether she most wanted to be
relieved of cleaning floors by primitive methods, or wanted her male
offspring to be released from some structure where he had been secured
for reasons I couldn't determine."

The machines deposited the Reverend Enos Shackelford and then lined up
in a precise row. "This thing is dead!" Eo buzzed.

Za shook his head. "That was the only genuine exception. He confused me
till I forgot his proper clothing, but some can be devised from the
other samples. He seems to have been a witch-doctor. His mind was
cluttered with myths and superstitions from an ancient text. I don't
understand him, Eo, and wish I