alike, and in a horizontal row. And that flat
face. They looked as though they had suffered some accident that smashed
the front of the face in. And also the peculiar beak-like projection.
Why should a race ever develop so amazing a projection in so peculiar
and exposed a position? It sticks out inviting attack and injury. Right
in the middle of the face. And to make it worse, there is the
air-channel, and the only air channel. Why, one minor injury to the
throat would be certain to damage that passage beyond repair, and bring
death. Yet such relatively unimportant things as ears, and eyes are
doubled. Surely you would expect that so important a member as the
air-passage would be doubled for safety.

"Those strange, awkward arms and legs were what puzzled me. I have been
attempting to manipulate myself as they must be forced to, and I cannot
see how delicate or accurate manual manipulation would be possible with
those rigid, inflexible arms. In some ways I feel they must have had
clever minds to overcome so great a handicap to constructive work. But I
suppose single joints in the arms become as natural to them as our own
more mobile two.

"I wonder if life in any intelligent form wouldn't develop somewhat
similar formations, though. Think, in all parts of Sthor, before men
became civilized and developed communication, even so much as twenty
thousand years ago, our records show that seats and chairs were much as
they are today, and much as they are, in all places among all groups.
Then too, the eye has developed in many different species, and always
reached much the same structure. When a thing is intended and developed
to serve a given purpose, no matter who develops it, or where or how, is
it not apt to have similar shapes and parts? A chair must have legs, and
a seat and arm-rests and a back. You may vary their nature and their
shape, but not widely, and they must be there. An eye must, anywhere,
have a sensitive retina, an adjustable lens, and an adjustable device
for controlling the entrance of light. Similarly there are certain
functions that the body of an intelligent creature must serve which
naturally tend to make intelligent creatures similar. He must have a
tool--the hand--"

"Yes, yes--I see your point. It must be so, for surely these creatures
out there are strange enough in other ways."

"But tell me, have you calculated when we shall land?"

"In twelve hours, thirty-three minutes, sir."

Eleven hour