to do just that thing, for despite Channeljumper's
warning that he must compose every single note by himself, he felt an
alien viewpoint might be helpful.

He started playing. Channeljumper sat dreaming, glowing radiantly, but
the alien seemed somewhat perturbed by the music and fidgeted nervously.
Could it be, Longtree wondered, that the incredible beauty of his
composition might not translate acceptably to alien ears? He dismissed
the thought as unlikely.

"Er--that's a bit high, isn't it?" the creature said, shaking his head.

Lost in the sweeping melodies, neither Longtree nor Channeljumper paid
any attention to the meaningless syllables. Longtree played on,
oblivious to all else, soaring toward the great screaming crescendo that
would culminate with the missing note.

Vaguely, he became aware that the creature had gotten up, and he turned
a small part of his attention to the action. Longtree smiled inwardly,
pleased, and turned yellow with pride to think even a man from another
planet should so appreciate his symphony that he got up and danced a
strange dance and even sang to the music.

The alien held onto his ears and leaped erratically, singing, "No, no,
stop it. It's too high. My head's bursting!"

Channeljumper too seemed pleased by this show of appreciation, though
neither of them understood the words, and Longtree swept into the final
notes of the rising crescendo with a gusto he had not previously
displayed. He stopped where he had always stopped--and the final note
came!

It startled the Martians. Then the realization swept over them in glad
tides of color. The symphony was complete now, with that final alien
sound. Longtree could win both the festival prize and Redsand with it.
The last note was a soft popping sound that had come from the creature
from another planet. They looked to see him sagging to the ground, his
head soft and pulpy.

"My symphony's complete," Longtree exclaimed jubilantly, a brilliant
yellow now.

But Channeljumper's yellow happiness was tinged with green. "A pity," he
said, "the creature had to give its life in exchange for the note."

"I believe it really wanted to," Longtree said, turning solemn. "Did you
see how it danced to the music, as though in the throes of ecstasy, and
it didn't change color once! It must have died happy to know it gave
itself to a good cause."

"You could probably get by with claiming to use the creature as an
auxiliary instrument," mused Ch