jerk!" Belle exclaimed. "What a half-cooked,
half-digested _pill_! I simply marvel at your forbearance, Clee. You
should have turned him inside out and hung him up to dry--especially
behind the ears!" Then, suddenly, she giggled. "But do you know what I
did?"

"I can guess. A couple of shots in the arm?"

"Uh-huh. Next time he pitches into her she'll slap his ears right off.
Oh, _brother_!"

"Check and double-check. But let's hop to Number Two.... Here it is."

* * *

"Oh, yes," came a smooth, clear, diamond-sharp thought in reply to
Garlock's introductory call. "This world, as you have perceived, is
Falne. I am indeed Baver 14WD27, my companion Prime is indeed Glarre
12WD91. You are, we perceive, Bearers of the Truth; of great skill and
of high advancement. Your visit here will, I am sure, be of immense
benefit to us and possibly, I hope, of some small benefit to you. We
will both be delighted to have you both 'port yourselves to us at once."

The Tellurians did so--and in the very instant of appearance Garlock was
met by a blast of force the like of which he had never even imagined.
The two Falnian Primes, capable operators both, had built up their
highest possible potentials and had launched both terrific bolts without
any hint of warning.

Belle's mind, however, was already fused with Garlock's. Their combined
blocks were instantaneous in action; their counter-thrust was nearly so.
Both Falnians staggered backward until they were stopped by the room's
wall.

"Ah, yes," Garlock said, then. "You are indeed, in a small and feeble
way, Seekers after the Truth; of which we are indeed Bearers. Lesser
Bearers, perhaps, but still Bearers. You will indeed profit greatly from
our visit. You err, however, in thinking that we may in any respect
profit from you. You have nothing whatever that we have not had for
long. Now let us, if you please, take a few seconds of time to get
acquainted, each with the other."

"That, indeed, is the logical and seemly thing to do." Both Falnians
straightened up and stepped forward; neither arrogantly nor
apologetically, but simply as though nothing at all out of the ordinary
had taken place.

Each pair studied the other. Physically, the two pairs were surprisingly
alike. Baver was almost as big as Garlock; almost as heavily muscled.
Glarre could have been cast in Belle's own mold.

* * *

With that, however, all resemblanc