-they did almost
everything slow. At full gallop, old Repulsive couldn't have kept up
with a healthy snail. Besides, they just liked to grow things and tinker
with things and so on. They didn't go in for fighting, and they never
got to be at all good at it. So they just got wiped out, practically."

"The Jesters were good at fighting, eh?"

Trigger nodded. "Very good. Like us, again."

"Where did they come from?"

"Repulsive thought they were outsiders. He wasn't sure. He and that
other O.G. were on the sidelines, running their protein collecting
station, when the Jesters arrived; and it was all over and they were
gone before he had learned much about it."

"From outside the galaxy!" Pilch said thoughtfully. She cleared her
throat. "What's this business about they might be back again?"

"Well," Trigger said, "he thought they might be. Just might. Actually he
believed the Jesters got wiped out too."

"Eh?" Pilch said. "How's that?"

"Quite a lot of the Old Galactics went along with them like Repulsive
went along with me. And one of the things they did know," Trigger said,
"was how to spread diseases like nobody's business. About like we use
weed-killers. Wholesale. They could clean out the average planet of any
particular thing they didn't want there in about a week. So it's not
really too likely the Jesters will be back."

"Oh!" said Pilch.

"But if they are coming, Repulsive thought they'd be due in this area
in about another eight centuries. That looked like a very short time to
him, of course. He thought it would be best to pass on a warning."

"You know," Pilch said after a brief pause, "I find myself agreeing with
him there, Trigger! I might turn in a short report on this, after all."

"I think you should, really," Trigger said. She smiled suddenly. "Of
course, it might wind up with people thinking both of us are ta-ta!"

"I'll risk that," said Pilch. "It's been thought of me before."

"If they did come," Trigger said, "I guess we'd take them anyway. We've
taken everything else like that that came long. And besides--"

Her voice trailed off thoughtfully. She studied the table top for a
moment. Then she looked up at Pilch.

"Well," she said, smiling, "any other questions?"

"A few," said Pilch, passing up the "and besides--" She considered. "Did
you ever actually see him make contact with you?"

"No," Trigger said. "I was always asleep, and I suppose he made sure I'd
stay asleep. They're built s