“I’ll give you what I’ve got as soon as I can,” Rynason said.  “But things are just beginning to break for me—­did you see my note this afternoon?”

“Yes, of course.  The part about this Tedron or whatever his name was?”

“Tebron Marl.  He’s the link between their barbaric and civilized periods.  I’ve only begun to get into it.”

Manning was waving for more drinks; he caught a waiter’s eye and then turned back to Rynason.  “What’s this nonsense about some damned block you ran into?  Have you got a crazy horse on your hands?”

“There’s something strange there,” Rynason said.  “He tells me this Tebron was actually supposed to have communicated with their god, or whatever he was.  It sounds crazy, all right.  But there’s more to it than that, I’m sure of it.  I wanted time to go into it further before I made my report.”

“I think you’ve got a nut alien there, boy.  Don’t let him foul you up; you’re one of my best men.”

Rynason almost sneered, but he managed to bring it out as a grin.  The role of protective father did not sit well on Manning’s shoulders.  “We’re dealing here with a remarkably sane race,” he pointed out.  “The very fact that they have total recall argues against any insanity in them.  There’ve been experiments on the inner worlds for over a century now, trying to bring out total recall in us, and not much luck so far.  We’re a sick, hung-up race.”

Manning slapped his hand down on the table.  “What the hell are you trying to do, Lee?  Are you trying to measure these aliens by our standards?  I thought you had better sense.  Total recall doesn’t necessarily mean a damn thing in them—­but when they start telling you straightforward and cold that they’ve talked with some god, and then they throw what sounds like an anxiety fit right in front of you....  Well, what does it sound like to you?”

Rynason accepted one of the drinks that the waiter banged down on the table and took a sip.  He felt lightheaded.  “It would have been an anxiety fit if Horng had been human,” he said.  “But you’re right, I do know better than to judge him by our standards.  No, it was something else.”

“What, then?”

He shook his head.  “I don’t know.  That’s the point—­I can’t give you a decent report until I find out.”

“Then, dammit, give me an indecent report!  Fill it out with some very learned speculations, you know the type....”  Manning stopped, and grinned.  “Speaking of indecent reports, what have we turned up on their sex lives?”

“Marc Stoworth covered that in his report yesterday,” Mara said.  “They’re unisexual, and their sex life is singularly boring, if you’ll pardon the expression.  At least, Stoworth says so.  If it weren’t I’m sure he’d tell us all about it.”

Manning chuckled.  “Yes, I imagine you’re right; Marc is a good boy.  Well look, Lee, I’ve told you the position I’m in.  Now I’m counting on you to get me out of this spot.  I’ve got to transmit my report to Council within a week.  I don’t want to pressure you, but you know I’m in a position to do it if I have to.  Dammit, give me a report.”