worlds. This reduced the number of nodes to be considered, to nine hundred and twenty-seven. This, however, is still far too many to be of practical value—"
"Hold on. I didn't ask for a lecture. I asked what this lump of fat and gristle is doing in here."
"With respect, Master Nenda." Kallik pushed around the other side of the Zardalu. "The presence of Archimedes was not relevant to the Bose node analysis. He was, however, essential to the task that evolved from it. My eyesight is excellent, and so is that of J'merlia. But neither can compare with that." The Hymenopt pointed to Archimedes's head. The eye-pupils of the Zardalu were each the size of Louis's fist. "The spatial resolution that Archimedes can achieve is so good that we have trouble believing the results."
"I still don't get it. What did you have Archie looking at , that anybody cares about?"
The Zardalu must have understood the sense of the question, if not the full meaning. Archimedes produced an urgent series of clicks and held out toward Louis a big sheet of hardboard.
"Our apologies if we have exceeded your orders." The little Hymenopt bowed her round black head. "If I may continue with what J'merlia was saying, we reduced the number of stars with associated Bose nodes to nine hundred and twenty-seven. However, you had suggested as you left that you were most interested in Bose nodes close to neutron stars. You did not say why, but I made an inference as to your intentions. A Chism Polypheme, as we learned from our earlier experiences with them, enjoys hard radiation. Hence, a natural question: Do any neutron stars close to Bose nodes possess planets? Unfortunately, this was not a question that either J'merlia and I could answer using our instruments and our observations. Archimedes, however, was able to do so. He has been transcribing his results."
"Is that what you've been trying to show off? Gimme a look at that." Louis grabbed the sheet of hardboard, slightly slippery to the touch from the Zardalu's waxy skin. "Archie, next time I tell you you're a useless sack of gas and blubber you can talk right back to me. I brought you along thinkin' we'd need your strength. It never occurred to me you might have other uses."
A veil of pheromones drifted from beyond the long body of the Zardalu. "Louis, what game is being played here? Why is this object blocking my way?"
"It's all right, At. Give Archie's rear end a poke and he'll move. I think we're going to see action—at last! We get the go-ahead from Graves tomorrow. Then, we make a jump and we're out of here."
* * *
"You presented your plan to me yesterday as a certainty." Atvar H'sial was again sitting behind Louis Nenda in the main chamber of the Pride of Orion . "Do you still adhere to that view?"
"Hell, I don't know." Louis stared around the room, about half of which seemed to be taken up by the great body of Archimedes. "Julian Graves is crazy, so you never can tell what he's goin' to decide. But I don't like this setup at all."
"Too many are present?"
"You got it. All are present, except Graves himself. Me, you, Archie, Kallik, J'merlia, Rebka, E.C. Tally. Why involve everybody? Why even hold a meeting? What we need from him is a simple yes or no."
"And if Graves says no?"
"We reevaluate. We got a ship, we have a set of Bose nodes and stars and planets to go with 'em. We could take off and explore the Sag Arm."
"What of our return to the Orion Arm?"
"Why would we go back? We're no better off there than we are here—maybe safer here. Nobody's chasing our tail in the Sag Arm."
"Louis, for you that may be an option. For me it is not. Ultimately I must return to the Cecropia Federation and mate. If I do not, I die."
"The end of your travels?"
"By no means. After mating is complete I will again be free to wander as I choose."
"An' we'll be back to work. None of my business, but I was told that Cecropians mate for life."
"It would perhaps be more accurate to say that Cecropians mate for
"Hold on. I didn't ask for a lecture. I asked what this lump of fat and gristle is doing in here."
"With respect, Master Nenda." Kallik pushed around the other side of the Zardalu. "The presence of Archimedes was not relevant to the Bose node analysis. He was, however, essential to the task that evolved from it. My eyesight is excellent, and so is that of J'merlia. But neither can compare with that." The Hymenopt pointed to Archimedes's head. The eye-pupils of the Zardalu were each the size of Louis's fist. "The spatial resolution that Archimedes can achieve is so good that we have trouble believing the results."
"I still don't get it. What did you have Archie looking at , that anybody cares about?"
The Zardalu must have understood the sense of the question, if not the full meaning. Archimedes produced an urgent series of clicks and held out toward Louis a big sheet of hardboard.
"Our apologies if we have exceeded your orders." The little Hymenopt bowed her round black head. "If I may continue with what J'merlia was saying, we reduced the number of stars with associated Bose nodes to nine hundred and twenty-seven. However, you had suggested as you left that you were most interested in Bose nodes close to neutron stars. You did not say why, but I made an inference as to your intentions. A Chism Polypheme, as we learned from our earlier experiences with them, enjoys hard radiation. Hence, a natural question: Do any neutron stars close to Bose nodes possess planets? Unfortunately, this was not a question that either J'merlia and I could answer using our instruments and our observations. Archimedes, however, was able to do so. He has been transcribing his results."
"Is that what you've been trying to show off? Gimme a look at that." Louis grabbed the sheet of hardboard, slightly slippery to the touch from the Zardalu's waxy skin. "Archie, next time I tell you you're a useless sack of gas and blubber you can talk right back to me. I brought you along thinkin' we'd need your strength. It never occurred to me you might have other uses."
A veil of pheromones drifted from beyond the long body of the Zardalu. "Louis, what game is being played here? Why is this object blocking my way?"
"It's all right, At. Give Archie's rear end a poke and he'll move. I think we're going to see action—at last! We get the go-ahead from Graves tomorrow. Then, we make a jump and we're out of here."
* * *
"You presented your plan to me yesterday as a certainty." Atvar H'sial was again sitting behind Louis Nenda in the main chamber of the Pride of Orion . "Do you still adhere to that view?"
"Hell, I don't know." Louis stared around the room, about half of which seemed to be taken up by the great body of Archimedes. "Julian Graves is crazy, so you never can tell what he's goin' to decide. But I don't like this setup at all."
"Too many are present?"
"You got it. All are present, except Graves himself. Me, you, Archie, Kallik, J'merlia, Rebka, E.C. Tally. Why involve everybody? Why even hold a meeting? What we need from him is a simple yes or no."
"And if Graves says no?"
"We reevaluate. We got a ship, we have a set of Bose nodes and stars and planets to go with 'em. We could take off and explore the Sag Arm."
"What of our return to the Orion Arm?"
"Why would we go back? We're no better off there than we are here—maybe safer here. Nobody's chasing our tail in the Sag Arm."
"Louis, for you that may be an option. For me it is not. Ultimately I must return to the Cecropia Federation and mate. If I do not, I die."
"The end of your travels?"
"By no means. After mating is complete I will again be free to wander as I choose."
"An' we'll be back to work. None of my business, but I was told that Cecropians mate for life."
"It would perhaps be more accurate to say that Cecropians mate for
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