“Don’t wear yourself out.”

“I can think one more. I hope.” A paper weight across the desk from Mike stirred, lifted—and all the dozen-odd floating objects fell down at once. Mike seemed about to weep although no tears formed. “Jubal, I am sorry. I am utmostly sorry.”

Harshaw patted his shoulder. “You should be proud, not sorry. Son, you don’t seem to realize it, but what you just did is—” Jubal searched for a comparison, rapidly discarded the many that sprang to his mind because he realized that they touched nothing in Mike’s experience. “What you did is much harder than tying shoestrings, much more wonderful to us than doing a one-and-a-half gainer perfectly. You did it, uh, ‘brightly, brightly, and with beauty.’ You grok?”

Mike looked surprised. “I am not sure, Jubal. I should not feel shame?”

“You must not feel shame. You should feel proud.”

“Yes, Jubal,” he answered contentedly. “I feel proud.”

“Good. Mike, I cannot lift even one ash tray without touching it.”

Smith looked startled. “You cannot?”

“No. Can you teach me?”

“Yes, Jubal. You—” Smith stopped speaking, looked embarrassed. “I again have not words. I am sorry. But I will read and I will read and I will read, until I find the words. Then I will teach my brother.”

“Don’t set your heart on it.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Mike, don’t be disappointed if you do not find the right words. You may not find them in the English language.”

Smith considered this quite a long time. “Then I will teach my brother the language of my nest.”

“Maybe. I would like to try—but you may have arrived about fifty years too late.”

“I have acted wrongly?”

“Not at all. I’m proud of you. You might start by trying to teach Jill your language.”

“It hurts my throat,” put in Jill.

“Try gargling with aspirin.” Jubal looked at her. “That’s a silly excuse, nurse—but it occurs to me that this gives me an excuse to put you on the payroll . . . for I doubt if they will ever take you back at Bethesda. All right, you’re my staff research assistant for Martian linguistics . . . which includes such extra duties as may be necessary. Take that up with the girls. Anne, put her on the payroll—and be sure it gets entered in the tax records.”

“She’s been doing her share in the kitchen since the day after she got here. Shall I date it back?”

Jubal shrugged. “Don’t bother me with details.”

“But, Jubal,” Jill protested shrilly, “I don’t think I can learn Martian!”

“You can try, can’t you? That’s all Columbus did.”

“But—”

“What was that idle chatter you were giving me about ‘gratitude’? Do you take the job? Or don’t you?”

Jill bit her lip. “I’ll take it. Yes . . . Boss.”

Smith timidly reached out and touched her hand. “Jill . . . I will teach.”

Jill patted his. “Thanks, Mike.” She looked at Harshaw. “And I’m going to learn it just to spite you!”

He grinned warmly at her. “That’s a motive I grok perfectly—you’ll learn it all right. Now back to business—Mike, what else can you do that we can’t do? Besides making things go away—when they have a ‘wrongness’—and lifting things without touching them.”

Smith looked puzzled. “I do not know.”

“How could he know,” protested Jill, “when he doesn’t really know what we can and can’t do?”

“Mmm . . . yes. Anne, change that job title to ‘staff research assistant for Martian linguistics, culture, and techniques.’ Jill, in learning their language you are bound to stumble onto Martian things that are different, really different—and when you do, tell me. Everything and anything about a culture can be inferred from the shape of its language—and you’re probably young enough to learn to think like a Martian . . . which I misdoubt I am not. And you, Mike, if you notice anything which you can do but we don’t do, tell me.”

“I will tell, Jubal. What things will be these?”

“I don’t know. Things like you just did . . . and being able to stay on the bottom of the pool much longer than we can. Hmm . . . Duke!”

“Yes, Boss? I’ve got both hands full of film. Don’t bother me.”

“You can talk, can’t you? I noticed the pool is pretty murky.”

“Yeah. I’m going to add precipitant tonight and vacuum it in the morning.”