Was the planet on which you landed inhabited by intelligent beings?
Oh yes, wery. Far more adwanced as us.
Are they human, or humanoid?
You mean, do dey look like us — do dey have two eyes, two ears, two arms, two legs? No, not like dat. I cannot describe wery good, dey are so unlike. Dey are not mammals.
Are they insects, birds, reptiles?
Reptiles is nearest, but whole ewolution is different. I am physicist, not biologist. I say reptiles because dey are long and tin, and covered wit like bark or scale. But I tink maybe dey skip whole animal dewelopment, and are like plants what move. Dey get deir nourishment from air.
But they could communicate with you?
Oh yes. Dey do not talk wit mout, like us. Dey talk wit — we would call hands. In two hours, dey teach me how.
How long were you there?
A mont, it would be.
And you had a chance to see that they really have an advanced civilization? Is it industrial, technical, scientific, like ours?
Plenty chance, dey show me everything. Is farmore scientific as ours. Is ahead of us also polit—
Please, Miss X!
Den can I say, Mr. Rasmussen, is also wery high psychologically? Can — let me whisper to you a minute. Tank you. Mr. Rasmussen say is all right tell you planet is one of group made up of all planets in its system, like UN is made up of nations on Eart.
But Miss — excuse me, I can’t remember your name—
Is all right, Miss X is O.K.
If they’re so far advanced as you say, why haven’t they discovered space travel? Why haven’t they come here, before we went to them?
Dey have space travel. More I cannot say.
You mean we weren’t worth their bothering to visit us?
Just a minute, please. I’m afraid that’s the kind of question we can’t go into at present. Let’s just stick to the facts, and forget opinions.
Excuse me, sir. Let me word it another way. Are they aggressive people? Do they lead the planetary league of which you spoke? Have they invaded and conquered other planets, either within or outside their own solar system?
I answer as much as I can, if Mr. Rasmussen do not stop me. Dey are not aggressive, but dey tink is duty, obligation, to bring high ciwilization to more backward planets. So yes, dey have colonized udder planets, and yes, dey lead dat league.
Then, if they’re as near to us as, say, Alpha Centauri—
I did not say dat.
All right, if they’re within reaching distance of us, why haven’t they tried to invade and colonize us?
Is all right, Mr. Rasmussen?… Is because dey have not tought us ready to receive and understand. But now we have ourselves space travel, and—
Stop right there, Miss X. Any other questions? Yes, madam — you from the Venus Globe?
Miss Lhor-kang, so far as you have been allowed to speak of these — I suppose we should call them people— everything you have said has been in the highest praise of them. Will you answer a direct personal question?
Certain, Miss, if I can.
Did they brainwash you? Have they sent you back here as a traitor to your own world, to soften us up? Is that why the UN has been keeping you under wraps from the press, and why Mr. Rasmussen here is watching every word you say and stopping you whenever you are about to say too much?
Don’t answer that question, Miss X!
Oh, but I will answer. What is dis brain-wash? What you mean, am I traitor? I am human bein, I want best for all human beins, all we can learn, all we can get. I—
Ladies and gentlemen, please, Miss X is not here to be insulted, and neither is my committee. I deny categorically that—
Miss Lhor-kang, I am from theLondon-New York Times, and I want to know if an invasion is imminent and what Earth is doing to—
I am amazed, sir, that a representative of your great news tape should ask such a question. Surely you must know that any such information, if it existed, would be absolutely top—
What preparation? Dey are inwincible!
Miss X, do as I say. Be silent!
The public has a right to know—
When are they coming? How soon?
What kind of weapons have they? Have we any defense against them?
Ladies and gentlemen, this press conference is concluded.
Miss X, are they sending you on another flight, there or elsewhere? When?
No more questions, ladies and gentlemen; the conference is over.
Take your hand off me, Mr. Rasmussen.Yes, I am prisoner, because I want best for Eart — because I want our solar system part of great league so mooch farder along as us. If dat make me traitor, I am traitor. I tink no. Let me go, Rasmussen! Is to hide I am prisoner dey show me off, let me talk little bit, like slip off corner of gag—
Let go of her!
Give her a fair chance!
We have a right to know!
Dirty traitor!
Shame — manhandling a midget!
I tell you — you hear me — dey kill me now, maybe — I tell you what I don’t tell dem. No, I go no more flights. You know why? Because people better as us, better every way even if dey descended from wegetables, dey comenow! Dey start soon as I reach Eart. Dey come any minute, and dey are inwincible!
Don’t listen to her! If you print one word of this we’ll break you! The woman’s mad — her experience has driven her insane.
Ha, you tink? When I know how backward is Eart, when dey offer come here — nobody killed, nobody hurt, yoost everybody belong to dem, learn from dem — Iaccept for us all, I accept for Eart, I help. You call traitor, dirty traitor, what I care? No traitor to humanity — me. Dor-je Lhor-kang from Tibet. Some day you understand!
Damn you, you bit me! For heaven’s sake, somebody help me get this fighting wildcat off me!
Ha, you big man, you can’t shut up midget, like me? I tell you—
Let her go, you! Shame!
Grab her, Rasmussen — she’s an out-and-out traitor! Wait, I’ll help you.
Take your hands off me, Smith!
No you don’t — I won’t let you—
She’s been brainwashed. I was in Korea: I ought to know.
Cut it out, fellows — we’re press; we can’t take sides.
We’re human, aren’t we? I can’t—
I tell you, gentlemen of press, I no traitor! I not brainwashed! Dey good—good. Dey make Eart so never again crazy wit fear, crazy wit hate, fighting like—
Shut up, you! I’ll shut your mouth for you if it’s the last thing I ever — ouch! Look, you reporters, if you print one word of this display of insanity, I’ll sue your papers for everything you’ve got. I’ll — hey, what’s happened?
Say, who turned the lights off?
Damn it, I’m getting the hell out of here!
Where the devil is that phone? Wow, what a story!
What the — for gosh sakes, now somebody’s locked the door!
Wh-what’s that—
I can’t move, Bill! Can you?
No, I—
Neither can Rasmussen — look!
Oh, my friends, I tink you never— Oh, tank Lord Buddha, you come!
But why you— No, no! No use blasters on us!
Oh, Mr. Rasmussen, my heart break! Dese not our friends, dese tings like crocodiles! Dese somebody from somewhere else, follow deir trail and get here first.