«Listen, Mike. I want you to think about that time — but you mustn't get upset. There were two men. One of them pulled you out into the living room.»
«The room with the joyful grasses,» he agreed.
«That's right. He pulled you into the room with the grass floor and I tried to stop him. He hit me. Then he was gone. You remember?»
«You are not angry?»
«What? No, no, not at all. One man disappeared, then the other pointed a gun at me — and then he was gone. I was frightened — but I was not angry.»
«You are not angry with me now?»
«Mike, dear — I have
«I will tell. The man — the big man — hit you … and I frightened, too. So I — » He croaked in Martian, looked puzzled. «I do not know words.»
Jubal said, «Mike, can you explain it a little at a time?»
«I will try, Jubal. Something is in front of me. It is a wrong thing and must not be. So I reach out — » He looked perplexed. «It is an easy thing. Tying shoe laces is much more hard. But the words not are. I am very sorry.» He considered it. «Perhaps the words are in Plants to Raym, or Rayn to Sarr, or Sars to Sorc. I will read them tonight and tell you at breakfast.»
«Maybe,» Jubal admitted. «Just a minute, Mike.» He went to a comer and returned with a case which had contained brandy. «Can you make this go away?»
«This is a wrong thing?»
«Well, assume that it is.»
«But — Jubal, I must
«Mmm — Suppose I picked this up and threw it at Jill?»
Smith said with gentle sadness, «Jubal, you would not do that to Jill.»
«Uh … damn it, I guess not. Jill, will you throw the box at me? Hard — a scalp wound at least, if Mike can't protect me.»
«Jubal, I don't like the idea.»
«Oh, come on! In the interest of science … and Ben Caxton.»
«But — » Jill jumped up, grabbed the box, threw it at Jubal's head. Jubal intended to stand fast — but reflex won; he ducked.
«Missed me,» he said. «Confound it, I wasn't watching. I meant to keep my eyes on it.» He looked at Smith. «Mike, is that the — What's the matter boy?»
The Man from Mars was trembling and looking unhappy. Jill put her arms around him. «There, there, it's all right, dear! You did it beautifully. It never touched Jubal. It simply vanished.»
«I guess it did,» Jubal admitted, looking around and chewing his thumb. «Anne, were you watching?»
«Yes.»
«What did you see?»
«The box did not simply vanish. The process lasted some fraction of a second. From where I am sitting it appeared to shrink, as if it were disappearing into the distance. But it did not go outside the room; I could see it up to the instant it disappeared.»
«Where did it go?»
«That is all I can report.»
«Mmm… we'll run films later — but I'm convinced. Mike — »
«Yes, Jubal?»
«Where is that box?»
«The box is — » Smith paused. «Again I have not words. I am sorry.»
«I'm confused. Son, can you reach in and haul it out?»
«Beg pardon?»
«You made it go away; now make it come back.»
«How can I? The box is
Jubal looked thoughtful. «If this method becomes popular, it'll change the rules for corpus delicti. “I've got a little list… they never will be missed.” Mike, how close do you have to be?»
«Beg pardon?»
«If you had been in the hallway and I had been back by the window — oh, thirty feet — could you have stopped it from hitting me?»
Smith appeared mildly surprised. «Yes.»
«Hmm … come to the window. Suppose Jill and I were on the far side of the pool and you were here. Could you have stopped the box?»
«Yes, Jubal.»
«Well … suppose Jill and I were down at the gate, a quarter of a mile away. Is that too far?»
Smith hesitated. «Jubal, it is not distance. It is not seeing. It is knowing.»
«Hmm … let's see if I grok it. It doesn't matter how far. You don't even have to see it. If you know that a bad thing is happening, you can stop it. Right?»
Smith looked troubled. «Almost is right. But I am not long out of the nest. For knowing I must see. An Old One does not need eyes to know. He knows. He groks. He acts. I am sorry.»
«I don't know why you're sorry,» Jubal said gruffly. «The High Minister for Peace would have declared you Top Secret ten minutes ago.»
«Beg pardon?»
«Never mind.» Jubal returned to his desk, picked up a heavy ash tray. «Jill, don't aim at my face. Okay, Mike, stand in the hallway.»
«Jubal … my brother …
«What's the trouble? I want one more demonstration — and this time I won't take my eyes off it.»
«Jubal — »
«Yes, Jill?»
«I grok what is bothering Mike.»
«Well, tell me.»
«We did an experiment where I was about to hurt you with that box. But we are his water brothers — so it upset Mike that I even tried. I think there is something very unMartian about such a situation.»
Harshaw frowned. «Maybe it should be investigated by the Committee on unMartian Activities.»
«I'm not joking, Jubal.»
«Nor I. All right, Jill, I'll re-rig it.» Harshaw handed the ash tray to Mike. «Feel how heavy it is, son. See those sharp corners.»
Smith examined it gingerly. Harshaw went on, «I'm going to throw it up — and let it hit me in the head as it comes down.»
Mike stared. «My brother … you will now discorporate?»
«Eh? No, no! But it will hurt me — unless you stop it. Here we go!» Harshaw tossed it straight up within inches of the high ceiling.
The ash tray topped its trajectory, stopped.
Harshaw looked at it, feeling stuck in one frame of a motion picture. He croaked, «Anne. What do you see?»
She answered in a flat voice, «That ash tray is five inches from the ceiling. I do not see anything holding it up.» She added, «Jubal, I
«Um. Jill?»
«It floats…»
Jubal went to his desk and sat down without taking his eyes off the ash tray. «Mike,» he said, «why didn't it
