Mindswap

'A job! Your job is to hunt Meldens, is that it?'

'Well, obviously. This planet of Ganzer isn't good for much, you see, except for hunting Meldens.'

'But why do you hunt them?' Marvin asked.

'Well, for one thing, a ganzer egg can grow to full maturity only in the host flesh of the adult Melden.'

'I say,' the ganzer egg said, rolling around with embarrassment, 'must we get so damned biological? I mean to say, you don't hear me talking about your natural functions, do you?'

'And secondly,' the ganzer continued, 'our sole export is Melden hides, which (after curing and tanning) are used for imperial vestments on Triana II, for good-luck charms on Nemo, and for seat covers on Chrysler XXX. This quest for the elusive and deadly Melden is our sole means of maintaining a tolerable degree of civilization and-'

'That's exactly what they told me!' Marvin cried, and quickly repeated what the manager had said to him.

'My gosh!' said the ganzer.

Both realized the true situation now: the Meldens were utterly dependent upon the Ganzers, who in turn, were utterly dependent upon the Meldens. These two races hunted each other, lived and died for each other, and, through ignorance or guile, ignored any relationship between each other. The relationship was utterly symbiotic, but completely unacknowledged by either race. In fact, each race pretended that it alone was a Civilized Intelligence, and that the other was bestial, contemptible, and of no account,

And it now occurred to both of them that they were, in equal measure, participants in the general concept of Humanity. (The ganzer egg was also a part, of course.)

The realization was awesome; but Marvin was still pinned to the ground by the ganzer's heavy paw.

'This leaves me in a somewhat embarrassing situation,' the ganzer said, after a while. 'My natural tendency is to release you; but I am working on this planet under a contract, which stipulates-'

'Then you are not a real ganzer?'

'No. I am a Swapper like yourself, and I come from Terra!'

'My home planet!' Marvin cried.

'I had guessed as much,' the ganzer replied. 'After a time one becomes sensitive to the idiosyncratic quality of differing minds, and learns to recognize one's countrymen through little tricks of thought and phraseology. I would guess that you are an American, probably from the East Coast, perhaps from Connecticut or Vermont-'

'New York State!' Marvin cried. 'I am from Stanhope!'

'And I am from Saranac Lake,' the ganzer said. 'My name is Otis Dagobert, and I am thirty-seven years old.'

And with that, the ganzer lifted his paw from Marvin's chest. 'We are neighbours,' he said quietly. 'And so I cannot kill you, just as I am reasonably sure you would be unable to kill me, had you the opportunity. And now that we know the truth, I doubt if we will be able to perform any portion of our terrible jobs. But that is a sad thing to find out, for it means that we are doomed to Contractual Discipline; and then if we do not obey, our Companies will give us Extreme Severance. And you know what that means.'

Marvin nodded sadly. He knew all too well. His head drooped, and he sat in disconsolate silence beside his newly found friend.

'I can think of no way out,' Marvin said, after giving the matter some thought. 'Perhaps we could hide in the forest for a few days; but they would be sure to find us.'

Suddenly, the ganzer egg spoke up. 'Come now, perhaps it isn't as hopeless as you think!'

'What do you mean?'Marvin asked.

'Well now,' the ganzer egg said, dimpling with pleasure, 'it seems to me that one good turn deserves another. I could get into plenty of hot water for this … But to hell with that. I think I can find a way off this planet for both of you.'

Both Marvin and Otis broke into exclamations of gratitude; but the ganzer egg stopped them at once.

'Maybe you won't thank me when you see what lies ahead,' he said ominously.

'Nothing could be worse than this,' Otis said.

'You'd be surprised,' the ganzer egg said flatly. 'You might be very surprised … This way, gentlemen.'

'But where are we going?' Marvin asked.

'I'm taking you to meet the Hermit,' the ganzer egg replied, and would say no more. He rolled purposefully away, and Marvin and Otis followed.

Chapter 13

Through the rain forest wild and free of Ganzer (or Melde, depending upon your point of view), they marched and rolled, ever alert for danger. But no creature menaced them, and they came at last to a clearing in the forest. They saw a rude hut in the centre of that clearing, and a humanoform creature dressed all in rags, squatting in front of the hut.

'That is the Hermit,' said the ganzer egg. 'He's quite insane.'

The two Terrans had no time in which to consider that information. The Hermit arose and cried, 'Now stand, hold, halt! Reveal yourselves to my understanding!'

'I'm Marvin Flynn,' Marvin said, 'and this is my friend Otis Dagobert. We want to escape from this planet.'

The Hermit didn't seem to hear them; he stroked his long beard and gazed thoughtfully at the treetops. In low, sombre tones, he said:

'Ere this moment came, a flight of geese
Passed low o'erhead, presaging woe;
The refuge and disconsolate owl did pass
This hid'n' place of mine, bereft
Of that which nature freely gives but man denies!
The stars are silent when they light our home:
The trees themselves proclaim the flight of kings.'

'He means,' the ganzer egg said, 'that he had a feeling you'd be coming this way.'

'Is he crazy or something?' Otis asked. 'The way he talks-'

'Now rede me this! I'll have no plattering roth
To creep between the interstices of a mind
Proclaiming treason.'

The Hermit said.

'He doesn't want you to whisper to each other.' the ganzer egg translated. 'It makes him suspicious.'

'I could figure that much out for myself,' Flynn said.

'So go screw yourself.' the ganzer egg said. 'I was just trying to be helpful.'

The Hermit advanced several paces, halted, and said: