Rell, who had somewhat lost their fear of Brown, hastily retreated when they saw him returning to the still awesome ship.

“But are you sure he’s completely self-powered?” the speculative bank queried. “No Rell inside him at all?”

“There are many Rell-like beings in various parts of him

,” replied the interpretive bank. “Some help digest his food, others are predators, and still others their enemies. But most are too big and clumsy to have developed intelligence, and even the small ones appear completely mindless.”

“But where do the thought waves come from? We all felt them.”

“It’s hard to accept but we are almost forced to conclude they are emanating from the mobile unit itself, or rather from the living part within the cocoon.”

“You’re positive they aren’t the product of some of the Rell-beings inside?”

“Almost positive. The mesh insists not. In fact, it claims this is an un-Rell like type of intelligence, though that appears to be a contradiction in terms. The thought pattern is completely outside our experience. In fact, it is so alien we haven’t broken it down yet to the meaning behind it.”

“But if the Rell inside are too large to have developed intelligence, how could this gigantic monster in which they live have done so?”

“We cannot yet say. Remember, the theory that intelligence cannot develop in creatures above a certain size is unproven, even though never before challenged. We’ve watched other races die through failure to adapt to change so apparently it is true of Rell-like creatures on this world. But who can say about organisms on another world or of the unprecedented size of this one? Completely different physical laws may apply.”

It was later that afternoon after the Rell had spent much time observing Brown while Brown was busy observing the landscape that the interpretive bank made the triumphant announcement, “We have it! We’ve broken the thought waves down to their meanings and know what he’s thinking. What would you like to know first?”

“Check and see if there are any Rell inside the other thing or on his home world. They might have constructed him.”

“Apparently there are none, or at least no intelligent Rell, on his world. We can’t guide his mind but the memory bank recorded all [94] the thoughts we’ve received and some time ago he was thinking of something he termed ‘vermin’. Apparently these are sometimes Rell-like creatures, although far larger. He regards them as a great nuisance, but mindless. The big thing, by the way, he calls a ‘ship’ and it is utterly lifeless. We needn’t fear the flame until this creature leaves.”

“What about him? What is he like?”

“That’s the most exciting part! He thought of his bodily needs once and we glimpsed

a concept dealing with his physical construction. It’s incredible! His body is composed almost entirely of water … there’s enough water in him alone to prolong the life of the Rell many ages. Further, the air in his ‘ship’ is heavily impregnated with moisture and he even has reserve supplies of water for his needs.”

At this, not only Raeillo/ee13, but all except perhaps the most responsible units felt a shiver of primitive longing and perhaps even greed. Not for millennia

had there been such a plentitude of water so close!

“Then can’t we appropriate at least part of it?” asked the speculative bank.

“Unfortunately both the ‘man’, as he calls himself, and his ‘ship’ are sealed so tightly that we could not