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But if it's humanly possible, I'll bring the fleet here to free you." "Us know will be hard, that maybeso it never come we be free," the Guddu said. "But us know you are only hope. So us help you all us can. Guddu in mines try get more rock out as you say. But Guddu who help humans build big egg you call 'ships' do most. Each day some of they find way break something, do wrong thing.
"Oh, yes, An-yon, me know that already," Geck's peculiar little face, which had become so friendly to Hanlon through long association, broke out into a smile that was quickly shadowed by sorrow at thought of the plight of his people. "There is nine mines. Human masters make Guddu work in all of they." "Nine, eh?" Hanlon thought swiftly for a moment. "Do they all produce the same ores as this one?"
Me tell other Guddu to wait for you here." "What about those near the places where the ships were being built?" Hanlon's mind asked anxiously. "I tried to get into contact with them but couldn't." "Many of they were killed, yet most ran to forests when great fires that destroy were started," was the sad response. Hanlon was silent a moment, then telepathed again.
"Can you find out what is happening on other parts of Guddu?" The native's answers stunned him. "Yes, An-yon, all we can mind-talk with any Guddu anywhere. What you wish to know?" The knowledge that these Guddus of Algon were telepathic rocked George Hanlon back on his heels. That was a thing he had never even imagined.
"Yes, it would be interesting," Hanlon admitted, "but I'm glad you treat them that way." He turned back to Geck and explained, telepathically, as best he could. "You stay here with we," the Guddu asked hopefully. "I'm sorry, but I have other work to do," and then, as he saw how the other lost heart. Hanlon hastened to add, "I have to go help other enslaved peoples on other worlds."
Hawarden activated the intercom, and when a face appeared on the screen ordered, "Give this young man any information he wants." "Do you know a planet named 'Algon' or 'Guddu'?" Hanlon asked. "It's about twelve and a quarter light years distant, right ascension about eighteen hours, declination around plus fifteen degrees. Here's a rough chart of what I could see from there."
George Hanlon's young hand was shaking as he took the mike, but his voice was steady and crisp. "Admiral Ferguson, sir, this is George Hanlon of the Secret Service. I was detailed to the Simonidean affair. I've just returned from a planet I know both as 'Algon' and as 'Guddu. The planetographers are checking now for its exact location.
The minute they had reached the stope he unearthed the machine from its hiding place and got into conversation with the friendly Guddu. "The food stuff?" he asked eagerly. "Is it something you can use?" "Oh, yes. An-yon," Geck almost sputtered in his eagerness, and words tumbled out so swiftly Hanlon could hardly translate them. "It are wonderful! Can you fix so all we can have?"
Soon Hanlon saw a great tree pictured beside the ship, and at the base of the tree a native was standing. Quickly Hanlon estimated. The adult natives he had seen were almost all about six feet tall. As nearly as he could judge that tree was a good fifteen times the height of the Guddu, and the ship was the same height as the tree, and nearly three times as long. Wow! What a ship!
The rest of the men stood by in hostile silence, and it was clear from their attitudes that this time Gorton had gone too far. How it happened none of the natives had run away, puzzled them all. But Hanlon guessed, and when he had taken his crew down to work he called Geck to him, and by means of the transformer asked about it. "Was one Guddu in hut by main gate who first see gate were open.
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