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The Guddus on the other end of that "line" were tremendously skeptical, afraid, and very, very suspicious of the motives of any human being. But Geck was eloquent and persuasive. Before long their fears began to lessen, and later they seemed to accept his assurance that "An-yon" was, indeed, both friendly and anxious to help them escape their slavery.
But of their armaments or propulsive methods he had not been able to get any information such things were too far beyond the natives' simple abilities to describe or picture for him. Hanlon's ability to telepath, through Geck, was growing much stronger, although he was still not able to telepath direct to any of the distant Guddus. He could, however, do so to some extent to one close by.
"We burn quickly," was the sad, horrified thought. There were three other mines, but the natives did not know the English or Greek names for the metals found there. Even after considerable questioning by the roundabout "Hanlon to Geck to the Guddus back to Geck back to Hanlon" method, he still couldn't get that specific information.
"The Guddus are too high in the scale for the planet to be colonized, and too low at present to be admitted to the Federation as true members. Yet they have immense wealth and resources the Federation can use, and something will have to be done to protect them from thieves and others who might again try to enslave them." "That will never be allowed again.
The Guddus, with their lack of knowledge of things mechanical, had not reported these to Hanlon, else he could have warned Admiral Ferguson about them, and the attack might possibly have been handled differently. Suddenly a speaker blared, "Sector Two is in our hands. No total losses. A number of the enemy scouts got away they're far faster than anything we've got."
Hanlon explained rapidly, finishing, "So you see, with some psychiatric treatments, I'm sure that inferiority can be cleaned up and then he'll be a real asset to us or whoever hires him." A sudden gleam came into his eyes. "Say, if we make that treaty with the Guddus, he'd be just the man to take charge here, under Corps direction." "Well, run along and see to it, then.
He suggested that specialists be sent here to see what could be done about teaching the natives any of the things they might want to know. "But don't let them try to force the Guddus into a mechanical civilization," he pleaded. "Let 'em grow in their own way, and make what progress they can in whatever way comes natural to them." "Of course," his father agreed quickly.
In desperation Hanlon even tried the trees or plants there, to see if they had minds like the Guddus but none of them did. He dreaded to think what would happen if the brain that a portion of his mind was occupying died while in his control. Would that part of his mind then be lost? He had no way of knowing, nor was he anxious to chance it, for he was terribly afraid it would be so.
"Almost us ingest too many last dark," Geck gave what Hanlon knew was a shamefaced laugh. "It such very good eat us become ..." he hesitated. "Drunk, you mean?" Hanlon laughed. "I can see it might do that to you. You'll have to warn the others about that." They chatted away for some minutes, about how much the Guddus appreciated Hanlon's thoughtfulness.
"I've never seen anything like this," he commented in amazement. "Are these trees and bushes conscious, too?" "Very slightly," his son told him. "The Guddus call them their 'little cousins, and I believe can communicate to some extent, but I never could." As they broke from the jungle's fringe, they saw a double-squad of marines on guard.
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