"That's quite a job, isn't it?"
"No, only a few minutes."
"Do it in the morning; you've done enough for one day—maybe you've hit them already, any way."
They again became silent, watching Jupiter, an enormous moon some seven degrees in apparent diameter.
"Steve, I simply can't get used to such a prodigious moon! Look at the stripes, and look at that perfectly incredible...."
A gong sounded and they both jumped to their feet and raced madly into the Hope. The ultra-receiver had come to life and the sounder was chattering insanely—someone was sending with terrific speed, but with perfect definition and spacing.
"That's Brandon's fist—I'd know his style anywhere," Stevens shouted, as he seized notebook and pencil.
"Tell me what it says, quick, Steve!" Nadia implored.
"Can't talk—read it!" Stevens snapped. His hand was flying over the paper, racing to keep up with the screaming sounder.
"...ymede all x stevens ganymede all x stevens ganymede all x placing and will keep sirius on plane between you and tellus circle fifteen forty north going tellus first send full data spreading beam to cover circle fifteen forty quince suggests possibility this message intercepted and translated personally I think such translation impossible and that he is wilder than a hawk but just in case they should be supernaturally intelligent...."