"No doubt. Well—he said that this started six months ago. Now what could have happened six months ago?"
"The aliens," Ruut said flatly. "That's what caused it."
"Oh, come now, Ruut," Curl said amusedly. "Don't be superstitious. What connection could these—these aliens possibly have?"
"Well, that's when the Council clamped down on them. Something funny about the way they did that, too."
"Not at all funny," Curl told him in a superior tone of voice. "It is simply that the aliens appeared to be of a higher type of animal class without communication. Surely you wouldn't want to have anything to do with such contradictory beings."
"Of course not. But Tensor got sick right after he visited them."
"He went to visit them?" Curl was pensive a moment, and his eyes lighted up. "In that case, Ruut, there may be some connection after all."
Ruut nodded without speaking.
"Tensor," Curl said thoughtfully, "did you actually go to inspect the savages?"
"Yes sir."