"You see, Father," my mother smiled, stroking my head with three hands, "the wise ones are not always right."
My grandfather nodded his head slowly. "It is not impossible, I suppose. I hope it is true that these—people gave you and your friends the metal, Qan."
"Oh, yes, Grandfather," I thought anxiously. "Of their own free will."
"Well—" he continued, not altogether convinced—"this lot should be enough to repair the engines. Perhaps, when we take off, we should have a look at the youngsters' third planet on the way home."
"But this trip has taken such a long time already, Father," my mother protested. "Almost a rff; the young ones have missed nearly two semesters of school. And Qan has been getting some very peculiar ideas—from those people, I suppose."
"But if there is some sort of intelligent life," Grandfather thought, "it's our duty to visit it. Next time we need to stop the ship for repairs, it might be more convenient to put in at this third planet instead of just hanging out there in space. And the young ones say the natives seem to be friendly."
"I'd like to see Sam's face when he comes back and finds his 'asteroid' gone," I conceptualized.
"Yes," Ppon agreed, with the edge of his mind, but his main channel was turned in another direction. "That is the end of this game now, you know. In the next game I shall be leader."
"Oh, yes?" I thought back. "I'm the leader and I'm staying leader, because I am the biggest and cleverest."