"Hell!" exploded Donatti. "Z-wave! So this thing came Z-wave from Neovenus. They all do!"
"—igence. The arrowheads bear a remarkable resemblance to prehistoric arrowheads found on Terra. However no connection between the stellar planets can be assumed, since arrowheads are a natural bit of design among primitive peoples and—"
Here there came another voice! Superimposed upon the dry voice of the commentator for Neosol Wire, the whole was almost impossible to decode and separate:
"—like the lever as the basic simple machine which would be
"Stacey, Morrow! Can you hear me? I'm on the air." "Yes, discovered as soon as the first man discovered how to use a by all that's holy, we hear you! Or at least I do! Morrow? This stick of wood as a means of prying a large boulder aside from is Stacey on Latham Alpha IV, can you hear us on Latham the opening of a likely cave, the similar use of a lever some Gamma VI?" "This is Toby Morrow, fellers. Both of your sta- where else in the galaxy would not mean that some cultural tions are coming in like a ton of bricks." Nora, now will you connection had ever existed between the distant cultures. How- believe me?" "Paul, I do want to believe you, but isn't this a ever it is of basic interest to know that there was a civilized rather short distance as interstellar distances go? Three light culture in the galaxy other than Solarium Humankind. Doubt- months is not anywhere near as far as several light years." less as the galaxy is explored, other cultures and civilizations "But this is just the beginning! Can I bring you the rest?" will be discovered. It is more than likely that other civiliza- "Do that, my dear and you will have forever proven your tions will be found which are still thriving. In fact it is not place." "With you?" "With me? No, Paul, I mean with the unlikely that our technical perfection may be overshadowed worlds of science and men. You should know your place with by some greater culture whose history of development may me." "Should I?" "You should, Paul." "Where?" "You wouldn't extend back earlier than the history of Mankind. want me to say this over the air?" "Not hardly."
Donatti listened to the unmistakable sounds of ardent osculation with a saccharine expression on his face. Then the fatuous look died to be replaced by sudden excitement. With one hand he stopped the playback and with the other he grabbed the telephone.
"Get me Huston!" he roared.
"What do you need a telephone for?" asked the operator.
The connection was made in a hurry.
"Huston! The Z-wave is in!"