"No," said the nozzle. "Is it not yours?"
"Numbers!" said Craig. "Ask him by the number of the planet from the sun."
"We are from Earth, the third planet from the sun," said Lloyd, holding up three fingers for emphasis. "Where are you from?"
"We are from Earth," said the nozzle, "the second planet from the sun." Ulkay held up two digits.
"Venusians?" Tandy squawked, while Harrison doubled up in a fit of laughter as the idea sank in. In another moment, both groups—Ulkay's and Lloyd's—had joined him in a tension-breaking paroxysm of mirth.
"Where are you parked?" asked Kroner, the first to recover some semblance of control.
Ulkay, still chuckling, pointed in the opposite direction to that in which the Sherlock II was standing. "Outside the west gate of the city," said the nozzle. "Where are you?"
"Outside the east gate. We thought you were Martians—people of this, the fourth planet."
"And we in turn thought you were Martians," said Ulkay, through the nozzle. There was more laughter in both groups.
"For Pete's sake!" muttered Lloyd. "For Pete's sake! Look, Ulkay, why don't both our groups get some rest and we'll make our inspection tour of the city tomorrow, the two groups together?"