Kitty gripped Bill's hand, excitedly. "What's that for?" she asked.
"Don't know," Bill replied. "Maybe it insulates him from contact with matter. He can think better in the abstract."
The old Uvan nodded and sat rigidly upon the throne. Suddenly the lights dimmed within the chamber, leaving only a suspended glow that was like the infinite apartness and silence of the distant universe.
"I am suitable for thought," the old Uvan spoke in a vague tone. "Give me your equals."
Bill squeezed Kitty's arm, whispering, "I'm going to try something just to see how this works." He faced the Uvan and spoke aloud. "I have two equals. The first is something that my Boss needs. The second is for the Fuel Monopoly. Here's the first."
Bill handed the Uvan a prepared slip. It asked for a chemical formula which would react on the physical body of Castlebottom in a certain manner, producing a specified result. For a second the Uvan considered the slip, absorbing the requirements. Sudden lights glowed in the segmented grape-cells composing the Uvan's head. The lights shifted from one cell to another, flickering here and there.
Abruptly, all the lights went out but a small purplish glow in the grape-cell over the Uvan's right ear. "He's got the answer," Bill whispered.
"MgSO4,7N2O equals your problem," said the Uvan.
"Good!" Bill gasped. "Great Comets, these fellows never miss."
"But what's it the formula for?" Kitty asked.