Mannion worked over it for several minutes. .ldThey must have understood us, here’s what I get,” he said:
THAT WHICH SWIMS IN THE MANCJI SEA; WE ARE AWARE THAT YOU HAVE THIS TRADE TONGUE. YOU RANGE FAR. IT IS OUR WHIM TO INDULGE YOU; WE ARE AMUSED THAT YOU PRESUME HERE; WE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR INSOLENT DEMANDS.
“It looks like we’re in somebody’s back yard,” I said. “They acknowledge our insolent demands, but they don’t answer them.” I thought a moment. “Send this,” I said. “We’ll out-strut them:”
THE MIGHTY WARSHIP GALAHAD REJECTS YOUR JURISDICTION.
TELL US THE NATURE OF YOUR DISTRESS AND WE MAY CHOOSE TO OFFER AID.
Mannion raised an eyebrow. “That ought to rock them,” he said.
“They were eager to talk to us,” I said. “That means they want something, in my opinion. And all the big talk sounds like a bluff of our own is our best line.”
“Why do you want to antagonize them, Captain?” Joyce asked. “That ship is over a thousand times the size of this can.”
“Joyce, I suggest you let me forget you’re around,” I said.
The Mancji whine was added to my message, and it went out. Moments later this came back: