Warren jumped. "Who, me?"
"No," said Dr. Bryant. "Not you, Hugh—hue! I see what he means. It is a matter of fleshly color. The Magogeans are our color, or nearly so. Dr. 'Boris Anjers' was of a complexion sufficiently similar to that of an Earthman to pass himself off for many years as a Eurasian. Similarly we might, I suppose, masquerade as Magogeans—"
He turned a questioning gaze to Tsalnor. The Gogean nodded. "Exactly. Let one uff our blue-fleshed brethren but present an appearance before any Magogean and he would be rayed down mercilessly without ever being granted an opportunity to speak.
"You alone haff the coloration which would permit entry into the city uff Khundru—"
"Where is this city?"
"A very short distance from here. Scarce more than a hundred talus, on the edge of the Twilight Zone."
"And you say it's the Magogean capital? Isn't that location a rather dangerous one for their most important city?"
"On the contrary, Khundru is located at an axis uff vital strategic importance. It spans the estuary uff the river Driya where it meets the Pinoor Sea, and is protected from assault from either side by lofty mountain ranges. Its rear is protected by Darkside."
"But you spoke of a barrier shield."
"Yes. It is that which prevents our armed forces from storming Khundru. About and around their capital the Magogeans have forged some sort uff an invisible barrier impenetrable by any material substance. What this is, we do not know. Unable to study it at first hand, our scientists haff never been able to study its secret."