"I wish you'd talk about something else," said Rodkey. "Only ten minutes to go."
Dr. Bruber disregarded the request. "I don't know why people on a planet 32 light years away should consider Earth dangerous."
"Oh, Earth isn't. It's only the people on it," said Olbu.
"How do you know about the people?"
"We have a method of enlarging telescopic photos to bring out every detail. We know all about Man, we've watched you from the days when your ancestors lived in caves."
"Goodness! You know more about us than we know ourselves."
"Why don't you tell our viewers about that!" exclaimed Rodkey.
"Yes," went on Olbu, who also seemed to have forgotten the existence of Rodkey, "we saw your ancestors fight with sticks and stones. We saw them use spears, then gunpowder. Then we saw the atom bomb and the Council decided to send me to see if anything could be salvaged."
"But the bomb was 200 years ago," said Dr. Bruber.
"Twelve Zorax," corrected Olbu. "I've been on the way here for twelve Zorax—or if you will—thirty-two light years, two hundred time years."