"We understand each other, then," Das Shamra said.
"Take your gadget out of me and let me see the ship. I want to check it over before I go up in it."
"Very well. Murro Lignus, apply the anesthetic and remove the distorter."
Kendall shook his head. "No anesthetic. I want to watch this. I can't trust you not to plant some other kind of gadget in me while I'm out."
The fat Martian shrugged. "As you wish. It will be a painful operation, though."
"I'll take my chances on that," Kendall said.
The operation was hell. The Martian surgeon had slipped a submicroscopic pellet near the base of Kendall's spine, making use of one of the Martian super-anesthetics. Now there was no anesthetic in use, as Murro Lignus probed for the distorter.
It was fifteen minutes of sheer agony. Finally the Martian murmured, "It's over. You can get up."
Kendall felt bolts of pain shoot through him. Looking around at the watching Martians, he thought, You'll pay for this. All of you.