"What are you?" he repeated stonily.
She hesitated; then, putting her lips against his ear, she breathed, "Ganelon. I'm ganelon—not human. I—I am a native of the planet you humans call Asgard."
"But how have you escaped detection? Why hasn't anyone ever seen a Centaurian?"
"They've seen us—often." There was the suggestion of a giggle in Tamis' low voice. "Perhaps, like Professor Liedl thinks, we're plants."
"No. You're animal. I can tell. Maybe you could fool my eyes but not my nose."
"That nose of yours. It is unfair. You are the mutation!" She gave a silvery chuckle and then clapped her hand over her mouth.
"Please," she begged. "I must go. We are courting discovery!"
"You haven't told me...."
"Tomorrow night," she interrupted. Suddenly she stiffened.
Joel heard it too. The faint noise of a heavy body shifting in one of the bunks. His eyes darted across the darkened fo'cs'le!