"But the expedition—your duty—"
"I changed my mind," Ger told him. "You know, Pilot, I never wanted to be a Detector."
"But you were born a Detector!"
"That's true," Ger said. "But it doesn't help. I always wanted to be a Hunter."
Pid shook his entire body in annoyance. "You can't," he said, very slowly, as one would explain to a Gromling. "The Hunter shape is forbidden to you."
"Not here it isn't," Ger said, still wagging his tail.
"Let's have no more of this," Pid said angrily. "Get into that installation and set up your Displacer. I'll try to overlook this heresy."
"No," Ger said. "I don't want the Grom here. They'd ruin it for the rest of us."
"He's right," a nearby oak tree said.
"Ilg!" Pid gasped. "Where are you?"