And they squealed and chortled when he tried pantomime. But that they understood any of it they gave not a single sign.
Gary came back to the ship.
"They're intelligent," he said. "They have to be, otherwise how would they ever have been brought to the rim of the universe by the Engineers.
Something like that takes understanding, a mechanical aptitude, a penchant for higher mathematics.”
He gestured in disgust. "And yet," he said, "they do not understand even the most elementary symbolism.”
"These ones may not be trained," said Caroline. "There may be others here who are. There may be an elite, an intelligentsia. These may be the peasants and the serfs.”
Gary said wearily: "Let's get out of here. Make a circuit or two of the planet. Watch closely for some sign of development, some evidence of culture.”
Caroline nodded. "We could have missed it before.”
They went into the ship and closed the port behind them. Through the vision plates they saw the goblins, a large crowd of them by now, lined up at the edge of the mushroom forest, staring at the ship.
Gary lowered himself into the pilot's chair, reached out for the warming knob and twisted it over. Nothing happened. He twisted it back and turned it on again. Silence swam within the ship — no sound of warming jets.