"How to navigate the inter-space that exists outside the universe. They are more advanced in many sciences that we. If they wished, I have no doubt they could by themselves, with no aid at all, save us from the fate that is approaching.”
"Perhaps," rumbled Kingsley, "a treaty could be arranged. A sort of eleventh-hour armistice.”
The impersonal thought of the Engineer struck at them. "There can be no peace with them. No treaty. No armistice. For more than a million years they have thought and practiced war. Their every thought has been directed toward conquest. To them the very word 'peace' is meaningless. War is their natural state, peace an unnatural state. And they would not, in any event, in the remote chance that they might consider an armistice, consider it at this time when they have a chance to prevent us from saving the universe.”
"You mean," asked Gary, horror in his voice, "that they actually want the universe destroyed? That they would fight you to prevent you from saving it?”
"That," said the Engineer, "is exactly what I mean. You understand so well.”
"Do you expect them to attack soon?" asked Tommy.
"We do not know. They may attack at any time. We are ready at all times. We know they will attack eventually.”
"We must find a way," said Caroline. "We can't let them stop us! We must find a way!”
"We will find a way," rumbled Kingsley. "There has to be a way, and we'll find it.”
"What do you call these rip-snorters you've been fighting all these years?”