"I can't."
"What do you mean, you can't? Don't cross me, Ker-jon; I'll have you detained—"
"That isn't what I mean. I know the humming machine you're talking about. I don't know how it works; no one does. Of course, we can find out. If we study the old records—"
"Bah! Say, do you know any good astro-techs? The machinery in the astro-room doesn't work. I don't know the function of that room, Ker-jon, but I've heard it's important."
"We've all heard that, but no one knows why. We could find out, though."
"How?"
"By studying the old books." Ker-jon wondered if it had been Ab'nath or the old albino who had tampered with the astro-mechanisms.
Flam-harol got up wearily. "Forget it; forget I called you. I can see you'll be no help at all. I've heard talk about studying the old records. All over the Ark. But man, think! You can't sit down in a hole someplace and read a book to solve anything. That just isn't the way things get done."
"You'll learn," Ker-jon said, getting up to leave.