pleases you," she continued. Morn obliged,
combining several ideas of friendship he had heard in other poems into
a verse of his own. The women sat back with a gentle smile. "Quite
good!" she announced, "Expressed from the heart, and quite well
composed."
38 Morn nodded in acknowledgement, but was aware of a telepathic
exchange between two of the Committeemen. "Yes," one thought," quite
good for a primitive."
39 "They are learning," the other one replied. "Give them time."
40 Another representative rose and put a paper on Morn's desk. "Can
you," he inquired, "solve for me this problem in physics?"
41 Morn looked at the paper, then, picking up a pen, translated the
figures and numbers into his own language, solved the problem,
translated his answer into Peepian and handed it back.
42 The Representative looked surprised. "It is a logical conclusion,"
he announced, "but not the correct answer."
43 "Two of the middle steps," argued Morn, "are in error. I have
circled them. With this correction my answer is accurate."
44 The Peepian began to check the figures rapidly, then looked up in
surprise. "Your people," he inquired, "have already solved this
equation?"
45 "I don't know," answered Morn, "that is not one of my specialties.
46 The Representative sat back thoughtfully. One of his companions
thought to him, "Impertinent, isn't he, to question your figures?"
47 "Impertinent or not," the other one answered, "he is correct, or
seems to be correct. And if that is so, there could be a grave error in
our research."
48 The third Representative put to Morn a question of philosophy. "The
ultimate goal of any society," he said,