Stranger in a Strange Land

where you were, where you lived alone in a room, before I dressed you and took you away."
                "Yes, Jill.''
                "Then we went to another place and I undressed you and gave you a bath."
                Smith smiled in pleased recollection. "Yes. It was a great happiness."
                "Then I dried you off-and then two men came."
                Smith's smile wiped away. He relived that critical cusp of decision and the horror of his discovery that, somehow, he had chosen wrong action and hurt his water brother. He began to tremble and huddle into himself.
                Jill said loudly, "Mike! Stop it! Stop it at once! Don't you dare go away!"
                Mike took control of his being and did what his water brother required of him. "Yes, Jill," he agreed.
                "Listen to me, Mike. I want you to think about that time-but you mustn't get upset or go away. Just remember it. There were two men there. One of them pulled you Out into the living room."
                "The room with the joyful grasses on the floor," he agreed.
                "That's right. He pulled you Out into the room with the grass on the floor and I tried to stop him. He hit me. Then he was gone. Y~u remember?"
                "You are not angry?"
                "What? No, no, not at all. But I was frightened. One man disappeared, then the other one pointed a gun at me-and then he was gone, too. I was very frightened-but I was not angry."
                "You are not angry with me now?"
                "Mike, dear-I have never been angry with you. But sometimes I have been frightened. I was frightened that time-but I am not afraid now. Jubal and I want to know what happened. Those two men were there, in that room with us. And then you did something . . . and they were gone. You did it twice. What was it you did? Can you tell us?"
                "Yes, I will tell you. The man-the big man-hit you ... and I was frightened, too. So I-" He croaked a phrase in Martian, then looked puzzled. "I do not know words."
                Jubal said, "Mike, can you use a lot of words and explain it a little at a time?"
                "I will try, Jubal. Something is there, in front of me. It is a wrong thing and it must not be there. It must go. So I reach out and-" He stopped again and looked perplexed. "It is such a simple thing, such an easy thing. Anyone can do it. Tying shoe laces is much more hard. But the words not are. I am very sorry. I will learn more words." He considered it. "Perhaps the words are in Plants to Raym, or Rayn to Sarr, or Sars to Sorc. I will read them tonight and tell you at breakfast."
                "Maybe," Jubal admitted. "Just a minute, Mike." He got up from his desk, went to a corner and returned with a large carton which had lately contained twelve fifths of brandy. "Can you make this go away?"
                "This is a wrong thing and it must not be here?"
                "Well, assume that it is."
                "But-Jubal, I must know that it is a wrong thing. This is a box. I do not grok that it exists wrongly."
                "Mmm- I see. I think I see. Suppose I picked up this box and threw it at Jill's head? Threw it hard, so that it would hurt her?"
                Smith said with gentle sadness, "Jubal, you would not do that to Jill."
                "Uh ... damn it. I guess I wouldn't. Jill, will you throw the box at me? Good and hard-a scalp wound at least, if Mike can't protect me."
                "Jubal, I don't like the idea much better than you do."
                "Oh, come on! In the interest of science ... and Ben Caxton."
                "But-" Jill jumped up suddenly, grabbed the box, threw it right at Jubal's head. Jubal intended to stand and take it-but instinct and habit won out; he ducked.
                "Missed me," he said. "But where is it?" He looked around. "Confound it, I wasn't watching. I meant to keep my eyes right on it." He looked at Smith. "Mike, is that the way-what's the matter, boy?"
                The Man from Mars was trembling and looking unhappy. Jill hurried to him and put her arms around his shoulders. "There, there, it's all right, dear! You did it beautifully-whatever it is. It never touched Jubal. It