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           "ShelookedatHarshaw."AndI’mgoingtolearnitjusttospiteyou!"

           Hegrinnedwarmlyather."That’samotiveIgrokperfectly–you’lllearnitallright.Nowbacktobusiness–Mike,whatelsecanyoudothatwecan’tdo?Besidesmakingthingsgoaway–whentheyhavea‘wrongness’–andliftingthingswithouttouchingthem."

           Smithlookedpuzzled."Idonotknow."

           "Howcouldheknow,"protestedJill,"whenhedoesn’treallyknowwhatwecanandcan’tdo?"

           "Mmm–yes.Anne,changethatjobtitleto‘staffresearchassistantforMartianlinguistics,culture,andtechniques.’Jill,inlearningtheirlanguageyouareboundtostumbleontoMartianthingsthataredifferent,reallydifferent–andwhenyoudo,tellme.Everythingandanythingaboutaculturecanbeinferredfromtheshapeofitslanguage–andyou’reprobablyyoungenoughtolearntothinklikeaMartian?whichImisdoubtIamnot.Andyou,Mike,ifyounoticeanythingwhichyoucandobutwedon’tdo,tellme."

           "Iwilltell,Jubal.Whatthingswillbethese?"

           "Idon’tknow.Thingslikeyoujustdid?andbeingabletostayonthebottomofthepoolmuchlongerthanwecan.Hmm?Duke!"

           "Yes,Boss?I’vegotbothhandsfullofflim.Don’tbotherme."

           "Youcantalk,can’tyou?Inoticedthepoolisprettymurky."

           "Yeah.I’mgoingtoaddprecipitanttonightandvacuumitinthemorning."

           "How’sthecount?"

           "Thecountisokay,thewaterissafeenoughtoserveatthetable.Itjustlooksmessy."