"From the laws we can work out the nature of the stars! because that is simple. But how can we work out the nature of the beings? We can never know."
"Couldn't they communicate what they look like?"
"If we understood what they communicated, perhaps we could make out something. But we don't understand." Dua seemed aggrieved. "Don't the Hard Ones understand?"
"I don't know. If they do, they haven't told me so. Losten once told me it didn't matter what they were like, as long as the Positron Pump worked and was enlarged."
"Maybe he just didn't want you bothering him." Odeen said, huffily. "I don't bother him."
"Oh, you know what I mean. He just didn't want to get into those details."
By that time Tritt could no longer listen. They went on arguing for quite awhile over whether the Hard Ones should let Dua look at the markings or not Dua said that she could sense what they said, perhaps.
It made Tritt a little angry. After all, Dua was only a Soft One and not even a Rational. He began to wonder if Odeen was right to tell her all he did. It gave Dua funny ideas-
Dua could see it made Odeen angry, too. First he laughed. Then he said that an Emotional couldn't handle such complicated things. Then he refused to talk at all. Dua had to be very pleasant to him for a while till he came around.
On one occasion it was Dua who was angry-absolutely furious.
It began quietly. In fact, it was on one of the occasions when the two children were with them. Odeen was letting them play with him. He didn't even mind when little-right Torun pulled at him. In fact, he let himself go in most undignified fashion. He didn't seem to mind that he was all out of shape. It was a sure sign he was pleased. Tritt remained in a corner, resting, and was so satisfied with what was happening.
Dua laughed at Odeen's misshapenness. She let her own substance touch Odeen's knobbishness flirtatiously. She knew very well, Tritt knew, that the leftish surface was sensitive when out of ovoid.
Dua said, "I've been thinking, Odeen… If the other Universe gets its laws into ours just a bit through the Positron Pump, doesn't our Universe get its laws into theirs the same little bit?"
Odeen howled at Dua's touch and tried to avoid her without upsetting the little ones. He gasped, "I can't answer unless you stop, you mid-ling wretch."
She stopped, and he said, "That's a very good thought, Dua. You're an amazing creature. It's true, of course. The mixture goes both ways… Tritt take out the little ones, will you?"
But they scurried off by themselves. They were not such little ones. They were quite grown. Annis would soon be starting his education and Torun was quite Parentally-blockish already.
Tritt stayed and thought Dua looked very beautiful when Odeen talked to her in this way.
Dua said, "If the other laws slow down our Sun and cool them down; don't our laws speed up their suns and heat them up?"
"Exactly right, Dua. A Rational couldn't do better."
"How hot do their suns get?"
"Oh, not much; just slightly hotter, very slightly
Dua said, "But that's where I keep getting the something-bad feeling."
"Oh, well, the trouble is that their suns are so huge. H our little suns get a little cooler, it doesn't matter. Even if they turned off altogether, it wouldn't matter as long as we have the Positron Pump. With great, huge stars, though, getting even a little hotter is troublesome. There is so much material in one of those stars that turning up the nuclear fusion even a little way will make it explode."
"Explode! But then what happens to the people?"
"What people?"
"The people in the other Universe."
For a moment, Odeen looked blank, then he said, "I don't know."
"Well, what would happen if our own Sun exploded?"
"It couldn't explode."
(Tritt wondered what all the excitement was about How could a Sun explode? Dua seemed angrier and Odeen looked confused.)
Dua said, "But if it did? Would it get very hot?"
"I suppose so."
'Wouldn't it kill us all?"
Odeen hesitated and then said in clear annoyance, "What difference does it make, Dua? Our Sun isn't exploding, and don't ask silly questions."
"You told me to ask questions, Odeen, and it does make a difference, because the Positron Pump works both ways. We need their end as much as ours."
Odeen stared at her. "I never told you that"
"I feel it."
Odeen said, "You feel a great many things. Dua-"
But Dua was shouting now. She was quite beside herself. Tritt had never seen her like that She said, "Don't change the subject, Odeen. And don't withdraw and try to make me out a complete fool-just another Emotional. You said I was almost like a Rational and I'm enough like one to see that the Positron Pump won't work without the other-beings. If the people in the other Universe are destroyed, the Positron Pump will stop and our Sun will be colder than ever and well all starve. Don't you think that's important?"
