Milton A. Rothman

“ Among the many classification tests which they gave Grey was a curious one which seemed nonsensical until later on in the course of his training its purpose became quite obvious. It was given by a young man with very large and quiet eyes, who was seated beside an individual with soft, silky fur that changed color from moment to moment, and whose antennae had a fascinating, restless mobility. The four tentacles were brown and graceful, while the total attitude of the creature was one of repose and dignity. ”

“ Good for our side, Grey thought in relief—at least Canopan officers kept their minds unbound by brass. They'd stand behind Joe.
The Fleet Base Commandant knifed Joe with a rigid stare. He spoke rapidly and bitingly. "It is difficult enough to keep harmony among the various planetary groups at the base without it becoming know that the Canopans can kill Terrans by their mental powers. You have been trained in self-control. By this incident tonight you have jeopardized the morale of all the troops in the region."
The Canopan officer put in gently, "This was clearly a case of self-defense. ”

“ Joe informed Grey. "Some of our heroes back from the battle sector feel that they haven't had enough fighting."
"I bet you a pack of smokes that the guys in the fight haven't been within a light year of an actual battle," said Grey, dryly. "They're the ones who always try to make like tough heroes when they get back."
Through the Canopan's sense of perception Jed Grey could catch faint impulses of the tumult which filled the street a hundred yards away. There was a violence in the thoughts projected from that area which caused the colors of Joe's fur to shift erratically, nervously. ”

“ Grey jerked his head around. He stared for one astounded moment at the Canopan officer.
Then he was walking out to the waiting helicopter, the palm of his hand moist as he tightly held one of Joe's tentacles.
The people who ran a war were not always the obvious ones, he thought. ”

“ There was no gun holstered there, but Joe reared back in a dismayed reflex.... In the next moment the Fleetman slumped to the pavement, where he lay quite still.
That was all—for a moment.
The Fleet Police looked at Joe and they looked down at the Fleetman. Then they looked back at Joe. One of them stooped down and remained there for a long minute. He rose, and his face was white.
"The guy's dead," he said, and his shock stick came up, pointing at Joe. "You do that?" he snapped.
"He didn't touch the guy," Grey said.
"Maybe yes and maybe no. Guys don't just drop and die. ”

“ They fear the mysterious and the supernatural. Telepathy still seems a supernatural thing to the ignorant and—I'm afraid—to some who are not so ignorant. People are afraid of their minds being invaded. Their sense of privacy is outraged.
"They cannot visualize the fact that the Canopans are completely uninterested in what thoughts a Terran may have. The Canopan psychology is sufficiently different from ours that our private thoughts may be interesting, perhaps curious, but never the sort of thing upon which they would put a moral judgment. ”

“ Then the knowledge had grown that the events taking place thousands of light years distant were to have an impact on the life of Jed Grey and the others living on Terra. Gradually it developed that the civilized galaxy was rapidly becoming immersed in a struggle for existence against an enemy whose character was initially somewhat obscure, but whose unfriendly aims were quite definite. ”

“ His attention was on the thoughts which the Fleetman transmitted at that moment. The Fleetman forgot he was not wearing a sidearm, and in his mind there was the distinct picture of drawing his gun and shooting 34C. To 34C this was the reality of the moment. In his extreme nervousness he misjudged the force needed, and projected a lethal thought."
"A pretty legality," the Base Commandant growled. "Is it self-defense when you kill a person for thinking that he is about to kill you?"
"I know nothing of your law," the Canopan replied. ”

“ In a month, feeling drab in his work uniform and exhausted from the preliminary training, he was brought face to face with the Canopan whom he soon learned to call Joe, and who was to become his partner for as long as should be necessary. ”

“ When he came to deal with species of such strange shapes and psychologies as those on the other planets, the distrust was intensified many times.
"Particularly, people fear the telepathic powers of the Canopans. ”