by Edward Elmer Smith and Edward Everett Evans

“ He stared at the Oman. “You could also convert my wife?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Well, we might be able to stand it, after we got used to the idea. Minimum, over five thousand Terran years ... barring accidents, of course?”
“No, sir. No accidents. Nothing will be able to kill you, except by total destruction of the brain. And even then, sir, there will be the pattern.”
“I'll ... be ... damned...” Hilton gulped twice. “Okay, go ahead.”
“Your skins will be like ours, energy-absorbers. Your ‘blood’ will carry charges of energy instead of oxygen. Thus, you may breathe or not, as you please. ”

“ Teddy argued. “Since Larry and Tuly were in on the whole deal, every Oman on the planet knows all about it. Somebody is going to ask questions, and Omans always answer questions and always tell the truth.”
“Questions have already been asked and answered,” Larry said, going to the door and opening it.
Stella rushed in. “We've been hearing the damnedest things!” She kissed everybody, ending with Hilton, whom she seized by both shoulders. “Is it actually true, boss, that you can fix me up so I'll live practically forever and can eat more than eleven calories a day without getting fat as a pig? ”

“ For the first time since the “ghastly” transformation Hilton saw that there really was a bright side and began to study it. “With most of BuSci—and part of the Navy, and selectees from Terra—it will be slightly terrific, at that!”
“And that ‘habit-forming-drug’ objection isn't insuperable, darling,” Temple said. “If the younger generations start weakening we'll fix the Omans. I wouldn't want to wipe them out entirely, but ...”
“But how do we settle priority, Doctor Hilton?” a girl called out; a tall, striking, brunette laboratory technician whose name Hilton needed a second to recall. ”

“ Let's see ... say we want a stationary population of a hundred million on our planet. Each couple to have two children, a boy and a girl. Born when the parents are about fifty ... um-m-m. The gals can have all the children they want, then, until our population is about a million; then slap on the limit of two kids per couple. Right?”
“Approximately so, sir. And after conversion you alone will be able to operate with the full power of your eight, without tiring. You will also, of course, be able to absorb almost instantaneously all the knowledges and abilities of the old Masters.” ”

“ As has been intimated, no Terran can know what researches Larry and Tuly and the other Oman specialists performed, or how they arrived at the conclusions they reached. However, in less than a week Larry reported to Hilton.
“It can be done, sir, with complete safety. And you will live even more comfortably than you do now.” ”

“ The six others all howled at that, and Sandra, between giggles and snorts, said: “No, precious, it doesn't show a bit. Did you really think it would?”
Temple blushed furiously and Hilton came instantly to his bride's rescue. “Chip-chop the comedy, gang. She and I aren't human any more. We're a good jump toward being Omans. ”

“ Unless you wish otherwise, we will continue the breathing function. It would scarcely be worth while to alter the automatic mechanisms that now control it. And you will wish at times to speak. You will still enjoy eating and drinking, although everything ingested will be eliminated, as at present, as waste. ”