Excerpt: Strangers

"Egg. Butter, pie," said the Frlepti, "Precision. Correspondance."

The Greater Klite was startled by the apparent relevance of
the last two words. Almost as theough they were intended to
answer the transcend's question.

On the surface of the planet stories were being told as well.
Stories of invaders from space, and stories of angels from Heaven.
Old stories about men dropping from the clouds, and much newer
stories about photon drives and giant robots. And, as ever,
stories for the children at bed time, about rabbits and farmers
and children who are lost and then found again, who run away
and learn a lesson, and who befriend the lonely and weak, the
ugly and alien.

"I'm scared."

"Why are you scared, little feet?"

"Because of the space ship. I'm afraid it might hurt us."