Dr. Dillingham was not in a happy frame of mind.  Weeks had passed since he had last seen the light of a sun, breathed unconfined atmosphere, or even walked on land.  Now the monstrous sentient swimmer within which he dwelt had deprived him of his transcoder, so that he could no longer make known his complaints.

His compartment was comfortable enough, and no doubt the Gleeps thought that sufficient.  It had been outfitted with a bed, a chair, a workbench, selected prosthodontic laboratory paraphernalia and a water closet - but this did not make it any less a prison.  He used his equipment to fashion articles of solid gold, but this was sorry entertainment.  He had no company his own size and no journals to relax with.

In an hour he would have to begin the day's labor - a prospect no less appalling for all its familiarity.

There were sounds in the living hallway.  A visitor!  He jumped up and tidied his smock, anxious to meet whatever oddity might appear.  He was sure it would not be human.

The noise stopped.  There was a tap on his door.

"Come in!" he called, as much to exercise his voice as in any hope he could be understood.  He would he lucky if the visitor could even hear sounds in the human vocal range.  The creatures of the galaxy were far removed from Earthly experience.

"Thank you, Doctor," a cultured voice replied.  "So glad to find you at home."

Dillingham controlled his surprise.  This was probably a transcoder in operation.  It was hardly credible that a galactic would happen to speak unaccented English.  Unless, somehow, a live man had -

The door opened.  A dinosaur stood without.  Its great head hovered a dozen feet above its powerful webbed hind feet, and its smaller front feet were held before it a little like the attitude of a begging puppy.  A muscular tail twitched behind.  It wore a modest dinner jacket with a black bow tie.

Dillingham gaped.  Such a thing was impossible!  This was not Earth, past or present, and even if -

"I beg your pardon," the dinosaur said.  "Were you expecting someone else?"

Dillingham relaxed abruptly.  "Oh, you're a galactic.  I should have known."

"Would you prefer to have me call at another hour?  I did not mean to disturb you inconveniently."

"No, no!  Don't go away," Dillingham exclaimed.  "Come in, sit down - or whatever you do.  I haven't seen a sapient face in three weeks.  Not since I was incarcerated here.  I mistook you for - for mind.  So many crazy things have happened the past few months that I should be acclimatized by now."