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〃Transfer Station 70 Ophiuchi to Pugnacious。 You are sealed to
tubeway； which is now pressurized to ship standard。 You may open your outer port。〃
〃Stand by for opening；〃 Jason said； and turned the key in the override switch that permitted the outer~ port to be open at the same time as the inner one。
〃Good to be back on dry land；〃 one of the ferry crewmen said as they came into the lock； and the others laughed uproariously； as though he had said something exceedingly funny。 All of them； that is； except the pilot； who scowled at the opening port； his broken arm sticking out stiffly before him in its cast。 None of them mentioned the arm or looked in his direction； but he knew why they were laughing。
Jason did not feel sorry for the pilot。 Meta always gave fair warning to the men who made passes at her。 Perhaps； in the romantically dim light of the bridge； he had not believed her。 So she had broken his arm。 Tough。 Jason kept his face impassive as the man passed by him and out into the tubeway。 This was constructed of transparent plastic； an undulating umbilical cord that connected the spacer to the transfer station； the massive； light…sprinkled bulk that loomed above them。 Two other tubeways were visible； like theirs； connecting ships to this way station in space； balanced in a null…g orbit between the suns that made up the two star system。 The smaller panion； 70 Ophiuchi B； was just rising behind the station； a tiny disk over a billion miles distant。
〃We've got a parcel here for the Pugnacious；〃 a clerk said； floating out of the mouth 0f the tubeway。 〃A transhipment waiting your arrival。〃 He extended a receipt book。 'Want to sign for it？〃
Jason scrawled his name； then moved aside as two freight handlers maneuvered the bulky case down the tube and through the lock。 He was trying to work a pinch bar under the metal sealing straps when Meta came up。
〃What is that？〃 she asked； twisting the bar from his hands with an easy motion and jamming it deep under the strap。 She heaved once and there was the sharp twang of fractured metal。
〃You'll make some man a fine husband；〃 Jason told her； dusting off his fingers。 〃I bet you can't do the other two that easily。〃 She bent to the task。 'This is a tool； something that we are going to need very much if we are going into the planet…busting business。 I wish I had had one when I first came to Pyrrus； it might have saved a good number of lives。〃
Meta threw back the cover and looked at the wheeled ovoid form。 〃What is it…a bomb？〃 she asked。
〃Not on your life。 This is something much more important。〃 He tilted up the crate so that the object rolled out onto the floor。
It was an almost featureless； shiny metal egg that stood a good meter
high with its small end up。 Six rubber…tired wheels； three to a side； held it clear of the floor； and the top was crowned by a transparent…lidded control panel。 Jason reached down and flipped up the lid； then punched a button marked on and the panel lights glowed。
〃What are you？〃 he said。
〃This is a library；〃 a hollow； metallic voice answered。
〃Of what possible use is that？〃 Mets said； turning to leave。
〃I'll tell you；〃 Jason said； putting out his hand to stop her； ready to move back quickly if she tried any arm…busting tricks。 〃This device is our intelligence； in the military sense； not the IQ。 Have you forgotten what we had to go through to find out anything at all about your planet's history？ We needed facts to work from and we had none at all。 Well； we have some now。〃 He patted the library's sleek side。
〃What could this little toy possibly know that could help us？〃
〃This little toy； as you so quaintly put it； costs over 982 thousand credits； plus shipping charges。〃
She was shocked。 〃Why…you could outfit an army for that much。 Weapons； ammunition。 。 。〃
〃I thought that would impress you。 And will you please get it through your exceedingly lovely blond head that armies aren't the solution to every problem。 We are going to bang up against a new culture soon； on a new planet； and we want to open a mine in the right place。 Your army will tell us nothing about mineralogy or anthropology or ecology or exobiology…〃
〃You are making those words up。〃
'Don't you just wish I were！ I don't think you quite realize how much of a library is stuffed into this creature's metal carcass。 Library；〃 he said； pointing to it dramatically； 〃tell us about yourself。〃
'This is a model 427…1587； Mark IX； improved； with photodigital laser…based recorder memory and integrated circuit technology…〃
〃Stop！〃 Jason ordered。 〃Library； you will have to do better than that。 Can't you describe yourself in simple newsfax language？〃
〃Well； hello there；〃 the library chortled。 〃I'll bet you never saw a Mark IX before； the ultimate in library luxury…〃
〃We've hit the sales talk button； but at least we can understand it。〃
〃…and the very newest example of what the guys who built this machine like to call 'integrated circuit technology。' Well； friends； you don't need a galactic degree to understand that the Mark IX is something new in the universe。 That 'integrated so…and…so' double…talk just means that this is a thinking machine that can't be beat。 But everyone needs something to think about as well as to think with； and just like the memory in your head； the Mark IX has a memory all its own。 A memory that
contains the entire library at the University of Haribay； holding more books than you could count in a lifetime。 These books have been broken down into words and the words have been broken down into bits； and the bits have been recorded on little chips of silicon inside the Mark IX's brain。 That memory part of the brain is no bigger than a man's clenched fist…a small man's fist…because there are over 545 million bits to every ten square millimeters。 You don't even have to know what a bit is to know that that is impressive。 All of history； science and philosophy are in this brain。 Linguistics； too。 If you want to know the word for 'cheese' in the basic galactic languages； in the order of the number of speakers； it is this…〃
As the high…speed roar of syllables poured out Jason turned to Meta
…and found she was gone。
〃It can do other things besides translate 'cheese；〃 he said； pressing the off button。 〃Just wait and see。〃
The Pyrrans were happy enough to vegetate； to doze and yawn； like tigers with full stomachs； during the trip to Felicity。 Only Jason felt the urge to use the time efficiently。 He searched all the cross…references in the library for information about the planet and the solar system it belonged to； and was drawn from his studies only by Meta's passionate； yet implacable； grasp。 She felt that there were far more interesting ways to pass the long hours； and Jason； once he had been severed from his labors； enthusiastically agreed with her。
One ship…day before they were scheduled to drop from jump…space into the Felicity system。 Jason called a general meeting in the dining room。
〃This is where we are going；〃 he said； tapping a large diagram hung on the wall。 There was absolute silence and ioo percent attention； for a military…style briefing was meat and drink to the Pyrrans。
'The planet is called 'Felicity；' the fifth planet of a nameless c