〃Jerry 。。。〃
YES NORMAN。 I AM HERE。
〃Let's talk。〃
GOOD。 I LIKE THAT MUCH。
〃Tell us about the squid； Jerry。〃
THE ENTITY SQUID IS A MANIFESTATION。
〃Where did it e from？〃
DO YOU LIKE IT？ I CAN MANIFEST IT MORE FOR YOU。
〃No； no； don't do that；〃 Norman said quickly。
YOU DO NOT LIKE IT？
〃No； no。 We like it； Jerry。〃
THIS IS TRUE？
〃Yes； true。 We like it。 Really we do。〃
GOOD。 I AM PLEASED YOU LIKE IT。 IT IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE ENTITY OF LARGE SIZE。
〃Yes； it is；〃 Norman said； wiping sweat from his forehead。 Jesus； he thought； this is like talking to a child with a loaded gun。
IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MANIFEST THIS LARGE ENTITY。 I AM PLEASED THAT YOU LIKE IT。
〃Very impressive；〃 Norman agreed。 〃But you do not need to repeat that entity for us。〃
YOU WISH A NEW ENTITY MANIFESTED FOR YOU？
〃No； Jerry。 Nothing right now； thank you。〃
MANIFESTING IS HAPPY FOR ME。
〃Yes； I'm sure it is。〃
I AM ENJOYING TO MANIFEST FOR YOU NORMAN。 AND ALSO FOR YOU HARRY。
〃Thank you； Jerry。〃
I AM ENJOYING YOUR MANIFESTATIONS ALSO。
〃Our manifestations？〃 Norman said； glancing at Harry。 Apparently Jerry thought that the people on the habitat were manifesting something in return。 Jerry seemed to consider it an exchange of some kind。
＇＇260＇＇ YES I AM ENJOYING YOUR MANIFESTATIONS ALSO。
〃Tell us about our manifestations； Jerry；〃 Norman said。
THE MANIFESTATIONS ARE SMALL AND THEY DO NOT EXTEND BEYOND YOUR ENTITIES BUT THE MANIFESTATIONS ARE NEW FOR ME。 THEY ARE HAPPY FOR ME。
〃What's he talking about？〃 Harry said。
YOUR MANIFESTATIONS HARRY。
〃What manifestations； for Christ's sake？〃
〃Don't get mad；〃 Norman warned。 〃Stay calm。〃
I AM LIKING THAT ONE HARRY。 DO AN OTHER。
Norman thought： Is he reading emotions？ Does he regard our emotions as manifestations？ But that didn't make sense。 Jerry couldn't read their minds； they'd already determined that。 Maybe he'd better check again。 Jerry； he thought； can you hear me？
I AM LIKING HARRY。 HIS MANIFESTATIONS ARE RED。 THEY ARE WITFUL。
〃Witful？〃
WITFUL = FULL OF WIT？
〃I see；〃 Harry said。 〃He thinks we're funny。〃
FUNNY = FULL OF FUN？
〃Not exactly；〃 Norman said。 〃We entities have the concept of 。。。〃 He trailed off。 How was he going to explain 〃funny〃？ What was a joke； anyway？ 〃We entities have the concept of a situation which causes disfort and we call this situation humorous。〃
HUME OR US？
〃No。 One word。〃 Norman spelled it for him。
I SEE。 YOUR MANIFESTATIONS ARE HUMOROUS。 THE ENTITY SQUID MAKES MANY HUMOROUS MANIFESTATIONS FROM YOU。
〃We don't think so；〃 Harry said。
I THINK SO。
And that about summed it up； Norman thought； sitting at the console。 Somehow he had to make Jerry understand the seriousness of his actions。 〃Jerry；〃 Norman ＇＇261＇＇ explained； 〃your manifestations injure our entities。 Some of our entities are already gone。〃
YES I KNOW。
〃If you continue your manifestations…〃
YES I AM LIKING TO MANIFEST。 IT IS HUMOROUS FOR YOU。
〃…then pretty soon all our entities will be gone。 And then there will be no one to talk to you。〃
I DO NOT WISH THAT。
〃I know that。 But many entities are gone already。〃
BRING THEM BACK。
〃We can't do that。 They are gone forever。〃
WHY？
〃We cannot bring them back。〃
WHY？
Just like a kid； Norman thought。 Just exactly like a kid。 Telling the kid you can't do what he wants； you can't play the way he wants to play； and he refuses to accept it。
〃We do not have the power； Jerry； to bring them back。〃
I WISH YOU TO BRING THE OTHER ENTITIES BACK NOW。
〃He thinks we're refusing to play；〃 Harry said。
BRING BACK THE ENTITY TED。
Norman said； 〃We can't； Jerry。 We would if we could。〃
I AM LIKING THE ENTITY TED。 HE IS VERY HUMOROUS。
〃Yes；〃 Norman said。 〃Ted liked you； too。 Ted was trying to talk to you。〃
YES I AM LIKING HIS MANIFESTATIONS。 BRING BACK TED。
〃We can't。〃
There was a long pause。
I AM OFFENDED YOU？
〃No； not at all。〃
WE ARE FRIENDS NORMAN AND HARRY。
〃Yes； we are。〃
THEN BRING BACK THE ENTITIES。
〃He just refuses to understand；〃 Harry said。 〃Jerry； for God's sake； we can't do it！〃
YOU ARE HUMOROUS HARRY。 MAKE IT AGAIN。
＇＇262＇＇ He's definitely reading strong emotional reactions as some kind of manifestation； Norman thought。 Was this his idea of play…to make a provocation to the other party； and then to be amused by their responses？ Was he delighted to see the vivid emotions brought on by the squid？ Was this his idea of a game？
HARRY MAKE IT AGAIN。 HARRY MAKE IT AGAIN。
〃Hey； man；〃 Harry said angrily。 〃Get off my back！〃
THANK YOU。 I AM LIKING THAT。 IT WAS RED ALSO。 NOW YOU WILL PLEASE BRING BACK THE ENTITIES GONE。
Norman had an idea。 〃Jerry；〃 he said； 〃if you wish the entities back； why don't you bring them back？〃
I AM NOT PLEASED TO DO THIS。
〃But you could do it； if you wanted to。〃
I CAN DO ANY THING。
〃Yes； of course you can。 So why don't you bring back the entities you desire？〃
NO。 I AM NOT HAPPY TO DO THIS。
〃Why not？〃 Harry said。
HEY MAN GET OFF MY BACK。
〃No offense； Jerry；〃 Norman said quickly。 There was no reply on the screen。 〃Jerry？〃
The screen did not respond。
〃He's gone again；〃 Harry said。 He shook his head。 〃God knows what the little bastard will do next。〃
FURTHER ANALYSIS
Norman went up to the lab to see beth； but she was asleep； curled up on her couch。 In sleep； she looked quite beautiful。 It was odd after all the time down here she should seem so radiant。 It was as if the harshness had gone out of her features。 Her nose did not seem so sharp any more； the line of the mouth was softer； fuller。 He looked at her arms； which had been sinewy； veins bulging。 The muscles seemed smoother； more feminine somehow。
Who knows？ he thought。 After so many hours down here； you're no judge of anything。 He climbed back down the ladder and went to his bunk。 Harry was already there； snoring loudly。
Norman decided to take another shower。 As he stepped under the spray； he made a startling discovery。
The bruises which had covered his body were gone。 Anyway； almost gone； he thought； staring down at the remaining patches of yellow and purple。 They had healed within hours。 He moved his limbs experimentally and realized that the pain had gone； too。 Why？ What had happened？ For a moment he thought this was all a dream； or a nightmare； and then he thought： No； it's just the atmosphere。 Cuts and bruises healing faster in the high…pressure environment。 It wasn't anything mysterious。 Just an atmospheric effect。
He toweled himself as dry as he could with the damp towel； and then went back to his bunk。 Harry was still snoring； as loud as ever。
Norman lay on his back； stared at the red humming coils of the ceiling heater。 He had an idea； and got out of bed； and shifted Harry's talker from the base of his throat to one side。 Immediately the snores changed to a soft； high…pitched hiss。
Much better； he thought。 He lay on the damp pillow； and was almost immediately asleep。 He awoke with no sense of passing time…it might have been only a few seconds…but he felt refreshed。 He stretched and yawned； and got out of bed。
Harry still slept。 Norman moved the talker back； and the ＇＇264＇＇ snores resumed。 He went into D Cyl； to the console。 Still on the screen were the words：
HEY MAN GET OFF MY BACK。
〃Jerry？〃 Norman said。 〃Are you there； Jerry？〃
The screen did not respond。 Jerry wasn't there。 Norman looked at the stack of printouts to one side。 I really should go over this stuff； he thought。 Because something troubled him about Jerry。 Norman couldn't put his finger on it； but even if one imagined the alien as a spoiled child…king； Jerry's behavior didn't make sense。 It just didn't add up。 Including the last message。
HEY MAN GET OFF MY BACK。
Street talk？ Or just imitating Harry？ In any case it wasn't Jerry's usual mode of munication。 Usually Jerry was ungrammatical and sort of spacy； talking about entities and awareness。 But from time to time he would bee sharply colloquial。 Norman looked at the sheets。
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER A SHORT BREAK FOR THESE MESSAGES FROM OUR SPONSOR。
That was one example。 Where had that e from？ It sounded like Johnny Carson。 Then why didn't Jerry sound like Johnny Carson all the time？ What caused the shift？
Then； too； there was the problem of the squid。 If Jerry liked to scare them； if he enjoyed rattling their cage and seeing them jump； why use a squid？ Where had that idea e from？ And why only a squid？ Jerry seemed to enjoy manifesting different things。 So why hadn't he produced giant squid one time； great white sharks another time； and so on？ Wouldn't that provide a greater challenge to his abilities？
Then there was the problem of Ted。 Ted had been playing with Jerry at the time he was killed。 If Jerry liked to play so much； why would he kill off a player？ It just didn't make sense。
Or did it？
Norman sighed。 His trouble lay in his assumptions。 Norman was assuming that the alien had logical processes similar to his own。 But that might not be true。 For one thing； Jerry might operate at a much faster metabolic rate； and thus have a different sense of time。 Kids played with a toy only until ＇＇265＇＇ they got tired of it； then they changed to another。 The hours that seemed so painfully long to Norman might be only a few seconds in the consciousness of Jerry。 He might just be playing with the squid for a few seconds； until he dropped it for another toy。
Kids also had a poor idea about breaking things。 If Jerry didn't know about death； then he wouldn't mind killing Ted； because he would think the death was just a temporary event； a 〃humorous〃 manifestation by Ted。 He might not realize he was actually breaking his toys。
And it was also true； when he thought about it； that Jerry had manifested different things。 Assuming that the jellyfish and the shrimps and the sea fans and now the sea snakes were his manifestations。 Were they？ Or were they just normal parts of the environment？ Was there any way to tell？
And the Navy seaman； he thought suddenly。 Let's not forget the seaman。 Where had he e from？ Was that seaman another of Jerry's manifestations？ Could Jerry manifest his playmates at will？ In that case； he really wouldn't care if he killed them all。
But I think that's clear； Norman thought。 Jerry doesn't care if he kills us。 He just wants to play； and he doesn't know his own strength。
Yet there was something else。 He scanned the sheets of printout； feeling instinctively some underlying organization to everything。 Something he wasn't getting； some connection he wasn't making。
As he thought about it； he kept ing back to one question： Why a squid？ Why a squid？
Of course； he thought。 They had been talking about a squid； during the conversation at dinner。 Jerry must have overheard that。 He must have decided that a squid would be a provocative item to manifest。 And he was certainly right about that。
Norman shifted the papers； and came upon the very first message that Harry had decoded。
HELLO。 HOW ARE YOU？ I AM FINE。 WHAT IS YOUR NAME？ MY NAME IS JERRY。
＇＇266＇＇ That was as good a place to begin as any。 It had been quite a feat for Harry to decode it； Norman thought。 If Harry hadn't succeeded with that； they would never have ever started talking to Jerry at all。
Norman sat at the console； stared at the keyboard。 What had Harry said？ The keyboard was a spiral： the letter G was one； and B was two； and so on。 Very clever to figure it out。 Norman would never hav