〃Personally；〃 Beth said； 〃I couldn't be more pleased。〃 She bit her lip。
〃You don't look pleased；〃 Norman said。
〃I'll tell you；〃 Beth said。 〃I can't help being nervous。 Ten years ago； Bill Jackson at Stanford ran a series of weekend seminars on extraterrestrial life。 This was right after he won the Nobel prize in chemistry。 He split us into two groups。 One group designed the alien life form； and worked it all out scientifically。 The other group tried to figure out the life form； and municate with it。 Jackson presided over the whole thing as a hard scientist； not letting anybody get carried away。 One time we brought in a sketch of a proposed creature and he said； very tough； 'Okay； where's the anus？' That was his criticism。 But many animals on Earth have no anus。 There are all kinds of excretory mechanisms that don't require a special orifice。 Jackson assumed an anus was necessary； but it isn't。 And now 。。。〃 She shrugged。 〃Who knows what we'll find？〃
＇＇63＇＇ 〃We'll know； soon enough；〃 Ted said。
The inter clicked。 〃Captain Barnes； the divers have the airlock mounted in place。 The robot is now ready to enter the spacecraft。〃
Ted said； 〃What robot？〃
THE DOOR
〃I don't think it's appropriate at all；〃 Ted said angrily。 〃We came down here to make a manned entry into this alien spacecraft。 I think we should do what we came here to do…make a manned entry。〃
〃Absolutely not；〃 Barnes said。 〃We can't risk it。〃
〃You must think of this；〃 Ted said； 〃as an archaeological site。 Greater than Chichén Itzá； greater than Troy； greater than Tutankhamen's tomb。 Unquestionably the most important archaeological site in the history of mankind。 Do you really intend to have a damned robot open that site？ Where's your sense of human d