e really driven out of the ocean。 They were just trying to get away from the petition。 And ＇＇140＇＇ you can imagine when the first fish…amphibians climbed up the beach and poked their heads up to look out at the land； and saw this vast dry…land environment without any petition at all。 It must have looked like the promised…〃
Beth broke off； turned to Barnes。 〃Quick： where do you keep specimen nets？〃
〃I don't want you going out there。〃
〃I have to；〃 Beth said。 〃Those squid have six tentacles。〃
〃So？〃
〃There's no known species of six…tentacled squid。 This is an undescribed species。 I must collect samples。〃
Barnes told her where the equipment locker was； and she went off。 Norman looked at the school of squid with renewed interest。
The animals were each about a foot long； and seemed to be transparent。 The large eyes of the squid were clearly visible in the bodies； which glowed a pale blue。
In a few minutes Beth appeared outside； standing in the midst of the school； swinging her net； catching specimens。 Several squid angrily squirted clouds of ink。
〃Cute little things；〃 Ted said。 〃You know； the development of squid ink is a very interesting…〃
〃…What do you say to squid for dinner？〃 Levy said。
〃Hell no；〃 Barnes said。 〃If this is an undiscovered species； we're not going to eat it。 The last thing I need is everybody sick from food poisoning。〃
〃Very sensible；〃 Ted said。 〃I never liked squid； anyway。 Interesting mechanism of propulsion； but rubbery texture。〃
At that moment； there was a buzz as one of the monitors turned itself on。 As they watched； the screen rapidly filled with numbers：
0003212525263203262930132104261037183016061
808213229033005182204261013083016213716040
83016211822033013130432000321252526320326
293013210426103718301606180821322903300518
220426101308301623711604083016211822033013
1304320003212525263203262932104261037183016
0618082132290330051822042610130830162137
16040830162118220330131304320003212525263
203262930132104261037183016061808213229033
005182204261013083016213716040830162118220
3301313043200032125252632032629301321042610
3718301606180821322903300518220426101308
301621371604083162118220330131304320003212
525263203262930132104261037183016061808213
229033005182204261013083016213716040830162
〃Where's that ing from？〃 Ted said。 〃The surface？〃
Barnes shook his head。 〃We've cut direct contact with the surface。〃
〃Then is it being transmitted underwater in some way？〃
〃No；〃 Tina said； 〃it's too fast for underwater transmission。〃
〃Is there another console in the habitat？ No？ How about DH…7？〃
〃DH…7's empty now。 The divers have gone。〃
〃Then where'd it e from？〃
Barnes said； 〃It looks random to me。〃
Tina nodded。 〃It may be a discharge from a temporary buffer memory somewhere in the system。 When we switched over to internal diesel power 。。。〃
〃That's probably it；〃 Barnes said。 〃Buffer discharge on switchover。〃
〃I think you should keep it；〃 Ted said； staring at the screen。 〃Just in case it's a message。〃
〃A message from where？〃
〃From the sphere。〃
〃Hell；〃 Barnes said； 〃it can't be a message。〃
〃How do you know？〃
〃Because there's no way a message can be transmitted。 We're not hooked up to anything。 Certainly not to the sphere。 It's got to be a memory dump from somewhere inside our own puter system。〃
〃How much memory have you got？〃
〃Fair amount。 Ten giga； something like that。〃
〃Maybe the helium's getting to the chips；〃 Tina said。 〃Maybe it's a saturation effect。〃
〃I still think you should keep it；〃 Ted said。
＇＇142＇＇ Norman had been looking at the screen。 He was no mathematician； but he'd looked at a lot of statistics in his life； searching for patterns in the data。 That was something human brains were inherently good at； finding patterns in visual material。 Norman couldn't put his finger on it； but he sensed a pattern here。 He said； 〃I have the feeling it's not random。〃
〃Then let's keep it；〃 Barnes said。
Tina went forward to the console。 As her hands touched the keys； the screen went blank。
〃So much for that；〃 Barnes said。 〃It's gone。 Too bad we didn't have Harry to look at it with us。〃
〃Yeah；〃 Ted said gloomily。 〃Too bad。〃
ANALYSIS
〃Take a look at this；〃 Beth said。 〃this one is still alive。〃
Norman was with her in the little biological laboratory near the top of D Cylinder。 Nobody had been in this laboratory since their arrival； because they hadn't found anything living。 Now； with the lights out； he and Beth watched the squid move in the glass tank。
The creature had a delicate appearance。 The blue glow was concentrated in stripes along the back and sides of the creature。
〃Yes；〃 Beth said； 〃the bioluminescent structures seem to be located dorsally。 They're bacteria； of course。〃
〃What are？〃
〃The bioluminescent areas。 Squid can't create light themselves。 The creatures that do are bacteria。 So the bioluminescent animals in the sea have incorporated these bacteria into ＇＇143＇＇ their bodies。 You're seeing bacteria glowing through the skin。〃
〃So it's like an infection？〃
〃Yes； in a way。〃
The large eyes of the squid stared。 The tentacles moved。 〃And you can see all the internal organs；〃 Beth said。 〃The brain is hidden behind the eye。 That sac is the digestive gland； and behind it； the stomach； and below that…see it beating？…the heart。 That big thing at the front is the gonad； and ing down from the stomach； a sort of funnel…that's where it squirts the ink； and propels itself。〃
〃Is it really a new species？〃 Norman said。
She sighed。 〃I don't know。 Internally it is so typical。 But fewer tentacles would qualify it as a new species； all right。〃
〃You going to get to call it Squidus bethus？ 〃 Norman said。
She smiled。 〃Architeuthis bethis；〃 she said。 〃Sounds like a dental problem。 Architeuthis bethis： means you need root canal。〃
〃How about it； Dr。 Halpern？〃 Levy said； poking her head in。 〃Got some good tomatoes and peppers； be a shame to waste them。 Are the squid really poisonous？〃
〃I doubt it；〃 Beth said。 〃Squid aren't known to be。 Go ahead；〃 she said to Levy。 〃I think it'll be okay to eat them。〃 When Levy had gone； Norman said； 〃I thought you gave up eating these things。〃
〃Just octopi；〃 Beth said。 〃An octopus is cute and smart。 Squid are rather 。。。 unsympathetic。〃
〃Unsympathetic。〃
〃Well； they're cannibalistic； and rather nasty。 。。。 She raised an eyebrow。 〃Are you psychoanalyzing me again？〃
〃No。 Just curious。〃
〃As a zoologist； you're supposed to be objective；〃 Beth said； 〃but I have feelings about animals； like anybody else。 I have a warm feeling about octopi。 They're clever； you know。 I once had an octopus in a research tank that learned to kill cockroaches and use them as bait to catch crabs。 The curious crab would e along； investigate the dead cockroach； and then the octopus would jump out of its hiding place and catch the crab。
＇＇144＇＇ 〃In fact； an octopus is so smart that the biggest limitation to its behavior is its lifespan。 An octopus lives only three years； and that's not long enough to develop anything as plicated as a culture or civilization。 Maybe if octopi lived as long as we do； they would long ago have taken over the world。
〃But squid are pletely different。 I have no feelings about squid。 Except I don't really like 'em。〃
He smiled。 〃Well；〃 he said； 〃a