Kaiser did not answer. The news was so startling, so unforeseen, that
his mind refused to accept the actuality. He lay on the scout's bunk
and stared at the ceiling without conscious attention, and with very
little clear thought, for several hours--until the next communication
came in:
WELL, THIS IS WHAT SAM HAS TO SAY, SMOKY. SYMBIOTE AMICABLE AND
APPARENTLY SWIFTLY ADAPTABLE. YOUR CHANGING COLOR, DIFFICULTY IN
EATING AND EVEN BABY TALK WERE THE RESULT OF ITS EFFORTS TO GIVE
YOU WHAT IT BELIEVED YOU NEEDED OR WANTED.
CHANGING COLOR: PROTECTIVE CAMOUFLAGE. TROUBLE KEEPING FOOD DOWN:
IT KEPT YOUR STOMACH EMPTY BECAUSE IT SENSED YOU WERE IN TROUBLE
AND MIGHT HAVE NEED FOR SHARP REFLEXES, WITH NO EXCESS WEIGHT TO
CARRY. THE BABY TALK WE AREN'T TOO CERTAIN ABOUT, BUT OUR BEST
CONCLUSION IS THAT WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, YOU WERE MOST HAPPY. IT
WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU BACK THAT HAPPY STATE OF MIND. OBVIOUSLY IT
QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKES IT MADE AND CORRECTED THEM.
SAM CAME UP WITH A FEW MORE IDEAS, BUT WE WANT TO WORK ON THEM A
BIT BEFORE WE SEND THEM THROUGH. SLEEP ON THIS.