"We've got a big problem trying to figure out anything about what happened on Minerva because we're fairly sure it doesn't exist anymore except as a million chunks of geology strewn around the Solar System. But the Lunarians didn't have that problem. They had it in one piece, right under their feet. Also, they had progressed to an advanced state of scientific knowledge. Now, what must their work have turned up—at least to some extent?"

A light of comprehension dawned in Danchekker's eyes.

"Ah!" he exclaimed at once. "I see. If the Ganymean civilization had flourished on Minerva first, then Lunarian scientists would surely have deduced as much." He paused, frowned, then added: "But that does not get you very far, Dr. Hunt. You are no more able to interrogate Lunarian scientific archives than you are to reassemble the planet."

"No, you're right," Hunt agreed. "We don't have any detailed Lunarian scientific records—but we do have the microdot library. The texts it contains are pretty general in nature, but I couldn't help thinking that if the Lunarians discovered an advanced race had been there before them, it would be big and exciting news, something everybody would know about; you've only got to look at the fuss that Charlie has caused on Earth. Perhaps there were references through all of their writings that pointed to such a knowledge—if we knew how to read them." He paused to swallow a mouthful of sausage. "So, one of the things I've been doing over the last few weeks is going through everything we've got with a fine-tooth comb to see if anything could point to something like that. I didn't expect to find firm proof of anything much—just enough for us to be able to say with a bit more confidence that we think we know what planet we're talking about."

"And did you find very much?" Danchekker seemed interested.

"Several things," Hunt replied. "For a start, there are stock phrases scattered all through their language that refer to the Giants. Phrases like 'As old as the Giants' or 'Back to the year of the Giants' . . . like we'd say maybe, 'Back to the year one.' In another place there's a passage that begins 'A long time ago, even before the time of the Giants' . . . There are lots of things like that. When you look at them from this angle, they all suddenly tie together." Hunt paused for a second to allow the professor time to reflect on these points, then resumed: "Also, there are references to the Giants in another context, one that suggests superpowers or great knowledge—for example, 'Gifted with the wisdom of the Giants.' You see what I mean—these phrases indicate the Lunarians felt a race of giant beings—and probably one that was advanced technologically—had existed in the distant past."

Danchekker chewed his food in silence for a while.