The Handicapped

Plot

Mr Garvey arrives at the planet Down, having heard about the natives called Grogs. Garvey Limited, a company owned by his father, makes artificial limbs and other tools for the "Handicapped" species; sentient beings that evolved minds but with nothing that would serve as hands, like

The next morning, Garvey has a revelation. Somehow he knows the Grogs are sentient, without knowing why he knows. He returns to the desert and finds another Grog that begins to communicate with Garvey telepathically. It turns out the Grogs are indeed sentient beings with strong telepathic abilities, but for fear of being perceived as a threat for this very reason, they have concealed this until now. But having read Garvey's mind, and seeing that he can help them break their isolation, they are willing to take their chances. Garvey worries that the Grog telepathic power is very like those of the

He returns the next day with a typewriter that a Grog can use to communicate non-telepathically, as he does not like the "crystal certainties" placed into his mind. The Grog indicates that life as sessile creatures is very boring. They would like an animal with something like hands that they can control, plus access to human libraries and guest lecturers who would not object to having their minds read. They offer to use their powers to herd livestock, guard Down against invasion, perform police work, and monitor zoo animals. They deny any knowledge of the Slavers and claim that working together the Grogs cannot reach more than halfway across the planet with their minds, so they are no threat to humans.