"Not at all." Mahmoud spoke briefly in Martian to Mike.  Mike answered him, smiled sunnily; his expression became blank again and he applied himself to food, quite content to be allowed to eat in silence. "I told him what I was trying to do and he told me that I would speak rightly; this was not his opinion but a simple statement of fact, a necessity.  I hope that if I fail to, he will notice and tell me.  But I doubt if he will.  You see, Mike thinks in Martian - and this gives him an entirely different 'map' of the universe from that which you and I use.  You follow me?"