The Course of Logic

"The Course of Logic" by Lester Del Rey is a science fiction story that looks at evolution, smartness, and staying alive through weird alien creatures called silths. The silths, who don't have their first bodies or big abilities, talk to people, causing thoughts about logic and what it means to be smart. The story follows two silths, Arnek and his mate Ptarra, who lived for hundreds of years after getting away from a broken universe. They find a crashed probe and two people who made it, making them think about going into the humans' bodies to live on. As the silths follow the humans and make plans, they talk about how things change and what makes sense, showing that Ptarra thinks in a cold, logical way, while Arnek trusts his gut more. In the end, they take over the humans' bodies, bringing up questions about who they are and if they can start over in a strange galaxy. The story mixes action, inner struggle, and deep talks, questioning what it really means to get another creature.