noon
Make a trend-graph of technological progress on Terra ; every big jump comes after an improvement in communications . The printing press ; railways and steamships ; the telegraph ; radio . Then think how telepathy would speed up progress . '' * * * * * The sun was barely past noon meridian before the Svants , who had ventured down into the fields at sunrise , were returning to the mound-village . In the snooper-screen , they could be seen coming up in tunics and breechclouts , entering houses , and emerging in long robes . There seemed to be no bows or spears in evidence , but the big horn sounded occasionally . Paul Meillard was pleased .