Deathworld 01
Harry Harrison
For JOAN
1
With a gentle sigh the service tube dropped a message capsule into the receivTinhge
catutpen. tion bell
chimed once and was silenJta.son dinAlt stared at the harmless capsule as though it were a ticking bomb.
Something was going wronHg.e felt a hard knot of tension form inside ofThims .was no routine service memo or hotel communication, but a sealed personal mesYsaegte.he knew no one on this
planet, having arrived by spacer less than eight hours eaSrilniecre.
even his name was new-dating back
to the last time he had changed ships- there could be no personal meYsesat ghees.re one was.
Stripping the seal with his thumbnail, he took the toTpheofrfe. corder in the pencil-sized capsule gave the taped voice a tinny sound, with no clues as to the speaker.
"Kerk Pyrrus would like to see Jason dinI'Amlt.waiting in the lobby."
It was wrong, yet it couldn't be avoiCdehda.nces were that the man was harmleAss.salesman perhaps, or a case of mistaken identiNtye. vertheless Jason carefully positioned his gun behind a pillow on the couch, with the safety ofTf.here was no way to predict how these things would turHn eousitg. naled the
desk to send the visitor uWp.hen the door opened, Jason was slumped down on a corner of the couch, sipping from a tall glass.

A retired wrestlerT.hat was Jason's first thought when the man came through theKdeorkor.Pyrrus was a grey-haired rock of a man, his body apparently chiseled out of flat slabs oHf ims ugsrcelye. clothes were so conservative they were almost a unifoSrtmra.pped to his forearm was a rugged and much-worn holster, a gun muzzle peering blankly from it.
"You're dinAh the gambler," the stranger said blu"nItlyh.ave a proposition for you."
Jason looked across the top of his glass, letting his mind play with the probTahbiislitwieass. police or the competition-and
either the
he wanted nothing to do with eitHheer. had to know a lot more before he became involved in any deals.
"Sorry, friend," Jason smile"dB. ut you have the wrong parLtyi.ke to oblige, but my gambling always seems to help the casinos more than mysSeolf.you see. ."
"Let's not play games with each other," Kerk broke in with a chesty "rYuomub'rlee. dinAh and you're
Bohel as wellI.f you want more names, I'll mention Mahaut's Planet, the Nebula Casino and plenty more. I have a proposition that will benefit both of us, and you had better listen to it."
None of the names caused the slightest change in Jason's half-Bsmutilhe.is body was tensely aleTrth.is musciebound stranger knew things he had no right to kIntowa. s time to change the subject.
"That's quite a gun you have there," Jason "sBauidt. guns make me nervouIs'd. it off."
appreciate it if you took
Kerk scowled down at the gun, as if he were seeing it for the f"iNrsot ,tiImnee. ver take it ofHf.”e seemed mildly annoyed by the suggestion.
The testing period was ovJear.son needed the upper hand if he was to get out of this onAes ahlieve. leaned forward to put his drink on the table, his other hand fell naturally behind thHeepwillaosw.
touching the gun butt when he said, "I'm afraid I'll have to insiSt. I always feel a little uncomfortable around people who are armedH.”e kept talldng to distract attention while he pulled out hiFs agsut na.nd smooth.

He could have been moving in slow motion for all the difference
Kit emrkadPey. rrus stood dead still
while the gun came out, while it swung in his direNctoiot nu. ntil the very last instant did heWachte.n he
did, the motion wasn't visiblFeirst his gun was in the armholster-then it was aimed between Jason's eyes. It was an ugly, heavy weapon with a pitted front orifice that showed plenty of use.
Jason knew if he swung his own weapon up a fraction of an inch more he woulHdebedrodpeapde.d his arm carefully, angry at himself for trying to substitute violence for thKoeurgkhtf.lipped his own gun back into the holster with the same ease he had drawn it.
"Enough of that now," Kerk sa"iLde. t's get down to business."
Jason reached out and downed a large mouthful from his glass, bridling hisHte wpaesr. fast with a
gun-his life had depended on it more than once-and this was the first time he had ever beenItoutdrawn. was the offhand, unimportant manner it had been done that irritated him.
"I'm not prepared to do business," he said ac"iId'vlye. come to Cassylia for a vacation, get away from work."
"Let's not fool each other, dinAh," Kerk said impatie"nYtloyu.'ve never worked at an honest job in your entire life.You're a professional gambler and that's why I'm here to see you."
Jason forced down his anger and threw the gun to the other end of the couch so he wouldn't be tempted to commit suicideH. e had been so sure that no one knew him on Cassylia and had been looking forward
to a big kill at the CasiHnoe. would worry about that latTerh.is wrestler type seemed to know all the answers. Let him plot the course for awhile and see where it led.
"All right, what do you want."
Kerk dropped into a chair that creaked ominously under his weight, and dug an envelope out of one pocket. He flipped through it quickly and dropped a handful of gleaming Galactic Exchange Notes onto the table.Jason glanced at them-then sat up suddenly.

"What are they-forgeries?h”e asked, holding one up to the light.
"They're real enough," Kerk told him, "I picked them up at thEe xbaacntlky. twenty-seven bills-or
twenty-seven million creditsI. Gamble with them and win."
want you to use them as a bankroll when you go to the Casino tonight.
They looked real enough-and they could be checJkaesdo.n fingered them thoughtfully while he examined the other man.
"I don't know what you have in mind," he"Bsauitd.you realize I can't make any guarantIees. gamble-but I don't always win."
"You gamble-and you win when you want to," Kerk said g"rWimelyl.ooked into that quite carefully before I came to you."
"If you mean to say that I ch.e.a”tC.arefully, Jason grabbed his temper again and held it dTohwenre. was no future in getting annoyed.
Kerk continued in the same level voice, ignoring Jason's growing "aMngaeyrb.e you don't call it
cheating, frankly I don't carAe.s far as I'm concerned, you could have your sleeves lined with aces and
electromagnets in your toesA. s long as you wiIn'm. had a proposition.
not here to discuss moral points with Iyosua.id I
"We have worked hard for that money-but it still isn't enToougbhe. precise, we need three billion credits. The only way to get that sum is by gambWlinitgh. these twenty-seven million as bankroll."
"And what do I get out ofJaits?o”n asked the question coolly, as if any bit of the fantastic proposition made sense.
"Everything above the three billion you can keep, that should be fair
Yenoouu'rgeh.not risking your own
money, but you stand to make enough to keep you for life if you win."

"And if I lose?"
Kerk thought for a moment, not liking the taste of th"eYiedse,a.there is the chance you might lIose. hadn't thought about that."
He reached a decisio"nI.f you lose-well, I suppose that is just a risk we will have Ttohotuagkhe.I think
I would kill you theTn.he oz.es who died to get the twenty-seven million deserve at leastHtehast.a”id it quietly, without malice, and it was more of a considered decision than a threat.
Stamping to his feet, Jason refilled his glass and offered one to Kerk who took it with a nod of thanks.
He paced back and forth, unable to Tshite.
whole proposition made him angry, yet at the same time had
a fatal fascinationH. e was a gambler and this talk was like the sight of drugs to an addict.
Stopping suddenly, he realized that his mind had been made up for somWeintimore. lose-live or
die-how could he say no to the chance to gamble with money likHee thtuartn! ed suddenly and jabbed his finger at the big man in the chair.
"I'll do it-you probably knew I would from the time you came Tinhehreerea.re some terms of my own, though. I want to know who you are, and who they are you keep talkingAnadbowuth.ere did the
money come from-is it stolen?"
Kerk drained his own glass and pushed it away from him.
"Stolen money?No, quite the oppositeT. wo years' work mining and refining ore to gIett wita. s mined on Pyrrus and sold here on CassyYliao.u can check on that very easIilys.old itI.'m the Pyrric
ambassador to this planet.H” e smiled at the though"tN. ot that that means much, I'm ambassador to at least six other planets as weCllo. mes in handy when you want to do business."
Jason looked at the muscular man with his grey hair and worn, military-cut clothes, and decided not to laugh. You heard of strange things out in the frontier planets and every word couldHbee htarude.never
heard of Pyrrus either, though that didn't mean anythTihnegr.e were over thirty thousand known planets in the inhabited universe.

"I'll check on what you have told me," Jason"Isfaiidt'.s true we can do busineCsas.ll me tomorrow. .
"No," Kerk said".The money has to be won tonigI'hvte.
already issued a check for this twenty-seven
million; it will bounce as high as the Pleiades unless we deposit the money in the morning, so that's our time limit."
With each moment, the whole affair became more fantastic-and more intriguing forHeJasloo.ked at his watch.There was still enough time to find out if Kerk was lying or not.
"All right, we'll do it tonight," he "sOaindl.y I'll have to have one of those bills to verify."
Kerk stood up to g"oT.ake them all, I won't be seeing you again until after you'vIe'llwboen.at the Casino, of course, but don't recognize mIte.would be much better if they didn't know where your money was coming from or how much you had."
Then he was gone, after a bone-crushing handclasp that closed on Jason's hand like vJiasseonjaws.
was alone with the moneFy.anning the bills out like a hand of cards, he stared at their sepia-and-gold
faces, trying to get the reality through his hTewade.nty-seven million creditsW.
hat was to stop him from
just walking out the door with them and vanishNinogth. ing really, except his own sense of honor.
Kerk Pyrrus, the man with the same last name as the planet he came from, was the universe's biggest fool. Or he knew just what he was doFinrgo.m the way the interview had gone, the latter seemed the
best bet.
"He knows I would much rather gamble with the money than steal it," he said wryly.
Slipping a small gun into his waistband holster and pocketing the money, he went out.
2
The robot teller at the bank just pinged with electronic shock when he presented one of the bills and
flashed a panel that directed him to see Vice President
Wain. was a smooth customer who bugged

his eyes and lost some of his tan when he saw the sheaf of bills.
"You-wish to deposit these with uhs?e” asked while his fingers unconsciously stroked them.
"Not today," Jason sai"dT. hey were paid to me as a dWebot.uld you please check that they are authentic and change themI.'d like five hundred thousand credit notes."
Both of his inner chest pockets were packed tight when he left thTehebabnikll.s were good and he felt
like a walking minTt.his was the first time in his entire life that carrying a large sum of money made him uncomfortable. Waving to a passing helicab, he went directly to the Casino where he knew he would be safe. For awhile.
Cassylia Casino was the playspot of the nearby cluster of star syItstewmas. the first rime Jason had seen it, though he knew its type wHeell.had spent most of his adult life in casinos like this on other worlds. The decor differed but they were always the saGmame.bling and socialities in public-and behind the scenes all the private vice you could affTohredo. retically no-limit games, but that was true only up to
a certain pointW.
hen the house was really hurt, the honest games stopped being square and the big
winner had to watch his step very carefuTllhye.se were the odds Jason clinAlt had played against
countless times beforeH.
e was wary but not very concerned.
The dining room was almost empty and the majordomo quickly rushed to the side of the stranger in the richly cut clothesJ. ason was lean and dark and moved with a positive, self-assured mManonreer.like
the owner of inherited wealth than a professional gamTblheirs. appearance was important and he cultivated it.The cuisine looked good and the cellar turned out to be wonHdeerfuhla.d a professional
and enthusiastic talk with the wine steward while waiting for the soup, then settled down to enjoy his meal.
He ate leisurely and the large dining room was filled before he was Wthraotcuhgihn.g the entertainment
over a long cigar killed some more tiWmeh.en he finally went to the gaming roonls, they were filled and active.
Moving slowly around the room, he dropped a few thousand cHreedistsc.arcely noticed how he played, giving more attention to the feel of the gaTmhe .play all seemed honest and none of the equipment was riggedT. hat could be changed very quickly, he realizUesdu.ally it wasn't necessary; house percentage was enough to assure a profit.

Once he saw Kerk out of the corner of his eye, but he paid him noTahtetenatmiobna.ssador was losing small sums steadily at seven-andsilver and seemed to be impaPtrioebnat.bly waiting for Jason to begin playing seriouslyH. e smiled and strolled on slowly.
Jason settled on the dice table as he usuallyIt dwida.s the surest way to make small winniAnngds. if I
feelit tonight, I can clean this casino
Touhta!t was his secret, the power that won for him steadily-and
every once in awhile enabled him to make a killing and move on quickly before the hired thugs came to get the money back.
The dice reached him and he threw an eight the hardBewttianyg. was light and he didn't push himself,
just kept away from the sevenHse. dice moved on.
made the point and passed a natuTrahle.n he crapped out and the
Sitting there, making small automatic bets while the dice went around the table, he thought about the power. Funny, after all the years of work, we still don't know much abTouhteypsci.an train people a
bit, and improve skills a bit-but that's all.
He was feeling strong tonight, he knew that the money in his pocket gave him the extra lift that sometimes helped him break througWh. ith his eyes half closed he picked up the dice-and let his mind gently caress the pattern of sunken doTths.en they shot out of his hand and he stared at a seven.
It was there.
Stronger than he had felt it in yTeahres. stiff weight of the million credits had donTeheit.world all
around was sharp-cut and clear and the dice were completely in his cHoentrkonl.ew to the tenth credit
how much the other players had in their wallets and was aware of the cards in the hands of the players behind him.
Slowly, carefully, he built up the stakes.
There was no effort to the dice; they rolled and sat up like trainJeadsodnogtos.ok his time and concentrated on the psychology of the players and the stickImt atono. k almost two hours to build his
money on the table to seven hundred thousand creTdhitesn.
he caught the

stickman signaling they had a heavy winHneer.waited until the hardeyed man strolled over to watch the game, then he breathed on the dice, bet all his table stakes-and blew it all with a Tsihnegle roll.
houseman smiled happily, the stickman relaxed-and, out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Kerk turning a dark purple.
Sweating, pale, his hand trembling ever so slightly, Jason opened the front of his jacket and pulled out one of the envelopes of new biBllrse. aking the seal with his finger, he dropped two of them on the table.
"Could we have a no-limit game," he as"kIe'dd.like to-win back some of my money."
The stickman had trouble controlling his smile now, he glanced across at the houseman who nodded a quick yes.They had a sucker and they meant to clean Hheimh.ad been playing from his wallet all
evening; now he was cracking into a sealed envelope to try for what he had loSt. A thick envelope, too, and probably not his moneNy.ot that the house cared in the leaSt. To them money had no loTyhaelties.
play went on with the Casino in a very relaxed mood.
Which was just the way Jason wanteHd eit.needed to get as deep into them as he could before someone realized they might be on the losing Tehned. rough stuff would start and he wanted to put it off as long as possibleI.t would be hard to win smoothly then-and his psi power might go as quickly as it had come.That had happened before.
He was playing against the house now, the two other players were obvious shills, and a crowd had januned solidly around to watcAh.fter losing and winning a bit, he hit a streak of naturals and his pile of gold chips tottered higher and highTerh.ere was nearly a billion there, he estimated rougThhley. dice
were still falling true, though he was soaked with sweat from theBeeftftoinrgt.
the entire stack of chips,
he reached for the dicTe.he stickman reached faster and hooked them away.
"House calls for new dice," he said flatly.
Jason straightened up and wiped his hands, glad of the instant'sThreisliewf.as the third time the house had changed dice to try and break his winning stIrteawka. s their privilegeT.he hard-eyed Casino man
opened his wallet as he had done before and drew out a pair at Sratrnidpopimng.
off their plastic cover,
he threw them the length of the table to JTashoeny.
came up a natural seven and Jason smiled.
When he scooped them up, the smile slowly faTdheed.dice were transparent, finely made, evenly

weighted on all sides-and crooked.
The pigment on the dots of five sides of each die was some heavy metal compound, probTahbely lead. sixth side was a ferric compounTdh.ey would roll true unless they hit a magnetic field-which meant
the entire surface of the table could be magnetHizeedc.ould never have spotted the difference if he hadn't looked at the dice with his mBinudt. what could he do about it?
Shaking them slowly, he glanced quickly around the tTahbeler.e was what he needeAd.n ashtray with a magnet in its base to hold it to the metal edge of thJeastoabnles.topped shaking the dice and looked at them quizzically, then reached over and grabbed the ashHtraey.dropped the base against his hand.
As he lifted the ashtray, there was a concerted gasp from alTl hseiddesic. e were sticking there, upside down, boxcars showing.
"Are these what you call honest dichee?”asked.
The man who had thrown out the dice reached quickly for his hipJapsoocnkewt.as the only one who saw what happened nexHt. e was watching that hand closely, his own fingers near his guAnsbtuhtet.
man dived into his pocket, a hand reached out of the crowd behinFdrohmimi.ts square-cut size, it could have belonged to only one persoTnh.e thick thumb and index finger clamped swiftly around the houseman's wrist, then they were gonTeh.e man screamed shrilly and held up his arm, his hand dangling limp as a glove from the broken wrist bones.
With his flank well protected, Jason could go on with the"Tgahme eo.ld dice, if you don't mind," he said quietly.
Dazedly the stickman pushed them ovJears.on shook quickly and rolleBd.efore they hit the table, he realized he couldn't control them- the transient psi power had gone.
End over end they turneAdn. d faced up seven.
Counting the chips as they were pushed over to him, he added up a bit under two billTiohneycredits. would be winning that much if he left the game now-but it wasn't the three billion that KeWrkelnl,eeded.
it would have to be enougAhs.
he reached for the chips he caught Kerk's eye across the table and the
other man shook his head in a steady no.

"Let it ride," Jason said wearily, "one more roll."
He breathed on the dice, polished them on his cuff, and wondered how he had ever gotten into this spot. Billions riding on a pair of diTche.at was as much as the annual income of some plTanhe so.nly thing
that made it possible to have stakes like that was the fact that the planetary government had a controlling interest in the CasinoH. e shook as long as he could, reaching for the control that wasn't there-then let fly.
Everything else had stopped in the Casino and people were standing on tables and chairs to watch. There wasn't a sound from that large
crowd.The dice bounced back from the board with a clatter loud in the silence and tumbled over the cloth.
A five and a onSeix. . He still had to make his poSincto. oping up the dice, Jason talked to them, mumbled the ancient oaths that brought luck and threw again.
It took five throws before he made the six.
The crowd echoed his sigh and their voices rose quHiceklyw.anted to stop, take a deep breath, but he
knew he couldn'tW.
inning the money was only part of the job-they now had to get awayItwhiathd it.
to look casualA.
waiter was passing with a tray of driJnaksos.n stopped him and tucked a one hundred
credit note in his pocket.
"Drinks are on me," he shouted while he pried the tray out of the waiteWr'sehlla-wndish. ers cleared the filled glasses away quickly and Jason piled the chips onto thTehetryaym. ore than loaded it, but Kerk appeared that moment with a second tray.
"I'll be glad to help you sir, if you will permit me," he said.
Jason looked at him and laughed permissIitonw. as the first time he had a clear look at Kerk in the
Casino. He was wearing loose, purple evening pajamas over what must have been a false sTtohme ach.
sleeves were long and baggy so he looked fat rather than muIstcuwlaars.
a simple but effective disguise.

Carefully carrying the loaded trays, surrounded by a crowd of excited patrons, they made their way to
the cashier's windowT. he manager himself was there, wearing a forced counted the chips.
Egrvienn.
the grin faded when he
"Could you come back in the morning," he said, "I'm afraid we don't have that kind of money on hand."
'What's the matter," Kerk shouted, "trying to get out of payingYohuimt?ook my money easy enough when I lost-it works both ways!"
The onlookers, always happy to see the house lose, growled their disagreJeamsoenntf.inished the matter in a loud voice.
"I'll be reasonableG. ive me what cash you have and I'll take a check for the balance."
There was no way oUutn. der the watchful eye of the gleeful crowd, the manager packed an envelope with bills and wrote a checJka.son took a quick glimpse at it, then stuffed it into an inside Wpoitchket.
the envelope under one arm, he followed Kerk toward the door.
Because of the onlookers, there was no trouble in the main room, but just as they reached the side entrance two men moved in, blocking their way.
"Just a moment," one saHide.
never finished the sentencKe.erk
walked into them without slowing and they bounced away like teTnhpein .Kerk and Jason were out of the building and walking fast.
"Into the parking lot," Kerk sa"iId.have a car there."
When they rounded the corner, there was a car bearing down onBetfhoerme .Jason could get his gun clear of the holster, Kerk was in front of Hhiisma. rm came up and his big ugly gun burst through the cloth of his sleeve and jumped into his hAands.ingle shot killed the driver and the car swerved and

crashed. The other two men in the car died coming out of the door, their guns dropping from their hands.
After that they had no troubKlee.rk drove at top speed away from the Casino, the torn sleeve of his pajamas whipping in the breeze, giving glimpses of the big gun back in the holster.
"When you get the chance," Jason said, "you'll have to show me how that trick holster works."
'When we get the chance," Kerk answered as he dived the car into the city access tube.
3
The building they stopped at was one of the finer residences in CAas ythlieay.
had driven, Jason
counted the money and separated his shaArelm. ost sixteen million creditsI.t still didn't seem quite real. When they got out in front of the building, he gave Kerk the rest.
"Here's your three billioDn.on't think it was easy," he sa"iIdt. could have been worse," was his only answer.
The recorded voice scratched in the speaker over the door.
"Sire Ellus has retired for the night, would you please call again in the Amlol rnapinpgo.intments are made in advan-"
The voice broke off as Kerk pushed the door Hopeend.id it almost effortlessly with the flat of his hand. As they went in, Jason looked at the remnants of torn and twisted metal that hung in the lock and wondered again about his companion.
Strength-more than physical strength-he's like an elemental fo1rchea.ve the feeling that nothing can stop him.
It made him angry-and at the same time fascinatedHheimd.idn't want out of the deal until he found out more about Kerk and his planAetn. d "they" who had died for the money he gambled.

Sire Ellus was old, balding and angry, not at all used to having his rest Hdiisstucrboemdp. laints stopped suddenly when Kerk threw the money down on the table.
"Is the ship being loaded yet, ElHlues?re's the balance due.E”llus only fumbled the bills for a moment before he could answer Kerk's question.
"The ship--but, of coursWe. e began loading when you gave us the depYosoiut.'ll have to excuse my confusion; this is a little irregulWar.e never handle transactions of this size in cash."
"That's the way I like to do business," Kerk answered"I'hviemc. anceled the deposit, this is the total sum. Now how about a receipt."
Ellus had made out the receipt before his senses retuHrneedh.eld it tightly while he looked uncomfortably at the three billion spread out before him.
"Wait-I can't take it now, you'll have to return in the morning, to tIhne nboarnmka. l business fashion," Ellus decided firmly.
Kerk reached over and gently drew the paopuetr.of Ellus' hand..
"Thanks for the receipt," he sa"iId.won't be here in the morning so this will be satisfaAcntodryi.f you're worried about the money, I suggest you get in touch with some of your plant guards or private police. You'll feel a lot safer."
When they left through the shattered door, Ellus was frantically dialing numbers on hiKs esrckreen. answered Jason's next question before he could ask it.
"I imagine you would like to live to spend that money in your pocket, so I've booked us two seats on an interplanetary ship.”He glanced at the car cloc"kIt. leaves in about two hours so we have plenty of time.
I'm hungry, let's find a restauraInth. ope you have nothing at the hotel worth going bacIkt wfooru. ld be a little difficult."

"Nothing worth getting killed for," Jason s"aNido.w where can we go to eTath?ere are af.ew questions
I would like to ask you."
They circled carefully down to the transport levels until they were sure they hadn't been Kfoelrlokwed. nosed the car into a shadowed loading dock where they abandoned it.
'We can always get another car," he said, "and they probably have this oneLsept'osttweda.lk back to the freightway, I saw a restaurant there as we caine by."
Dark and looming shapes of overland freight carriers filled the parkiTnhgeylotp. icked their way around the man-high wheels and into the hot and noisy restauTrhaent.drivers and early morning workers took no notice of them as they found a booth in the back and dialed a meal.
Kerk chiseled a chunk of meat off the slab in front of him and popped it cheerfully into"Ahissk mouth. your questions," he said".I'm feeling much better already."
'What's in this ship you arranged for toniWghht?at kind of a cargo was I risking my neck for?"
"I thought you were risking your neck for money," Kerk said"Bdurytlyb.e assured it was in a good cause. That cargo means the survival of a woGrludn. s, ammunition, mines, explosives and such."
Jason choked over a mouthful of fo"oGdu.n-running! What are you doing, financing a private wAanr?d how can you talk about survival with a lethal cargo likeDothna't?try and tell me they have a peaceful use. Who are you killing?"
Most of the big man's humor had vanished: he had that grim look Jason knew well.
"Yes, peaceful would be the right wBoredc.ause that is basically all we waJnuts.t to live in peacAe.nd it is not who are we killing-it is what we are killing."

Jason pushed his plate away with an angry ges"tYuroeu.'re talking in riddles," he sa"idW. hat you say has no meaning."
"It has meaning enough," Kerk told h"iBmu.t only on one planet in the univeJrusset. how much do you know about Pyrrus?"
"Absolutely nothing."
For a moment Kerk sat wrapped in memory, scowling distTanhtelny. he went on.
"Mankind doesn't belong on Pyrrus-yet has been there for almost three hundred yeaTrshenoawge. expectancy of my people is sixteen yeaOrsf. course most adults live beyond that, but the high child mortality brings the average down.
"It is everything that a humanoid world should noTthebeg. ravity is nearly twice earth normTahl.e
temperature can vary daily from arctic to troTphice.
climate-well you have to experience it to believe it.
Like nothing you've seen anywhere else in the galaxy."
"I'm frightened," Jason said dry'lWy.hat do you have, methane or chlorine reactioIn'vse? been down on planets like that-"
Kerk slammed his hand down hard on the tTahbele.dishes bounced and the tablelegs creaked. "Laboratory reactions!”he growled."They look great on a bench-but what happens when you have a
world filled with those compoundsIn?
an eye-wink of galactic time all the violence is locked up in nice,
stable compounds.The atmosphere may be poisonous for an oxygen breather, but taken by itself it's as harmless as weak beer.
"There is only one setup that is pure poison as a planetary atmoPslpehnetyre.of H2O, the most universal solvent you can find, plus free oxygen to work on-"
'Water and oxygen!J”ason broke in". You mean Earth-or a planet like Cassylia heTrhea?t's preposterous."

"Not at alBl. ecause you were born in this kind of environment, you accept it as right andYonuatural. take it for granted that metals corrode, coastlines change, and storms interfere with communication. These are normal occurrences on oxygen-water worlOdsn. Pyrrus these conditions are carried to the nth degree.
"The planet has an axial tilt of almost 42°, so there is a tremendous range of temperature from season to season. This is one of the prime causes of a constantly changing iTcehceapw. eather generated by this is spectacular to say the least."
U1f.flJ. k I 11LI1litI%.
.JL. I 17
"If that's all," Jason said, "I don't see .w."hy.
"That's not all-it's barely the beginniTngh.e open seas perform the dual destructive function of supplying
water vapor o.
keep the weather going, and building up gigantic
Ptiyderrsu. s' two satellites, Samas and
Bessos, combine at times to pull the oceans up into thirty meterAntiddeus.ntil you've seen one of these tides lap over into an active volcano you've seen nothing.
"Heavy elements are what brought us to Pyrrus-and these same elements keep the planet at a vulcanic boil. There have been at least thirteen supernovas in the immediate stellar neighboHrheoaovdy. elements
can be found on most of their planets of course-as well as completely unbreathable atmospheres.
Long-term mining and exploitation can't be done by anything but a self-sustaining
Wcolhoinchy. meant
Pyrrus, where the radioactive elements are locked in the planetary core, surrounded by a shell of lighter ones. While this allows for the atmosphere men need, it also provides unceasing vulcanic activity as the molten plasma forces its way to the surface."
For the first time, Jason was silTenryt.ing to imagine what life could be like on a planet constantly at war with itself.
"I've saved the best for last," Kerk said with grim h"uNmoowr. that you have an idea of what the environment is like-think of the kind of life forms that would popuIladteouibt.t if there is one off-world specie that would live a minuPtela. nts and animals on Pymis are touTghey fight the world and they
fight each otherH. undreds of thousands of years of genetic weeding-out have produced things that would

give even an electronic brain nightmarAesr.mor-plated, poisonous, claw-tipped and fanged-mouthed. That describes everything that walks, flaps or just sits and gErovwers.see a plant with teeth-that biIte?
don't think you want tYo.ou'd have to be on Pyrrus and that means you would be dead within seconds of leaving the shipE.ven I'll have to take a refresher course before I'll be able to go outside the landing buildings. The unending war for survival keeps the life forms competing and chaDngeainthg. is simple,
but the ways of dealing it too numerous to list."
Unhappiness rode like a weight on Kerk's broad shoulAdeftresr. long moments of thought, he moved
visibly to shake it ofRf.eturning his attention to his food and mopping the gravy from his plate, he voiced part of his feelings.
"I suppose there is no logical reason why we should stay and fight this endElexscsepwt atrh.at Pyrrus is our home.”The last piece of
JO IJ II 11 1 11 VV I.J11L.LJ
gravy-soaked bread vanished and he waved the empty fork at "JBaseonh.appy you're an off -worlder and will never have to see it."
"That's where you're wrong," Jason said as calmly as he "cYoouuld.see, I'm going back with you."
4
"Don't talk stupidly," Kerk said as he punched for a duplicate order o"fThsetereaka. re much simpler ways of committing suicideD. on't you realize that you're a millionaire noWwi?th what you have in your pocket, you can relax the rest of your life on the pleasure pPlyanrreuts. is a death world, not a sightseeing spot for jaded touristIs.cannot permit you to return with me."
Gamblers who lose their tempers don't last lJoansgo.n was angry nowY. et it showed only in a negative way. In the lack of expression on his face and the calmness of his voice.
"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do, Kerk PYyorruu'rse.
a big man with a fast gun-but that doesn't
make you my keeperA. ll you can do is stop me from going back on youBr usthiIp.can easily afford to
get there another wayA. nd don't try to tell me I want to go to Pyrrus for sightseeing when you have no idea of my real reasons."

Jason didn't even try to explain his reasons, they were only half realized and too Tpheersomnoarle. he
traveled, the more things looked the same to
Thihme. old, civilized planets sank into a drab similarity.
Frontier worlds all had the crude sameness of temporary camps in a foreSt. Not that the galactic worlds bored him.It was just that he had found their limitations-yet had never found hUisnotiwl nh.e met Kerk
he had acknowledged no man his superior, or even his eTqhuisal.was more than egotismIt. was facing
facts. Now he was forced to face the fact that there was a whole world of people who might be superior to him.Jason could never rest content until he had been there and seen for hEivmesneliff. he died in the
attempt.
None of this could be told to KTehrker.e were other reasons he would understand better.
"You're not thinking ahead when you prevent me from going to Pyrrus," Jas"oIn'll snaoidt . mention any moral debt you owe me for winning that money you neBeudtedw. hat about the next timIef? you needed that much lethal goods once, you'll probably need it again some
day.Wouldn't it be better to have me on hand-old tried and true- than dreaming up some new and possibly unreliable scheme?"
Kerk chewed pensively on the second serving of s"tTeahka.t makes senseA.
nd I must admit I hadn't
thought of it beforeO. ne failing we Pyrrans have is a lack of interest in the Sftuatyuirneg.
alive day by
day is enough troubleS.o we tend to face emergencies as they arrive and let the dim future take care of
itself. You can comeI.
hope you will still be alive when we needAysoPu.yrran ambassador to a lot of
places I officially invite you to our plaAnellt. expenses paidO. n the condition you obey completely all our instructions regarding your personal safety."
"Conditions accepted," Jason saiAd.nd wondered why he was so cheerful about signing his own death warrant.
Kerk was shoveling his way through his third dessert when his alarm watch gave a Htineydhroupmp.ed
his fork instantly and stood u"pT.ime to go," he sai"dW.
e're on schedule now.W” hile Jason scrambled
to his feet, he jammed coins into the meter until the paid light cTamheen otnh.ey were out the door and walking fast.
Jason wasn't at all surprised when they came on a public escalator just behind the rHesetauwrasnt.
beginning to realize that since leaving the casino their every move had been carefully planned and timed. Without a doubt, the alarm was out and the entire planet being searched foYrethseom.far they hadn't

noticed the slightest sign of pursuTith.is wasn't the first time Jason had to move just one jump ahead of the authorities-but it was the first time he had let someone else lead him by the hand whilHe ehe did it. had to smile at his own automatic agreemHenet. had been a loner for so many years that he found a certain inverse pleasure in following someone else.
"Hurry up," Kerk growled after a quick glance at his
Hweatcshe.t a steady, killing pace up the
escalator steps.They went up five levels that way-without seeing another person-before Kerk relented and let the escalator do the work.
Jason prided himself on keeping in conditBiount. the sudden climb, after the sleepless night, left him panting heavily and soaked with sweKate. rk, cool of forehead and breathing normally, didn't show the slightest sign that he had been running.
They were at the second motor level when Kerk stepped off the slowly rising steps and waved Jason after him.As they came through the exit to the street a car pulled up to the curb in fronJat son them.
had enough sense not to reach for his Agut nt.he exact moment they reached the car, the driver opened the door and stepped ouKt.erk passed him a slip of paper without saying a word and slipped in behind
the wheelT. here was just time for Jason to jump in before the car pulledThaewaeyn.tire transfer had taken less than three seconds.
There had been only a glimpse of the driivethr ei.dim light, but Jason had recognized Ohifmc. ourse he
had never seen the man before, but after knowing Kerk he couldn't mistake the compact strength of a native Pyrran.
"That was the receipt from Ellus you gave him," Jason said.
"Of courseT. hat takes care of the ship and the caTrghoey. 'll be offplanet and safely away before the
Casino check is traced to ElluSso.
now let's look after ourselveI'sll. explain the plan in detail so there
will be no slip-ups on your pIa'lrlt. go through the whole thing once and if there are any questions you'll ask them only when I'm finished."
The tones of command were so automatic that Jason found himself listening in quiet obTehdoiuegnhce. one part of his mind wanted him to smile at the quick assumption of his incompetence.

Kerk swung the car into the steady line of traffic heading out of the city to theHsepadceropvoert. easily while he talked.
"There is a search on in the city, but we're well ahead I'omf tshuarte.
the Cassylians don't want to
advertise their bad sportsmanship, so there won't be anything as crude as a roaBdubtlotchke. port will
be crawling with every agent they haTvhe.ey know once the money gets off-planet, it is gone forever. When we make a break for it they will be sure we still have tShoe tchaesrhe. will be no trouble with the munition ship getting clear."
Jason sounded a little shocke"dY.ou mean you're setting us up as clay pigeons to cover the takeoff of the ship."
"You could put it that wBayu.t since we have to get off-planet anyway, there is no harm in using our escape as a smokescreenN. ow shut up until I've finished, like I told Oynoeu.more interruption and I
dump you by the road."
Jason was sure he wouHlde. said before, then continued.
listened intently-and quietly-as Kerk repeated word for word what he had
"The official car gate will probably be wide open with the traffic thrAoungdhaitl.ot of the agents will be
in plain clothesW.
e might even get onto the field without being recognized, though I dIotuibst oitf. no
importance. We will drive through the gate and to the takeoffThpeadP. ride of Darkhan, for which we hold tickets, will be sounding its two-minute siren and unhooking the ganBgywatyh.e time we get to our seats, the ship will take off."
"That's all very fine," Jason sa"iBdu. t what will the guards be doing all this time?"
"Shooting at us and each othWere.
will take advantage of the confusion to get aboard."
This answer did nothing to settle Jason's mind, but he let it slide for the"Amlolmriegnhtt., say we do get aboard. Why don't they just prevent takeoff until we have been dragged out and stood against a wall?"
Kerk spared him a contemptuous glance before he returned his eyes to th"Ie sraoiadd.the ship was the

Pride of DarkhanI.f you had studied this system at all, you would know what that Cmasesaynlsia.
and
Darkhan are sister planets and rivals in every wItahya. s been less than two centuries since they fought
an intrasystem war that almost destroyed both of thNeomw.
they exist in an armed-to-the-teeth
neutrality that neither dare violatTe.he moment we set foot aboard the ship we are on Darkhan territory. There is no extradition agreement between the planCeatss.sylia may want us-but not badly enough to
start another war."
That was all the explanation there was timeKfeorkr. swung the car out of the rush of traffic and onto a bridge marked Official Cars OnlJya.son had a feeling of nakedness as they rolled under the harsh port lights toward the guarded gate ahead.
It was dosed.
Another car approached the gate from the inside and Kerk slowed their car toOanecroafwlt.he
guards talked to the driver of the car inside the port, then waved to the gate began to swing inward and Kerk jammed down on the accelerator.
Tathte dbarrti.er gate
Everything happened at oncTe.he turbine howled, the spinning tires screeched on the road and the car crashed open the gateJ.ason had a vanishing glimpse of the open-mouthed guards, then they were skidding around the corner of a buildiAng.few shots popped after them, but none came close.
Driving with one hand, Kerk reached under the dash and pulled out a gun that was the twin of the monster strapped to his arm"U. se this instead of your own," he s"aRido.cket-propelled explosive slugs.
Make a great bangD. on't bother shooting at anyone-I'll take care of Jtuhsatt. stir up a little action and make them keep their distancLe.ike this.”.
He fired a single, snap shot out the side window and passed the gun to Jason almost before the slug hit. An empty truck blew up with a roar, raining pieces on the cars around and sending their drivers fleeing in panic.
After that it was a nightmare ride through a madhKoeurske. drove with an apparent contempt for violent death.Other cars followed them
and were lost in wheel-raising turTnhs.ey careened almost the full length of the field, leaving a trail of smoking chaos.

Then the pursuit was all behind them and the oply thing ahead was the slim spire of the Pride of
Darkhan.
The Pride was surrounded by a strong wire fence as suited the begrudged status of her planetary origin. The gate was closed and guarded by soldiers with leveled guns, waiting for a shot at the approaching car. Kerk made no attempt to come near thIenmst.ead he fed the last reserves of power to the car and
headed for the fence".Cover your face," he shouted.
Jason put his arms in front of his head just as they hit.
Torn metal screamed, the fence buckled, wrapped itself around the car, but did noJat sobnreafkle.w
off the seat and into the padded daBsyh. the time Kerk had the warped door open, he realized that the
ride was overK.
erk must have seen the spin of his eyeballs because he didn't talk, just pulled Jason out
and threw him onto the hood of the ruined car.
"Climb over the buckled wire and make a run for the ship," he shouted.
If there was any doubt what he meant, he set Jason an example of fine rIot awdwasorikn.conceivable
that someone of his bulk could run so fast, yet hHe edimd.oved more like a charging tank than a man. Jason shook the fog from his head and worked up some speed hNimevserft.heless, he was barely
halfway to the ship when Kerk hit the gangwItawy.as already unhooked from the ship, but the shocked attendants stopped rolling it away as the big man bounded up the steps.
At the top he turned and fired at the soldiers who were charging in through the Tohpeyn gate. dropped, crawled, and returned his fiVree. ry few shot at Jason's running fonn.
The scene in front of Jason cranked over in slow mKoetirokn.standing at the top of the ramp, coolly returning the fire that splashed all aboHuet. could have found safety in an instant through the open port behind him.The only reason he stayed there was to cover Jason.
"Thanks," Jason managed to gasp as he made the last few steps up the gangway, jumped the gap and collapsed inside the ship.

"You're perfectly welcome," Kerk said as he joined him, waving his gun to cool it off.
A g. rim-jawed ship's officer stood back out of range of fire from the ground and looked them both up
and down."And just what the hell is going on here," he growled.
Kerk tested the barrel with a wet thumb, then let the gun slide back into i'tWs ehoalrseterl.aw-abiding citizens of a different system who
have committed no criminal acTtsh.e savages of Cassylia are too barbarous for civilized company.
Therefore we are going to Darkban- here are our tickets-in whose sovereign territory 1 believe we are at this moment" This last was added for the benefit of the Cassylian officer who had just stumbled to the top of the gangway and was raising his gun.
The soldier couldn't be blameHde.
saw these badly wanted criminals getting awAabyo. ard a Darkban
ship as wellA. nger got the best of him and he brought his gun up.
"Come out of there, you scuYmo!u're not escaping that easilCy.ome out slow with your hands up or I'll blast you..."
It was a frozen moment of time that stretched and stretched without brTehaekinpgis.tol covered Kerk and Jason.Neither of them attempted to reach for their own guns.
The gun twitched a bit as the
s iopf.ficer moved, then steadied back on the two Tmheen.Darkhan
spaceman hadn't gone far, just a pace across the Tlohciks . was enough to bring him next to a red box
set flush with the waWll.ith a single, swift gesture, he flipped up the cover and poised his thumb over the
button inside.When he smiled, his 11ps peeled back to show all of hisHeteehthad.
made up his mind,
and it was the arrogance of the Cassylian officer that had been the deciding factor.
"Fire a single shot into Darkhan territory and I press this button," he "sAhonudteydo. u know what this button does-every one of your ships has them as Cwoemll.mit a hostile act against this ship and someone will press a buttonE.very control rod will be blown out of the sshpiipl.e at that instant and half your
filthy city will go up in the explosioHni.s” smile was chiseled on his face and there was no doubt he
would do what he sai"dG. o ahead, fireI.
think I would enjoy pressing this."
The takeoff siren was hooting now, the close lock light blinking an angry message from tLheikebridge. four actors in a grim drama, they faced each other an instant more.
Then the Cassylian officer, growling with unvoicable, frustrated anger, turned and leaped back to the steps.
"All passengers board shiFp.orty-five seconds to takeoffC. lear the port."T. he ship's officer slammed shut the cover of the box and locked it as he tTahlkeered. was barely time to make the acceleration couches before the Pride of Darkkan cleared ground.
5

Once the ship was in orbit, the captain sent for Jason andKeKrkerkto. ok the floor and was
completely frank about the previous night's activitTiehs.e only fact of importance he left out was Jason's background as a professional gambleHr.e drew a beautiful picture of two lucky strangers whom the evil forces of Cassylia wanted to deprive of their gambling prAofliltst.his fitted perfectly the captain's preconceptions of CassyliaI.n the end, he congratulated his officer on the correctness of his actions and
began the preparation of a long report to his government He gave the two men his best wishes as well as the liberty of the ship.
It was a short trJipa.son barely had time to catch up on his sleep before they grounded on Darkhan. Being without luggage, they were the first ones through custTohmesy. left the shed just in time to see
another ship landing in a distant Kpiet.rk stopped to watch it and Jason followed his
Igtazwea. s a grey,
scarred ship.With the stubby lines of a freighter-but sporting as many large guns as a cruiser.
"Yours, of course," Jason said.
Kerk nodded and started toward the sOhinpe.
of the locks opened as they came up but no one
appeared. Instead a remote-release folding ladder rattled down to the groKuenrdk. swarmed up it and
Jason followed glumlyS. omehow, he felt, this was overdoing the no-frills-andnonsense attitude.
Jason was catching on to Pyrran ways, thoTughhe. reception aboard ship for the ambassador was just
what he expectedN.
othing. Kerk closed the lock himself and they found couches as the takeoff horn
sounded. The main jets roared and acceleration smashed down on Jason.
It didn't stopI.nstead it grew stronger, squeezing the air out of his lungs and the sight from Hheis eyes. screamed but couldn't hear his own voice through the roaring in hiMs eeracrisf.ully he blacked out.
When consciousness returned the ship was at zerJoa-sGo.n kept his
eyes closed and let the pain seep out of his Kbeordky.spoke suddenly; he was standing next to the couch.
"My fault, Meta, I should have told you we had a one-C passengerYaobuoamrdi.ght have eased up a bit on your usual bone-breaking takeoff."

"It doesn't seem to have harmed him much-but what's he doing here?"
Jason felt mild surprise that the second voice was aBguitrl'hs.e wasn't interested enough to go to the trouble of opening his sore eyes.
"Going to PyrrusI. tried to talk him out of it, of course, but I couldn't change hIits's mainsdh.ame, too, I would like to have done more for Hhiem's. the one who got the money for us."
"Oh, that's awful," the girl saJiads.on wondered why it was awfIutl.didn't make sense to his groggy mind. "It would have been much better if he stayed on Darkhan," the girl con"Htineu'sedv.ery nice looking. I think it's a shame he has to die."
That was too much for JasHone. pried one eye open, then the otThehre.
voice belonged to a girl of
about twenty-one who was standing next to the bed, gazing down atSJhaesown.as beautiful.
Jason's eyes opened wider as he realized she was very beautiful- with the kind of beauty he had never found on the planets in the center of the gaTlahxey.women he had known all ran to pale skin, hollow shoulders, grey faces covered with tints and dTyehse.y were the product of centuries of breeding
weaknesses back into the race, as the advance of medicine kept alive more and more non-survival types.
This girl was the direct opposite in every Swhaey.was the product of survival on PyrruTsh.e heavy
gravity that produced bulging muscles in men, brought out firm strength in strap-like female
Smhuescles.
had the taut figure of a goddess, tanned skin and perfectly formeHd efrachea.ir, which was cut short, circled her head with a golden crowTnh.e only unfeminine thing about her was the gun she wore in a
bulky forearm holsterW.
hen she saw Jason's eyes open she smiled at Hheimr .teeth were as even and
as white as he had expected.
"I'm Meta, pilot of this shAipn.d you must be-"
"Jason dinAltT. hat was a lousy takeoff, Meta."
"I'm really very sorry," she laugh"eBdu. t being born on a two-C planet makes you a little immune to

acceleration. I save fuel too, with the synergy curve-"
Kerk gave a noncommittal gru"nCt.ome along, Meta, we'll take a look at the cSarogmoe. stuff will plug the gaps in the perimeter."
of the new
"Oh, yes," she said, almost clapping her hands with happ"iInersesa.d the specs, they're simpiy wonderful."
Like a schoolgirl with a new drOesrs.a box of cqndTy.hat's a great attitlAde to have toward bombs
and flamethrowers.Jason smiled wryly at the thought as he groaned off the gone and he pulled himself painfully through the door after them.
Tcohuechtw. o Pyrrans had
It took him a long time to find his way to thTehehosldh.ip was big and apparently empty of crew. Jason finally found a man sleeping in one of the brightly lit Hcaebirnesc.ognized him as the driver who
had turned the car over to them on CassTyhliea. man, who had been sleeping soundly a moment before, opened his eyes as soon as Jason drifted into the rHoeomw.as wide awake.
"How do I get to the cargo hoJlads?o”n asked.
The other told him, closed his eyes and went instantly back to sleep before Jason could even say thanks.
In the hold, Kerk and Meta had opened some of the crates and were chortling with joy over their lethal contents. Meta, a pressure cannister in her arms, turned to Jason as he came through the door.
"Just look at this," she sa"iTdh. is powder in here-why you can eat it like dirt, with lessYheat rmit .is instantly deadly to all forms of vegetable lifeS...he.” stopped suddenly as she realized Jason didn't share her extreme pleasure". I'm sorry.Only I forgot for a moment there that you weren't a PSyorrayno.u
don't really understand, do you?"
Before he could answer, the PA speaker called her name.

"Jump time," she sai"dC. ome with me to the bridge while I do the equaWtioensc.an talk thereI. know so little about any place except Pyrrus that I have a million questions to ask."
Jason followed her to the bridge where she relieved the duty officer and began taking readings for the jump setting.She looked out of place among the machines, a sturdy but supple figure in a simple, onepiece shipsuit.Yet there was no denying the efficiency with which she went about her job.
"Meta, aren't you a little young to be the pilot of an interstellar ship?"
"Am I?”She thought for a secon"dI.
really don't know how old pilots are supposed tIo hbaev.e been
piloting for about three years now and I'm almost twIesnttyh.at younger than usual?"
Jason opened his mouth-then laughe"dI. suppose that all depends on what planet you're fSrome. places you would have trouble getting licensBedu.t I'll bet things are different on PyrBruys.their standards you must rank as an old lady."
"Now you're making a joke," Meta said serenely as she fed a figure into the c"aIl'vceulasteoern. ladies on some planetsT.hey are wrin
old
Med and have grey haIir.don't know how old they are, I asked one but she wouldn't tell me her age. But I'm sure they must be older than anyone on Pyrrus, no one looks like that there."
"I don't mean old that waJya.s”on groped for the right wor"dN. ot old-but grown-up, matureA. n adult."
"Everyone is grown-up," she answere"dA.t least soon after they leave the waArdnsd.
they do that
when they're sixM.
y first child is grown-up, and the second one would be too, only heS'so dIead.
surely must be.”That seemed to settle the question for her, though Jason's thoughts jumped with the alien concepts and background, inherent behind her words.
Meta punched in the last setting, and the course tape began to chunk out ofSthhee tcuarnsed her attention back to Jason".I'm glad you're aboard this trip, though I am sorry you are going toBPutyrrus.
we'll have lots of time to talk and there are so many things I want toAfbinodut ooutth.er planetsA. nd
why people go around acting the way theyNdoot . at all like home where you know why people are doing things all the timeS.”he frowned over the tape for a moment, then turned her attention back to Jason. "What is your home planet like?"

One after another the usual lies he told people came to his lips, and were pushWedhyawboatyh.er lying to a girl who really didn't care if you were serf orTnoobhleer? there were only two kinds of
people in the galaxyP.yrrans, and the reSt. For the first time since he had fled from Porgorstorsaand, he found himself telling someone the truth of his origin.
"My home planetJ?ust about the stuffiest, dullest, dead-end in the univYeroseu. can't believe the destructive decay of a planet that is mainly agrarian, caste-conscious and completely satisfied with its
own boring existenceN.
ot only is there no change-but no one wants chaMnyge.father was a farmer, so
I should have been a farmer too-if I had listened to the advice of myIt bwetatsersu.nthinkable, as well
as forbidden for me to do anything eAlsned.
everything I wanted to do was against theI lawwa.s fifteen
before I learned to read-out of a book stolen from a noble
Ascfhteorolt.hat there was no turning back.
By the time I stowed away aboard an off-world freighter at nineteen I must have broken every law on the planet. Happily. Leaving home for me was just like getting out of prison."
Mete shook her head at- the thou"gIhtj.ust can't imagine a place like tBhautt. I'm sure I wouldn't like it there."
"I'm sure you wouldn't," Jason smil"eSdo.
once I was in space, with no law-abiding talents or skills, I
just wandered into one thing and anothIenr.this age of technology, I was completely out of Oplhac, eI.
suppose I could have done well in some army, but I'm not so good at takinWgheonrdeevresr. I
gambled I did well, so little by little I just drifted Pinetoopliet. are the same everywhere, so I' manage to make out.very well wherever I end up."
"I know what you mean about people being alike, but they are so different," "sIh'me
nsaoitd.being
clear at all, am
WI? hat I mean is that at home I know what people will do and why they do it at the
same time.People on all the other planets do act alike, as you said, yet I have very much trouble understanding why.For instance.I like to try the local food when we set down on a planet, and if there is time I always doT. here are bars and restaurants near every spaceport so I go AthnedreI. always have
trouble with the menT.hey want to buy me drinks, hold my hand."
"Well a single girl in those port joints has to expect a certain amount of interest from the men."
"Oh, I know that," she sa"iWd.hat I don't understand is why they don't listen when I tell them I am not interested and to go awaTy.hey just laugh and pull up a chair, usuBalulyt .I have found that one thing
works wherever I amI. tell them if they don't stop bothering me I'll break their arm."

"Does that stop them?J”ason asked.
"No, of course noBt.ut after I break their arm they go awAanyd. the others don't bother me eithIet'rs. a lot of fuss to go through and the food is usually awful."
Jason didn't laughP.articularly when he realized that this girl could break the arm of any spaceport thug in the galaxyS. he was a strange mixture of naïveté and strength, unlike anyone he had ever met before. Once again he realized that he had to visit the planet that produced people like her and Kerk.
"Tell me about Pyrrus," he ask"eWd.hy is it that you and Kerk assume automatically that I will drop dead as soon as I lanWd?hat is the planet like?"
All the warmth was gone from her face "nIowca.n't tell youY. ou will have to see for yoursIelfk.now that much after visiting some of the other woPrlydrsr.us is like nothing you galaxy people have ever experienced. You won't really believe it until it is tooWlaitlel .you promise me something?"
"No," he answered".At least not until after I hear what it is and decide."
"Don't leave the ship when we laYnodu. within a few weeks."
should be safe enough aboard, and I'll be flying a cargo out
"I'll promise nothing of the sIo'lrlt. leave when I - want to leave."
Jason knew there was undoubtedly a reason for her words, but he resented her automatic superiority.
Mete finished the jump settings without another wTohrder.e was a tension in the room that prevented them both from talking.
It was the next shipday before he saw her again, then it was completely bySahceciwdeanst. in the astrogation dome when he entered, looking up at the spark-filled blackness of the juFmopr sthkey. first

time he saw her off duty, wearing something other than a shTiphsisuitw. as a thin and softly shining robe that clung to her body.
She smiled at him"T. he stars are so wonderfuCl.ome see.”Jason stood close to her, looking
Tuph.e
oddly geometric patterns of the jump sky were familiar to him, yet they still had the power to draw him forward. Even more so nowM. eta's presence made a disturbing difference in the dark silence of the
dome. Her tilted head almost rested on his shoulder, the crown of her hair eclipsing part of the sky, the smell of it soft in his nostrils.
Almost without thought his arms went around her, aware of the warm firmness of her flesh beneath the thin robe.She did not resent it, for she covered his hands with hers.
"You're smiling," she sai"dY. ou like the stars too."
"Very much," he answere"dB. ut more than thaIt. remembered the story you told mDeo. you want to break my arm, Mete?"
"Of course not," she said very seriously, then smiled "bIaclikk.e you, JasonE.ven though you're not a
Pyrran, I like you very mucAhn. d I've been so lonely."
When she looked up at him, he kissedSher.returned the kiss with a passion that had no shame or false modesty.
"My cabin is just down this corridor," she said.
6
After that they were together constanWtlyh. en Mete was on duty he brought her meals to the bridge and they talkedJ. ason learned little more about her world since, by unspoken agreement, they didn't discuss it.He talked of the many planets he had visited and the people be hadSkhneowa.s an appreciative listener and the time went quickly Tbhye.y enjoyed each other's company and it was a wonderful trip.-

Then it ended.
There were fourteen people aboard the ship, yet Jason had never seen more than two or three at a time. There was a fixed rotation of duties that they followed in the ship's opWerahteinonn. ot on duty, the
Pyrrans minded their own business in an intense and self-sufficient maOnnnleyr. when the ship came out of jump and the PA barked assembly did they all get tog- ether.
Kerk was giving orders for the landing and questions were snapped back anIdt wfoarstha. ll technical and Jason didn't bother following Iitt.was the attitude of the Pyrrans that drew his atteTnthieoinr. talk
tended to be faster now as were their motiTohnesy.
were like soldiers preparing for battle.
Their sameness struck Jason for the first tNimoet . that they looked alike or did the same thIitngwsa. s the way they moved and reacted that caused the striking simiTlahriety. were like great, stalking cats. Walking fast, tense and ready to spring at all times, their eyes never still for an instant.
Jason tried to talk to Meta after the meeting, but she was almost a Sshtreanagnesrw. ered in monosyllables and her eyes never met his, just brushed over them and wTehnet reonw. as nothing he
could really say, so she moved to leaHvee. started to put his hand out to stop her- then thought better of it. There would be other times to talk.
Kerk was the only one who took any notice of him-and then only to order him to an acceleration couch.
Meta's landings were infinitely worse than her takeAoftfsl.east when
she landed on PyrruTs.here were sudden acceleration surges in every directAiotn.one point there was
a free fall that seemed endleTssh.ere were loud thuds against the hull that shook the framework of the ship. It was more like a battle than a landing and Jason wondered how much truth there was in that.
When the ship finally landed, Jason didn't even knoTwheitc. onstant two-C's felt like deceleratioOnn. ly the descending moan of the ship's engines convinced him they were Udonwbunc.iding the straps and sitting up was an effort.
Two-C's don't seem that baAdt. firSt. Walking required the same exertion as would carrying a man of his own weight on his shouldeWrs.hen Jason lifted his arm to unlatch the door it was as heavy as two arms. He shuffled slowly toward the main lock.
They were all there ahead of him, two of the men rolling transparent cylinders from a neaFrrboymroom. their obvious weight and the way they clanged when they bumped, Jason knew they were made of transparent metal.He couldn't conceive any possible use for thEempty cylinders a meter in diameter,

longer than a manO. ne end solid, the other hinged and seaIltedw. asn't until Kerk spun the sealing wheel and opened one of them that their use became apparent.
"Cet in," Kerk sai"dW.
hen you're locked inside, you'll be carried out of the ship."
"Thank you, no," Jason told h"imI .have no particular desire to make a spectacular landing on your planet sealed up like a packaged sausage."
"Don't be a fool," was Kerk's snapped ans"wWere.'re all going out in these tubWese. 've been away too long to risk the surface without reorientation.".
Jason did feel a little foolish as he saw the others getting intHo etupbiecsk.ed the nearest one, slid into it feet first, and pulled the lid dosWedh. en he tightened the wheel in the center, it squeezed down against a flexible seal.Within a minute the CO2 content in the closed cylinder went up and an air regenerator at the bottom hummed into life.
Kerk was the last one Hine. checked the seals on all the other tubes first, then jabbed the airlock override release.As it started cycling, he quickly sealed himself in the remaining cyBliontdher.inner and outer locks ground slowly open and dim light filtered in through sheets of falling rain.
For Jason, the whole thing seemed an anticlimAallx.this preparation for absolutely nothinLgo.ng, impatient minutes passed before a
lift truck appeared driven by a PyrHraen. loaded the cylinders onto -
his truck like so much dead caJrgasoo. n had the misfortune to be buried at the bottom of the pile so could see absolutely nothing when they drove outside.
It wasn't until the man-carrying cylinders had been dumped in a metal-walled room, that Jason saw his first native Pyrran life.
The lift truck driver was swinging a thick outer door shut when something flew in through the entrance and struck against the far waJlal.son's eye was caught by the motion; he looked to see what it was when it dropped straight down toward his face.
Forgetful of the metal cylinder wall, he flinched aTwhaey.creature struck the transparent metal and clung to itJ. ason had the perfect opportunityto examine it in every detail.

It was almost too horrible to be believaAbsle.though it were a bearer of death stripped to the very essentials. A mouth that split the head in two, rows of teeth, serrated and pLoeianttheedr.y, claw-tipped wings, longer claws on the limbs that tore at the metal wall.
Terror rose up in Jason as he saw that the claws were tearing gouges in the transparWenhtermeveetarl. the creature's saliva touched, the metal clouded and chipped under the assault of the teeth.
Logic said these were just scratches on the thick Tthuebye. couldn't matterB. ut blind, unreasoning fear sent Jason curling away as far as he coSuhlrdi.nking inside himself, seeking escape.
Only when the flying creature began dissolving did he realize the nature of the roomSporuaytssidoe.f steaming liquid came from all sides, raining down until the cylinders were cAovfetererdo. ne last dash of
its jaws, the Pyrran animal was washed off and carried and a second and third shower followed.
Tawheayl.iquid drained away through the floor
While the solutions were being pumped away, Jason fought to bring his emotions
Hineto wlianse.
surprised at himselfN. o matter how frightful the creature had been, he couldn't understand the fear it could generate through the wall of the sealed tHubise.reaction was all out of proportion to the cause. Even with the creature destroyed and washed out of sight, it took all of his will power to steady his nerves and bring his breathing back to normal.
Meta walked by outside and he realized the sterilization process was fiHnieshoedp.ened his own tube and climbed wearily ouMt. ete and the others had gone by this time and only a hawk-faced stranger remained, waiting for him.
"I'm Brucco, in charge of adaptation cliKniecr.k told me who you weIr'em. come along, I want some blood samples."
LI J-.. . I LI V V '..J AL LI.I.
sorry you're hereN. ow
"Now I feel right at home," Jason
"sTaihde.
old Pyrran hospitality.B” rucco only grunted and stamped
out. Jason followed him down a bare corridor into a sterile lab.

The double gravity was tiring, a constant drag on sore muWschlieles. Brucco ran tests on the blood
sample, Jason restedH.
e had almost dozed off into a painful sleep when Brucco returned with a tray of
bottles and hypodermic needles.
"Amazing," he announced".Not an antibody in your serum that would be of any use on this planet I have a batch of antigens here that will make you sick as a beast for at leaTsatkea odfafy.your shirt."
"Have you done this oftenJ?a”son asked."I mean juice up an outlander so he can enjoy the pleasures of your world?"
Brucco jabbed in a needle that felt like it grated on th"eNbootnoef.ten at alLl.ast time was years ago.
A half-dozen researchers from some institute, willing to pay well for the chance to study the local life forms. We didn't say noA. lways need more galaxy currency."
Jason was already beginning to feel lightheaded from the "sHhootws. many of them lived?h”e mumbled vaguely.
"One.We got him off in timMe.ade them pay in advance, of coursAe.t” first Jason thought the Pyrran was joking.Then he remembered they had very little interest in humor of anyIf koined. half of what Meta and Kerk had told him was true, six-to-one odds weren't bad at all.
There was a bed in the next room and Brucco helped hiJmasoton ifte.lt drugged and probably waHse. fell into a deep sleep and into the dream.
Fear and hatredM. ixed in equal parts and washed over him red hot If this was a dream, he never wanted to sleep againI.f it wasn't a dream, he wanted to Hdeie.tried to fight up against it, but only sank in more deeplyT. here was no beginning and no end to the fear and no way to escape.
When consciousness returned, Jason could remember no detail of the nighJtumsat reth. e fear remained.
He was soaked with sweat and ached in every muIst cmle.ust have been the massive dose of shots, he finally decided, that and the brutal gravTityh.at didn't take the taste of fear out of his mouth, though.

Brucco stuck his head in the door then and looked Jason up and"Tdhougnh.t you were dead," he said. "Slept the clock aroundD. on't move, I'll get something to pick you up."
The pickup was in the form of another needle and a glassful of evillookiIntgseftltuleidd. his thirst, but made him painfully aware of a gnawing hunger.
"Want to eat?B” rucco asked."I'll bet you doI.'ve speeded up your metabolism so you'll build muscle faster. Only way you'll ever beat the gravGityiv. e you quite an appetite for awhile though."
Brucco ate at the same time and Jason had a chance to ask some qu"eWs- hteionnsd.o I get a chance
to look around your fascinating planeSto?
far this trip has been about as interesting as a jail -term.”
"Relax and enjoy your fooPdr.obably be months before you're able to go outsIfidaet. all."
Jason felt his jaw hanging and closed it with a"Csnoaupld.
you possibly tell me why?"
"Of courseY.
ou will have to go through the same training course that our childreInt ttaakkees.
them six
years. Of course, it's their first six years of Sloifey. ou might think that you, as an adult, could learn faster. Then again, they have the advantage of heredAitlyl. I can say is you'll go outside these sealed buildings when you're ready."
Brucco had finished eating while he talked, and sat staring at Jason's bare arms with growing disguSt. "The first thing we want to get you is a gun," h"eIt sgaiv.es me a sick feeling to see someone without one."
Of course Brucco wore his own gun continually, even within the sealed buildings.
"Every gun is fitted to its owner and would be useless on anyone else," Bru"cIc'llo sshaoiwd.
you why.”
He led Jason to an armory jammed with deadly weap"Pounts.your arm in this while I make the adjustments."

It was a box-like machine with a pistol grip on thJeassoinde.clutched the grip and rested his elbow on a metal ioopB. rucco fixed pointers that touched his arm, then copied the results from the meters. Reading the figures from his list, he selected various components from bins and quickly assembled a power holster and gunW. ith the holster strapped to his forearm and the gun in his hand, Jason noticed for the first time they were connected by a flexible Tcahbeleg. un fitted his hand perfectly.
"This is the secret of the power holster," Bnicco said, tapping the flexibl"eIt ciasblpee. rfectly loose while you are using the weapoBnu. t when you want it returned to the holster-" Brucco made an
adjustment and the cable became a stiff rod that whipped the gun from Jason's hand and suspended it in midair.
"Then the return.T”he rod cable whirred and snapped the gun back into the h"oTlshteer.drawing action is the opposite of this, of course."
"A great gadget," Jason sa"idB.ut how do I drawD?o I whistle or something for the gun to pop out?"
"No, it is not sonic control," Brucco answered with a sobe"rItfaiscem.
uch more precise than that.
Here, take your left hand and grasp an imaginary gunTbeuntst.e your trigger fingerD. o you notice the
pattern of the tendons in the wriSset?nsitive actuators touch the tendons in your right wriSt. They ignore all patterns except the one that says hand ready to receiveAfgteurn.a time the mechanism becomes completely automatic.When you want the gun, it is in your hWanhde.n you don't, it is in the holster."
Jason made grasping motions with his right hand, crooked his index Tfhinegrer.was a sudden,
smashing pain against his hand and a loud smoke curled up from the barrel.
Trohaer. gun was in his hand-half the fingers were numb-and
"Of course, there are only blank charges in the gun until you learnGcuonnstroalr.e always loaded.
There is no safetyN. otice the lack of a trigger guaTrdh.at enables you to bend your trigger finger a slight bit more when drawing so the gun will fire the instant it touches your hand."
It was without doubt the most murderous weapon Jason had ever handled, as well as being the hardest to manage.Working against the muscle burning ache of high gravity, he fought to control the devilish device. It had an infuriating way of vanishing into the holster just as he was about to pull tEhveentrigger. worse was the tendency to leap out before he was quite Trehaedyg.un went to the position where his
hand should beI.f the fingers weren't correctly placed, they were crashed aJsaisdoen. practice when his entire hand was one livid bruise.
only stopped the

Complete mastery would come with time, but he could already understand why the Pyrrans never removed their gunsI.t would be like removing a part of your own Tbhoedym. ovement of gun from
holster to hand was too fast for him to deIttewcta. s certainly faster than the neural current that shaped
the hand into the gun-holding positioFno.r all apparent purposes it was like having a lightning bolt in your fingertip. Point the finger and blainm, there's the explosion.
Brucco had left Jason to practice aloWneh.en his aching hand could take no more, he stopped and headed back toward his own quarteTrsu.rning a corner, he had a quick glimpse of a familiar figure going away from him.
"Meta!Wait for a secondI! want to talk to you."
She turned impatiently as he shuffled up, going as fast as he could in the doubleEdvegrryatvhinyg. about her seemed different from the girl he had known on thHe esahviyp. boots came as high as her knees, her figure was lost in bulky coveralls of some metallic Tfahberic.
trim waist was bulged out by a belt of cannHisteerrsv. ery expression was coldly distant.
"I've missed you," he sa"idI . hadn't realized youw. ere in this building.H” e reached for her hand but she moved it out of his reach.
"What is it you wants?h”e asked.
"What is it I wanht!e” echoed with barely concealed ang"eTr.his is Jason, remember meW? e're friends. It is allowed for friends to talk without 'wanting' anything."
"What happened on the ship has nothing to do with what happens on SPhyerrussta.”rted forward impatiently as she talked".I have finished my reconditioning and must return to work You'll be staying here in the sealed buildings so I won't be seeing you."
"Why don't you say with the rest of the children-that's what your tone Aimndplideos.n't try walking out, there are some things we have to settle first-"

Jason made the mistake of putting out his hand to stoHpe hdeird.n't really know what happened next. One instant he was standing-the next he sprawled suddenly on theHfilsoosrh. oulder was badly bruised, and Mete had vanished down the corridor.
Limping back to his own room, he muttered curses under his Dbroaptphi.ng onto his rock-hard bed, he tried to remember the reasons that had brought him here in the firsAt npdlawcee.ighed them against
the perpetual torture of the gravity, the fear-filled dreams it inspired, the automatic contempt of these people for any outsiderH. e quickly checked the growing tendency to feel sorry for himByselPf.yrran standards, he was soft and helpleIsfs.he wanted them to think any better of him, he would have to change a good deal.
He sank into a fatigue-drugged sleep then, that was broken only by the screaming fear of his dreams.
7
In the morning, Jason awoke with a bad headache and the feeling he had never beenAstohesleep.
took some of the carefully portioned stimulants that Brucco had given him, he wondered again about the combination of factors that filled his sleep with such horror.
"Eat quickly," Brucco told him when they met in the dining"Irocoamn. no longer spare you time for individual instruction.You will join the regular classes and take the prescribed coOurnsleys. come to me if there is some special problem that the instructors or trainers can't handle."
The classes, as Jason should have expected, were composed of sternfaced little cWhilidthrenth.eir compact bodies and no-nonsense mannerisms, they were recognizably PyBrraunt .they were still
children enough to consider it very funny to have an adult in their Jcalmasmseesd. desks, the redfaced Jason did not think it was much of a joke.
behind one of the tiny
All resemblance to a normal school ended with the physical form of the claFsosroonme. thing, every child-no matter how small-packed a guAnn. d the courses were all involved with surviTvhael. only
possible grade in a curriculum like this was roe per cent and students stayed with a lesson until they had
mastered it perfectlyN.
o courses were offered in the normal scholastic subjPecretss.umably these were
studied after the child graduated survival school and could face the worldWalhoicnhe. was a logical and coldblooded way of looking at thingIns. fact, logical and coldblooded could describe any Pyrran activity.

Most of the morning was spent on the operation of one of the medikits that strapped around the waiSt. This was an infection and poison analyzer that was pressed over a puncture Iwf oaunnyd.toxins were
present, the antidote was automatically injected on the Ssiimtep. le in operation but incredibly complex in construction. Since all Pyrrans serviced their own equipment-you could then only blame yourself if it failed-they had to learn the construction and repair of all the devices.
Jason did much better than the child students, though the effort exhausted him.
In the afternoon, he had his first experience with a training mHacihs inines. tructor was a twelve-year-old boy, wHose cold voice didn'tconceal his contempt for the soft off -worlder.
"All the training machines are physical duplicates of the real surface of the planet, corrected constantly as the life forms changeT.he only difference between them is the varying degree of deadlTinheiss.first
machine you will use is of course the one infants are put into-"
"You're too kind," Jason murmure"dY.our flattery overwhelms me.T”he instructor continued, taking no notice of the interruption.
"-infants are put into it as soon as they can Ictraiswlr.eal in substance, though completely deactivated."
Training machine was the wrong word, Jason realized as they entered through the thiTchkisdowoars. a
chunk of the outside world duplicated in an immense chamItbteoro. k very little suspension of reality for
him to forget the painted ceiling and artificial sun high above and imagine himself outdoors at laSt. The scene seemed peaceful enoughT.hough clouds banking on the horizon threatened a violent Pyrran storm.
"You must wander around and examine things," the instructor told "JWashoenn. ever you touch something with your hand, you will be told aboLuitkeit. this.. ."
The boy bent over and pushed his finger against a blade of the soft grass that covered the ground. Immediately a voice barked from hidden speakers.
"Poison grassB. oots to be worn at all times."

Jason kneeled and examined the graTshs.e blade was tipped with a hard, shiny hHooek.realized with a start that every single blade of grass was the sTahmee.soft green lawn was a carpet of deAasth.he straightened up, he glimpsed something under a broad-leafed pAlanct.rouching, scale-covered animal, whose tapered head terminated in a long spike.
"What's that in the bottom of my gardhene?”asked."You certainly give the babies pleasant playmates.” Jason turnod and realized he was talking to the air; the instructor waHs egosnheru. gged and petted the scaly monstrosity.
"Homdevil," the impersonal voice said from mid"aCirlo. thing and shoes no protectioKn.ill it."
A sharp crack shattered the silence as Jason's gun wenTtheofhf.orndevil fell over on its side, keyed to react to the blank charge.
"Well-I am learning," Jason said, and the thought pleasedThem.
words kill it had been used by Brucco while teaching him to use Ttheirgusnti.mulus had reached an unconscious level.He was aware of wanting to shoot only after he had heard thHeisshroets.pect for Pyrran training techniques went up.
Jason spent a thoroughly unpleasant afternoon wandering in the child's garden ofDheoartrhorw. as
everywhere. While all the time the disembodied voice gave him stern advice in simple laSnoguahgee.
could do unto, rather than being doneHien.had never realized that violent death could come in so many repulsive forms.Everything here was deadly to man-from the smallest insect to the largest plant.
Such singleness of purpose seemed completely unnatuWrahl.y was this planet so alien to human Hlifee?
made a mental note to ask BrucCo. Meanwhile he tried to find one life form that wasn't out for his blood.
He didn't succeedA.
fter a long search, he found the only thing that when touched didn't elicit deadly
advice. This was a chunk of rock that projected from a meadow of poisonJasgoransss.at on it with a
friendly feeling and pulled his feet Aupn. gravity-weary body.
"ROTFUNGUS!DO NOT TOUCH!"
oasis of peaceS.ome minutes passed while he rested his
The voice blasted at twice its normal volume and Jason leaped as if he had bTeheen gsuhnotw. as in his hand, nosing about for a targOetn. ly when he bent over and looked closely at the rock where he had been sitting, did he understanTd.here were flaky grey patches that hadn't been there when he sat down.

"Oh, you tricky devilsh!”e shouted at the machin"eH. ow many kids have you frightened off that rock after they thought they had found a little peaHce ”resented the snide bit of conditioning, but respected
it at the same timPe.yrrans learned very early in life that there was no safety on this planet-except that which they provided for themselves.
While he was learning about Pyrrus, he was gaining new insight into the Pyrrans as well.
8
Days turned into weeks in the school, cut off from the world Joaustosnidea.lmost became proud of his ability to deal with deatHh.e recognized all the animals and plants in the nursery room and had been promoted to a trainer where the beasts made sluggish charges aHt ihsimgu. n picked off the attackers with dull regularityT. he constant, daily classes were beginning to bore him as well.
Though the gravity still dragged at him, his muscles were making great efforts to adjuSt. After the daily classes, he no longer collapsed immediately into bOendl.y the nightmares became worsHe.e had Iinally mentioned them to Brucco, who mixed up a sleeping potion that took away most of theTihr eeffect.
dreams were still there, but Jason was only vaguely aware of them upon awakening.
By the time Jason had mastered all the gadgetry that kept the Pyrrans alive, he had graduated to a most realistic trainer that was only a hairsbreadth away from the real Ttheingd.ifference was just in quality.
The insect poisons caused swelling and pain instead of instant
Adenaitmh.als could cause bruises and
tear flesh, but stopped short of ripping off limYobus. couldn't get killed in this trainer, but could certainly come very dose to it.
Jason wandered through this large and rambling jungle with the rest of the five-yTeahre-oreldsw. as something a bit humorous, yet sad, about their unchildlike grimTnheossu.gh they still might laugh in their quarters, they realized there was no laughing outsTidoe.them survival was linked up with social acceptance and desirabilityI.n this way Pyrrus was a simple black-and-white socTieoty.prove your
value to yourself and your world, you only had to stayTahliisveh.ad great importance in racial survival, but had very stultifying effects on individual personaClithyi.ldren were turned into like-faced killers, always on the alert to deal out death.
Some of the children graduated into the outside world and others took theirJapsloancews.atched this process for awhile before he real-

ized that all of those from the original group he had entered with weTrehagt osnaem. e day he looked up the chief of the adaptation center.
"Brucco," Jason asked, "how long do you plan to keep me in this kindergarten shooting gallery?"
"You're not being 'kept' here," Brucco told him in his usual irritate"dYotounew. ill be here until you qualify for the outside."
"Which I have a funny feeling will be nIevcearn.
now field strip and reassemble every one of your
blasted gadgets in the darIk.am a dead shot with this cannAotn.this present moment, if I bad to, I
could write a book on the Complete Flora and Fauna of Pyrrus, and How tPoerKhiallpsIt.I don't do
as well as my six-year-old companionBsu. t I have a hunch I do about as good a job now as I ever will. Is that true?"
Brucco squirmed with the effort to be evasive, yet didn't su"cIcetehdin. k, that is, you know you weren't born here, and. ."
"Come, come," Jason said with gl"eAe. straight-faced old Pyrran like you shouldn't try to lie to one of the weaker races that specialize in that sort of tIhtinggo.es without saying that I'll always be sluggish with
this gravity, as well as having other inborn handicIapasd.mit thatW.
e're not talking about that noTwh.e
question is, Will I improve with more training, or have I reached a peak of my own developinent now?"
Brucco sweated'.With the passage of time there will be improvement, of course... ."
"Sly devil!”Jason waggled a finger at hi"mY.es or no, nowW. ill I improve now by more training now?"
"No," Brucco said and still looked troubJlaesdo. n sized him up like a poker ha-nd.
"Now let's think about thIat.won't improve, yet I'm still stuck hTerhea.t's no accidentS. o you must
have been ordered to keep me heAren.d from what I have seen of this planet, admittedly very little, I
would say that Kerk ordered you to keep me Ihserteh.at right?"

"He was only doing it for your own sake," Brucco expl"aTinryeidn.g to keep you alive-.”
"The truth is out," Jason sa"iSdo.
let us now forget aboutI itd.idn't come here to shoot robots with your
offspring. So please show me the street doOor. is there a graduating ceremony firSspt?eeches, handing out school pins, sabers overhead... ."
"Nothing like that," Brucco snappe"dI. don't see how a grown man like you can talk such nonsense all
the time.There is none of that, of courOsen.ly some final work in the partial survival chamTbheart. compound that connects with the outside-really is a part of the out-
is a
side-except the most violent life forms are excluAdendd. even some of those manage to find their way in once in awhile."
"When do I go?J”ason shot the question.
"Tomorrow morningG. et a good night's sleep firSt. You'll need it."
There was one bit of ceremony attendant with the graduWatihoenn. morning, Brucco slid a heavy gunclip across the table.
Jason came into his office in the
"These are live bullets," he sa"iId'm. loaded."
sure you'll be needing theAmf.ter this your gun will always be
They came up to a heavy airlock, the only locked door Jason had seen in tWhehiclenRterru. cco unlocked it and threw the bolts, a sober-faced eight-year-old with a bandaged leg limped up.
"This is Grif," Bnicco sa"idH.e will stay with you, wherever you go, from now on."
"My personal bodyguard?J”ason asked, looking down at the stocky child who barely reached his waist.
"You might call him thaBt.”rucco swung the door ope"nG. rif tangled with a sawbird, so he won't be
able to do any real work for awhYiloeu.
yourself admitted that you will never be able to equal a Pyrran,
so you should be glad of a little protection."
"Always a kind word, that's you, Brucco," Jason Hsaeidb.ent over and shook hands with the boy. Even the eight-year-olds had a bonecrushing grip.

The two of them entered the lock and Brucco swung the inner door shut behiAnds sthoeomn . as it was sealed, the outer door opened automaticalIlyt .was only partly open when GriPs gun blasted twThiceen. they stepped out onto the surface of Pyrrus, over the smoking body of one of itsVaenryimsaylms. bolic, Jason thought.He was also bothered by the realization that not only hadn't he thought to look for something coming in, but he couldn't even identify the beast from its charred rHeme aginlasn. ced around carefully, hoping he -would be able to fire first next time.
This was an unfulfilled hopTeh.e few beasts that came their way were always seen first by the boy.
After an hour of this, Jason was so irritated that he blasted an evil-looking thorn plant out of existence. He hoped that Grif wouldn't look too closely Oatf ict.ourse the boy did.
"That plant wasn't closIet. is stupid to waste good ammunition on a plant," Grif said.
There was no real trouble during the Jdaasyo.n ended by being bored, though soaked by the frequent rainstorms. If Grif was capable of carrying on a conversation, he didn't shAolwl Jaits.on's gambits
failed.The following day went the same wOayn. carefully up and down.
the third day, Brucco appeared and looked Jason
"I don't like to say it, but I suppose you are as ready to leave now as you eCvhearnwgeillthbee.virus filter noseplugs every dayA. lways check boots for tears and metal-cloth suiting for Mriep&s.kit supplies renewed once a week."
"And wipe my nose and wear my galosAhneys.thing else?”Jason asked.
Brucco started to say something, then changed his m"Ninodt.hing that you shouldn't know well by now. Keep alert.And... good luck."
He followed up the words with a crushing handshake that was totally unexApsecsteodo.n as the numbness left Jason's hand, he and Grif went out through the large entrance lock.
9
Real as they had been, the training chambers had not prepared him for the surface
TofhePreyrrwuas.s

the basic similarity, of coursTe.he feel of the poison grass underfoot and the erratic flight of a stingwing in the last instant before Grif blastedBiut.t these were scarcely noticeable in the crash of the elements
around him.
A heavy rain was falling, more like a sheet of water than individuaGl udsrtospos.f wind tore at it, hurling the deluge into his facHe.e wiped his eyes clear and could barely make out the conical forms of two volcanoes on the horizon, vomiting out clouds of smoke and fTlahme er.eflection of this inferno was a sullen redness on the clouds that raced by in banks above them.
There was a rattle on his hard hat and something bounced off to splash to thHe egrboeunntdo. ver and picked up a hailstone as thick as his thuAmbsu. dden flurry of hail hammered painfully at his back and neck; he straightened hurriedly.
As quickly as it started, the storm was Tovhe .sun burned down, melting the hailstones and sending curls of steam up from the wet strJeaesto. n sweated inside his armored clothinYge. t before they had gone a block, it was raining again and he shook with chill.
Grif trudged steadily along, indifferent either to the weather or the volcanoes that rumbled on the horizon and shook the ground beneath their feJeats.on tried to ignore his discomfort and match the boy's pace.
The walk was a depressing onTeh.e heavy, squat buildings loomed greyly through the rain, more than half of them in ruinTs.hey walked on a pedestrian way in the middle of the Tshtreeeot.ccasional
armored trucks went by on both sides of thTehme. midstreet sidewalk puzzled Jason until Grif blasted something that hurtled out of a ruined building toward tThheme .central location gave them some chance to see what was cominSg.uddenly Jason was very tired.
"I suppose there wouldn't be anything like a taxi on this planet," he asked.
Grif just stared and frowneIdt .was obvious he had never even heard the word bSefoorteh.ey just trudged on, the boy holding himself back to Jason's slogging Wpaitchei.n half an hour, they had seen all he wanted to see-.
"Grif, this city of yours is sure down at the Ihheeolpse.
the other ones are in better shape."
"I don't know what you mean talking about hBeuetls.there are no other citieSso.me mining camps that can't be located inside the perimetBeru. t no other cities."

This surprised JasonH. e had always visualized the planet with more than oneThceitrye.
were a lot of
things he didn't know about Pyrrus, he realized suddeAnllly.of his efforts since landing had been taken
up with the survival studieTs.here were a number of questions he wanted to ask-but of somebody other than his grouchy eight-year-old bodyguarTd.here was one person who would be best equipped to tell him what he wanted to know.
"Do you know Kerk?h”e asked the boy".Apparently he's your ambassador to a lot of places but his last name-"
"Sure, everybody knows KerBk.ut he's busy, you shouldn't see him."
Jason shook a finger at h"imM.inder of my body you may Bbeu.t minder of my soul you are Wnoht.at do you say I call the shots and you go along to shoot the mOoknasyte?r"s.
They took shelter from a sudden storm of fist-sized hailsTtohneens,. with ill grace, Grif led the way to one of the larger, central buildingTsh.ere were more people here and some of them even glanced at
Jason for a minute, before turning back to their busiJnaessosn.
dragged himself up two flights of stairs
before they reached a door marked coorwiNATION AND SUPPLY.
"Kerk in here?J”ason asked.
"Sure," the boy told hi"mH.e's in charge."
'Pine.Now you get a nice cold drink or your lunch or something, and meet me back here in a couple of hours. I imagine Kerk can do as good a job of looking after me as you can."
The boy stood doubtfully for a few seconds, then turned Jaawsoany. wiped off some more sweat and pushed through the door.

There were a handful of people in the office beNy onde. of them looked up at Jason or asked his business. Everything has a purpose on PyrruIfs. he came there, he must have had a good reNasoon. one would ever think to ask him what he waJnatseodn. , used to the petty officialdom of a thousand
worlds, waited for a few moments before he understToohder.e was only one other door to the room, in the far wallH. e shuffled over and opened it.
Kerk looked up from a desk strewed with papers and le"dIgwerass. up," he said.
wondering when you would show
"A lot sooner if you hadn't prevented it," Jason tol&him as he dropped wearily int"oIt afincahlalyir. dawned on me that I could spend the
rest of my life in your bloodthirsty nursery school if I didn't do somethingSaobohuetreit.I am." "Ready to return to the 'civilized' worlds, now that you've seen enough of Pyrrus?"
"I am not," Jason sa"idA.nd I'm getting very tired of everyone telling me to Il'emaveb.eginning to think that you and the rest of the Pyrrans are trying to hide something."
Kerk smiled at the thoug"hWt. hat could we have to hidIe?doubt if any planet has as simple and one-directional an existence as ours."
"If that's true, then you certainly wouldn't mind answering a few direct questions about Pyrrus, would you?"
Kerk started to protest, then laugh'eWd.ell done.I should know better by now than to argue with you. What do you want to know?"
Jason tried to find a comfortable position on the hard chair, then g"aWvehaut'ps. the population of your planet?” he asked.
For a second Kerk hesitated, then said, "Roughly thirty thouTshaantd's. has been settled this long, but the reason for that is obvious."
not very much for a planet that

"All right, population thirty thousand," Jason s"aNido.w how about surface control of your planI ewt?as surprised to find out that this city within its protective wall-the perimeter-is the only one on the planet.
Let's not consider the mining camps, since they are obviously just extensions of
Wtheouclidty.you say
then that you people control more or less of the planet's surface than you did in the past?"
Kerk picked up a length of steel pipe from the desk that he used as a paperweight and toyed with it as he thought.The thick steel bent like rubber at his touch as he concentrated on his answer.
"That's hard to say offhanTdh.ere must be records of that sort of thing, though I wouldn't know where to find themI.t depends on so many factors... ."
"Let's forget that for now then," Jason
"sIaidh.ave another question that's really more relevWanot.uldn't
you say that the population of Pyrrus is declining steadily, year after year?"
There was a sharp clang as the pipe struck theThweanll.Kerk was standing over Jason, his hands extended toward the smaller man, his face flushed and angry.
"Don't ever say thath!”e roared."Don't let me ever hear you say that again!"
Jason sat as quietly as he could, talking slowly and picking out each word wHiitsh licfaereh.ung in the balance.
"Don't get angry, KerIk.meant no harmI.'m on your side, remembeIr?can talk to you, because you've
seen much more of the universe than the Pyrrans who have never left theYopulanaerte.
used to
discussing things.You know that words are just symboWlse. your temper over mere words... ."
can talk and know you don't have to lose
Kerk slowly lowered his arms and stepped awThayen.
he turned and poured himself a glass of water
from a bottle on the desHke.
kept his back turned to Jason while he drank.
Very little of the sweat that Jason wiped from his sopping face was caused by the heat in the room.

"I'm-sorry I lost my temper," Kerk said, dropping heavily into his"Dcoheasirn.'t usually happenB. een working hard lately, must have got my temper on eHdgee.”made no mention of what Jason had said. "Happens to all of us," Jason told h"iImw. on't begin to describe the condition my nerves were in when I
hit this planetI.'m finally forced to admit that everything you said about Pyrrus
Iist itsruteh.e most
deadly spot in the systemA.nd only native-born Pyrrans could possibly survive hIercea. n manage to fumble along a bit after my training, but I know I would never stand a chance onYomuy porwobna.bly know I have an eight-year-old as a bodyguGaridv.es a good idea of my real status here."
Anger suppressed, Kerk was back in control of himself Hnioswe.yes narrowed in though"tS. urprises
me to hear you say thNate. ver thought I would hear you admit that anyone could be better than you at anything. Isn't that why you came herTe?o prove that you were as good as any native-born Pyrran?"
"Score one for your side," Jason admit"teI dd. idn't think it showed that muAchn.d I'm glad to see your mind isn't as musciebound as your bodYy.es, I'll admit that was probably my main reason for coming, that and curiosity."
Kerk was following his own train of thought and puzzled where it was lead"iYngouhicma.me here to prove that you were as good as any native-born PyYrreatn.now you admit that any eight-year-old can
outdraw you.That just doesn't stack up with what I know aboutIfyoyouu.
give with one hand, you
must be taking back with the othIenr.what way do you still feel your natural superiorHitey?”asked it lightly, yet there was weight of tension behind his words.
Jason thought a long time before answering.
"I'll tell you," he finally sa"iBdu. t don't snap my neck forI'mit.
gambling that your civilized mind can control your reflBexeecsa.use I have totalk about things that are strictly taboo on Pyrrus.
"In your people's eyes I'm a weakling because I cone from offR-weoalrilzde., though, that this is also
my strength.I can see things that are hidden from you by long assocYiaotiuonk. now, the old business of not being able to see the forest for the trees in the way."
Kerk nodded agreement and Jason went "oTno. continue the analogy further, I landed from an airship, and at first all I could see was the foreSt. To me certain facts are Iobthviinokust.hat you people know
them too, only you keep your thoughts carefully represTshedey.
are hidden thoughts that are completely
taboo. I'm going to tell you the biggest one of these secret thoughts and hope you can control yourself well enough not to kill me."

Kerk's great hands tightened on the arms of the chair, the only sign he hJaadsohneasrpdo. ke quietly, but his words penetrated as smoothly and easily as a lancet probing into a brain.
"I think human beings are losing the war on PAyrfrtuers. hundreds of years of occupation this is the only city on the planet-and it is half in rAuisnsi.f it once had a larger populatTiohna.t stunt we pulled off to
get the shipload of war materials was a sIttunmt.ight not have workeAd.nd if it hadn't, what would have happened to the cityY? ou people are walking on the crumbling rim of a volcano and you won't admit it."
Every muscle in Kerk's body was rigid as he sat stiffly in the chair, his face dotted with tiny beads of sweat. The slightest push too far and he would explJoadseo.n searched for a way to lessen some of the tension.
"I don't enjoy telling you these thinI'gms. doing it because I'm sure you know them alreYaoduy. can't
face these facts because you would then have to admit that all this fighting and killing is for absolutely no purpose. If your population is dropping steadily, then your fight is nothing but a particularly bloody form
of racial suicideY. ou could leave this planet, but that would be admitting dAefnedat.I'm sure Pyrrans prefer death to defeat."
When Kerk half-rose from his chair Jason stood too, shouting his words through the other man's fog of anger.
"I'm trying to help you-do you understand tWhaitp?e the hypocrisy out of your mind, it's destroying you. Piight now you would rather kill me than admit consciously that you are fighting an already lost battle. This isn't a real war, just a disastrous treating of sympLtoikmes.cutting off cancerous fingers one by one. The only result must be ultimate
defeat.You won't allow yourself to realize thTaht.at's why you would rather kill me than hear me speak the unspeakable."
Kerk was out of his seat now, hanging over Jason like a tower of death, aboHuetldtoupfalol.nly by the force of Jason's words.
"You must begin to face realAityll. you can see is everlasting wYaor.u must begin to realize that you can treat the causes of this war and end it forever!"

The meaning penetrated, the shock of the words draining away Kerk'sHaengderro. pped back into the chair, an almost ludicrous expression on his f"aWce.hat the devil do you meaYn?ou sound like a bloody Grubber!"
Jason didn't ask what a Grubber was, but he filed the name.
"You're talking nonsense," Kerk sa"idT.his is just an 'alien world that must be baTtthleed.causes are self-obvious facts of existence."
"No, they're not," Jason insiste"dC.onsider for a secondW. hen you are away for any length of time from this planet, you must take a refresher couTrose.see how things have changed for the worse while
you were goneW.
ell that's a linear progressioInf. things get worse when you extend into the future, then
they have to get better if you extend into the paSt. It is also good theory-though I don't know if the facts will bear me out-to say that if you extend it far enough into the past you will reach a time when mankind and Pyrrus were not at war with each other."
Kerk was beyond speech now, only capable of sitting and listening while Jason drove home the blows of inescapable logic.
"There is evidence to support this theEorvye.n you will admit that I, if I am no match for Pyrran life, am
surely well versed in
Ait.nd all Pyrran flora and fauna I've seen have one thing in coTmhmeyo'nre.
not
functional. None of their immense armory of weapons is used against each Tohtehierr.toxins don't seem to operate against Pyrran lifTe.hey are good only for dispensing death to homo sapAiennds. that is a
physical impossibility.In the three hundred years that men have been on this planet, the life forms couldn't have naturally adapted in this manner."
"But they have done iKt!”erk bellowed.
"You are so right," Jason told him cal"mAlyn.d if they have done it, there must be some agency at work. Operating how, I have no ideBau. t something has caused the life on Pyrrus to declare war, and I'd like to find out what that somethingWish. at was the dominant life form here when your ancestors landed?"
"I'm sure I wouldn't know," Kerk s"aYido.u're not suggesting, are you,

that there are sentient beings on Pyrrus other than those of human dCersecaetnutr?es who are organizing the planet to battle us?"
"I'm not suggesting it-you aTreh.at means you're getting the ideIa.have no idea what caused this
change, but I would sure like to find Tohuetn.
see if it can be changed baNcokt.hing promised, of
course. You'll agree, though, that it is worth investigating."
Fist smacking into his palm, his heavy footsteps shaking the building, Kerk paced back and forth the length of the roomH. e was at war with himseNlfe. w ideas fought old beliefIst. was so sudden-and so
hard not to believe.
Without asking permission, Jason helped himself to some chilled water from the bottle and sank back into the chair, exhaustedS.omething whizzed in through the open window, tearing a hole in the protective screen. Kerk blasted it without changing stride, without even knowing he had done it.
The decision didn't take lonGge. ared to swift activity, the big Pyrran found it impossible not to decide quickly. The pacing stopped and he looked steadily at Jason.
"I don't say you have convinced me, but I find it impossible to find a ready answer to your arguments. So until I do, we will have to operate as if they aNreowtruew.hat do you plan to do, what can you
do?"
Jason ticked the points off on his fing"Oerns.e, I'll need a place to live and work that is well protected. So instead of spending my energies on just remaining alive I can devote some study to thTiswpor,oject.
I want someone to help me-and act as a bodyguard at the samAe ntdimseo.meone, please, with a little more scope of interest than my present watchdIowg.ould suggest Meta as the person most suited for this job."
"Meta?”Kerk was surprised". She's a space pilot and defense screen operator; what good could she possibly be on a project like this?"
"The most good possiblSe.he has had experience on other worlds and can shift her point of view-at
least a bitA.
nd she must know as much about this planet as any other educated adult and can answer
any questions I ask.J”ason smiled."In addition to which she is an attractive girl, whose company I
enjoy."

Kerk grunted". I was wondering if you would get around to mentioning that last Trehaesoont.hers make sense, though, so I'm not going to argI'ulle.round up a replacement for her and have Meta sent here. There are plenty of sealed buildings you can use."
After talking to one of the assistants from the outer office, Kerk made some calls on correct orders were quickly issueJda.son watched it all with interest.
Tthhee screen.
"Pardon me for asking," he finally s"aBidu.t are you the dictator of this planYeot?u just snap your fingers and they all jump."
"I suppose it looks that way," Kerk admi"ttBeudt. that is just an illusioNno.
one is in complete charge
on Pyrrus, neither is there anything resembling a democratic syAsteftmer.
all, our total population is
about the size of an army divisiEonv.eryone does the job they are best qualifiedVfaorri.ous activities
are separated into departments with the most qualified person in chI arugne. Coordination and Supply, which is about the loosest categorWy.e fill in the gaps between departments and handle procuring from off-planet."
Meta came in then and talked to KSehrek. completely ignored Jason's presenc"eI. was relieved and sent here," she said".What is it?Change in flight schedule?"
"You might call it that," Kerk s"aAids. of now you are dismissed from all your old assignments and assigned to a new departmenItn.vestigation and ResearchT. hat tired-looking fellow there is your department head."
"A sense of humor," Jason sa"iTdh. e only native-born one on PyrruCso. ngratulations, there's hope for the planet yet."
Mete glanced back and forth between th"eImd. on't understandI. department-why?” She was nervous and upset.
can't believe iIt. mean a new
"I'm sorry," Kerk sai"dI.
didn't mean to be cruIel.thought perhaps you might feel more at eWashea.t I
said was trueJ. ason has a way-or may have a way-to be of immense value to WPyilrlruyso.u help

him?"
Meta had her composure backA. nd a little ange"rD. o I have toI?s that an orderY? ou know I have
work to doI.'m sure you will realize it is more important than something a person from off-planet might imagine. He can't really understand..."
"Yes.It's an order.”The snap was back in Kerk's voiMcee.ta flushed at the tone.
"Perhaps I can explain," Jason broke"Ainf.ter all, the whole thing is my iBdeuat.-first 1 would like your cooperation. Will you take the clip out of your gun and give it to Kerk?"
Meta looked frightened, but Kerk nodded in solemn agreem"Jeunst for a few minutes, MeIta.have
my gun so you will be safe hIerteh.ink I know what Jason has in mind, and from personal experience
I'm afraid he is right."
Reluctantly Mete passed over the clip and cleared the charge in the gun's cOhanmlybethr.en did Jason explain.
"I have a theory about life on Pyrrus, and I'm afraid I'll have to shatter some illusions wheTnoI explain. begin with, the fact must be
admitted that your people are slowly losing the war here and will eventually be destroyed... ."
Before he was half through the sentence, Meta's gun was directed between his eyes and she was wildly snapping the triggerT. here was only hatred and revulsion in her expressItiown.as the most terrible
thought in the world for hTerh.at this war they all devoted their lives to was already lost.
Kerk took her by the shoulders and sat her in his chair, before anything worse hItaptpoeonkeds.ome time before she could calm down enough to listen to Jason's wItoirsdsn. ot easy to have destroyed the carefully built up rationalizations of a lifetimOen.ly the fact that she had seen something of other worlds enabled her to listen at all.
The light of unreason was still in her eyes when he had finished, telling her the things he and Kerk had discussed. She sat tensely, pushed forward against Kerk's hands, as if they were the only things that stopped her from leaping at Jason.

"Maybe that is too much to assimilate at one sitting," Jaso"nSosaildet.'s put it in simpler termI sb.elieve we can find a reason for this unrelenting hatred of huPmearnhsa.ps we don't smell righMt.aybe I'll find an essence of crushed Pyrran bugs that will render us immune when we rIubdoint 'tink. now yeBt. ut whatever the results, we must make the investigatKioenr.k agrees with me on that."
Mete looked at Kerk and he nodded agreemHeenrt. shoulders slumped in sudden defeSath.e whispered the words.
"I-can't say I agree, or even understand all that youBustaidI'l.l help youI.f Kerk thinks that it is the right thing."
"I do," he sai"dN. ow, do you want the clip back for your Nguont ?planning to take any more shots at
Jason?"
"That was foolish of me," she said coldly while she reloaded t"hIe dgounn't. him, I could do it with my bare hands."
need a guInf. I had to kill
"I love you too," Jason smiled at "hAerre.
you ready to go now?"
"Of course.”She brushed a fluffy curl of hair into p"laFciers.t we'll find a place where you can take care of thaAt. fter that, the work of the new department is up to you."
10
Is'tlal y.
They walked downstairs in a frigid silenIncet.he street, Mete blasted a stingbird that couldn't possibly have attacked themT. here was an angry pleasure in the Jaacsto. n decided not to chide her about
wasting ammo.Better the bird than him.
There were empty rooms in one of the computer builTdihnegsse.
were completely sealed to keep stray
animal life out of the delicate machineWryh. ile Mete checked a bedroll out of stores, Jason painfully dragged a desk, table and chairs in from a nearby empty Woffhiecne. she returned with a pneumatic bed, he instantly dropped on it with a grateful Hsiegrh.lip curled a bit at his obvious weakness.

"Get used to the sight," he s"aIidi.ntend to do as much of my work as I can, while maintaining a horizontal position.You will be my strong right arAmn.d right now, Right Aim, I wish you could scare me up something to eaIt.also intend to do most of my eating in the previously mentioned prone condition."
Snorting with disgust, Meta stamped oWuth. ile she was gone, Jason chewed the end of a stylus thoughtfully, then made some careful notes.
After they had finished the almost tasteless meal, he began the "sMeaercteh,. where can I find historical records of Pyrrus?Any and all information about the early days of the settlers on this planet."
"I've never heard of anything like tIharte.ally don't know...
"But there has to be something-somewhere," he insi"sEtevde.n if your presentday culture devotes all of its time and energies to survival, you can be sure it wasn't always thAaltl wthaey.time it was developing, people were keeping records, making noteNso. w where do we lookD?o you have a library here?"
"Of course," she sai"dW. sort of thing there."
e have an excellent technical libraBryu. t I'm sure there wouldn't be any of that
Trying not to groan, Jason stood "uLpe.t me be the judge of thJauts.t lead the way."
Operation of the library was completely automaAticp. rojected index
gave the call number for any text that had to be conTshueltetda.pe was delivered to the charge desk thirty seconds after the number had
been punchedR. eturned tapes were dropped through a hopper and refiled automaticTahlely. mechanism worked smoothly.

"Wonderful," Jason said, pushing away from the in"dAext.ribute to technological ingenuitOy.nly it contains nothing of any value to us.
Just reams of textbooks."
"What else should be in a librarMy?e”ta sounded sincerely puzzledJ.ason started to explain, then changed his mind". Later we will go into that," he s"aMidu. ch later.Now we have to find a leIasd.it possible that there are any tapes-or even printed books-that aren't filed through this machine?"
"It seems unlikely, but we could ask
HPoeli.lives here somewhere and is in charge of the liFbirlainryg.
new books and tending the machinery."
The single door into the rear of the building was locked, and no amount of pounding could rouse the caretaker.
"If he's alive, this should do it," Jason Hsaeidp.ressed the out-oforder button on the control paItnel. had the desired effecWt. ithin five minutes, the door opened and Poli dragged himself through it.
Death usually came swiftly on PyrrIufs.wounds slowed a man down, the ever-ready forces of destruction quickly finished the joPbo. li was the exception to this ruWleh. atever had attacked him originally had done an efficient joMb.ost of the lower part of his face was gHoinsel.eft arm was curled
and useless.The damage to his body and legs had left him with the bare capability to stumble from one spot to the next.
Yet he still had one good arm as well as his eyHeesigchotu. ld work in the library and relieve a fully fit man. How long he had been dragging the useless husk of a body around the building, no oIne knew. spite of the pain that filled his red-rimmed, moist eyes, he had stayeGd raolwivien.g old, older than any
other Pyrran Jason had seeHn.e tottered forward and turned off the alarm that had called him.
Milieu Jason started to explain, the old man took no nOontliyce.after the librarian had rummaged a hearing aid out of his clothes, did Jason realize he was deaf aJsasownelle.xplained again what he searched for.Poli nodded and printed his answer on a tablet.
there are many old books-in the storerooms below

Most of the building was taken up by the robot filing and sorting apTphaeryatums.oved slowly through
the banks of machinery, following the crippled librarian to a barred door in tHhe
rpeoairn.ted to it.
,.
While Jason and Meta fought to open the age-encrusted bars, he wrote another note on his tablet.
not opened for many yearrast.s
Jason and Meta's guns appeared reflexively in their hands as they read the mJaessosnagfei.nished opening the door by himselTf.he two native Pytrans stood facing the opening Igtawp.as well they did. Jason could never have handled what came through that door.
He didn't even open it for himsTehlfe.ir sounds at the door must have attracted all the vermin in the
lower part of the buildinJga.son had thrown the last bolt and was starting to pull on the handle-when the door was pushed open from the other side.
Open the gateway to hell and see what comesMoetuat. and Poll stood shoulder to shoulder firing into the mass of loathsomeness that boiled through the dJoaosor.n jumped to one side and picked off the occasional animal that came his waTyh.e destruction seemed to go on forever.
Long minutes passed before the last clawed beast made its deathMerutasha. nd Poli waited expectantly for more; they were happily excited by this chance to deal destruJacstioonn.felt a little sick after the
silent ferocious attackA.
ferocity that the Pyrrans reflecteHde.
saw a scratch on Meta's face where one
of the beasts had caught hSerh.e seemed oblivious to it.
Pulling out his medikit, Jason circled the piled boSdoimese. thing stirred in their midst and a crashing shot plowed into itT. hen he reached the girl and pushed the analyzer probes against the sTchraetcmh.achine clicked and Meta jumped as the antitoxin needle stabbed dSohwen.realized for the first time what Jason was doing.

"Thank youI.
didn't notice," she sai"dT. here were so many of them and they came out so fast."
Poli had a powerful battery lamp and, by unspoken agreement, Jason caCrrireipdpliet.d though he was, the old man was still a Pyrran when it came to handlingTahegyunsl.owly made their way down the refuse-laden stairs.
"What a stench!J”ason grimaced."'Without these filter plugs in my nose, I think the smell alone would kill me."
Something hurled itself into the beam of light and a shot stopped it inThme idratirs. had been there a long time and resented the intrusion.
At the foot of the stairs they looked aroTuhnedr.e had been books and records there at one had been systematically chewed, eaten and destroyed for decades.
Ttihmeey.
"I like the care you take with your old books," Jason said disg"uRsteemdliyn.d me not to loan you any."
"They could have been of no importance," Meta said coolly, "or they would be filed correctly in the library upstairs."
Jason wandered gloomily through the roomNso.thing remained of any valuFe.ragments and scraps of writing and printingN. ever enough in one spot to bother collectWingit.h the toe of one armored boot, he kicked angrily at a pile of debris, ready to give up the Tsehaerrceh.was a glint of rusty metal under the dirt.
"Hold this!”He gave the light to Mete and, forgetting the danger for a moment, began scratching aside the rubble.A flat metal box with a dial lock built into it was revealed.
"Why that's a log boxM!”ete said, surprised.
"That's what I thought," Jason sa"iAd.nd if it is-we may be in luck after all."

11
Resealing the cellar, they carried the box back to Jason's new Oonfflyicea.fter spraying with decontaminant did they examine it closeMly.eta picked out engraved letters on the lid.
"S.T.POLLUX VICTORY-that must be the name of the spacer this log cameBufrtomI .don't
recognize the class, or whatever it is the initialsstSa.nTd.
for."
"Stellar Transport," Jason told her, as he tried the lock mech"aIn'visemh. eard of them but I've never seen one.They were built during the last wave of galactic expanRsieoanll.y nothing more than gigantic
metal containers, put together in spacAef.ter they were loaded with people, machinery and supplies, they would be towed to whatever planetary system had been chTosheens.e same tugs and one-shot rockets would brake the S.T.'s in for a landTinhge.n leave them thereT.he hull was a ready source of metal and the colonists could start right in building their new wAonrldd. they were bigA. ll of them held at least fifty thousand people."
Only after he said it, did he realize the significance of hisMweotard'ss.deadly stare drove it home. There were now less people on Pyrrus than had been in the original settlement.
And human population, without rigid birth controls, usually increased geometrJicaaslolyn. remembered
Mete's itchy trigger finger.
"But we can't be sure how many people were aboard this one," he said h"uOrrieedvleyn.
if this is the
log of the ship that settled PyrrCuas.n you find something to pry this open - wThiteh?lock is corroded into a single lump."
Meta took her anger out on the Hboexr . fingers managed to force a gap between lid and boSthtoem. wrenched at itR. usty metal screeched and torTe.he lid came off in her hands and a heavy book thudded to the table.
The cover legend destroyed all doubt.

LOG OF S.TP.OLLUX VICTORY.OUTWARD BOUND- SETANI TO PYRRUS55. ,000
SETfLERS ABOARD.
Meta couldn't argue nowS.he stood behind Jason with tight-clenched fists and read over his shoulder as
he turned the brittle, yellowed pageHse.
quickly skipped through the opening part that covered the
sailing preparations and trip ouOt.nly when he had reacled the actual land- ing did he start reading slowly. The impact of the ancient words leaped out at him.
"Here it is!J”ason shouted."Proof positive that we're on the right tEravile.n you will have to admit that. Read it, right here."
second day since the tugs left, we are completely on our owTnhenoswet.tlers still haven't grown used to this planet, though we have orientation talks every nAigshwt. ell as the morale agents who I have
working twenty hours a daIy.suppose I really can't blame the people, they all lived in the underways of Setani and I doubt if they saw the sun once aThyiesarp. lanet has weather with a vengeance, worse than anything I've seen on a hundred other planWetas.s I wrong during the original planning stages not to
insist on settlers from one of the agrarian worPldeos?ple who could handle the outdooTrsh.ese citified Setanians are afraid to go out in the Brauint . of course they have adapted completely to their native 1.5 gravity so the z gee here doesn't bother them mTuhcaht. was the factor that decided Ausn.yway, too
late now to do anything aboutOirt. about the unending cycle of rain, snow, hail, hurricanes and such. Answer will be to start the mines going, sell the metals and build completely enclosed cities.
The only thing on this forsaken planet that isn't actually against us are theAanfiemwalsl.arge predators
at first, but the guards made short work of tThheme .rest of the wild life leaves us alGonlaed.
of that!
They have been fighting for existence so long that I have never seen a more deadly looking collection.
Even the little rodents no bigger than a man's hand are armored like.
tanks.
"I don't believe a word of it," Meta brok"Te hiant. can't be Pyrrus he's writing about..H. e.”r words died away as Jason wordlessly pointed to the title on the cover.
He continued scanning the pages, flipping them quicAklys.entence caught his eye and he stopped. Jamming his finger against the place, he read aloud.
and troubles keep piling uFpi.rst Har Palo with his theory that the vulcanism is so close to the surface that the ground keeps warm, and the crops grow so Ewvenll. if he is right-what can we Wdoe? must
be self-dependent if we intend to surviAven.d now this other thingI.t seems that the forest fire drove a lot of new species our waAyn. imals, insects and even birds have attacked the peo(Nploet.e for Har:

check if possible seasonal migration might explain attacks.)
There have been fourteen deaths from wounds and poisoWnineg'll.
have to enforce the rules for insect
lotion at all timesA. nd, I suppose, build some kind of perimeter defense to keep the larger beasts out of the camp."
"This is a beginning," Jason sa"iAd.t least now we are aware of the real nature of the battle we're
engaged in.It doesn't make Pyrrus any easier to handle, or make the life forms less dangerous, to know
that they were once better disposed toward mankAinldl. this does is point the wSaoym.
ething took the
peaceful life forms, shook them up, and turned this planet into one big deathtrap for mThaantkind. something is what I want to uncover."
12
Further reading of the log produced no new evidTenhceer.e was a good deal more information about
the early animal and plant life and how deadly they were, as well as the first defenses against them. Interesting historically, but of no use whatsoever in countering the meTnhaecec. aptain apparently never thought that life forms were altering on Pyrrus, believing instead that dangerous beasts were being discovered. He never lived to change his miTndh.e last entry in the log, less than two months after the first attack, was very brieAf.nd in a different handwriting.
Captain Kurkowski died today, of poisoning following an insectHbisited.eath is greatly mourned.
The "why" of the planetary revulsion had yet to be uncovered.
"Kerk must see this book," Jason s"aHide.
should have some idea of the progress being mCaadne.we
get transportation-or do we walk to city hall?"
"Walk, of course," Meta said.
"Then you bring the booAkt.
two-G's I find it very hard to be a gentleman and carry the packages."
They had just entered Kerk's outer office when a shiill screaming burst out of the phoInte toscorkeen. Jason a moment to realize that it was a mechanical signal, not a human voice.

"What is it?h”e asked.
Kerk burst through the door and headed for the street entEravnecryeo. ne else in the office was going
the same wayM.
eta looked confused, leaning toward the door, then looking back at Jason.
"What does it meanC?an't you tell me?H” e shook her arm.
"Sector alarmA.
major breakthrough of some kind at the perimEetveerr.yone but other perimeter
guards has to answer."
"Well go then," he sa"idD.on't worry about meI.'ll be all right."
His words acted like a trigger releMaseta's gun was in her hand and she was gone before he had finished speaking.Jason sat down wearily in the deserted office.
The unnatural silence in the building began to get on his Hneervsehsi.fted his chair over to the phone screen and switched it on to receiTvhe.e screen exploded with color and souAndt. first Jason could make no sense of it at Jaulls.t a confused jumble of faces and voiIctesw. as a multichannel set designed
for military useA.
number of images were carried on the screen at one time, rows of heads or hazy
backgrounds where the user had left the field of vMieawny.
of the heads were talking at the same time
and the babble of their voices made no sense whatsoever.
After examining the controls and making a few experiments, Jason began to understand the operation. Though all stations were on the screen at all times, their audio channels could be coIntrtohlaltedw. ay
two, three or more stations could be hooked together in a lTinhkeuyp.would be in round-robin communication with each other, yet never out of contact with the other stations.
Identification between voice and sound was automaWtich.enever one of the pictured images spoke, the image would glow redB. y trial and error, Jason brought in the audio for the stations he wanted and tried to follow the course of the attack.

Very quickly he realized this was something out of the ordIninasroym. e way, no one made it clear, a section of the perimeter had been broken through and emergency defenses had to be thrown up to encapsulate it.Kerk seemed to be in charge, at least he was the only one with an override trHanesmitter. used it for general commandTs.he many, tiny images faded and his face appeared on top of them, filling the entire screen.
"All perimeter stations sent 25 per cent of your complement to Area
52."
The small images reappeared and the babble increased, red lights flickering from face to face.
"-abandon the first floor, acid bombs can't reach."
"If we hold we'll be cut off, but salient is past us on the wResetqufleasntk.support."
"DON'T, MERVV-IT'S USELESS!-”
and the napalm tanks are almost goOnred.ers?"
"The truck is still there, get it to the supply warehouse, you'll find replacements-" -
Out of the welter of talk, only the last two fragments made anJyassoennshe.ad noticed the signs below when he came inT.he first two floors of the building below him were jammed with military sTuhpipslies. was his chance to get into the act.
Just sitting and watching was frustratiPnagr.ticularly when it was a
desperate emergencyH. gun.
e didn't overvalue his worth, but he was sure there was always room for another

By the time he had dragged himself down tostrteheet. level, a turbotruck had slammed to a stop in front of the loading platformT.wo Pyrrans were rolling out drums of napalm with a reckless disregard for their own safety.Jason didn't dare enter that maelstrom of rolling mHeteal.found he could be of use tugging
the heavy drums into position on the truck while the others rolled thTehmeyupa.ccepted his aid without acknowledgment.
It was exhausting, sweaty work, hauling the leaden drums into place against the heavyAgftrearviaty. minute, Jason worked by touch through a red haze of hammering Hbleoorde.alized the job was done only when the truck suddenly leaped forward and he was thrown to thHe eflolaoyr. there, his chest heaving. As the driver hurled the heavy vehicle along, all Jason could do was bounce around in the
bottom. He could see well enough, but was still gasping for breath when they braked at the fighting zone.
To Jason, it was a scene of incredible confuGsiuonns. firing, flames, men and women running on all sides. The napalm drums were unloaded without his help and the truck vanished foJrasmoonrel.eaned against a wall of a half-destroyed building and tried to get his beIat riwngas. impossibleT. here seemed to be a great number of small animals; he killed two that attackeOdthheirmt.han that he couldn't determine the nature of the battle.
A Pyrran, tan face white with pain and exertion, stumbleHdisurpi.ght arm, wet with raw flesh and
dripping blood, hung limply at his siIdtew.
as covered with freshly applied surgical foHame .held his gun
in his left hand, a stump of control cable dangling frJoamsonit.thought the man was looking for medical aid. He couldn't have been more wrong.
Clenching the gun in his teeth, the Pyrran clutched a barrel of napalm with his good hand and hurled it over on its sideT.hen, with the gun once more in his hand, he began to roll the drum along the ground with his feetI.t was slow, cumbersome work, but he was still in the fight.
Jason pushed through the hurrying crowd and bent over the "dLreutmm. e do it," he sa"idY.ou can cover us both with your gun."
The man wiped the sweat from his eyes with the back of his arm and blinkedHeat sJeaesmone.d to recognize him.When he smiled it was a grimace of pain, empty of h"uDmoorth. at.I can still shooTt.wo half men-maybe we equal one wholeJa.”son was laboring too hard to even notice the insult.
An explosion had blasted a raw pit in the street
Tahweoadp. eople were at the bottom, digging it even

deeper with shovelsT. he whole thing seemed meaninglesJsu.st as Jason and the wounded man rolled up the drum, the diggers leaped out of the excavation and began shooting down into itsOndeepothfs.them turned, a young girl, barely in her teens.
"Praise Perimeter!”she breathed."They found the napalmO. ne of the new horrors is breaking through toward Area 13, we just found Eitv.”en as she talked she swiveled the drum around, kicked the easy-off plug, and began dumping the gelid contents into the Whohlen half of it had gurgled down, she kicked
the drum itself inH. er companion pulled a flare from his belt, lit it, and threw it after the drum.
"Back quickT. hey don't like heat," he said.
This was putting it very mildTlhy.e napalm caught, tongues of flame and roiling, greasy smoke climbing up to the skyU. nder Jason's feet the earth shifted and movSeodm. ething black and long stirred in the heart of the flame, then arched up into the sky over their Inhetahdes.midst of the searing heat, it still
moved with alien, jolting motionIst. was immense, at least two meters thick and with no indication of its length. The flames didn't stop it, just annoyed it.
Jason had some idea of the thing's length as the street cracked and buckled for fifty meters on each side
of the pitG.
reat loops of the creature began to emerge from the grHouendfi.red his gun, as did the
others. Not that it seemed to have any effMecot.re and more people were appearing, armed with a variety of weaponsF. lamethrowers and grenades seemed to be the most effective.
"Clear the area, we're going to saturatFealilt. back."
The voice was so loud it jarred Jason'sHeeart.urned and recognized Kerk, who had arrived with
truckloads of equipmentH.
e had a power speaker on his back, the mike hung in front of Hhiiss lips.
amplified voice brought an instant reaction from the croTwhedy.
began to move.
There was still doubt in Jason's mind what tColedaor. the area?But what area?He started toward Kerk, before he realized that the rest of the Pyrrans were going in the opposite dEivrentiounder two gravities, they moved.
Jason had a naked feeling of being alone on the Hsetagwe.as in the center of the street, and the others had vanished.No one remainedE. xcept the wounded man Jason had helpHede. stumbled toward
Jason, waving his good armJa.son couldn't understand what he saKide. rk was shouting orders again

from one of the truckTs.hey had started to move toToh.e urgency struck home and Jason started to run.
It was too latOe.n all sides the earth was buckling, cracking, as more
loops of the underground thing forced its way into theSalifgehtyt. lay aheadO. nly in front of it rose an arch of dirt encrusted grey.
There are seconds of time that seem to lasettearnity. A moment of subjective time that is grabbed and stretched to an infinite distancTeh.is was one of those momenJtas.son stood, frozenE. ven the
smoke in the sky hung unmovinTgh.e high-standing loop of alien life was before him, every detail piercingly clear.
Thick as a man, ribbed and grey as old Tbeanrdkr.ils projected from all parts of it, pallid and twisting lengths that writhed slowly with snake-like lSifhea. ped like a plant, yet with the motions of an animal. And cracldng, splittingT. his was the worst.
Seams and openings appeareSd.plintering, gaping mouths that vomited out a horde of pallid animals. Jason heard their shriekings, shrill yet remoHte saw the needle-like teeth that lined their jaws.
The paralysis of the unknown held him thHeere.should have diedK. erk was thundering at him through
the power speaker, others were firing into the attacking creaJtausroen.
knew nothing.
Then he was shot forward, pushed by a rock-hard shoTulhdeerw. ounded man was still there, trying to
get Jason clearG.
un clenched in his jaws, he dragged Jason along with his gooTdoawramrd.
the
creature. The others stopped firingT.hey saw his plan and it was a good one.
A loop of the thing arched into the air, leaving an opening between its body and thTeheground. wounded Pyrran planted his feet and tightened his musOclnese.-handed, with a single thrust, he picked Jason off the ground and sent him hurtling under the livingMaorvcihn.g tendrils brushed fire along his face, then he was through, rolling over and over on the gTrohuendw. ounded Pyrran leaped after him.
It was too latTe.here had been a chance for one person to geTt hoeutP. yrran could have done it
easily-instead he had pushed Jason firSt. The thing was aware of movement when Jason brushed its tendrils. It dropped and caught the wounded man under its weHigehtv.anished from sight as the tendrils wrapped around him and the animals swarmed oHveisr. trigger must have pulled back to full automatic

because the gun kept firing a long time after he should have been dead.
Jason crawledS. ome of the fanged animals ran toward him, but wereHsehokt.new nothing about this. Then rude hands grabbed him up and pulled him forwHaerds.lammed into the side of a truck and Kerk's face was in front of his, flushed and aOngnrey.of the giant fists closed on the front of Jason's clothes and he was lifted off his feet, shaken like a limp bag Hofe roafgfse.red no protest and could not have even if Kerk had killed him.
When he was thrown to the ground, someone picked him up and slid him into the back oHf ethe truck. did not lose consciousness as the truck bounced away, yet he could notInmaovme.oment the fatigue
would go away and he would sit Tuhpa.t was all he was, just a little tEirveedn. passed out.
13
as he thought this, he
"Just like old times," Jason said when Brucco came into the room with a trayWoitfhofouot da.
word
Brucco served Jason and the wounded men in the other beds, the"nThlaenftk.s," Jason called after his retreating back.
A joke, a twist of a grin, like it alwaysSuwrea.sB. ut even as he grinned and his lips shaped a joke, Jason felt them like a veneer on the outSsiodme.ething plastered on with a life of its oInwsnid. e he was
numb and immovableH. is body was stiff as his eyes still watched that arch of alien flesh descend and smother the one-armed Pyrran with its million burning fingers.
He could feel himself under the aArcfhte. r all, hadn't the wounded man taken his plHacee?finished the meal without realizing that he ate.
Ever since that morning, when he had recovered consciousness, it had been lHikee kthniesw.
that he
should have died out there in that battle-tom stHreiest.life should have been snuffed out, for making the mistake of thinking that he could actually help the battling PyIrnrsatnesa.d of being underfoot and in the
way. If it hadn't been for Jason, the man with the wounded arm would have been brought here to the safety of the reorientation buildingHs.e knew he was lying in the bed that belonged to that man.
The man who had given his life for Jason's.

The man whose name he didn't even know.
There were drugs in the food and they made him Tshleeepm. edicated pads soaked the pain and rawness out of the bums where the tentacles had seared hisWfhaecne. he awoke the second time, his touch with reality had been restored.
A man had died so he could Jlaivseo.n faced the facHt. e couldn't restore that life, no matter how much
he wanted toW.
hat he could do was make the man's death worthwIfhiilte.can be said that any death
was worthwhile... He forced his thoughts from that track.
Jason knew what he had to Hdios. work was even more important
now.If he could solve the riddle of this deadly world, he could repay in part the debt he owed.
Sitting up made his head spin and he held to the edge of the bed until it sloTwheed odtohwerns. in the
room ignored him as he slowly and painfully dragged on his cBlortuhcecso. doing, and left again without a word.
came in, saw what he was
Dressing took a long time, but it was finally Wdohneen. waiting there for him.
"Kerk, I want to tell you... ."
Jason finally left the room he found Kerk
"Tell me nothing!T”he thunder of Kerk's voice bounced back from the ceiling and "wI'mallste. lling you.
I'll tell you once and that will be the endYoofu'irte.
not wanted on Pyrrus, Jason dinAlt, neither you nor
your precious off-world schemes are wanted heIrel.et you convince me once with your twisted tongue. Helped you at the expense of more important wIorskh.ould have known what the result of your 'logic' '
would be.Now I've seenW.
eif died so you could livHee.
was twice the man you will ever be."
'WeIf?Was that his name?J”ason asked stumblingly". I didn't know... ."
"You didn't even knowK.”erk's lips pulled back from his teeth in a grimace of disguSt. "You didn't even know his name-yet he died that you might continue your miserable existKenecrke.”spat, as if the words

gave a vile flavor to his speech, and stamped toward the exiAt llmocokst. back to Jason.
as an afterthought, he turned
"You'll stay here in the sealed buildings until the ship returns in twoThweenekyso.u will leave this planet and never come backI.f you do I'll kill you instanWtlyi.th pleasure.”He started through the lock.
"Wait," Jason shouted".You can't decide like thaYt.ou haven't even seen the evidence I've uncovered. Ask Meta-" The lock thumped shut and Kerk was gone.
The whole thing was just too stuApindg. er began to replace the futile despair of a moment bHefeore. was being treated like an irresponsible child, the importance of his discovery of the log completely ignored. -
Jason turned and saw for the first time that Brucco was standing"Dtihderyeo. u hear that?J”ason asked him.
"Yes.And I quite agreeY. ou can consider yourself lucky."
"Lucky!”Jason was the angry one no"wL.ucky to be treated like a / moronic child, with contempt for everything I do-"
"I said lucky," Brucco snappe'Wd.elf was Kerk's only surviving soKne. rk had high hopes for him, was training him to take his place eventuallHy.e” turned to leave but Jason called after him.
"Wait.I'm sorry about WelfI. can't be any sorrier knowing that he was Kerk'sBusot na.t least it explains why Kerk is so quick to throw me out-as well as the evidence I have uTnchoeveloregd.of the ship. . ."
"I know, I've seen it," Brucco interrup"tMede. ta brought it inV. ery interesting historical document."
"That's all you can see it as, an historical documTheent?significance of the planetary change escapes

you?"
"It doesn't escape me," Brucco answered brie"fBlyu.t I cannot see that it has any relevancy toTdhaey. past is unchangeable and we must fight in the preTsheantt. is enough to occupy all our energies."
The pressure of futility built up inside Jason, fighting for a way to
burst freeW.
herever he turned, there was only indifference.
"You're an intelligent man, Brucco-yet you can see no further than the tip of your oI wsnupnposee. it is inevitable.You and the rest of the Pyrrans are supermen by Earth stanTdoaurdgsh., ruthless, unbeatable, fast on the drawD.rop you anywhere and you land on your Yfeoeut. would make perfect
Texas Rangers, Canadian Mounties, Venus Swamp Patrolmen-any of the mythical frontier fighters of the paSt. And I think that's where you really belIonngth. e paSt. On Pyrrus, mankind has been pushed to the limit of adaptability in muscle and reflAexn.d it's a dead enBd.rain was the thing that dragged mankind
out of the caves and started him on his way to theWshteanrs.we start thinking with our muscles again we are on our way right back to those cIasvne'ts.that what you Pyrrans arAe? bunch of cavemen
hitting animals on the head with stone aDxeos. you ever stop to think why you are hWerhea?t you are doing? Where you are going?"
Jason had to stop; he was exhausted and gasping for bBrreuacthco.
rubbed his chin in thought.
"Caves?” he asked."Of course we don't live in caves or use stone all."
Icludbosn.'t understand your point at
It was impossible to be angry, or even exasperJaatseodn.
started to answer, then laughed insteAad.
very humorless laughH. e was too tired to argue anymoHree. kept running into this same stone wall with all the PyrransT. heirs was a logic of the momeTnht.e past and future unchangeable, unknowable-and uninteresting. "How is the perimeter battle goingh?e” asked finally, wanting to change the subject.
"Finished.Or in the last stages at leasBt.r”ucco was enthusiastic as he showed Jason stereos of the attackers. He did not notice Jason's repressed shudder.
"This was the most serious breakthrough in years, but we caught it Iinhatitme et.o think what would have happened if they hadn't been
detected for a few weeks more."

"What axe those things?J”ason asked."Giant snakes of some kind?"
"Don't be absurd," Brucco snorteHde.
tapped the stereo with his thumbn"aRilo. ots. That's all.Greatly
modified, but still rootsT.hey came in under the perimeter barrier, much deeper than anything we've had before. Not a real threat in themselves as they have very little meDbiielityso. on after being cuTt.he
danger came from their being used as access tunTnehlesy. 're bored through and through with animal runs, and two or three species of beasts live in a sort of symbiosisNoinwsidwe.e know what they are
we can watch for themT.he danger was they could have completely undermined the perimeter and come in from all sides at oncNeo. t much we could have done then."
The edge of destructioLn.iving on the lip of a volcaTnoh.e Pyrrans took satisfaction from any day that passed without total annihilationT.here seemed no way to change their attituJadseo. n let the
conversation die thereH.
e picked up the log of the Polhwc Victory from Brucco's quarters and carried it
back to his roomT. he wounded Pyrrans there ignored him as he dropped onto the bed and opened the book to the first page.
For two days he did not leave his quaTrtheers.wounded men were soon gone and he had the room to himself. Page by page he went through the log, until he knew every detail of the settlement HofisPyrrus. notes and cross-references piled uHp.e made an accurate map of the original settlement, superimposed over a modem oneT.hey didn't match at all.
It was a dead enWd.ith one map held over the other, what he had suspected was painfullTyhcelear. descriptions of terrain and physical features in the log were accurate enTohueghc.ity had obviously been moved since the first landinWg. hatever records had been kept would be in the library-and he had
exhausted that sourceA.
nything else would have been left behind and long since destroyed.
Rain lashed against the thick window above his head, lit suddenly by a flare of Tlihgehtnuinnsge.en volcanoes were active again, vibrating the floor with their rumblings deep in the earth.
The shadow of defeat pressed heavily down on JRasoounn.ding his shoulders and darkening, even more, the overcast day.
14
Jason spent one depressed day lying on his bunk counting rivets, forcing himself to acceKpterdke'fseat.

order that he was not to leave the sealed building tied his hands comHpeletfeellyt. himself close to the answer-but he was never going to get it.
One day of defeat was all he could Ktaekrek.'s attitude was completely emotional, untempered by the slightest touch of logicT.his fact kept driving home until Jason could no longer ignEomreotiito. nal
reasoning was something he had learned to mistrust early inHelifceo. uldn't agree with Kerk in the slightest-which meant he had to utilize the ten remaining days to solve the pIrfobitleme. ant disobeying Kerk, it would still have to be done.
He grabbed up his noteplate with a new enthusiHasismf.irst sources of information had been used up, but there must be otherCs.hewing the scriber and thinking hard, he slowly built up a list of other possibilities. Any idea, no matter how wild, was put doWwhne.n the plate was filled, he wiped the long shots and impossibles-such as consulting off-world historical recoTrdhsi.s was a Pyrran problem and
had to be settled on this planet or not at all.
The list worked down to two probabEleitsh.er old records, notebooks or diaries that individual Pyrrans
might have in their possession, or verbal histories that had been passed down the generations by word of mouth. The first choice seemed to be the most probable and he acted on it Aaftteorncae.careful check
of his medikit and gun, he went to see Brucco.
"What's new and deadly in the world since I hle ta?”sked.
Brucco glared at him"Y. ou can't go out, Kerk has forbidden it."
"Did he put you in charge of guarding me to see if I oJbaesyoend's?”voice was quiet and cold.
Brucco rubbed his jaw and frowned in thouFginhat.lly he just shrugged".No, I'm not guarding you-nor do I want the joAb.s far as
I know, this iest.ween you and Kerk and it can stay that Lweaayv.e whenever you wanAt. nd get
yourself killed quietly someplace so there will be an end to the trouble you cause once and for all."
"I like you too," Jason sa"iNd.ow brief me on the wildlife."

The only new mutation that routine precautions wouldn't take care of was a slate-colored lizard that spit a fast nerve poison with deadly accuraDcye.ath took place in seconds if the saliva touched any bare
skin. The lizards had to be looked out for, and shot before they came withinAnrahnoguer. of lizard-blasting in a training chamber made him proficient in the exact procedure.
Jason left the sealed buildings quietly and no one saw hHime
go.
followed the map to the nearest barracks, shuffling tiredly through the - dusty streetsI.t was a hot, quiet afternoon, broken only by rumblings
from the distance, and the occasional crack of his gItunw. as cool inside the thick-walled barracks building, and he collapsed onto a bench until the sweat dried and his heart stopped pTohuenndinhge. went to the nearest recreation room to start his search.
Before it began, it was finishNedo.ne of the Pyrrans kept old artifacts of any kind and thought the whole idea was very funnyA. fter the twentieth negative answer, Jason was ready to admit defeat in this line of investigation. There was as much chance of meeting a Pyrran with old documents as finding a bundle of Grandfather's letters in a soldier's kit bag.
This left a single possibility-verbal historAiesg.ain Jason questioned with the same lack of resTuhltes. fun had worr.off the game for the Pyrrans and they were beginning to Jgarsoownl.stopped while he
was still in one piecTe.he commissary served him a meal that tasted like plastic paste and wooHdepulp. ate it quickly, then sat brooding over the empty tray, hating to admit to another dWeahdo ecnodu.ld
supply him with answersA? ll the people he had talked to weyroeu. ng. They had no interest or patience for storytelling.That was an old folks' hobby-and there were no oldsters on Pyrrus.
With one exception that he knew of, the librarian,ItPwolai.s a possibilityA.
man who worked with
records and books might have an interest in some of the olderHeonmesi.ght even remember reading
volumes now destroyedA.
very slim lead, indeed, but one that had to be pursued.
Walking to the library almost killed JasTohne. it was hard to see what was corn-
torrential rains made the footing bad, and in the dim light
ing.A snapper came in close enough to take out a chunk of flesh before he coulTdheblaasnttitiot.xin made him dizzy and he lost some blood before he could get the wound Hdreesrseeadc.hed the library, exhausted and angry.

Poli was working on the guts of one of the catalogue maHcheindeisd.n't stop until Jason had tapped
him on the shoulderS.witching on his heating aid, the Pyrran stood quietly, crippled and bent, waiting for
Jason to talk.
"Have you any old papers or letters that you have kept for your personal use?"
A shake of the head, no.
"What about stories-you know, about great things that have happened in the past, that someone might have told you when you were youngN?e”gative.
Results negativeE. very question was answered by a shake of Poli's head, and very soon the old man grew irritated and pointed to the work he hadn't finished.
"Yes, I know you have work to do," Jason"Bsauitd.this is important.P”oli shook his head an angry no and reached to turn off his hearing Jaaisdo. n groped for a question that might get a more positive answer. There was something tugging at his mind, a word he had heard and made a note of, to be investigated later.Something that Kerk had sai.d.
"That's it!”It was right there-on the tip of his ton"gJuues.t a second, Poli, just one more questWionh.at is a 'grubber'?Have you ever seen one or know what they do, or where they can be found?"
The words were cut off as Poli whirled and lashed the back of his good arm into JaTshoonu'sghface.
the man was aged and crippled, the blow almost fractured Jason's jaw, sending him sliding across the floor. Through a daze, he saw Poli hobbling toward him, making thick bubbling noises in his ruined throat, what remained of his face twisted and working with a-nger.
This was no time for diplomaMcyo.ving as fast as he could, with the high-G, foot-slapping shuffle, Jason headed for the sealed dooHr.e was no match for any Pyrran in hand-to-hand combat, young and small or old and crippledT. he door banged open, as he went through, and barely closed in Poli's face.
Outside the rain had turned to snow and Jason trudged wearily through the slush, rubbing his sore jaw and turning over the only

fact he hadG. rubber was a key-but to whaAt?nd who did he dare ask for more informatKioenr?k was the man he had talked to best, but not anymTohraet. left only Meta as a possible souHrcee. wanted to
see her at once, but sudden exhaustion swept through Iht imtoo. k all of his strength to stumble back to the school buildings.
In the morning he ate and left eTarhlyer.e was only a week leIftt.was impossible to hurry and he
cursed as he dragged his double-weight body to the assignment cMenettear. was on night perimeter duty and should be back to her quarters soHoen.shuffled over there and was lying on her bunk when she came in.
"Get out," she said in a flat vo"Oicre. do I throw you out?"
"Patience, please," he said as he sat"Juups.t resting here until you came baIckh.ave a single question, and if you will answer it for me I'll go and stop bothering you."
"What is it?s”he asked, tapping her foot with impatienBceu.t there was also a touch of curiosity in her voice. Jason thought carefully before he spoke.
"Now try not to shoot mYeo.u know I'm an off-worlder with a big mouth, and you have heard me say
some awful things without taking a shot atNmoew.
I have another onWe. ill you please show your
superiority to the other people of the galaxy by holding your temper and not reducing me to component atoms."
Her only answer was a tap of the foot, so he took a deep breath and plunged in.
'What is a 'grubber'?"
For a long moment she was quiet, unmovTihnegn. most repulsive topics."
she looked at him with disguSt. "You do find the
"That may be so," he said, "but it still doesn't answer my question."

"It's... well, the sort of thing people just don't talk about."
"I do," he assured her.
"Well I don'tI!t's the most disgusting thing in the world, and that's all I'm goingTatolksatoy. Krannon, but not to me.S”he had him by the arm while she talked and he was half dragged toTthhee dhoaollr. slammed behind him and he muttered "Lady-wrestler" under his vHoicse.anger ebbed away as he realized that she had given him a clue in spite of hNeresxetlf.step, find out who or what Krannon was.
Assignment center listed a man named Krannon and gave his shift number and work Iltocwaatison.
close by and Jason walked theAre. large, cubical, windowless building, with the single word PoOD next to each of the sealed entranceTsh.e small entrance he went through was
a series of automatic chambers that cycled him through ultrasonics, ultraviolet, antibio spray, rotating brushes and three final rinseHs.e was finally admitted, damper but much cleaner, to the central area. Men and robots were stacking crates and he asked one of the men for KTrhaennmona.n looked him up and down coldly and spat on his shoes before answering.
Krannon worked in a large storage bay by himHseelfw. as a stocky man in patched coveralls whose only expression was one of intense glooWmh. en Jason came in he stopped hauling bales and sat down on the nearest oneT. he lines of unhappiness were cut into his face and seemed to grow deeper while Jason explained what he was aftAerl.l the talk of ancient history on Pyrrus bored him as well and he yawned openly.When Jason finished, he yawned again and didn't even bother to answer him.
Jason waited a moment, then asked ag"aIins.aid do you have any old books, papers, records or that sort of thing?"
"You sure picked the right guy to bother, off-worlder," was his only "aAnsfwterer.talking to me you're going to have nothing but trouble."
"Why is that?J”ason asked.
"Why?”For the first time, he was animated with something besides "gI'rllietfe. ll you whyI! made one

mistake once, just one, and I get a life sentFenocrelife-how would you like thJaut.st me alone, being by myself all the timEe.ven taking orders from the grubbers."
Jason controlled himself, keeping the elation out of his
"vGoircueb.hers? What are grubbers?"
The enormity of the question stopped Krannon; it seemed impossible that there could be a man alive who had never heard of grubbeHrsa. ppiness lifted some of the gloom from his face as he realized that he had a captive audience who would listen to his troubles.
"Crubbers are traitors-that's what they aTrrea.itors to the human race and they ought to be wiped out. Living in the jungleT.he things they do with the animals... ."
"You mean they're people-Pyrrans like yourselJfa?s”on broke in". Not like me, misterD. on't make that mistake again if you want to go on livMinagy.be I dozed off on guard once so I got stuck with this job.
That doesn't mean I like it or like thTehmey.
stink, really stink, and if it wasn't for the food we get from
them they'd all be dead tomorroTwh.at's the kind of killing job I could really put my heart into."
"If they supply you with food, you must give them something in return?"
"Trade goods, beads, knives, the usual thinSgusp.ply sends them over in cartons and I take care of the delivery."
"How?”Jason asked.
"By armored truck to the delivery sTihtee.n I go back later to pick up the food they've left in exchange."
"Can I go with you on the next delivery?"
Krannon frowned over the idea for a min"Yutea. h, I suppose it's all right if you're stupid enough to
come. You can help me loaTd.hey're between harvests now, so the next trip won't be for eight days... .” "But that's after the ship leaves-it'll be too Claatne.'t you go earlier?"”Don't tell me your troubles,
mister," Krannon grumbled, climbing to his fe"Teth. at's when I go and the date's not changing for you.”
Jason realized he had got as much out of the - man as was possible for onHe esesstsairotend.
for the

door, then turned.
"One thing," he aske"dJ.ust what do these savages-the grubberlso-o. k like?"
"How do I knowK!”rannon snapped."I trade with them, I don't make love to tIhfemI .ever saw one,
I'd shoot him down on the spoHt.e” flexed his fingers and his gun jumped in and out of his hand as he said it.Jason quietly let himself out.
Lying on his bunk, resting his gravity-weary body, he searched for a way to get Krannon to change the delivery date.His millions of credits were worthless on this world without currIefntchye. man couldn't
be convinced, he had to be bribWedi.th what?Jason's eyes touched the locker where his off-world clothing still hung, and he had an idea.
It was morning before he could return to the food warehaonudseo-.ne day closer to his deadline. Krannon didn't bother to look up from his work when Jason came in.
"Do you want this?J”ason asked, handing the outcast a flat gold case inset with a single large diamond. Krannon grunted and turned it over in his hands.
"A toy," he sai"dW.
hat is it good for?"
"Well, when you press this button you get a lAighftl.a”me appeared through a hole in the Ktorapn. non started to hand it back.
"What do I need a little fireHfeorre. , keep it."
"Wait a second," Jason sa"idT.hat's not all it doeWs. hen you press the jewel in the center, one of these comes out.”A black pellet the size of his fingernail dropped into his"Apalmgr.enade, made of solid
ulranite. Just squeeze it hard and throTwh.ree seconds later it explodes with enough force to blast open this building."

This time Krannon almost smiled as he reached for theDceastsreu.ctive and death-dealing weapons are like candy to a PyrraWn. hile he looked at it, Jason made his offer.
"The case and bombs are yours if you move the date of your next delivery up to tomorrow-and let me go with you."
"Be here at 0500," Krannon sa"iWd.e leave early."
15
The truck rumbled up to the perimeter gate and stoKppraendn. on waved to the guards through the front
window, then closed a metal shield oveW
iht.en the gates swung open the truck-really a giant armored
tank-ground slowly forwardT. here was a second gate beyond the first, that did not open until the interior one was closedJ. ason looked through the second driver's periscope as the outer gate Aliuftodm.atic flamethrowers flared through the opening, cutting off only when the truck reachedAthsecmor.ched area
ringed the gate; beyond that the jungle begUannc.onsciously Jason shrank back in his seat.
All the plants and animals he had seen only specimens of, existed here in pTrohfoursni-ornin.ged branches and vines laced themselves into a solid mat, through which the wildlife swAarfmueryd. of sound hurled at them, thuds and scratchings rang on the aKrmraonrn. on laughed and closed the switch that electrified the outer griTd.he scratchings died away as the beasts completed the circuit to the grounded hull.
It was slow speed, low-gear work tearing through the juKnrgalnen. on had his face buried in the periscope mask and silently fought the controWlsi.th each mile, the going seemed to get better, until he finally swung up the periscope and opened the window arTmhoer.jungle was still thick and deadly, but nothing like the area immediately around the perimeItera.ppeared as if most of the lethal powers of
Pyrrus were concentrated in the single area around the settlemWehnyt.? Jason asked himselfW. intense and directed planetary hatred?
The motors died and Krannon stood up, stretch"iWnge.'re here," he said".Let's unload."
hy this
There was bare rock around the truck, a rounded hillock that projected from the jungle, too smooth and steep for vegetation to get a hoKldra. nnon opened the cargo hatches and they pushed out the boxes and crates. When they fmished Jason slumped down, exhausted, onto the pile.

"Get back in, we're leaving," Kxannon said.
"You are, I'm staying right here."
Krannon looked at him cold"lyG.et in the truck or I'll kill yNoou. one stays out herFe.or one thing you couldn't live an hour alonBe.ut worse than that the grubbers would get Kyoilul. you at once, of course, but that's not importanBt. ut you have equipment that we can't allow into their hYaonuds.want to see a grubber with a gun?"
While the Pyrran talked, Jason's thoughts had rushed ahHeeadh.oped that Krannon was as thick of head as he was fast of reflex.
Jason looked at the trees, let his gaze move up through the thick bTrahnocuhgehs. Krannon was still talking, he was automatically aware of Jason's attentWionh.en Jason's eyes widened and his gun jumped into his hand, Krannon's own gun appeared and he turned in the same direction.
"There-in the top!J”ason shouted and fired into the tangle of brancKhreasn. non fired tooA.
s soon as
he did, Jason hurled himself backward, curled into a ball, roiling down the inclinTedheroschko.ts had
covered the sounds of his movements, and before Krannon could turn back the gravity had dragged him down the rock into the thick foliaCgera. shing branches slapped at him, but slowed his \Vfahlle.n he
stopped moving, he was lost in the tanKglrea.nnon's shots came too late to hit him.
Lying there, tired and bruised, Jason heard the Pyrran cursing hiHme osutat.mped around on the rock,
fired a few shots, but knew better than to enter theFtirneaelsly.
he gave up and went back to the truck.
The motor gunned into life and the treads clanked and scraped down the rock and back into the jungle. There were muted rumblings and crashes that slowly died away.
Then Jason was alone.
Up until that instant he hadn't realized quite how alone he woSuuldrrobuen.ded by nothing but death, the truck already vanished from sig1h-t.Je had to force down an overwhelming desire to run after it. What was done was done.

This was a long chance to take, but it was the only way to contact theTghreuybbweresr.e savages, but still they had come from human stocAk.nd they hadn't sunk so low as to stop the barter with the civilized Pyrrans.He had to contact them, befriend theFmin.d out how they had managed to live safely on this madhouse world.
If there had been another way to lick the problem he would have taken it; he didn't relish the role of martyred hero.But Kerk and his deadline had forced his hTanhde. contact had to be made fast and this
was the only way.
There was no telling where the savages were, or how soon the:
would arriveI.f the woods weren't too lethal, he could hide there, pie] his time to approacIfh ththeeym. found him among the supplies, the:
might skewer him on the spot with a typical Pyrran reflex.
Walking warily, he approached the line of tSreoems.ething move
on a branch, but vanished as he came Nneoanre.
of the plants nea
a thick-trunked tree looked poisonous, so he slipped behiTndherit.
was nothing deadly in sight and it surprised Hheiml.et his body rela
a bit, leaning against the rough bark.
Something soft and choking fell over his head; his body was seizei in a sTteheel mgroipre.
he struggled,
the tighter it held him until th blood thundered in his ears and his lungs screamed for air.
Only when he grew limp did the pressure leHtisupf.irst pani ebbed a little when he realized that it
wasn't an animal that attacke hiHme. had a chance.
knew nothing about the grubbers, but they were human s he still
His arms and legs were tied, the power holster ripped from his am He felt strangely naked without it. The powerful hands grabbed hir again and he was hurled into the air, to fall face down across somethin warm and softF. ear pressed in again for it was a large animal of somAnkdindal.l Pyrran animals were

deadly.
When the animal moved off, carrying him, panic was replaced b a feeling of mounting elatioTnh.e grubbers had managed to work ot
a truce of some kind with at least one form of animHael lhifaed. t
find out howI.f he could get that secret-and get it back to the city-i would justify all his workItand pain.
might even justify WeIPs deaif.
the age-old war could be slowed or stopped.
Jason's tightly bound limbs hurt terribly at first, but grew numb wit the circulationTshheutjooltfifn.g ride continued endlessly; he ha no way of measuring the Atimrea.infall soaked him, then he felt hi clothes steaming as the sun came out.
The ride was finally ovHere.
was pulled from the animal's back an dumped dHowisn.arms dropped
free as someone loosed the binding The returning circulation soaked him in pain as he lay there, strugglin to move.WThen his hands finally obeyed him, he lifted them to his fac and stripped away the covering, a sack of thick furL.ight blinded hij as he sucked in breath after breath of clean air.
Blinking against the glare, he looked arouHned.was lying on a flo of crude planking, the setting sun shining into his eyes through th doorless entrance of the buiTldhienrge. was a ploughed field outsid
stretching down the curve of hill to the edge of the jIut nwglaes.
tc dark to see much inside the hut.
Something blocked the light of the doorway, a tall animal-like Ofignursee.cond look Jason realized it was a man with long hair and thick beHaerd.was dressed in furs; even his legs werreapip?e.d in fur
leggings. His eyes were fixed on his captive, while one hand fondled an axe that hung from his waist.
"Who're you?What y'want?”the bearded man asked suddenly.
Jason picked his words slowly, wondering if this savage had the same hairtrigger temper as the city dwellers.
"My name is JasoIn.come in peaceI. want to be your friend..."L.”ies!” the man grunted, and pulled
the axe from his be"ltJ.unkman tricks.I saw y'hideW.
ait to kill meK. ill you first.” He tested the edge of

the blade with a horny thumb, then raised it. "Wait!”Jason said desperately". You don't understand." The axe swung down.
"I'm from off-world and-"
A solid thunk shook him as the axe buried itself in the wood next toAhtisthheealads.t instant, the man
had twitched it asideH. e grabbed the front of Jason's clothes and pulled him up until their faces touched.
"S'true?”he shouted."Y'from off-world?”His hand opened and Jason dropped back before he could answer. The savage jumped over him, toward the dim rear of the hut.
"Rhes must know of this," he said as he fumbled with something on Lthieghwt aslpl.rang out.
All Jason could do was staTrhe.e hairy, fur-covered savage was operating a communicaTtohre. calloused, dirt-encrusted fingers deftly snapped open the circuits, dialed a number.
16
It made no sensJea.son tried to reconcile the modem machine wit] the barbarian and coWuldhno't.was he calling?The existence of on communicator meant there was at least anWothaesr.Rhes a person o a thing?
With a mental effort, he grabbed hold of his thoughts and brake them tTohearestowpa.s something new here, factors he hadn counted oHn.e kept reassuring himself there was an explanation fc everything, once you had your facts straight.
Jason closed his eyes, shutting out the glaring rays of the sun wher it cut through the treetops, and reconsidered his factsT. hey separate evenly into two classes: those he had observed for himself, and

those h had learned from the city dwellTehrsi.s last class of "facts" he woul hold, to see if they fitted with what he learnedT. here was a goo chance that most, or all, of them would prove false.
"Get up," the voice janinet.o his thoughts". W're leaving."
His legs were still numb and hardly usaTbhle. bearded ma snorted in disgust and hauled him to his feet, propping him against di outer waJlal.son clutched the knobby bark of the logs when hleftwa.lone.He
looked around, soaking up impressions.
It was the first time he had been on a farm since he had run awa frAomdifhfoemrene.t world with a different ecology, but the simila:
ity was apparent enough to hAim.new-sown field stretched down di hill in front of the Pshloaucgkh. ed by a good farmerE. ven, well-ca. furrows that followed the contour of the sloApneo. ther, larger lc building was next to this one, probably a barn.
There was a snuffling sound behind him and Jason turned quicldyandHfirsozhea.nd called for the missing gun and his finger tightene down on a trigger that wasn't there.
It had come out of the jungle and padded up quietly behinhdadhismix. thick legs with clawed feet that dug into the groundT.he tw meter-long body was covered with matted yellow-and-black fur, all e:
cept the skull and shouldeTrsh.ese were covered with overlapping horny platJeass.on could see all this because the beast was that close.
He waited to die.
The mouth opened, a frog-like division of the hairless skull, revealing double rows of jagged teeth.
"Here, Fido," the bearded man said, coming up behind Jason and snapping his fingers at the same time. The thing bounded forward, brushing past the dazed Jason, and rubbed his head against the man's leg. "Nice doggie," the man said, his fingers scratching under the edge of the carapace where it joined the flesh.

The bearded man had brought two of the riding animals out of the barn, saddled anJdasbornidled. barely noticed the details of smooth skin and long legs as he swung upHoisn foeneet . were quickly lashed to the stirrupsW. hen they started, the skull-headed beast followed them.
"Nice doggie!”Jason said, and for no reason started to laTughhe. bearded man turned and scowled at him until he was quiet.
By the time they entered the jungle, it was Itdawrka.s impossible to see under the thick foliage, and they used no lightsT.he animals seemed to know the wTayh.ere were scraping noises and shrill calls from the jungle around them, but it didn't bother Jason too Pmeurhcahp.s the automatic manner in which
the other man undertook the journey reassured hOimr .the presence of the "dog" that he felt rather than saw. The trip was a long one, but not too uncomfortable.
The regular motion of the animal and his fatigue overcame Jason and he dozed into a fitful sleep, waking with a start each time he slumped forwIanrdt.he end, he slept sitting up in the saHddoluer.s passed this
way, until he opened his eyes and saw a square of light beforeThtehetmri.p was over.
His legs were stiff and galled with saddle sAofrteesr.
his feet were untied, getting down was an effort
and he almost felAl.
door opened and Jason went Iitn.took his eyes some moments to get used to the
light, until he could make out the man on the bed before him.
"Come over here and sit dowTnh.”e voice was full and strong, accustomed to commTanhde. body was
that of an invalidA.
blanket covered him to the waist, above that the flesh was sickly white, spotted with
red nodules, and hung loosely over the boTnehse.re seemed to be nothing left of the man except skin and skeleton.
"Not very nice," the man on the bed said, "but I've grown useHdistotoint.e” changed abruptly".Naxa said you were from off-worlIds. that true?"
Jason nodded yes, and his answer stirred the living skeleton to life.
The head lifted from the pillow and the red-rimmed eyes sought h with a desperate intensity.
"My name is Rhes and I'm a... grubWbeilrl. you help me?"

Jason wondered at the intensity of Rhes's question, all out of propc tion to the simple content of its meaning. Yet he could see no reason give anything other than the first and obvious answer that sprang to Ii lips.
"Of course I'll help you, in whatever way IAscalno.ng as it involv no injury to anyone Welhsea.t do you want?"
The sick man's head had fallen back limply, exhausted, as Jasc Btaultkethde. eyes.
fire still burned in the
"Feel assured-I want to injure no others," Rues "sQaiudi.te the .posite. As you see, I am suffering from
a disease that our remedies wno. t stop.Within a few more days I will be dNeaodw.
I have seenth. e
city people... using a device, they press it over a wounadniomral. machines?"
bite.Do you have one of these
"That sounds like a description of the mediJkaist.o”n touched ti button at his waist that dropped the medikit into his hand".I have mu hereI.t analyzes and treats moSt.." .
"Would you use it on mRe?h”es broke in, his voice suddenly urger "I'm sorry," Jason"Isasihdo. uld
have realized.”He stepped forwa and pressed the machine over one of the inflamed areas on Rhes's che.
The operation light came on and the thin shaft of the analyzer prol slidWhdeonwnit.
withdrew the
device hummed, then clicked thrti.mes as three separate hypodermic needles lanced into the Tshkiin. the light went out.
"Is that all?R” hes asked, as he watched Jason stow the medikit ba in his belt.
Jason nodded, then looked up and noticed the wet marks of tears the sick mRanh'sesfabceec.ame aware at the same time and brush at them angrily.
"When a man is sick," he growled, "the body and all its senses becon traitor.I don't think I have cried since I was a child-but you must i

alize it's not myself I'm crying Ifto'sr.the untold thousands of my pe
ple who have died for lack of that little device you treat so casuall)
"Surely you have medicines, doctors of your own?"
"Herb doctors and witch doctors," Rues said, consigning them all oblivion with a chop of"Thihse hand.
few hard working and honc men are hampered by the fact that the faith healers can usually cu better than their strongest potion."
The talking had tired RhHese.
stopped suddenly and closed his eOyn.
his chest, the inflamed areas
were already losing their angry col
as the injections took effeJcat.son glanced around the room, looking for clues to the mystery of these people.
Floor and walls were made of wood lengths fitteçl together, free of paint or deTchoeraytiolono. ked simple and crude, fit only for the savages he had expected toOmr eweet.re they crudeT? he wood had
a sweeping, flame-like grainW. hen he bent close he saw that wax had been rubbed over the wood to bring out this patternW. as this the act of savages-or of artistic men seeking to make the most of simple materials? The final effect was far superior to the drab-paint and riveted-steel rooms of the city dwelling Pyrrans. Wasn't it true that both ends of the artistic scale were dominated by simTphliecituyn?tutored
aborigine made a simple expression of a clear idea, and created bAeat utthye.
other extreme, the
sophisticated critic rejected overelaboration and decoration and sought the truthful clarity of uncluttered art. At which end of the scale was he looking now?
These men were savages, he had been told Ttheayt.
dressed in furs and spoke a slurred and broken
language, at least Naxa diRd.hes admitted he preferred faith healers to doctBorust., if all this were true, where did the communicator fit into the pictuOrer ?the glowing ceiling that illuminated the room with a soft light?
Rhes opened his eyes and stared at Jason, as if seeing him for the f"iWrsthotimaere. "And what are you doing here?"
you?”he asked.
There was a cold menace in his words and Jason understoodThwe hcyi.ty Pyrrans hated the "grubbers" and, without a doubt, the feeling was mutNuaalx. a's axe had proved thaNt.axa had entered silently

while they talked, and stood with his fingers touching the haft of this saJmaseonaxken. ew his life was still in jeopardy, until he gave an
answer that satisfied these men-.
He couldn't tell the truIthf .they once suspected he was spying among them to aid the city people, it would be the endN. evertheless, he had to be free to talk about the survival problem.
The answer hit him as soon as he had stated the prAobllletmhi.s had only taken an instant to consider, as he turned back to face the invalid, and he answered atTroynincge. to keep his voice normal and unconcerned.
"I'm Jason dinAh, an ecologist, so you see I have the best reasons in the universe for visiting this planet-"
"What is an ecologist?R”hes broke inT. here was nothing in his voice to indicate whether he meant the question seriously, or as a traApl.l traces of the ease of their earlier conversation were gone; his voice had the deadliness of a stingwing's poisJoans.on chose his words carefully.
"Simply stated, it is that branch of biology that considers the relatior between organisms and their environment. How climatic and othc factors affect the life forms, and how the life forms in turn affect eac other and the environment.T”hat much Jason knew was true-but 11 really knew very little more about
the subject, so he moved on quickl.
"I heard reports of this planet, and finally came here to study it fIirsdihdanwdh. at work I could in the
shelter of the city, but it wasn enouTghhe. make a trip out here."
people there think I'm crazy, but they finally agreed let me
"What arrangements have been made for your retuNrna?s” snapped.
"None," Jason told him"T. hey seemed quite sure that I would F killed instantly and had no hope of me coming back.They refused t let me go on my own and I had to break away."
This answer seemed to satisfy Rhes and his face cracked into a mirti le"sTs hsemyilwe.ould think that,

those junkmen.Can't move a meto. utside their walls without an armor-plated machine big as a ban
What did they tell you about us?"
Again Jason knew a lot depended on his ansTwheisr. time ii thought carefully before speaking.
"Well, perhaps I'll get that axe in the back of my neck for sayin this-but I have to be honeSt. You must know what they thinkT.hc told me you were filthy and ignorant savages-who smeAllnedd. youwell, had
curious customs u.
practiced with the animalIsn.
exchan. for food, they traded you beads and kniv. e. s.
Both Pyrrans broke into a convulsion of laughter atRhth. iss.topped soon, from weakness, but Naxa laughed himself into a coug] ing fit and had to splash water over his head from a gourd jug.
"That I believe well enough," Rhes s"aIitd.sounds like the stupidii they would tTalhko.se people know
nothing of the world they live ii I hope the rest of what you said is true, but even if it is not, you ai welcome here.You are from off-world, that I knoNwo. junkman won] have lifted a finger to save my
life. You are the first off-worlder my pe ple have ever known and for that you are doubly Wweelcome. wi help you in any way we cMany. arm is your arm."
These last words had a ritual sound to them and, when Jason r peated them, Naxa nodded at the
correctness of thisA.
t the same tim Jason felt that they were more than emptyInrtieturdael.pendenc
meant survival on Pyrrus, and he knew that these people stood togeth to the death against the mortal dangers around themH. e hoped ti ritual would include him in that protective sphere.
"That is enough for tonight," Rhes s"aTidh.e spotted sickness h:
weakened me, and your medicine has turned me to Yjeoluly.will stay here, JasoTn.here is a blanket, but no bed, at least for now."
Enthusiasm had carried Jason this far, making him forget the two-G exertions of the
Nloonwg day.
fatigue hit him a physical bloHwe. floor. After that, oblivion.
17
had dim memories of refusing food and rolling in the blanket on the
Every square inch of his body ached where the doubled gravity hi pressed his flesh to the unyielding

wood of the floorH. is eyes we gummy and his mouth was filled with an indescribable taste that can off in chunks. Sitting up was an effort and he had to stifle a groan as h joints cracked.
"Good day, Jason," Rhes called from the "bIefdI.
didn't believe i medicine so strongly, I would be
tempted to say there is a miracle i your machine that has cured me overnight."
There was no doubt that he was on the mTheendi.nflamed patch had vanished and the burning light was gone from his eyesH. e sa propped up on the bed, watching the morning sun melt the night's hai storm into the fields.
"There's meat in tbc.abinet there," he said, "and either water ortovid. rink."
The visk proved to be a distilled beverage of extraordinary poten that instantly cleared the fog from Jason's brain, though it did leave slight ringing in hisAenadrs.the meat was a tenderly smoked joisi the best food he had tasted since leaving DarkhTaank.en together, thi restored his faith in life and the future. He lowered his glass with relaxed sigh and looked around.
With the pressures of immediate survival and exhaustion remove his thoughts returned automatically to his problem.What were the:
people really like-and how had they managed toivseuri.n the dead wildernessIn?
the city he had been
told they were savagesY. et the was a carefully tended and repaired communicator on theAwr ablyl. the
door a crossbow that fired machined metal bolts; he could see ti tool marks still visible on their shanks. The one thing he needed w more informatHioen.could start by getting rid of some of his nii information.
"Rhes, you laughed when I told you what the city people said, aboi trading you trinketsWfhoart food. do they really trade you?"
"Anything within certain limits," Rhes sa"iSdm. all manufactun
items, such as electronic components for our communicaRtourst.less alloys we can't make in our
forges, cutting tools, atomic-electric convertens that produce power from any radioactive element, Things like that.Within reason they'll trade anything we ask that isn't on the forbidden liSt. They need the food badly."

"And the items on the forbidden list-?"
"Weapons of course, or anything that might be made into a powerful wTehaepyonk.now we make
gunpowder so we can't get anything like large casting or seamless tubing we could make into heavy gun barrels. We drill our own rifle barrels by hand, though the crossbow is quiet and faster in tThehenjungle. they don't like us to know very much, so the only reading matter that gets to us are tech maintenance manuals, empty of basic theory.
"The last banned category you know about-medicTinhei.s is the one thing I cannot understand, that makes me burn with hatred with every death they might have prevented."
"I know their reasons," Jason said.
"Then tell me, because I can think of none."
"Survival-it's just that simplIe.doubt if you realize it, but they have a decreasing popuIltatisonj.ust a matter of years before they will be goWneh.ereas your people at least must have a stable-if not slightly growing population-to have existed without their mechanical protectioSnos.in the city they hate you and
are jealous of you at the same tiImf et.hey gave you medicine and you prospered, you would be winning the battle they have loSt. I imagine they tolerate you as a necessary evil, to supply them with food, otherwise they wish you were all dead."
"It makes sense," Rhes growled, slamming his fist against th"eTbhe .kind of twisted logic you expect
from junkmen.They use us to feed them, give us the absolute minimum in return, and at the same time cut us off from the knowledge that will get us out of this hand to mouth eWxiostresnec, ef.ar worse, they cut
us off from the stars and the rest of mankTinhde.”hatred on his face was so strong that Jason unconsciously drew back.
"Do you think we are savages here, JaWsone?act and look like animals because we have to fight for existence on an animal leveYl.et we know about the staIrns. that chest over there, sealed in metal, are over thirty books, all we havFeic. tion most of them, with some history and general science thrown in. Enough to keep alive the stories of the settlement here and the rest of the universeWoeutsseidee.the
ships land in the city and we know that up there are worlds we can only dream about andDonever see. you wonder that we hate these beasts that call themselves men, and would destroy them in an instant if we could?They
are right to keep weapons from us-for sure as the sun rises in the moi ing we would kill them to a man i

we were able, and take over t things they have withheld from us."
It was a harsh condemnation, but essentially a truthfulAot nle from the point of view of the outsiders. Jason didn't try to explain to t angry man that the city Pyrrans looked on their attitude as being t only possible and logical one".How did this battle between your ti groups ever come abhoeuta?”sked.
"I don't know," Rhes said, "I've thought about it many times, F there are no records of tWhaet period. do know that we are all scended from colonists who arrived at the samSeomtiemweh. ere, some time,
the two groups separatedP.erhaps it was a war, I've re about them in the bI ohoakvse. though I can't prove that it was the location of the city."
"Location-I don't understand."
a partial theory,
"Well, you know the junkmen, and you've seen where their city They managed to put it right in the
middle of the most savage spot this plaYneotu.
know they don't care about any living thing excc
themselves; shoot and kill is their only loSgoic.they wouldn't consic where to build their city, and managed to build it in the stupidest sj imaginaI'bmle.sure my ancestors saw how foolish this was and tn to tell them soT.hat would be reason enough for a war, wouldn't i
"It might have been-if that's really what happened," Jason sa "But I think you have the problem turned backward. It's a war betwe native Pyrran life and humans, each fighting to destroy thTe loiftehefro. rms
change continually, seeking that final destruction of t invader."
"Your theory is even wilder than mine," Rhes "sTahida.t's not in at aIll.admit that life isn't too easy on this planet-if what I have re in the books about other planets is true-but it doesn'Yt ocuhahngr et.o be fast on your feet and keep your eyes open for anythingthabnig.you, but you can survivAen. yway, it
doesn't really matter wi The junkmen always look for trouble and I'm happy to see that tF have enough."
Jason didn't try to press the poTinhte.
effort of forcing Rhes change his basic attitudes wasn't worth
it-even if possibleH. e had succeeded in convincing anyone in the city of the lethal mutations ev when they could observe all the factRs.hes could still supply inforri tion though.
"I suppose it's not important who started the battle," Jason said the other man's benefit, not meaning a word of it". But you'll have agree that the city people are permanently at war with all the local ii

Your people, though, have managed to befriend at least two species that I haDveo idea how this was done?"
syeoeun.have any
"Naxa will be here in a minute," Rhes said, pointing to the door, "as soon as he's taken care of the animals. Ask him.Fle's the best talker we have."
"Talker?”Jason asked."I had the opposite idea about hHime. didn't talk much, and what he did say was, well-a little hard to understand at times."
"Not that kind of talking," Rhes broke in impatie"nTthlye. talkers look after the animaTlsh.ey train the dogs and doryms, and the better ones like Naxa are always trying to work with otheTrhebyeadstrse.ss crudely, but they have tIo'v. e heard them say that the animals don't like chemicals, metal or tanned leather, so they wear untanned furs for the most Bpuatrt.don't let the dirt fool you, it has nothing to do with his intelligence."
"Doryms?Are those your carrying beasts-the kind we rode coming here?"
Rhes nodded". Doryms are more than pack animals, they're really a little bit of everTyhtheinlga.rge males pull the plows and other machines, while the younger animals are used foIfr ymoeuatw. ant to know more, ask Naxa, you'll find him in the barn."
"I'd like to do that," Jason said, standing"Ounply.
I feel undressed without my gun-"
"Take it, by all means, it's in that chest by theOndloyorw. atch out what you shoot around here."
Naxa was in the rear of the barn, filing down one of the spade-like toenails ofItawdaosryams.trange scene. The fur-dressed man with the great beast-and the contrast of a beryllium-copper file and electroluminescent plates lighting the worTk.he dorym opened its nostrils and pulled away when Jason entered. Naxa patted its neck and talked softly until it quieted and stood still, shivering slightly.
Something stirred in Jason's mind, with the feeling of a long unused muscle being Astrheasusendti.ngly familiar sensation.

"Good morning," Jason saiNd.axa grunted something and went back to his fiWlinagt.ching him for a
few minutes, Jason tried to analyze this new feeIltinigt.ched and slipped aside when he reached for it, escaping him.Whatever it was, it had started when Naxa had talked to the dorym.
"Could you call one of the dogs in here, NI'daxali?ke to see one closer up."
Without raising his head from his work, Naxa gave a low wJahsiostnle.was sure it couldn't have been heard outside of the barYn.et
within a minute one of the Pyrran dogs slipped quieTtlhye inta. lk rubbed the beast's head, mumbling to it, while the animal looked i tently into his eyes.
The dog became restless when Naxa turned back to work on t] Idt opryromw.led around the barn, sniffing, then moved quickly ward the open dJoaosro. n called it back.
At least he meant to calAl tit.the last moment he said nothir Nothing alOound.sudden impulse he kept
his mouth closed-on he called the dog with his mThinindk. ing the words Come here, dire ing the impulse at the animal with all the force and direction he Is ever used to manipulAatse hdeiced.id it, he realized it had been a loi time since he had even considered using his psi powers.
The dog stopped and turned back toward him.
It hesitated, looking at Naxa, then walked over to Jason.
Seen this closely, the beast was a nightmare hoTuhned.hairlc protective plates, tiny red-rimmed eyes, and countless, saliva-drippii teeth did little to inspire confideYnecet . Jason felt no feaTr.here was
rapport between man and animal that was understoWodit.hout cc scious thought, he reached out and scratched the dog along the bac where he knew it itched.
"Di'nt know y're a talker," Naxa sAaisd.he watched them, thc was friendship in his voice for the first time.

"I didn't know either-7'tntil just now," Jason
Hsaeid.looked into t eyes of the animal before him,
scratched the ridged and ugly back, a' began to understand.
The talkers must have well-developed psi facilities, that was obvioThneorwe. is no barrier of race or alien form when two creatures shr each other's emotiEomnsp.athy first, so there would be no hatred fear. After that direct communicationT.he talkers might have be the ones who first broke through the barrier of hatred on Pyrrus ai learned to live with the nativOethleifres. could have followed th.
example-this might explain how the community of "grubbers" h been formed.
Now that he was concentrating on it, Jason was aware of the s flow of thoughts arTohuend him.
consciousness of the dorym w matched by other like patterns from the rear of tHhe kbnarenw. going outside that more of the big beasts were in the field ba there.
wil out
"This is all new to me," Jason
"sHaidav. e you ever thought about NaxWa?hat does it feel like to be a
talker? I mean, do you know w it is you can get the animals to obey you while other people have luck at all?"
Thinking of this sort troubled NaHxae. ran his fingers through his thick hair and scowled as he answered. "Nev'r thought about iJt.ust do itJ. ust get t'know the beast real good, then y'can guess what they're going t'doT. hat's all."
It was obvious that Naxa had never thought about the origin of his ability to control thAenadnif als. he hadn't, probably no one else hTadh.ey had no reason tTo.hey simply accepted the powers of talkers as one of the facts of life.
Ideas slipped toward each other in his mind, like the pieces of a puzzle joiningHteoghetahdert.old Kerk that the native life of Pyrrus had joined in battle against mankind, he didn't knWowell,whhey.still didn't know why, but he was getting an idea of the "how."
"About how far are we from the ciJtays?o”n asked."Do you have an idea how long it would take us to get there by dorym?"
"Half day there-half bacWk. hy? Y'want to go?"

"I don't want to get into the city, noBt uytetI. would like to get close to it," Jason told him.
"See what Rhes says," was Naxa's answer.
Rhes granted instant permission without asking any questiTohnesy. to complete the round trip before dark.
saddled up and left at once, in order
They had been traveling less than an hour before Jason knew they were going in the direction of the city. With each minute, the feeling grew strongNear.xa was aware of it, too, stirring in the saddle with
unvoiced feelings.They had to keep touching and reassuring their mounts which were growing skittish and restless.-
"This is far enough," Jason saNida.xa gratefully pulled to a stoTph.e wordless thought beat through
Jason's mind, filling iHt. e could feel it on all sides-only much stronger ahead of them in the direction of the unseen cityN. axa and the doryms reacted in the same way, restlessly uncomfortable, not knowing the cause.
One thing was obvious noTwh.e Pyrran animals were sensitive to psi radiation-probably the plants and lower life fornis as wePlle. rhaps they communicated by it, since they obeyed the men who had a strong
control of itA.
nd in this area was a wash of psi radiation such as he had never experienced before.
Though his personal talents speciaiized in psychokinesis-the mental control of inanimate matter-he was still sensitive to most mental phenomenWa.atching a sports event, he had many times felt the unanimous accord of many minds expressing the same thouWghht.at he felt now was like that.
Only terribly differenAt.
crowd exulted at some success on the field, or groaned at a Tfhaeilufreee.ling
fluxed and changed as the game
progressed.Here the wash of thought was unending, strong am frighteIntindgid. n't translate into words very well.It was part hatred part fear-and all destruction.
"KILL THE ENEMY" was as close as Jason could exprBesust iit.was more than thAatn. river of mental outrage and death
unending

"Let's go back now," he said, suddenly battered and sickened by tb feelings he had let wash through him. As they started the return trip, Ii began to understand many things.
His sudden unspeakable fear when the Pyrran animal had attacke him that first day on tAhendplanet. his recurrent nightmares tha had never completely ceased, even with dBroutghs.of these were hi
reaction to the hatred directed at the cTithyo.ugh for some reason h hadn't felt it directly up until now, enough had reached through to hit to get a strong emotional reaction.
Rhes was asleep when they got back and Jason couldn't talk to hit until Imnosrpnitneg.of his fatigue
from the trip, he stayed awak late into the night, going over in his mind the discoveries of the da3 Could he tell Rhes what he had found oNuot?t very wellI.f he di that, he would have to explain the importance
of his discovery an what he meant to use iNt oftohri.ng that aided the city dwellers woul appeal to Rhes in the slighteSt. Best to say nothing until the entire ai fair was over.
18
After breakfast, he told Rhes that he wanted to return to th"Tehceintyyou have seen enough of our barbarian world, and wish to go back to your friTenodsh.elp them wipe us out perhapPs?.”hes said it lightly, but there was a touch of cold malice behind his words.
"I hope you don't really think that," Jason told"Yhiomu. must realize that the opposite is tIruwe.ould
like to see this civil war ended and your people getting all the benefits of science and medicine that have been withheld.I'll do everything I can to bring that about."
"They'll never change," Rhes said gloomily, "so don't waste yourBtuitmteh.ere is one thing you must do, for your protection and ouDrso. n't admit, or even hint, that you've talked to any grubbers!"
"Why not?"
"Why not-!Suffering death, are you that simpTleh!ey will do anything to see that we don't rise too high, and would much prefer to see us all dDeaod.you think they would-hesitate to kill you if they as much as suspected you had contacted usT?hey realize-even if you don't- that you can singlehandedly alter the entire pattern of power on this planTeht.e ordinary junkman may think of us as being only one step
above the animals, but the leaders doTnh't.ey know what we need and what we wTahnety. probably guess just what it is I am going to ask you.
could

"Help us, Jason dinAGh.et back among those human pigs and Slaiey. you never talked to us, that you hid in the forest and we attacked you and you had to shoot to save Wyoeu'lrlsesluf.pply some recent
corpses to make that part of your story sound gMooakde.
them believe you and, even after you think
you have them convinced, keep on acting the part because they will be watchiTnhgenyotuel.l them you have finished your work and are ready to leGaveet . safely off Pyrrus, to another planet, and I promise you anything in the universWe. hatever you want you shall havPeo.wer, money-anything.
"This is a rich planTeth.e junkmen mine and sell the metal, but we could do it muchBrbientgtera. spaceship back here and land any-
where on this continenWt. e have no cities, but our people have farn everywhere, they will finWdeyou. will then have commerce, trade on our oTwhni.s is what we all want and we will work hard for i And
you will have done promises."
Wit.hatever you want, we will givTeh.at a promise and we do not break our
The intensity and magnitude of what he described rocked HJaesok.new that Rhes spoke the truth and
the entire resources of ti planet would be his; if he did asFoarskoende.
second he was tempte savoring
the thought of what it would be lTikhee.n came realizatic that it would be a half answer, and a poor one
at that.If these peop had the strength they wanted, their first act would be the attempt destruction of the city men.The result would be bloody civil war th would probably destroy themRhbeost'hs. answer was
a good one-hi only half an answer.
Jason had to find a better solutOionne. groups of humans to live in peac
that would stop all the figi ing on this planet and allow the two
"I will do nothing to injure your people, Rhes-and everything my power to aid them," Jason said.
This half answer satisfied Rhes, who could see only one interpret tioHne osfpeitn. t the rest of the
morning on the communicator, ranging for the food supplies that were being brought to the tradir site.
"The supplies are ready and we have sent the signal," h"eTIsatirdu.ck will be here tomorrow and you will be waiting for Eit.verything arranged as I told yoYuo. u'll leave now with NaxYa.ou must rca' the meeting spot before the trucks."
19

"Trucks almost hereY. 'know what to do?N” axa asked.
Jason nodded, and looked again at the dead Smoamne.
beast had torn his arm off and he had bled to
death. The severed arm had been tied into the shirt sleeve, so from a distance it lookedSeneonrmal.
close up, this limp arm, plus the white skin and shocked expression on the face, gave Jason an unhappy sensation. He liked to see his corpses safely burHieodw. ever he could understand its impbrtance today.
"Here they'reW.
ait until his back's turned," Naxa whispered.
The armored truck had three powered trailers in tow thisThtiemetr.ain ground up the rock slope and whined to a stopK. rannon climbed out of the cab and looked carefully around before opening up the trailers. He had a lift robot along to help him with the loading.
"Now!”Naxa hissed.
Jason burst into the clearing, running, shouting Krannon's nTahmeere.
was a crackling behind him as
two of the hidden men hurled the corpse through the foliage afteHr ehitmur.ned and fired without stopping, setting the thing afire in midair.
There was the crack of another gun as Krannon fired; his shot jarred the twice-dead corpse before it hit the ground.Then he was lying prone, firing into the trees behind the running Jason.
Just as Jason reached the truck, there was a whirring in the air and hot pain ripped into his back, throwing him to the grounHd.e looked around as Krannon dragged him through the door, and saw the metal shaft of a crossbow bolt sticking out of his shoulder.
"Lucky," the Pyrran sai"dA. n inch lower would have got your heIarwt.arned you about those grubbers. You're lucky to get off with only thHise.” lay next to the door and snapped shots into the now quiet wood.
Taking out the bolt hurt much more than it had goJiansgonin.cursed the pain as Krannon put on a dressing, and admired the singleness of purpose of the people who had shTothehyimh.ad risked his life to make his escape look reAaln. d also risked the chance that he might

turn against them after being shToht.ey did a job completely and thc oughly and he cursed them for their efficiency.
Krannon climbed warily out of the truck, after Jason was bandage Finishing the loading quickly, he
started the train of trailers back t ward the Jcaistoyn. started.
had an anti-pain shot and dozed off as soon as th.
While he slept, Krannon must have radioed ahead, because Kerk w waiting when theyAasrrsivoeodn. as the truck entered the penimett he threw open the door and dragged JasTohne obuatn.dage pulli and
Jason felt the wound tear opeHne. hearing him cry out.
ground his teeth together; Kei would not have the satisfaction of
"I told you to stay in the buildings until the shWiphlyeftd.id y leaveW? hy did you go outsideY?ou talked to the grubbers-didn't you With each question he shook Jason again.
"I didn't talk to-anyoneJ.”ason managed to get the words o"uTth. until the trucks came back."
tried to take me, I shot two-hid out
"Got another one then," Krannon sa"iId.saw itG.
ood shootin Think I got some tLooet.
him go, Kerk,
they shot him in the back F fore he could reach the truck."
That's enough explanations, Jason thought to himsDeolfn. 't overt itL. et him make up his mind later. Now's the time to change the sir jTehcte.re's one thing that will get his mind off the grubbers.
"I've been fighting your war for you, Kerk, while you stayed safe inside the peJraimsoenterle.”aned back against the side of the truck the other loosened his"I'gvreipf.ound out what your battle with di
planet is really about-and how you can wiNn oiwt.
let me sit dow and I'll tell you."
More Pyrrans had come up while they talNkeodn.e of them mov nowL.ike Kerk, they stood frozen,
looking at JasonW.
hen Kerk mike he spoke for all of them.
'What do you mean?&

"Just what I saiPdy. rrus is fighting you-actively and conscious] Get far enough out from this city and you can feel the waves of hato that are directed Naot , itt.hat's wrong-you can't because you" grown up with
it. But I can, and so could anyone else with any sort psi sensTithievriety.is a message of war being beamed against y constantlyT.he life forms of this planet are psi-sensitive, and respoi to thatToherdyer.
attack and change and mutate for your destructio And they'll keep on doing so until you are all dead. Unless you e stop the war."
"How?”Kerk snapped the word and every face echoed the questio
"By finding whoever or whatever is sending that mesTsahgee.Ii
forms that attack you have no reasoning intelligeTnhcey.
are being ordered to do Isot.hink I know
how to find the source of these ordAerfste. r that, it will be a matter of getting across a message, asking for a truce and an eventual end to all hostilities."
A dead silence followed his words as the Pyrrans tried to comprehend thKe eirdkeams.oved first, waving them all away.
"Go back to your worTkh.is is my responsibility and I'll take care
Aofs ist.oon as I find out what truth
there is here-if any-I'll make a complete repoTrht.e”
went.
20
people drifted away silently, looking back as they
"From the beginning now," Kerk sa"iAd.nd leave out nothin". There is very little more that I can add to
the physical factsI.
s. the animals, understood the messagIe.even experimented with some them and
they reacted to my mental commandWs.hat I must do now track down the source of the orders that keep this war going.
"I'll tell you something that I have never told anyoneI'melsre.only lucky at gamblinIgh. ave enough psi
ability to alter probability my favIotr's.
an erratic ability that I have tried to improve for obvic reasons.
During the past ten years I managed to study at all of the c ters that do psCi ormespearcehd. to other fields of knowledge it amazing how little they knBoawsi.c psi talents can be improved practice, and some machines have been devised that act as psioi ampliOfienres.of these, used correctly, is a very good directional dicator."

"You want to build this machinKe?e”rk asked.
"Exactly.Build it and take it outside the city in theAsnhyip.sigi strong enough to keep this centuries-old battle going should be stro enough to track doI'wllnf.ollow it, contact the creatures who are set ing it, and try to find out why they are doinIgasits.ume you'll go alo with any reason. aeb.plan that will end
this war?"
"Anything reasonable," Kerk said cold"lyH.ow long will it take y to build this machine?"
"Just a few days, if you have all the partshere," Jason told him.
"Then do iIt.'m canceling the flight that's leaving now and I'll kc the ship here, readWy hteongtoh.e machine is built, I want you track the signal and report back to me."
"Agreed," Jason said, standing u"pA.s soon as I have this hole in i back looked at, I'll draw up a list of things needed."
A grim, unsmiling man named Skop was assigned to Jason as a cc bination guide aHnde tgouoakrdh. is job very seriously, and it did take Jason long to realize that he was a prisonerK-aet-rlkargFe.
accepted his story, but that was no guarantee that he belieAvet da its.ingle word from him, the guard could turn executioner.
The chill thought hit Jason that undoubtedly this'was what would eventually hWaphpeetnh.er Kerk accepted the story or not, he couldn't afford to take a cAhasncloen. g as there was the slightest possibility Jason had contacted the grubbers, he could not be allowed to leave the planTehtealive. woods people were being simple if they thought a plan this obvious might sOucrcehead they just gambled on the very long chance it might wTorhke?y certainly had nothing to lose by it.
Only half of Jason's mind was occupied with the work as he drew up a list of materials he would need for the psionic direction findeHr.is thoughts plodded in tight circles, searching for a way out that didn't
exiSt. He was too deeply involved now to just lKeaevrek.
would see to thaUt.nless he could find a way
to end the war and settle the grubber question, he was marooned on PyrrusAfovrelriyfes. hort life.

When the list was ready, he called SupWpliyth.
a few substitutions, everything he might possibly need
was in stock, and would be sent oSvekro.p sank into an apparent doze in his chair and Jason, his head propped against the pull of gravity by one arm, began a working sketch of his machine.
Jason looked up suddenly, aware of the sileHncee.could hear machinery in the building and voices in
the hall outsideW.
hat kind of silence then-?
Mental silenceH.
e had been so preoccupied since his return to the city that he hadn't noticed the
complete lack of any kind of psi sensatTiohne.
constant wash of animal reactions was missing, as was
the vague tactile awareness of his PWKi.th sudden realization, he remembered that it was always this way inside the city.
He tried to listen with his mind-and stopped almost before he Tbheegraen.was a constant press of thought about him that he was made aware of when he reacheItd woaust. like being in a vessel far beneath the ocean, with your hand on the door that held back the frightening pTroeusscuhrine.g the
door, without opening it, you could feel the stresses, the power pushing in and waiting to cIrtush you. was this way with the psi pressure in theTchiety.unvoiced hate-filled screams of Pyrrus would instantly destroy any mind that received theSmo.me function of his brain acted as a psi circuit breaker, shutting off awareness before his mind could be blastTedh.ere was just enough leakthrough to keep him aware of
the pressure-and supply the raw materials for his constant nightmares.
There was only one fringe beneTfiht.e lack of thought pressure
made it easier for him to concentrIantes. pite of his fatigue, the d gram developed swiftly.
Meta arrived late that afternoon, bringing the parts he had orderc She slid the long box onto the workbench, started to speak, but chang her mind and said noJthasinogn. looked up at her and smiled.
"Confused?”he asked.
"I don't know what you mean," she canceled and our supply schedule b'e.
"saI'imd. not confusedJ. ust r noyedT. he regular trip has been
thrown off for months to comAen.d instead of piloting or perimel
assignment all I am allowed to do is stand around and wait for yc Then take some silly flight following your directions.Do you wond that I'm annoyed?"

Jason carefully set the parts out on the chassis before he "spIoksaei.d, you're confuseId.can point out how you're confused-whi will make you even more confuAsedte.mptation that I frankly fr hard to resist."
She looked across the bench at him, frowning, one finger uncc sciously curling and uncurling a short lock of hair.Jason liked her ti waAy.s a Pyrran operating at full blast, she had as much personality a gear in a machine. Once out of that pattern she reminded him mc of the girl he had known on that first flight to Pyrrus. He wondered it was possible to really get across to her what he meant.
"I'm not being insulting when I say 'confused,' MWeith. ye background you couldn't be any other way. You have an insular p sonaliAtyd. mittedly, Pyrrus is an unusual island with a lot opfowhie.r problems
that you are an expert at solviTngh.at doesn't make any less of an islaWndh.en you face a cosmopolitan problem, you conf usedO. r even worse, when your island problems are put intc bigger coTnhtaetx'st.
like playing your own game, only having t rules change constantly as you go along."
"You're talking nonsense," she snapped at h"iPmy.rrus isn't an islai and battling for survival is definitely not a game."
"I'm sorry," he smile"dI.
was using a figure of speech, and a bac chosen one Laet t'tshaptu. t the
problem on more concrete termTs.a an exampleS. uppose I were to tell you that over there, hanging fr the doorframe, was a stingwing-"
Meta's gun was pointing at the door before he finished the last wo There was a crash as the guard's chai went over.He had jumped fr a half-doze to full alertness in an instant, his gun also searching t doorframe.
"That was just an example," Jason s"aTidh.ere's really nothi
there.”The guard's gun vanished and he scowled a look of contempt at Jason, as he righted the chair and dropped into it.
"You both have proved yourself capable of handling a Pyrran problem," Jason con"Btinuut ewd.hat if I
said that there is a thing hanging from the doorframe that looks like a stingwing, but is really a kind of large insect that spins a fine silk that can be used to weave clothes?"

The guard glared from under his thick eyebrows at the empty doorframe, his gun whined part way out,
then snapped back into the ho!stHere.
growled something inaudible at Jason, then stamped into the
outer room, slamming the door behind hMime.ta frowned in concentration and looked puzzled.
"It couldn't be anything except a stingwing," she finally"Nsaoitdh.ing else could possibly look like that. And even if it didn't spin silk, it would bite if you got near, so you would haveShteo skmillileidt.”with satisfaction at the indestructible logic of her answer.
"Wrong again," Jason sai"dI. just described the mimic-spinner that lives on Stover's PlIat niemt.itates
the most violent forms of life there, does such a good job that it has no need for otheIrt'lldesfitenses. quietly on your hand and spin for you by the yIfardI . dropped a shipload of them here'on Pyrrus, you never could be sure when to shoot, could you?"
"But they arc not here now," Meta insisted.
"Yet they could be quite easAilyn.d if they were, all the rules of your game would cGhaenttgineg.
the
idea now?There are some fixed laws and rules in the galaxy-but they're not the ones youYoliuvre by. rule is war unending with the local Ilifwe.ant to step outside your rule book and end thaWt woualrd.n't
you like that?Wouldn't you like an existence that was more than just an endless battle for sAurvliifveal?
with a chance for happiness, love, music, art-all the enjoyable things you have never had the time for."
All the Pyrran sternness was gone from her face as she listened to what he said, letting herself follow
these alien conceptsH.
e had put his hand out automatically as he talked, and had takeInt whearss.
warm and her pulse fast to his touch.
Meta suddenly became conscious of his hand and snapped hers away, rising to her feet at the same time. As she started blindly toward the door, Jason's voice snapped after her.
"The guard, Skop, ran away because he didn't want to lose his precious two-valIute's laolgl ich.e has. But you've seen other parts of the galaxy, Meta, you know there is a lot more to life than
kill-and-be-killed on PyrrusY. ou feel it is true, even if you won't admit it."
She turned and ran out the door.

Jason looked after her, his hand scraping the bristle on his chin thoug"hMtfeutlaly, .I have the faint hope that the woman is winning over the PyrIratnh.ink that I saw-perhaps for the first time in the history of this bloody, wartorn city-a tear in one of its citizen's eyes."
Li
"Drop that equipment and Kerk will undoubtedly pull both your arms off," Jas"oHne'ssaiodv. er there now, looking as sorry as possible that I ever talked him into this."
Skop cursed under the bulky mass of the psi detector, passing it up to Meta who waited in the open port of the spaceshipJ.ason supervised the loading and blasted all the local life that came to investigate. Horndevils were thick this morning and he shot four of Htheemw.as last aboard and closed the lock
behind him.
"Where are you going to install Mit?e”ta asked.
"You tell me," Jason sa"idI . need a spot for the antenna where there will be no dense metal in front of the bowl to interfere with the signTahl.in plastic will do or, if worst comes to worst, I can mount it outside the hull with a remote drive."
"You may have to," she sa"iTdh. e hull is an unbroken unit; we do all viewing by screen and instruments. I don't think-wait-there is one place that might do."
She led the way to a bulge in the hull that marked one of the Tlhifeeybowatesn. t in through the always-open lock, Skop struggling after them with the apparatus.
"These lifeboats are half buried in the ship," Meta expl"aTinheedy.
have transparent front ports covered
by friction shields that withdraw automatically when the boat is launched."
"Can we pull back the shields now?"

"I think so," she saSidh.e traced the launching circuits to a junction box and opened tWhehelnid.she closed the shield relay manually, the heavy plates slipped back into thTehehruell.was a clear view, since most of the viewport projected beyond the parent ship.
"Perfect," Jason said".I'll set up hereN. ow how do I talk to you in the ship?"
"Bight here," she sai"dT. here's a pretuned setting on this communicaDtoor.n't touch anything else-and particularly not this switch.S”he pointed to a large pull-handle set square into the center of the control
board."Emergency launching.Two seconds after that is pulled, t lifeboat is shotAfnrdee.it so happens this boat has no fuel."
"Hands off for sure," Jason sa"iNd.ow have Husky there run me a line with ship's power and I'll get this stuff set up."
The detector was simple, though the tuning had to be pdreischis-seh. aped antenna pulled in the signal
for the delicately balanc detectoTr.here was a sharp falloff on both sides of the input so din tion could be precisely determined.The resulting signal was fed to amplifier staUgnel.ike the electronic components of
the first stage, ti one was drawn in symbols on white Cparpeefru.lly glued-on inf and output leads ran to ft.
When everything was ready and clamped into place, Jason nodd to Meta's image on th"eTaskcereen.
her up-and easy, pleaseN. o of your nine-G specialGs.o into a slow circle around the perimeter, a till tell you differently."
Under steady power the ship lifted and grabbed for altitude, th eased into its circulaTrhecyoumrsea.de five circuits of the city befc Jason shook his head.
"The thing seems to be working fine, but we're getting too mu noise from all theGleotcathl irltiyfe. kilometers out from the city a start a new circuit."
The results were better this timAe.powerful signal came fr the direction of the city, confined to less than

a degree of arcW. ith antenna fixed at a right angle to the direction of the ship's flight, signal was fairly constant. Meta rotated the ship on its main axis, ur Jason's lifeboat was directly below.
"Going fine now," he sa"idJu. st hold your controls as they are a keep the nose from drifting."
Af.er making a careful mark on the setting circle, Jason turned i receiving antenna through i 8o° of arc.
As the ship kept to its circ he made a slow collecting sweep of any signals beamed Tati halfway around before he got a new signal.
twherecity.
It was there all right, narrow but strJounsgt. to be sure, he let I ship complete two more sweeps, and he
noted the direction on the gy compass each tTimhey.
coincided.The third time around he cal to Meta.
"Get ready for a full right turn, or whatever you Icathllinikt. I hr our bearinGge. t ready-now."
It was a slow turn and Jason never lost the
Asignfeawl.
times it w ered, but he brought it back on.
When the compass settled down, M pushed on more power.
They set their course toward the native Pyrrans.
An hour's flight at close to top atmospheric speed brought no cMhaentagec. omplained, but Jason kept
her on courseT. he signal never varied and was slowly picking up streTnhgethy.
crossed the chain of
volcanoes that marked the continental limits, the ship bucking in the fierce thOernmcaelst.he shore was behind and they were over water, Skop joined Meta in grumHbleingk.ept his turret spinning, but there was very little to shoot at this far from land.
When the islands came over the horizon, the signal began to dip.
"Slow now," Jason calle"dT. hose islands ahead look like our source!"
A continent had been here once, floating on Pyrrus's liquidPrceosrseu.res changed, land masses shifted, and the continent had sunk beneath the oceAalnl . that was left now of the teeming life of that land mass

was confined to a chain of islands, once the mountain peaks of the highest range of mTohuensteains.
islands, whose sheer sides rose straight from the water, held the last inhabitants of the lost
Tcohnetinent.
weeded-out descendants of the victors of uncountable violent contHesetrse. Pyrrans.
lived the oldest native
"Come in lower," Jason signaled, "toward that large pTehaek.signals seem to originata there."
They swooped low over the mountain, but nothing was visible other than the trees and sunblasted rock.
The pain almost took Jason's head Aoffb. last of hatred that drove through the amplifier and into his skull. He tore off the phones and clutched his skull between his hTanhdros.ugh watering eyes, he saw the black cloud of flying beasts hurtle up from the trees bHeelohwa.d a single glimpse of the hillside beyond before Meta blasted power to the engines and the ship leaped away.
"We've found them!H” er fierce exultation faded as she saw Jason through the communi"cAatroer.you all right?What happened?"
"Feel... burned out... I've felt a psi blast before, but nothing like thati I had a glimpse of an opening, looked like a cave mouth, just before the blasSt eheimt. ed to come from there."
"Lie down," Meta sai"dI.'ll get you back as fast as I Ic'man.calling ahead to KerHk.e has to know what happened."
A group of men were waiting in the landing station when they camTe hdeoywsnt.ormed out as soon as the ship touched, shielding their faces from the still-hot tKubeersk. burst in as soon as the port was cracked, peering around until he spotted Jason stretched out on an acceleration couch.
"Is it true?h”e barked."You've traced the alien criminals who started this war?"
"Slow, man, slow," Jason sa"idI'.ve traced the source of the psi message that keeps your war I'gvoeing.
found no evidence as to who started this war, and certainly wouldn't go so far as to call them criminals...

."
"I'm tired of your word play," Kerk brok"eYionu.'ve found these creatures and their location has been marked."
"On the chart," Meta said, "I could fly there blindfolded."
'Pine, fine," Kerk said, rubbing his hands together so hard they could hear the harsh rasp of the calluses. "It takes a real effort to grasp the idea that, after all these centuries, the war might be coming to an end. But it's possible nowI.nstead of simply killing off these self-renewing legions of the damned that attack
us, we can get to the leadeSresa. rch them out, carry the war to them for a change-and blast their stain from the face of this planet!"
"Nothing of the sortJ!”ason said, sitting up with an eff"oNrt.othing doing!Since I came to this planet I have been knocked around, and risked my life ten times Dooveyr.ou think I have done this just to satisfy your bloodthirsty ambitionsI?t's peace I'm after-not destructioYn.ou promised to contact these creatures, attempt to negotiate with theAmr.en't you a man of honor who keeps his word?"
"I'll ignore the insult-though I'd have killed you for it at any other time," K"eYroku'svaeid.been of great service to our people, we are not ashamed to acknowledge an honesAt tdethbet. same time, do not accuse me of breaking promises that I never mIadrec. all my exact wordIs.promised to go along with any reasonable plan that would end this wTahra.t is just what I intend to dYoo. ur plan to negotiate a peace is not reasonableT. herefore we are going to destroy the enemy."
"Think first," Jason called after Kerk, who had turned to "lWeahvaet. is wrong with trying negotiation or an armistice?Then, if that fails, you can tryuryw. ay."
The compartment was getting crowded as other Pyrrans pusheKderikn,. almost to the door, turned back to face Jason.
"I'll tell you what's wrong with armistice," he "sIat'isd.a coward's way out, that's what iItt'sisa. ll right
for you to suggest it, you're from off-world and don't know anyBbuetttedro.
you honestly think I could
entertain such a defeatist notion for one instaWnth?en I speak, I speak not only for myself, but for all of us here.We don't mind fighting, and we know how to Wdoe itk.now that if this war was over, we could build a better world herAe.t the same time, if we have the choice of continued war or a cowardly

peace-we vote for warT. his war will only be over when the enemy is utterly destroyed!"
The listening Pyrrans murmured in agreement, and Jason had to
shout to be heard above the"mTh. at's really wonderfulI.
bet you even think it's originBaul.t don't you
hear all that cheering offstageT?hose are the spirits of every saber-rattling sonofabitch that ever plugged for noble warT. hey even recognize the old slogaWn.e're on the side of light, and the enemy is a creature of darkness.And it doesn't matter a damn if the other side is saying the samYeotuh'vineg.still got the
same old words that have been killing people since the birth of the humAan 'craocwea. rdly peace,'
that's a good oneP.eace means not being at war, not fightHinogw.
can you have a cowardly not-fighting.
What are you trying to hide with this semantic confuYsiou?r real reasons?I can't blame you for being ashamed of them-I would bWe. hy don't you just come out and say you are keeping the war going because you enjoy killingS?eeing things die makes you and your murderers happy, and you want to make them happier still!"
There was a sensed but unvoiced pressure in the siTlehnecye. waited for Kerk to speaHke. white-faced with anger, held tightly under control.
was
"You're right, JasonW. e like to kilAl. nd we're doing to kiEll.verything on this planet that ever fought us is going to dieW. e're going to enjoy doing it very much."
He turned and left while the weight of his words still hung inThtheereasirt. followed, talking excitedly. Jason slumped back on the couch, exhausted and defeated.
When he looked up they were gone-all except MSheets.had the same look of bloodthirsty elation as the others, but it drained away when she glanced at him.
"What about it, Mets?h”e snapped."No doubts?Do you think that destruction is the only way to end this war?"
"I don't know," she sa"idI. can't be sureF.or the first time in my life, I find myself with more than one answer to the same question."
"Congratulations," he said bitterl"yI.t's a sign of growing up."

22
Jason stood to one side and watched the deadly cargo being loaded into the hold oTf htehe ship. Pyrrans were in good humor as they stowed away riot guns, grenades and gasWbhoemnbsth. e
back-pack atom bomb was put aboard, one of them broke into a marching song, and the others picked it up.Maybe they were happy, but the approaching carnage only filled Jason with an intenseHgeloom.
felt that somehow he was a traitor to Pleifreh.aps the life form he had found needed destroying-and
perhaps it didn'tW.
ithout making the slightest attempt at conciliation, destruction would be plain murder.
Kerk came out of the operations building and the starter pumps could be heard whining inside the ship. They would leave within minuteJsa.son forced himself into a foot-dragging rush and met Kerk halfway to
the ship.
"I'm coming with you, KeYrko. u owe me at least that much for finding them."
Kerk hesitated, not liking the id"eTah. is is an operational mission," he sa"iNd.o room for observers, and the extra weight... And it's too late itpo uss., Jason, you know that."
"You Pyrrans are the worst liars in the universe," Jason"Wsaeidb. oth know that ship can lift ten times the amount it's carrying todaNy.ow, do you let me come, or forbid me without reason at all?"
"Get aboard," Kerk sai"dB. ut keep out of the way or you'll get trampled."
This time, with a definite destination ahead, the ffight was muchMfaestatert.ook the ship into the stratosphere, in a high ballistic arc that ended at the isKlaenrdks. was in the copilot's seat, Jason sat
behind them where he could watch the screTenhse.
landing party, twenty-five volunteers, were in the
hold below with the weaponAs.ll the screens in the ship were switched to the forward vTiehweyer. watched the green island appear and swell, then vanish behind the flames of the braking rockets. Jockeying the ship carefully, Mets brought it down on a flat shelf near the cave mouth.
Jason was ready this time for the blast of mental hatred-but it sTtilhlehguurtn.ners laughed and killed gleefully as every animal on the island closed in on theThsehyip.were slaughtered by the thousands, and still more came.

"Do you have to do thiJsa?s”on asked."It's murder, carnage, just butchering those beasts like that."
"Self-defense," Kerk said".They attack us and they get killWedh. at could be simplerN. ow shut up or
I'll throw you out there with them."
It was a half an hour before the gunfire slackAenimd.als still attacked them, but the mass assaults seemed to be overK. erk spoke into the intercom.
"Landing party away-and watch your stTeph.ey know we're here and will make it as hot as they can. Take the bomb into that cave and see how far back iWt reuncsa.n always blast them from the air, but
it'll do no good if they're dug into solid Kroecekp. once if I tell you Ntoo. w move."
your screen open, leave the bomb and pull back at
The men swarmed down the ladders and formed into open battle formThaetiyonw. ere soon under
attack, but the beasts were picked off before they could get Itclodsiden. 't take long for the man at point to reach the caveH. e had his pickup trained in front of him, and the watchers in the ship followed the advance.
"Big cave," Kerk grunte"dS. lants back and downW. hat I was afraid oBf.omb dropped on that would just close it upW. ith no guarantee that anything sealed in it couldn't eventually geWt eo'lult.have to see how far down it goes."
There was enough heat in the cave now to use the infraredThfielterrosc. k walls stood out harshly black and white as the advance continued.
"No signs of life since entering the cave," the officer rep"oGrnteadw. ed bones at the entrance and some bat droppings.It looks like a natural cave-so far."
Step by step the advance continued, slowing as it Iwnseennt.sitive as the Pyrrans were to psi pressure,
even they were aware of the blast of hatred being continuously leveled aJtasthoenm, had a headache that slowly grew worse instead of better.
.back in the ship,

"Watch out!”Kerk shouted, staring at the screen with horror.
The cave was filled from wall to wall with pallid, eyeless aTnihmeyalsp. oured from tiny side passages and seemed to literally emerge from the grouTnhde.ir front ranks dissolved in flame, but more kept pressing in.On the screen the watchers in the ship saw the cave spin dizzily as the opePraatloer fell. bodies washed up and concealed the lens.
"Close ranks-flamethrowers and gasK!”erk bellowed into the mikLe.ess than half of the men were alive after that first attackT.he survivors, protected by the flamethrowers, set off the gas grenTahdeeirs.
sealed battle armor protected them while the section of cave filled wiSthomgeaos.ne dug through the bodies of their attackers and found the pickup.
"Leave the bomb there and withdraw," Kerk orde"rWede.'ve had enough losses already."
A different man stared out of the scrTehene. officer was dead".Sorry, sir," he said, "but it will be just as easy to push ahead as back as long as the gas grenades hoWlde'roeutt.oo close now to pull back."
"That's an order," Kerk shouted, but the man was gone from the screen and the advance continued.
Jason's fingers hurt where he had them clamped to the chaHir earpmu.lled them loose and massaged them. On the screen the black-andwhite cave flowed steadily toward tMheimnu.te after minute went by this way.Each time the animals attacked again, a few more gas grenades were used up.
"Something ahead-looks different," the panting voice cracked from the speTahkeern. arrow cave slowly opened out into a gigantic chamber, so large the roof and far walls were lost in the distance.
"What are those?K” erk asked."Get a searchlight over to the right there."
The picture on the screen was fuzzy and hard to see now, dimmed by the layers of rock in between. Details couldn't be made out clearly, but it was obvious this was something unusual.

"Never saw-anything quite like them before," the speaker "sLaoido.k like big plarttso. f some kind, ten meters tall at least-yet they're movinTgh.ose branches, tentacles or whatever they are, keep pointing toward us and I get the darkest feeling in my head... ."
"Blast one, see what happens," Kerk said.
The gun fired and at the same instant an intensified wave of mental hatred rolled over the men, dropping them to the groundT.hey rolled in pain, blacked out and unable to think or fight the underground beasts
that poured over them in renewed attack.
In the ship, far above, Jason felt the shock to his mind and wondered how the men below could have lived through itT. he others in the control room had been hit by it aKs ewrkellp. ounded on the frame of
the screen and shouted to the unhearing men below.
"Pull back, come back... ."
It was too latTe.he men only stirred slightly as the victorious Pyrran animals washed over them, clawing for the joints in their armOorn. ly
one man moved, standing up and beating the creatures away with his bareHehasntdusm. bled a few
feet and bent over the writhing mass below Whimith.
a heave of his shoulders, he pulled another man up.
The man was dead but his shoulder pack was still strapped to hiBs loboadcyk. fingers fumbled at the pack, then both men were washed back under the wave of death.
"That was the bombK!”erk shouted to Meta".If he didn't change the setting, it's still on ten-second minimum. Get out of here!"
Jason had just time to fall back on the acceleration couch before the rocketsThbelasptereds.sure leaned on him and kept mountinVgi.sion blacked out but he didn't lose consciousnAesisr. screamed across the hull, then the sound stopped as they left the atmosphere behind.
Just as Mets cut the power, a glare of white light burst from theTshceryeetnusr.ned black instantly as the hull pickups burned ouSt.he switched filters into place, then pressed the button that rotated new pickups into position.,

Far below, in the boiling sea, a climbing cloud of mushroom-shaped flame filled the spot where the island had been seconds beforeT. he three of them looked at it, silent and unmoKvienrgk. recovered first.
"Head for home, Mets, and get operations on the scTrweeenn.tyfive men dead, but they did their job. They knocked out those beasts- whatever they were-and ended theI wcanr.'t think of a better way for a man to die."
Meta set the orbit, then called operations.
"Trouble getting through," she sa"idI . have a robot landing beam response, but no one is answering the call."
A man appeared on the empty screHeen. was beaded with sweat and had a harried look in his eyes.
"Kerk," he said, "is that yoGu?et the ship back here at onWcee.
need her firepower at the perimeter.
All blazes broke loose a minute ago, a general attack from every side, worse than I've ever seen."
"What do you mean?K”erk stammered in unbelief".The war is overW. e blasted them, destroyed their headquarters completely."
"The war is going like it never has gone before," the other snappe"dI dboanck't. know what you did,
but it stirred up the stewpot of hell hNeorew.
stop talking and get the ship back!"
Kerk turned slowly to face Jason, his face pulled back in a look of raw animal savagery.
"You!You did it!I should have killed you the first time I sawI ywoaun. ted to, now I know I was right. You've been like a plague since you came here, sowing death in every diIrekcntieown. you were wrong,
yet I let your twisted words convince Amned.
look what has
happened.First you killed WelfT.hen you murdered those men in the caNvoew. perimeter-all who die there, you will have killed!"
this attack on the

Kerk advanced on Jason, step by slow step, hatred twisting his feJaatsuornes.backed away until he could retreat no further, his shoulders against the chart Kcaesrek.'s hand lashed out, not a fighting blow, but an open slapT.hough Jason rolled with it, it still battered him and stretched him full length on the
floor. His arm was against the chart case, his fingers near the sealed tubes that held the jump matrices.
Jason seized one of the heavy tubes with both hands and pulledHeit sowuut.ng it with all his strength into Kerk's faceI.t broke the skin on his cheekbone and forehead and blood ran from tBheut ciut ts.
didn't slow or stop the big man in the slighteSt. His smile held no mercy as he reached down and dragged
Jason to his feet.
"Fight back," he said, "I will have that much more pleasure as I kHilel ydoreuw.”
that would tear Jason's head from his shoulders.
back the granite fist
"Go ahead," Jason said and stopped struggl"inKgil.l me.You can do it easilOy.nly don't call it justice. Weif died to save mBe.ut the men on the island died because of your stupIidwitayn. ted peace and you wanted war.Now you have iKt. ill me to soothe your conscience, because the truth is something you can't face up to."
With a bellow of rage, Kerk drove the piledriver fist down.
Mets grabbed the arm in both her hands and hung on, pulling it aside before the blow Tcohueld land. three of them fell together, half crushing Jason.
"Don't do it,"h.e screamed."Jason didn't want those men to go down thTehraet. can't kill him for that!"
was your ideaY. ou
Kerk, exploding with rage, was past hearHineg.turned his attention to Meta, tearing her from Shhiem.
was a woman and her supple strength was meager compared to his great mBuustclsehse.
was a Pyrran
woman and she did what no off-wonder coSuhlde. slowed him for a moment, stopped the fury of his attack until he could rip her hands loose and throw her Itasdididen. 't take him long to do this, but it was just time enough for Jason to get to the door.
Jason stumbled through and jammed shut the lock behindAhismpl.it second after he had driven the bolt home, Kerk's weight plunged into the doTohr.e metal screamed and bent, giving wOayn.e hinge was
torn loose and the other held only by a shred of Imt ewtaolu. ld go down on the next blow.

Jason wasn't waiting for thHate. on the ship could stop him.
hadn't stayed to see if the door would stop the raging PNyorradno.or
Fast as possible, Jason went down the gangwThayer.e was no safety on the ship, which meant he had to get off iTt.he lifeboat deck was just ahead.
Ever since first seeing them, he had given a lot of thought to the Tlihfeobuogahts.he hadn't looked
ahead to this situation, he knew a time might come when he would need transportation ofTheis own. lifeboats had seemed to be the best bet, except that Meta had told him they hadShneo hfaudel.been
right in one thing: the boat he had been in had empty tanks, he had Tchercekewd.ere five other boats, though, that he hadn't examineHd.e had wondered about the idea of useless lifeboats and come to what
he hoped
a. s a correct conclusion.
This spaceship was the only one the PyrransMheatda.
had told him once that they always had planned
to buy another ship, but never dSiodm.
e other necessary war expense managed to come up firSt. One
ship was really enough for their usTehs.e only difficulty lay in the fact they had to keep that ship in operation or the Pyrran city was deWadi.thout supplies they would be wiped out in a few months. Therefore the ship's crew couldn't conceive of abandoning their Nshoipm. atter what kind of trouble she got into, they couldn't leave hWer.hen the ship died, so did their world.
With this kind of thinking, there was no need to keep the lifeboatsNfoutelaeldl .of them, at leaSt.
Though it stood to reason at least one of them held fuel for short flights that would have been wasteful for
the parent shipA.
t this point, Jason's chain of logic grew wTeoaok. many "ifs.”If they used the lifeboats
at all, one of them should be fueIlfedt.hey did, it would be fueled nAownd.
if it were fueled- which one
of the six would it bJea?son had no time to go lookiHnge. had to be right the first time.
His reasoning had supplied him with an answer, the last of a long line of supIpfoasitiboonast. fueled, it should be the one nearest to the control cTahbeino. ne he was diving toward noHwis. depended on this string of guesses.
were life
Behind him the door went down with a cKraesrhk. bellowed and leapedJ.ason hurled himself through the lifeboat port with the nearest thing to a run he could manage under the doubledWgitrhavbitoyth. hands he grabbed the emergency launching handle and pulled down.
An alarm bell rang and the port slammed shut, literally in KerkO'snlfyache.is Pyrran reflexes saved him from being smashed by it.

Solid fuel launchers exploded and blasted the lifeboat clear of the pareTnthesihripb.rief acceleration slammed Jason to the deck, then he floated as the boat went into fTrehee fmalal.in-drive rockets didn't fire.
In that moment Jason learned what it was like to know he waWs itdheoaudt. fuel the boat would drop into the jungle below, falling like a rock and blasting apart whenThiet rehitw. as no way out.
Then the rockets caught, roared, and he dropped to the deck, bruising hHise nsoaste.up, rubbing it
and grinning.There was fuel in the tanks-the delay in starting had only been part of the launching cycle,
giving the lifeboat time to fall clear of the Nshoiwp. to get it under contrHole. pilot's seat.
pulled himself into the
The altimeter had fed information to the autopilot, leveling the boat off parallel to thLe ikgeroaulnld. lifeboat controls these were childishly simple, designed to be used by novices in an emTerhgeency. autopilot could not be shut off; it rode along with the manual controls, tempering foolishJapsiloonting. hauled the control wheel into a tight turn and the autopilot gentled it to a soft curve.
Through the port, he could see the big ship blaring fire in a much tighJtaesrotnurnd.idn't know who was flying it or what they had in mind-he took no chJaanmcemsi.ng the wheel forward into a dive, he
cursed as they eased into a gentle drTohpe.
larger ship had no such restrictioInt s.changed course with a
violent maneuver and dived on hiTmh.e forward turret fired and an explosion at the stern rocked the little boat. This either knocked out the autopilot or shocked it into submiTsshieons.low drop turned into a
power dive and the jungle billowed up.
Jason pulled the wheel back into his gut and there was just time to get his arms in front of his face befor they hit.
Thundering rockets and cracking trees ended in a great sSplialesnhc.e followed and the smoke drifted away. High above, the spaceship circled hesitantDlyr.opping a bit as if wanting to go down and
investigate. Then rising again as the urgent message for aid came from çhLeoycaitlyty. turned and spewed fire toward home.
23
won and she

Tree branches had brokenhe. lifeboat's fall, the bow rockets had burned out in emergency blast, and the swamp had cushioned the landing a Itbitw. as still a crasTh.he battered cylinder sank slowly into the
stagnant water and thin mud of the swaTmhpe. the emergency hatch in the waist.
bow was well under before Jason managed to kick open
There was no way of knowing how long it would take for the boat to go under, and Jason was in no condition to ponder the situatioBn.attered and bloody, he had just enough drive left to get himself out. Wading and falling, he made his way to firmer land, sitting down heavily as soon as he found something that would support him.
Behind him, the lifeboat burbled and sank under the wBautbebr.les of trapped air kept rising for awhile,
then stopped.The water stilled and, except for the broken branches and trees, there was no sign that a ship had ever come this way.
Insects whined across the swamp, and the only sound that broke the quiet of the woods beyond was the cruel scream of an animal pulling down its dinWnehre.n that had echoed away in tiny waves of sound
everything was silent.
Jason pulled himself out of the half trance with an Hefisforbto. dy felt like it had been through a meat grinder, and it was almost impossible to think with the fog in hiAs ftheeradm. inutes of deliberation, he figured out that the medikit was what he neeTdheed. easy-off snap was very difficult and the button
release didn't workH.
e finally twisted his arm around until it was under the orifice and pressed the entire
unit down.It buzzed industriously; though he couldn't feel the needles, he guessed it had wHoisrked.
sight spun dizzily for awhile then clearPeadi.n-killers went to work and he slowly came out of the dark cloud that had enveloped his brain since the crash.
Reason returned and loneliness rode along witHh eit.was without food, friendless, surrounded by the hostile forces of an alien planet.
There was a rising panic that started deep inside of him, that took concentrated effort to hold down.
"Think Jason, don't emoteH.”e said it aloud to reassure himself, but was instantly sorry, because his voice sounded weak in the emptiness, with a ragged edge of hysteriSaomtoetiht.ing caught in his throat and he coughed to clear it, spitting out blLooo.king at the red stain, he was suddenly anHgaryti.ng
this deadly planet and the incredible stupidity of the people who livedCuornsinigt.
out loud was better
and his voice didn't sound as weak nHowe .ended up shouting and shaking his fist at nothing in particular, but it helpedT.he anger washed away the fear and brought him back to reality.

Sitting on the ground felt good nTohw
e. sun was warm and when he leaned back he could almost forget
the unending burden of doubled graviAtyn. ger had carried away fear, rest erased fatigFuroe.m somewhere in the back of his mind, there popped up the old platitude:
Where there's life, there's hopHee. a basic truth lurked there.
grimaced at the triteness of the words, at the same time realizing that
Count his assetsW. ell battered, but still alivNe.one of the bruises seemed very important, and no bones were broken.His gun was still working, it dipped in and out of the power holster as he thought about
it.Pyrrans made rugged equipmenTt.he medikit was operating as weIlfl. he kept his senses, managed
to walk in a fairly straight line and could live off the land, there was a fair chance he might make it back the city.What kind of a reception would be waiting for him there was a different matter alHtoegether.
would find that out after he arrivGede.tting there had first priority.
On the debit side there stood the planet PySrtrruesn.gth-sapping gravity, murderous weather, and
violent animals.Could he survive?As if to add emphasis to his thoughts, the sky darkened over and rain hissed into the forest, marching toward hJimas.on scrambled to his feet and took a bearing before the
rain closed down visibilityA.
jagged chain of mountains stood dimly on the horizons; he remembered
crossing them on the flight oTuth.ey would do as a first goAaflt.er he had reached them, he would worry about the next leg of the journey.
Leaves and dirt flew before the wind in quick gusts, then the rain washed oSvoearkehdim, c. hilled, already bone-tired, he pitted the tottering strength of his legs against the planet of death.
When nightfall came, it was still rainTinhge.re was no way of being sure of the direction, and no point in
going on.If that wasn't enough, Jason was on the ragged edge of exhauItstwioans.
going to be a wet
night. All the trees were thick-boled and slippery; he couldn't have climbed them on a one-GTheworld. sheltered spots that he investi
gated, under fallen trees and beneath thick bushes, were just as wet as the rest of the foreSt. In the end he curled up on the leeward side of a tree, and fell asleep, shivering, with the water drippjng off him.
The rain stopped around midnight and the temperature fell shJaarspolyn. woke sluggishly from a dream in which he was being frozen to death, to find it was almoFsitnetrusen.ow was sifting through the trees, powdering the ground and drifting against hTimh.e cold bit into his flesh, and when he sneezed it hurt his cheSt. His aching and numb body only wanted rest, Jut the spark of reason that remained in him forced him to his feeIt.f he lay down now he would Hdioel.ding one hand against the tree so he wouldn't fall, he
began to trudge around
Sit.tep after shuffling step, around and around, until the terrible cold eased a bit
and he could stop shiverinFga. tigue crawled up him like a muffling, grey blanHkeet.kept on walking,

half the time with his eyes closed, opening them only when he fell and had to climb painfully to his feet again.
The sun burned away the snow clouds at dJaawsonn.
leaned against his tree and blinked up at the sky
with sore eyesT. he ground was white in all directions, except around tie tree where his stumbling feet
had churned a circle of black mHudis.
back against the smooth trunk, Jason sank slowly down to the
ground, letting the sun soak into him.
Exhaustion had him light-headed, and his lips were cracked from thirSt. Almost continuous coughing tore at his chest with fingers of fTirhe.ough the sun was still low, it was hot already, burning his skDinry dry.
and hot.
It wasn't righTt.his thought kept nagging at his brain until he admittTeudrnite.d it over and over and looked at it from all sideWs.hat wasn't right?The way he felt.
Pneumonia.He had all the symptoms.
His dry lips cracked and blood moistened them when he sHmeilehda.d avoided all the animal perils of
Pyrrus, all the big carnivores and poisonous reptiles, only to be laid low by the smallest beast of them all. Well, he had the remedy for this one Rtoll.ing up his sleeve with shaking fingers, he pressed the mouth
of the medikit to his bare arImt
.clicked and began to drone an angry whTihnaet. meant something, he
knew, but he just couldn't remember whHaot.lding it up he saw that one of the hypodermics was projecting halfway from its sockeOt.f course.It was empty of whatever antibiotic the analyzer had called for. It needed refilling.
Jason hurled the thing away with a curse, and it splashed into a poo1 and wEnads goof nme.edicine, end of medikit, end of Jason dinAlt.
Singlehanded battler against the perils of deathwoSrtlrdo.nghearted stranger who could do as well as the natives.It had taken him all of one day on his own to get his death warrant signed.
A choking growl echoed behind hHime. turned, dropped and fired in the same moIttiown.as all over before his conscious mind was aware it had happePnyerdr.an training had conditioned his reflexes on the precortical level.Jason gaped at the ugly beast dying not a meter from him and realized he had been trained well.

His first reaction was unhappiness that he had killed one of the grubbWer hdeongsh.e looked closer he realized this animal was slightly different in markings, size and teTmhpoeurg. h most of its forequarters were blown away, blood pumping out in dying spurts, it kept trying to reachBeJfaosroen.the eyes
glazed with death, it had struggled its way almost to his feet.
It wasn't quite a grubber dog, though chances were it was a wild Breelaartiinvge. the same relation as
dog to wolfH.
e wondered if there were any other resemblances between wolves and this dead beaSt.
Did they hunt in packs too?
As soon as the thought hit him he looked up-not a moment toTohesogorne.at forms were drifting
through the trees, closing in on hWimh. en he shot two, the others snarled with rage and sank back into the foreSt. They didn't leavIen.stead of being frightened by the deaths, they grew even moraregeedr..
Jason sat with his bka.to the tree and waited until they came close before he picked thWemith off. each shot and dying scream, the outraged survivors howled the loSuodmere. of them fought when they met, venting their rageO. ne stood on his hind legs and raked great strips of bark fromJaasotnree. aimed a shot at it, but he was too far away to hit.
There were advantages to having a fever, he realLizoegdic. ally he knew he would live only to sunset, or until his gun was emptYy.et the fact didn't bother him greaNtlyo.thing really matteredH. e slumped,
relaxed completely, only raising his arm to fire, then letting it dropEavgearyin.few minutes he had to move to look in back of the tree, and kill any of them that were stalking him in theHbelinwdishspedot. dimly that he were leaning against a smaller tree, but it wasn't worth the effort to go to one.
Sometime in the afternoon, he fired his last Isthkoitl.led an animal he had allowed to get cHloeseh. ad noticed he was missing the longer shoTths.e beast snarled and dropped; the others that were close pulled back and howled in sympathOyn. e of them exposed himself and Jason pulled the trigger.
There was only a slight cliHcke. tried again, in case it was just a misfire, but there was still only the click
The gun was empty, as was the spare clip pouch at hTishebreelt.were vague memories of reloading, though he couldn't remember how many times he had done it.
This, then, was the enTdh.ey had all been right, Pyrrus was a match forThomug. h they shouldn't talk.
It would kill them all in the end Ptyoror.ans never died in beOd.ld Pyrrans never died, they just got et.

Now that he didn't have to force himself to stay alert and hold the gun, the feverHtoeowk ahnotel d
to sleep and he knew it would be a long Hsliesepe.yes were almost closed as he watched the wary carnivores slip closer to himT.he first one crept close enough to spring; he could see the muscles tensing in its leg.
It leapedW.
hirling in midair and falling before it reached Bhilmoo.d ran from its gaping mouth and the
short shaft of metal projected from the side of his head.
The two men walked out of the brush and looked down Tathehirimm. ere presence seemed to have been enough for the carnivores, because they had all vanished.
Grubbers.He had been in such a hurry to reach the city that he had forgotten about theItgrwubasbers. good that they were here and Jason was very glad they hadHceomcoeu. ldn't talk very well, so he smiled to thank themB. ut this hurt his lips too much so he went to sleep.
24
For a strange length of time after that, there were only hazy patches of memory that impressed
themselves on JasonA.
sense of movement and large beasts around
Whimal.ls, woodsmoke, the
murmur of voicesN. one of it meant very much and he was too tired toIt cwaares. easiet and much better just to let go.
"About time," Rhes sai"dA.
if you were still breathing."
couple more days lying there like that and we would have buried you, even
Jason blinked at him, trying to focus the face that swam abovHee hfiimna.lly recognized Rbes, and wanted to answer himB. ut talking only brought on a spell of body-wracking cougShoinmge. one held a cup to his lips and sweet fluid trickled down his tHhreoarte.sted, then tried again.
"How long have I been hereT?h”e voice was thin and sounded far awaJyas. on had trouble recognizing it for his own.

"Eight daysA. nd why didn't you listen when I talked to yPoluie?s” said.
"You should have stayed near the ship when you craDshidend'.t you remember what I said about coming down anywhere on this continenNt?o matter, too late to worry about tNhaetx.t time listen to
what I sayO.
ur people moved fast and reached the site of the wreck beforeThdeayrkf.ound the
broken trees and the spot where the ship had sunk, and at first thought whoever had been in it had drowned. Then one of the dogs found your trail, but lost it again in the swamps during Ttheynihgahdt.
a fine time with the mud and the snow and didn't have any luck at all in finding the sBpyootrheagain. next afternoon they were ready to send for more help when they heard youJrusftirimnga.de it, from
what I hearL. ucky one of them was a talker and could tell the wild dogs to cWleaoruloduth.ave had to kill them all otherwise, and that's not healthy."
"Thanks for saving my neck," Jason s"aTidh.at was closer than I
like to comeW. hat happened after?I was sure I was done for, I remember that mDuiacghn.osed all the symptoms of pneumoniaG. uaranteed fatal in my condition without treatmeLnot.cks like you were wrong when you said most of your remedies were useless-they seemed to work well on me."
His voice died off as Plies shook his head in a slow no, lines of worry sharp-cut inJtaosohnis face. looked around and saw Naxa and another mTahne.y had the same deeply unhappy expressions as Plies.
"What is it?J”ason asked, feeling the troubl"eI.f your remedies didn't work-what diNd?ot my medikit.
That was emptyI.
remember losing it or throwing it away."
"You were dying," Plies said slow"lWy.e couldn't cure youO. nly a junkman medicine machine could do that. We got one from the driver of the food truck."
"But how?”Jason asked, dazed". You told me the city forbids you medicHinee.wouldn't give you his own medikit.Not unless he
Rhes nodded and finished the senten'Dcee.ad. Of course he was deaId.killed him myself, with a great deal of pleasure."

This hit Jason harHd.e sagged against the pillows and thought of all those who had died since he had come to PyrrusT. he men who had died to save him, died so he could live, died because of Iht is ideas.
was a burden of guilt that he couldn't bear to think Waboouultd. people try to avenge his death?
it stop with Krannon-.or would the city
"Don't you realize what that meanhse!” gasped out the word"sK. rannon's death will turn the city against you. There'll be no more supplieTs.hey'll attack you when they can, kill your peo. p."le.
"Of course we know thaRt!”hes leaned forward, his voice hoarse and inte"nIste.wasn't an easy decision to come toW. e have always had a trading agreement with the junkTmheen.trading trucks were inviolate. This was our last and only link to the galaxy outside the eventual hope of contacting them."
"Yet you broke that link to save me-why?"
"Only you can answer that question completTelhye.re was a great attack on the city and we saw their walls broken, they had to be moved back at one pAltacteh.e same time the spaceship was over the
ocean, dropping bombs of some kind-the flash was repoTrtheden.
the ship returned and you left it in a
smaller ship.They fired at you but didn't kill yTohue.
little ship wasn't destroyed either; we are starting to
raise it nowW.
hat does it all meanW? e had no way of tellinWg.e only knew it was something vitally
important. You were alive, but would obviously
die before you could taTlkh.e small ship might be repaired to fly; perhaps that was your plan and that is
why you stole it for uWs.e couldn't let you die, not even if it meant all-out war with
Tthhee csiittyu.ation
was explained to all of our people who could be reached by screen and they voted toI skavileledyou. the junkman for his medicine, then rode two doryms to death to get here in time.
"Now tell us-what does it meaWn?hat is your planH? ow will it help us?"
Guilt leaned on Jason and stifled his moAuthfr.agment of an andent legend cut across his mind, about the jona who wrecked the spacer so all in it died, yet heWlaisvetdh.at he?Had he wrecked a world? Could he dare admit to these people that he had taken the lifeboat only to save his own life?
The three Pyrrans leaned forward, waiting for his wJoarsdosn.
closed his eyes so he wouldn't see their
faces. What could he tell themIf? he admitted the truth, they would undoubtedly kill him on the spot, considering it only justiceH. e wasn't fearful for his own life anymore, but if he died the other deaths would all have been in vaAinn. d there still was a way to end this planetaryAwllatrh. e facts were
available now, it was just a matter of putting them togIefthoenr.ly he wasn't so tired, he would see the

solution. It was right there, lurking around a corner in his brain, waiting to be dragged out.
There was the sudden sound of heavy feet stamping outside the cabin, and a man's muffledNsohouting. one except Jason seemed to noticTeh.ey were too intent on his answHeer. groped in his mind, but
couldn't find words to explaiWn. hatever he did, he couldn't admit the truth nIfowh.e died all hope died. He had to lie to gain time, then find the correct solution that seemed so tantalizinYgelyt hnearw. as too tired even to phrase a plausible lie.
The sound of the door bursting open crashed through the stillness of thAe rgonoamrl.ed, stubby man stood there, his anger-red face set off by a full white beard.
"Everyone deaf?”he snarled."I ride all night and shout my lungs out and you just squat here like a bunch
a' egg-hatching birdsG.
et out!Quake! A big quake on the way!"
They were all standing now, shouting questioPnlise.s's voice cut through the upro"aHr.ananas! How much time do we have?"
"Time!Who knows about time!t”he greybeard cursed". Get out or you're dead, s'all I know."
No one stopped to argue noTwh.ere was a furious rush and within a minute Jason was being strapped into a litter on one of the doryms.
"What's happening?”he asked the man who was tying him into place.
"Earthquake coming," he answered, his fingers busy with the
"kHnoatnsa. nas is the best quakeman we
have. He always knows before a quake is going to hapIfpetnh.e word can be passed quick enough we get away.Quakemen always know, say they can feel them comiHnge.”jerked the last knot tight and
was gone.
Night cameas they were starting, the red of sunset matched by a surly scarlet glow in the northern sky. There was a distant rumbling, more felt than heard, and the ground stirred unTdehrefodoot.ryms hurried
into a shambling run without being proddTedh.ey splashed through a swamp and on the other side
Hananas changed their course abruptlAy.
little later, when the southern sky exploded, Jason knew why.
Flames lit the scene brightly, ashes sifted down and hot lumps of rock crashed into Tthheeytrees.
steamed when they hit, and if it hadn't been for the earlier rain they would have been faced with a forest

fire as well.
Something large loomed up next to the line of march, and when they crossed an open space Jason looked at it in the reflected light from the sky.
"Rhes-" he choked, pointinPg.lies, riding next to him, looked at the great beast, shaggy body and twisted horns as high as their shoulders, then looked aHweayw. asn't frightened or apparently even interested. Jason looked around then and began to understand.
All of the fleeing animals made no sound, that's why he hadn't noticed themBubtefoonreb. oth sides
dark forms ran between the treeSso.me he recognized, most of them he didFno'rt. a few minutes a pack of wild dogs ran near them, even mingling with the domesticatedNdoognso. tice was takenF.lying things
flapped by overheadU.
nder the greater threat of the volcanoes all other battles were forgLoifteten.
respected life.A herd of fat, pig-like beasts with curling tusks blundered through thTehelindeo. ryms slowed, picking their steps carefully so they wouldn't step on Sthmeamll.er animals sometimes clung to the backs of the bigger ones, riding untouched awhile, before they leaped off.
Pounded mercilessly by the jarring litter, Jason fell wearily into a lighItt swleaesp.shot through with
dreams of the rushing animals, hurrying on forever in silWenicteh. his eyes open or shut, he saw the same endless stream of beasts.
It all meant something and he frowned as he tried to thinAnwimhalts.
running, Pyrran animals.
He sat bolt upright suddenly, twisting in his litter, wide awake and staring down in comprehension.
"What is it?P”lies asked, swinging his dorym in close.
"Go on," Jason sai"dG. et us out of this, and get us out saIfeklnyo. w how your people can get what they want, end the war noTwh.ere is a way, and I know how it can be done."
25
There were few coherent memories of the Sriodme.e things stood out sharply like the spaceship-sized

lump of burning scoria that had plunged into a lake near them, showering the line with hot drops of water. But mostly it was just a seemingly endless ride, with Jason still too weak to care mucBh yabdoauwt nit.
the danger area was behind them and the march had slowed to
Ta hwe aalkn.imals had vanished as the
quake was left behind, going their own ways, still in silent armistice.
The peace of mutually shared danger was over; Jason found that out when they stopped to rest and eat. He and Plies went to sit on the soft grass, near a falleAn wtrieled. dog had arrived there firSt. It lay
under the log, muscles tensed, the ruddy morning light striking a red glint from Piltiseseyfeasc.ed it, not
three meters away, without moving a muscHle made no attempt to reach one of his weapons or to call for help.Jason stood still as well, hoping the Pyrran knew what he was doing.
With no warning at all the dog sprang straight atJathseomn .fell backward as Plies pushed him aside.
The Pyrran dropped at the same time-only now his hand held the long knife, yanked from the sheath strapped to his thighW. ith unseen speed the knife came up, the dog twisted in midair, trying to bite it. Instead it sank in behind the dog's forelegs, the beast's own weight tearing a deadly gaping wound the length of its bodyI.t was still alive when it hit the ground, but Plies was astraddle it, pulling back the bony-plated head to cut the soft throat underneath.
The Pyrran carefully cleaned his knife on the dead animal's fur, then returned it to t"hTehsehye'raeth. usually no trouble," he said quietly, "but it was excPirtoedb.ably lost the rest of the pack in the quake.” His actions were the direct opposite of the city PyrHraensh. ad not looked for trouble nor started the fight. Instead he had avoided it as long as he cBoutd.when the beast charged, it had been neatly and
efficiently dispatched.Now, instead of gloating over his victory, he seemed troubled over an unnecessary death.
It made senseE. verything on Pyrrus made sensNe.ow he knew how the deadly planetary battle had started-and he knew how it could be endAeldl. the deaths had not been in vEaianc.h one had helped him along the road a little more toward the final destinTahtieorne. was just one final thing to be done.
Plies was watching him now and he knew they shared the same th"oEuxgphlatsin.
yourself," Plies said.
"What did you mean when you said we could wipe out the junkmen and get our freedom?"
Jason didn't bother to correct the misquote; it was best they consider him a hundred percent on their side.
"Get the others together and I'll tell Iyopua.rticularly want to see Naxa and any other talkers who are here."

They gathered quickly when the word was pasAselld.of them knew that the junkman had been killed to save this off-wonder, that their hope of salvation lay withJahsiomn. looked at the crowd of faces turned
toward him and reached for the right words to tell them what had to many of them would be killed doing
-. it.
Ibte ddidonn'et . help to know that
"We all want to see an end to the war here on TPhyerrreusi.s a way, but it will cost human Sliovmese.
of you may die doing Iitt.hink the price is worth it, because success will bring you everything you have ever wanted.”He looked around at the tense, waiting circle.
'We are going to invade the city, break through the periImkenteorw.
how it can be do.n.e.
A mutter of sound spread across the crowSodm.
e of them looked excited, happy with the thought of
Idiling their hereditary enemiesO. thers stared at Jason as if he were mAadfe. w were dazed at the magnitude of the thought, this carrying of the battle to the stronghold of the heavily armeTdheynemy. quieted when Jason raised his hand.
"I know it sounds impossible," he s"aBidu.t let me explainS.omething must be done-and now is the time to do itT. he situation can only get worse from nowThoen. city Pyrr... the junkmen can get along without your food, their concentrates taste awful but they sustainBluifte.they are going to turn against you in every way they canN. o more metals for your tools or replacements for your electronic equipTmheeinrt. hatred will probably make them seek out your farms and destroy them from tAhell sohfipt.his won't be comfortable-and there will be worse to comIne.the city they are losing their war against this planet. Each year there are less of them, and some day they will all bKenodweaidn.g how they feel, I am sure they will destroy their ship first, and the entire planet as well, if that is possible."
"How can we stop thems?o”meone called out.
"By hitting now," Jason answere"dI . know all the details of the city and I know how the defenses are set up. Their perimeter is designed to protect them from animal life, but we could break through it if we were really determãned."

'What good would that doP?l”ies snapped."We crack the perimeter and they draw back-then
counterattack in forceH.
ow can we stand against their weapons?"
"We won't have tTo.heir spaceport touches the perimeter, and I know the exact spot where the ship stands. That is the place where we will break throTuhgehr.e is no formal guard on the ship and only a few people in the areWa. e will capture the shiWp. hether we can fly it or not is unimporWtanhto.
controls the ship controls PyrruOs.nce there we threaten to destroy it if they don't meet ourTtheermy s. have the choice of mass suicide or cooperatIiohno. pe they have the brains to cooperate."
His words shocked them into silence for an instant, then they surged into a wave Tohferseouwnda.s no agreement, just excitement, and Plies finally brought them to order.
"Quiet!”he shouted.'Wait until Jason finishes before you deciWdee. proposed invasion is to be accomplished."
still haven't heard how this
"The plan I have depends on the talkers," Jason"IssaiNd.axa there?”He waited until the fur-wrapped man had pushed to the fro"nIt. want to know more about the talkers, NIaxkan.ow you can speak to doryms and the dogs here-but what about the wild animCaalns?you make them do what you want?"
"They're animals-course we can talk t' thTemh'. more talkers, th' more powMer.ake 'em do just what we want."
"Then the attack will work," Jason said excite"dCloyu. ld you get your talkers all on one side of the city-the opposite side from the spaceport-and stir the animalsMuapk?e them attack the perimeter?"
"Could we!”Naxa shouted, carried away by the id"eWa.e'd bring in animals from all over, start th' biggest attack they ev'r saw!"
"Then that's iYt. our talkers will launch the attack on the far side of the perIifmyetoeur. keep out of
sight, the guards will have no idea that it is anything more than an animaI'lveattsaecekn.
how they work.
As an attack mounts, they call for reserves inside the city and drain men away from the other parts of the perimeter. At the height of the battle, when they have all their forces committed across the city, I'll lead
the attack that will break through and capture the Tshapt'.s the plan and it's going to work."

Jason sat down then, half fell down, drained of streHnegthla.y and
listened as the debate went back and forth, Plies ordering it and kee1 ingDitiffgicouinltgie.s were raised
and eliminated.No one could fin a basic fault with the Tphlaenre.
were plenty of flaws in it, things th.
might go wrong, but Jason didn't mention thTemhe.se people wante his idea to work and they were going to make it work.
It finally broke up and they moved awRahye.s came over to Jason.
"The basics are settled," he sa"iAd.ll here are in agreemenTt.he are spreading the word by messenger
to all the talkersT. he talkers ai the heart of the attack, and the more we have, the better it will go of We don't dare use the screens to call them; there is a good chanthcee jtuhn.kmen can intercept our
messages. It will take five days beforearie.
ready to go ahead."
"I'll need all of that time if I'm to be any good," Jas"oNnoswaidle. t get some rest."
.
26
"It's a strange feeling," Jason sa"iId'v.e never really seen the perimeter from this side beUfogrlye. is about the only word for it."
He lay on his stomach next to Plies, looking through a screen of leaves, downhill toward the perimeter. They were both wrapped in heavy furs, in spite of the midday heat, with thick leggings and leather gauntlets to protect their handTs.he gravity and the heat were already making Jason dizzy, but he forced himself to ignore this.

Ahead, on the far side of a burnt corridor, stood the perAimehtiegrh.
wall, of varying height and
texture, seemingly made of all the odds and ends in the Iwt owrlads.
impossible to tell what it had
originally been constructed ofG. enerations of attackers had bruised, broken, and underniineRd eipt.airs had been quickly made, patches thrust roughly into place and fixedCtrhuedre masonry crumbled and
gave way to a rat's nest of woven timbeTrhs.is overlapped a length of pitted metal, large plates riveted together. Even this metal had been eaten through and bursting sandbags spilled out of a jagged hole. Over the surface of the wall detector wires and charged cables looped andAthuondgd. intervals
automatic flamethrowers thrust their nozzles over the parapet above and swept the base of the wall clear of any life that might have come close.
"Those flame things can cause us trouble," Rhes "sTahida.t one covers the area where you want to break in."
"It'll be no problem," Jason assured h"iImt .may look like it is firing a random pattern, but it's really not. It varies a simple sweep just enough to fool an animal, but was never meant to keepLomoekn four t. yourself. It fires at regularly repeated two, four, three and one minute intervals."
They crawled back to the hollow where Naxa and the others waited foTrhethre mw.ere only thirty men in the partyW. hat they had to do could only be done with a fast, lighTt hfeoirrces.trongest weapon was surprise.Once that was gone their other weapons wouldn't hold out for seconds against the city guns. Everyone looked uncomfortable in
the fur and leather wrappings, and some of the men had loosened them to cool off.
'Wrap up," Jason ordere"dN. one of you have been this close to the perimeter before and you don't understand how deadly it is heNrea. xa is keeping the larger animals away and you all can handle the smaller ones.That isn't the dangerE.very thorn is poisoned, and even the blades of grass carry a deadly sting. Watch out for insects of any kind and once we start moving breathe only through the wet cloths."
"He's right," Naxa snorte"dN. 'ver been closer 'n this m'seDlfe. ath, death up by that waDllo. says."
like 'e
They could only wait then, honing down already needlesharp cbroowss. bolts, and glancing up at the slowly moving sunO. nly Naxa didn'i share the unreSt. He sat, eyes unfocused, feeling the movement ol animal life in the jungle around them.

"On the way," he sa"idB.iggest thing I 'ver hearNd.ot a beast 'tween here and the mountains, ain't howlin' 'is lungs out, rwmin' toward the city.,'
Jason was aware of part ofAitt.ension in the air and a wavientean! sified anger and hatredI.t would work, he knew, if they couk only keep the attack confined to a smTalhl earteaalk. ers had seemec sure
of it.They had stalked out quietly that morning, a thin lirnaeggae!d men, moving in a mental sweep that would round up the Pyrrar life and send it charging against the city.
"They hit!”Naxa said suddenly.
The men were on their feet now, staring in the direction of the city Jason had felt the twist in his gut as the attack had been driven home and knew that this wTahseriet. was the sound of shots and a heav3
booming far awayT. hin streamers of smoke began to blow above thc treetops.
"Let's get into position," Plies said.
Around them the jungle howled with an echo of hTahtreedh. alf sentient plants writhed and the air was thick with small flying things Naxa sweated and mumbled as he turned back the animals that crashec toward them.By the time they reached the last screen of foliage befon the burned-out area, they had lost
four men.One had been stung by ax insect; Jason got the medikit to him in time but he was so sick he ha to turn back The other three were bitten or scratched and treatmen came tTohoeilratsew. ollen, twisted
bodies were left behind on trail.
"Dam' beasts hurt m' head," Naxa mutte"rWed.hen we go in?"
"Not yet," Plies sai'dW. e wait for the signal."
One of the men carried the raHdieo.set it down carefully, thei
threw the aerial over a branTche set was shielded so no radiation leaked out to give themItaway. was turned on, but only a hiss of atmospheric static came from the speaker.

"We could have timed it...Pl.i”es said.
"No, we c@uldn't," Jason told h"imN.ot accurately.We want to hit that wall at the height of the attack, when our chances are beSt. Even if they hear the message it won't mean a thing to thAemnd inaside.
few minutes later it won't matter."
The sound from the speaker changAed.voice spoke a short sentence, then cut off.
"Bring me three barrels of flour."
"Let's go," Rhes urged as he started forward.
'Wait," Jason said, taking him by the
"aIr'm timing the flamethrowerI.t's due in... there!A”
blast of
fire sprayed the ground, then turned o"Wff.e have four minutes to the next one-we hit the long period!"
They ran, stumbling in the soft ashes, tripping over charred bones and rustedTwmoetmale. n grabbed
Jason under the arm and half carried him across the grIotuhnadd. n't been planned that way, but it saved precious seconds.They dropped him against the wall and he fumbled out the bombs he haTdhme ade. charges from Krannon's gun, taken when he was killed, had been hooked together with a firing circuit. All the moves had been rehearsed carefully and they went smoothly now.
Jason had picked the metal wall as being the best spot to bIrteaokffeinre.d the most resistance to the
native life, so the chances were it wouldn't be reinforced with sandbags or fill, the way other parts of the wall were.If he was wrong, they were all dead.
The first men had slapped their wads of sticky congealed sap against tJhaesownalpl.ressed the charges into them and they stuck, a roughly rectangular pattern as high as 'Wa hmilaen.he did this, the detonating wire was run out to its length and the raiders pressed back against the base ofJathsoenwsatullm. bled through the ashes to the detonator, fell on it and pressed the switch at the same time.
Behind him a thundering bang shook the wall and red flame buPrslitesouwt.as the first one there, pulling at the twisted and smoking metal with his gloved hOatnhdesr.s grabbed on and bent the jagged

pieces aside.The hole was filled with smoke and nothing was visible throuJagshonit.dived into the opening, rolled on a heap of rubble and smacked into somethingWsohleind. he blinked the smoke from his eyes, he looked around him.
He was inside the city.
The others poured through now, picking him up as they charged in so he wouldn't be trampled underfoot. Someone spotted the spaceship and they ran that way.
A man ran around the corner of a building towardHthisemPy. rran reflexes sent him springing into the safety of a doorway the same moment he saw the invBaduetrst.hey were Pyrrans toTo.he man slumped slowly back onto the street, three metal bolts sticking out of hisThbeoydyr.an on without stopping, running between the low storehouseTs.he ship stood ahead.
Someone had reached it before them; they could see the outer hatch slowly grindAinghasihluot.f bolts from the bows crashed into it with no effect.
"Keep going!”Jason shouted."Get next to the hull before he reaches the guns."
This time three men didn't makeThite.
rest of them were under the belly of the ship when every gun let
go at onceM.
ost of them were aimed away from the ship, still the scream of shells and electric
discharges was earshatteringT. he three men still in the open dissolved under theWf7irheo. ever was
inside the ship had hit all the gun trips at once, both to knock out the attackers and suHmemon aid. would be on the screen now, calling for hTehlepi.r time was running out.
Jason reached up and tried to open the hatch, while the others wIat tcwhaesd.locked from the inside.
One of the men brushed him aside and pulled at the inset remained closed.
Ihtanbdrolek.e off in his hand but the hatch
The big guns had stopped now and they could hear again.
"Did anyone get the gun from that dead mhaen?a”sked."It would blow this thing open."

"No," Plies said, "we didn't stop."
Before the words were out of his mouth, two men were running back toward the buildings, angling away from each otherT. he ship's
guns roared again, a string of explosions cut across oneBmefoanre. find the other man he had reached the buildings.
they could change directions and
He returned quickly, darting into the open to throw the gun toBetfhoerme .he could dive back to safety, the shells caught him.
Jason grabbed up the gun as it skidded almost to hTishefeyeth. eard the sound of wide open truck turbines screaming toward them as he blasted the lTohcek. mechanism sighed and the hatch sagged open. They were all through the airlock before the first truck appeNaarxeda. stayed behind with the gun, to hold the lock until they could take the control room.
Everyone climbed faster than Jason, once he had pointed them the way, so the battle was over when he
got there.The single city Pyrran looked like a pincushOionne.
of the techs had foqnd the gun controls
and was shooting wildly, the sheer quantity of his fire driving the trucks back.
"Someone get on the radio and tell the talkers to call the attack off," JaHsoenfosuaindd.
the
communications screen and snapped it oKne. rk's wide-eyed face stared at him from the screen.
"You!”Kerk said, breathing the word like a curse.
"Yes, it's me," Jason answereHde.
talked without looking up, while his hands were busy at the control
board. "Listen to me, Kerk-and don't doubt anything I Isamy.ay not know how to fly one of these ships, but I do know how to blow themDoupy. ou hear that sound?H”e ffipped over a switch and the faraway whine of a pump droned fain"tlTyh. at's the main fuel pumIpf. I let it run-which I won't right now-it could quickly fill the drive chamber with raw Pfouuerl. in so much that it would run out of the
stern tubes.Then what do you think would happen to your one-and-only spacer if I pressed the firing button? I'm not asking you what would happen to me-since you don't care- but you need this ship the way you need life itself."

There was only silence in the cabin nTohwe. men who had won the ship turned to faceKheirmk'.s voice grated loudly through the room.
'What do you want, JasoWn?hat are you trying to dWo?hy did you lead those animals in herHe?is”
voice cracked and broke as anger choked him and spilled over.
"Watch your tongue, Kerk," Jason said with soft me"nTachese men you are talking about are the only ones on Pyrrus who have a spaceshIifp.you want them to share it with you, you had better learn to talk nicely. Now come over here at once-and bring Brucco and MJeatsao.”n looked at the older man's florid
and swollen face and felt a measure of sympa"tDhyo.n't look so unhappy, it's not the end of the world.
In fact, it might be the beginning of Aond. another thing, leave this channel open when youHagvoe. it
hooked into every screen in the city so everyone can see what happenMs ahkeeres. ure it's taped too, for replay."
Kerk started to say something, but changed his mind before hHee dliedf.t the screen, but the set stayed alive. Carrying the scene in the control room to the entire city.
27
The fight was oveIrt. had ended so quickly the fact hadn't really sunk iRnheyset.rubbed his hand against the gleaming metal of the control console, letting the reality of touch convinTchee hoimth.er men
milled about, looking out through the viewscreens or soaking in the mechanical strangeness of the room.
Jason was physically exhausted, but he couldn't let it
Hsheowo.pened the pilot's medbox and dug
through it until he found the stimulanTths.ree of the little gold pills washed the fatigue from his body, and he could think clearly again.
"Listen to me," he shoute"dT.he fight's not over yeTt.hey'll try anything to take this ship back and we have to be readyI. want one of the techs to go over these boards until he finds the lockMcaoknetrols. sure all the airlocks and ports are seaSleedn.d men to check them, if necessaTryu.rn on all the screens
to scan in every direction, so no one can get near thWe esh'llipn. eed a guard in the engine room; my control could be cut if they broke in thAenred. there had better be a room-by-room search of the ship, in case someone else is locked in with us."
The men had something to do now and felt relPielvieesd.split them up into groups and set them to work. Jason stayed at the controls, his hand next to the pump sTwhietchb.attle wasn't over yet.

"There's a truck coming," Plies called, "going slow."
"Should I blast it?th”e man at the gun controls asked.
"Hold your fire," Jason said, "until we can see whIof iitt'sis.the people I sent for, let them through."
As the truck came on slowly, the gunner tracked it with hisThsiegrhetsw. as a driver and three passengers. Jason waited until he was positive who they were.
"Those are the ones," he sa"iSdt.op them at the lock, Plies, make them come in one at Taaktiemeth.eir guns as they enter, then strip them of all their equipTmheenret. is no way of telling what could be a concealed weapon.Be specially careful of Brucco-he's the thin one
with a face like an axe edge-make sure you strip himHcel'esana. specialist in weapons and survival.
And bring the driver, too; we don't want him reporting back about the broken airlock or the state of our guns."
Waiting wAs hardH. is hand stayed next to the pump switch, even though he knew he could never use it. Just as long as the others thought he would.
There were stampings and muttered curses in the corridor; the prisoners were puJsahseodn inh.ad one look at their deadly expressions and clenched fists before he called to Plies.
"Keep them against the wall and watch thBeomw.men keep your weapons upH.”e looked at the people who had once been his friends and who now swam in hatred fMoretha,imK. erk, BrucCo. The driver was Skop, the man Kerk had once appointed to guardHehimlo.oked ready to explode now that the roles had been reversed.
"Pay close attention," Jason said, "because your lives depend upKoenepit.your backs to the wall and
don't attempt to come any closer to me than you areIfnyoowu.
do, you will be shot instanIftlyw. e
were alone, any one of you could undoubtedly reach me before I threw thisBsuwt iwtche'.re notY. ou
have Pyrran reflexes and muscles-but so do the bowmDeonn.'t gamble.Because it won't be a gambIlte.

will be suicideI.'m telling you this for your own protectSioon.we can talk peacefully without one of you losing his temper and suddenly getting shToht.ere is no way out of thYiso.u are going to be forced to listen, to everything I saYy.ou can't escape or kill mTeh.e war is over."
"And we lost-and all because of you, you traiMtoer!ta”
snarled.
'Wrong on both counts," Jason said blan"dIl'ym.
not a traitor because I owe my allegiance to all men on
this planet, both inside the perimeter and Iounte. ver pretended differentlyA. s to losing, why you haven't lost anything.In fact you've wonW. on your war against this planet, if you will only hear mHe eout.” turned to Plies, who was frowning in angry puzzlem"Oenft. course your people have won also, PlNieos. more war with the city, you'll get medicine, off-planet contact, everything you want."
"Pardon me for being cynical," Plies s"aBidu.t you're promising the best of all possible worlds for everyone. That will be a little hard to deliver when our interests are opposed so."
"You strike through to the heart of the matter," Jason"Tshaaidn.k you.This mess will be settled by seeing that everyone's interests are not opposPeeda. ce between the city and farms, with an end to the useless war you have been fightinPge.ace between mankind and the Pyrran
life forms-because that particular war is at the bottom of all your troubles."
"The man's mad," Kerk said.
"Perhaps.You'll judge that after you hear me Io'mut. going to tell you the history of this planet, because that is where both the trouble and the solution lie.
'When the settlers landed on Pyrrus three hundred years ago, they missed the one important thing about this planet, the factor that makes
it different from any other planet in the gaTlahxeyy. can't be blamed for the oversight, they had enough other things to worry abouTt.he
gravity was about the only thing familiar to them, the rest of the environment was a shocking change from the climate-controlled industrial world they had lSeftot.rms, vulcanism, floods, earthquakes- it was
enough to drive them insane, and I'm sure many of them did gToheman.imal and insect life was a

constant annoyance, nothing at all like the few harmless and protected species they hadI'kmnoswurne. they never realized that the Pyrran life was telepathic as well-"
"That again!”Brucco snapped."True or not, it is of no importanI cwe.as tempted to agree with your
theory of psionic controlled attack on us, but the deadly fiasco you staged proved that theory wrong."
"I agree," Jason answere"dI. was completely mistaken when I thought some outside agency directed the attack on the city with psionic contrIot l.seemed a logical theory at the time and the evidence pointed
that way.The expedition to the island was a deadly fiasco-only don't forget that attack was the direct opposite of what I wanted to have doIfneI. had gone into the cave myself, none of the deaths would
have been necessaryI.
think it would have been discovered that the plant creatures were nothing more
than an advanced life form with unusual psi abTilhiteyy.
simply resonated strongly to the psionic attack
on the cityI.
had the idea backward thinking they instigated the bWattel'ell.
never know the truth,
though, because they are destroyeBd.ut their deaths did do one thiSnhgo. wed us where to find the real culprits, the creatures who are leading, directing and inspiring the war against the city."
"Who?”Kerk breathed the question, rather than spoke it.
"Why, you of course," Jason told h"iNmo.t you alone, but all of your people in thePecrihtya.ps you don't like this warH. owever, you are responsible for it and keep it going."
Jason had to force back a smile as he looked at their dumbfounded exprHeessiaolnsso. had to prove his point quickly, before even his allies began to think him insane.
"Here is how it workI ss. aid Pyrran life was telepathic-and I meant allElviefery. animal. At one time in this plan.
single insect, plant and
ct's violent history, these psionic mutations proved to be survival Ttyhpeyes.existed when other species died, and in the end I'm sure they cooperated in wiping out the last survivors of the non-psi strains. Cooperation is the ker. word hereB. ecause while they still competed against each other under normal conditions, they worked together against anything that threatened them as a wWhhoelne. a natural
upheaval or a tidal wave threatened them, they fled from it in haYrmoounyca. n see a milder form of this same behavior on any planet that is subject to forest Bfuirtesh.ere, mutual survival was carried to an extreme because of the violent conditionPse.rhaps some of the life forms even developed precognition
like the human quakemenW. ith this advance warning, the larger beasts fTlehde.
smaller ones developed
seeds, or burrs or eggs, that could be carried to safety by the wind or in the animals' fur, thus insuring racial survival.I know this is true because I watched it myself when we were escaping a quake."
"Admitted-all your points admitted," Brucco shout"eBdu. t what does it have to do withSuos?all the

animals run away together, what does that have to do with the war?"
"They do more than run away together," Jason told"Thhimey.
work together against any natural disaster
that threatens them alSl.ome day, I'm sure, ecologists will go into raptures over the complex adjustments that occur here in the advent of blizzards, floods, fires and other diTsahseterers.is only one reaction we
really care about now, thougTh.hat's the one directed toward the city peoDploen. 't you realize yet- they treat you all as another natural disaster!
"We'll never know exactly how it came about, though there is a clue in that diary I found, dating from the first days on this planeIt said that a forest fire seemed to have driven new species toward the settlers.
Those weren't new beasts at all-just old ones with new attiCtuadne'st . you just imagine how those
protected, overcivilized settlers acted when faced with a forest Tfhireey?
panicked, of courseI.f the
settlers were in the path of the fire, the animals must have rushed right through thTeihreicramrepa.ction would undoubtedly have been to shoot the fleeing creatures down.
"When they did that, they classified themselves as a natural diDsaisaesrt.ers take any formB. ipeds
with guns could easily be included in the categTohrye. Pyrran animals attacked, were shot, and the war began. The survivors kept attacking and informed all the life forms what the fight waTshaebout. radioactivity of this planet must cause plenty of mutations-and the favorable, survival mutation was now
one that was deadly to maIn'll.
hazard a guess that the psi function even
instigates mutations, some of the deadlier types are just too onesidec to have come about naturally in a brief three hundred years.
"The settlers of course fought back, and kept their status as a natura disasteTrhrionutagcht. the centuries, they improved their killing meth ods, not that it did the slightest good, as yYououkncoitwy. people their descendants, are heirs to this heritage of haYtroeud. fight anc are slowly being defeated.
How can you possibly win against the bio logic reserves of a planet that can recreate itself each time to meet an. new attack?"
Silence followed Jason's wordKs.erk and Meta stood white-faced a the impact of the disclosure sunk in. Brucco mumbled and checkec points off on his fingers, searching for weak spots in the chain o:
reason.The fourth city Pyrran, Skop, ignored all these foolish word that he couldn't understand-or want to understand-and would havk. illed Jason in an instant if there had been the slightest chance oJ success.
It was Plies who broke the silenHcies. quick mind had taken in th factors and sorted them"Thoeurte.'s
one thing wrong," he sai"dW.
ha about us?We live on the surface of Pyrrus without perimeters or guns
Why aren't we attacked as weWll?e're human, descended from thi same people as the junkmen."

"You're not attacked," Jason told him, "because you don't idenflf yourself as a naturalAdniismasatlesr. can live on the slopes of a dor mant volcano, fighting and dying in natural comBpuettithioeny.'I flee together when the volcano eruptTs.hat eruption is what make the mountain a natural disIanstetrh.e case
of human beings, it is thei thoughts that identify them'as life form or city everyone radiates suspicion and deaTthh.ey enjo:
Mdisoausntetra.in or vo] canoI.n the
killing, thinking about killing, and planning for kilTlihnigs. is natura selection too, you realiTzhe.ese are the survival traits that work bes in the Ociutyts.ide the city, men think differentIlfy.they are threai ened individually, they fight, as will any other creatUurned. er mor general survival threats, they cooperate completely with the rules fo universal survival that the city people break."
"How did it begin-this separation, I mean, between the two grPoluiepss?asked.
"We'll probably never know," Jason sa"iId.think your people mu5 have originally been farmers, or psionic sensitives who were not wit] the others during some natural diTsahsetyer.would of course act
coi rectly by Pyrran standards, and surviTvhe.is would cause a differenc of opinion with the city people who saw killing as the answIetr.obvious, whatever the reason, that two separate communities were e.
tablished early, and soon separated except for the limited amount of barter that benefited both."
"I still can't believe it," Kerk mumb"lIetd.mak.s a terrible kind of truth, every step of the way, but I still find it hard to accepTt.here must be another explanation."
Jason shook his head slow"lyN.one. This is the only one that worWkse.'ve eliminated the other ones, remember? I can't blame you for finding it hard to believe, since it is in direct opposition to everything you've understood to be true in the paSt. It's like altering a naturAals liafwI. gave you proof that gravity
didn't really exist, that it was a force altogether different from the immutable one we know, one you could get around when you understood hoYwo. u'd want more proof than wordPsr.obably want to see
someone walking on air."
"Which isn't such a bad idea at that," he added, turning to"DNoaxyao.u hear any animals around the
ship now?Not the ones you're used to, but the mutated, violent kind that live only to attack the city."
"Place's crawling with 'em," Naxa sa"iJdu.st lookin' for somethin' t' kill."

"Could you capture one?J”ason asked."Without getting yourself killed, I mean."
Naxa snorted contempt as he turned to le"aBvea. st's not born yet, that'll hurt me."
They stood quietly, each one wrapped tightly around by his own thoughts, while they waited for Naxa to
return. Jason had nothing more to saHye.
would do one more thing to try and convince them of the facts;
after that it would be up to each of them to reach a conclusion.
The talker returned quickly with a stingwing, tied by one leg to a length oIft shrieked and he carried it in.
lfelapthpeerd.
and
"In the middle of the room, away from everybody," Jason tol"dCahnimy. ou get that beast to sit on something and not flap around?"
"My hand good enough," he asked, flipping the creature up so it clung to the back of h"iTs hgaat'usntlet. how I caught it."
"Does anyone doubt that this is a real stingwiJnags?o”n asked."I want to make sure you all believe there is no trickery here."
"The thing is real," Brucco sa"iId.can smell the poison in the wing claws from
Hheerep.”ointed to the
dark marks on the leather where the liquid had drip"Ipfedth. at eats through the gloves, he's a dead man."
"Then we agree it's real," Jason s"aRide.al and deadly, and the only test of the theory will be if you people from the city can approach it like Naxa here."
They drew back automatically when he saiBdeicta. use they knew
that stingwing was synonymous with deaPtahs.t, present and future You don't change a natural law. Meta spoke for all of them.

"We-can't.This man lives in the jungle, like an animal himsell Somehow he's learned to get near them. But you can't expect us to."
Jason spoke quickly, before the talker could react to the "iCnsult.
course I expect you
Ttoh.at's the whole ideaI.f you don't hate the beaan. d expect it to attack you-why
it won't.Think of it as a creature fror
a different planet, something harmless."
"I can't," she sai"dI.t's a stingwing!"
As they talked, Bnicco stepped forward, his eyes fixed steadily o the creature perched on the glove.
Jason signaled the bowmen to hol their
Bfirreu.cco stopped at a safe distance and kept looking steadily
c the stingwingI.t rustled its leathery wings uneasily and hisdserodp.
of poison formed at the tip of each
great poison claw on its wing The control room was filled with a deadly silence.
Slowly he raised his hanCda.refully putting it out, over the anima The hand dropped a little, rubbed the stingwings head once, then fbea. ck to his sideT.he animal did nothing except stir slightly under th touch.
There was a concerted sigh, as those who had been unknowingl holding their breath, breathed again.
"How did you do itM?”eta asked in a hushed voice.
"Hmm, what?”Brucco said, apparently snapping out of a d"a0z1e. touching the thingS.imple, really.I
just pretended it was one of di training aids I use, a realistic and harmless dIukpelipctatme.y mm on that single thought and it workedH.”e looked down at his ham then back to the stingHwiisngv.oice was
quieter now, as if he spol from a dista"nItc'se. not a training aid, you knoItw's. real.Deadl: The off-worlder is righHt.e's right about everything he said."

With Brucco's success as an example, Kerk came close to the anima He walked stiffly, as if on the way to his execution, and runnels
sweat poured down his rigid faBceu.t he believed and kept his though directed away from the stingwing and he could touch it unharmed.
Meta tried but couldn't fight down the horror it raised when si cam"eI
do believe you now-hi I just can't do it."
calmosetr.ying," she said, "and I
Skop screamed when they all looked at him, shouted it was all a tric]
and had to be clubbed unconscious when he attacked the bowUmndeenr.standing had come to Pyrnis.
28
"What do we do nowM?”eta asked.Her voice was troubled, questioninSgh. e voiced the thoughts of all the Pyrrans in the room, and the thousands who watched in their screens.
"What will we do?T”hey turned to Jason, waiting for an answFoer the moment their differences were forgotten. The people from the city were staring expectantly at him, as were the crossbowmen with half-lowered weapons.This stranger had confused and changed the old world they had known, and presented them with a newer and stranger one, with alien problems.
"Hold on," he said, raising his ha"nI'dm.
no doctor of social ilIl'sm.
not going to try and cure this planet
full of musclebound sharpshootersI.'ve just squeezed through up to now, and by the law of averages I
should be ten times dead."
"Even if all you say is true, Jason," Meta said, "you are still the only person who cWanhaht ewlpillus. the future be like?"
Suddenly weary, Jason slumped into the pilot's cHhaeir.glanced around at the circle of peoTphlee.y
seemed sincere.None of them even appeared to have noticed that he no longer had his hand on the pump switch.For the moment, at least, the war between city and country was forgotten.
"I'll give you my conclusions," Jason said, twisting in the chair, trying to find a comfortable position for his

aching bones."I've been doing a lot of thinking the last day or two, searching for theThaneswveerry.
first thing I realized, was that the perfect and logical solution wouldn't dIo'matafarlal.id the old ideal of the lion lying down with the lamb doesn't work out in prAacbtoicuet. all it does is make a fast lunch for the lion.Ideally, now that you all know the real causes of your trouble, you should tear down the
perimeter and have the city and forest people mingled in brotherlyMlaokves.
just as pretty a picture as
the one of lion and lamAbn. d would undoubtedly have the same resSulotm.
eone would remember how
really filthy the grubbers are, or how stupid junkmen can be, and there would be a fresh corpse cooling. The fight would
spread and the victors would be eaten by the wildlife that swarmed over the undefended pNeori,meter. the answer isn't that easy."
As the Pyrrans listened to him, they realized where they were and glanced around Tuhneagsiulya.rds raised their crossbows again and the prisoners stepped back to the wall and looked surly.
"See what I mean?J”ason asked."Didn't take long, did it?T”hey al] looked a little sheepish at their unthinking reactions.
"If we're going to find a decent plan for the future, we'll have to takc inertia into conMsiednetraaltion. inertia, for oneJ. ust because you know a thing is true in theory, doesn't make it trueThine fbaacrtb. aric religions of primitive worlds hold not a germ of scientific fact, though they claim to exYpelat inif aolln.e
of these savages has all the logica] ground for his beliefs taken away, he doesn't stop
Hbeeliethveiniig.
calls his mistaken beliefs 'faith' because he knows they are Arimghlt.he knows they are right because he has faith.This is an unbreakablc circle of false logic that can't be toIunchreeda.lity, it is plain menta] inertia. A case of thinking 'what always was' will also 'alwayAs nbce.’not wanting to blast the thinking patterns out of the old rut.
"Mental inertia alone is not going to cause trouble-there is culturai inerStioamteooo.f you in this room believe my conclusions and woulc like to chanBguet. will all your people changTeh?e unthinking ones,
the habit-ridden, reflex-formed people who know what is now, will al waTyhseyb'lel. act like a drag on whatever plans you make, whatevei attempts you undertake to progress with the new knowledge you have.'
'Then it's useless, there's no hope for our woRrlhde?s”
asked.
"I didn't say that," Jason answer"eId.merely mean that your trouble won't end by throwing some kind of mental switch.I see three course open for the future, and the chances are that all three will be going ox at the same time.

"First-and best-will be the rejoining of city and country Pyrran into the single human group they came from. Each is incomplete now
and has something the other one neIendst.he city here you have scieno and contact with the rest of the
galaxy. You also have a deadly wOaru.
there in the jungle, your first cousins live at peace with the
world, bu lack medicine and the other benefits of scientific knowledge, as well a any kind of cultural contact with the rest of mankinYdo. u'll both hay to join together and benefit from the exchAant gteh.e
same time you'] have to forget the superstitious hatred you have of eachThoisthewr.il only be done outside of the city, away from the wEavre.ry one of yoi who is capable should go out voluntarily, bringing some fraction of th knowledge that needs shaYrinogu. won't be harmed if you go in goo faith. And you will learn how to live with this planet, rather thai
against itE. ventually you'll have civilized communities that won't be either 'grubber' or 'junkTmheayn'l.’l be Pyrran."
"But what about our city herKe?e”rk asked.
"It'll stay right here-and probably won't change in the slighteSt. In the beginning yOu'll need your perimeter and defenses to stay alive, while the people are leaAvnindg.after that it will keep going because there are going to be any number of people here who you won't cTonhveyin'lcles.tay and fight and eventually dieP. erhaps you will be able to do a better job in educating their cWhilhdartent.he
eventual end of the city will be, I have no idea."
They were silent as they thought about the fuOtunret.he floor, Skop groaned but did not m"oTvheo. se
are two ways," Meta sai"dW.
hat is the third?"
"The third possibility is my own pet scheme," Jason sm"Ailned. I hope I can find enough people to go along with meI.'m going to take my money and spend it all on outfitting the best and most modern
spacer, with every weapon and piece of scientific equipment I can get my haTnhdesn oIn'm. ask for Pyrran volunteers to go with me."
"What in the world forM?”ete frowned.
going to
"Not for charityI. expect to make my investment back, and mYooreu. see, after these past few months,
I can't possibly return to my old occupatNioont. only do I have enough money now to make it a waste of time, but I think it would be an unending Obnoere.thing about Pyrrus-if you live-is that it spoils you
for the quieter placesS.o I'd like to take this ship that I mentioned and go into the business of opening up

new worlds.There are thousands of planets where men would like to settle, only getting a foothold on them is too rough or rugged for the usual setNtleorws. can you imagine a planet a Pyrran couldn't lick after the training you've had herAe?nd wouldn't you enjoy doing it?
"There would be more than pleasure involved, thoIunghth. e city, your lives have been geared for continual deadly warfareN. ow you're faced with the choice of a fairly peaceful future, or staying in the city to fight an unnecessary and foolish wI aorf.fer the third alternative of the occupation you know best, that would let you accomplish something constructive at the same time.
"Those are the choiceWs. hatever you decide is up to each of you personally."
Before anyone could answer, livid pain circled Jason's throat Skop had regained consciousness and surged up from the flooHr.e pulled Jason from the chair with a single motion, holding him by the neck,
throttling himT. he bowmen tried to shoot, but held their fire becaus Jason was in the way.
"Kerk!Meta!” Skop shouted hoarsely". Grab guns!Open the lod
-our people'll be here, kill the damn grubbers and their lies!"
Jason tore at the fingers that were choking the life out of him, but was like pulling at benHt esteel bars. couldn't talk and the blood han mered in his ears and drowned his thIot uwghatss.over now and h had
loSt. They'd butcher each other in the spaceship and Pyrrus woul keep on being a deathworld until every one of them was dead.
Mete hurtled forward like an uncoiled spring and the crossbovi twOanngeedb.olt caught her in the leg,
the other transfixed her upp anBnu. t she had been shot as she jumped and her inertia carried hi across the room, to her fellow Pyrran and the dying off-worlder.
She raised her good arm and chopped down with the edge of hi hand.
It caught Skop a hard blow on the biceps and his arm jumped spa medically, his hand leaping from
Jason's throat.

"What are you doingh!”e shouted in strange terror to the wounde girl who fell againsHt ehipmu.shed
her away, still clutching Jaso with his other hSahned. didn't answerI.nstead she chopped agaii hard and true, the edge of her hand catching Skop across the windpip crushHinegdirto. pped Jason and fell to the floor, retching an gasping.
Jason watched the end through a haze, barely conscious.
Skop struggled to his feet, turned pain-filled eyes to his friend "You're wrong," K"eDrkons'at ido itt"
The sound the wounded man made was more animal than humai When he dived toward the guns on the far side of the room, the cros bows twanged like harps ofHdeeastkhi.dded into the guns, his han
knocking them aside, but he was already dead.
When Brucco went over to help Meta, no one interJfaesre
.gasped air back into his lungs, breathing
in life.The watching gla eye of the viewer carried the scene to everyone in the city.
"Thanks, Mete... for understanding... as well as helpiJngs.o”n had to force the words out.
"Skop was wrong and you were right, Jason," sheHsearidv. oice brol for a second as Brucco snapped off the feathered end of the steel be with his fingers, and pulled the shaft out o"fI hcearn'at rmsta. y i the
city; only people who feel as Skop did will be able to do thi And I'm afraid I can't go into the forest-you
saw what luck I had wil the stingwIifngi.t.s all right, I'd like to come with Iy'doul.ike to vem.
uch."
It hurt when he talked so Jason could only smile, but she knew what he meant.
Kerk looked down in unhappiness at the body of the dead"Hme awn.as wrong-bui.I know how he
felt. I can't leave the city, not ySeotm.
eone will have to keep things in hand while the changes are taking
place. Your ship is a good idea, Jason, you'll have no shortage of voluTnhteoeurgsh. Brucco to go with you."
I doubt if you'll get

"Of course not," Brucco snapped, not looking up from the compression bandage he w"aTshteyrien'sg. enough to do right here on PyrrTuhs.e animal life, quite a study to be made, probably have every ecologist in the galaxy visiting here before loBnugt. I'll be first."
Kerk walked slowly to the screen overlooking the Ncoityo. ne attempted to stop hiHme.
looked out at
the buildings, the smoke still curling up from the perimeter, and the limitless sweep of green jungle beyond.
"You've changed it all, Jason," he s"aWid.e can't see it now, but Pyrrus will never be the way it was before you cameF. or better or worse."
"Better, danm it, better," Jason croaked, and rubbed his aching "thNrowat. get together and end this war so people will really believe it."
Rhes turned and, after an instant's hesitation, extended his hand toThKeergkr.ey-haired Pyrran felt the same repugnance himself about touching a grubber, the memory of a lifetime of disgust.
But they shook hands then because they were both strong men.