y; two
men stood for a moment silhouetted against the Flat, then disappeared
into the shadows. In a moment, another man appeared, and he too dropped
inside the wall.

So Manning had already sent the men in. The mob was unleashed.

Rynason hesitated for a moment, then turned and went quickly back into
the altar room. Mara's radio was there; he lifted it by its strap and
took it with him out to the colonnade.

He could see the Earthmen moving through the streets now, darting from
wall to wall in the gathering darkness of evening. In a short time it
would be full night--and Rynason knew that these men would like nothing
better than to attack in the dark.

He warmed the radio and opened the transmitter.

"Manning, call off your dogs. I've disarmed the Hirlaji."

The radio spat static at him, and for several seconds he thought his
signal hadn't even been picked up. But at last there was a reply:

"Then get out of the Temple. It's too late to stop this."

"Manning!"

"I said get clear. You've done all you can there."

"Damn it, there's no need for any fighting!"

Manning's voice sounded cold even in the faint reception of the
hand-radio. "That's for me to decide. I'm running this show, remember."

"You're running a massacre!" Rynason shouted.

"Call it what you like. Mara says they weren't so docile when you broke
in."

Rynason's mind raced; he had to stall for time. If he could get Manning
to stop those men until they cooled down....

"Manning, there's no need for this! Didn't she tell you that the altar
is just a computer? These people haven't had anything to do with the
Outsiders since before they can remember!"

The radio carried the faint sound of Manning's chuckle. "So now they're
people to you, Lee? Or are you one of them now?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Lee, my boy, you're sounding like an old horsefaced nursemaid. You
linked minds with them, and you say you were practically a Hirlaji
yourself when you went into that linkage. Well, I'm not so sure you ever
came out of it. You're _still_ one of them!"

"Is that the only reason you can think of that I might have for wanting
to prevent a massacre?" Rynason said icily.

"If they tried to revolt once, they'll try it again," Manning said.
"Well crush them _now_."

"You think that will impress the Council? Slaughtering the only
intelligent race we've found?"

"I'm not playing to the Council!" Manning snapped. "I've got these men
fo