done before. I should make a planetary health inspection and make
recommendations for the improvement of the state of things. I'll be glad
if you'll arrange for me to talk to your health officials. Things look
bad, and something should be done."

Someone laughed without mirth.

"What will you recommend for long-continued undernourishment?" he asked
derisively. "That's our health problem!"

"I recommend food," said Calhoun.

"Where'll you fill the prescription?"

"I've the answer to that, too," said Calhoun curtly. "I'll want to talk
to any space-pilots you've got. Get your astrogators together and I
think they'll approve my idea."

The silence was totally skeptical.

"Orede ..."

"Not Orede," said Calhoun. "Weald will be hunting that planet over for
Darians. If they find any, they'll drop bombs here."

"Our only space-pilots," said a tall man, presently, "are on Orede now.
If you've told the truth, they'll probably head back because of your
warning. They should bring meat."

His mouth worked peculiarly, and Calhoun knew that it was at the thought
of food.

"Which," said another man sharply, "goes to the hospitals! I haven't
tasted meat in two years!"

"Nobody has," growled another man still. "But here's this man Calhoun.
I'm not convinced he can work magic, but we can find out if he lies. Put
a guard on his ship. Otherwise let our health men give him his head.
They'll find out if he's from this Medical Service he tells of! And this
Maril--"

"I--can be identified," said Maril. "I was sent to gather information
and sent it in secret writing to one of us on Trent. I have a family
here. They'll know me! And I--there was someone who was working on
foods, and I believe he--made it possible to use--all sorts of
vegetation for food. He will identify me."

Someone laughed harshly.

"Oh, yes!" said a man with a blue forehead. "He's a valuable man! Within
the year he's come up with a way to make his weeds taste like any food
one chooses. If we decide to cut our population, we'll simply give the
people to be eliminated all they want to eat of his products. They'll
not be hungry. They'll be quite happy. But they'll die for lack of
nourishment. He's volunteered to prove it painless by going through it
himself!"

Maril swallowed.

"I'd like to see him," she repeated. "And my family."

Some of the blue-splotched men turned away. A broad-shouldered man said
bluntly;

"Don't look for them to be glad to see y