n the physiology of a human
being, of course."

"What do you mean, then, that you're a plant?"

"The reference is to attitudinal response, to Weltanschauung."

"Go on."

"It is possible for a warm-blooded animal, an upper primate, to adopt
the psychology of a plant, to some extent."

"Yes?"

"I refer to this."

"And the others? They refer to this also?"

"Yes."

"How did this occur, your adopting this attitude?"

Bradshaw's image hesitated, the lips twisting. "See?" Harris said to
Cox. "Strong conflict. He wouldn't have gone on, if he had been fully
conscious."

"I--"

"Yes?"

"I was taught to become a plant."

The image of Harris showed surprise and interest. "What do you mean, you
were _taught_ to become a plant?"

"They realized my problems and taught me to become a plant. Now I'm free
from them, the problems."

"Who? Who taught you?"

"The Pipers."

"Who? The Pipers? Who are the Pipers?"

There was no answer.

"Mr. Bradshaw, who are the Pipers?"

After a long, agonized pause, the heavy lips parted. "They live in the
woods...."

Harris snapped off the projector, and the lights came on. He and Cox
blinked. "That was all I could get," Harris said. "But I was lucky to
get that. He wasn't supposed to tell, not at all. That was the thing
they all promised not to do, tell who taught them to become plants. The
Pipers who live in the woods, on Asteroid Y-3."

"You got this story from all twenty?"

"No." Harris grimaced. "Most of them put up too much fight. I couldn't
even get _this_ much from them."

Cox reflected. "The Pipers. Well? What do you propose to do? Just wait
around until you can get the full story? Is that your program?"

"No," Harris said. "Not at all. I'm going to Y-3 and find out who the
Pipers are, myself."

* * * * *

The small patrol ship made its landing with care and precision, its jets
choking into final silence. The hatch slid back and Doctor Henry Harris
found himself staring out at a field, a brown, sun-baked landing field.
At the end of the field was a tall signal tower. Around the field on all
sides were long grey buildings, the Garrison check-station itself. Not
far off a huge Venusian cruiser was parked, a vast green hulk, like an
enormous lime. The technicians from the station were swarming all over
it, checking and examining each inch of it for lethal life-forms and
poisons that might have attached themselves to the hull.