evice of fate for their
destruction.

Maril said quickly to Calhoun, "You understand? Dara's a heavy-metals
planet. There aren't many light elements in our soil. Potassium is
scarce. So our ground isn't very fertile. Before the Plague we traded
metals and manufactured products for imports of food and potash. But
since the Plague we've had no off-planet commerce. We've been
quarantined."

"I gathered as much," said Calhoun. "It was up to Med Service to see
that that didn't happen. It's up to Med Service now to see that it
stops."

"Too late now for anything," said the driver. "Whatever Med Service
may be! They're talking about cutting down our population so there'll
be food enough for some to live. There are two questions about it. One
is who's to be kept alive, and the other is why."

The groundcar aimed now for a cluster of faintly brighter lights on
the far side of the great open space. They enlarged as they grew
nearer. Maril said hesitantly, "There was someone, Korvan--" Calhoun
didn't catch the rest of the name. Maril said hesitantly, "He was
working on food plants. I thought he might accomplish something...."

The driver said caustically, "Sure! Everybody's heard about him! He
came up with a wonderful thing! He and his outfit worked out a way to
process weeds so they can be eaten. And they can. You can fill your
belly and not feel hungry, but it's like eating hay. You starve just
the same. He's still working. Head of a government division."

The groundcar passed through a gate. It stopped before a lighted door.
The armed men hanging to its outside dropped off. They watched Calhoun
closely as he stepped out with Murgatroyd riding on his shoulder.

Minutes later they faced a hastily summoned group of officials of the
Darian government. For a ship to land on Dara was so remarkable an
event that it called practically for a cabinet meeting. And Calhoun
noted that they were no better fed than the guards at the spaceport.

They regarded Calhoun and Maril with oddly burning, eyes. It was, of
course, because the two of them showed no signs of hunger. They
obviously had not been on short rations. Darians had this, now, to
increase a hatred which was inevitable anyhow, directed at all peoples
off their own planet.

"My name is Calhoun," said Calhoun briskly. "I've the usual Med
Service credentials. Now--"

He did not wait to be questioned. He told them of the appalling state
of things in the Twelfth Sector of th