would. I would give my life."

"Your life? A mere nothing. A pittance. Any man could give his life.
Would you consent to live forever for Keroth?"

Tallis shook his head as though he were puzzled. "Live forever? That's
twice or three times you've said something about that. I _don't_
understand you."

"Would you consent to live forever as a filthy curse on the lips of
every Kerothi old enough to speak? Would you consent to be a vile,
inhuman monster whose undead spirit would hang over your homeland like
an evil miasma for centuries to come, whose very name would touch a
flame of hatred in the minds of all who heard it?"

"That's a very melodramatic way of putting it," the Kerothi said, "but
I believe I understand what you mean. Yes, I would consent to that if
it would be the only salvation of Keroth."

"Would you slaughter helpless millions of your own people so that other
billions might survive? Would you ruthlessly smash your system of
government and your whole way of life if it were the only way to save
the people themselves?"

"I'm beginning to see what you're driving at," Tallis said slowly. "And
if it is what I think it is, I think I would like to kill you--very
slowly."

"I know, I know. But you haven't answered my question. Would you do
those things to save your people?"

"I would," said Tallis coldly. "Don't misunderstand me. I do not loathe
you for what you have done to your own people; I hate you for what you
have done to mine."

"That's as it should be," said MacMaine. His head was clearing up more
now. He realized that he had been talking a little wildly at first. Or
was he really insane? Had he been insane from the beginning? No. He
knew with absolute clarity that every step he had made had been cold,
calculating, and ruthless, but utterly and absolutely sane.

He suddenly wished that he had shot Tallis without wakening him. If his
mind hadn't been in such a state of shock, he would have. There was no
need to torture the man like this.

"Go on," said Tallis, in a voice that had suddenly become devoid of all
emotion. "Tell it all."

"Earth was stagnating," MacMaine said, surprised at the sound of his
own voice. He hadn't intended to go on. But he couldn't stop now. "You
saw how it was. Every standard had become meaningless because no
standard was held to be better than any other standard. There was no
beauty because beauty was superior to ugliness and we couldn't allow
superiority or inferio