the touch of sardonicism that he felt to be
heard in the laughter. "I might have hoped so once, Tallis. But I'm
afraid I have simply come out even. I have traded nothing for nothing."

General Tallis reached into the pocket of his uniform jacket and took
out the thin aluminum case that held the Kerothi equivalent of
cigarettes. He took one out, put it between his lips, and lit it with
the hotpoint that was built into the case.

MacMaine took an Earth cigarette out of the package on the table and
allowed Tallis to light it for him. The pause and the silence, MacMaine
knew, were for a purpose. He waited. Tallis had something to say, but
he was allowing the Earthman to "adjust to surprise." It was one of the
fine points of Kerothi etiquette.

* * * * *

A sudden silence on the part of one participant in a conversation,
under these particular circumstances, meant that something unusual was
coming up, and the other person was supposed to take the opportunity to
brace himself for shock.

It could mean anything. In the Kerothi Space Forces, a superior
informed a junior officer of the junior's forthcoming promotion by just
such tactics. But the same tactics were used when informing a person of
the death of a loved one.

In fact, MacMaine was well aware that such a period of silence was _de
rigueur_ in a Kerothi court, just before sentence was pronounced, as
well as a preliminary to a proposal of marriage by a Kerothi male to
the _light of his love.

MacMaine could do nothing but wait. It would be indelicate to speak
until Tallis felt that he was ready for the surprise.

It was not, however, indelicate to watch Tallis' face closely; it was
expected. Theoretically, one was supposed to be able to discern, at
least, whether the news was good or bad.

With Tallis, it was impossible to tell, and MacMaine knew it would be
useless to read the man's expression. But he watched, nonetheless.

In one way, Tallis' face was typically Kerothi. The orange-pigmented
skin and the bright, grass-green eyes were common to all Kerothi. The
planet Keroth, like Earth, had evolved several different "races" of
humanoid, but, unlike Earth, the distinction was not one of color.

MacMaine took a drag off his cigarette and forced himself to keep his
mind off whatever it was that Tallis might be about to say. He was
already prepared for a death sentence--even a death sentence by
torture. Now, he felt, he