ter, of the existence and functions of the
Galactic Confederation of worlds, and of Hospital Earth's work as
physician to the galaxy.

But about Bruckian anatomy, physiology or biochemistry, the little
emissary would tell them nothing. He seemed genuinely frightened when
they pressed him about the physical make-up of his people, as though
their questions were somehow scraping a raw nerve. He insisted that his
people knew nothing about the nature of the plague that had stricken
them, and the doctors could not budge him an inch from his stand.

But a plague had certainly struck.

It had begun six months before, striking great masses of the people. It
had walked the streets of the cities and the hills and valleys of the
countryside. First three out of ten had been stricken, then four, then
five. The course of the disease, once started, was invariably the same:
first illness, weakness, loss of energy and interest, then gradually a
fading away of intelligent responses, leaving thousands of creatures
walking blank-faced and idiot-like about the streets and countryside.
Ultimately even the ability to take food was lost, and after an interval
of a week or so, death invariably ensued.

Finally the doctors retired to the control room for a puzzled
conference. "It's got to be an organism of some sort that's doing it,"
Dal said. "There couldn't be an illness like this that wasn't caused by
some kind of a parasitic germ or virus."

"But how do we know?" Jack said. "We know nothing about these people
except what we can see. We're going to have to do a complete biochemical
and medical survey before we can hope to do anything."

"But we aren't equipped for a real survey," Tiger protested.

"We've got to do it anyway," Jack said. "If we can just learn enough to
be sure it's an infectious illness, we might stand a chance of finding a
drug that will cure it. Or at least a way to immunize the ones that
aren't infected yet. If this is a virus infection, we might only need to
find an antibody for inoculation to stop it in its tracks. But first we
need a good look at the planet and some more of the people--both
infected and healthy ones. We'd better make arrangements as fast as we
can."

An hour later they had reached an agreement with the Bruckian emissary.
The _Lancet_ would be permitted to land on the planet's surface as soon
as the doctors were satisfied that it was safe. For the time being the
initial landings would be made in t