aid. "You saw them yourself, cowering
under the trees when the ship went over."

"The patrol ships frighten them," Bregg said. "Sometimes to the point of
stampeding them, which is why we use them only in emergencies. The
people do not connect the ships with us."

"That," said Paula flatly, "is a lie."

Bregg sighed. "Enthusiasts always believe what they want to believe.
Come and see for yourself."

She straightened up. "What have you done to them?"

"We've caught them in a trap," said Bregg, "and we are presently going
to stick needles into them--a procedure necessitated by your presence,
Doctor Ray. They're highly susceptible to imported viruses, as you
should remember--one of your little parties of do-gooders succeeded in
wiping out a whole band of them not too many years ago. So--inoculations
and quarantine."

* * * * *

Lights had blazed up in the area near the building. The car sped toward
them.

Kieran said slowly, "Why don't you just exterminate the hunters and have
done with them?"

"In your day, Mr. Kieran--yes, I've heard all about you--in your day,
did you on Earth exterminate the predators so that their natural prey
might live more happily?"

Bregg's long muzzle and sloping skull were profiled against the lights.

"No," said Kieran, "we didn't. But in that case, they were all animals."

"Exactly," said Bregg. "No, wait, Doctor Ray. Spare me the lecture. I
can give you a much better reason than that, one even you can't quarrel
with. It's a matter of ecology. The number of humans destroyed by these
predators annually is negligible but they do themselves destroy an
enormous number of small creatures with which the humans compete for
their food. If we exterminated the hunters the small animals would
multiply so rapidly that the humans would starve to death."

The car stopped beside the hill, at the edge of the lighted area. A sort
of makeshift corral of wire fencing had been set up, with wide wings to
funnel the people into the enclosure, where a gate was shut on them. Two
Sakae were mounting guard as the party from the car approached the
corral. Inside the fence Kieran could see the people, flopped around in
positions of exhaustion. They did not seem to be afraid now. A few of
them were drinking from a supply of water provided for them. There was
food scattered for them on the ground.

Bregg said something in his own language to one of the guards, who
looked surp