jarring the monster backwards. This time, it was the Nipe
who scuttled backwards.

Stanton moved in to press his advantage and landed a beaut on the Nipe's
lower left eye. Then he tried a body blow. It wasn't too successful. The
alien had an endoskeleton, but he also had a hide that was like somewhat
leathery chitin.

He pulled back, out of the way of the Nipe's judo cuts.

His fists were beginning to hurt, and his leg was paining him badly where
the Nipe had clamped on to it. And his ribs--

And then he realized that, so far, the Nipe had only landed one blow!

_One punch and one pinch,_ he thought with a touch of awe. _The only other
damage he's inflicted has been to my knuckles!_

The Nipe charged in again, then he leaped suddenly and clawed for
Stanton's face with his first pair of hands. The second and third pairs
chopped in toward the man's body. The last pair propelled him off the
floor.

Stanton stepped back and let him have a right just below the jaw, where
his throat would have been if he'd been human.

The Nipe arced backwards in a half-somersault and landed flat on his back.

Stanton backed up a little more, waiting, while the Nipe wriggled feebly
for a moment. _The Marquis of Queensbury should have lived to see this,_
he thought.

The Nipe rolled over and crouched on all eight limbs. His violet eyes
watched Stanton, but the man could read no expression on that inhuman
face.

"_You did not kill._"

For a moment, Stanton found it hard to believe that the hissing, guttural
voice had come from the crouching monster.

"_You did not even_ try _to kill._"

"I have no wish to kill you," Stanton said evenly.

"_I can see that. Do you ... Are you...._" He stopped, as if baffled.
"_There are not the proper words. Do you follow the Customs?_"

Stanton felt a surge of triumph. This was what George Yoritomo had guessed
might happen!

"If I must kill you," he said carefully, "I, myself, will do the honors.
You will not go uneaten."

The Nipe sagged a little, relaxing all over. "_I had hoped it was so. It
was the only thinkable thing. I saw you on the television, and it was only
thinkable that you came for me._"

Stanton blinked, stunned. What was the Nipe thinking? But, of course, he
knew. And he saw that even his brother's return had been a part of the
plan.

"_I knew you were out in the asteroids,_" the Nipe went on. "_But I had
decided you had come to kill. Since you did not, what are your th