utiful, is it not, starman? It shines with a glory all
its own. At times it would seem to outdo its brother, the day."

"Indeed," he agreed. "Your world is one of the loveliest I have yet
seen, and my travels have led me over as many stars as there are waves
on the sea. But surely you did not come to talk merely of the night and
its beauty."

"Alas, no," sighed the native. "My task is a most unhappy one, for
sorrow hangs heavy over the village. The women and children are weeping,
and the men know not what to do in the face of calamity. It seems as
though the Gods themselves have turned against my people." He wiped his
eyes with the back of his hand.

"What would you with me, Bila?" asked the Earthman. "Surely I cannot be
of any assistance?"

"As a man from the sky, surely you have met the Gods in open battle
before!" cried the alien. "And just as surely you must have defeated
them, else you would not be here this night."

"I am flattered, Bila. It is true that the Gods of the universe and I
are not total strangers. Exactly what is wrong?"

"It is Toll, the son of Kylano. He has fallen from a cliff, and the
bones of his arm are broken and need curing."

"But isn't that a job for the priest?"

"Aye. But our priest has been on a pilgrimage these past ten days, and
is to be gone another thirty or more. There is no one left with the
necessary knowledge. You will come?"

"I'll come, Bila. But first I must get a bag from the office. With it I
may be able to help the boy."

"Ah, you too have an herb basket like the priest's? Truly you are a
friend of the Gods."

"Not quite like the priest's," said Dillon, smiling. "But it serves much
the same purpose." He hurried up the path and into the shack, emerging a
moment later with the first-aid bag that was standard equipment for all
men isolated from the services of a doctor.

* * * * *

"That's where you made your first mistake," said Cassidy. "Regulation
1287-63C, paragraph 119 states 'no man shall give medical aid to alien
races unless a team of certified specialists has checked out all such
medicines with respect to such race and certified them safe. Penalty for
breaking rule: Revocation of any licenses; restriction to home world for
three years; and/or five thousand dollars fine.' You really did things
up right. You should have left that bag in the safe where it belonged."

"Well, I didn't," said Dillon. "And it's too late now to ta