ands of the Ruler of the Tr'en--and remove the Tr'en threat from
the rest of the galaxy forever.

That, after all, was his job.

* * * * *

The Room of the Ruler was large, square and excessively brown. The
walls were dark-brown, the furnishings--a single great chair, several
kneeling-benches and a small table near the chair--were light-brown,
of some metallic substance, and even the drapes were tan. It was,
Korvin decided, much too much of a bad idea, even when the color
contrast of the Tr'en themselves were figured in.

The Ruler himself, a Tr'en over seven feet tall and correspondingly
broad, sat in the great chair, his four fingers tapping gently on the
table near him, staring at Korvin and his guards. The guards stood on
either side of their captive, looking as impassive as jade statues,
six and a half feet high.

Korvin wasn't attempting to escape. He wasn't pleading with the Ruler.
He wasn't defying the Ruler, either. He was just answering questions.

The Tr'en liked to have everything clear. They were a logical race.
The Ruler had started with Korvin's race, his name, his sex--if
any--and whether or not his appearance were normal for humanity.

Korvin was answering the last question. "Some men are larger than I
am," he said, "and some are smaller."

"Within what limits?"

Korvin shrugged. "Some are over eight feet tall," he said, "and others
under four feet." He used the Tr'en measurement scale, of course; it
didn't seem necessary, though, to mention that both extremes of height
were at the circus-freak level. "Then there is a group of humans," he
went on, "who are never more than a foot and a half in height, and
usually less than that--approximately nine or ten inches. We call
these _children_," he volunteered helpfully.

"Approximately?" the Ruler growled. "We ask for precision here," he
said. "We are scientific men. We are exact."

Korvin nodded hurriedly. "Our race is more ... more approximate," he
said apologetically.

"Slipshod," the Ruler muttered.

"Undoubtedly," Korvin agreed politely. "I'll try to do the best I can
for you."

"You will answer my questions," the Ruler said, "with exactitude." He
paused, frowning slightly. "You landed your ship on this planet," he
went on. "Why?"

"My job required it," Korvin said.

"A clumsy lie," the Ruler said. "The ship crashed; our examinations
prove that beyond any doubt."

"True," Korvin said.

"And it is you