ed treaty after treaty with us, and still
their citizens raid our mining planets, driving away our own people,
stealing the resources we must have if we are to live."

Marlowe sighed. "There's nothing I can do."

"We have gone to the Holliday government repeatedly," ud Klavan pleaded.
"They tell us the raiders are criminals, that they are doing their best
to stop them. But they still buy the metal the raiders bring them."

"They have to," Marlowe said. "There are no available resources
anywhere within practicable distances. If they're to have any
civilization at all, they've _got_ to buy from the outlaws."

"But they are members of the Union!" ud Klavan protested. "_Why_ won't
you do anything to stop them?"

"We can't," Marlowe said again. "They're members of the Union, yes, but
they're also a free republic. We have no administrative jurisdiction
over them, and if we attempted to establish one our citizens would rise
in protest all over our territory."

"Then we're finished. Dovenil is a dead world."

Marlowe nodded slowly. "I am very sorry. If there is anything I can do,
or that the Ministry can do, we will do it. But we cannot save the
Dovenilid state."

Ud Klavan looked at him bitterly. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for
your generous offer of a gracious funeral.

"I don't understand you!" he burst out suddenly. "I don't understand you
people! Diplomatic lies, yes. Expediency, yes! But this ... this
madness, this fanatical, illogical devotion of the state in the cause of
a people who will tolerate no state! This ... no, this I cannot
understand."

Marlowe looked at him, his eyes full of years.

"Ud Klavan," he said, "you are quite right. We are a race of maniacs.
And that is why Earthmen rule the galaxy. For our treaties are not
binding, and our promises are worthless. Our government does _not_
represent our people. It represents our people as they once were. The
delay in the democratic process is such that the treaty signed today
fulfills the promise of yesterday--but today the Body Politic has formed
a new opinion, is following a new logic which is completely at variance
with that of yesterday. An Earthman's promise--expressed in words or
deeds--is good _only at the instant he makes it_. A second later, new
factors have entered into the total circumstances, and a new chain of
logic has formed in his head--to be altered again, a few seconds later."

He thought, suddenly, of that poor claustrophobic d