hing to fear--" The word ended abruptly in what was like a
mental gasp of either astonishment or fear.

Knowing all the menaces which might lie in wait, even in the shallows
of the sea, Dalgard drew his knife once more as he plowed through
water--ready to rescue or at least to offer what aid he could.

10

THE DEAD GUARDIANS

The spacemen spent a cramped and almost sleepless night. Although in
his training on Terra, on his trial trips to Mars and the harsh Lunar
valleys, Raf had known weird surroundings and climates, inimical to
his kind, he had always been able to rest almost by the exercise of
his will. But now, curled in his roll, he was alert to every sound out
of the moonless night, finding himself listening--for what he did not
know.

Though there were sounds in plenty. The whistling call of some night
bird, the distant lap, lap of water which he associated with the river
curving through the long-deserted city, the rustle of grass as either
the wind or some passing animal disturbed it.

"Not the best place in the world for a nap," Soriki observed out of
the dark as Raf wriggled, trying to find a more comfortable position.
"I'll be glad to see these bandaged boys on the ground waving good-bye
as we head away from them--fast--"

"Those weren't animals they killed--back on that island." Raf brought
out what was at the heart of his trouble.

"They wore fur instead of clothing." Soriki's reply was delivered in a
colorless, even voice. "We have apes on Terra, but they are not men."

Raf stared up at the sky in which stars were sprinkled like carelessly
flung dust motes. "What is a 'man'?" he returned, repeating the
classical question which was a debating point in all the space
training centers.

For so long his kind had wondered that. Was a "man" a biped with
certain easily recognized physical characteristics? Well, by that
ruling the furry things which had fled fruitlessly from the flames of
the globe might well qualify. Or was "man" a certain level of
intelligence, no matter what form housed that intelligence? They were
supposed to accept the latter definition. Though, in spite of the
horror of prejudice, Raf could not help but believe that too many
Terrans secretly thought of "man" only as a creature in their own
general image. By that prejudiced rule it was correct to accept the
aliens as "men" with whom they could ally themselves, to condemn the
furry people because they were not smooth-skinned