, did not wear
clothing, nor ride in mechanical transportation.

Yet somewhere within Raf at that moment was the nagging feeling that
this was all utterly wrong, that the Terrans had not made the right
choice. And that now "men" were _not_ standing together. But he had no
intention of spilling that out to Soriki.

"Man is intelligence." The com-tech was answering the question Raf had
almost forgotten that he had asked the moment before. Yes, the proper
conventional reply. Soriki was not going to be caught out with any
claim of prejudice.

Odd--when Pax had ruled, there were thought police and the cardinal
sin was to be a liberal, to experiment, to seek knowledge. Now the
wheel had turned--to be conservative was suspect. To suggest that some
old ways were better was to exhibit the evil signs of prejudice. Raf
grinned wryly. Sure, he had wanted to reach the stars, had fought
doggedly to come to the very spot where he now was. So why was he
tormented now with all these second thoughts? Why did he feel every
day less akin to the men with whom he had shared the voyage? He had
had wit enough to keep his semirebellion under cover, but since he had
taken the flitter into the morning sky above the landing place of the
spacer, that task of self-discipline was becoming more and more
difficult.

"Did you notice," the com-tech said, going off on a new track, "that
these painted boys were not too quick about blasting along to their
strongbox? I'd say that they thought some bright rocket jockey might
have rigged a surprise for them somewhere in there--"

Now that Soriki mentioned it, Raf remembered that the alien party who
had gone into the city had huddled together, and that several of the
black-and-white warriors had fanned out ahead as scouts might in enemy
territory.

"They didn't go any farther than that building to the west either."

That Raf had not noticed, but he was willing to accept Soriki's
observation. The com-tech had a ready eye for details. He'd better pay
closer attention himself. This was no time to explore the why and
wherefore of his present position. So, if they went no farther than
that building, it would argue that the aliens themselves didn't care
to go about here after nightfall. For he was certain that the isolated
structure Soriki had pointed out was not the treasure house they had
come to loot.

The night wore on and sometime during it Raf fell asleep. But the two
or three hours of restless, drea