and a small party was descending
the ladder, conspicuous among them the form and uniform of Captain
Hobart. The aliens remained in a cluster at the foot of the ladder
while the Terran commander crossed to the flitter.

"You"--he pointed to Raf--"are to come along with us."

"Why, sir?" "What about me, sir?" The questions from the two at the
flitter came together.

"I said that one of you had to remain by the machine. Then they said
that you, in particular, must come along, Kurbi."

"But I'm the pilot--" Raf began and then realized that it was just
that fact which had made the aliens attach him to the exploring party.
If they believed that the Terran flitter was immobilized when he, and
he alone, was not behind its controls, this was just the move they
would make. But there they were wrong. Soriki might not be able to
repair or service the motor, but in a pinch he could take it up, send
it westward, and land it beside the spacer. Each and every man aboard
the _RS 10_ had that much training.

Now the com-tech was scowling. He had grasped the significance of that
arrangement as quickly as Raf. "How long do I wait for you, sir?" he
asked in a voice which had lost its usual good-humored drawl.

And at that inquiry Captain Hobart showed signs of irritation. "Your
suspicions are not founded on facts," he stated firmly. "These people
have displayed no signs of wanting to harm us. And an attitude of
distrust at this point might be fatal for future friendly contact.
Lablet is sure that they have a highly complex society, probably
advanced beyond Terran standards, and that their technical skills will
be of vast benefit to us. As it happens we have come at just the right
moment in their history, when they are striving to get back on their
feet after a disastrous series of wars. It is as if a group of
off-world explorers had allied themselves with us after the Burn-Off.
We can exchange information which will be of mutual benefit."

"If any off-world explorers had set down on Terra after the Burn-Off,"
observed Soriki softly, "they would have come up against Pax. And just
how long would they have lasted?"

Hobart had turned away. If he heard that half-whisper, he did not
choose to acknowledge it. But the truth in the com-tech's words made
an impression on Raf, a crew of aliens who had been misguided enough
to seek out and try to establish friendly relations with the officials
of Pax would have had a short and most unhappy sh