ich hunts could not have tracked you
had not the stink of the beast things been on you."

"I know no beasts," Dalgard faced up to that squarely. "The sea people
are my friends!"

It was hard to read any emotion on these lacquered and bedaubed faces,
but before the officer once more broke bracelet contact, Dalgard did
sense the other's almost hysterical aversion. The scout might just
have admitted to the most revolting practices as far as the alien was
concerned. After he had translated, all three of those on the dais
were silent. Even the guards edged away from the captive as if in some
manner they might be defiled by proximity. One of the civilians made
an emphatic statement, got creakily to his feet, and walked always as
if he would have nothing more to do with this matter. After a second
or two of hesitation his fellow followed his example.

The officer turned the bracelet around in his fingers, his dark eyes
with their slitted pupils never leaving Dalgard's face. Then he came
to a decision. He pushed the ring up his arm, and the words which
reached the prisoner were coldly remote, as if the captive were no
longer judged an intelligent living creature but something which had
no right of existence in a well-ordered universe.

"Beast friends with beast. As the beasts--so shall you end. It is
spoken."

One of the guards tore the bracelet from Dalgard's arm, trying not to
touch the scout's flesh in the process. And those who once more
shackled his wrists ostentatiously wiped their hands up and down the
wrappings on their thighs afterwards.

But before they jabbed him into movement with the muzzles of their
weapons, Dalgard located at last the source of that disturbing mental
touch, not only located it, but in some manner broke through the
existing barrier between the strange mind and his and communicated as
clearly with it as he might have with Sssuri. And the excitement of
his discovery almost led to self-betrayal!

Terran! One of those who traveled with the aliens? Yet he read clearly
the other's distrust of that company, the fact that he lay in
concealment here without their knowledge. And he was not
unfriendly--surely he could not be a Peaceman of Pax! Another fugitive
from a newly-come colony ship--? Dalgard beamed a warning to the
other. If he who was free could only reach the merpeople! It might
mean the turning point in their whole venture!

Dalgard was furiously planning, simplifying, trying to impress