! You--"

"It is in the Book of the Saints," the Ihelian said, "and, therefore,
it is our command. And--" he looked into the Earthman's face with the
slightest hint of a smile, "from what I've learned of Earth's history
from your own lips, Lieutenant, what of your own past wars? Who among
your own soldiery has really known why he fought?"

"Well, but--" And then Mason returned the smile. "No, it isn't so
different, is it? But tell me more about this Book. Is it based on
law, religion, ethics?"

And this time there was no smile on the Ihelian's broad face.

"Legend says all three," he replied.

"Legend? And yet you blindly obey--"

"We always have. Its writings, such as we understand them to be, have
governed us for millenia, Lieutenant. The Book is our way, our life.
We are told we could not be a civilization without it."

Mason was silent for a long moment. He did not want to question too
deeply the beliefs sacred to another, yet it was so damnably peculiar.
They fought bitterly, and they did not know why.

"Could you--would you let me see a copy of this Book, Kriijorl?"

"If I could I'd be glad to, Lieutenant. For I have often wished I
could see the words it contains myself."

"You've never read it?"

"Never. Nor has any Ihelian or Thrayxite for thousands of years. There
is, you must understand, only one Book of the Saints."

"Just one copy?"

"Yes. It has long been deemed sacrilege for mortal eyes to view the
ancient writings. The single copy is kept in a great vault, built of
indestructible metals, and protectively sheathed to last for all Time.
The spot above its burial place is marked by a tall spire of stone. It
is jealously protected."

"You said that its commands commit you and Thrayx to eternal battle.
But if you could only read it, you might learn the basic cause of your
conflict--and, knowing, certainly--"

"The thought has often occurred to me. But, there is even more
prohibiting such an impossible undertaking than the powerful bondage
of tradition and belief alone, Lieutenant. And that is the Book's very
location."

"And that--?"

"The subterranean vault in which it rests is guarded in the Forest of
Saarl. And the Forest of Saarl, my friend, is on Thrayx."

IV

"It is something completely beyond my understanding," the Ihelian was
saying. The two men stood, each flanked by two guards, at the
threshold of a great ramp which led from the main air lock of the
Thrayxite ship to the r