caught they'll claim to be criminals and say they are
_not_ under the King's orders."

Lusine looked upwards to see if a guard was hanging over the well's mouth
listening. Perceiving no one, she nodded and said, "You have guessed it
correctly. And that is why we laugh so much at you stupid Humans. You know
as well as we do what's going on, but you are afraid to tell us so. You
keep clinging to the idea that your turn-the-other-cheek policy will
soften us and insure peace."

"Not I," said Rastignac. "I know perfectly well there is only one
solution to man's problems. That is--"

"That is Violence," she finished for him. "That is what you have been
preaching. And that is why you are in this cell, waiting for trial."

"You don't understand," he said. "Men are not put into the Chalice for
_proposing_ new philosophies. As long as they behave naturally they
may say what they wish. They may even petition the King that the new
philosophy be made a law. The King passes it on to the Chamber of
Deputies. They consider it and put it up to the people. If the people
like it, it becomes a law. The only trouble with that procedure is
that it may take ten years before the law is considered by the Chamber
of Deputies."

"And in those ten years," she mocked him, "the Amphibs and the
Amphibian-changelings will have won the planet."

"That is true," he said.

"The King of the Humans is a Ssassaror and the King of the Ssassaror
is a Man," said Lusine. "Our King can't see any reason for changing
the status quo. After all, it is the Ssassaror who are responsible for
the Skins and for Man's position in the sentient society of this
planet. Why should he be favorable to a policy of Violence? The
Ssassarors loathe violence."

"And so you have preached Violence without waiting for it to become a
law? And for that you are now in this cell?"

"Not exactly. The Ssassarors have long known that to suppress too much
of Man's naturally belligerent nature only results in an explosion. So
they have legalized illegality--up to a point. Thus the King
officially made me the Chief of the Underground and gave me a state
license to preach--but not practice--Violence. I am even allowed to
advocate overthrow of the present system of government--as long as I
take no action that is too productive of results.

"I am in jail now because the Minister of Ill-Will put me here. He had
my Skin examined, and it was found to be 'unhealthy.' He thought I'd
be bett