like to speak to her."

Before Anketam could say anything, Lady Samas spoke. "Tell the colonel
to come in, Anketam."

Anketam stepped aside to let the officer enter.

"Lady Samas?" he asked.

She nodded. "I am."

The colonel removed his hat. "Madam, I am Colonel Jamik Fayder, of the
Union army. You are the owner of this land?"

"Until my son returns, yes," said Lady Samas evenly.

"I understand." The colonel licked his lips nervously. He was obviously
ill at ease in the presence of the Lady Samas. "Madam," he said, "it
would be useless for me to apologize for the destructions of war.
Apologies are mere words."

"They are," said Lady Samas. "None the less, I accept them."

"Thank you. I have come to inform you that the Xedii armies formally
surrendered near Chromdin early this morning. The war is over."

"I'm glad," said Lady Samas.

"So am I," said the colonel. "It has not been a pleasant war. Xedii
was--and still is--the most backward planet in the galaxy. Your Council
of Chiefs steadfastly refused to allow the"--he glanced at
Anketam--"workers of Xedii to govern their own lives. They have lived
and died without proper education, without the medical care that would
save and lengthen their lives, and without the comforts of life that any
human being deserves. That situation will be changed now, but I am
heartily sorry it took a war to do it."

Anketam looked at the man. What was he talking about? He and his kind
had burned and dusted cities and villages, and had smashed the lives of
millions of human beings on the pretense that they were trying to help.
What sort of insanity was that?

The colonel took a sheaf of papers from his pocket.

"I have been ordered to read to you the proclamation of the Union
President."

He looked down at the papers and began to read:

"Henceforth, all the peoples of Xedii shall be free and equal. They
shall have the right to change their work at will, to be paid in lawful
money instead of--"

Anketam just stood there, his mind glazed. He had worked hard all his
life for the security of retirement, and now all that was gone. What was
he to do? Where was he to go? If he had to be paid in money, who would
do it? Lady Samas? She had nothing. Besides, Anketam knew nothing about
the handling of money. He knew nothing about how to get along in a
society like that.

He stood there in silence as his world dissolved around him. He could
hear, dimly, the voice of the blue-clad U