interplanetary freight sheds loomed ahead. And the world exploded,
falling apart into a soothing painless silence.

* * * * *

Dirrul opened his eyes and looked at the neutral blue of a hospital
ceiling. Gradually he became conscious of Dr. Kramer, seated by the
bed.

"Dr. Kramer!" Dirrul whispered. "Then everything's all right."

"If by everything you mean your companions, yes. There's even a chance
we can restore the girl's hearing."

"And the Vininese?"

"Defeated."

"Dr. Kramer, we've got to destroy the Confederacy! I saw their
transmitters--I know how their system works."

"Hush, Edward--I promised not to excite you. We know about it."

"Then how could you have been foolish enough to let them land?"

"It seemed a pity not to give a few of their people another chance.
It's working out quite nicely too."

"I don't follow you, Dr. Kramer."

"Long ago we became interested when tourists told us about the curious
block-buildings on Vinin. Our physics boys worked out an ingenious
device for analyzing their atmosphere. It was a little machine
concealed in the lining of an ordinary air-freight crate, as I recall.

* * * * *

"A machine is quite objective, Edward--and Customs men don't stamp
freight crates with the negative adaptors. When we learned that a
Vininese fleet was going to land here we simply issued insulating
helmets to all our people and let them come. As soon as we destroyed
their portable transmitters the Vininese army proved quite adaptable
to a new environment."

"Then--I did nothing to help when I destroyed their fleet?"

"Unfortunately you wounded two of our mechanics."

"I'm a traitor, Dr. Kramer. Even when I try I can't redeem myself!"

"Only on Vinin can you betray an external absolute, Edward. To an
Agronian all objective concepts are relative to the subjective
interpretations made by each individual. You can only be a traitor to
yourself."

"The words are pleasant to say to a sick man but the fact remains--I
would have betrayed Agron."

"But you didn't. Why not?"

"When I saw what their efficiency really meant--"

"You changed your mind before you knew about the transmitters?"

"Yes."

"Then you're libeling yourself. Don't trap yourself in another
self-delusion, Edward. All that's happened is that you've grown up."

Dirrul said slowly, feeling for words that would express the idea as
he felt it, "When I was