world."

White teeth showed in grins. Bordman was almost envious of men who could
grin at such a thought. But he went on grimly:

"And I understand that athletics have also been much practiced."

Redfeather said:

"There's been time for it. Climbing teams have counted coup on all the
worst mountains within three hundred miles. There's been a new record
set for the javelin, adjusted for gravity constant, and Johnny Cornstalk
did a hundred yards in eight point four seconds. Aletha has the records
and has certified them."

"Very useful!" said Bordman sardonically. Then he disliked himself for
saying it even before the bronze-skinned men's faces grew studiedly
impassive.

Chuka waved his hand.

"Wait, Ralph! Lewanika's nephew will beat that within a week!"

Bordman was ashamed again because Chuka had spoken to cover up his own
ill-nature.

"I take it back!" he said irritably. "What I said was uncalled for. I
shouldn't have said it! But I came here to do a completion survey and
what you've been giving me is material for an estimate of morale! It's
not my line! I'm a technician, first and foremost! We're faced with a
technical problem!"

Aletha spoke suddenly from behind him.

"But these are men, first and foremost, Mr. Bordman. And they're faced
with a very human problem--how to die well. They seem to be rather good
at it, so far."

Bordman ground his teeth. He was again humiliated. In his own fashion he
was attempting the same thing. But just as he was genetically not
qualified to endure the climate of this planet, he was not prepared for
a fatalistic or pious acceptance of disaster. Amerind and African,
alike, these men instinctively held to their own ideas of what the
dignity of a man called upon him to do when he could not do anything but
die. But Bordman's idea of his human dignity required him to be still
fighting: still scratching at the eyes of fate or destiny when he was
slain. It was in his blood or genes or the result of training. He simply
could not, with self-respect, accept any physical situation as hopeless
even when his mind assured him that it was.

* * * * *

"I agree," he said coldly, "but still I have to think in technical
terms. You might say that we are going to die because we cannot land the
_Warlock_ with food and equipment. We cannot land the _Warlock_ because
we have no landing grid. We have no landing grid because it and all the
material to complet