ss of one planet cannot ssentence to death crriminalss frrom the
otherr, not even forr murrderr--"

"It wasn't for murder!" exploded Parr. "I struck in self-defense!"

"I cannot arrgue the point. Yourr victim wass a high official perrhapss
inssolent, but you Earrth folk forrget how eassy ourr crraniumss crrack
underr yourr blowss. Anyway, you do not die--you arre exiled. Prreparre
to dissembarrk."

Behind them three Martian space-hands, sprawling like squids near the
control-board, made flutelike comments to each other. The tentacle of
each twiddled an electro-automatic pistol.

"Rremove tunic and bootss," directed the skipper. "You will not need
them. Quickly, ssirr!"

Parr glared at the levelled weapons of the space-hands, then shucked his
upper garment and kicked off his boots. He stood up straight and
lean-muscled, in a pair of duck shorts. His fists clenched at his sides.

"Now we grround," the skipper continued, and even as he spoke there came
the shock of the landfall. The inner panel opened, then the outer
hatch. Sunlight beat into the chamber. "Goodbye," said the skipper
formally. "You have thirrty ssecondss, Earrth time, to walk clearr of
our blasstss beforre we take off. Marrch."

Parr strode out upon dark, rich soil. He sensed behind him the silent
quiver of Martian laughter, and felt a new ecstasy of hate for his late
guards, their race, and the red planet that spawned them. Not until he
heard the rumble and swish of the ship's departure did he take note of
the little world that was now his prison home.

At first view it wasn't really bad. At second, it wasn't really strange.
The sky, by virtue of an Earth-type atmosphere, shone blue with wispy
clouds, and around the small plain on which he stood sprouted clumps and
thickets of green tropical trees. Heathery ferns, with white and yellow
edges to their leaves, grew under his bare feet. The sun, hovering at
zenith, gave a July warmth to the air. The narrow horizon was very near,
of course, but the variety of thickets and the broken nature of the land
beyond kept it from seeming too different from the skyline of Earth.
Parr decided that he might learn to endure, even to enjoy. Meanwhile,
what about the other Terrestrials exiled here? And, as Parr wondered, he
heard their sudden, excited voices.

Threats and oaths rent the balmy air. Through the turmoil resounded
solid blows. Parr broke into a run, shoved through some broad-leafed
bushes, and found hi