ings. We got about half of them with MG-fire, and
the rest dived into a big rock-crevice. We had to use two rockets on
them, and then had to let down and pot a few of them with our pistols.
We caught the second band in that little punchbowl place about a mile
this side of Zortolk's Old Fort. There were only six of them; they
were bunched together, feeding. Off one of their own gang, I'd say;
the way we've been keeping them up in the high rocks, they've been
eating inside the family quite a bit, lately. We let them have two
rockets. No survivors. Not many very big pieces, in fact. We let down
at Zortolk's for a beer, after that, and Captain Martinelli told us
that one of his jeeps caught what he thinks was the same band that was
down off the mountain night-before-last and ate those peasants on
Prince Neeldink's estate."

"By God, I'm glad to hear that!" There'd been a perfect hell of a flap
about that business. Before the Terrans came to Uller, it was a good
year when not more than five hundred farm-folk would be killed and
eaten by Jeel cannibals. The incident of two nights ago had been the
first of its kind in almost six months, but the nobleman whose serfs
had been eaten was practically accusing the Company of responsibility
for the crime. "I'll see that Neeldink is informed. The more you do
for these damned geeks, the more they expect from you.... When you get
your vehicle re-ammoed, lieutenant, suppose you buzz back to where you
machine-gunned that first gang. If there are any more around, they'll
have moved in for the free meal by now." This breakdown of the Jeels'
taboo against eating fellow-tribesmen was one of the best things he'd
heard from the cannibal-extermination project for some time.

He turned to Themistocles M'zangwe. "In about two weeks, get a little
task-force together. Say ten combat-cars, about twenty airjeeps, and a
battalion of Kragan Rifles in troop-carriers. Oh, yes, and this
good-for-nothing Konkrook Fencibles outfit of Prince Jaizerd's; they
can be used for beaters, and to block escape routes." He turned back
to Lieutenant Kendall and Sergeant Garcia. "Good work, boys. And if
the synchro-photos show that any of that first bunch got away, don't
feel too badly about it. These Jeels can hide on the top of a
pool-table."

He climbed into the command-car, followed by Themistocles M'zangwe and
Hideyoshi O'Leary. Sergeant Harry Quong and Corporal Hassan Bogdanoff
took their places on the front sea