d quietly across the square in a surface-car displaying the
House emblem. Murphy rested against deep, cool cushions. "Your
inspectors are pretty careful about weapons."

Ali-Tomas smiled complacently. "Our existence is ordered and peaceful.
You may be familiar with the concept of _adak_?"

"I don't think so."

"A word, an idea from old Earth. Every living act is ordered by ritual.
But our heritage is passionate--and when unyielding _adak_ stands in the
way of an irresistible emotion, there is turbulence, sometimes even
killing."

"An _amok_."

"Exactly. It is as well that the _amok_ has no weapons other than his
knife. Otherwise he would kill twenty where now he kills one."

The car rolled along a narrow avenue, scattering pedestrians to either
side like the bow of a boat spreading foam. The men wore loose white
pantaloons and a short open vest; the women wore only the pantaloons.

"Handsome set of people," remarked Murphy.

Ali-Tomas again smiled complacently. "I'm sure Singhalut will present an
inspiring and beautiful spectacle for your program."

Murphy remembered the keynote to Howard Frayberg's instructions:
"_Excitement! Sex! Mystery!_" Frayberg cared little for inspiration or
beauty. "I imagine," he said casually, "that you celebrate a number of
interesting festivals? Colorful dancing? Unique customs?"

Ali-Tomas shook his head. "To the contrary. We left our superstitions
and ancestor-worship back on Earth. We are quiet Mohammedans and indulge
in very little festivity. Perhaps here is the reason for _amoks_ and
sjambaks."

"Sjambaks?"

"We are not proud of them. You will hear sly rumor, and it is better
that I arm you beforehand with truth."

"What is a sjambak?"

"They are bandits, flouters of authority. I will show you one
presently."

"I heard," said Murphy, "of a man riding a horse up to meet the
space-ships. What would account for a story like that?"

"It can have no possible basis," said Prince Ali-Tomas. "We have no
horses on Cirgamesc. None whatever."

"But ..."

"The veriest idle talk. Such nonsense will have no interest for your
intelligent participants."

The car rolled into a square a hundred yards on a side, lined with
luxuriant banana palms. Opposite was an enormous pavilion of gold and
violet silk, with a dozen peaked gables casting various changing sheens.
In the center of the square a twenty-foot pole supported a cage about
two feet wide, three feet long, and four feet h