"Frank, you're going off your rockers. Oh! Oh! Here's something to take your mind off of social philosophy. Look at this!" "What cooks? Looks like a delegation of all the best looking women in the tribe. Guess they're going to dance for us or something." "There's Dark Eyes again. She's got you picked out already." "Picked _out_?" "Sure! Ken said he thought this would happen. They've made several overtures before." "What are you talking about?" "Children of Paradise, pal! They think this is the truest form of hospitality, and in a way--" "You mean--!" "Yeah. That's what I mean. And Dearborn says we shouldn't offend them. So what am I going to do?" "But--!" "Don't keep Dark Eyes waiting, pal!" * * * * * "You were only supposed to please the gods, not fall in love with them, Derla." "I love only one." "I know. It is the big one who never smiles except when he looks at you and me. Then he smiles with sadness. But he is not liked by the other gods. I have seen him argue with the others and shout at them and wave his arms about--and they have stopped smiling at him. If he is in disfavor, it is dangerous to have anything to do with him. He carries his lightning stick at all times, and I know it is because he fears attack from his own kind, not from us. You must stay away from him." "He does not seek me. I fail to please him." "He is a god and you are woman." "But Sigala, and Bulbini--" "I know. Some of the gods have been lonelier than the others. That is the only reason." "The big one who is called Fronk--has not yet--" "It is just as well." "Not even that night when we first--" "Derla, you will have to forget about him and stay away from him." "But he was kind...." "And he is not liked by the other gods. Your father forbids it!" * * * * * "Frank, this obsession of yours is getting serious. The men have asked me to have a talk with you. If you don't get hold of yourself it might even mean the brig, man. Now I want you to tell me just what's behind all this." "Well, sir, it's just that I think we're dead wrong in coming here at all. What we ought to do is _protect_ these people from civilzation. We discovered them. When we go back and report it, they will be the property of modern materialism. Our supposed gifts to them will be nothing short of exploitation. I say we erase our discovery from the records." "What?--I can see now why a couple of the boys had a fight with you. It's insane! For over ten centuries we have looked for other humans--" "And now that we've found them, we plan to force them into our own way of life, as though _we_ had found the only answer!" "Frank, I'm sorry to put it this way, but this is an order. Keep your personal opinions to yourself. You're on probation and you're going to be watched. Dismissed!" * * * * *