"Me. A month was spent mapping the planet and searching out native villages. I then returned to base and picked up supplies necessary for setting up an outpost. Two months ago I returned. "And all Hell broke loose...." * * * * * Night fell quickly, and with little relief on Kash, for the stars were few and far between, and shed little light. Dillon stepped out of the office that was doing double-duty as living quarters until separate quarters could be set up, and started for the nearby well. He cursed as he realized his flashlight still lay on the desk, but the light pouring from the open door was enough to see by, and he decided against returning. As he walked, he breathed deeply of the tangy night air, and sighed with satisfaction. This world was infinitely more pleasurable than the last he had posted, and he intended to enjoy his stay. He let his thoughts ramble as he walked and so almost ran down the waiting alien before he saw him. The native's huge eyes gleamed softly in the spill of light from the office, and the gray down that covered his body and head, except for the face, seemed soft and alive. "Tarsa, Bila," said the Earthman, using the native greeting. "Tarsa, starman. May the Gods shine their eternal light on you." "And on you," Dillon said, observing the ritual. "But what brings you here at night?" "The night is beautiful, is it not, starman? It shines with a glory all its own. At times it would seem to outdo its brother, the day." "Indeed," he agreed. "Your world is one of the loveliest I have yet seen, and my travels have led me over as many stars as there are waves on the sea. But surely you did not come to talk merely of the night and its beauty." "Alas, no," sighed the native. "My task is a most unhappy one, for sorrow hangs heavy over the village. The women and children are weeping, and the men know not what to do in the face of calamity. It seems as though the Gods themselves have turned against my people." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "What would you with me, Bila?" asked the Earthman. "Surely I cannot be of any assistance?" "As a man from the sky, surely you have met the Gods in open battle before!" cried the alien. "And just as surely you must have defeated them, else you would not be here this night." "I am flattered, Bila. It is true that the Gods of the universe and I are not total strangers. Exactly what is wrong?" "It is Toll, the son of Kylano. He has fallen from a cliff, and the bones of his arm are broken and need curing." "But isn't that a job for the priest?" "Aye. But our priest has been on a pilgrimage these past ten days, and is to be gone another thirty or more. There is no one left with the necessary knowledge. You will come?" "I'll come, Bila. But first I must get a bag from the office. With it I may be able to help the boy." "Ah, you too have an herb basket like the priest's? Truly you are a friend of the Gods."