And Gant twisted. He palmed the younger man with two deft blows, throat and plexus. Saxon slumped, retching. Gant stood above him, his smile strained. "Amateur," he panted. "I was instructing hand tactics before you were born." He took out his blaster. "They've infected you," he said compassionately. "I'm sorry, lad. You'll get a posthumous decoration." The blaster came up, steadied. Then Gant stood very still, a white-haired statue. Mentor came around the ship and helped Saxon to his feet. "Destroying guests is forbidden," the robot clicked. "The concept is irrational." * * * * * Later, in the shadows of the farmhouse that was not a farmhouse, Saxon watched the scout disappear into the sky. He turned towards Veena. "You're letting him go?" "Mentor--treated him," she said dreamily. "He'll report that you destroyed the colony, died in the process, and this planet is unfit for further colonization. Incidentally, the council voted in the affirmative. Otherwise you'd be with Gant." Aliens, playing a game with their ape-brother. Recognizing him at first glance, speaking his language, making him feel wanted, at home. _Why?_ He was afraid to ask the question. "We're on a vacation," Veena said. "We've only been here for one generation. We were due to return almost thirty years ago, but we found your colony." "Did you--" "Isolation," she murmured. "The ghetto. They're sick," she said. "Infected with the culture plague. We couldn't leave them and we couldn't help them." Her gaze was very steady. "Until you came." It came to him. Man, clutching at the knees of Gods, envying, striving futilely, finally hating. Only Man can help Man. "It's not fair," Saxon breathed. He took Veena by the shoulders, made her look at him. "I'm happy here. You and Lang--Merl--I'm just beginning to learn! I'd hoped that in a few years--" "We are not human," Veena said gently. "And our life span is four hundred of your years." For the first time, he noticed the faint malformation of her ears, the subtle differences in facial bone structure. He glanced past her, saw Lang and Merl waiting in the doorway. "It will mean months of study," she said. "You have so much to unlearn, to understand. They may reject you, sacrifice you. That will not matter. What does matter is your impact on their culture, what it will mean a thousand generations hence." _Diseased apes, with a touch of Godhood, suffering from an infection that might be forever incurable. Why should he be the sacrifice? Who was he, to help them?_ Looking at Veena, he knew the answer.