_Again Chancellor Vrausot erupted in a series of violent hisses and clicks. "But that might only encourage them to attack!"_ _"Precisely. So the only course left is Number Five. That is to condition our prisoners to report_ indications _of an interstellar culture in the Tzarean Shoal--nothing precise, nothing definite. Our prisoners will say they made no visual observations. We thus present the aliens with neither the temptation of our actual weakness, nor the fear of our pretended strength._ _"At the same time we interrupt communications between them and the robots they have stationed in the system halfway between their center of civilization and ours. We shall hope they interpret that action as signifying we have discovered their automatons and desire to meet them in peace on that satellite._ _"We shall go there prepared for friendly contact. If they come_ unarmed, _we shall know there will be no fighting; that perhaps they will even provide the stimulus and inspiration for regeneration of the Tzarean culture. After all, it's a pretty big galaxy and there's plenty of room for_ two _interstellar races."_ _"But," Vrausot hissed grimly, "what if they come_ armed?" _"Then we shall know what fate holds in store for us. We will prepare to the limit of our resources and acquit ourselves honorably."_ _Stewart watched Vrausot thump his tail on the floor in an expression of displeasure._ _"The administration," click-hissed the Chancellor, "will agree to that plan with two modifications: one--that the Tzarean ship we send to contact the aliens will itself be armed so that the lives of our brave men will not be jeopardized; two--that the highest administrative authority be appointed to lead the expedition."_ * * * * * "Dave! Oh, Dave! What's wrong?" He opened his eyes and stared up into Carol's solicitous face. "I'm all right," he said numbly. Randall was tinkering with the transceiver, while Mortimer and McAllister were moving about excitedly in the cave entrance. "Come see what those Hyadeans are doing!" the latter exclaimed. Stewart went over. In front of the cave, obscuring the formation of outcroppings and boulders beyond, was a pile of shining, metal instruments that looked like-- "The linear intensifiers off their laser guns!" Mortimer revealed. "They've been stripping them off the ship for the past half hour. And look!" He pointed off to the side, indicating another mound of weapons that were quite obviously of the class the landing party had worn as side arms. In between the two piles and lying directly in front of the cave's mouth was the body of the Tzarean who had been slain by the fall of the Mineral Analyzer's drill head. Even as Stewart watched, other Tzareans brought more weapons to add to the two stacks. "Dave!" Randall's voice sounded excitedly back in the cave. "Come listen to this. I've tuned in on their frequency!"