We did not have long to wait. The sound of commotion inside reached us soon after the alien entered. A short time later he tumbled out through the doorway. His body was limp as it landed in the dirt street. He lay motionless. A few minutes later we caught another view of Ctvar. He and two of his friends were carried from the drinking place. The alien did not recover so quickly this time. His first movement was a slow rocking of his head. At each motion a low groan came from his lips. He made several attempts to regain his feet, but his legs would not hold him. At last he began crawling toward his room a few blocks away. He left a small trail of blood behind him. It took him almost an hour of crawling, between rests, to reach his room. I left Srtes' office with the council members. There would be little to observe for some days, and that little I could watch on the screen in my own cubicle. * * * * * All the next day the alien lay on his sleeping rug. He rose only in response to his nature calls, and once to fix himself a bowl of porridge. However, the following afternoon, though he was obviously still not at all physically fit, he dressed and left his room. It took me a few minutes after he reached the street to realize that he was heading for the Building Administrates. Undoubtedly to complain to Srtes of the treatment he had received at the hands of Ctvar and his party. And just when I was beginning to have some small amount of respect for the outworlder. I switched hurriedly to Srtes and informed him of the imminent visit. At the same time I requested permission to cover the interview. The request was granted. * * * * * Srtes' visitor surprised us by making no complaint against Ctvar, and requesting no protection. He declined the hassocks Srtes offered him, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "I've heard nothing from you for some time now," he said. "Does that mean your examiners are finished with me?" "That is correct," Srtes answered courteously. "What comes next?" he asked. "Next?" Srtes repeated. "Why, that is your own decision. My interest in you ceased the day our study was complete. You are free now to do as you wish." The alien thought that over for a time. "You do not intend to return me to Earth?" he asked. "Is there any reason why you should expect us to?" Srtes replied. "To me it seems there is," he said. "I fulfilled my part of the contract. Shouldn't I expect you, as a fair return, to see that I got back to Earth?" Srtes' expression betrayed a mild irritation. "We had no contract," he said. "You were given to us to do with as we wished. Now that our study is completed, we owe you nothing." "I expected as much," the alien said, almost without interest. "Will you tell me then, what I can do to help myself? I presume you do not intend to furnish me with food and shelter indefinitely."