A great pride welled in Gene's breast, but still his mind was troubled. Now he had won the friendship of the Wronged Ones, but were the Beast People truly vanquished? He thought not. Even with the enormous casualties they had sustained, they still far outnumbered Old One's tribe. They were desperate; this was a bitterly cold, dying world, and outside this valley, without shelter, a person unhardened to the low temperature would soon perish. The horrible creatures were vigorous and rugged, but the cold was becoming more marked, year by year. Even they could not long bear such hardships. He had a hunch they had not gone far from the valley, and would soon launch another attack on the city. IV Part of Gene's hunch proved correct. The Beast People were camped just outside the valley, this being verified by scouts sent out from the city late that evening. It was logical to suppose that the suspected attack would also become reality in the near future. There was little sleep for him that night. He lay with eyes open, thinking--but little did he solve. Kac personally brought Gene's breakfast to him the following morning. The sad face of the chief's son was even sadder this day. "Many of my people shall no longer know the hardships of life," he told the explorer. "One hundred of them fell before the onslaught of the Beast People. And--sorrow floods my heart--women and children account for more than half of the dead. "Gene, my friend, my tribe is grateful for your succor in its hour of peril. But for you, the caves would now be in the filthy hands of our most despised enemies. Yea, you have proved yourself a warrior, and we belatedly welcome you as a brother." Gene was already engrossed in the food, and an unintelligible grunt was the best he could do in the way of a reply. Kac sat on the floor, watching him with wonder--and more than a touch of pity. His brow was furrowed with thought, and suddenly he spoke: "You are not like those, those _others_, Gene. The legends tell us _they_ were cruel, merciless. But you are kind, just, and your mind knows no deceit. Spawn of the _others_ you may well be, yet their inhuman traits dwell not in you." Gene looked up puzzledly. "Hey! What in Deimos' Dungeons are you talking about? Who are these _others_, and what makes you think I'm in cahoots with them? Listen, Kac, I'm an Earthman--flesh and blood, bone and hair, every single atom. Before Man, there were no intelligent creatures on Earth; and as for Man himself doing you some great wrong, it could not possibly have happened. Your planet is unknown to my world; I myself discovered it only by the most unusual circumstances. You've got me dizzy with all this talk about supposed wrongs, so how about putting our cards on the table?"