"You're not worrying about that fight? Forget it, friend. If anything, I admire someone who can use his claws--especially if, as I begin to suspect, they're not his." He leaned over, his hand lightly on Bart's shoulder. "I don't forget so easily. You saved my life, remember? And you're a hero on the ship for warning us all. Are you really human? Why not get rid of the disguise?" Bart laughed wryly. "It won't come off," he said, and explained. Ringg raised his hands to his own face curiously. "I wonder what sort of human I'd make?" He looked at Meta's small fingers. "Not that I'd ever have the nerve. But then, it's no surprise to anyone that you have courage, Bartol." "You seem to accept it--" "It's a shock," said Ringg honestly, "it scares me a little. But I'm remembering the friendship. That was real. As far as I'm concerned, it still is real." CHAPTER THIRTEEN Ringg was still bending over Meta's hand when Vorongil came into the cabin. He started to speak, then noticed Ringg. "I might have known," he growled, "if there was anything to find out, you'd find it." "Shall I go, _rieko mori_?" "No, stay. You'll find it out some way or other, you might as well get it right the first time. But first of all--are you all right, Meta?" Her chin went up, defiantly. "Yes. And why have you lied to us all these years--all of you?" Vorongil looked mildly startled. "It wasn't exactly a lie. Nine out of ten Lhari captains believe it with all their heart--that humans die in warp-drive. I wasn't sure myself until I heard the debates in Council City, last year." "But why?" Vorongil sighed. His eyes rested disconcertingly on Bart. "I presume you know human history," he said, "better than I do. The Lhari have never had a war, in all written history. Quite frankly, you terrified us. It was decided, on the highest summit levels, that we wouldn't give humans too many chances to find out things we preferred to keep to ourselves. The first few ships to carry Mentorians had carried them without cold-sleep, but people forget easily. The truth is buried in the records of those early voyages. "As the Mentorians grew more important to us, we began to regret the policy, but by that time the Mentorians themselves believed it so firmly that when we tried the experiment of carrying them through the shift into warp-drive, they died of fear--pure suggestion. I tried it with you, Meta, because I knew Bart's presence would reassure you. The others were given an inert sedative they believed to be the cold-sleep drug. How are you feeling, Bart?" "Fine--but wondering what's going to happen." "You won't be hurt," Vorongil said, quickly. Then: "You don't believe me, do you?" "I don't, sir. David Briscoe did what I did, and he's dead. So are three other men."