"Yes, sir," came the reply, weakly. "There is someone here. He sees me but I don't think he ... I don't know if he's coming down. Yes, I guess he is. He's only wearing shorts. He's ... what did you say, Captain?" "I said get out of there. Get out of there at once, Lerner." "I can't make you out, sir. My head hurts. I'm coming out. I feel sick at my stomach. I...." The voice trailed off and after a moment Lerner stumbled into the field of the TV camera and stood unsteadily before the big UN building. Then his scream of pain came vibrating from the speaker. "Captain Grimes! Larsen! Somebody, stop it. For God's sake, shoot!" He pointed his pistol excitedly in all directions, firing wildly with the high-explosive bullets. Grimes turned from the TV screen to the window, grabbing a pair of binoculars. All he could see was the staggering figure of the navigator, stabbing the space around him with his pistol and screaming over the radio. "Stop it, Lerner. Stop that firing and screaming. There's nothing bothering you. Get back here immediately. On the double." Even as he shouted the futile orders, Grimes saw the boy slump to the ground writhing and clutching at his insides. In five seconds it was all over. The brutal telescopic lens of the TV camera showed the blood spilling from his open mouth--there was no other motion. Then the camera picked up the figure of the Priman as he popped into view from inside the building. There was a moment of shocked silence inside the spaceship. Then three things happened at once. Somebody snarled, "Get that rat!" There was a flash from a high-powered rifle and the resultant explosion of the bullet against the front of the UN building, too high to do any damage. There was the leap of the startled Priman backward through the door. Grimes jumped to the communication panel and grabbed a handset. "Stop that firing. Fall in for inspection of firearms immediately. Lieutenant Ramsey, conduct the inspection. Place the man who fired that round in confinement. Lieutenant Fuqua, position your gunners and give orders to fire only at my command." He threw the handset back in its place and then grabbed it again immediately. "Start scanning the area with the TV camera. Get off that body. There's nothing new there." "The mayor's on again," the radio operator broke in. Grimes switched handsets and growled his greeting. "Captain Grimes," the undulating voice said excitedly. "I have just received a call from the airfield. It seems that one of our citizens was fired upon. We cannot allow that kind of...." "You'll allow anything that you can't help. One of my men is dead. I can't allow that either, but what can I do about it?" He caught the anxious expression on Dr. Johnson's face and calmed down somewhat. "I'm sorry, Mister, about the firing. The man is being punished. What did your citizen report? Did he do anything?"