"Well, you can have all I have on the ship, if you want it," Drawers offered generously. "It's nothing more than trimmings on the inside of the ship. Iron and steel haven't been of much value since the invention of much superior alloys which have an infinitely greater resistance to heat and cold." "We would be glad to give you anything you request for this metal," the Raciv offered. "There have been numerous occasions when the possession of a little larger supply of Ronir might have relieved much suffering." "In that case, why don't you just consider it my contribution to the advancement of science and let it go at that?" "I'm afraid you do not understand," Persum clarified. "Our race will not accept anything of this sort without first arranging a fair exchange." Michel Drawers realized that he must be careful not to offend these people due to his ignorance of their laws. He made an admirable stab at diplomacy. "Suppose you give me something that you believe would be a fair exchange." The golden people drew away a moment and conversed telepathically among themselves. Then the Raciv walked toward Drawers. There was a resigned expression upon his features. He threw back his shoulders and looked Drawers straight in the eye. "_I am prepared to turn my leadership over to you in exchange!_" came his startling thoughts. The other golden people looked solemn. Drawers drew back aghast. _Just how precious were these small amounts of iron that he had offered these people, if they were willing to entrust him with their entire government in return._ Persum must have read his thoughts for he again explained. "At the base of the skull of every new born babe of our race there lies a dormant gland. What use this gland once had we do not know. Through thousands of years of disuse it has atrophied, and the slightest mental exertion causes its inflammation. In almost every case the pressure exerted upon the brain by this swollen gland has resulted in death. "At one time hundreds died daily from this dread malady. We tried to operate, but our metals were all too soft to be sharpened to a keen edge, and used for operation. Eventually we discovered Ronir. Minute deposits of this invaluable metal came to light at various times. We melted the crude ore and fashioned it into the vital instruments we needed. Now we operate upon a baby immediately after birth and remove this gland so that it cannot do any harm. The operation is a comparatively simple one. We have mastered various balms that will heal the incision within a few hours. However, we have been unable to discover new deposits of this valuable metal for many centuries now--due, largely to the menace of the Griffs. "The instruments we fashioned many centuries ago are almost all worn out. It is estimated that if a new supply of Ronir is not obtained soon, within the next generation or so, our tools will be useless, and then--"