Metaxa yawned and reached into a desk drawer for his bottle. “That’s right,” he said. “Anybody like a drink?” Ronny ignored him. “I’m surprised I didn’t catch on even sooner,” he said. “On New Delos Mouley Hassan, the local agent, knew the God-King was going to be assassinated. He brought in extra agents and even a detail of Space Forces guards for the emergency. He probably engineered the assassination himself.” “Nope,” Jakes said. “We seldom go _that_ far. Local rebels did the actual work, but, admittedly, we knew what they were planning. In fact, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that Mouley Hassan provided them with the bomb. That lad’s a bit too dedicated.” “But _why_,” Ronny blurted. “That’s deliberately interfering with internal affairs. If the word got out, every planet in UP would resign.” “Probably no planet in the system that needed a change so badly,” Metaxa growled. “If they were ever going to swing into real progress, that hierarchy of priests had to go.” He snorted. “An immortal God-King, yet.” Ronny pressed on. “That was bad enough, but how about this planet Mother, where the colonists had attempted to return to nature and live in the manner man did in earliest times.” “Most backward planet in the UP,” Metaxa said sourly. “They just had to be roused.” “And Kropotkin!” Ronny blurted. “Don’t you understand, those people were _happy_ there. Their lives were simple, uncomplicated, and they had achieved a happiness that—” Metaxa came to his feet. He scowled at Ronny Bronston and growled, “Unfortunately, the human race can’t take the time out for happiness. Come along, I want to show you something.” He swung around the corner of his desk and made his way toward a ceiling-high bookcase. Ronny stared after him, taken off guard, but Sid Jakes was grinning his amusement. Ross Metaxa pushed a concealed button and the bookcase slid away to one side to reveal an elevator beyond. “Come along,” Metaxa repeated over his shoulder. He entered the elevator, followed by Jakes. There was nothing else to do. Ronny Bronston followed them, his face still flushed with the angered argument. The elevator dropped, how far, Ronny had no idea. It stopped and they emerged into a plain, sparsely furnished vault. Against one wall was a boxlike affair that reminded Ronny of nothing so much as a deep-freeze. For all practical purposes, that’s what it was. Ross Metaxa led him over and they stared down into its glass-covered interior. Ronny’s eyes bugged. The box contained the partly charred body of an animal approximately the size of a rabbit. No, not an animal. It had obviously once been clothed, and its limbs were obviously those of a tool using life form. Metaxa and Jakes were staring down at it solemnly, for once no inane grin on the supervisor’s face. And that of Ross Metaxa was more weary than ever. Ronny said finally, “What is it?” But he knew. “You tell us,” Metaxa growled sourly.