"And on what will your decision be reached?" "Again, the welfare of my people," Malovar answered. "I mean--what deeds of mine will be judged here?" Malovar's face grew bleaker still. "Perhaps nothing you have done but something you may do." "But you cannot test me now for something I have not yet done, you cannot read the future!" the human protested. "Perhaps by testing you now I may guide the future," Malovar answered. "But--enough of talk. Kneel!" Larkin knew he had no further choice. He went down on his knees before the altar. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw one of the elders take Malovar's staff from him, hand him instead the sword. Larkin knew that the blade of that sword was razor sharp. Driven with only moderate force it would cut flesh and bone instantly. He closed his eyes. He felt himself grabbed by the shoulder and jerked backward. He faced the raging, frightened eyes of his son. "What the hell's going on here?" "This is the test," he explained. "You have to go through this test before you can sell minerals to the people of Sudal." "But what's he going to do?" The younger man gestured toward Malovar who stood erect. "I do not know. His action is his choice." "But he is acting and you are acting as if he may chop off your head!" "That is exactly what he may do, if he so chooses." "But that's crazy!" Roy Larkin exploded. "To us, yes. To the Martians, no. This is the way they have of testing the loyalty of individuals to the group. At the time of the annual testing all the inhabitants of this city pass one by one before Malovar." "And he cuts off the heads of the ones he don't like!" Horror sounded in Roy Larkin's voice. "I do not think his liking or not liking has anything to do with it," the trader explained. "He is working for the good of his whole people, not his personal good. And he cuts off heads if he chooses. I have seen him lop off a dozen heads in a single hour." Sweat oozed out of Larkin as the memory came back to him. "But, damn it, we don't have to go through with this test. We're not Martians--" "We propose to do business with them. This is the way they test our fitness to do business with them. They make the rules here." * * * * * A snarl was in his son's voice. "But we don't have to obey them!" "What is this discussion?" Malovar spoke softly, in Martian. "I am explaining to my son what is happening here," Larkin said. "Your son?" Something very close to surprise showed on the wrinkled, bleak face. "Is _this_ man _your_ son?" "He is," Larkin answered. There was no apology and no attempt at explanation in his voice. He stated a fact, and if it damned him, then it damned him. The interpretation of that fact he left up to the Martian ruler.