s compelled by circumstances to do certain things
which I now wish could be undone; but as you have said, the past is
past. Our two races have much to gain from each other by friendly
exchanges of materials and of ideas, while we can expect nothing except
mutual extermination, if we elect to continue this warfare. I offer you
the friendship of Triplanetary. Will you release your screens and come
aboard to sign a treaty?"

"I will come; my screens are down." Rodebush likewise cut off his power,
although somewhat apprehensively, and a Nevian lifeboat entered the main
airlock of the _Boise_.

* * * * *

Then, at a table in the control room of Triplanetary's first super-ship,
there was written the first Inter-Systemic Treaty. Upon one side the
three Nevians; amphibious, cone-headed, loop-necked, scale-bodies,
four-legged things to us monstrosities: upon the other the three humans,
air-breathing, rounded-headed, shortnecked, smooth-bodied, two-legged
creatures equally monstrous to the fastidious Nevians. Yet each of these
representatives, of two races so different, felt respect for the other
race increase within him minute by minute as the conversation went on.

The Nevians had destroyed Pittsburgh, but Adlington's bomb had blown an
equally populous Nevian city out of existence. One Nevian vessel had
wiped out an entire unit of Triplanetary's fleet; but Costigan,
practically unaided, had depopulated one Nevian city and had seriously
damaged another. He had also beamed down many Nevian ships. Therefore
loss of life and material could be balanced. The Solarian system was
rich in iron, to which the Nevians were welcome; red Nevia possessed
abundant stores of substances which upon earth were extremely rare and
of vital importance. Therefore commerce was to be encouraged. The
Nevians had knowledges and skills unknown to earthly science, but were
entirely ignorant of many things, to us commonplace. Therefore
interchange of students and of books was highly desirable. And so on.

Thus was signed the Triplanetario-Nevian Treaty of Eternal Peace. Nerado
and his two companions were escorted ceremoniously to their vessel, and
the _Boise_ took off in an inertialess dash toward earth, bearing the
good news that the Nevian menace was no more.

Clio, now a hardened space-flea, immune even to the horrible nausea of
inertialessness, wriggled lithely in the curve of Costigan's arm and
laughed up at him.