ld interfere
with the desired objective of coming to some friendly agreement with the
Kappans that would permit Terran use of the planet as a base for
spaceships. The envoy, of course, was prepared to offer trade
inducements and various other forms of help to the semi-civilized
natives. Mayne was requested to lay whatever groundwork he could.

_In my spare time, no doubt_, he reflected. _I'm to settle this silly
business any way at all--as long as the natives get their way. But has
anybody told the government about insurance companies? If it costs money
or a lawsuit, will they back me up?_

He felt himself to be in a ridiculous dilemma. The Kappans were reported
to have seized a Terran spaceship as it landed to trade. Naturally, the
captain had squawked for help. He claimed he had crashed; his insurance
company thought otherwise; the Kappans seemed to have some entirely
different idea in mind. Mayne had been summoned into action to render a
decision, after the rough and ready system of these settlements on the
surface of Terra's sphere of explored space.

Regretfully, he made his way now to the cubbyhole allowed him on the
cramped scout, where he changed to a more formal tunic of a bright blue
he hoped would look impressive to native eyes. By the time he was ready,
the helicopter was waiting. He and Haruhiku entered, and the crewman at
the controls took off for the scene of the dispute.

Arriving over the village, they hovered a few minutes while Haruhiku
studied the lay of the land. The lieutenant had been to this world
before, long enough to pick up some of the language and customs, so
Mayne was content to follow his advice about landing a little way off
from a spaceship that towered outside the village.

They came down about a hundred yards away, between a rutted sort of road
and a long hut covered by a curved, thatched roof.

"They're expecting us," said Haruhiku, gesturing at the group before the
hut.

It consisted of half a dozen humans and several of the Kappan natives.
The latter, naturally, caught Mayne's eye first. The most imposing
individual among them stood about five feet tall. The planet being of
about the same mass as Terra, the Kappan probably weighed over two
hundred and fifty pounds. He was a rugged biped with something saurian
in his ancestry; for his skin was scaled, and bony plates grew into a
low crown upon his long skull. His arms and legs were heavy and bowed,
with joints obscured by thi