n all day.

"Thirty people, one tenth of the Garrison. But we can't run without
them. The Garrison is built that way. If you take the supports out the
whole building falls. No one can leave. We're all tied here, and these
people know it. They know they have no right to do that, run off on
their own. No one has that right anymore. We're all too tightly
interwoven to suddenly start doing what we want. It's unfair to the
rest, the majority."

* * * * *

Harris nodded. "Chief, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Are there any inhabitants on the asteroid? Any natives?"

"Natives?" Watts considered. "Yes, there's some kind of aborigines
living out there." He waved vaguely toward the window.

"What are they like? Have you seen them?"

"Yes, I've seen them. At least, I saw them when we first came here. They
hung around for a while, watching us, then after a time they
disappeared."

"Did they die off? Diseases of some kind?"

"No. They just--just disappeared. Into their forest. They're still
there, someplace."

"What kind of people are they?"

"Well, the story is that they're originally from Mars. They don't look
much like Martians, though. They're dark, a kind of coppery color. Thin.
Very agile, in their own way. They hunt and fish. No written language.
We don't pay much attention to them."

"I see." Harris paused. "Chief, have you ever heard of anything
called--The Pipers?"

"The Pipers?" Watts frowned. "No. Why?"

"The patients mentioned something called The Pipers. According to
Bradshaw, the Pipers taught him to become a plant. He learned it from
them, a kind of teaching."

"The Pipers. What are they?"

"I don't know," Harris admitted. "I thought maybe you might know. My
first assumption, of course, was that they're the natives. But now I'm
not so sure, not after hearing your description of them."

"The natives are primitive savages. They don't have anything to teach
anybody, especially a top-flight biologist."

Harris hesitated. "Chief, I'd like to go into the woods and look around.
Is that possible?"

"Certainly. I can arrange it for you. I'll give you one of the men to
show you around."

"I'd rather go alone. Is there any danger?"

"No, none that I know of. Except--"

"Except the Pipers," Harris finished. "I know. Well, there's only one
way to find them, and that's it. I'll have to take my chances."

* * * * *

"If you