Then, for extra
assurance, when air from Weald filled the airlock again, the men would
burn the outer plastic covering and step into the ship without ever
having come within two layers of plastic of infection.

What loot they gathered, obviously, could be decontaminated before it
was returned to Weald. Metals could be melted, if necessary. Gems
could be sterilized. It was a most satisfactory discovery, to realize
that blueskins could be not only scorned but robbed. There was only
one bit of irrelevant information the space fleet of Weald did not
have.

That information was that the people of Dara weren't blueskins any
longer. There'd been a trivial epidemic....

The sag-suited men of Weald went zestfully about their business. They
took over the landing-grid's operation, driving the Darian operators
away. For the first time in history the operators of a landing-grid
wore make-up to look like they did have blue pigment in their skins.
They didn't. The Wealdian landing-party tested the grid's operation.
They brought down another giant ship. Then another. And another.

Parties in the shiny sag-suits spread through the city. There were the
huge stockpiles of precious metals, brought in readiness to be
surrendered and carried away. Some men set to work to load these into
the holds of the ships of Weald. Some went forthrightly after personal
loot.

They came upon very few Darians. Those they saw kept sullenly away
from them. They entered shops and took what they fancied. They
zestfully removed the treasure of banks.

Triumphant and scornful reports went up to the hovering great ships.
The blueskins, said the reports, were spiritless and cowardly. They
permitted themselves to be robbed. They kept out of the way. It had
been observed that the population was streaming out of the city,
fleeing because they feared the ships' landing-parties. The blueskins
had abjectly produced all they'd promised of precious metals, but
there was more to be taken.

More ships came down, and more. Some of the first, heavily loaded,
were lifted to emptiness again and the process of decontamination of
their hulls began. There was jealousy among the ships in space for
those upon the ground. The first-landed ships had had their choice of
loot. There were squabblings about priorities, now that the navy of
Weald plainly had a license to steal. There was confusion among the
members of the landing-parties. Discipline disappeared. Men in plastic
sa