hen you ordered all ships alerted
for action, the Darians on each ship released panic gas. They only
needed tiny, pocket-sized containers of the gas for the job. They had
them. They only needed to use air tanks from their sag-suits to
protect themselves against the gas. They kept them handy.

"On nearly all your ships aloft your crews are crazy from panic gas.
They'll stay that way until the air is changed. Darians have
barricaded themselves in the control rooms of most if not all your
ships. You haven't got a fleet. The few ships who will obey your
orders--if they drop one bomb, our fleet off Weald will drop fifty.

"I don't think you'd better order offensive action. Instead, I think
you'd better have your fleet medical officers come and learn some of
the facts of life. There's no need for war between Dara and Weald, but
if you insist...."

The admiral made a choking noise. He could have ordered Calhoun
killed, but there was a certain appalling fact. The men aground from
the fleet were breathing Wealdian air from tanks. It would last so
long only. If they were taken on board the still obedient ships
overhead, Darians would unquestionably be mixed with them. There was
no way to take off the parties now aground without exposing them to
contact with Darians, on the ground or in the ships. There was no way
to sort out the Darians.

"I--I will give the orders," said the admiral thickly. "I do not know
what you devils plan, but--I do not know how to stop you."

"All that's necessary," said Calhoun warmly, "is an open mind. There's
a misunderstanding to be cleared up, and some principles of planetary
health practises to be explained, and a certain amount of prejudice
that has to be thrown away. But nobody need die of changing their
minds. The Interstellar Medical Service has proved that over and
over!"

Murgatroyd, perched on his shoulder, felt that it was time to take
part in the conversation. He said, "_Chee-chee!_"

"Yes," agreed Calhoun. "We do want to get the job done. We're behind
schedule now."

* * * * *

It was not, of course, possible for Calhoun to leave immediately. He
had to preside at various meetings of the medical officers of the
fleet and the health officials of Dara. He had to make explanations,
and correct misapprehensions, and delicately suggest such biological
experiments as would prove to the doctors of Weald that there was no
longer a plague on Dara, whatever h