se_ button and the
door clicked shut barely in advance of three more missiles which
hammered at its impervious armor.

So that, he thought wearily, is that.

He laid the useless needle-gun aside. The stage was past when he could
hope to use it. He could save Throon only by killing some of the
others--or he could lift ship and leave Throon to die. Either action
would make the natives hate and fear Terrans; a hatred and fear that
would be there to greet all future Terran ships.

That was not the way a race gave birth to peaceful galactic empire, was
not the purpose behind the Plan. But always, wherever the Exploration
men went, they encountered the deadly barrier; the intangible,
unassailable communication barrier. With the weapons an Exploration man
carried in his ship he had the power to destroy a world--but not the
power to ask the simple questions that would prevent fatal
misunderstandings.

And before another three years had passed the last Exploration man would
die, the last Exploration ship would be lost.

He felt the full force of hopelessness for the first time. When Johnny
had been alive it had been different; Johnny, who had laughed whenever
the outlook was the darkest and said, "_We'll find a way, Paul--_"

The thought broke as suddenly, unexpectedly, he felt that Johnny was
very near. With the feeling came the soft enclosure of a dream-like
peace in which Johnny's death was vague and faraway; only something that
had happened in another dream. He knew, without wondering why, that
Johnny was in the control room.

A part of his mind tried to reject the thought as an illusion. He did
not listen--he did not want to listen. He ran to the ship's elevator,
stumbling like one not fully awake. Johnny was waiting for him in the
control room--alive--alive--

* * * * *

He spoke as he stepped into the control room:

"Johnny--"

Something moved at the control board, black and alien, standing tall as
a man on short hind legs. Yellow eyes blazed in a feline face.

It was a cave cat, like the ones that had killed Johnny.

Realization was a wrenching shock and a terrible disillusionment. Johnny
was not waiting for him--not alive--

He brought up the blaster, the dream-like state gone. The paw of the
cave cat flashed out and struck the ship's master light switch with a
movement faster than his own. The room was instantly, totally, dark.

He fired and pale blue fire lanced across