ter?"

"I ... don't know. Woozy. I feel woozy." He staggered, and fell forward,
unconscious.

"Cass!" He bent over the man, and turned him over. Cassidy's face was
white, and the sweat rolled off in rivulets. Dillon felt for a pulse,
and then pulled out a stethoscope. Baring the other's chest, he listened
for a beat.

"What is it, Dillon?" asked Bila. "What is wrong?"

"I don't know. He's sick." He looked worried.

"Sick?" The natives stared at each other, unbelieving.

"Yes, sick! Earthmen get sick too, you know!" He bared Cassidy's arm,
and swabbed it clean. Then he pressed home the needle he had prepared
for the woman.

"He will get well?" asked Bila.

"I don't know." Dillon felt for a pulse again. Disbelief washed over his
face, and he sank back on his heels.

"What is it?"

"He's dead."

"Dead?" Amazement took hold of them.

"Dead." The Earthman stood up, shaking his head. "But your wife, Bila. I
must attend to her."

"No." The native stepped between the man and woman, and held out his
arms.

"No? Why not?"

"The Gods have frowned on you, starman. It is obvious that they are
dissatisfied with you, for they took your brother."

"But just because Cassidy died doesn't mean your wife will." He stared
at the lesser being, dumfounded. "But she might, if not treated."

"We shall get the priest. We cannot run the risk of offending the Gods
by permitting you to touch her."

The Earthman stared from face to face, but the same message was written
on all. Hopelessness took the place of question, and he turned, and
stumbled from the hut, and into the storm.

"Take the man to the post," said Bila. Several of the men hurried to do
his bidding. They carried Cassidy out into the night, without looking
back.

* * * * *

"Simple," said Cassidy. "Just like I said." He was hunched over his
coffee, his ham-like hands soaking up the warmth from the cup.

"Simple," said Dillon. "I don't get it. Just why did they stop me from
treating the woman?"

"We come from the stars, which the natives associate with the home of
the Gods. We don't look quite like their legends say Gods should, but
they figured we must be close to them, so they credited us with
omnipotent powers. The priests claimed the cures they affected were done
with the grace of the almighty, and the natives figured your cures came
from the same source."

"I can't figure why they wouldn't even let me touch her," said