n't mean that literally. But the trailmen are
not human. It wouldn't be genocide, just an exterminator's job. A public
health measure."

Forth looked shocked as he realized that the younger man meant what he
was saying. He said, "Galactic center would have to rule on whether
they're dumb animals or intelligent non-humans, and whether they're
entitled to the status of a civilization. All precedent on Darkover is
toward recognizing them as men--and good God, Jay, you'd probably be
called as a witness for the defense! How can you say they're not human
after your experience with them? Anyway, by the time their status was
finally decided, half of the recognizable humans on Darkover would be
dead. We need a better solution than that."

He pushed his chair back and looked out the window.

"I won't go into the political situation," he said, "you aren't
interested in Terran Empire politics, and I'm no expert either. But
you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know that Darkover's been
playing the immovable object to the irresistible force. The Darkovans
are more advanced in some of the non-causative sciences than we are,
and until now, they wouldn't admit that Terra had a thing to contribute.
However--and this is the big however--they do know, and they're willing
to admit, that our medical sciences are better than theirs."

"Theirs being practically non-existent."

"Exactly--and this could be the first crack in the barrier. You may not
realize the significance of this, but the Legate received an offer from
the Hasturs themselves."

Jay Allison murmured, "I'm to be impressed?"

"On Darkover you'd damn well better be impressed when the Hasturs sit up
and take notice."

"I understand they're telepaths or something--"

"Telepaths, psychokinetics, parapsychs, just about anything else. For
all practical purposes they're the Gods of Darkover. And one of the
Hasturs--a rather young and unimportant one, I'll admit, the old man's
grandson--came to the Legate's office, in person, mind you. He offered,
if the Terran Medical would help Darkover lick the trailmen's fever, to
coach selected Terran men in matrix mechanics."

"Good Lord," Jay said. It was a concession beyond Terra's wildest
dreams; for a hundred years they had tried to beg, buy or steal some
knowledge of the mysterious science of matrix mechanics--that curious
discipline which could turn matter into raw energy, and vice versa,
without any intermediate stages and