minded dictator and nothing changes. The
violence-orientated society, the factors that produced it, the military
party that represents it--none of these are changed. The k-factor
remains the same."

"There's that word again. Do I get a definition yet?"

Neel smiled. "Of course. The k-factor is one of the many factors that
interrelate in a society. Abstractly it is no more important than the
other odd thousand we work with. But in practice it is the only one we
try to alter."

"The k-factor is the war factor," Adao Costa said. All the humor was
gone now.

"That's a good enough name for it," Neel said, grinding out his
half-smoked cigarette. "If a society has a positive k-factor, even a
slight one that stays positive, then you are going to have a war. Our
planetary operators have two jobs. First to gather and interpret data.
Secondly to keep the k-factor negative."

They were both on their feet now, moved by the same emotion.

"And Himmel has a positive one that stays positive," Costa said. Neel
Sidorak nodded agreement. "Then let's get into the ship and get going,"
he said.

* * * * *

It was a fast trip and a faster landing. The UN cruiser cut its engines
and dropped like a rock in free fall. Night rain washed the ports and
the computer cut in the maximum permissible blast for the minimum time
that would reduce their speed to zero at zero altitude. Deceleration sat
on their chests and squeezed their bones to rubber. Something crunched
heavily under their stern at the exact instant the drive cut out. Costa
was unbelted and out the door while Neel was still feeling his insides
shiver back into shape.

The unloading had an organized rhythm that rejected Neel. He finally
realized he could help best by standing back out of the way while the
crewmen grav-lifted the heavy cases out through the cargo port, into the
blackness of the rain-lashed woods. Adao Costa supervised this and
seemed to know what he was doing. A signal rating wearing earphones
stood to one side of the lock chanting numbers that sounded like
detector fixes. There was apparently enough time to unload
everything--but none to spare. Things got close towards the end.

Neel was suddenly bustled out into the rain and the last two crates were
literally thrown out after him. He plowed through the mud to the edge of
the clearing and had just enough time to cover his face before the
take-off blast burst out like a new sun.