e than that. You know, don't you, that Y'Nor will return
with the Occupation force a hundred days after leaving here?"

"Yes--I know that that is his intention."

"I understand that you're going to try to build weapons while he's
gone. Don't, if you think anything of your people, let them do it.
Nothing you could build in a hundred days would last a minute against
a cruiser's disintegrators."

"I know," Brenn said. "We are supposed to choose between bloody,
hopeless resistance and eternal slavery, aren't we? But why should
either fate befall a peaceful race?"

Kane asked the logical question: "Why shouldn't it?"

"The laws of God have always been laws of justice and mercy. Not even
the Vogarian State can change them."

He thought of the way the State had changed the Lost Islands in one
bloody, violent afternoon. Brenn, watching his face, said:

"You are skeptical and bitter, my son--but you will learn that a
harmless old man can speak with wisdom."

"No," he said. "There is neither justice nor mercy in the universe. I
know from experience. A man can only choose between the lesser of two
evils--and almost anything is less evil than Y'Nor when he's mad."

* * * * *

He went to the plant the next morning. Inside, wherever he looked, he
saw girls in shorts and halters. The place seemed to be alive with
partially clad women. He went to the nearest bulletin board and read
Brenn's edict of four days before:

_Since the excessively warm temperature of the plant causes much
discomfort and thereby impairs the efficiency of all workers, and
since maximum efficiency will be required to produce the fuel in the
extremely short time permitted us, it is suggested that the cool
sunsuits of the Beachville girls become the standard work uniform
until further notice. These may be obtained for the asking in
Department 5-A._

The next day's edict read:

_Some have hesitated to follow yesterday's edict through a sense of
modesty. This is most commendable. However, the situation is very
critical, our lives depend upon the highest degree of efficiency we
can attain, and a hot, miserable worker is not efficient. Your bodies
are God's handwork--do not be ashamed of them._

The edict for the next day read simply, warningly:

_THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY._

* * * * *

The Vogarian guards and inspectors, now in tropical uniforms, still
looked out of place with the