frightening. It didn't translate into words very well. It was part
hatred, part fear--and all destruction.

"_KILL THE ENEMY_" was as close as Jason could express it. But it was
more than that. An unending river of mental outrage and death.

"Let's go back now," he said, suddenly battered and sickened by the
feelings he had let wash through him. As they started the return trip he
began to understand many things.

His sudden unspeakable fear when the Pyrran animal had attacked him that
first day on the planet. And his recurrent nightmares that had never
completely ceased, even with drugs. Both of these were his reaction to
the hatred directed at the city. Though for some reason he hadn't felt
it directly up to now, enough had reached through to him to get a strong
emotional reaction.

Rhes was asleep when they got back and Jason couldn't talk to him until
morning. In spite of his fatigue from the trip, he stayed awake late
into the night, going over in his mind the discoveries of the day. Could
he tell Rhes what he had found out? Not very well. If he did that, he
would have to explain the importance of his discovery and what he meant
to use it for. Nothing that aided the city dwellers would appeal to Rhes
in the slightest. Best to say nothing until the entire affair was over.

XVIII.

After breakfast he told Rhes that he wanted to return to the city.

"Then you have seen enough of our barbarian world, and wish to go back
to your friends. To help them wipe us out perhaps?" Rhes said it
lightly, but there was a touch of cold malice behind his words.

"I hope you don't really think that," Jason told him. "You must realize
that the opposite is true. I would like to see this civil war ended and
your people getting all the benefits of science and medicine that have
been withheld. I'll do everything I can to bring that about."

"They'll never change," Rhes said gloomily, "so don't waste your time.
But there is one thing you must do, for your protection and ours. Don't
admit, or even hint, that you've talked to any grubbers!"

"Why not?"

"Why not! Suffering death are you that simple! They will do anything to
see that we don't rise too high, and would much prefer to see us all
dead. Do you think they would hesitate to kill you if they as much as
suspected you had contacted us? They realize--even if you don't--that
you can singlehandedly alter the entire pattern of power on this planet.
The ordinary junkman m