*

While he slept, Krannon must have radioed ahead, because Kerk was
waiting when they arrived. As soon as the truck entered the perimeter he
threw open the door and dragged Jason out. The bandage pulled and Jason
felt the wound tear open. He ground his teeth together; Kerk would not
have the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

"I told you to stay in the buildings until the ship left. Why did you
leave? Why did you go outside? You talked to the grubbers--didn't you?"
With each question he shook Jason again.

"I didn't talk to--anyone." Jason managed to get the words out. "They
tried to take me, I shot two--hid out until the trucks came back."

"Got another one then," Krannon said. "I saw it. Good shooting. Think I
got some, too. Let him go Kerk, they shot him in the back before he
could reach the truck."

_That's enough explanations_, Jason thought to himself. _Don't overdo
it. Let him make up his mind later. Now's the time to change the
subject. There's one thing that will get his mind off the grubbers._

"I've been fighting your war for you Kerk, while you stayed safely
inside the perimeter." Jason leaned back against the side of the truck
as the other loosened his grip. "I've found out what your battle with
this planet is really about--and how you can win it. Now let me sit down
and I'll tell you."

More Pyrrans had come up while they talked. None of them moved now. Like
Kerk, they stood frozen, looking at Jason. When Kerk talked, he spoke
for all of them.

"_What do you mean?_"

"Just what I said. Pyrrus is fighting you--actively and consciously. Get
far enough out from this city and you can feel the waves of hatred that
are directed at it. No, that's wrong--you can't because you've grown up
with it. But I can, and so could anyone else with any sort of psi
sensitivity. There is a message of war being beamed against you
constantly. The life forms of this planet are psi-sensitive, and respond
to that order. They attack and change and mutate for your destruction.
And they'll keep on doing so until you are all dead. Unless you can stop
the war."

"How?" Kerk snapped the word and every face echoed the question.

"By finding whoever or whatever is sending that message. The life forms
that attack you have no reasoning intelligence. They are being ordered
to do so. I think I know how to find the source of these orders. After
that it will be a matter of getting across a message, asking for a truce
and an