irst law of humanity." After a
pause, she added very slowly, with her eyes fixed on his, "Mr. Lord, do you
plan to make a colony here?"

"Eventually. After we repair the ship, I hope to negotiate a trade treaty
with your government."

"But you don't intend to stay here yourself?"

"I couldn't."

"Have we failed in our welcome? Is there something more--"

"No, Niaga, nothing like that. I find your world very--very beautiful."
The word very inadequately expressed what he really felt. "But I'm not
free to make the choice."

She drew in her breath sharply. "Your people, then, hold you enslaved?"

He laughed--uneasily. "I'm going home to manage Hamilton Lord; it's
the largest trading company in the Federation. We have exclusive
franchises to develop almost five hundred planets. It's my duty,
Niaga; my responsibility; I can't shirk it."

"Why not--if you wanted to?"

"Because I'm Martin Lord; because I've been trained--No, it's something
I can't explain. You'll just have to take my word for it. Now tell me:
how should I go about negotiating a treaty with your people?"

"You spoke of the government, Martin Lord; I suppose you used the word
in a symbolic sense?"

"Your chieftain; your tribal leader--whatever name you have for them."

* * * * *

Her big, dark eyes widened in surprise. "Then you meant actual men? It's
a rather unusual use of the word, isn't it? For us, government is a
synonym for law."

"Of course, but you must have leaders to interpret it and enforce it."

"Enforce a law?" This seemed to amuse her. "How? A law is a statement of
a truth in human relationship; it doesn't have to be enforced. What sane
person would violate a truth? What would you do, Martin Lord, if I told
you we had no government, in your sense of the word?"

"You can't be that primitive, Niaga!"

"Would it be so terribly wrong?"

"That's anarchy. There'd be no question, then, of granting us a trade
franchise; we'd have to set up a trusteeship and let the teachers run your
planet until you had learned the basic processes of social organization."

Niaga turned away from him, her hands twisted together. She said, in a soft
whisper that was flat and emotionless, "We have a council of elders, Martin
Lord. You can make your treaty with them." Then, imperceptibly, her voice
brightened. "It will take a week or more to bring the council together.
And that is all to the good; it will give your people ti