mid the jeers of
the victorious populace.

* * * * *

Next morning, Fannia still didn't have a plan. He knew that he had to
have fuel; he wasn't planning on spending the rest of his life on
Cascella, or waiting until the Galactic Survey sent another ship, in
fifty years or so. On the other hand, he hesitated at the idea of being
responsible for the death of anywhere up to three billion people. It
wouldn't be a very good record to take to Thetis. The Galactic Survey
might find out about it. Anyway, he just wouldn't do it.

He was stuck both ways.

Slowly, the two men walked out to meet the chief. Fannia was still
searching wildly for an idea while listening to the drums booming.

"If there was only someone we could fight," Donnaught mourned, looking
at his useless blasters.

"That's the deal," Fannia said. "Guilty conscience is making sinners of
us all, or something like that. They expect us to give in before the
carnage gets out of hand." He considered for a moment. "It's not so
crazy, actually. On Earth, armies don't usually fight until every last
man is slaughtered on one side. Someone surrenders when they've had
enough."

"If they'd just fight _us_!"

"Yeah, if they only--" He stopped. "We'll fight each other!" he said.
"These people look at suicide as war. Wouldn't they look upon war--real
fighting--as suicide?"

"What good would that do us?" Donnaught asked.

They were coming into the city now and the streets were lined with armed
natives. Around the city there were thousands more. Natives were filling
the plain, as far as the eye could see. Evidently they had responded to
the drums and were here to do battle with the aliens.

Which meant, of course, a wholesale suicide.

"Look at it this way," Fannia said. "If a guy plans on suiciding on
Earth, what do we do?"

"Arrest him?" Donnaught asked.

"Not at first. We offer him anything he wants, if he just won't do it.
People offer the guy money, a job, their daughters, anything, just so he
won't do it. It's taboo on Earth."

"So?"

"So," Fannia went on, "maybe fighting is just as taboo here. Maybe
they'll offer us fuel, if we'll just stop."

Donnaught looked dubious, but Fannia felt it was worth a try.

* * * * *

They pushed their way through the crowded city, to the entrance of the
cache. The chief was waiting for them, beaming on his people like a
jovial war god.

"Are you ready