lity to broadcast
messages which this amazing man beside him displayed.

"They are of his tribe," the other explained, sensing that Raf could
not understand. "They came here to try to save him, for he is one of
their Speakers-for-Many."

"Who are they? Who are you?" Raf asked the two questions which had
been with him ever since the wild adventure had begun.

"They are the People-of-the-Sea, our friends, our knife brothers. And
I am of Homeport. My people came from the stars in a ship, but not a
ship of this world. We have been here for many years."

The mermen were moving now. Several had waded forward to greet their
chief, aiding him ashore. But when Raf moved toward the ledge, Dalgard
put out a restraining hand.

"Until we are summoned--no. They have their customs. And this is a
party-for-war. This tribe knows not my people, save by rumor. We
wait."

Raf looked over the ranks of the sea folk. The light came from globes
borne by every twentieth warrior, a globe in which something that
gave off phosphorescent gleams swam around and around. The spears
which each merman carried were slender and wickedly barbed, the knives
almost sword length. The pilot remembered the flame-throwers of the
aliens and could not see any victory for the merman party.

"No, knife blade against the fire--that is not equal."

Raf started, amazed and then irritated that the other had read his
thoughts so easily.

"But what else can be done? Some stand must be taken, even if a whole
tribe goes down to the Great Dark because they do it."

"What do you mean?" Raf demanded.

"Is it not the truth that Those Others went across the sea to plunder
their forgotten storehouse of knowledge?" countered the other. He
spoke slowly as if he found difficulty in clothing thoughts with
words. "Sssuri said that was why they came."

Raf, remembering what he had seen--the stripping of shelves and tables
of the devices that were stored on them--could only nod.

"Then it is also true that soon they will have worse than fire with
which to hunt us down. And they shall turn against your colony as they
will against Homeport. For the mermen, and their own records, have
taught us that it is their nature to rule, that they can live in peace
only when all living things on this world are their slaves."

"My colony?" Raf was momentarily diverted. "I'm one of a spacer's
crew, not the member of any colony!"

Dalgard stared at the stranger. His guess had been rig