* * * *

Colonel Mannheim's hand darted toward the gun at his hip. It was purely
reflex action. Even as he did it, he was aware that he would never get
the weapon out in time to bring it to bear on the onrushing monster, and
he was content that it should be so.

* * * * *

Twenty-five minutes later, the Nipe, after carefully licking off the
fingers of his first pair of hands, went back into the hallway and
headed down toward the sewers again.

The emotion he felt is inexpressible in human terms. Although he had not
wished to kill the man, it cannot be said that the Nipe felt contrition.
Although he had had no desire to harm the family, if any, of the late
Colonel Mannheim, it cannot be said that the Nipe felt sadness or
compassion.

Nor, again, although his stomachs churned and his body felt sluggish
and heavy, can it be said that he felt any regret for what he had done.

That is not to say that he felt _no_ emotion. He did. His emotions were
as strong and as deep as those of a very sensitive human being. His
emotions could bring him pain and they could bring him pleasure. They
could crush him or exalt him. His emotions were just as real and as
effective as any human emotions.

But they were _not_ human emotions.

They were emotions, but not _human_ emotions.

It is impossible to render into any human terms the simple statement:
"The Nipe felt that he had properly rendered homage to a validly slain
foe."

That cannot even begin to indicate the emotion the Nipe felt as he moved
down toward the sewer and escape.

* * * * *

Captain Davidson Greer, his eyes staring with glassy hatred through the
infra-red gunsight, was registering a very human emotion. His trigger
fingers were twitching spasmodically--squeezing, squeezing, squeezing.

But his fingers were not on the triggers.

_[17]_

"It is not your fault, Bart," said George Yoritomo softly. "You had a
perfect right to go."

Bart Stanton clenched his fists and turned suddenly to face the Japanese
psychologist. "Sure! Hell, yes! We're not discussing my _rights_,
George! We're discussing my criminal stupidity! I had the right to leave
here any time I wanted to, sure. But I didn't have the right to
exercise that right--if that makes any sense to you."

"It makes sense," Yoritomo agreed, "but it is not the way to look at it.
You could not have been with the colonel