There were small scout-ships which came on ahead of the main fleet. They'd originally been guard-boats, for solar-system only and of overdrive. They'd come from Weald in the cargo-holds of the now into ships. The low, fine-screen images to the fleet, of all that they might see they were down. They the landing-grid. It nothing larger than Calhoun's Med Ship, Aesclipus Twenty.
They here and there. They to and fro, wide of the surface of Dara. The planet's and and were open to from the sky. It looked as if the most for the of grain-ships which Calhoun had said had and away. If the looked for them, they did not them.
Dara offered no opposition to the scout-ships. Nothing rose to space to oppose or to their search. They over every of the planet, land and alike, and there was no of against their coming. The ships of the main waited while they reported that they saw no of the fleet. But the was the only means by which the be defended. There be no point in a in emptiness. But a with a to it might be dangerous.
Hours passed. The Wealdian main waited. There was no movement by the fleet. There was no action from the ground, With fusion-bombs to be in any conflict, there was something like an embarrassed pause. The Wealdian ships were to bomb. They were less to be by possible suicide-dashes of ships who might themselves up near with their enemies.
But a cannot travel some light-years through space to make a threat. And the Wealdian was with the material for total devastation. It from hundreds, or thousands, or of thousands of miles away. It the world of Dara with clouds up and to make a of atomic-fusion products. And they settle and kill every thing not by the themselves. Even the of the would die of deadly, purposely-contrived particles.
The Wealdian its own destructiveness. It no for defense on Dara. It moved forward.
But then a message out from the city of Dara. It said that a ship in had word to a Darian in space. The Darian now toward Weald. It was a of thirty-seven ships. They such-and-such in such-and-such quantities. Unless its orders were countermanded, it would deliver those on Weald—set to explode. If Weald Dara, the orders not be withdrawn. So Weald bomb Dara. It all life on the planet. But Weald would die with it.
The its advance. The was a with pure on one and pure on the other. This was no way to end the war. Neither trust the other, for minutes. If they did not each other simultaneously, as now was possible, each would the other to an attack at some other moment. Ultimately one or the other must perish, and the would be the one most in treachery.
But then the a new proposal. It would send a messenger-ship to stop its own fleet's if Weald would accept payment for the grain-ships and their cargoes. It would pay in of and and tungsten—and gold if Weald it—for all Weald might claim. It would pay for the of Orede, who had died by accident but in some through its fault. It would pay.... But if it were bombed, Weald must fire and the of Weald would have no home to return to.
This and foolish. It would allow the of Weald to and then Dara. But it was Calhoun's idea. It to the of Weald. They only for blueskins. Contemptuously, they the semi-surrender.
The of Dara told of agreement, and wild and the planet's people. There was almost—almost!—revolution to upon resistance, and fatal. But not all of Dara that a had come about in the of on Dara. The enemy had not a hint of it. And therefore—
In array, the spread itself about the of Dara, well the atmosphere. Harsh voices talked with to the landing-grid staff. A ship of Weald came down, the landing-grid's force-fields. It touched gently. Its were apprehensive, but for the they had been was theirs. The ship's would be it returned to Weald, of course. And there was protection for the landing-party.
Men came out of the ship's ports. They the double, sag-suits Calhoun had suggested, which had been tested, and which were perfect protection against contagion. They with impunity, and all would the suits. What they gathered, obviously, be it was returned to Weald. It was a most satisfactory discovery, to that be not only but robbed. There was only one of the space-fleet of Weald did not have.
That was that the people of Dara weren't any longer. There'd been a epidemic.
The sag-suited men of Weald about their business. They took over the landing-grid's operation, the Darian away. For the time in history the of a landing-grid to look like they did have in their skins. The Wealdian landing-party the grid's operation. They another ship. Then another. And another.
Parties in the sag-suits spread through the city. There were the stock-piles of metals, in to be and away. Some men set to work to these into the holds—to be later. Some after personal loot.
They came upon very Darians. Those they saw away from them. They entered shops and took what they fancied. They the of banks.
Triumphal and reports up to the great ships. The blueskins, said the reports were and cowardly. They permitted themselves to be robbed. They out of the way. It had been that the population was out of the city, they the ships' landing-parties. The had produced all they'd promised of metals, but there was more to be taken.
More ships came down, and more. Some of the first, loaded, were to again and the of of their began. There was among the ships in space for those upon the ground. The first-landed ships had had their choice of loot. There were about priorities, now that the of Weald had a to steal. There was among the members of the landing-parties. Discipline disappeared. Men in plastic sag-suits about as individuals, what they might loot.
There were and landing-parties around the itself, of course, but the city of Dara open. Men with their ships already off to make room for others. They were pushed into reëmbarking-parties of other ships. There were more and more men to be on ships where they did not belong, and more and more not to be where they did. By the time the had been aground, there was no longer any of a ship until all its returned. There were too many other ships' for their turn to loot. The of many ships, indeed, no particular relationship to the men actually on board.
There were less than fifteen ships to-be-fumigated were still empty, when the government of Dara a new message to the invaders. It that the stop. No what payment Weald claimed, it had taken payment five times over. Now was time to stop.
It was amusing. The space-admiral of Weald ordered his ships for action. The message-ship, ordering the Darian away from Weald, had been sent off long since. No other ship away now! The Darians take their choice; accept the of surrender, or the would to bombs.
Calhoun was to be taken to the Wealdian when the trouble began. It wasn't on the ground, at all. Everything was under where a landing-force the and all the ground about it. The space had in the landing-grid office. Reports came in, orders were issued, were among sag-suited men.... Everything was in perfect shape there.
But there was panic among the ships in space. Communicators gave off horrified, panic-stricken yells. There were screamings. Intelligible ceased. Ships this way and that. Some in overdrive. At least one at full power into a Darian ocean.
The space-admiral himself in of fifteen ships only, out of all his force. The of the through a period of madness. In some ships it for minutes only. In others it on for an hour or more. Then they overhead, but did not reply to calls.
Calhoun at the space-port with Murgatroyd on his shoulder. A officer in a sag-suit him.
"I've come," said Calhoun, "to speak to the admiral. My name is Calhoun and I'm Med Service, and I think I met the Admiral at a a ago. He'll me."
"You'll have to wait," the officer. "There's some trouble—"
"Yes," said Calhoun. "I know about it. I helped design it. I want to it to the admiral. He needs to know what's happened, if he's to take measures."
There were jitterings. Many men in sag-suits had still no idea that anything had gone wrong. Some appeared, loot. Some around the of ships on the tarmac, waiting their to in for the of their suits, when they would the and step, and happy, into a Wealdian ship again. There they think how rich they were going to be on Weald.
But the was and very, very ominous. There was argument. Presently Calhoun the Wealdian admiral.
"I came to something," said Calhoun pleasantly. "The has changed. You've noticed it, I'm sure."
The at him through two of plastic, which him almost like a gift-wrapped parcel.
"Be quick!" he rasped.
"First," said Calhoun, "there are no more blueskins. An of something or other has the on the skins of Darians out. There have always been some who didn't have patches. Now nobody has them."
"Nonsense!" the admiral. "And what has that got to do with this situation?"
"Why, everything," said Calhoun mildly. "It means that Darians can pass for Wealdians they please. That they are for Wealdians. That they've been mixing with your men, sag-suits like the one you're now. They've been going your ships in the of returning looters. There's not a ship now aloft, that has been today, that hasn't from one to fifteen Darians—no longer blueskins—on board."
The roared. Then his gray.
"You can't take your to Weald," said Calhoun gently, "if you its have been to of the Dara plague. You wouldn't be allowed to land, anyhow."
The said through lips;
"I'll blast—"
"No," said Calhoun, again gently. "When you ordered all ships for action, the Darians on each ship panic-gas. They only needed tiny, pocket-sized of the for the job. They had them. They only needed to use air-tanks from their sag-suits to protect themselves against the gas. They them handy. On nearly all your ships your are from panic-gas. They'll that way until the air is changed. Darians have themselves in the control-rooms of most if not all your ships. You haven't got a fleet. If the ships that will your orders, one bomb, our off Weald will fifty. I don't think you'd order action. Instead, I think you'd have your medical officers come and learn some of the of life. There's no need for Dara and Weald, but if you insist...."
The Admiral a noise. He have ordered Calhoun killed, but there was a fact. The men from the were Wealdian air from tanks. It would last so long only. If they were taken on the still ships overhead, Darians would be mixed with them. There was no way to take off the parties now without them to with Darians, on the ground or in the ships. There was no way to out the Darians.
"I—I will give the orders," said the thickly. "I—do not know what you plan, but—I don't know how to stop you."
"All that's necessary," said Calhoun warmly, "is an open mind. There's a to be up, and some of health to be explained, and a amount of that has to be away. But nobody need die of their minds. The Interstellar Medical service has proved that over and over!"
Murgatroyd, on his shoulder, that it was time to take part in the conversation. He said;
"Chee-chee!"
"Yes," Calhoun. "We do want to the job done. We're now."
It was not, of course, possible for Calhoun to immediately. He had to at of the medical officers of the with the health officials of Dara. He had to make explanations, and misapprehensions, and such as would prove to the doctors of Weald that there was no longer a on Dara, had been the case three before. He had to by while an self-confident Darian doctor named Korvan that the was a product with the plague, and that it had been out by a very of—such and such. Calhoun that man with a interest. Maril him wonderful, if she had to give him the material for his work. Calhoun and on with his work:
The return of loot. Mutual, full, and complete agreement that Darians were no longer of plague, if they had been. Unless Weald other worlds of this, Weald itself would join Dara in from worlds. A messenger ship to the twenty-seven ships once in about Weald. Most of them would be used for some time, now, to from Orede. Some would more from Weald. It would be paid for. There would be a need for to be Weald and Dara.
It was a full week he go to the little Med Ship and prepare for departure. Even then there were to be to. All the food-supplies that had been not be replaced. There were to be replaced and some to be destroyed.... The air-tanks....
Maril came to the Med Ship again when he was almost to leave. She did not comfortable.
"I wish you like Korvan," she said regretfully.
"I don't him," said Calhoun. "I think he will be a most citizen, in time. He has all the for it."
Maril very faintly.
"But you don't him."
"I wouldn't say that," Calhoun. "After all, he is to you, which is something I couldn't manage."
"You didn't try," said Maril. "Just as I didn't try to be to you. Why?"
Calhoun spread out his hands. But he looked at Maril with respect. Not every woman have the that a man did not to make at her. It is a that has nothing to do with or or anything else.
"You're going to him," he said. "I you'll be very happy."
"He's the man I want," said Maril frankly. "He looks to discoveries. I'm sorry it's so to him."
Calhoun did not ask the question. Instead, he said thoughtfully;
"There's something you do.... It needs to be done. The Med Service in this has been handled. There are a number of—discoveries that need to be made. I don't think your Korvan would having to him on a visible platter. But they should be known...."
Maril said wrily;
"I can what you mean. I into detail about how the disappeared, but a hints—You've got books for me?"
Calhoun nodded. He them to her.
"If we only in love with each other, Maril, we'd be a team! Too bad! These are a wedding present you'll do well to hide."
She put her hands in his.
"I like you—almost as much as I like Murgatroyd! Yes! Korvan will know, and he'll be a great man." Then she added defensively, "And not just from these books! He'll make his own discoveries."
"Of which," said Calhoun, "the most is you. Good luck Maril!"
Presently the Med Ship lifted. Calhoun it for the next on the list of those he was to visit. After this one more he'd return to with a report to make on the way had been him. He said;
"Overdrive coming, Murgatroyd!"
Then the out and there was silence, and privacy, and a faint, faint, almost series of which the Med Ship from being totally unendurable.
Long, long days later the ship out of and Calhoun it to a and world. In time he the communicator-button.
"Calling ground," he said crisply. "Calling ground! Med Ship Aesclipus Twenty and coördinates for landing. Purpose of landing, health inspection. Our is fifty tons."
There was a pause while the message many, many thousands of miles. Then the said;
"Aesclipus Twenty, repeat your identification!"
Murgatroyd said;
"Chee-chee? Chee?"
Calhoun sighed.
"That's right, Murgatroyd! Here we go again!"
