Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

carnivores, either. If you can’t get a fast shot into one before he’s on

you, stab him around the limbs or the rib-cage and you’ve done for him..

“I don’t know,” Jom said dubiously. “You never saw him when he was alive.

He looked powerful-and mean.”

“I assume he’s both,” Dr. Chase-Huebner said cheerfully. “But that doesn’t

matter. You see, he hasn1 got any bones. He’s supported entirely by

nitrogen under high pressure, in sealed tubes, thick-walled but essentially

flexible. When the poor animal dodged into the thorns, his ‘skeleton~ got

punctured in several places and the nitrogen pressure was reIeased-some of

it into the outside air, but most of it into his body cavities. He couldn’t

support himself any longer and smothered under his own weight. Probably

that was why he panicked when he heard your gun hiss, Jorn: to him the

sound of escaping gas is the sound of death. Ordinarily, I assume, he has

better sense than to jump into a patch of thorns.”

‘naes fine,” Ailiss said, but she did not sound pleased. “But I’m afraid

I’ve got another case for you. About five minutes ago a man came swearing

into the first aid station with a wounded shoulder. He didn’t hear anything

and didn’t see anything; he was digging post-holes in an open field when it

happened. But it looks to us very much as though he’s been shot.”

Dr. Chase-Huebner agreed. She could contribute little more, except that the

missile had been quite small and of relatively low velocity-not much past

the speed of sound, just enough to go on through and out the other side of