” ‘Ginst the Edict,” murmured Alo, not to be put off.
Navigator First Zinin broke in, in the deep bass-rumbling of this heavy-planet civilization. “There will be no Edicts, old one, if the Yops crush the Federation. We must take some risks. If the Terrans are willing to aid us—and are still capable of it—I do believe that GalCen will agree to some slight modification of the rules. And, if these creatures have fallen back to the point where they can be of no help to us, then they will not be a threat to us either. GalCen will not be concerned.”
“And if by chance mebbe they should be a bit angry at us and decide to renew an ancient grudge?” put in the ever-pessimistic Alo.
“Then the inevitable,” put in Zinin, “will only be hastened.”
Philosophizing was of needs broken off. The Tpin was entering the Shield.
Green, thought Phrnnx. It is the greenest nontropi-cal planet 1 have ever seen.
With Friends Like These . ..
He was standing by the end of the ramp which led out from the belly of the cruiser. The rest of the First Contact party was nearby. They had landed near a great mountain range, in a lush section of foothills and gently rolling green. Tall growths of brown and emerald dominated two sides of then- view. In front of them stretched low hillocks covered with what was obviously cultivated vegetation. Behind the ship, great silver-gray mountains thrust white-haloed crowns into the sky. Had the Tpin been an air vessel, the updrafts sweeping up the sides of those crags would have given them trouble. As it was, they merely added another touch to the records the meteorologists were assembling.