'And it is not as if they had seen much dead--or _is_ it?' said
Takahira.

'In all my ninety years I have never seen Death.' Dragomiroff spoke as
one who would excuse himself. 'Perhaps that was why--last night--'

Then it came out as we sat over breakfast, that, with the exception of
Arnott and Pirolo, none of us had ever seen a corpse, or knew in what
manner the spirit passes.

'We're a nice lot to flap about governing the Planet,' De Forest
laughed. 'I confess, now it's all over, that my main fear was I mightn't
be able to pull it off without losing a life.'

'I thought of that too,' said Arnott; 'but there's no death reported,
and I've inquired everywhere. What are we supposed to do with our
passengers? I've fed 'em.'

'We're between two switches,' De Forest drawled. 'If we drop them in any
place that isn't under the Board the natives will make their presence an
excuse for cutting out, same as Illinois did, and forcing the Board to
take over. If we drop them in any place under the Board's control
they'll be killed as soon as our backs are turned.'

'If you say so,' said Pirolo thoughtfully, 'I can guarantee that they
will become extinct in process of time, quite happily. What is their
birth-rate now?'

'Go down and ask 'em,' said De Forest.