back to the mine with the news!"

She waited for him to explain.

"I know I'm guessing, but it fits!" he said distastefully. "So
something had to be done. Either the mining settlement had to be wiped
out or the story that blueskins were on Orede had to be discredited.
The blueskins tried for both. They used panic gas on a herd of cattle
and it made them crazy and they charged the settlement like the
four-footed lunatics they are!

"And the blueskins used panic gas on the settlement itself as the
cattle went through. It should have settled the whole business nicely.
After it was over every man in the settlement would believe he'd been
out of his head for a while, and he'd have the crazy state of the
settlement to think about.

"He wouldn't be sure of what he'd seen or heard before-hand. They
might try to verify the blueskin story later, but they wouldn't
believe anything with certainty. It should have worked!"

Again she waited.

"Unfortunately, when the miners panicked, they stampeded into the
ship. Also unfortunately, panic gas got into the ship with them. So
they stayed panicked while the astrogator--in panic!--took off. They
headed for Weald and threw on the overdrive--which would be set for
Weald anyhow--because that would be the fastest way to run away from
whatever he imagined he feared. But he and all the men on the ship
were still crazy with panic from the gas they kept breathing until