there, from the excessively cautious insistence that he prove he was
not a Darian, to the arrival of the death-ship from Orede.

He was giving them the news affecting them, as they had not heard it
before. He went on to tell of his stop at Orede and his purpose, and
his encounter with the men he found there. When he finished there was
silence. He broke it.

"Now," he said, "Maril's an agent of yours. She can add to what I've
told you. I'm Med Service. I have a job to do here to carry out what
wasn't done before. I should make a planetary health inspection and
make recommendations for the improvement of the state of things. I'll
be glad if you'll arrange for me to talk to your health officials.
Things look bad, and something should be done."

Someone laughed without mirth.

"What will you recommend for long-continued undernourishment?" he
asked derisively. "That's our health problem!"

"I recommend food," said Calhoun.

"Where'll you fill the prescription?"

"I've the answer to that, too," said Calhoun curtly. "I'll want to
talk to any space pilots you've got. Get your astrogators together and
I think they'll approve my idea."

The silence was totally skeptical.