that's all," he said, and stepped back.Sawyer said, his words carrying clearly to the farthest man, "The Vurna
have turned our lands upside down to find the plane. They haven't
found it. Last night Arrin--" A furious snarl greeted that name, so
apparently it was well known, "--Arrin gave me three days to surrender
the plane and the man who flew it. I've brought him here, instead."He held up his hands, to quell the rising voices. "Listen! I'm not finished yet. Arrin had some other things to say. He said, _if you are planning an attack on the Citadel, forget it. He said, We will slaughter you without mercy._"

"Now," said Sawyer, "here is what we have to decide. Two things. Is this man Price a friend offering us a weapon, or a spy of the Vurna offering us death? And shall we fight, or let it go until another year? They're big questions, the biggest you'll ever have to answer in your lives. Don't come at them like hasty boys, all feeling and no sense. Come at them man-like, slow and careful."

Michigan rumbled, "Those are good words. Heed them. And now let's have the man up here."

Burr gave Price a shove. "That's you."

Price shouldered forward through the pack and climbed the stand. As he did so Twist whispered in his ear, "You'd better make this good, boy. You won't get another chance." His voice sounded friendly. Price was glad of it.

He stood on the platform and faced the chiefs and the representatives of the people.

Michigan said, "You tell your side of it. And speak up so everyone can hear."

Price spoke up, loud. But he said, "What's the good of that? I've told my side of it a dozen times already, and nobody believes me." He glared around the close-packed circle of men. "If I'd known you'd treat me like this, I'd have smashed the plane and left it for the coyotes."

"Just the same," said Michigan, "tell it again." * * * * *

Price told it. "I didn't know you were up to anything in particular: it just seemed obvious that a plane might be useful to you sometime, now or later, and it wasn't doing any good where it was." He had coached himself so carefully in the story that it was beginning to seem like truth to him, gathering little embellishments and embroideries. "I brought guns, too, better than anything you have. And does anybody say, Thank you? The hell they do. They accuse me of being a spy for the Vurna."

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