Cowen snapped, "Myra, get through on another circuit to the military! I'll call the office."
Betty grabbed his sleeve. "No!"
'Huh? You again! Shut up or you'll get the back of my hand."
"Mr. Cowen, will you listen." She went on hastily, "It?s no good calling for help. There isn't anybody who can make Lummox listen but Johnnie-and they won't listen to anybody but Lummox. You know that. So put him down where he can talk to Lummie-or you're going to have a lot of people hurt and it will be all your fault."
Security Operative First Class Edwin Cowen stared at her and reviewed in his mind his past career and future hopes. Then he made a brave decision almost instantly. "Take her down," he snapped. "Land her and let the kid and me out."
The driver groaned. "I'm charging extra for this." But he landed the car so fast that it jarred them. Cowen snatched the door open and he and John Thomas burst out; Myra Holtz tried to grab Betty, was unsuccessful. She herself jumped out as the driver was already raising.
"Johnnie!" squealed Lummox and held out mighty arms in a universal gesture of welcome.
John Thomas ran to the star beast. "Lummie! Are you all right?"
"Sure," agreed Lummox. "Why not? Hi, Betty."
"Hi, Lummie."
"Hungry, though," Lummox added thoughtfully.
"We'll change that."
"It's all right. I'm not supposed to eat now."
John Thomas started to answer this amazing statement when he noticed Miss Holtz ducking away from one of the Hroshii. Others were milling around as if uncertain how to treat this development. When Johnnie saw Ed Cowen draw his gun and place himself between the Hroshiu and Myra he said suddenly, "Lummox! These are my friends. Tell your friends to leave them alone-and get back inside. Quickly!"
"Whatever you say, Johnnie." The Hroshia spoke in the whining speech to her kin; at once she was obeyed.
"And make us a saddle. We'll go with you and have a long talk."
"Sure, Johnnie."
They got aboard, Johnnie giving Betty a hand up, and started in through the break in the barrier. When Lummox struck the tanglefoot field again they stopped and Lummox spoke sharply to one of the others.
That Hroshiu called out to one inside; the tanglefoot field disappeared. They moved on in without difficulty.
When Mr. Kiku, Sergei Greenberg, and Dr Ftaeml arrived they found an armed truce, tense on both sides. All the Hroshii were back inside the broken barrier; military craft in quantity had replaced the police patrol and far overhead, out of sight, bombers were ready in final extremity to turn the area into a radioactive desert.
The Secretary General and the Chief of Staff met them at the barricade. The Secretary General looked grave. "Ah, Henry. It seems we have failed. Not your fault."
Mr. Kiku looked out at the massed Hroshii. "Perhaps." The Chief of Staff added, "We are evacuating the blast radius as rapidly as possible. But if we have to do it, I don't know what we can do for those two youngsters in there."
"Then let's not do anything, shall we? Not yet."
"I don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation, Mr. Under Secretary. For example, we placed an immobilizing locus entirely around this area. It's gone. They cancelled it out. Not just here. Everywhere."
"So. Perhaps you do not understand the seriousness of the situation, General. In any case, a few words can do no harm. Come, Sergei. Coming, Doctor?" Mr. Kiku left the group around the Secretary General and headed for the break in the barricade. Wind sweeping across the miles-wide field forced him to clutch his hat. "I do not like wind," he complained to Dr. Ftaeml. "It is disorderly."
"There is a stronger wind ahead," the Rargyllian answered soberly. "My friend, is this wise? They will not hurt me; I am their employee. But you..."
"What else can I do?"
"I do not know. But there are situations in which courage is useless."
"Possibly. I've never found one yet."
"One finds such a situation but once."
They were approaching the solid mass of Hroshti around Lummox. They could make Out the two humans on the back of the Hroshia a good hundred yards beyond. Kiku stopped. "Tell them to get out of my way. I wish to approach the Hroshia Lummox."
Ftaeml translated. Nothing happened, though the Hroshii stirred uneasily. Greenberg said, "Boss, how about asking Lummox and the kids to come out here? That crowd doesn't smell friendly."
"No. I dislike shouting into this wind. Please call out to the Stuart lad and tell him to have them make way."
"Okay, boss. It will be fun to tell my grandchildren-if I have grandchildren." He cupped his mouth and shouted, "Johnnie! John Stuart! Tell Lummox to have them clear a path."
"Sure!"
A path wide enough for a column of troops opened as if swept with a broom. The little procession moved down the ranks of Hroshii. Greenberg felt goose flesh crawl up and down his back.
Mr. Kiku's only worry seemed to be keeping his hat on in the wind. He swore primly while clutching at his head. They stopped in front of Lummox. "Howdy, Mr. Kiku," John Thomas called out. "Shall we come down?"
"Perhaps it would be best."
Johnnie slid off, then caught Betty. "Sorry we messed things up."
"So am I. If you did. Will you introduce me to your friend, please?"
"Oh, sure. Lummox, this is Mr. Kiku. He's a nice fellow, a friend of mine."
"How do you do, Mr. Kiku."
"How do you do, Lummox." Mr. Kiku looked, thoughtful. "Doctor, is not that the commander, there by the Hroshia? The one with the ugly glint in his eye?"
The Rargyllian looked. "Yes, it is he."
"Um. Ask him if he has reported the conference to his mistress."
"Very well." The medusoid spoke to the Hroshij commander, was answered. "He says not."
"Um. John Thomas, we concluded a treaty with the Hroshii to permit all that I discussed with you. Suddenly they repudiated the agreement when they discovered that we would not surrender your person without guarantees. Will you help me find out if such were the wishes of your friend?"
"You mean Lummox? Sure."
"Very well. Wait a moment. Dr. Ftaeml, will you report the essentials of our agreement to the Hroshia Lummox-in the presence of the commander? Or are the concepts beyond her?"
"Eh? Why should they be? She was perhaps two hundred of your years old when she was brought here."
"So much? Well, speak ahead."
The Rargyllian commenced the curious whines of the Hroshij tongue, addressing Lummox. Once or twice Lummox interrupted, then allowed him to continue. When Dr. Ftaeml had finished she spoke to the expedition commander. Ftaeml said to the humans, "She asks, 'Can this be true?'"
The commander made as wide a circle as space permitted, crept up in front of her, with the little group representing the Federation giving way. His legs were retracted so that he crawled like a caterpillar. Without lifting his head from the ground he whined his answer.
"He is admitting the truth but pleading necessity."
"I wish he would hurry with it," Kiku fretted. "I'm getting chilly." His thin knees trembled.
"She is not accepting the explanation. I will spare you the exact tenor of her language-but her rhetoric is superb."
Suddenly Lummox spat out one squeal, then reared up with four legs clear of the ground. With arms retracted the great beast swung down her head and struck the unfortunate commander a smashing sidewise blow,
It lifted him off the ground, bowled him into the crowd. Slowly he regained his feet, slunk back to the spot in front of Lummox.