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ephemerals。 Will you try to understand me？〃
Finn looked him square in the eye。 〃I will listen。〃
Raksha didn't seem to care much for that answer； but he nodded。 He turned to us。 〃Will you。。。 all of you。。。 swear that no word of what I tell you will reach my fellow Krundai？ I must warn you that confiding in other humans would acplish this thing。〃
This time there was no more need for us to look around than there was for all of us to speak。 〃Every man at this table can keep his lip buttoned；〃 Callahan said simply。 〃Speak your piece。〃
The green furry alien looked us all over one last time； one after the other； beginning and ending with Callahan。 As his eyes met mine； I noticed for the first time that the surfaces of them rippled with faintly glistening semicircular lines； just like the one you look for when you're pouring coffee into a dark cup。 They shifted position in a different way than the specks on a human eyeball do； independent of the motion of the eyes themselves。 They scared the hell out of me somehow； more than the fur and the oars did。
He reached his decision。
〃Yes； gentlemen； you are right。 e what may； I must speak。 If I can be helped by any one； of any race； it is you。 Brood help me if you cannot。〃
I grabbed a pitcher and got half of it down before Bill and Sam snatched it away。
〃I must begin；〃 the alien went on； 〃by explaining to you some central facts about my people。
〃First； we live much； much longer than humans。 An average Krundai sees his three…thousandth birthday before returning to the Great Pouch； and some have lived as much as five or six centuries longer。 I myself am well over eight hundred years old； and I am the youngest Krundai on your world； having been born here。〃
〃That explains how you know our language and idiom so well；〃 I interrupted。
〃My four immediate ancestors had a hand in its creation；〃 Raksha said drily。
I shut up。
〃Second； as you may well imagine； we are a very patient people； by your standards。 Even allowing for the difference in our respective life…spans； we move in much less haste than you； and plan projects in terms of how many of our generations they will require to plete。 Our concern is for the continuing life of the race； rather than our individual lives； as the Broodmaster has decreed。
〃Third； we have an ingrained loathing for killing or violence。〃
That cheered me quite a bit； although I don't think I was really scared with Finn around。 That guy could maybe use this Earth to light a cigar with if he had a mind to。 Besides； if the Krundai had intended us harm； it seemed to me they'd have done so centuries ago。
〃We realize；〃 Raksha went on； 〃that such things must be： the prime datum of the Universe is that life survives by eating life； and no other way。 The expense of eating is； in great part； the resistance the second life offers to being eaten。 For instance； the roast…beef sandwiches you have provided for your friends； Mr。 Callahan （and by the way they are easily the thickest I have ever seen in a tavern） are currently quite expensive； because of the size and unwieldiness of the system required to supply them to us。
〃Suppose you could induce the cow to e here and drop obligingly dead next to your chopping block？
〃Still； there are always some who prefer not to do their own butchering。 No Krundai will do so voluntarily if it can be avoided。 A surprising percentage of your own society； with all your heritage of murder； would like to believe that Life survives by going to the supermarket。 So the ideal would be to train cattle to make butcher knives and take turns cutting each other up at a convenient location。〃
I didn't like the turn this story was taking。
〃Which brings me to the fourth significant fact about my people。 We have made an exact science of sociopsychology； both Krundai and animal； and refined it beyond your imagining。 The closest things you have to it； I suppose； are what you call mob psychology and the actuarial tables your insurance panies use； and you do not even know why they work。 The principles behind them； however； are universal； and part of a grand picture which your race will probably never perceive。 One of your great writers invented something akin to it called ‘psychohistory；' but even that unfulfilled daydream pales beside our knowledge … for psychohistory worked only for humans； and could not predict the appearance of genius or mutation。 We can manipulate any sentient race that lives； produce geniuses to order by manipulating society's laboratory conditions； and the nature and causation of mutation are fundamentals of Krundai psychology。
〃Of course； like psychohistory； our science works best in the mass； imperfectly with regard to individuals。 You humans are at least aware of that supreme paradox … that free will exists to an extent for the individual； but disappears in the group … although you can't work with it。 Brood！ … you haven't even learned how to measure emotion yet。 But we can predict the effects of even one man's actions on the society as a whole。。。 and we know how to bring about the effects we desire； large scale or small； long run or short。
〃Which leaves only one more basic attribute of my people： we are very； very hungry。〃
I had a ghastly feeling I knew what was ing next； and I didn't like it。 The horrible suspicion that Raksha's words were building in my brain answered far too many questions I'd never been satisfactorily able to explain to myself before。
〃So that's how that guy got elected；〃 Callahan breathed； and I winced。
〃Precisely；〃 Raksha agreed。 〃You begin to understand why I am here。〃
〃Lay it out； brother；〃 Tony said grimly。 〃I think I get it； but I hope I'm wrong。〃
Raksha spread his hands。 〃Very simply； gentlemen； for nearly two thousand years your planet has been a Krundai game preserve。〃
〃God bless my soul；〃 said Doc Webster。 I looked at Callahan： his face was expressionless； but his eyes were like coals。 Tomorrow that table would have inch…deep fingerprints where Finn was holding it。
〃For most of that time；〃 Raksha continued； 〃the Krundai stationed here made no attempt to do more than control your population； inhibit your social evolution and enforce your ignorance。 A war here； a philosophical revolution there； discredit a few thinkers and discourage a line of inquiry or two： elementary maintenance。 Rome； for instance； got entirely too civilized … even assassinating Caesar didn't help enough。 Before long it began to look like they were developing a rudimentary medical science and cutting down the mortality rate。
〃So we induced cultural decay； and added some hungry barbarians we found conveniently at hand。 An earlier stroke of genius； supplying them with the notion of lead…based water pipes and wine…vats； paid off handsomely； and the threat was ended。
〃We went on in this manner for hundreds of years； allowing just enough growth to preserve vigor and letting you graze freely。 We had quite a bit of trouble with plagues … frankly； you're not very clean animals … and finally we decided to let you play with medicine as a simpler solution than running around stamping out an epidemic every few years