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lay with medicine as a simpler solution than running around stamping out an epidemic every few years。 There was always war to use as a control and culling device； and anyway； there was plenty of pasture。
〃About three hundred years ago； we were notified by Krundar to go into active status and step up production。 A food shortage had been predicted； and we were told to expect at any time the order to begin harvesting the herd we had bred and tended so long。 We began incubating North America。
〃We tripled the usual propaganda to reproduce； filled the continent in an absurdly short time； and encouraged immigration with a massive word…of…mouth advertising campaign about the golden land across the sea； where freedom rang and the streets were paved with gold。 It took a bit of finagling to keep Britain from flattening you at the start； but we were in … for us … a hurry。 After the requisite wars； we lowered the death…rate considerably to pensate； and began to intensify our efforts。
〃A hundred years ago； we received the last mand。 We have been preparing you to slaughter yourselves ever since。〃
〃Holy Jesus； it figures；〃 Bill Gerrity cried。
〃You bet your sweet life it figures；〃 I snarled。 〃After thousands of years of recorded history； in seventy…five years we go from the Model T Ford to the cobalt bomb and the energy crisis。 From corn liquor to Quaaludes。 From young giant of a nation to tired old fraud。 From。。。〃
〃Knock it off； Jake；〃 Callahan rapped。
I shut my face。 Callahan turned back to Raksha； put his huge meaty hands palm down on the table。 〃Go on；〃 he said darkly。
The Krundai's fur bristled； and his eyes rolled in his head。 Somehow through my rage I understood that this denoted extreme shame in one of his race； and began to cool off； remembering where I was。 The air of calm he had worn was shattered now； he was clearly agitated。
〃Humans； hear me！〃 he intoned。 〃Hear my sins； hear the full catalog of my infamy before you judge。 This is not easy to tell； and I must。〃
〃Let him speak；〃 Finn said dispassionately。
〃We。。。 I and others； I mean。。。 instituted an explosive increase of knowledge in the physical sciences； smothered or subverted all the social and spiritual sciences。 We cranked your technology to a fever pitch of frenzied production； led you to build yourselves a suicidal ethic and culture； gave you toys like the atom bomb and lysergic acid to play with： we gave a loaded gun to an infant。 We manipulated elections and revolutions； staged assassinations； encouraged government to calcify beyond the ability of its people to endure； touched off riots； provided you with news media that would carry the news of growing cancer among you； and did all we could to bring into the minds of men a frustration and a terror that would lead inevitably to chaos。 You； the steers； are nearly ready to butcher yourselves for our tables。〃
〃I don't believe it；〃 the man in the fireman costume burst out。 〃This is crazy； what you're saying is crazy； just plain nuts。 What the hell is this anyway； some kind of a rib？〃
〃He's serious； Jerry；〃 Callahan said calmly。
〃The hell he's serious； Mike； did you hear what he said？ You telling me you believe all this stuff？〃
〃Jerry's right；〃 the duck said。 〃This guy's nuts。〃
〃Oh； you fools！〃 Raksha burst out。 〃Are you too ignorant to see the pattern？ Your whole history makes sense only by positing the four most far…fetched twistings and contradictions to human nature。 Use Occam's Razor； by the Brood。 Could any race be so suicidal and have lived for this long？ Do you really think it accidental that your people went from outhouses to zero…gravity toilets in half a century？ From the Merrimac to Skylab in one short century？ By our own standards we have turned your planet upside…down in a twinkling … are your lives so short that you have not perceived their acceleration？ The pace of progress yanks you ahead faster than you can run。 Do you not notice？〃
Callahan looked across the crowded； oblivious room to Tom Hauptman behind the bar。 〃Some of us notice；〃 he said softly。
The fireman shook his head。 〃I don't buy it。 That sounds like some crazy sci…fi notion。 Conspiracy of aliens my foot； I don't believe in little。。。 〃
〃。。。 green men？〃 Raksha finished。 〃The signs are everywhere around you； Jerry。 The squelching of the Air Force's study of unidentified flying objects should have alerted anyone with eyes and ears … save that we had carefully engendered a climate of ridicule and disbelief。 We have bee more cautious since then。 But look beyond the physical evidence： do you believe it blind chance that physics has leaped vast spans while psychology muddled off into blind alleys？ Do you really believe man so incurious about himself that it has taken him thousands of years to even begin a science of sociology？ Do you think it simply bad luck that the technology of your survival systems； of your food and water and power distribution networks； consistently fail to keep pace with population increase and are already strained to the failing point； even in the face of a technical revolution？
〃Does it make sense that after living side by side with natural drugs and hallucinogens of all types for millenia； men have suddenly bee dependent on them？ Has the worldwide depression； economic and spiritual； escaped you？ Does it not surprise you that no language spoken by any people on Earth corresponds with observable reality？ Did you think the simultaneous collapse of an ages…old ethical system and a two…century…old value system to be mere unfortunate happenstance？ You Broodless fool； did you really think God died of natural causes？
〃No； my friend。 Charles Fort was quite correct： you are property； and on the whole not very bright property。 You follow your political and philosophical leaders blindly to the slaughter； grateful to be led； and one in a hundred of you is a Telasco or a McConnell； with the sense to pull out of the mad death…race。 You must see it； man；〃 he said to Telasco； 〃you rejected the world we Krundai made for you。〃
〃Jerry；〃 I said； 〃one of my most precious possessions is a lapel…button； white with black letters。 It says 'Go Lemmings Go。' Raksha is telling the truth。〃
The fireman shook his head like an enraged bull。 〃This is crazy；〃 he insisted。 〃How can you be telling us all this？ I mean； if you're right； what makes you think we won't tear you to pieces？〃
〃This is Callahan's Place；〃 the alien said simply。 〃I am here for absolution。〃
That brought us all up short； even Jerry。 He stiffened； his mouth opened but there were no words in it。
〃Why？〃 cried Doc Webster in agony。 〃How could a race so old and wise be so savage and murderous？〃
〃We are not；〃 Raksha returned； agony in his own voice。 〃You kill animals for food … we ourselves have never killed。〃
〃People are not animals；〃 Tony said with quiet force。
〃To my people you are；〃 insisted the green one。 〃You lack a。。。 an attribute for which there are naturally no words in your tongue。 That attribute is central to the Krundai； without it； even if you went to the Great Pouch at the end of your days； you could not suck。 To us you are less…than…Krundai。 The Sign o