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Great Pouch at the end of your days； you could not suck。 To us you are less…than…Krundai。 The Sign of the Brood is not upon you： you are food。 My people feel no more guilt over engineering your destruction than you would if you could talk a cow into butchering itself。〃
〃Why all this dancing around？〃 Callahan asked him
〃Why not just wipe us out？ Sounds to me like you've got the moxie。〃
〃I have told you；〃 Raksha cried。 〃We abhor violence。 The fact that you can be inducted to inflict it upon yourselves； is； to us； proof that you are food； less…than…Krundai。 If you and other races did not spare us the necessity； we should be forced to kill our own food like beasts。 But the Great Brood saw our needs and fashioned the lesser races to breed and feast upon； without the need to nurture violence in our own hearts。 First the winged； heat…seeking feegh of Krundai； which fell from the skies into our fires； then the blue…skinned ones of our neighbor planet； who destroyed their atmosphere just before developed interplanetary travel； then the Krill from a nearby solar system； who warred to extinction among themselves。 It has； always been so； it is unforgivably bad form to slay one's own meat oneself。 It indicates that one is not in the favor of the Brood。〃
〃When did your people begin sort of。。。 encouraging the food into the pot？〃 Callahan asked。
〃So long ago that it would be meaningless to you；〃 Raksha told him。 〃We learned early that the gifts of the Brood are not free； we must labor for them； to earn a place in the Pouch。〃
〃I still don't see how you could have done it；〃 Jerry said； baffled but obviously believing now； convinced by the pain in the furry alien's voice and the aura of shame around him。
〃In the same way that a statesman can be induced to do what he knows is insane；〃 Raksha explained； 〃by appealing subtly to his own self…interest。 We ran a continuous and subtle propaganda campaign； took away any valid reason for living other than personal enrichment and fort； and then saw to it that the immediate personal interest of millions of people served our ends。 One of the simplest methods was to install in an enormous number of people the pulsion to amass more money than they could possibly use： enough were successful to leech national economies into anemia。 Another was to whip up an intense interest in sex； far beyond the demands of nature； to keep population growth beyond your capacity to adapt。 Much work was required to squelch interest in space…programs before they could provide an escape valve。 You humans are so short…sighted； your lives themselves so short。 It is easy to manipulate you。〃
〃So what changed your mind？〃 Callahan asked。 〃You personally； I mean。 If we ain't fit for this here Pouch； why are you spilling the beans？
〃I。。。 I。。。〃 he stammered。
〃We're nothing but dumb animals； right？ Well； Colonel Sanders doesn't apologize to the chickens … why are you here？〃
The green man groped for words； his pointed ears waving nervously。
〃I。。。 I don't know；〃 he said at last。 〃°I cannot satisfactorily explain it to myself。 There is a climate of belief which runs all through your thought and literature； a conviction that you humans have a higher destiny。 This idea has been of use to the Krundai many times； but we did not plan it； it was there when we came。 It may be that it is contagious。 I do not know； there is something about you humans； a。。。 a curious dignity that upsets my heart and troubles my nights。〃
Finn spoke up； startling me。 〃I think I know what you mean； friend Raksha；〃 he said in that flat voice of his。 〃Michael；〃 he went on； turning to Callahan； 〃do not be so certain that Colonel Sanders does not apologize to his chickens； as you put it。 I have myself brought about the extermination of several races； in the days when I served the Masters； and yet last week when I slaughtered my pigs； I grieved for them。 They were stupid and dirty and mute … but even a pig may have dignity。
〃They did not； could not； prehend why they died … and yet in an irrational way I wished I could explain it to them。〃 He turned； spoke again to the furry Krundai。 〃I believe I understand your motivation；〃 he said。 〃I felt it too； once； and forebore to destroy this world。 It seemed a planet of madmen … although much of that appears to be the doing of you and yours。 But I knew that not； for you were well…hidden。
〃Yet still I stayed the hands of my Masters； betrayed my purpose； because I learned here in this room that men have love。〃
〃That is the quality I selected for in a human audience；〃 Raksha admitted。 〃The thing you call love we Krundai had always found to be a symptom of the attribute I spoke of earlier。 That humans possess the symptom without the attribute is one of the great anomalies that plicated my thought and delayed my confession until now。〃
〃This propaganda stuff you talked about；〃 Callahan persisted。 〃I still want to know how you put it across。 Whisper in the Wright Brothers' car？ Write newspaper editorials？ Spread rumors？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 Raksha said； and hesitated。 His features assumed a deeper green。 〃And sometimes；〃 he went on with obvious reluctance； 〃by direct intervention。〃
〃Disguised as humans； you mean？ Fifth column and that？〃 The big Irishman seemed to be prompting； seeking something from Raksha that I couldn't figure out。
〃All the Krundai on your world have； at one time or another； impersonated humans for varying reasons。 One of us was Saul of Tarsus； another Torquemada； another Thomas Edison。 Otto Hahn was yet another。〃
〃And you；〃 Callahan bored on impacably。 〃Who were you？〃
I remembered suddenly how long ago Raksha had said he began to regret his job； and my blood went cold as ice。
〃I。。。〃 he said； biting the words off with an effort； 〃I was known to men as Adolph Hitler。〃
The silence was a living thing that gnawed at our reason； paralyzed our thought。 All around us a Halloween party continued insanely； heedless men laughing and dancing； the four gorillas in the corner playing poker。 There was not a damn thing any of us could say； and after a time Raksha went on listlessly； 〃It was an easy role to play。 It took no significant fraction of the training I had received in crowd control。 It was so easy that I had time to think； to observe； to learn first…hand what I was doing。
〃Perhaps it was because I was born here； and have seen Krundai only once。 For whatever reason； I began to doubt； subconscious uncertainty spoiled my work。 The major purpose of that campaign was to prolong hostilities long enough to force the development of atomic weapons； and I nearly succeeded in aborting the mission by folding too quickly。 But my colleagues were able to redeem my error by drawing out the Pacific conflict just long enough。 I told myself my depression was the stigma of personal failure； but I knew in my heart that it was in fact the repair of my mistakes that unsettled me。 I have thought on it long and hard since； and now I am here and I have spoken。〃
Doc Webster produced a hipflask from somewhere on the south slope of his belly； upended it and slapped it down empty。 On all sides of us； people drank and chattered and laughed； obl