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here, if you wouldbe good enough to explain to me the thing I saw back here. It will onlytake a minute."

  "What is it?"

  "It's something in one of the houses. I came back looking at somethingelse, then caught a glimpse of this. If you will come into the back yardyou can see it. I would really like to have you explain it to me, sir.You are always so clear in your explanations." Billy Kasker's manner wasvery winning.

  "Well, if it will only take a minute--" The instructor followed Billyinto the back yard. At the rear was a shed with an open window. A plotof grass separated the shed from the house. On the second floor of thehouse, a window had been shattered.

  "There's something up there in that broken window. If you will comehere, sir, you can see it better."

  "Um. Ah! Oh, yes." The instructor's back was to the open window of theshed. He stared upward at the house.

  Two brown-coated arms came out of the window of the shed and clamped afierce grip around his throat, jerking him backward against the wall. Hegrabbed frantically for the _Thor_ gun.

  The face of the brown native appeared in the window of the shed. "Getthat gun, Billy!"

  Billy Kasker was already in action. He snatched the gun from theinstructor's flailing hands.

  The brown native leaned from the window. Muscles bulging in his powerfularms, he lifted the instructor upward and through the window. A thumpcame from inside the shed. Billy Kasker, _Thor_ gun ready for use, wentthrough the door.

  The instructor was writhing on the floor. The native had a knee on hischest, a knife in his hand.

  "This is for the race you _think_ you've conquered!" the native said. Heplunged the knife into the instructor's throat. Green liquid spurtedfrom the wound.

  "Green blood!" the native said. "One of the chemical differences." Hecame to his feet. The dying instructor was forgotten. The native's handwent out. "Billy, am I glad to see you. I was afraid you wouldn'trecognize me in spite of the tune I was whistling as I walked past youon the street."

  "I wouldn't forget," Billy Kasker said.

  "But, Billy, it's been twelve years since I traded you, as a kid offive, for one of their brats--changing the bracelet as I changed you.Many times since then I've thought you had forgotten, or that I wouldn'tlive to see the day when you came back here with a graduating class."

  "I don't forget," Billy Kasker said. "I'm even class president!" Thewords burst out of him as if he was still having trouble understandingwhat they meant.

  "That's wonderful, Billy. You're accepted as one of them, but you're oneof us all the time. You're in with them, you're set. You have done awonderful job and I'm proud of you."

  The glow in the native's eyes was a wonderful sight to behold. In itthere showed the hope of the future for all the conquered natives ofthis lost planet that had once been called Earth--the faith, the sureknowledge that they would rise again ... indeed, that they were alreadyrising.

  "Thank you! But--" Billy nodded toward the body of the instructor, thenspun hastily as a sound came from the rear of the shed, the _Thor_ guncoming to focus. A trap door was rising there. Three natives werelooking up from under it.

  "They're all right," the brown native said quickly. "They're with us."

  Three ragged men scrambled up from below. They looked at the brownnative, then at the body of the instructor on the floor. A look offierce exultation appeared on their faces. Then they looked at BillyKasker and at the _Thor_ gun he was holding.

  "Give the _Thor_ gun to Jim," the brown native said.

  Without hesitation Billy Kasker handed the gun to the native who reachedfor it. Jim did everything but kiss the weapon. "God, the years I'vespent dreaming of the moment when I would get one of these babies intomy hands! One was all I needed."

  "Don't stand there gloating, Jim--get moving," the brown native said."Within a month I want you not only to know how a _Thor_ gun works butto be manufacturing them by the dozens, including the large sizes. Thisis the gun that has been stopping us all these years--it is the gun thatis going to take us out of these pig pens they call museums. Getmoving!"

  "Yes, sir." Jim was already gone through the trap door.

  * * * * *

  The brown native jerked off the instructor's clothes, then workedquickly but deftly with his knife. As he finished, the instructor's handseparated from the arm at the wrist.

  "He said no one would ever _think_ of doing anything like that," BillyKasker said.

  "Nobody but one of us stinking natives." The brown man removed the_plasticum_ bracelet, began to work with the fingers of his left hand."I've spent years learning how to throw my thumb out of joint, justgetting ready for the time--"

  The _plasticum_ bracelet slipped over the collapsed thumb. It fittedvery snugly on his wrist. He held it up.

  "Neat, eh. This makes me one of the conquerors."

  "A nice fit. But we have very little time. The group will becomealarmed."

  The second native began to take the instructor's body down the trapdoor. The brown native swiftly slipped off his clothes and donned thegarments the instructor had worn.

  "Ed, where's that _Thor_ gun model? I've got to have something thatlooks and feels like a genuine _Thor_ gun to turn in at the gate."

  "Here it is, sir." The third native handed a gleaming replica of the_Thor_ gun to the brown man. He slipped it into the holster. It fittedsnugly.

  "How do I look, Billy?"

  Billy Kasker surveyed the brown native. He was remarkably changed. Nolonger did he look like one of the natives, he looked like a conqueror."Just a little higher on the nose with the glasses. And maybe a littleless stuffing inside the brim of the hat. But--can you carry off thepart of the instructor?"

  "I can carry it off or die trying," the brown native said.

  "Good!" The two shook hands, then turned and went out the door. As theyleft, Billy Kasker saw that Ed was mopping the last remnants of thegreen blood from the floor.

  "Perfect, down to the last detail," Billy Kasker said. "You're a geniusat planning."

  "You have to be a genius to stay alive. Okay, Billy. Here is where we gointo our act."

  They had moved into the street and the group had seen them. The voicethat came from the brown native's mouth was the voice of the instructor,hot and angry.

  "Billy, this sort of conduct is intolerable. You know better than towander off like this. What possible explanation can you offer for yourconduct?"

  Billy Kasker was very penitent. He was embarrassed, he was humiliated,and he showed both very clearly. He had lost all of his air of easyaplomb. "I'm very sorry, sir. I didn't think--"

  "That's just it, you didn't think. You saw nothing in that alley, yetyou asked me to come back and look. Is that the way you waste your andmy time?"

  "It won't happen again, sir," Billy Kasker said contritely.

  "See that it doesn't."

  "Yah!" Joe Buckner gloated. "This is one time the class president got itin the neck!"

  "A very good point you have brought out," the instructor said. "Billyhas just demonstrated his unfitness to be class president. I amtherefore removing him from this position and appointing you in hisstead."

  "What?" Joe Buckner gasped, giddy with pleasure.

  Billy Kasker took his position in line. No longer did he bring up therear. Joe Buckner now had that position of honor. The group showed somesympathy for Billy, but not very much or very long. When he lost hisposition as president they seemed to change their minds about him.

  The group moved slowly through the city. As if nothing had happened, theinstructor explained what they were seeing. When they asked questions,he answered them. Billy Kasker asked no more questions.

  They finally came to the gate and the same resplendent captain greetedthem. He accepted the _Thor_ gun and the holster, handed them to theguard.

  "How are things in the museum?"

  "Everything is in good order, sir."

  "Good. I've had the impression they were getting a little restlesslately
."

  "I saw no signs of it."

  "Fine. Did you have any trouble with the group?"

  "Very little. Billy Kasker wandered off for a few moments and I had todemote him. But it was nothing. See you next year when I bring anothergraduating class through to show them around."

  The group began to separate to go to their own homes. Billy Kaskerlingered a little, to speak to the instructor. "I've already asked myfolks, sir, so I know it will be all right with them, so if you wouldlike to come home with me tonight--"

  "Hmmmm."

  "Trying to suck in again," Joe Buckner said. "It won't do you any goodnow. You're cooked for good this time!"

  Billy Kasker seemed not to hear him. His eyes were on the instructor."We would be very glad to have you, sir. We could talk about a greatmany things."

  "Why, Billy, in that case I will be glad to come home with you."

  They moved away together. "There's one thing I want made completelyclear," Billy Kasker said.

  "What is that?"

  "When the time comes, there is one conqueror I've got on _my_ list!"

  "That jerk I made class president? Of course, Billy. We will be glad tosave him for you alone." The instructor's smile was a happy one.

  "Good. That's agreed then." In the gathering dusk, Billy Kasker's voicewas as sharp as the edge of a knife driving home into a throat fromwhich green blood spurted....

  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ January 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.

 
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