Feet of Clay Read online

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  _Life is pretty strange when a god who is good and benevolent must prove that he has_

  Feet of Clay

  BY PHILLIP HOSKINS

  "The problem," said Cassidy, "would seem to be simple." He thumped hisoutsized knuckles against the desk. "Almost too simple."

  "Why?" The other was a wearer of the black and silver uniform ofExtrasol Traders; a short man, made shorter by the beer-barrel shape ofhis body and the extreme width of his shoulders. His head was cappedwith close-cropped gray curls.

  _Illustrated by Paul Orban_]

  "Why?" he repeated. "I've been studying it ever since it first croppedup, and I must admit that it's been beyond me."

  "I must confess, Dillon," said Cassidy, "I wonder how you ever rose tothe managerial ranks of Extrasol. I find it hard to imagine a personnelman stupid enough to put you in charge of even a backwater planet likethis Kash. Surely somebody in the home office must know how dumb youare?"

  "My dumbness is not the subject of this conversation," said Dillon,grimly. "I didn't like the idea of calling in a trouble-shooter. I likedit even less when I found out it was to be you."

  Cassidy grinned. "You mean my wonderful personality hasn't made animpression on you? I'm cut to the quick."

  "I put up with you for only one reason. You know aliens, far better thanI could ever hope to. You're about the best in the field."

  "Only about? Really, Dillon, if you knew of someone better than me, whydidn't you get them?"

  "All right!" He shouted the words. "You're the best! But you stillhaven't explained why the problem seems simple to you." He pulled out acigarette, and bit down savagely on the end, only to spit out the loosetobacco amidst a sputter of curses.

  "The misfortunes of being feeble-minded," sighed Cassidy. "But for yoursake, I'll take you by the hand, and try to lead you down the road ofintelligence. But first, you better go over the situation once more.

  "We are on Kash," said Dillon, visibly controlling his patience. "It'sthe fourth world of a G-type sun of the periphery, unnamed in thecatalogues. For that reason, we have assigned it the native name. Kashis their term for both the star and the planet, and roughly translatesas 'home of the Gods'.

  "The planet was first contacted during the great galactic expansion of2317, when the sole native language was taped. The planet isapproximately two-thirds the size of Earth, but its density is somewhatless, so the gravity is about half that of Earth. It is moonless, and sofar from galactic center that scarcely a hundred stars are visible inthe sky. Thus a trained observer can usually pick out the other fiveplanets of the system with no trouble at all." He paused, and took adrink of water.

  "Six months ago it was contacted by Unit 317 of Extrasol Traders...."

  "Namely you," said Cassidy.

  "Me. A month was spent mapping the planet and searching out nativevillages. I then returned to base and picked up supplies necessary forsetting up an outpost. Two months ago I returned.

  "And all Hell broke loose...."

  * * * * *

  Night fell quickly, and with little relief on Kash, for the stars werefew and far between, and shed little light. Dillon stepped out of theoffice that was doing double-duty as living quarters until separatequarters could be set up, and started for the nearby well. He cursed ashe realized his flashlight still lay on the desk, but the light pouringfrom the open door was enough to see by, and he decided againstreturning.

  As he walked, he breathed deeply of the tangy night air, and sighed withsatisfaction. This world was infinitely more pleasurable than the lasthe had posted, and he intended to enjoy his stay.

  He let his thoughts ramble as he walked and so almost ran down thewaiting alien before he saw him. The native's huge eyes gleamed softlyin the spill of light from the office, and the gray down that coveredhis body and head, except for the face, seemed soft and alive.

  "Tarsa, Bila," said the Earthman, using the native greeting.

  "Tarsa, starman. May the Gods shine their eternal light on you."

  "And on you," Dillon said, observing the ritual. "But what brings youhere at night?"

  "The night is beautiful, is it not, starman? It shines with a glory allits own. At times it would seem to outdo its brother, the day."

  "Indeed," he agreed. "Your world is one of the loveliest I have yetseen, and my travels have led me over as many stars as there are waveson the sea. But surely you did not come to talk merely of the night andits beauty."

  "Alas, no," sighed the native. "My task is a most unhappy one, forsorrow hangs heavy over the village. The women and children are weeping,and the men know not what to do in the face of calamity. It seems asthough the Gods themselves have turned against my people." He wiped hiseyes with the back of his hand.

  "What would you with me, Bila?" asked the Earthman. "Surely I cannot beof any assistance?"

  "As a man from the sky, surely you have met the Gods in open battlebefore!" cried the alien. "And just as surely you must have defeatedthem, else you would not be here this night."

  "I am flattered, Bila. It is true that the Gods of the universe and Iare not total strangers. Exactly what is wrong?"

  "It is Toll, the son of Kylano. He has fallen from a cliff, and thebones of his arm are broken and need curing."

  "But isn't that a job for the priest?"

  "Aye. But our priest has been on a pilgrimage these past ten days, andis to be gone another thirty or more. There is no one left with thenecessary knowledge. You will come?"

  "I'll come, Bila. But first I must get a bag from the office. With it Imay be able to help the boy."

  "Ah, you too have an herb basket like the priest's? Truly you are afriend of the Gods."

  "Not quite like the priest's," said Dillon, smiling. "But it serves muchthe same purpose." He hurried up the path and into the shack, emerging amoment later with the first-aid bag that was standard equipment for allmen isolated from the services of a doctor.

  * * * * *

  "That's where you made your first mistake," said Cassidy. "Regulation1287-63C, paragraph 119 states 'no man shall give medical aid to alienraces unless a team of certified specialists has checked out all suchmedicines with respect to such race and certified them safe. Penalty forbreaking rule: Revocation of any licenses; restriction to home world forthree years; and/or five thousand dollars fine.' You really did thingsup right. You should have left that bag in the safe where it belonged."

  "Well, I didn't," said Dillon. "And it's too late now to talk of what Ishould have done. At any rate...."

  * * * * *

  "Where is the boy, Bila?" asked Dillon as he came up to the alien again.

  "At my village, starman. Come." He slipped down the path and was soonswallowed by the darkness. The Earthman hurried after, afraid of beinglost in the almost impenetrable night.

  He had forgotten the flashlight again, and he cursed as he stumbled overan unseen obstruction.

  "Bila!" he called.

  "Yes, starman?" The alien appeared as if from nowhere.

  "I'm afraid that I'm not as gifted as you when it comes to traveling atnight without light. You had better let me hold onto your shoulder."

  "Of course, starman. I am most sorry for causing you trouble."

  "It's my own fault. I should have remembered the light. Let's get goingagain." He placed his hand on the alien's shoulder, and they started offagain.

  Despite his guide, he twice stumbled over obstructions, and would havefallen but for his grip on the other's shoulder. Bila waited while hesteadied himself, and then started off again, keeping up a fast pace.


  The village lay three miles from the post, and during the day, Dillonconsidered it nothing more than a brisk walk. But the blindness thatcame with the dark wiped out all realization of time and space, and hesoon began to think that they must have passed it by, when the alienspoke.

  "We are here, starman."

  They rounded a bend, and a cluster of huts came into view, lit by thedim light of a few scattered lamps. The alien threaded his way throughthe narrow lanes between the huts, and stopped outside one of thelargest in the group. He held the hangings aside, and Dillon stooped toenter.

  The hut was already