Life is pretty strange when a god who is good and benevolent mustprove that he hasFeet of Clay
BY PHILLIP HOSKINS
Illustrated by Paul Orban
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.
"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 pouri