When Boris was almost back at the door of his own hut, he realized that a man was standing motionless in the shadows beside it.  It was Magnuson.

When Boris stopped, the doctor took a step forward, cleared his throat, and said sell-consciously, "I order you to stand on your head."

"What?"  Boris almost giggled with the sudden relief of apparent silliness.  Then he understood.  "Oh, a test.  No, Doctor, I don't have to obey your orders.  Only Jones's."

"Good.  Then you will not obey Morton or Kaleta.  Will you step into the hut?"

Inside, three warriors held Jones.  His arms were bound, and there was a flint knife at his throat.

"Jones controls you, and now, as you see, I control Jones."  Magnuson was not boasting; he was miserable.  "Oh, this is all horrible.  But I must remain in control, and there is no other way for me to do it."

Jones spoke without moving his head.  "Brazil, he wants you to get into a groundsuit and disarm Morton and Kaleta.  Wait until they finish with the radio and come back to the village.  Shouldn't be too hard a job."

"It should be a pleasure."  Boris looked from Jones to Magnuson.  "You don't need to compel me to do that - just give me permission."

"I hate to use you as a slave."  Magnuson was suffering.  "But I have done worse things.  I know you'd escape me in a moment if you could.  Perhaps you'd kill me.  I must control you in the groundsuit and get you out of it again.  I hope that soon I can convince you that I do the work of Man.  But..."

There came a muffled clanking at the door of the hut.  Red Circles and three others bore a groundsuit in, carrying it across bending spears.

Jones gave precise orders.  "Brazil, put the groundsuit on.  Disarm Kaleta and Morton, but don't hurt them if you can help it.  Then come at once back to this hut and take off the suit."  He glanced at Magnuson, who nodded.  The flint knife was taken from Jones's throat, but not any great distance.

"I think I will be the one to take the weapons from the two Earthmen," said Red Circles.

"No."  Magnuson looked steadily at the war chief.  "They will be on their guard, and you might have to kill them, especially if you went alone against them."

Muscles bunched along Red Circles' jaw.  "Magnuson does not say that I might fail."

"I know you better than that.  But as bad as they are, I do not want the two Earthmen killed.  I mean to give them the chance to prove themselves true men."

Red Circles seemed to understand, if not agree.

Magnuson stared briefly off into space, fascinated by something only he could see.  "Like a baptism," he mused.  "It might wash away past sins."

Boris, getting into the suit, thought he understood.  Magnuson had said that all of the Earthmen present would become members of this tribe.  Then the "baptism" he talked of would be an initiation ceremony.

"There may be some shooting," Boris said to Magnuson.  "Better see that the village people keep their heads down."

"Yes, that's right."  Magnuson hurried out of the hut.

"One thing," said Boris to Jones.

"What?"  Jones opened his eyes.  He had seemed to be resting, almost oblivious of the Kappans who were still ready to kill him at a moment's notice.

"Let me make sure Brenda's safe."

"I'll have them bring her over here so you can see she's healthy - when you come back here and get out of that suit."

And that had to suffice; Boris went out of the hut.  Outside, he met Magnuson and strode beside him across the village common, wrapped now in the familiar fluid power of a groundsuit but as helpless as ever.