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tell you what we have just discovered. The way to guarantee that he loses his war—even if the Navy never gets here."
"I am encouraged by your enthusiasm but miss your meaning."
"I will explain—but first a drink to celebrate." This seemed like a good idea to all concerned. We poured and drank, then Morton and I listened with some interest as the others sang a song about Individual Mutualism freeing mankind from the yoke of oppression and so forth. While the theory was"fine the lyric was as bad as all other anthems I had ever heard, though I took considerable interest in the great efforts made to rhyme Individual Mutualism. I also took the time to organize my thoughts so when they had finished, and sipped a bit more wine for dry throats, I took the floor.
"I must first tell you kind people about the uniformed mob of thugs who have invaded your fair planet. A large group like this is called an army. An army is a throwback
— to the earliest days of mankind when physical defense was needed against the rigors of existence. The combative gene was the successful gene. The primitive who defended his family group passed on this gene. This gene has caused a lot of trouble since that time, right down through the ages. It is still causing trouble as you now have cause to understand. When all of the threatening animals were killed, the gene caused mankind to turn upon itself to kill each other. With shame I admit we are the only species that kills its own kind on a very organized basis. The army is the last gasp of the combative gene. In charge are old men, and they are called officers. They do nothing except issue orders. At the bottom are the soldiers who follow these orders. In between are the noncommissioned offi-
cers who see that this is done. The interesting thing to us now is that the soldiers are all drafted and a good number of them are draft dodgers."
It took some time to explain what these last two terms meant and there was horrified shock on all sides when understanding finally penetrated, I waited until the cries of disbelief and despair had simmered down, then signaled for silence.
"I am cheered by your reaction. Do you think your people would volunteer, without payment in wirrs, to free these young men from bondage?"
"It would be our duty," the doctor said and heads nodded like fury on all sides. "It would be like saving someone from drowning, a public duty, no payment expected."
"Great! Then I will now teach you another word…"
"Can I guess?" Morton cried out, I nodded. "Desertion!" I nodded aeain. Battle ioined at last!
