The camp lay on the very fringe of the Quxa territory, but, by an arduous hunt, Ratakka had captured eight wandering Quxas to whom he immediately set about teaching the duties of subjects. His method was simple—the Quxa followed his orders, which he obtained from Montgomery, or the Quxa was knocked down. If he still refused, he was knocked down again. Within three weeks, Ratakka had them doing things no Quxas ever had done before. They performed them reluctantly and sullenly, but they did them.
Seeing the result, but not the means, Candy was enthusiastic.
"They're working together!" she cried. "Oh, Monty, what will the Quxas do to reward you?"
"Oh, they'll probably make a culture god of me," said Montgomery, managing to look modest. "Like the Greeks did to that Martian, Proma Ss Thaa, who taught them the use of fire."
As time went on, though, the girl began to have doubts.
"But they're doing everything for Ratakka," she protested. "As far as they're concerned themselves, they're more wretched than before."
"That's the way feudal cultures are built, my dear," Montgomery assured her. "The king gives them law and a fighting leader. In return, the subjects take care of his bodily comfort."
"But they look so unhappy!"
"In saving an inferior race, we cannot be concerned too much about the happiness of a few miserable members. Perhaps in three hundred years or so, they can afford happiness."
And finally an incident happened to complete her disillusionment.