They touched down and opened the hatches. Already a crowd of Malans had gathered. A few artists had set up their easels and were busy painting the freighter, not because it was lovely, but because it was Terran, which was better.
A Malan stepped forward, grinning. "Well," he asked, "what do you think of it?"
"Of what?"
"Our war, of course. You must have noticed!"
"Oh, yes, we noticed," Beliakoff said.
"A real intercontinental war complete with ideological differences," the man stated proudly. "Just like the civilized planets have. You must admit it's Earthlike."
"Exceedingly Earthlike," Kelly said. "Now take us to whoever's in charge—quick!"
The conference with Nob at the Imperial Palace began well. The Prime Minister was overjoyed that real Earthmen had come to witness their war. He knew very well that, by Earth standards, it was a pretty small war. A beginner's war, really. But they were trying. Some day, with more know-how, with better equipment, they would be able to produce a war that would match anyone's.
"We were hampered from the start," Nob apologized, "by not knowing how to produce atomic fission."