"It's our only chance," Hawkins said. "We don't even know it'll work. There's always the chance if we throw them a few crumbs they'll want the whole loaf. You've got to remember that some of them have been living for twenty-five years or more under this pressure. The valve is about to blow."
"I see," Chessman grunted. "And what else? I can see in your faces there's something else."
The three Earthmen didn't answer. Their eyes shifted.
He looked to young Taller and then to Reif. "What else?"
"We need a scapegoat," Reif said without expression.
Joe Chessman thought about that. He looked to Barry Watson again.
Watson said, "The whole Texcocan State is about to topple. Not only do we have to give them immediate reform, but we're going to have to blame the past hardships and mistakes on somebody. Somebody has to take the rap, be thrown to the wolves. If not, maybe we'll all wind up taking the blame."
"Ah," Chessman said. His red-rimmed eyes went around them again, thoughtfully. "We should be able to dig up a few local chieftains and some of the Security Police heads."
They shook their heads. "It has to be somebody big," Natt Roberts said thickly, "a few of my Security Police won't do it."
Joe Chessman's eyes went to Reif. "The Khan is the highest ranking Texcocan of all," he said, finally. "The Khan and some Security Police heads would satisfy them."