An immediate meeting was held between our delegation and the leaders of your government. After the formalities of greeting were over, the spokesman for the Earth government reviewed the facts of the Morning Star incident as they had been related by Captain Daniels and his crew. Venusian forces, they claimed, had been guilty of an unprovoked attack against the ship. We had barbarously murdered all of the ship's complement, save for the eleven "hostages" whom we had brought to Earth aboard the Tunn.
The government of Earth demanded an explanation. Ser Alaga spoke the truth. The Earthians were not satisfied.
(THE FOLLOWING CONVERSATION IS REPRODUCED FROM THE AUTO-TAPE RECORDING OF THE MEETING)
Earth Spokesman: We will grant that your act of aggression was not premeditated, but resulted from a misinterpretation, on your part, of the friendly intentions of our forces. Nevertheless, our vessel was destroyed. Twenty-three of our men were killed. The government of the World Federation demands that your government make suitable reparations.
Ser Alaga: Mr. Cartwright, we respectfully deny the allegation that our forces were guilty of any act of aggression.
Cartwright: The Morning Star was destroyed by your men, was it not?
Ser Alaga: In self-defense, yes. As we have explained, the captain of your ship threatened our welcoming committee with....
Cartwright: None of your men were harmed!
Ser Alaga: They prevented their own imminent destruction by their action in self-defense. It was this action which resulted in the unfortunate....
Cartwright: Our ship and our men were attacked before they had fired a shot. Therefore, your action cannot be deemed to have taken place in self-defense.