"Indeed," he agreed. "Your world is one of the loveliest I have yet seen, and my travels have led me over as many stars as there are waves on the sea. But surely you did not come to talk merely of the night and its beauty."
"Alas, no," sighed the native. "My task is a most unhappy one, for sorrow hangs heavy over the village. The women and children are weeping, and the men know not what to do in the face of calamity. It seems as though the Gods themselves have turned against my people." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"What would you with me, Bila?" asked the Earthman. "Surely I cannot be of any assistance?"
"As a man from the sky, surely you have met the Gods in open battle before!" cried the alien. "And just as surely you must have defeated them, else you would not be here this night."
"I am flattered, Bila. It is true that the Gods of the universe and I are not total strangers. Exactly what is wrong?"
"It is Toll, the son of Kylano. He has fallen from a cliff, and the bones of his arm are broken and need curing."
"But isn't that a job for the priest?"
"Aye. But our priest has been on a pilgrimage these past ten days, and is to be gone another thirty or more. There is no one left with the necessary knowledge. You will come?"
"I'll come, Bila. But first I must get a bag from the office. With it I may be able to help the boy."
"Ah, you too have an herb basket like the priest's? Truly you are a friend of the Gods."