Chapter 28Ironically it was the need to avoid the prying eyes of the natives that brought both newcomers and travellers into a more cohesive whole. The speed with which the natives rose to a pitch of paranoia, and mobilized for a war which would mean global suicide, made a vivid impression on the newcomers. It was not lessened by the fumbling manner in which the natives subsequently avoided the war. As a result they acceded happily to the traveller’s insistence on avoiding all forms of contact.
When the initial uproar and antagonism had died away, the natives began to co-operate with equal enthusiasm on efforts to find the source of this massive and mysterious broadcast, prompting Gared to remark that he wasn’t sure when these people were the more dangerous: when they were quarrelling or
