If they still remained
true to their love of Altruria they could find some means of returning.
When the translator came to this point their spokesman jumped to his feet
and called out to the captain, "Will you _do_ it?" "Do what?" he asked,
getting slowly to his own feet. "Come back with us after you have seen
the kids?" The captain shook his fist at the sailors; it seemed to be the
only gesture he had with them. "Give me the _chance!_ All I want is to
see the children and bring them out with me to Altruria, and the old
folks with them." "Will you _swear_ it? Will you say, 'I hope I may find
the kids dead and buried when I get home if I don't do it'?" "I'll take
that oath, or any oath you want me to." "Shake hands on it, then."
The two men met in front of the tribunal and clasped hands there, and
their reconciliation did not need translation. Such a roar of cheers went
up! And then the whole assembly burst out in the national Altrurian
anthem, "Brothers All." I wish you could have heard it! But when the
terms of the agreement were explained, the cheering that had gone before
was a mere whisper to what followed.
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