She unpinned the delicate laesa from her hair, for Terran spacemen are educated, and if they have a choice, or seem to have, prefer seduction to rape. Step I. A soft answer turneth away wrath, leaving time for making plans. He caught the flower, pleased with himself, Juba saw, for not fumbling, pleased with his manhood, pleased with his morality in deciding not to rape her. Rule a—A man pleased with himself is off guard. He was big, even for a Man, and all hair, and in his heavy arms the veins were knotted and very blue. He had taken off his shirt, letting the air blow shamelessly over him. It was true he was wonderful to see. And Juba knew that such is the nature of our violences, if she had been born into such a body, she too, would be a thing of wars and cruelty, a burner of cities, a carrier of death and desolation. His face softened, as though the hand of Juno had passed over it. Softly he gazed at the flower, softly at Juba. Rule b—This is the only time they are tractable.
