 What changes Koltan's mind about Earthmen, and ultimately condemns the Masur House to ruin?
"It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!" Zotul, youngest of the Masur brothers, stirred uneasily. Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur. At the head of the long, shining table sat old Kalrab Masur, in his dotage, but still giving what he could of aid and comfort to the Pottery of Masur, even though nobody listened to him any more and he knew it. Around the table sat the six brothers—Koltan, eldest and Director of the Pottery; Morvan, his vice-chief; Singula, their treasurer; Thendro, sales manager; Lubiosa, export chief; and last in the rank of age, Zotul, who was responsible for affairs of design. Earthmen may come and Earthmen may go, but clay goes on forever ... and with it, the fame and fortune of the House of Masur." "It is a damned imposition," agreed Morvan, ignoring his father's philosophical attitude. By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not. Lubiosa, who had interests in Thorabia, and many agents there, kept his own counsel. "Doubtless," said Zotul unexpectedly, for the youngest at a conference was expected to keep his mouth shut and applaud the decisions of his elders, "the Earthmen used all the metal on their planet in building that ship. The speech drew scowls from the brothers and stern rebuke from Koltan. "When your opinion is wanted, we will ask you for it. It was a common enough thing among the brothers Masur, as among everybody, to be frustrated in their desires. However, they had Zotul to take it out upon, and they did. Still smarting, Zotul went back to his designing quarters and thought about the Earthmen. If it was impossible to hope for much in the way of metal from the Earthmen, what could one get from them?
 He sees potential for the House of Masur to profit off of the Earthmen's inventions
 He sees potential for the House of Masur to profit off of the Earthmen's inventions  He predicts that the Earthmen will not be able to withstand Zurian conditions for long, and that they will soon depart  He believes he can feign sincerity in order to steal their metal and other goods  He thinks that Earthmen are intellectually inferior and that he can manipulate them to do his bidding