 What is ironic about the Earthmen selling gas to the Zurians?
"It is an outrage," said Koltan of the House of Masur, "that the Earthmen land among the Thorabians!" Personally, he was in favor of the coming of the Earthmen to the world of Zur. By this, he seemed to imply that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen, which the Lorians would not. The Earthmen were going to do great things for the whole world of Zur. Accurate reporting, much less a newspaper, was unknown on Zur. Finally, the Earthmen took off in their great, shining ship. The anti-Earthmen Faction—in any culture complex, there is always an "anti" faction to protest any movement of endeavor—crowed happily that the Earthmen were gone for good, and a good thing, too. One day, a fleet of ships arrived and after they had landed all over the planet, Zur was practically acrawl with Earthmen. Immediately, the Earthmen established what they called "corporations"—Zurian trading companies under terrestrial control. In spite of the fact that a terrestrial ship had landed at every Zurian city of major and minor importance, and all in a single day, it took some time for the news to spread. "The Earthman took them in trade—one reason why the new ones are so cheap. This, for some unknown reason and much to the disgust of the Lorians, was set up in Thorabia.
 The gas was collected on Zur
 The gas was collected on Zur  The gas is from Earth and will not power Zurian machines  The gas will be replaced by a new type of gas that Zurians will need to purchase in the next decade  The Earthmen are not selling gas; rather, a material that causes machines to break