Natives of the distant planet called "Kwannon" think their world is about to end due to their religious beliefs, and in preparing for the apocalypse, they may be unnecessarily bringing about their own demise. The planetary government can't overcome its own bureaucracy to help them, and the military is overwhelmed. A single newsman tries to change the course of a whole people's belief system but, can he do it in time and to save their world? This classic science fiction novelette was first published in Analog Science Fact-Science Fiction in 1960.