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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lani People, by J. F. Bone
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Lani People
+
+Author: J. F. Bone
+
+Posting Date: December 23, 2008 [EBook #2509]
+Release Date: February, 2001
+Last Updated: November 1, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LANI PEOPLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer
+
+
+
+
+
+THE LANI PEOPLE
+
+
+By J. F. Bone
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+The boxed ad in the opportunities section of the Kardon Journal of
+Allied Medical Sciences stood out like a cut diamond in a handful
+of gravel. “Wanted,” it read, “Veterinarian--for residency in active
+livestock operation. Single recent graduate preferred. Quarters and
+service furnished. Well-equipped hospital. Five-year contract, renewal
+option, starting salary 15,000 cr./annum with periodic increases. State
+age, school, marital status, and enclose recent tri-di with application.
+Address Box V-9, this journal.”
+
+Jac Kennon read the box a second time. There must be a catch to it.
+Nothing that paid a salary that large could possibly be on the level.
+Fifteen thousand a year was top pay even on Beta, and an offer like this
+for a new graduate was unheard of--unless Kardon was in the middle of an
+inflation. But Kardon wasn’t. The planet’s financial status was A-1.
+He knew. He’d checked that immediately after landing. Whatever might
+be wrong with Kardon, it wasn’t her currency. The rate of exchange was
+1.2-1 Betan.
+
+A five-year contract--hmm--that would be seventy-five thousand. Figure
+three thousand a year for living expenses, that would leave sixty-plenty
+of capital to start a clinic. The banks couldn’t turn him down if he had
+that much cash collateral.
+
+Kennon chuckled wryly. He’d better get the job before he started
+spending the money he didn’t have. He had 231 credits plus a few
+halves, tenths, and hundredths, a diploma in veterinary medicine, some
+textbooks, a few instruments, and a first-class spaceman’s ticket. By
+watching his expenses he had enough money to live here for a month and
+if nothing came of his efforts to find a job on this planet, there was
+always his spaceman’s ticket and another world.
+
+Another world! There were over six thousand planets in the Brotherhood
+of Man. At two months per planet, not figuring transit time, it would
+take more than a thousand Galactic Standard years to visit them all, and
+a man could look forward to scarcely more than five hundred at best. The
+habitat of Man had become too large. There wasn’t time to explore every
+possibility.
+
+But a man could have certain standards, and look until he found a
+position that fitted. The trouble was--if the standards were too high
+the jobs were too scarce. Despite the chronic shortage of veterinarians
+throughout the Brotherhood, there was a peculiar reluctance on the part
+of established practitioners to welcome recent graduates. Most of the
+ads in the professional journals read “State salary desired,” which was
+nothing more than economic blackmail--a bald-faced attempt to get as
+much for as little as possible. Kennon grimaced wryly. He’d be damned if
+he’d sell his training for six thousand a year. Slave labor, that’s what
+it was. There were a dozen ads like that in the Journal. Well, he’d give
+them a trial, but he’d ask eight thousand and full GEA benefits. Eight
+years of school and two more as an intern were worth at least that.
+
+He pulled the portable voicewrite to a comfortable position in front of
+the view wall and began composing another of the series of letters that
+had begun months ago in time and parsecs away in space. His voice was a
+fluid counterpoint to the soft hum of the machine.
+
+And as he dictated, his eyes took in the vista through the view
+wall. Albertsville was a nice town, too young for slums, too new for
+overpopulation. The white buildings were the color of winter butter in
+the warm yellow sunlight as the city drowsed in the noonday heat. It
+nestled snugly in the center of a bowl-shaped valley whose surrounding
+forest clad hills gave mute confirmation to the fact that Kardon
+was still primitive, an unsettled world that had not yet reached the
+explosive stage of population growth that presaged maturity. But that
+was no disadvantage. In fact, Kennon liked it. Living could be fun on a
+planet like this.
+
+It was abysmally crude compared to Beta, but the Brotherhood had opened
+Kardon less than five hundred years ago, and in such a short time one
+couldn’t expect all the comforts of civilization.
+
+It required a high population density to supply them, and while Kardon
+was integrated its population was scarcely more than two hundred
+million. It would be some time yet before this world would achieve a
+Class I status. However, a Class II planet had some advantages. What it
+lacked in conveniences it made up in opportunities and elbow room.
+
+A normal Betan would have despised this world, but Kennon wasn’t normal,
+although to the casual eye he was a typical representative of the
+Medico-Technological Civilization, long legged, fair haired, and short
+bodied with the typical Betan squint that left his eyes mere slits
+behind thick lashes and heavy brows. The difference was internal rather
+than external.
+
+Possibly it was due to the fact that his father was the commander of a
+Shortliner and most of his formative years had been spent in space. To
+Kennon, accustomed to the timeless horror of hyper space, all planets
+were good, broad open places where a man could breathe unfiltered air
+and look for miles across distances unbroken by dually bulk heads and
+safety shields. On a planet there were spaciousness and freedom and
+after the claustrophobic confinement of a hyper ship any world was
+paradise. Kennon sighed, finished his letters, and placed them in the
+mail chute. Perhaps, this time, there would be a favorable reply.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+Kennon was startled by the speed with which his letters were answered.
+Accustomed to the slower pace of Beta he had expected a week would
+elapse before the first reply, but within twenty-four hours nine of his
+twelve inquiries were returned. Five expressed the expected “Thank you
+but I feel that your asking salary is a bit high in view of your lack
+of experience.” Three were frankly interested and requested a personal
+interview. And the last was the letter, outstanding in its quietly
+ostentatious folder-the reply from Box V-9.
+
+“Would Dr. Kennon call at 10 A.M. tomorrow at the offices of
+Outworld Enterprises Incorporated and bring this letter and suitable
+identifications?” Kennon chuckled. Would he? There was no question about
+it. The address, 200 Central Avenue, was only a few blocks away. In
+fact, he could see the building from his window, a tall functional block
+of durilium and plastic, soaring above the others on the street, the
+sunlight gleaming off its clean square lines. He eyed it curiously,
+wondering what he would find inside.
+
+* * *
+
+The receptionist took his I.D. and the letter, scanned them briefly,
+and slipped them into one of the message tubes beside her desk. “It will
+only be a moment, Doctor,” she said impersonally. “Would you care to sit
+down? ’”
+
+“Thank you,” he said. The minute, reflected, could easily be an hour. But
+she was right. It was only a minute until the message tube clicked
+and popped a capsule onto the girl’s desk. She opened it, and removed
+Kennon’s I.D. and a small yellow plastic rectangle. Her eyes widened at
+the sight of the plastic card.
+
+“Here you are, Doctor. Take shaft number one. Slip the card into the
+scanner slot and you’ll be taken to the correct floor. The offices you
+want will be at the end of the corridor to the left. You’ll find any
+other data you may need on the card in case you get lost.” She looked at
+him with a curious mixture of surprise and respect as she handed him the
+contents of the message tube.
+
+Kennon murmured an acknowledgment, took the card and his I.D., and
+entered the grav-shaft. There was the usual moment of heaviness as
+the shaft whisked him upward and deposited him in front of a thickly
+carpeted corridor.
+
+Executive level, Kennon thought as he followed the receptionist’s
+directions. No wonder she had looked respectful. But what was he doing
+here? The employment of a veterinarian wasn’t important enough to demand
+the attention of a senior executive. The personnel section could handle
+the details of his application as well as not. He shrugged. Perhaps
+veterinarians were more important on Kardon. He didn’t know a thing
+about this world’s customs.
+
+He opened the unmarked door at the end of the corridor, entered a small
+reception room, smiled uncertainly at the woman behind the desk, and
+received an answering smile in return.
+
+Come right in, Dr. Kennon. Mr. Alexander is waiting for you.
+
+Alexander! The entrepreneur himself! Why? Numb with surprise Kennon
+watched the woman open the intercom on her desk.
+
+“Sir, Dr. Kennon is here,” she said.
+
+“Bring him in,” a smooth voice replied from the speaker. Alexander X. M.
+Alexander, President of Outworld Enterprises--a lean, dark, wolfish man
+in his early sixties--eyed Kennon with a flat predatory intentness that
+was oddly disquieting. His stare combined the analytical inspection
+of the pathologist, the probing curiosity of the psychiatrist, and the
+weighing appraisal of the butcher. Kennon’s thoughts about Alexander’s
+youth vanished that instant. Those eyes belonged to a leader on the
+battlefield of galactic business.
+
+Kennon felt the conditioned respect for authority surge through him in
+a smothering wave. Grimly he fought it down, knowing it was a sign of
+weakness that would do him no good in the interview which lay ahead.
+
+“So you’re Kennon,” Alexander said. His lingua franca was clean and
+accentless. “I expected someone older.”
+
+“Frankly, sir, so did I,” Kennon replied.
+
+Alexander smiled, an oddly pleasant smile that transformed the hard
+straight lines in his face into friendly curves. “Business, Dr. Kennon,
+is not the sole property of age.”
+
+“Nor is a veterinary degree,” Kennon replied.
+
+“True. But one thinks of a Betan as someone ancient and sedate.”
+
+“Ours is an old planet--but we still have new generations.”
+
+“A fact most of us outsiders find hard to believe,” Alexander said. “I
+picture your world as an ironclad society crystallized by age and custom
+into something rigid and in flexible.”
+
+“You would be wrong to do so,” Kennon said. “Even though we are cultural
+introverts there is plenty of dynamism within our society.”
+
+“How is it that you happen to be out here on the edge of civilization?”
+
+“I never said I was like my society,” Kennon grinned. “Actually I
+suppose I’m one of the proverbial bad apples.”
+
+“There’s more to it than that,” Alexander said. “Your early years
+probably influenced you.”
+
+Kennon looked sharply at the entrepreneur. How much did the man really
+know about him? “I suppose so,” he said indifferently.
+
+Alexander looked pleased. “But even with your childhood experiences
+there must be an atavistic streak in you--a throwback to your
+adventurous Earth forebears who settled your world?”
+
+Kennon shrugged. “Perhaps you’re right. I really don’t know. Actually,
+I’ve never thought about it. It merely seemed to me that an undeveloped
+world offered more opportunity.”
+
+“It does,” Alexander said. “But it also offers more work. If you’re
+figuring that you can get along on the minimum physical effort required
+on the Central Worlds, you have a shock coming.”
+
+“I’m not that innocent,” Kennon said. “But I am not so stupid that I
+can’t apply modifications of Betan techniques to worlds as new as this.”
+
+Alexander chuckled. “I like you,” he said suddenly. “Here read this and
+see if you’d care to work for me.” He picked a contract form from one of
+the piles of paper on his desk and handed it to Kennon. “This is one
+of our standard work contracts. Take it back to your hotel and check it
+over. I’ll expect to see you at this time tomorrow.”
+
+“Why waste time?” Kennon said. “The rapid-reading technique originated
+on Beta. I can tell you in fifteen minutes.”
+
+“Hmm. Certainly. Read it here if you wish. I like to get things
+settled--the sooner the better. Sit down, young man and read. You can
+rouse me when you’re finished.” He turned his attention to the papers on
+his desk and within seconds was completely oblivious of Kennon, his face
+set in the rapt trancelike expression of a trained rapid reader.
+
+Kennon watched for a moment as sheets of paper passed through
+Alexander’s hands to be added to the pile at the opposite end of the
+desk. The man would do better, he thought, if he would have his staff
+transcribe the papers to microfilm that could be read through an
+interval-timed scanner. He might suggest that later. As for now, he
+shrugged and seated himself in the chair beside the desk. The quiet was
+broken only by the rustle of paper as the two rapt-faced men turned page
+after page with mechanical regularity.
+
+Finally Kennon turned the last page, paused, blinked, and performed
+the necessary mental gymnastics to orient his time sense. Alexander, he
+noticed, was still engrossed, sunk in his autohypnotic trance. Kennon
+waited until he had finished the legal folder which he was reading and
+then gently intruded upon Alexander’s concentration.
+
+Alexander looked up blankly and then went through the same mental
+gyrations Kennon had performed a few minutes before. His eyes focused
+and became hard and alert.
+
+“Well?” he asked. “What do you think of it?”
+
+“I think it’s the damnedest, trickiest, most unilateral piece of
+legalistics I’ve ever seen,” Kennon said bluntly. “If that’s the best
+you can offer, I wouldn’t touch the job with a pair of forceps.”
+
+Alexander smiled. “I see you read the fine print,” he said. There was
+quiet amusement in his voice. “So you don’t like the contract?”
+
+“No sensible man would. I’m damned if I’ll sign commitment papers just
+to get a job. No wonder you’re having trouble getting professional help.
+If your contracts are all like that it’s’ a wonder anyone works for
+you.”
+
+“We have no complaints from our employees,” Alexander said stiffly.
+
+“How could you? If they signed that contract you’d have a perfect right
+to muzzle them.”
+
+“There are other applicants for this post,” Alexander said.
+
+“Then get one of them. I wouldn’t be interested.”
+
+“A spaceman’s ticket is a good thing to have,” Alexander said idly.
+“It’s a useful ace in the hole. Besides, you have had three other job
+offers--all of which are good even though they don’t pay fifteen Ems a
+year.”
+
+Kennon did a quick double take. Alexander’s investigative staff was
+better than good. It was uncanny.
+
+“But seriously, Dr. Kennon, I am pleased that you do not like that
+contract. Frankly, I wouldn’t consider employing you if you did.”
+
+“Sir?”
+
+“That contract is a screen. It weeds out the careless, the fools, and
+the unfit in one operation. A man who would sign a thing like that
+has no place in my organization.” Alexander chuckled at Kennon’s blank
+expression. “I see you have had no experience with screening contracts.”
+
+“I haven’t,” Kennon admitted. “On Beta the tests are formal. The
+Medico-Psych Division supervises them.”
+
+“Different worlds, different methods,” Alexander observed. “But they’re
+all directed toward the same goal. Here we aren’t so civilized. We
+depend more on personal judgment.” He took another contract from one of
+the drawers of his desk. “Take a look at this. I think you’ll be more
+satisfied.”
+
+“If you don’t mind, I’ll read it now,” Kennon said.
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+* * *
+
+“It’s fair enough,” Kennon said, “except for Article Twelve.”
+
+“The personal privilege section?
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Well, that’s the contract. You can take it or leave it.”
+
+“I’ll leave it,” Kennon said. “Thank you for your time.” He rose to his
+feet, smiled at Alexander, and turned to the door. “Don’t bother to call
+your receptionist,” he said. “I can find my way out.”
+
+“Just a minute, Doctor,” Alexander said. He was standing behind the
+desk, holding out his hand.
+
+“Another test?” Kennon inquired.
+
+Alexander nodded. “The critical one,” he said. “Do you want the job?”
+
+“Of course.”
+
+“Without knowing more about it?”
+
+“The contract is adequate. It defines my duties.”
+
+“And you think you can handle them?”
+
+“I know I can.”
+
+“I notice,” Alexander observed, “that you didn’t object to other
+provisions.”
+
+“No, sir. They’re pretty rigid, but for the salary you are paying I
+figure you should have some rights. Certainly you have the right to
+protect your interests. But that Article Twelve is a direct violation of
+everything a human being should hold sacred besides being a violation
+of the Peeper Laws. I’d never sign a contract that didn’t carry a full
+Peeper rider.”
+
+“That’s quite a bit.”
+
+“That’s the minimum,” Kennon corrected. “Naturally, I won’t object
+to mnemonic erasure of matters pertaining to your business once my
+contract’s completed and I leave your employment. But until then there
+will be no conditioning, no erasures, no taps, no snoopers, and no
+checkups other than the regular periodic psychans. I’ll consult with you
+on vacation time and will arrange it to suit your convenience. I’ll even
+agree to emergency recall, but that’s the limit.” Kennon’s voice was
+flat.
+
+“You realize I’m agreeing to give you a great deal of personal liberty,”
+ Alexander said. “How can I protect myself?”
+
+“I’ll sign a contingency rider,” Kennon said, “if you will specify
+precisely what security matters I am not to reveal.”
+
+“I accept,” Alexander said. “Consider yourself hired.” He touched
+a button on his desk. “Prepare a standard 2-A contract for Dr.
+Jac Kennon’s signature. And attach two riders, a full P-P-yes, no
+exceptions--and a security-leak contingency, Form 287-C. Yes--that’s
+right--that one. And strike out all provisions of Article Twelve which
+conflict with the Peeper Laws. Yes. Now--and finish it as soon as you
+can.” He touched another button. “Well, that’s that,” he said. “I hope
+you’ll enjoy being a member of our group.”
+
+“I think I shall,” Kennon said. “You know, sir, I would have waived part
+of that last demand if you had cared to argue.”
+
+“I know it,” Alexander said. “But what concessions I could have wrung
+from you would be relatively unimportant beside the fact that you would
+be unhappy about them later. What little I could have won here, I’d lose
+elsewhere. And since I want you, I’d prefer to have you satisfied.”
+
+“I see,” Kennon said. Actually he didn’t see at all. He looked curiously
+at the entrepreneur. Alexander couldn’t be as easy as he seemed.
+Objectivity and dispassionate weighing and balancing were nice traits
+and very helpful ones, but in the bear pit of galactic business they
+wouldn’t keep their owner alive for five minutes. The interworld trade
+sharks would have skinned him long ago and divided the stripped carcass
+of his company between them.
+
+But Outworld was a “respected” company. The exchange reports said
+so--which made Alexander a different breed of cat entirely. Still, his
+surface was perfect--polished and impenetrable as a duralloy turret on
+one of the latest Brotherhood battleships. Kennon regretted he wasn’t a
+sensitive. It would be nice to know what Alexander really was.
+
+“Tell me, sir,” Kennon asked. “What are the real reasons that make you
+think I’m the man you want?”
+
+“And you’re the young man who’s so insistent on a personal privacy
+rider,” Alexander chuckled. “However, there’s no harm telling you. There
+are several reasons.
+
+“You’re from a culture whose name is a byword for moral integrity. That
+makes you a good risk so far as your ethics are concerned. In addition
+you’re the product of one of the finest educational systems in the
+galaxy-and you have proven your intelligence to my satisfaction. You
+also showed me that you weren’t a spineless ‘yes man.’ And finally, you
+have a spirit of adventure. Not one in a million of your people would do
+what you have done. What more could an entrepreneur ask of a prospective
+employee?”
+
+Kennon sighed and gave up. Alexander wasn’t going to reveal a thing.
+
+“All I hope,” Alexander continued affably, “is that you’ll find Outworld
+Enterprises as attractive as did your predecessor Dr. Williamson. He was
+with us until he died last month--better than a hundred years.”
+
+“Died rather young, didn’t he?”
+
+“Not exactly, he was nearly four hundred when he joined us. My
+grandfather was essentially conservative. He liked older men, and Old
+Doc was one of his choices--a good one, too. He was worth every credit
+we paid him.”
+
+“I’ll try to do as well,” Kennon said, “but I’d like to warn you that I
+have no intention of staying as long as he did. I want to build a clinic
+and I figure sixty thousand is about enough to get started.”
+
+“When will you veterinarians ever learn to be organization men?”
+ Alexander asked. “You’re as independent as tomcats.”
+
+Kennon grinned. “It’s a breed characteristic, I guess.”
+
+Alexander shrugged. “Perhaps you’ll change your mind after you’ve worked
+for us.”
+
+“Possibly, but I doubt it.”
+
+“Tell me that five years from now,” Alexander said--“Ah--here are
+the contracts.” He smiled at the trim secretary who entered the room
+carrying a stack of papers.
+
+“The riders are as you asked, sir,” the girl said.
+
+“Good. Now, Doctor, if you please.”
+
+“You don’t mind if I check them?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Not at all. And when you’re through, just leave them on the
+desk--except for your copy, of course.” Alexander scrawled his signature
+on the bottom of each contract. “Don’t disturb me. I’ll be in contact
+with you. Leave your whereabouts with your hotel.” He turned to the
+papers in front of him, and then looked up for the last time. “Just one
+more thing,” he said. “You impress me as a cautious man. It would be
+just as well if you carried your caution with you when you leave this
+room.”
+
+Kennon nodded, and Alexander turned back to his work.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+“I’d never have guessed yesterday that I’d be here today,” Kennon said
+as he looked down at the yellow waters of the Xantline Sea flashing to
+the rear of the airboat at a steady thousand kilometers per hour as they
+sped westward in the middle traffic level. The water, some ten thousand
+meters below, had been completely empty for hours as the craft hurtled
+through the equatorial air.
+
+“We have to move fast to stay ahead of our ulcers,” Alexander said
+with a wry smile. “Besides, I wanted to get away from the Albertsville
+offices for awhile.”
+
+“Three hours’ notice,” Kennon said. “That’s almost too fast.”
+
+“You had nothing to keep you in the city, and neither did I--at least
+nothing important. There are plenty of females where we are going and
+I need you on Flora--not in Albertsville. Besides I can get you there
+faster than if you waited for a company transport.”
+
+“Judging from those empty sea lanes below, Flora must be an
+out-of-the-way place,” Kennon said.
+
+“It is. It’s out of the trade lanes. Most of the commercial traffic is
+in the southern hemisphere. The northern hemisphere is practically
+all water. Except for Flora and the Otpens there isn’t a land area for
+nearly three thousand kilometers in any direction, and since the company
+owns Flora and the surrounding island groups there’s no reason for
+shipping to come there. We have our own supply vessels, a Discovery
+Charter, and a desire for privacy.--Ah! It won’t be long now. There’s
+the Otpens!” Alexander pointed at a smudge on the horizon that quickly
+resolved into an irregular chain of tiny islets that slipped below them.
+Kennon got a glimpse of gray concrete on one of the larger islands, a
+smudge of green trees, and white beaches against which the yellow waters
+dashed in smothers of foam.
+
+“Rugged-looking place,” he murmured.
+
+“Most of them are deserted. Two support search and warning stations and
+automatic interceptors to protect our property. Look!--there’s Flora.”
+ Alexander gestured at the land mass that appeared below.
+
+Flora was a great green oval two hundred kilometers long and about a
+hundred wide.
+
+“Pretty, isn’t it?” Alexander said as they sped over the low range
+of hills and the single gaunt volcano filling the eastward end of
+the island and swept over a broad green valley dotted with fields
+and orchards interspersed at intervals by red-roofed structures whose
+purpose was obvious.
+
+“Our farms,” Alexander said redundantly. The airboat crossed a
+fair-sized river. “That’s the Styx,” Alexander said. “Grandfather named
+it. He was a classicist in his way--spent a lot of his time reading
+books most people never heard of. Things like the Iliad and Gone with
+the Wind. The mountains he called the Apennines, and that volcano’s
+Mount Olympus. The marshland to the north is called the Pontine
+Marshes--our main road is the Camino Real.” Alexander grinned. “There’s
+a lot of Earth on Flora. You’ll find it in every name. Grandfather
+was an Earthman and he used to get nostalgic for the homeworld.
+Well--there’s Alexandria coming up. We’ve just about reached the end of
+the line.”
+
+Kennon stared down at the huge gray-green citadel resting on a small
+hill in the center of an open plain. It was a Class II Fortalice built
+on the efficient star-shaped plan of half a millennium ago--an ugly
+spiky pile of durilium, squat and massive with defensive shields and
+weapons which could still withstand hours of assault by the most modern
+forces.
+
+“Why did he build a thing like that?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Alexandria?--well, we had trouble with the natives when we first came,
+and Grandfather had a synthesizer and tapes for a Fortalice in his
+ship. So he built it. It serves the dual purpose of base and house. It’s
+mostly house now, but it’s still capable of being defended.”
+
+“And those outbuildings?”
+
+“They’re part of your job.”
+
+The airboat braked sharply and settled with a smooth, sickeningly
+swift rush that left Kennon gasping--feeling that his stomach was still
+floating above him in the middle level. He never had become accustomed
+to an arbutus landing characteristics. Spacers were slower and steadier.
+The ship landed gently on a pitted concrete slab near the massive
+radiation shields of the barricaded entranceway to the fortress.
+Projectors in polished dually turrets swivelled to point their ugly
+noses at them. It gave Kennon a queasy feeling. He never liked to trust
+his future to automatic machinery. If the analyzers failed to decode the
+ship’s I.D. properly, Kennon, Alexander, the ship, and a fair slice of
+surrounding territory would become an incandescent mass of dissociated
+atoms.
+
+“Grandfather was a good builder,” Alexander, said proudly. “Those
+projectors have been mounted nearly four hundred years and they’re still
+as good as the day they were installed.”
+
+“I can see that,” Kennon said uncomfortably. “You ought to dismantle
+them. They’re enough to give a man the weebies.”
+
+Alexander chuckled. “Oh--they’re safe. The firing mechanism’s safetied.
+But we keep them in operating condition. You never can tell when they’ll
+come in handy.”
+
+“I knew Kardon was primitive, but I didn’t think it was that bad. What’s
+the trouble?”
+
+“None--right now,” Alexander said obliquely, “and since we’ve shown we
+can handle ourselves there probably won’t be any more.”
+
+“You must raise some pretty valuable stock if the competition tried to
+rustle them in the face of that armament.”
+
+“We do.” Alexander said. “Now if you’ll follow me”--the entrepreneur
+opened the cabin door letting in a blast of heat and a flood of yellow
+sunlight.
+
+“Great Arthur Fleming!” Kennon exploded. “This place is a furnace!”
+
+“It’s hot out here on the strip,” Alexander admitted, “but its cool
+enough inside. Besides, you’ll get used to this quickly enough--and
+the nights are wonderful. The evening rains cool things off. Well--come
+along.” He began walking toward the arched entrance to the great
+building some hundred meters away. Kennon followed looking around
+curiously. So this was to be his home for the next five years? It didn’t
+look particularly inviting. There was a forbidding air about the place
+that was in stark contrast to its pleasant surroundings.
+
+They were only a few meters from the archway when a stir of movement
+came from its shadow--the first life Kennon had seen since they
+descended from the ship. In this furnace heat even the air was quiet.
+Two women came out of the darkness, moving with quiet graceful steps
+across the blistering hot concrete. They were naked except for a
+loincloth, halter, and sandals and so nearly identical in form and
+feature that Kennon took them to be twins. Their skins were burned a
+deep brown that glistened in the yellow sun light.
+
+Kennon shrugged. It was none of his business how his employer ran his
+household or what his servants wore or didn’t wear. Santos was a planet
+of nudists, and certainly this hot sun was fully as brilliant as the one
+which warmed that tropical planet In fact, he could see some virtue in
+wearing as little as possible. Already he was perspiring.
+
+The two women walked past them toward the airboat. Kennon turned to
+look at them and noticed with surprise that they weren’t human. The long
+tails curled below their spinal bases were adequate denials of human
+ancestry.
+
+“Humanoids!” he gasped. “For a moment I thought-”
+
+“Gave you a start-eh?” Alexander chuckled. “It always does when a
+stranger sees a Lani for the first time. Well--now you’ve seen some of
+the livestock what do you think of them?”
+
+“I think you should have hired a medic.”
+
+Alexander shook his head. “No--it wouldn’t be reason able or legal.
+You’re the man for the job.”
+
+“But I’ve no experience with humanoid types. We didn’t cover that phase
+in our studies--and from their appearance they’d qualify as humans
+anywhere if it weren’t for those tails!”
+
+“They’re far more similar than you think,” Alexander said. “It just goes
+to show what parallel evolution can do. But there are differences.”
+
+“I never knew that there was indigenous humanoid life on Kardon,” Kennon
+continued. “The manual says nothing about it.”
+
+“Naturally. They’re indigenous only to this area.”
+
+
+
+
+“That’s impossible. Species as highly organized as that simply don’t
+originate on isolated islands.”
+
+“This was a subcontinent once,” Alexander said. “Most of it has been
+inundated. Less than a quarter of a million years ago there was over a
+hundred times the land area in this region than exists today. Then the
+ocean rose. Now all that’s left is the mid continent plateau and a few
+mountain tops. You noted, I suppose, that this is mature topography
+except for that range of hills to the east. The whole land area at the
+time of flooding was virtually a peneplain. A rise of a few hundred feet
+in the ocean level was all that was needed to drown most of the land.”
+
+“I see. Yes, it’s possible that life could have developed here under
+those conditions. A peneplain topography argues permanence for hundreds
+of millions of years.”
+
+“You have studied geology?” Alexander asked curiously. “Only as part of
+my cultural base,” Kennon said. “Merely a casual acquaintance.”
+
+“We think the Lani were survivors of that catastrophe--and with their
+primitive culture they were unable to reach the other land masses,”
+ Alexander shrugged. “At any rate they never established themselves
+anywhere else.”
+
+“How did you happen to come here?”
+
+“I was born here,” Alexander said. “My grandfather discovered this world
+better than four hundred years ago. He picked this area because it all
+could be comfortably included in Discovery Rights. It wasn’t until years
+afterward that he realized the ecological peculiarities of this region.”
+
+“He certainly capitalized on them.”
+
+“There was plenty of opportunity. The plants and animals here are
+different from others in this world. Like Australia in reverse.”
+
+Kennon looked blank, and Alexander chuckled. “Australia was a
+subcontinent on Earth,” he explained. “Its ecology, however, was
+exceedingly primitive when compared with the rest of the planet. Flora’s
+on the contrary, was--and is--exceedingly advanced when compared with
+other native life forms on Kardon.”
+
+“Your grandfather stumbled on a real bonanza,” Kennon said.
+
+“For which I’m grateful,” Alexander grinned. “It’s made me the biggest
+operator in this sector of the galaxy. For practical purposes I own an
+independent nation. There’s about a thousand humans here, and nearly six
+thousand Lani. We’re increasing the Lani now, since we found they have
+commercial possibilities. Up to thirty years ago we merely used them for
+labor.”
+
+Kennon didn’t speculate on what Alexander meant. He knew. For practical
+purposes, his employer was a slave trader--or would have been if the
+natives were human. As it was, the analogy was so close that it wasn’t
+funny.
+
+They entered the fortress, passed through a decontamination chamber that
+would have done credit to an exploration ship, and emerged dressed in
+tunics and sandals that were far more appropriate and comfortable in
+this tropical climate.
+
+“That’s one of Old Doc’s ideas,” Alexander said, gesturing at the door
+from which they had emerged. “He was a hound for sanitation and he
+infected us with the habit.” He turned and led the way down an arched
+corridor that opened into a huge circular room studded with iris doors.
+
+Kennon sucked his breath in with a low gasp of amazement. The room was
+a gem of exquisite beauty. The parquet floor was inlaid with rare
+hardwoods from a hundred different worlds. Parthian marble veneer
+covered with lacy Van tapestries from Santos formed the walls. Delicate
+ceramics, sculpture, and bronzes reflected the art of a score of
+different civilizations. A circular pool, festooned with lacelike
+Halsite ferns, stood in the center of the room, surrounding a polished
+black granite pedestal on which stood an exquisite bronze of four Lani
+females industriously and eternally pouring golden water from vases held
+in their shapely hands. “Beautiful,” Kennon said softly.
+
+“We like it,” Alexander said.
+
+“We?”
+
+“Oh yes--I forgot to tell you about the Family,” Alexander said grimly.
+“I run Outworld, and own fifty per cent of it. The Family owns the other
+fifty. There are eight of them--the finest collection of parasites
+in the entire galaxy. At the moment they can’t block me since I also
+control my cousin Douglas’s shares. But when Douglas comes of age they
+will be troublesome. Therefore I defer to them. I don’t want to build a
+united opposition. Usually I can get one or more of them to vote with
+me on critical deals, but I always have to pay for their support.”
+ Alexander’s voice was bitter as he touched the dilate button on the iris
+door beside him. “You’ll have to meet them tonight. There’s five of them
+here now.”
+
+“That isn’t in the contract,” Kennon said. He was appalled at Alexander.
+Civilized people didn’t speak of others that way, even to intimates.
+
+“It can’t be helped. You must meet them. It’s part of the job.”
+ Alexander’s voice was grim. “Mother, Cousin Anne, Douglas, and Eloise
+like to play lord of the manor. Cousin Harold doesn’t care--for which
+you should be grateful.”
+
+The door dilated, and Alexander ushered Kennon into the room. The Lani
+sitting on the couch opposite the door leaped to her feet, her mouth
+opening in an O of surprise. Her soft snow-white hair, creamy skin, and
+bright china blue eyes were a startling contrast to her black loincloth
+and halter. Kennon stared appreciatively.
+
+Her effect on Alexander, however, was entirely different. His face
+darkened. “You!” he snapped. “What are you doing here?”
+
+“Serving, sir,” the Lani said.
+
+“On whose authority?”
+
+“Man Douglas, sir.”
+
+Alexander groaned. “You see,” he said, turning to Kennon. “We
+need someone here with a little sense. Like I was telling you, the
+Family’d”--he stopped abruptly and turned back to the Lani. “Your name
+and pedigree,” he demanded.
+
+“Silver Dawn, sir--out of White Magic--platinum experimental
+type--strain four.”
+
+“I thought so. How long have you been inhouse?”
+
+“Almost a month, sir.”
+
+“You’re terminated. Report to Goldie and tell her that Man Alexander
+wants you sent back to your group.”
+
+The Lani’s eyes widened. “Man Alexander!--You?”
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+“Gosh!” she breathed. “The big boss!”
+
+“Get moving,” Alexander snapped, “and tell Goldie to report to me in my
+quarters.”
+
+“Yes, sir, right away, sir!” The Lath ran, disappearing through the door
+they had entered with a flash of shapely white limbs.
+
+“That Douglas!” Alexander growled. “Leave that young fool alone here
+for six months and he’d disrupt the entire operation. The nerve of that
+young pup--requisitioning an experimental type for household labor. Just
+what does he think he’s doing?”
+
+The question obviously didn’t demand a reply, so Kennon kept discreetly
+silent as Alexander crossed the room to the two doors flanking the
+couch on which the Lani had sat. He opened the left-hand one revealing a
+modern grav-shaft that carried them swiftly to the uppermost level. They
+walked down a short corridor and stopped before another door. It opened
+into a suite furnished with stark functional simplicity. It fitted the
+entrepreneur’s outward personality so exactly that Kennon had no doubt
+that this was Alexander’s quarters.
+
+“Sit down, Kennon. Relax while you can,” Alexander said as he dropped
+into a chair and crossed his sandaled feet.
+
+“I’m sure you have many questions, but they can wait.”
+
+“You might as well get some rest. You’ll have little enough later. The
+Family will probably put you through the meat grinder, but remember that
+they don’t control this business. You’re my man.”
+
+Kennon had hardly seated himself in another chair when the door opened
+and a plump pink-skinned Lani entered. She was considerably older
+than the silver-haired one he had seen earlier, and her round face was
+smiling.
+
+“Ah, Goldie,” Alexander said. “I understand Man Douglas has been giving
+you quite a time.”
+
+“It’s high time you came back, sir,” she said. “Since Old Doc died, Man
+Douglas has been impossible. He’s been culling the staff and replacing
+them with empty-headed fillies whose only claim to usefulness is that
+they can fill out a halter. Pretty soon this place will be a pigsty.”
+
+“I’ll take care of that,” Alexander promised. “Now I’d like you to meet
+Old Doc’s replacement. This is Dr. Kennon, our new veterinarian.”
+
+“Pleased, I’m sure,” Goldie said. “You look like a nice man.”
+
+“He is,” Alexander said, “but he’s just as hard as Old Doc--and he’ll
+have the same powers. Goldie’s the head housekeeper,” Alexander added.
+“She’s an expert, and you’d do well to take her advice on assignments.”
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+“Have a maid bring us a light meal and something to drink,” Alexander
+said. “Have a couple of porters take Dr. Kennon’s things to Old Doc’s
+house. Find Man Douglas and tell him I want to see him at once. Tell the
+Family that I’ve arrived and will see them in the Main Lounge at eight
+tonight. Tell Blalok I’ll be seeing him at nine. That’s all.”
+
+“Yes, sir,” Goldie said and left the room, her tail curling buoyantly.
+
+“A good Lani,” Alexander commented. “One of the best. Loyal,
+trustworthy, intelligent. She’s been running Alexandria for the past ten
+years, and should be good for at least ten more.”
+
+“Ten?--how old is she?”
+
+“Thirty.”
+
+“Thirty--years?”
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+“Good Lord Lister! I’d have guessed her at least three hundred!”
+
+“Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long as we do.
+They’re mature at twelve and dead at fifty.”
+
+Alexander sighed. “That’s another difference. Even without agerone we’d
+live to be a hundred.”
+
+“Have you tried gerontological injections?”
+
+“Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five Lani with
+them.” Alexander’s face darkened at an unpleasant memory. “So we don’t
+try any more,” he said. “There are too many differences.” He stretched.
+“I’d tell you more about them but it’ll be better to hear it from Evald
+Blalok. He’s our superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell you a lot, too.
+He runs the Lani Division. But right now let’s wait for Cousin Douglas.
+The pup will take his time about coming--but he’ll do it in the end.
+He’s afraid not to.”
+
+“I’d rather not,” Kennon said. “It’s poor manners to be injected into a
+family affair--especially when I’m just one of the employees.”
+
+“You’re not just one of the employees. You are the Station Veterinarian,
+and as such you hold an authority second only to Blalok and myself. You
+and Blalok are my hands, ears, and eyes on Flora. You are responsible
+to me--and to me alone. While I defer at times to the desires of
+the Family, I do not have to. I run Outworld Enterprises and all the
+extensions of that organization. I possess control--and the Family knows
+it. My men are respected and furthermore they know everything that goes
+on.” He smiled icily. “In a way it’s quite a healthy situation. It
+keeps my relatives under control. Somehow they dislike being disciplined
+before outsiders. Now think no more about it.” Alexander stood up and
+walked over to one of the windows opening onto the broad roof gardens,
+and stood looking at the sun-drenched greenery.
+
+“Odd, isn’t it,” Alexander said, “how beautiful nature is and how simple
+things are in a state of nature. It’s only when man interjects himself
+onto a scene that things get complicated. Take Flora for instance.
+Before Grandfather came here, it must have been a pleasant place with
+the simple natives happy in their paradise. But that’s all changed
+now. We have taken over--and they, like other lesser creatures on other
+worlds, have been bent to our will and uses. I could pity them, but
+being human I cannot afford that luxury.”
+
+Kennon understood. He, too, had felt that sensation, that odd tightening
+of the throat when he first saw a Varl on Santos. The Varl had been the
+dominant life form there until men had come. Now they were just another
+animal added to humanity’s growing list of pets and livestock. The
+little Varl with their soft-furred bodies and clever six-fingered hands
+made excellent pets and precision workmen. The products of those clever
+hands, the tiny instruments, the delicate microminiaturized control
+circuits, the incredibly fine lacework and tapestries, formed the bulk
+of Santos’ interstellar trade.
+
+He had owned a Varl once and had delighted in its almost human
+intelligence. But the Varl weren’t human and there lay their tragedy.
+Two thousand years of human domination had left them completely
+dependent on their conquerors. They were merely intelligent animals--and
+that was all they would ever be until the human race changed its
+cultural pattern or was overthrown. The one alternative was as unlikely
+as the other. Humanity had met some fierce competitors, but none with
+its explosive acquisitive nature, and none with its drive to conquer,
+colonize, and rule. And probably it never would.
+
+The little Varl were one race among hundreds that had fallen before the
+fierceness and the greed of men. But unlike most others, the Varl were
+not combative. Therefore they had survived.
+
+Yet had it been necessary to reduce them to slavery? They would never
+be a threat. Not only were they essentially gentle and noncombative, but
+their delicate bodies could not stand the strains of spaceflight.
+They were trapped on their world. Why should they be forced into so
+subordinate a role?--Why was humanity so jealous of its dominance
+that no other species could exist except by sufferance? Why after five
+thousand years of exploration, invasion, and colonization did the human
+race still consider the galaxy as its oyster, and themselves uniquely
+qualified to hold the knife? He hadn’t thought this way since he had
+given the Varl to his girl friend of the moment, and had blasted off for
+Beta. Now the questions returned to haunt him. As a Betan, the haunting
+was even more acute, since Beta had a related problem that was already
+troublesome and would become more acute as the years passed.
+
+He shrugged and laid the thought aside as a slim, dark-haired Lani
+entered pushing a service cart ahead of her. The two men ate silently,
+each busy with his own thoughts. And behind the view wall of Alexander’s
+apartment Kardon’s brilliant yellow sun sank slowly toward the horizon,
+filling the sky with flaming colors of red and gold, rimmed by the blues
+and purples of approaching night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant,
+Kennon thought with mild distaste, unlike the restful day-end displays
+of his homeworld.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+Douglas Alexander was a puffy-faced youngster with small intolerant
+eyes set in folds of fat above a button nose and a loose-lipped sensual
+mouth. There was an odd expression of defiance overlaid with fear on his
+pudgy features. Looking at him, Kennon was reminded of a frightened dog,
+ready either to bite or cower.
+
+But it wasn’t Douglas who held his eye. It was the two Lani who followed
+him into the room. Every line of their bodies was perfection that spoke
+volumes about generations of breeding for physical elegance. They moved
+with a co-ordinated grace that made Douglas look even more clumsy by
+contrast. And they were identical, twin cream-and-gold works of art.
+They were completely nude--and Kennon for the first time in his life
+fully appreciated the beauty of an unclad female. To cover them would
+be sacrilege, and ornaments would only detract from their exquisite
+perfection.
+
+Kennon knew that he was staring like an idiot. Alexander’s amused smile
+told him that much. With an effort he composed his startled features.
+
+The pair looked at him with soft violet eyes--and it was as though some
+psychic bathhouse attendant had poured ice water down his spine. For he
+had seen that look before, that liquid introspective look in the velvet
+eyes of cattle. He shivered. For a moment he had been thinking of them
+as human. And somehow the lack of that indefinable some thing called
+humanity robbed them of much of their glamour. They were still
+beautiful, but their beauty had become impersonal.
+
+
+“Don’t take these as representative of the Lani,” Alexander said
+suddenly. “They’re a special case, a very special case.” He glared at
+his cousin. “Damn your impudence,” he said without beat. “I sent for
+you--not your toys. Send them away.”
+
+Douglas sulkily thrust out his lower lip. “You can’t talk to me like
+that, Cousin Alex,” he began. “I’m just a--”
+
+“You heard me, Douglas. Out!” Alexander’s voice didn’t rise but it cut
+like a whip.
+
+“Oh, very well,” Douglas said. “I can’t fight you--yet.” He turned to
+the humanoids. “You heard the Boss-man. Go home.”
+
+The two nodded in unison and departed quickly. Somehow Kennon got the
+impression that they were happy to leave.
+
+“Just wait,” Douglas said. “You can’t boss me forever. Just wait. I’ll
+reach my majority in five years. I can vote my shares then--and then
+I’ll fix you. You won’t be so high and mighty then, Mr. Big. I’ll throw
+in with the rest of the Family. They don’t like you too much.”
+
+“Don’t hold your breath waiting for the Family to help you,” Alexander
+said. “They wouldn’t have anyone else but me handle the finances. They
+love money too much. And until you get your inheritance remember one
+thing--I’m master here.”
+
+“I know it,” Douglas said, and then curiously--“Who’s the oddball?” He
+gestured at Kennon with a pudgy thumb.
+
+“Our new veterinarian, Dr. Kennon.”
+
+“Oh--great! Now you tell me!”
+
+“There’s nothing like making a good first impression,” Alexander said
+with ironic emphasis. “I hope he cuts you off from the Lani. He’ll have
+the authority to do it, since he’s taking Old Doc’s place.”
+
+“He can’t. I’m an owner. I own-”
+
+“You own nothing. You’re a minor. And under the terms of Grandfather’s
+will, you’ll own nothing except an allowance until you reach legal age.
+And that brings me to the reason I brought you here. Just when did you
+gain the right to reorganize the household staff? Just when did you get
+the power to interfere with the experimental program?”
+
+Douglas flushed dull red and bit his lip. “Do we have to go into this in
+front of strangers?”
+
+“Kennon’s my agent,” Alexander said coldly, “and he might as well learn
+about you and the others from the start.”
+
+“Well--what do you want him to do--watch me crawl?” Douglas asked
+bitterly. “You’ll make me do it. You always do. Do you want me to beg,
+to say I was wrong, to promise I won’t do it again?”
+
+“You’ve done that already,” Alexander said. “Several times. You need a
+lesson. I won’t have you meddling with valuable animals.”
+
+“And what are you going to do about it?”
+
+“Put you where you can do no more damage. As of tomorrow you’ll go to
+Otpen One.”
+
+Douglas paled. His lips quivered, and his eyes flicked uneasily as
+he watched Alexander’s granite face. “You don’t mean that,” he said
+finally. “You’re joking.”
+
+“I never joke about business.”
+
+“But you can’t do that! I’ll tell the Family. They won’t let you.”
+
+“I already have their consent,” Alexander said. “I obtained it after
+your last escapade. You’ll be happy out there. You can play tin god all
+you like. Master of life and death on a two-acre island. No one will
+mind. You can also go to work. No one will mind that, either. And
+Mullins won’t mind as long as you leave the troops alone. Now get out of
+here and get packed. You’re leaving tomorrow morning.”
+
+“But cousin Alex--”
+
+“Move! I’m tired of the sight of you!” Alexander said.
+
+Douglas turned and shambled out of the room. His ego was thoroughly
+deflated and he seemed more frightened than before. Obviously the Otpens
+weren’t the pleasantest place in this world.
+
+“They’re a military post,” Alexander said. “And Commander Mullins
+doesn’t like Douglas. Can’t say that I blame him. Douglas is a
+thoroughly unpleasant specimen, and incidentally quite typical of the
+rest of the Family.” Alexander sighed and spread his hands in a gesture
+that combined disgust and resignation. “Sometimes I wonder why I have
+been cursed with my relatives.”
+
+Kennon nodded. The implications behind the empty eyes of Douglas’s Lani
+sickened him. There were several ways to produce that expression, all of
+them unpleasant. Hypnoconditioning, the Quiet Treatment, brainburning,
+transorbital leukotomy, lobectomy--all of the products of that diseased
+period of humanity’s thinking when men tampered with the brains of other
+men in an effort to cure psychic states. Psychiatry had passed that
+period, at least on the civilized worlds, where even animal experiments
+were frowned upon as unnecessary cruelty.
+
+“You saw those two Lani,” Alexander said. “Grandfather had them made
+that way as a birthday present for Douglas. He was getting senile. He
+died a year later. You’d think a man would be ashamed to keep things
+like that around--but not Douglas. He likes them.” Alexander’s voice was
+tinged with contempt. “He knows they disgust me--so he parades them in.
+I could strangle that pup sometimes!”
+
+“I wondered about it. I wouldn’t like to work for a man who permitted
+such things.”
+
+“That was done before I took over. For the past three years there have
+been no dockings, no mutilations. I can’t see treating a helpless animal
+like that.”
+
+“I feel better about it,” Kennon said. “I didn’t think you were that
+sort.”
+
+“Understand me,” Alexander said. “I’m always opposed to senseless
+cruelty and waste--particularly when it’s dangerous. Docked Lani are the
+height of stupidity. Just because someone wants a pet that is an exact
+duplicate of a human being is no reason to risk a court action. Those
+Lani, and a few others whose tails have been docked, could be a legal
+bombshell if they ever left Flora.”
+
+Kennon was jolted. He had been thinking of mental mutilation and
+Alexander had been talking physical. Naturally they would be dangerous
+property. Anyone attempting to sell a docked Lani would probably be
+thrown in Detention and charged with slave trading.
+
+“Did you ever figure the cost of taking a legal action through our court
+system?” Alexander asked. “Even the small ones set you back four or five
+thousand, and a first-class action like a Humanity Trial could cost
+over a million. Grandfather found that out. Sure, there are differences
+between Lani and humans, but a smart lawyer can make them seem trivial
+until the final test and that would drag on for nearly two years until
+all the requirements were satisfied--and by that time the unfavorable
+publicity would drop sales to zero. The Family would be on my neck for
+lost dividends, and I’d lose much of the control I hold over them.
+
+“Sure, it’s possible that prehensile tails could be produced by
+mutation, but so far as we know it hasn’t happened in human history. As
+a result, the tail serves as a trade-mark--something that can be easily
+recognized by anyone. So we sell them intact.” Alexander crossed his
+legs and settled back in his chair. “Shocks you, doesn’t it?”
+
+Kennon nodded. “Yes,” he admitted. “It does.”
+
+“I know. You can’t help it. Most of our new employees think the Lani are
+human--at first. They learn better, but adjustment is always a strain.
+They keep confusing external appearances with the true article. But
+remember this--Lani are not human. They’re animals. And on this island
+they’re treated as what they are--no more, no less. They are a part
+of our economics and are bred, fed, and managed according to sound
+livestock principles. Despite some of the things you may see here in
+Alexandria, don’t forget that. You are a veterinarian. Your job is to
+handle disease problems in animals. Lani are animals. Therefore you will
+be doing your job. I was disappointed in your reaction when you first
+saw them, but I suppose it was natural. At any rate this should clear
+the air.”
+
+“It does--intellectually,” Kennon admitted. “But the physical
+resemblance is so close that it is difficult to accept.”
+
+Alexander smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll accept it in time. Now I think
+it’s time that you met the Family.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+The main salon was crowded. The huge room, glittering with mirrors and
+crystal, floored with thick carpets, and hung with rich drapes, had
+something of the appearance of a Sarkian harem. Although there were only
+five of the Alexander family present, there were at least twenty
+Lani whose costumes ranged from the black G string and halter of the
+household staff to the utter nudity of Douglas’s playthings. They were
+all female, and Kennon wondered for a moment what a male was like.
+
+Besides Alexander, there were two men and three women: Douglas, still
+with his sulky expression, an older man in his late nineties who looked
+like Douglas’s elder brother, two mature women who could be any age from
+fifty to three hundred, and a girl. She might have been thirty--perhaps
+younger, perhaps older, a lean feminine edition of Alexander, with the
+same intriguing face and veiled predatory look. There was a hardness
+about her that was absent in the others. Kennon had the feeling that
+whatever this girl did, she didn’t do it half way.
+
+“My sister Eloise,” Alexander said in a low voice. “Watch out for her.
+She’s as deadly as a puff adder and she collects men. The other man is
+Douglas’s father, Henry. The plump redhead beside him is his wife, Anne.
+The other woman is my mother, Clara, even though Eloise and I don’t look
+like her. We take after Father.”
+
+“Where’s he?” Kennon whispered.
+
+“Dead,” Alexander replied. “He was killed twenty years ago.”
+
+“I’d like to present Dr. Jac Kennon, our new veterinarian,” Alexander
+said into the hush that followed their entrance. The introductions that
+followed were in proper form, and Kennon was beginning to feel more at
+ease until Eloise sent one of her Lani with a summons. He looked around
+for Alexander, but the entrepreneur was the center of a three-cornered
+argument, hemmed in by Douglas, Henry, and Anne. Henry’s voice was
+raised in bitter protest that Alexander was exceeding his authority. He
+shrugged. There was no help there.
+
+“All right,” he said, “tell your mistress I’ll be along in a moment.”
+
+“Yes, Doctor,” the Lani said, “but the Woman Eloise says for you to
+come, and she is not accustomed to being disobeyed.”
+
+“Tell her what I said,” Kennon replied. “I shall be there directly.” He
+crossed to the table and examined it, selecting a cluster of odd purple
+fruit which looked more interesting than it tasted. When he had finished
+he walked leisurely over to where Eloise sat.
+
+She looked at him angrily. “I am accustomed to being obeyed by my
+employees,” she said coldly. Her dark eyes, oddly like her brother’s,
+traversed his hard body like twin scanners.
+
+He returned her appraising stare with one of his own. “I’m not your
+employee,” he said bluntly. “I was hired by your brother, and there’s
+a full peeper rider on my contract.” His eyes traveled slowly over her
+carefully arranged hair, her make-up, her jewelry at throat and
+arms, her painted finger- and toenails, and then across the slim
+small-breasted lines of her body half revealed under her thin
+ankle-length tunic of Lyranian silk.
+
+“Satisfied?” she asked.
+
+“On Beta,” he said bluntly, “your appearance would qualify you for a
+parasite camp. Six months of hard labor would do you no end of good.
+You’re soft, lazy, and undisciplined.”
+
+Eloise gasped. “Why, you--” she sputtered.
+
+“And perhaps next time you’ll learn to be polite,” Kennon continued
+imperturbably. “After all, the superficial attributes of good breeding
+are not too hard to counterfeit.”
+
+To his surprise, Eloise giggled. “You bite, don’t you?” she asked.
+“Remind me to remember that.”
+
+“I shall.”
+
+“Of course, your actions weren’t good breeding either.”
+
+“Admitted--but I’ve never pretended to be what I’m not. I’m the son of a
+spaceship skipper, and I’m a veterinarian. That’s all.”
+
+“That’s not all. You are also a man.” Her face was sober, “It’s been
+some time since I’ve met one. I’d almost forgotten they existed.”
+
+“There’s your brother.”
+
+“Alex?--he’s a money making machine. Come--sit beside me and let’s
+talk.”
+
+“About what?”
+
+“You--me--your job, your life--anything you wish?”
+
+“That line isn’t exactly new,” Kennon grinned.
+
+“I know,” she admitted, “but it usually works.”
+
+“I’m immune.”
+
+“That’s what you think.” Eloise’s eyes were frankly appraising. “I think
+I could become interested in you.”
+
+“I have a job here. I don’t think I would have time to give you the
+attention you’d demand.”
+
+“I get bored easily. It probably wouldn’t be long before I would be
+tired of you.”
+
+“Perhaps--and perhaps not, I can’t afford to take the chance.”
+
+“You seem confident.”
+
+“You forget. I was a sailor.”
+
+“And spacemen have a reputation, eh?” Eloise chuckled.
+
+“At that, you might be right. I remember the first officer of--” she let
+the thought die. “But I became tired of him,” she finished.
+
+Kennon smiled. “I’ve never had that complaint.”
+
+“Perhaps you’d like to make the acid test?” she asked.
+
+“Perhaps,” he said. “But not tonight.”
+
+“Tomorrow then? Alex will be leaving in the morning. He never stays more
+than a few hours.” Eloise’s eyes were bright, her lips moist and red.
+
+“I’ll pick the time,” Kennon said--and added to himself, “If ever.”
+ Despite her wealth Eloise was no different from the port-of-call girls.
+If anything, she was worse since she had enough money to implement her
+desires. They were merely in the trade for business reasons. No--Eloise
+would be something to steer clear of. Alexander was right. She was a
+mantrap. He stood up and bowed Betan fashion. “I see your brother is
+free now. He wants to brief me on my duties here. We were discussing it
+before we entered.”
+
+Eloise pouted. “You can always do that.”
+
+“You said yourself that Alexander never stays here very long. I would be
+a poor employee if I delayed him.” He grinned knowingly at her and she
+smiled back with complete understanding.
+
+“Very well, then. Get your business done. Your pleasure can wait.”
+
+Kennon steered Alexander over to an open window that led to a balcony.
+“Whew!” he said. “I see what you mean.”
+
+“She’s a tartar,” Alexander agreed. “I suspect that she’s a
+nymphomaniac.”
+
+“You suspect?” Kennon asked. “By this time you should know. Let’s get
+out of here. I’ve had about all of your sister I care to take.”
+
+“Can’t say as I blame you. I’ll show you to your quarters. Maybe Old Doc
+left a bottle or two, although I suspect the old sinner hung on until
+the last one was empty.”
+
+“If he had to put up with your relatives as a steady diet, I can’t say
+that I blame him,” Kennon said.
+
+“Careful, Doctor. You’re talking about my kinfolk,” Alexander said
+wryly. “At that, though, you have a point.” The two men slipped quietly
+from the room. Apparently none of the Family was conscious of their
+departure except Eloise, who watched them leave with an enigmatic
+expression on her narrow face.
+
+They left the fortress through the rear gate and walked slowly down the
+winding path that led to the cluster of buildings in the valley below.
+It was a beautiful night, calm and clear with the stars shining down
+from the dark vault of the heavens. The constellations were strange, and
+Kennon missed the moons. Beta had three, two of which were always in the
+sky, but Kardon was moonless. Somehow it gave the sky an empty look.
+
+A damp coolness rose from the ground as the evening rain evaporated
+mistily into the still air. Kennon sniffed the odor of soil and growing
+vegetation, clean pleasant odors in contrast to what he had left. In the
+distance a bird called sleepily from one of the fortress turrets and was
+answered by some creature Kennon couldn’t identify. A murmur of blended
+sound came from the valley below, punctuated by high-pitched laughter.
+Someone was singing, or perhaps chanting would be a better description.
+The melody was strange and the words unrecognizable. The thin whine
+of an atomotor in the fortress’s generating plant slowly built up to a
+keening undertone that blended into the pattern of half-perceived sound.
+
+“Nice, isn’t it?” Alexander remarked as they rounded another turn on the
+switchback path.
+
+“Yes. You can’t hear a sound from back there except for that generator.
+It’s almost as though we shut those people out of existence by merely
+closing a door.”
+
+“I wish it were that simple,” Alexander said. “But doors that can be
+closed can also be opened. Well--think you’ll like it here?”
+
+“I think so, providing I don’t have to entertain your relatives.”
+
+“You mean Eloise? Don’t worry about her. She’s as fickle as the wind.”
+
+“I’ve never seen anyone so frankly predatory,” Kennon said. “She worries
+me.”
+
+“They’ll all be gone tomorrow--except for Eloise,” Alexander said with
+mock comfort. “Douglas is on the Otpens for a year, and the others are
+off somewhere.”
+
+“You’ll be staying, I suppose.”
+
+“No--I’m afraid I can’t.”
+
+“I hoped you’d help me get organized. This whole thing has been
+something of a shock. I was expecting something entirely different.”
+
+“Sorry--someone has to run the business. But Blalok’ll brief you.
+Actually he’s more qualified than I. He knows everything worth knowing
+about this place. We’re going past his house in a minute--want to stop
+in and see him?”
+
+“It’s pretty late.”
+
+“Not for Blalok. He’s a Mystic--a nocturnal. He’s probably doing his
+work now.”
+
+“Perhaps we shouldn’t disturb him.”
+
+“Nonsense. He’s used to it. I visit him frequently at night.”
+
+“Sure--but you’re the boss.”
+
+“Well--in a sense you are too. At least in the veterinary end of this
+business.” Alexander swung sharply to the left and climbed a short
+flight of stairs that led to the nearest house. Lights flared on the
+deep porch, and the old-fashioned iris door dilated to frame the black
+silhouette of a stocky, broad-shouldered man.
+
+“Good evening, sir,” he said. “I was expecting you. That the new vet
+with you?”
+
+“Your pipeline’s still working, I see,” Alexander said. “Yes, this is
+Dr. Kennon--Evald Blalok--I wanted you two to meet.”
+
+Kennon liked the gray middle-aged man. He looked honest and competent,
+a solid quiet man with a craggy face and the deep-set eyes of a Mystic.
+His skin had the typical thickness and pore prominence of the dwellers
+on that foggy world from which he came. But unlike the natives of Myst,
+his skin was burned a dark brown by Kardon’s sun. He seemed out of place
+on this tropic world, but Kennon reflected wryly that there was probably
+more than one misplaced human here, himself included.
+
+“I’ve been going over Station Fourteen’s records with Jordan,” Blalok
+said as he ushered them into the house. A tall black-haired man rose as
+they entered.
+
+“Skip the formality, Jordan. Sit down,” Alexander said, “and meet Dr.
+Kennon--Steve Jordan--Jordan runs the Lani Division.”
+
+Kennon nodded acknowledgment as Alexander continued, “What’s this
+trouble at Fourteen?”
+
+“I don’t know. We’ve got an epizootic of something. Another youngster
+died this morning, and there’s three more that look pretty bad,
+jaundice, no appetite, complaining of muscular pains. Same symptoms as
+took the others. The one this morning makes the fourth this month, and
+we’re only half through it.”
+
+“Are all your losses in this one station?” Kennon asked.
+
+“No--but it’s worst there.”
+
+“I don’t like losses like that,” Alexander said.
+
+“Neither do I,” Jordan replied.
+
+“This isn’t Jordan’s fault, sir,” Blalok said quickly. “As you know, we
+haven’t had a vet for three months.”
+
+“Two,” Alexander corrected.
+
+“Three--Old Doc wasn’t around at all the month before he died,” Blalok
+said. “As a result we’ve got a problem. We need professional help.”
+
+“Well here he is--use him,” Alexander said. He looked at Kennon, a trace
+of amusement on his face. “There’s nothing like getting into things
+early.”
+
+“Particularly when one comes into them stone cold,” Kennon added. “It’s
+a poor way to start a career.”
+
+“We can’t afford to wait,” Jordan said. “We need help.”
+
+“I’ll see what can be done,” Kennon replied. “Have you saved the body?”
+
+“Every one of them,” Jordan said. “They’re in the hospital in the
+autopsy room.”
+
+“That was sensible. A post-mortem might give us an answer. Where’s the
+hospital?”
+
+“I’ll show you,” Jordan offered.
+
+“Count me out,” Alexander said. “I have a weak stomach.”
+
+“I’ll go along if it’s necessary,” Blalok said.
+
+“There’s a staff there, Old Doc trained them,” Jordan said.
+
+“Then it shouldn’t be necessary,” Kennon said.
+
+Blalok sighed with relief and turned to Alexander. “We could check the
+records while those two are about their bloody work.”
+
+“I’d rather check a long strong drink,” Alexander replied. “What with
+the Family and this, it’s too much to take for one evening.”
+
+Kennon hid a smile. Alexander had a weak spot. He was squeamish. That
+was a good thing to know.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+Jordan opened the door of the two-story building below Blalok’s house.
+“This is it,” he said, “just outside your front door. Convenient--no?”
+
+“Too convenient,” Kennon said, “also too quiet. Isn’t anyone on duty?”
+
+“I wouldn’t know. Old Doc never kept the place open at night.”
+
+There was a stir of movement in the darkness, the lights flashed on,
+and a sleepy-eyed Lani blinked at them in the sudden glare. She looked
+blankly at Kennon and then brightened as she saw Jordan. “What’s the
+trouble, sir?” she asked.
+
+“Nothing. We want to look at the Lani I sent down this morning--Dr.
+Kennon would like to inspect the carcass.”
+
+“You’re the new doctor?” the Lani asked. “Thank goodness you’ve come!
+I’ll get the staff. I’ll be back in a moment.” She stepped quickly over
+to the switchboard beside the door and punched five buttons. Four more
+humanoids came into the room, followed a little later by a fifth.
+
+“Where’s the emergency?” one asked.
+
+“He is--it’s our new doctor.”
+
+“More females,” Kennon muttered to himself. He turned to Jordan. “Aren’t
+there any males in this crew?”
+
+Jordan stared at him with mild surprise. “No, sir--didn’t you know?
+There are no male Lani.”
+
+“What?”
+
+“Just that,” Jordan said. “Only females. There hasn’t been a male on the
+island since Old Man Alexander took over. He killed them all.”
+
+“But that’s impossible! How do they reproduce?”
+
+“Ever hear of artificial fertilization?”
+
+“Sure--but that’s a dead end. The offspring are haploids and they’re
+sterile. The line would die out in a generation.”
+
+“Not the Lani--you can see for yourself. We’ve been using the technique
+here for better than four centuries, and we’re still doing all right.
+Over forty generations so far, and from the looks of things we can go on
+indefinitely.”
+
+“But how is it done?”
+
+“I don’t know. That’s Alexander’s secret. The Boss-man doesn’t tell us
+everything. All I know is that we get results. Old Doc knew how it was
+done, and I suppose you will too, but don’t ask me. I’m dumb.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. Maybe--maybe not. At any rate there was no sense in
+belaboring the point. He turned to the staff. Five of them were the
+same big-boned heavy-framed type that apparently did most of the
+manual labor. The sixth, the late arrival, was an elegant creature, a
+bronze-skinned, green-eyed minx with an elfin face half hidden under a
+wavy mass of red-brown hair. Unlike the others, she had been docked--and
+in contrast to their heavy eyes and sleep-puffed features she was alert
+and lively. She flashed him an impish grin, revealing clean white teeth.
+
+Kennon smiled back. He couldn’t help it. And suddenly the tension and
+strangeness was broken. He felt oddly at ease. “Which of you are on
+duty?” he asked.
+
+“All of us,” the redhead replied, “if it’s necessary. What do you want
+us to do?”
+
+“He’s already told me. He wants that last carcass prepped for a
+post-mortem,” the nightcall Lani said.
+
+“Good,” the redhead said. “It’ll be nice to get to work again.” She
+turned to face Kennon. “Now, Doctor--would you like to see your office?
+Old Doc left a fine collection of notes on Lani anatomy and perhaps you
+could do with a little review.”
+
+“I could do with a lot of it,” Kennon admitted. “Unless the inner
+structure of a Lani is as similar to human as their outer.”
+
+“There are differences,” the redhead admitted. “After all, we aren’t
+quite alike.”
+
+“Perhaps I’d better do some reading,” Kennon said.
+
+“You need me any more?” Jordan asked.
+
+“No--I think not.”
+
+“Good. I’ll get back. Frankly, I don’t like this any better than Blalok
+or the boss, but I’m low man on that pole. See you later.”
+
+Kennon chuckled as Jordan left. “Now, let’s get ready for that cadaver,”
+ he said.
+
+“Carcass, doctor,” the redhead corrected. “A cadaver is a dead human
+body.” She accented the “human.”
+
+Even in death there is no equality, Kennon thought. He nodded and
+the Lani led the way to a door which opened into a good-sized office,
+liberally covered with bookshelves. An old-fashioned plastic desk, some
+office cybernetics, a battered voicewriter, and a few chairs completed
+the furnishings. The redhead placed several large folio volumes in front
+of him and stepped back from the desk as he leafed rapidly through
+the color plates. It was an excellent atlas. Dr. Williamson had been a
+careful and competent workman.
+
+Half an hour later, well fortified with a positional knowledge of
+Lani viscera, Kennon looked up at the redhead. She was still standing
+patiently, a statue of red-gold and bronze.
+
+“Get a smock and let’s go,” he said. “No--wait a minute.”
+
+“Yes, sir?”
+
+“What’s your name? I don’t want to say ‘Hey you!’”
+
+She smiled. “It’s Copper Glow--want my pedigree too?”
+
+“No--it wouldn’t mean anything to me. Do they call you Copper or Glow?
+or both?”
+
+“Just Copper, sir.”
+
+“Very well, Copper--let’s get going.”
+
+* * *
+
+The body of the dead Lani lay on the steel table, waxy and yellowish in
+the pitiless light of the fluorescents. She had been hardly more than a
+child. Kennon felt a twinge of pity--so young--so young to die. And as
+he looked he was conscious of another feeling.
+
+It had been an open secret among his classmates that he had refused
+an offer to study human medicine because of his aversion to dissecting
+cadavers. The sarcoplastic models were all right, but when it came to
+flesh, Kennon didn’t have the stomach for it. And now, the sight of the
+dead humanoid brought back the same cold sweat and gut-wrenching nausea
+that had caused him to turn to veterinary medicine eight years ago.
+
+He fought the spasms back as he approached the table and made the
+external examination. Icterus and a swollen abdomen--the rest was
+essentially normal. And he knew with cold certainty that he could not
+lay a scalpel edge upon that cold flesh. It was too human, too like his
+own.
+
+“Are you ready, Doctor?” the Lani standing across the table from him
+asked. “Shall I expose the viscera?”
+
+Kennon’s stomach froze. Of course! He should have realized! No
+pathologist did his own dissection. He examined. And that he could do.
+It was the tactile, not the visual sensations that upset him. He nodded.
+“The abdominal viscera first,” he said.
+
+The Lani laid back the skin and musculature with bold, sure strokes.
+An excellent prosectress, Kennon thought. Kennon pointed at the swollen
+liver and the Lani deftly severed its attachments and laid the organ
+out for inspection. The cause of death was obvious. The youngster had
+succumbed to a massive liver-fluke infestation. It was the worst he
+had ever seen. The bile ducts were thick, calcified and choked with
+literally thousands of the gray-green leaf-shaped trematodes.
+
+“Let’s look at the others,” he said.
+
+Two more post-mortems confirmed the diagnosis. Except for minor
+differences, the lesions were identical. He removed a few of the flukes
+and set them aside for further study.
+
+“Well that’s that,” he said. “You can clean up now.”
+
+He had found the criminal, and now the problem assumed the fascinating
+qualities of a crime hunt. Now he must act to prevent further murders,
+to reconstruct the crime, to find the modus operandi, to track the fluke
+to its source, and to execute it before it could do more harm.
+
+Photographs and tri-dis would have to be taken, the parasite would have
+to be identified and its sensitivity to therapy determined. Studies
+would have to be made on its life cycle, and the means by which it
+gained entrance to its host. It wouldn’t be simple, because this
+trematode was probably Hepatodirus hominis, and it was tricky. It
+adapted, like the species it parasitized.
+
+Kennon leaned back from the microscope and studied the illustrations in
+the parasitology text. No matter how much Hepatodirus changed its life
+cycle, it could not change its adult form. The arrangements of the
+suckers and genital structures were typical. Old Doc’s library on
+parasites was too inadequate for more than diagnosis. He would have to
+wait for his own books to be uncrated before he could do more than apply
+symptomatic treatment. He sighed and rose slowly to his feet. Tomorrow
+was going to be a busy day.
+
+The door opened behind him and Copper slipped quietly into the office.
+She looked at him curiously, a faint half-shy smile on her face.
+
+“What is it?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Are you ready to fill out the autopsy protocol? It’s customary.”
+
+“It’s also customary to knock on a door before entering.”
+
+“Is it? Old Doc never mentioned it.”
+
+“I’m not Old Doc.”
+
+“No, you’re not,” she admitted. “You’re much younger--and far more
+beautiful. Old Doc was a fat, gray old man.” She paused and eyed Kennon
+appraisingly with a look on her pointed face that was the virtual twin
+of Eloise’s. “I think I’ll like working for you if you’re as nice as you
+are pretty.”
+
+“You don’t call a man beautiful or pretty!” Kennon exploded.
+
+“Why not?”
+
+“It just isn’t done.”
+
+“You’re a funny human,” she said. “I called Old Doc beautiful, and he
+didn’t mind.”
+
+“That’s different. He was an old man.”
+
+“What difference does that make?”
+
+“I don’t like it,” Kennon said, hitting on the perfect answer.
+
+She stiffened. “I’m sorry, Doctor. I won’t do it again.” She looked down
+at him, head cocked sideways. “I guess I have a lot to learn about you.
+You’re much different from Old Doc. He didn’t snap at me.” She paused
+for a moment, then drew a deep breath.
+
+Kennon blinked.
+
+“About that report,” she said. “Regulations require that each
+post-mortem be reported promptly and that a record of the Lani concerned
+be posted in the death book together with all pertinent autopsy data.
+Man Blalok is very fussy about proper records.” She drew one of the
+chairs to a spot beside the desk and sat down, crossed her long legs,
+and waited expectantly.
+
+Kennon’s mouth was suddenly dry. This situation was impossible. How in
+the name of Sir Arthur Fleming could he dictate a coldly precise report
+with a naked redhead sitting beside him? “Look,” he said. “I won’t need
+you. I can operate a voicewriter. You can pick up the material later and
+transcribe it.”
+
+Her face fell. “You don’t like me,” she said, her green eyes filling
+with quick tears. “Old Doc never--”
+
+“Oh, damn Old Doc!” Kennon snapped. “And stop that sniveling--or get
+out. Better yet--get out and stop sniveling!”
+
+She leaped to her feet and fled.
+
+Kennon swore. There was no reason for him to act that way. He had
+been more brutal than necessary. But the girl--no, the Lani--was
+disconcerting. He felt ashamed of himself. He had behaved like a
+primitive rather than a member of one of the oldest human civilizations
+in the galaxy. He wouldn’t bark at a dog that way. He shook his head.
+Probably he was tired. Certainly he was irritable, and unclad females
+virtually indistinguishable from human weren’t the most soothing objects
+to contemplate.
+
+He wondered if his exasperation was real or merely a defense mechanism.
+First Eloise, and then this! Confound it! He was surrounded! He felt
+trapped. And it wasn’t because he’d been away from women too long. A
+week was hardly that. He grinned as he recalled the blonde from Thule
+aboard the starship. Now there was a woman, even though her ears were
+pointed and her arms were too long. She didn’t pressure a man. She let
+him make the advances.
+
+He grinned. That was it. He was on the defensive. He was the one who was
+being pursued--and his male ego had revolted. He shrugged and turned
+his attention to the autopsy report, but it was hopeless. He
+couldn’t concentrate. He jotted a few notes and dropped them on the
+desk--tomorrow would be time enough. What he needed now was a stiff
+drink and eight hours’ sleep.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Kennon stopped at Blalok’s house long enough to tell the superintendent
+what was causing the trouble. Blalok scowled. “We’ve never had flukes
+here before,” he said. “Why should they appear now?”
+
+“They’ve been introduced,” Kennon said. “The thing that bothers me is
+how Dr. Williamson missed them.”
+
+“The old man was senile,” Blalok said. “He was nearly blind the last six
+months of his life. I wouldn’t doubt that he let his assistants do most
+of his work, and they could have missed them.”
+
+“Possibly, but the lesions are easy to see. At any rate, the culprit is
+known now.”
+
+“Culprit?”
+
+“Hepatodirus hominis--the human liver fluke. He’s a tricky little
+fellow--travels almost as far as men do.”
+
+“I’m glad it’s your problem, not mine. All I can remember about flukes
+is that they’re hard to eradicate.”
+
+“Particularly H. hominis.”
+
+“You can tell me about it later. Right now Mr. Alexander’s over at
+Old--your house. Probably he’s looking for you.”
+
+“Where’s Jordan?”
+
+“He went up to Station Fourteen. We’ll see him tomorrow.”
+
+“I’ll say good night then,” Kennon said.
+
+“I’m glad you’re here. It’s a load off my shoulders. See you tomorrow.”
+ Blalok waved a friendly good night and left the lights on long enough
+for Kennon to make his way to his quarters.
+
+Alexander was seated in a heavily upholstered chair listening to a taped
+symphony in the stereo, his eyes half closed, an expression of peace
+on his face. An elderly Lani stood beside him. It was a comfortable
+picture.
+
+The humanoid saw Kennon and gasped, a tiny indrawn sound of surprise.
+Alexander’s eyes snapped open. “Oh--it’s you,” he said. “Don’t worry,
+Kara--it’s your new doctor.”
+
+Kara smiled. “You startled me,” she said. “I was dreaming.”
+
+“On your feet?” Alexander interjected idly.
+
+“I should have known you at once, Doctor. There’s talk about you all
+over the yards, ever since you arrived.”
+
+“They know what is going on around here better than any of us,”
+ Alexander chuckled. “The grapevine is amazingly efficient. Well--what’s
+the story?”
+
+“Liver fluke.”
+
+“Hmm--not good.”
+
+“I think it can be stopped. I looked at the records. It doesn’t seem to
+have been here too long.”
+
+“I hope you’re right. How long will it take?”
+
+“Several months, maybe a year, maybe more. I can’t say. But I’ll try to
+clean it up as quickly as possible. I’m pretty sure of the fluke, and
+it’s a hard one to control.”
+
+“Hepatodirus?”
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+“That’s an offworld parasite, isn’t it?”
+
+“Yes. It originated on Santos. Parasitized the Varl originally, but
+liked humans better. It’s adapted to a hundred different planetary
+environments, and it keeps spreading. It’s a real cutie--almost
+intelligent the way it behaves. But it can be licked.”
+
+“Good--get on it right away.”
+
+“I’m starting tomorrow.”
+
+“Fine--I thought you’d be the right man. Kara! Fix the doctor a drink.
+We might as well have a nightcap--then I’ll go back to the house and
+listen to Henry and Anne’s screams about poor mistreated Douglas, and
+then back to Albertsville tomorrow. Duty and the credits call.”
+
+With mild surprise, Kennon realized that Alexander was drunk. Not
+obnoxiously, but enough to change his character. Intoxicated, he was a
+friendlier person. If there was any truth in the ancient cliche
+about alcohol bringing out a man’s true character, then Alexander was
+basically a very nice person indeed.
+
+“Well--here’s your home for the next five years,” Alexander said. “Eight
+rooms, two baths, a freshener, and three Lani to keep the place running.
+You’ve got it made.”
+
+“Perhaps--we’ll see when we tackle this fluke infestation. Personally, I
+don’t think I’m going to have an easy time. Tomorrow I’m going to be up
+to my neck in trouble trying to save your profits.”
+
+“You’ll do it. I have confidence in you.”
+
+“I still think you should have hired a medic.”
+
+“This isn’t all of your job,” Alexander said. “And besides I can’t
+afford to do it. Oh--not the money, but it might be admitting that the
+Lani might be human. And we’ve gone to a great deal of trouble to prove
+they’re not.” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “There’s a story
+behind this.”
+
+“I wouldn’t doubt it.”
+
+“Maybe it’d be better if I told it. It goes back over four centuries.
+Grandfather was a clever man. After he had secured this island he
+became worried about the surviving Lani. He didn’t want to be accused
+of genocide, since the Lani were so human in appearance. So he had his
+medical officer make a few autopsies. The M.D. reported that while there
+was similarity, the Lani were probably not human.
+
+“That was enough for Grandfather. He requested a Court of Inquiry. The
+court was sitting in Halsey and the hearing was private. Even so, it
+leaked and Grandfather was highly unpopular for a time until the lab
+reports came in. It cost him over eight hundred Ems and nearly two
+years’ time to finish the case, but when it was over the Lani were
+declared alien, and Grandfather had ironclad discovery rights.
+
+“They really put him through the mill. Grandfather furnished the bodies
+and three court-appointed M.O.’s went through them with microscopes.
+They didn’t miss a thing. Their reports are so detailed that they’re
+classics of their kind. They’re almost required reading for anyone
+who wants to learn Lani structure and function. The court rendered
+an interim decision that the Lani were nonhuman, and armed with this,
+Grandfather prepared the final tests which were run by a team of
+court-appointed medics and biologists, who made in vitro and live tests
+on a number of Lani female prisoners. The tests ran for over two years
+and were totally negative. So the Alexander family acquired Flora and
+the Otpens, and a legal status.” Alexander stood up. “Well--that’s a
+capsule summary. The records are in the library if you’d care to check
+them.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“Just to prove we’re honest.” He moved carefully toward the door, opened
+it, and disappeared into the night.
+
+Silently Kennon watched him descend the porch steps. He seemed steady
+enough. For a moment Kennon debated whether he should see him home--and
+then decided against it. If Alexander needed help he’d have asked for
+it. As it was, it was better to leave things alone. Certainly he didn’t
+know Alexander well enough to act as a guardian. He turned back to the
+living area. The stereo was playing something soft and nostalgic as
+Kennon sank into the chair Alexander had vacated. He let his body relax.
+It had been as full a day as he had ever spent filled with changes
+so abrupt that they were exhausting. He felt confused. There were no
+precedents he could apply. Neither his studies nor his travels had
+prepared him for living in a situation like this.
+
+Legally and biologically the Lani weren’t human. But they were
+intelligent, upright, bipedal mammals whose morphology was so close to
+man’s that it had taken the ultimate test to settle their status. And
+being a Betan, Kennon was suspicious of the accuracy of that ultimate
+test.
+
+But the Brotherhood of Man was based upon it. The feeling of unity that
+pervaded mankind’s expanding empire was its product. From almost the
+beginning of mankind’s leap to the stars it had been recognized that men
+must help each other or perish. The spirit of co-operation against the
+common enmity of alien worlds and cultures transcended the old petty
+rivalries on Earth. Men--all men--were brothers in arms.
+
+And so the Brotherhood was born--and the concept born of necessity
+developed its muscles in a thousand battles on a thousand hostile
+worlds. And ultimately it evolved into the only form of central
+authority that men would accept. Yet basically it was not a government.
+It was an attitude of mind. Men accepted its decisions as they would
+accept the rulings of a family council, and for the same reasons.
+
+The Brotherhood laid down certain rules but it did not attempt to
+enforce them. After all, it didn’t need to. It also arbitrated disputes,
+admitted new worlds to membership, and organized concerted human effort
+against dangerous enemies. And that was all. Yet in its sphere the
+authority of the Brotherhood was absolute.
+
+
+There was only one criterion for membership in the
+Brotherhood--membership in the human race. No matter how decadent or
+primitive a population might be, if it was human it was automatically
+eligible for Brotherhood--a free and equal partner in the society of
+human worlds.
+
+Kennon doubted that any nonhuman race had ever entered the select circle
+of humanity, although individuals might have done so. A docked Lani, for
+instance, would probably pass unquestioned as a human, but the Lani race
+would not. In consequence they and their world were fair prey, and had
+been attacked and subjugated.
+
+Of course, proof of inhumanity was seldom a problem. Most alien life
+forms were obviously alien. But there were a few--like the Lani--where
+similarities were so close that it was impossible to determine their
+status on the basis of morphology alone. And so the Humanity Test had
+come into being.
+
+Essentially it was based upon species compatibility--on the concept that
+like can interbreed with like. Tests conducted on every inhabited world
+in the Brotherhood had proven this conclusively. Whatever changes had
+taken place in the somatic characteristics of mankind since the Exodus,
+they had not altered the compatibility of human germ plasm. Man could
+interbreed with man--aliens could not. The test was simple. The results
+were observable. And what was more important, everyone could understand
+it. No definition of humanity could be more simple or direct.
+
+But was it accurate?
+
+Like other Betans, Kennon wondered. It was--so far--probably. The
+qualifying phrases were those of the scientist, that strange breed that
+refuses to accept anything as an established fact until it is proven
+beyond a shadow of a doubt. After all, the human race had been
+spaceborne for only six thousand years--scarcely time for any real
+differences to develop. But physical changes had already appeared--and
+it would only be a question of time before these would probably be
+followed by genetic changes. And in some groups the changes might be
+extensive enough to make them genetic strangers to the rest of humanity.
+
+What would happen then? No one knew. Actually no one bothered to think
+about it except for a few far-seeing men who worried as they saw.
+
+Probably.
+
+Might.
+
+Possibly.
+
+If.
+
+Four words. But because of them the Betans were slowly withdrawing from
+the rest of humanity. Already the radiations of Beta’s variant-G sun had
+produced changes in the population. Little things like tougher
+epidermis and depilation of body hair--little things that held alarming
+implications to Beta’s scientists, and to Beta’s people. Not too many
+generations hence a Betan outside his home system would be a rarity,
+and in a few millennia the Betan system itself would be a closed enclave
+peopled by humans who had deviated too far from the basic stock to
+mingle with it in safety.
+
+Of course, the Brotherhood itself might be changed by that time, but
+there was no assurance that this would happen. And mankind had a history
+of dealing harshly with its mutants. So Beta would play it safe.
+
+Kennon wondered if there were other worlds in the Brotherhood that had
+come to the same conclusion. Possibly there were. And possibly there
+were worlds where marked deviations had occurred. There wasn’t a year
+that passed that didn’t bring some new human world into the Brotherhood,
+and many of these had developed from that cultural explosion during the
+First Millennium known as the Exodus, where small groups of colonists in
+inadequate ships set out for unannounced goals to homestead new worlds
+for man. Some of these survived, and many were being discovered even
+at this late date. But so far none had any difficulty in proving their
+human origin.
+
+The Lani, conceivably, could have been descendants of one of these
+groups, which probably explained the extreme care the Brotherhood
+courts had taken with their case. But they had failed the test, and
+were declared animals. Yet it was possible that they had mutated beyond
+genetic compatibility. If they had, and if it were proved, here was a
+test case that could rock the galaxy--that could shake the Brotherhood
+to its very foundations--that could force a re-evaluation of the
+criteria of humanity.
+
+Kennon grinned. He was a fine employee. Here he was, less than a full
+day on the job, dreaming how he could ruin his employer, shake the
+foundation of human civilization, and force ten thousand billion humans
+to change their comfortable habit patterns and their belief in the
+unchangeable sameness of men. He was, he reflected wryly, an incurable
+romantic.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+“Wake up, Doctor, it’s six A.M.” A pleasant voice cut through Kennon’s
+slumber. He opened one eye and looked at the room. For a moment the
+strange surroundings bothered him, then memory took over. He stirred
+uncomfortably, looking for the owner of the voice.
+
+“You have your morning calls at seven, and there’s a full day ahead,”
+ the voice went on. “I’m sorry, sir, but you should get up.” The voice
+didn’t sound particularly sorry.
+
+It was behind him, Kennon decided. He rolled over with a groan of
+protest and looked at his tormentor. A gasp of dismay left his lips,
+for standing beside the bed, a half smile on her pointed face, was
+Copper--looking fresh and alert and as disturbing as ever.
+
+It wasn’t right, Kennon thought bitterly, to be awakened from a sound
+sleep by a naked humanoid who looked too human for comfort. “What are
+you doing here?” he demanded.
+
+“I’m supposed to be here,” Copper said. “I’m your secretary.” She
+grinned and flexed a few curves of her torso.
+
+Kennon was silent.
+
+“Is there anything wrong?” she asked.
+
+For a moment Kennon was tempted to tell her what was wrong--but he held
+his tongue. She probably wouldn’t understand. But there was one thing
+he’d better settle right now. “Now look here, young lady--” he began.
+
+“I’m not a lady,” Copper interrupted before he could continue. “Ladies
+are human. I’m a Lani.”
+
+“All right,” Kennon growled. “Lani or human, who cares? But do you have
+to break into a man’s bedroom and wake him in the middle of the night?”
+
+“I didn’t break in,” she said, “and it isn’t the middle of the night.
+It’s morning.”
+
+“All right--so it’s morning and you didn’t break in. Then how in
+Halstead’s sacred name did you get here?”
+
+
+“I sleep next door,” she said jerking a thumb in the direction of an
+open door in the side wall. “I’ve been there ever since you dismissed me
+last night,” she explained.
+
+The explanation left Kennon cold. The old cliche about doing as the
+Santosians do flicked through his mind. Well, perhaps he would in
+time--but not yet. The habits of a lifetime couldn’t be overturned
+overnight. “Now you have awakened me,” he said, “perhaps you’ll get out
+of here.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“I want to get dressed.”
+
+“I’ll help you.”
+
+“You will not! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’ve been
+dressing myself for years. I’m not used to people helping me.”
+
+“My--what a strange world you must come from. Haven’t you ever had a
+Lani before?”
+
+“No.”
+
+“You poor man.” Her voice was curiously pitying. “No one to make you
+feel like the gods. No one to serve you. No one to even scrub your
+back.”
+
+“That’s enough,” Kennon said. “I can scrub my own back.”
+
+“How?--you can’t reach it.”
+
+Kennon groaned.
+
+“Weren’t there any Lani on your world?”
+
+“No.”
+
+“No wonder you left it. It must be quite primitive.”
+
+“Primitive!” Kennon’s voice was outraged. “Beta has one of the highest
+civilizations in the Brotherhood!”
+
+“But you don’t have Lani,” she said patiently. “So you must be
+primitive.”
+
+“Halstead, Fleming, and Ochsner!” Kennon swore. “Do you believe that?”
+
+“Naturally, isn’t it obvious? You can’t possibly be civilized unless you
+take responsibility for intelligent life other than your own race.
+Until you face up to your responsibilities you are merely a member of a
+dominant race, not a civilized one.”
+
+Kennon’s reply caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at
+her, and what he was about to say remained unspoken. “Out of the mouths
+of humanoids--” he muttered oddly.
+
+“What does that mean?” Copper asked.
+
+“Forget it,” Kennon said wildly. “Leave me alone. Go put on some
+clothes. You embarrass me.”
+
+“I’ll go,” Copper said, “but you’ll have to be embarrassed. Only
+household Lani wear cloth.” She frowned, two vertical furrows dividing
+her dark brows. “I’ve never understood why inhouse Lani have to be
+disfigured that way, but I suppose there’s some reason for it. Men
+seldom do anything without a reason.”
+
+Kennon shook his head. Either she was grossly ignorant, which he
+doubted, or she was conditioned to the eyeballs.
+
+The latter was more probable. But even that was doubtful. Her trenchant
+remark about civilization wasn’t the product of a conditioned mind. But
+why was he worrying about her attitudes? They weren’t important--she
+wasn’t even human. He shook his head. That was a sophistry. The fact
+that she wasn’t human had nothing to do with the importance of her
+attitude. “I suppose there is a reason,” he agreed. “But I don’t know
+it. I haven’t been here long enough to know anything about such things.”
+
+She nodded. “That does make a difference,” she admitted. “Many new
+men are bothered at first by the fact that we Lani are naked, but they
+adjust quickly. So will you.” She smiled as she turned away. “You see,”
+ she added over her shoulder as she left the room, “we’re not human.
+We’re just another of your domestic animals.”
+
+Was there laughter in her voice? Kennon wasn’t sure. His sigh was
+composed of equal parts of relief and exasperation as he slipped out of
+bed and began to dress. He’d forgo the shower this morning. He had no
+desire for Copper to appear and offer to scrub his back. In his present
+state of mind he couldn’t take it. Possibly he’d get used to it in time.
+Perhaps he might even like it. But right now he wasn’t acclimatized.
+
+* * *
+
+“Man Blalok called,” Copper said as she removed the breakfast dishes.
+“He said that he’d be right over to pick you up. He wants to show you
+the operation.” “When did he call?”
+
+“About ten minutes ago. I told him that you were at breakfast. He said
+he’d wait.” She disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
+
+“There’s a nightmare quality to this,” Kennon muttered as he slipped his
+arms into the sleeves of his tunic and closed the seam tabs. “I have
+the feeling that I’m going to wake up any minute.” He looked at his
+reflection in the dresser mirror, and his reflection looked worriedly
+back. “This whole thing has an air of plausible unreality: the
+advertisement, the contract, this impossible island that raises
+humanoids as part of the livestock.” He shrugged and his mirrored image
+shrugged back. “But it’s real, all right. No dream could possibly be
+this detailed. I wonder how I’m going to take it for the next five
+years? Probably not too well,” he mused silently. “Already I’m talking
+to myself. Without even trying, that Lani Copper can make me feel like a
+Sarkian.” He nodded at his image.
+
+The Sarkian analogy was almost perfect, he decided. For on that grimly
+backward world females were as close to slaves as the Brotherhood would
+permit; raised from birth under an iron regimen designed to produce
+complaisant mates for the dominant males. Probably that was the reason
+Sark was so backward. The men, having achieved domestic tranquillity,
+had no desire to do anything that would disturb the status quo. And
+since no Sarkian woman under any conceivable circumstances would annoy
+her lordly master with demands to produce better mousetraps, household
+gadgetry, and more money, the technological development of Sark had come
+to a virtual standstill. It took two sexes to develop a civilization.
+
+Kennon shrugged. Worlds developed as they did because people were as
+they were, and while passing judgment was still a major human pursuit,
+no native of one world had a right to force his customs down the
+unwilling throat of another. It would be better to accept his present
+situation and live with it rather than trying to impose his Betan
+conception of morality upon Lani that neither understood nor appreciated
+it. His business was to treat and prevent animal disease. What happened
+to the animals before infection or after recovery was none of his
+affair. That was a matter between Alexander and his conscience.
+
+Blalok was waiting for him, sitting behind the wheel of a square boxy
+vehicle that squatted with an air of unpolished efficiency on the
+graveled drive behind his house. He smiled a quick greeting as Kennon
+approached. “It’s about time you showed up,” he said. “You’ll have to
+get into the habit of rising early on this place. We do most of our work
+early in the morning and late in the afternoon. During the day it’s too
+hot to breathe, let alone work. Well, let’s get going. There’s still
+time to visit the outer stations.”
+
+Kennon climbed in and Blalok started the vehicle. “I thought we’d take a
+jeep today,” he said. “They aren’t very pretty, but they get around.” He
+turned onto the surfaced road that ran down the hill toward the hospital
+and the complex of red-roofed buildings clustered about it. “About those
+flukes,” he said. “You have any plans to get rid of them?”
+
+“Not yet. I’ll have to look the place over. There’s more detective work
+than medicine involved in this.”
+
+“Detective work?”
+
+“Sure--we know the criminal, but to squelch him we have to learn his
+hangouts, study his modus operandi, and learn how to make his victims
+secure from his activities. Unless we do that, we can treat individuals
+from now to infinity and all we’ll have is more cases. We have to apply
+modern criminology tactics--eliminate the source of crime--stop up the
+soft spots. In other words, kill the flukes before they enter the Lani.”
+
+“Old Doc never said anything about this,” Blalok said.
+
+“Probably he never knew about it. I was looking over the herd books last
+night, and I saw nothing about trematodes, or anything that looked like
+a parasite pattern until the last few months.”
+
+“Why not?”
+
+“My guess is that he was one of the first deaths.”
+
+“You mean this thing attacks human beings?”
+
+“Preferentially,” Kennon said. “It’s strange, too, because it originated
+on Santos so far as we know. In fact, some people think that the Varl
+bred it for a weapon to use against us before we conquered them. They
+could have done it. Their biological science was of a high enough
+order.”
+
+“But how did it get here?”
+
+“I wouldn’t know--unless you’ve hired a Santosian or someone else who
+was affected.”
+
+“We did have a man from Santos. Fellow called Joe Kryla. We had to let
+him go because he was a nudist. It made a bad impression on the Lani.
+But that was over a year ago.”
+
+“That’s about the right time to build up a good reservoir of infection.
+The fatal cases usually don’t show up before an area is pretty well
+seeded.”
+
+“That’s not so good.”
+
+“Well, there’s one thing in our favor. The Lani are pretty well
+concentrated into groups. And so far there doesn’t seem to be any
+infestation outside of Hillside Station--except for two deaths in Lani
+recently sent from there. If we quarantine those stations and work fast,
+may be we can stop this before it spreads all over the island.”
+
+“That’s fine, but what are you going to do now?”
+
+“Treat those that show symptoms. There should be some Trematox capsules
+at the hospital. If there aren’t we’ll get them. We’ll take the
+sick ones back to the hospital area and push therapy and supportive
+treatment. Now that we know the cause, we shouldn’t have any more death
+losses.”
+
+“Old Doc didn’t treat at the hospital,” Blalok said.
+
+“I’m not Old Doc.”
+
+“But it’s going to mess up our operations. We’re using the ward
+buildings to finish training the Lani scheduled for market.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“It’s convenient. Most of the ward space is filled right now.” Blalok
+said. There was a touch of disgust in his voice.
+
+“They’re well, aren’t they?” Kennon demanded.
+
+“Of course.”
+
+“Then get them out of there.”
+
+“But I told you-”
+
+“You told me nothing. The hospital area is needed for something more
+than a training center. Perhaps Old Doc was trained in outcall work, but
+I’m not. I work from a hospital. The only things I do on outcalls are
+diagnoses, vaccinations, and emergencies. The rest of the patients come
+to the hospital.”
+
+“This isn’t going to set well with Jordan and the division chiefs.”
+
+“That’s not my concern,” Kennon said. “I run my business in the best way
+possible. The patients are of more concern than the personal comfort of
+any straw boss or administrator. You’re the administrator--you calm them
+down.”
+
+“You have the authority,” Blalok admitted. “But my advice to you is to
+go slow.”
+
+“I can’t,” Kennon said. “Not if we want to prevent any more losses.
+There simply won’t be time to run all over the island dosing with
+Trematox and taking temperatures, and while that sort of thing is
+routine, it should be supervised. Besides, you’ll see the advantages of
+this method. Soon enough.”
+
+“I hope so,” Blalok said as he braked the jeep to a stop in front of the
+hospital. “I suppose you’ll want to take some things along.”
+
+“So I will,” Kennon said. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Kennon slid from
+the seat, leaving Blalok looking peculiarly at his departing back.
+
+The minute stretched to nearly ten before Kennon returned followed by
+two Lani carrying bags which they loaded into the back of the jeep.
+“I had to reorganize a little,” Kennon apologized, “some things were
+unfamiliar.”
+
+“Plan on taking them?” Blalok said, jerking a thumb at the two Lani.
+
+“Not this time. I’m having them fit up an ambulance. They should be busy
+most of the day.”
+
+Blalok grunted and started the turbine. He moved a lever and the jeep
+floated off the ground.
+
+“An airboat too,” Kennon remarked. “I wondered why this rig was so
+boxy.”
+
+“It’s a multipurpose vehicle,” Blalok said. “We need them around here
+for fast transport. Most of the roads aren’t so good.” He engaged the
+drive and the jeep began to move. “We’ll go cross country,” he said.
+“Hillside’s pretty far out--the farthest station since we abandoned
+Olympus.”
+
+The air began whistling past the boxlike body of the jeep as Blalok
+increased the power to the drive and set the machine on automatic.
+“We’ll get a pretty good cross-section of our operations on this trip,”
+ he said over the whine of the turbine. “Look down there.”
+
+They were passing across a series of fenced pastures and Kennon was
+impressed. The size of this operation was beginning to sink in. It
+hadn’t looked so big from the substratosphere in Alexander’s ship, but
+down here close to the ground it was enormous. Fields of grain, wide
+orchards, extensive gardens. Once they were forced to detour a huge
+supply boat that rose heavily in front of them. Working in the fields
+were dozens of brown-skinned Lani who paused to look up and wave as
+the jeep sped by. Occasional clusters of farm buildings and the low
+barrackslike stations appeared and disappeared behind them.
+
+“There’s about twenty Lani at each of these stations,” Blalok said,
+“They work the farm area under the direction of the stationmaster.”
+
+“He’s a farmer?”
+
+“Of course. Usually he’s a graduate of an agricultural school, but we
+have a few who are descendants of the crew of the first Alexander, and
+there’s one old codger who was actually with him during the conquest.
+Most of our stationmasters are family men. We feel that a wife and
+children add to a man’s stability--and incidentally keep him from
+fooling around with the Lani.”
+
+A series of fenced pastures containing hundreds of huge grayish-white
+quadrupeds slipped past.
+
+“Cattle?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Yes--Earth strain. That’s why they’re so big. We also have sheep and
+swine, but you won’t see them on this run.”
+
+“Any native animals?”
+
+“A few--and some which are native to other worlds. But they’re
+luxury-trade items. The big sale items are beef, pork, and mutton.”
+ Blalok chuckled. “Did you think that the Lani were our principal
+export?”
+
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+“They’re only a drop in the bucket. Agriculture--Earth-style
+agriculture--is our main source of income. The Lani are valuable
+principally to keep down the cost of overhead. Virtually all of them
+work right here on the island. We don’t sell more than a hundred a year
+less than five per cent of our total. And those are surplus--too light
+or too delicate for farm work.”
+
+“Where do you find a market for all this produce?” Kennon asked.
+
+“There’s two hundred million people here, and quite a few billion more
+in space-train range. We can produce more cheaply than any competitor,
+and we can undersell any competition, even full automation.” Blalok
+chuckled. “There are some things that a computer can’t do as well as
+a human being, and one of them is farm the foods on which humanity is
+accustomed to feed. A man’ll pay two credits for a steak. He could get a
+Chlorella substitute for half a credit, but he’ll still buy the steak
+if he can afford it. Same thing goes for fruit, vegetables, grain, and
+garden truck. Man’s eating habits have only changed from necessity.
+Those who can pay will still pay well for natural foods.” Blalok
+chuckled. “We’ve put quite a dent in the algae and synthetics operations
+in this sector.”
+
+“It’s still a luxury trade,” Kennon said.
+
+“You’ve eaten synthetic,” Blalok replied. “What do you prefer?”
+
+Kennon had to agree that Blalok was right. He, too, liked the real thing
+far better than its imitations.
+
+“If it’s this profitable, then why sell Lani?” Kennon asked.
+
+“It’s the Family’s idea. Actually--since the export type is surplus it
+does us no harm. We keep enough for servants--and the others would be
+inefficient for most farm work. So disposal by sale is a logical and
+profitable way of culling. But now the Boss-man is being pressured into
+breeding an export type. And this I don’t like. It’s too commercial.
+Smells like slavery.”
+
+“You’re a Mystic, aren’t you?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Sure--but that doesn’t mean I like slavery. Oh, I know some of those
+fatheaded Brotherhood economists call our system economic slavery--and
+I’ll admit that it’s pretty hard to crack out of a spherical trust.
+But that doesn’t mean that we have to stay where we are. Mystics aren’t
+owned by their entrepreneurs. Sure, it’s a tough haul to beat the
+boss, but it can be done. I did it, and others do it all the time. The
+situation isn’t hopeless.”
+
+“But it is with the Lani,” Kennon added.
+
+“Of course. That’s why they should be protected. What chance does a
+Lani have? Without us they can’t even keep going as a race. They’re
+technological morons. They don’t live long enough to understand modern
+civilization. To turn those poor helpless humanoids out into human
+society would be criminal. It’s our duty to protect them even while
+we’re using them.”
+
+“Man’s burden?’ Kennon said, repeating the old cliche.
+
+“Exactly.” Blalok scowled. “I wish I had guts enough to give the
+Boss-man the facts--but I can’t get nerve enough to try. I’ve a good job
+here--a wife and two kids--and I don’t want to jeopardize my future.”
+ Blalok glanced over the side. “Well, here we are,” he said, and began
+descending into the center of a spokelike mass of buildings radiating
+outward from a central hub.
+
+“Hmm--big place,” Kennon murmured.
+
+“It should be,” Blalok replied. “It furnishes all of our Lani for
+replacement and export. It can turn out over a thousand a year at
+full capacity. Of course we don’t run at that rate, or Flora would be
+overpopulated. But this is a big layout, like you said. It can maintain
+a population of at least forty thousand. Old Alexander had big ideas.”
+
+“I wonder what he planned to do with them?” Kennon said.
+
+“I wouldn’t know. The Old Man never took anyone into his confidence.”
+
+Jordan came up as the jeep settled to the ground. “Been expecting you
+for the past half hour,” he said. “Your office said you were on your
+way.--Good to see you, too, Doc. I’ve been going over the records with
+Hank Allworth--the stationmaster here.” Jordan held out his hand.
+
+“You’re an Earthman, eh?” Kennon asked as he grasped the outstretched
+hand. The gesture was as old as man, its ritualistic meaning lost in
+antiquity.
+
+“No--Marsborn--a neighbor world,” Jordan said. “But our customs and
+Earth’s are the same.”
+
+“You’re a long way from home,” Kennon said.
+
+“No farther than you, Doc.” Jordan looked uncomfortable. “But we can
+compare origins later. Right now, you’d better come into the office.
+I’ve run across something peculiar.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+“There are twelve bays to this station,” Jordan said. “Under our present
+setup two are used for breeding and the other ten for maturation. We
+rotate the youngsters around the bay--a different bay each year until
+they’re age eleven. Then they’re sorted according to type and sent out
+for a year of further specialized training after which they go onto the
+farms, or to inhouse or export.
+
+“Now here’s the peculiar part. There’s no trouble in Bays One through
+Nine, but Bay Ten has had all our losses except two that have occurred
+at the training stations.”
+
+“That’s good news,” Kennon said. “Our parasite can’t have had time to
+migrate too far. We have him pinpointed unless--say how many training
+centers are there?”
+
+“Three,” Jordan said.
+
+“Quarantine them,” Kennon replied. “Right now. Nothing goes in or out
+until we’ve checked them and completed prophylaxis.”
+
+Jordan looked at Blalok inquiringly.
+
+“He’s the boss,” Blalok said. “Do as you’re told. This is his problem.”
+
+“Why the quarantine?” Jordan asked.
+
+“I want to get any carriers. We can check them with antigen, and then
+give Trematox.”
+
+“All that concentration in Bay Ten,” Jordan said. “Does it mean
+something?”
+
+“Blalok said that there was a Santosian in your division.”
+
+“Yeah--Joe Kryla--and come to think of it, he ran Bay Ten!”
+
+“That’s a help--now let’s see what makes that bay different from the
+others.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“I’ll tell you--but you may not understand,” Kennon said.
+
+“I’ll take a chance.”
+
+Kennon grinned. “All right, you asked for it. The parasite that’s doing
+the damage is a flatworm, a trematode called Hepatodirus hominis. As
+I’ve told Blalok, it’s a tricky thing. Like all trematodes it has a
+three-stage life cycle, but unlike every other fluke, its life cycle is
+not fixed to definite intermediate hosts. Depending upon where it is,
+the fluke adapts. It still must pass through its life cycle, but its
+intermediate host need not be one species of snail, fish, or copepod.
+Any cold-blooded host will do. What you have here is a Kardonian variant
+which has adapted to some particular intermediate host on this world.
+Until now, its final host was either man or Varl. Now we have a third,
+the Lani. And apparently they are the most susceptible of the three.
+It never kills Varl. And humans, while they’re more susceptible, only
+occasionally succumb, but the Lani appear to be the most susceptible of
+all. I’ve never seen an infestation like those Lani had. Their livers
+were literally crawling with flukes.” Kennon paused and looked at
+Jordan. “You following me?” he asked.
+
+“Slowly and poorly,” Jordan said. “You’re assuming too much knowledge on
+my part.”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
+
+“Well--I’m really interested in only one thing--how do you break the
+parasite up in business?”
+
+“There’s only one sure way--and that’s to break the life cycle. The
+technique is thousands of years old, but it’s just as good today as it
+was then.”
+
+“Good--then let’s do it.”
+
+“To make a varrit stew,” Kennon said, “one must first catch the varrit.”
+
+“Huh?”
+
+“We have to learn the beastie’s life cycle before we can break it,
+and like I said, it adapts. Its intermediate host can be any one of a
+hundred cold-blooded animals.”
+
+“Is there no place else where it can be attacked?”
+
+“Sure, in the body of the final host, or on its final encysting place.
+But that won’t eliminate the bug.”
+
+“Why not?”
+
+“It’ll still survive in its infective form and enough Lani will get
+subacute dosage to propagate it until the time is right for another
+epizootic. We have to kill its intermediate host--or hosts if it has
+more than one. That will keep it from growing and will ultimately
+eradicate it.”
+
+Judson scratched his head. “It sounds complicated.”
+
+“It is. It’s so complicated that once the fluke becomes well established
+it’s virtually impossible to eradicate.”
+
+“And you think it can be done here?”
+
+“We can give it the old college try. But it’s going to take some
+detective work.”
+
+“Where do we start?”
+
+“With Bay Ten. We look it over real well. Then we check the diet and
+habits of the Lani. Then we check each individual Lani. Then we check
+the life cycle of the parasite. Somewhere along the line if we’re lucky
+we’ll find a weak point that can be attacked.”
+
+“That’s a big order,” Blalok said.
+
+“It can’t be helped. That’s the way it is. Of course, we’re lucky that
+we’re on an isolated land mass. That gives us an advantage. We should be
+able to clean this up.”
+
+“How long do you think it will take?”
+
+“It depends on how well the fluke is established. Six months at the
+minimum--and I wouldn’t care to guess at the maximum. However, I hope
+the minimum will be time enough.”
+
+“So do I,” Blalok said.
+
+“Well,” Kennon said, “let’s get on with it.”
+
+“I hope it won’t interrupt our program,” Jordan said.
+
+“Of course it will interrupt it,” Kennon replied. “It can’t help it. Get
+the idea in your head that you’re facing something here that can cripple
+you--maybe abort your whole operation. You have a choice--interrupt now
+or abort later. And half measures won’t work. To eradicate this pest
+requires an all-out effort.”
+
+“But I can’t see why we can’t merely bypass Bay Ten--” Jordan said.
+
+“Take my word for it,” Kennon said. “You can’t. There’s no accurate way
+of telling how far this spreads until the death losses occur. Our tests
+for fluke infestation aren’t that good. We have to work thoroughly and
+carefully. We can’t be butting heads over this--either we all co-operate
+or this whole operation will blow up in our faces.
+
+“Look at the record. Six months ago you ended a year with no deaths from
+disease. Five months ago Old Doc and two Lani were ill. Four months ago
+one of the two Lani was dead and Old Doc was too ill to be effective.
+Three months ago Old Doc and the other Lani were dead, and before the
+end of the month two more followed them. Two months ago six died, last
+month eight, and so far this month you’ve lost four and you have over
+two weeks to go. Up to now they’ve all been from here, but two this
+month were at other stations. In six months if nothing is done, we’ll
+be having losses there unless we’re lucky. And the losses will keep
+on increasing. Apparently you don’t know what it is to live with
+parasites--so let me tell you. It isn’t pleasant!”
+
+Blalok shrugged. “You needn’t get hot about it,” he said. “After all,
+you’re the Doc--and we’ll co-operate.”
+
+Jordan nodded. “We will,” he said. “All the way.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+There is a special providence that looks over recent veterinary
+graduates, Kennon reflected as he checked the monthly reports from the
+Stations. Since the time he had laid down the law to Judson and Blalok,
+he had had no trouble from the production staff. And for the past four
+months there had been no further trouble with Hepatodirus. That unwanted
+visitor had apparently been evicted. At that, they had been lucky. The
+parasite had been concentrated at Hillside Station and had failed to
+establish itself in the training area. The intermediate host, it had
+turned out, was a small amphibian that was susceptible to commercial
+insecticide. It had been no trouble to eradicate. Systemic treatment and
+cooking of all food had cleaned up the infective cercaria and individual
+infections, and after six months of intensive search, quarantine, and
+investigation, Kennon was morally certain that the disease had been
+eradicated. The last four reports confirmed his belief.
+
+He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Blalok was at last convinced
+that his ideas were right. The hospital was operating as a hospital
+should, with a staff of twelve Lani kept busy checking the full wards.
+Actually, it was working better than it should, since stationmasters all
+over the island were now shipping in sick animals rather than treating
+them or requesting outpatient service.
+
+“Hi, Doc,” Blalok said as he pushed the door open and looked into the
+office. “You doing anything?”
+
+“Not at the moment,” Kennon said. “Something troubling you?”
+
+“No--just thought I’d drop in for a moment and congratulate you.”
+
+“For what?”
+
+“For surviving the first year.”
+
+“That won’t be for two months yet.”
+
+Blalok shook his head. “This is Kardon,” he said. “There’s only three
+hundred and two days in our year, ten thirty-day months and two special
+days at the year’s end.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. “My contract is Galactic Standard. I still have two
+months to go. But how come the ten-month year? Most other planets have
+twelve, regardless of the number of days.”
+
+“Old Alexander liked thirty-day months.”
+
+“I’ve wondered about that.”
+
+“You’ll find a lot more peculiar things about Flora when you get to know
+her better. This year has just been a breaking-in period.”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “It’s damn near broken me,” he admitted. “You know, I
+thought that the Lani’d be my principal practice when I came here.”
+
+“You didn’t figure that right. They’re the easiest part. They’re
+intelligent and co-operative.”
+
+“Which is more than one can say about the others.” Kennon wiped the
+sweat from his face. “What with this infernal heat and their eternal
+stubbornness, I’ve nearly been driven crazy.”
+
+“You shouldn’t have laid out that vaccination program.”
+
+“I had to. Your hog business was living mostly on luck, and the sheep
+and shrakes were almost as bad. You can’t get away from soil saprophytes
+no matter how clean you are. Under a pasture setup there’s always
+a chance of contamination. And that old cliche about an ounce of
+prevention is truer of livestock raising than anything else I can think
+of.”
+
+“I have some more good news for you,” Blalok said. “That’s why I came
+over. We’re going to have another species to treat and vaccinate.”
+
+Kennon groaned. “Now what?”
+
+“Poultry.” Blalok’s voice was disgusted. “Personally I think it’s a
+mess, but Alexander thinks it’s profitable. Someone’s told him that
+pound for pound chickens are the most efficient feed converters of all
+the domestic animals. So we’re getting a pilot plant: eggs, incubator,
+and a knocked-down broiler battery so we can try the idea out.
+The Boss-man is always hot on new ideas to increase efficiency and
+production. The only trouble is that he fails to consider the work
+involved in setting up another operation.”
+
+“You’re so right. I’ll have to brush up on pullorum, ornithosis,
+coccidosis, leukosis, perosis, and Ochsner knows how many other-osises
+and--itises. I was never too strong on fowl practice in school, and I’d
+be happier if I never had anything to do with them.”
+
+“So would I,” Blalok agreed. “I can’t see anything in this but trouble.”
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+“And he’s forgotten something else,” Blalok added. “Poultry need
+concentrated feed. We’re going to have to install a feed mill.”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “I hope he’ll appreciate the bill he gets.”
+
+“He thinks we can use local labor,” Blalok said gloomily. “I wish he’d
+realize that Lani are technological morons.”
+
+“They could learn.”
+
+“I suppose so--but it isn’t easy. And besides, Allworth is the only man
+with feed-mill experience, and he’s up to his ears with Hillside Station
+since that expansion order came in.”
+
+“I never did get the reason for that. After we complained about the
+slavery implications and got the Boss-man’s okay to hold the line, why
+do we need more Lani?”
+
+“Didn’t you know? His sister’s finally decided to try marriage. Found
+herself some overmuscled Halsite who looked good to her--but she
+couldn’t crack his moral barrier.” Blalok grinned. “I thought you’d be
+the first to know. Wasn’t she interested in you?”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “You could call it that. Interested--like the way a
+dog’s interested in a beefsteak. It’s a good thing we had that fluke
+problem or I’d have been chewed up and digested long ago. That woman
+frightens me.”
+
+“I could be scared by uglier things,” Blalok said. “With the Boss-man’s
+sister on my side I wouldn’t worry.”
+
+“What makes you think she’d be on my side? She’s a cannibal.”
+
+“Well, you know her better than I do.”
+
+He did--he certainly did. That first month had been one of the worst he
+had ever spent, Kennon reflected. Between Eloise and the flukes, he had
+nearly collapsed--and when it had come to the final showdown, he thought
+for a while that he’d be looking for another job. But Alexander had been
+more than passably understanding and had refused his sister’s passionate
+pleas for a Betan scalp. He owed a debt of gratitude to the Boss-man.
+
+“You’re lucky you never knew her,” Kennon said.
+
+“That all depends on what you mean,” Blalok said as he grinned and
+walked to the door. The parting shot missed its mark entirely as Kennon
+looked at him with blank incomprehension. “You should have been a
+Mystic,” Blalok said. “A knowledge of the sacred books would do you no
+end of good.” And with that cryptic remark the superintendent vanished.
+
+“That had all the elements of a snide remark,” Kennon murmured to
+himself, “but my education’s been neglected somewhere along the line. I
+don’t get it.” He shrugged and buzzed for Copper. The veterinary report
+would have to be added to the pile already before him, and the Boss-man
+liked to have his reports on time.
+
+Copper watched Kennon as he dictated the covering letter, her slim
+fingers dancing over the stenotype. He had been here a full year--but
+instead of becoming a familiar object, he had grown so gigantic that
+he filled her world. And it wasn’t merely because he was young and
+beautiful. He was kind, too.
+
+Yet she couldn’t approach him, and she wanted to so desperately that
+it was a physical pain. Other Lani had told her about men and what they
+could do. Even her old preceptress at Hillside Station had given her
+some advice when Man Allworth had tattooed the tiny V on her thigh that
+meant she had been selected for the veterinary staff. And when Old Doc
+had brought her from the Training Station to the hospital and removed
+her tail, she was certain that she was one of the lucky ones who would
+know love.
+
+But love wasn’t a pain in the chest, an ache in the belly and thighs, an
+unfulfilled longing that destroyed sleep and made food tasteless. Love
+was supposed to be pleasant and exciting. She could remember every word
+her preceptress had spoken.
+
+“My little one,” the old Lani had said, “you now wear the doctor’s mark.
+And soon no one will be able to tell you from a human. You will look
+like our masters. You will share in their work. And there may be times
+when you will find favor in their eyes. Then you may learn of love.
+
+“Love,” the old voice was soft in Copper’s ears. “The word is almost a
+stranger to us now, known only to the few who serve our masters. It was
+not always so. The Old Ones knew love before Man Alexander came. And
+our young were the fruit of love rather than the product of our masters’
+cunning. But you may know the flower even though you cannot bear its
+fruit. You may enter that world of pleasure-pain the Old Ones knew, that
+world which is now denied us.
+
+“But remember always that you are a Lani. A man may be kind to you. He
+may treat you gently. He may show you love. Yet you never will be his
+equal. Nor must you become too attached to him, for you are not human.
+You are not his natural mate. You cannot bear his young. You cannot
+completely share. You can only accept.
+
+“So if love should come to you, take it and enjoy it, but do not try to
+possess it. For there lies heartache rather than happiness. And it is
+a world of heartache, my little one, to long for something which you
+cannot have.”
+
+To long for something which one cannot have! Copper knew that feeling.
+It had been with her ever since Kennon had come into her life that
+night a year ago. And it had grown until it had become gigantic. He
+was kind--yes. He was harsh--occasionally. Yet he had shown her no more
+affection than he would have shown a dog. Less--for he would have petted
+a dog and he did not touch her.
+
+He laughed, but she was not a part of his laughter. He needed her, but
+the need was that of a builder for a tool. He liked her and sometimes
+shared his problems and triumphs with her, and sometimes his defeats,
+but he did not love. There had never been for her the bright fierce look
+he had bent upon the Woman Eloise those times when she had come to him,
+the look men gave to those who found favor in their eyes.
+
+Had he looked at her but once with that expression she would have come
+to him though fire barred the way. The Woman Eloise was a fool.
+
+Copper looked at him across the corner of the desk, the yellow hair, the
+bronze skin, firm chin, soft lips and long straight nose, the
+narrowed eyes, hooded beneath thick brows, scanning the papers in his
+lean-tendoned hands. His nearness was an ache in her body--yet he was
+far away.
+
+She thought of how his hands would feel upon her. He had touched her
+once, and that touch had burned like hot iron. For hours she had felt
+it. He looked up. Her heart choked her with its beating. She would die
+for him if he would but once run his fingers over her tingling skin, and
+stroke her hair.
+
+The naked emotion in Copper’s face was readable enough, Kennon thought.
+One didn’t need Sorovkin techniques to interpret what was in her mind.
+And it would have been amusing if it weren’t so sad. For what she
+wanted, he couldn’t give. Yet if she were human it would be easy. A
+hundred generations of Betan moral code said “never,” yet when he looked
+at her their voices faded. He was a man--a member of the ruling race.
+She was an animal--a beast--a humanoid--near human but not near enough.
+To like her was easy--but to love her was impossible. It would be
+bestiality. Yet his body, less discerning than his mind, responded to
+her nearness.
+
+He sighed. It was a pleasant unpleasantness, a mixed emotion he could
+not analyze. In a way it was poetry--the fierce, vaguely disquieting
+poetry of the sensual Santosian bards--the lyrics that sung of the joys
+of flesh. He had never really liked them, yet they filled him with a
+vague longing, an odd uneasiness--just the sort that filled him now.
+There was a deadly parallel here. He sighed.
+
+“Yes, sir? Do you want something?” Copper asked.
+
+“I could use a cup of coffee,” he said. “These reports are getting me
+down.” The banality amused him--sitting here thinking of Copper and
+talking about coffee. Banality was at once the curse and the saving
+grace of mankind. It kept men from the emotional peaks and valleys that
+could destroy them. He chuckled shakily. The only alternative would be
+to get rid of her--and he couldn’t (or wouldn’t?--the question intruded
+slyly) do that.
+
+Copper returned with a steaming cup which she set before him. Truly,
+this coffee was a man’s drink. She had tried it once but the hot
+bitterness scalded her mouth and flooded her body with its heat. And she
+had felt so lightheaded. Not like herself at all. It wasn’t a drink for
+Lani. Of that she was certain.
+
+Yet he enjoyed it. He looked at her and smiled. He was pleased with
+her. Perhaps--yet--she might find favor in his eyes. The hope was always
+there within her--a hope that was at once fear and prayer. And if she
+did--she would know what to do.
+
+Kennon looked up. Copper’s face was convulsed with a bright mixture of
+hope and pain. Never, he swore, had he saw anything more beautiful or
+sad. Involuntarily he placed his hand upon her arm. She flinched, her
+muscles tensing under his finger tips. It was though his fingers carried
+a galvanic current that backlashed up his arm even as it stiffened hers.
+
+“What’s the matter, Copper?” he asked softly.
+
+“Nothing, Doctor. I’m just upset.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+There it was again, the calm friendly curiosity that was worse than a
+bath in ice water. Her heart sank. She shivered. She would never find
+her desire here. He was cold--cold--cold! He wouldn’t see. He didn’t
+care. All right--so that was how it had to be. But first she would tell
+him. Then he could do with her as he wished. “I hoped--for the past year
+that you would see me. That you would think of me not as a Lani, but as
+a beloved.” The words came faster now, tumbling over one another. “That
+you would desire me and take me to those worlds we cannot know unless
+you humans show us. I have hoped so much, but I suppose it’s wrong--for
+you--you are so very human, and I--well, I’m not!” The last three words
+held all the sadness and the longing of mankind aspiring to be God.
+
+“My dear--my poor child,” Kennon murmured.
+
+She looked at him, but her eyes could not focus on his face, for his
+hands were on her shoulders and the nearness of him drove the breath
+from her body. From a distance she heard a hard tight voice that was her
+own. “Oh, sir--oh please, sir!”
+
+The hands withdrew, leaving emptiness--but her heartbeat slowed and the
+pink haze cleared and she could see his face.
+
+And with a surge of terror and triumph she realized what she saw! That
+hard bright look that encompassed and possessed her! The curved lips
+drawn over white, white teeth! The flared nostrils! The hungry demand
+upon his face that answered the demand in her heart! And she knew--at
+last--with a knowledge that turned her limbs to water, that she had
+found favor in his eyes!
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Mixed emotion! Ha! The author of that cliche didn’t even know its
+meaning! Kennon strode furiously down the dusty road toward Station One
+trying to sublimate his inner conflict into action. It was useless, of
+course, for once he stopped moving the grim tug-of-war between training
+and desire would begin again, and no matter how it ended the result
+would be unsatisfactory. As long as he had been able to delude himself
+that he was fond of Copper the way a man is fond of some lesser species,
+it had been all right. But he knew now that he was fond of her as a man
+is of a woman--and it was hell! For no rationalization in the universe
+would allow him to define her as human. Copper was humanoid--something
+like human. And to live with her and love her would not be
+miscegenation, which was bad enough, but bestiality which was a thousand
+times worse.
+
+Although throughout most of the Brotherhood miscegenation was an unknown
+word, and even bestiality had become a loose definition on many worlds
+with humanoid populations, the words had definite meaning and moral
+force to a Betan. And--God help him--he was a Betan. A lifetime of
+training in a moral code that frowned upon mixed marriages and shrank
+appalled from even the thought of mixing species was nothing to bring
+face to face with the fact that he loved Copper.
+
+It was odd, Kennon reflected bitterly, that humans could do with animals
+what their customs and codes prohibited them from doing to themselves.
+For thousands of years--back to the very dawn of history when men had
+bred horses and asses to produce mules--men had been mixing species
+to produce useful hybrids. Yet a Betan who could hybridize plants or
+animals with complete equanimity shrank with horror from the thought of
+applying the same technique to himself.
+
+What was there about a human being that was so sacrosanct? He shook his
+head angrily. He didn’t know. There was no answer. But the idea--the
+belief--was there, ingrained into his attitudes, a part of his outlook,
+built carefully block by block from infancy until it now towered into a
+mighty wall that barred him from doing what he wished to do.
+
+It would be an easier hurdle if he had been born anywhere except on
+Beta. In the rest of the Brotherhood, the color of a man’s skin, the
+shape of his face, the quality and color of his hair and eyes made no
+difference. All men were brothers. But on Beta, where a variant-G sun
+had already caused genetic divergence, the brotherhood of man was a term
+that was merely given lip service. Betans were different and from birth
+they were taught to accept the difference and to live with it. Mixing of
+Betan stock with other human species, while not actually forbidden, was
+so encircled with conditioning that it was a rare Betan indeed who would
+risk self-opprobrium and the contempt of his fellows to mate with an
+outsider. And as for humanoids--Kennon shuddered. He couldn’t break the
+attitudes of a lifetime. Yet he loved Copper.
+
+And she knew he did!
+
+And that was an even greater horror. He had fled from the office, from
+the glad light in her eyes, as a burned child flees fire. He needed time
+to think, time to plan. Yet his body and his surface thoughts wanted no
+plans or time. Living with a Lani wasn’t frowned upon on Flora. Many of
+the staff did, nor did anyone seem to think less of them for doing
+so. Even Alexander himself had half-confessed to a more than platonic
+affection for a Lani called Susy.
+
+Yet this was no excuse, nor would it silence the cold still voice in his
+mind that kept repeating sodomite--sodomite--sodomite with a passionless
+inflection that was even more terrible than anger.
+
+The five kilometers to Station One disappeared unnoticed beneath his
+feet as he walked, and he looked up in surprise to see the white walls
+and red roofs of the station looming before him.
+
+“Good Lord! Doc! What’s got into you?” the stationmaster said. “You
+look like you’d seen a ghost. And out in this sun without a helmet! Come
+inside, man, before you get sunstroke!”
+
+Kennon chuckled without humor. “Getting sunstroke is the least of my
+worries, Al,” he said, but he allowed Al Crothers to usher him inside.
+
+“It’s odd that you showed up right now,” Al said, his dark face showing
+the curiosity that filled him. “I just had a call from Message Center
+not five minutes ago, telling me to have you call in if you showed up.”
+
+
+Kennon sighed. “On this island you can’t get away from the phone,” he
+said wryly. “O.K., where is it?”
+
+“You look pretty bushed, Doc. Maybe you’d better rest awhile.”
+
+“And maybe it’s an emergency,” Kennon interrupted. “And probably it is
+because the staff can handle routine matters--so maybe you’d better show
+me where you keep the phone.”
+
+* * *
+
+“One moment please,” the Message Center operator said. There were a few
+clicks in the background. “Here’s your party,” she continued. “Go ahead,
+Doctor.”
+
+“Kennon?” a nervous voice crackled from the receiver.
+
+“Yes?”
+
+“You’re needed out on Otpen One.”
+
+“Who is calling--and what’s the rush?”
+
+“Douglas--Douglas Alexander. The Lani are dying! It’s an emergency!
+Cousin Alex’ll skin us alive if we let these Lani die!”
+
+Douglas! Kennon hadn’t thought of him since the one time they had met
+in Alexandria. That was a year ago. It seemed much longer. Since the
+Boss-man had exiled his cousin to that bleak rock to the east of Flora
+there had been no word of him. And now--he laughed a sharp bark of
+humorless annoyance--Douglas couldn’t have timed it better if he had
+tried!
+
+“All right,” Kennon said. “I’ll come. What seems to be the trouble?”
+
+“They’re sick.”
+
+“That’s obvious,” Kennon snapped. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be calling.
+Can’t you tell me any more than that?”
+
+“They’re vomiting. They have diarrhea. Several have had fits.”
+
+“Thanks,” Kennon said. “I’ll be right out. Expect me in an hour.”
+
+“So you’re leaving?” Al asked as he cradled the phone.
+
+“That’s a practitioner’s life,” Kennon said. “Full of interruptions. Can
+I borrow your jeep?”
+
+“I’ll drive you. Where do you want to go?”
+
+“To the hospital,” Kennon said. “I’ll have to pick up my gear. It’s an
+emergency all right.”
+
+“You’re a tough one,” Al said admiringly. “I’d hate to walk five kilos
+in this heat without a hat--and then go out on a call.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. “It’s not necessarily toughness. I believe in doing one
+job at a time--and my contract reads veterinary service, not personal
+problems. The job comes first and there’s work to do.”
+
+Copper wasn’t in sight when Kennon came back to the hospital--a fact for
+which he was grateful. He packed quickly, threw his bags into the jeep,
+and took off with almost guilty haste. He’d contact the Hospital from
+the Otpens. Right now all he wanted was to put distance between himself
+and Copper. Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but at the moment
+propinquity was by far the more dangerous thing. He pointed the blunt
+nose of the jeep toward Mount Olympus, set the autopilot, opened the
+throttle, and relaxed as best he could as the little vehicle sped at top
+speed for the outer islands. A vague curiosity filled him. He’d never
+been on the Otpens. He wondered what they were like.
+
+* * *
+
+Otpen One was a rocky tree-clad islet crowned with the stellate mass of
+a Class II Fortalice. But this one wasn’t like Alexandria. It was fully
+manned and in service condition.
+
+“Airboat!” a voice crackled from the dashboard speaker of the jeep,
+“Identify yourself! You are being tracked.”
+
+Kennon quickly flipped the IFF switch. “Dr. Kennon, from Flora,” he
+said.
+
+“Thank you, sir. You are expected and are clear to land. Bring your
+vehicle down in the marked area.” A section of the roof turned a garish
+yellow as Kennon circled the building. He brought the jeep in lightly,
+setting it carefully in the center of the area.
+
+“Leave your vehicle,” the speaker chattered. “If you are armed leave
+your weapon behind.”
+
+“It’s not my habit to carry a gun,” Kennon snapped.
+
+“Sorry, sir--regulations,” the speaker said. ‘“This is S.O.P.”
+
+Kennon left the jeep and instantly felt the probing tingle of a search
+beam. He looked around curiously at the flat roof of the fortress
+with its domed turrets and ugly snouts of the main battery projectors
+pointing skyward. Beside him, the long metal doors of a missile launcher
+made a rectangular trace on the smooth surface of the roof. Behind him
+the central tower poked its gaunt ferromorph and durilium outline into
+the darkening sky bearing its crown of spiderweb radar antennae turning
+steadily on their gimbals covering a vast hemisphere from horizon to
+zenith with endless inspection.
+
+From the base of the tower a man emerged. He was tall, taller even than
+Kennon, and the muscles of his body showed through the tightness of
+his battle dress. His face was harsh, and in his hands he carried a
+Burkholtz magnum--the most powerful portable weapon mankind had yet
+devised.
+
+“You are Dr. Kennon?” the trooper asked.
+
+“I am.”
+
+“Your I.D., please.”
+
+Kennon handed it over and the big man scanned the card with practiced
+eyes. “Check,” he said. “Follow me, sir.”
+
+“My bags,” Kennon said.
+
+“They’ll be taken care of.”
+
+Kennon shrugged and followed the man into the tower. A modern grav-shaft
+lowered them to the ground floor. They passed through a gloomy
+caricature of the Great Hall in Alexandria, through an iris, and down a
+long corridor lined with doors.
+
+A bell rang.
+
+“Back!” the trooper said. “Against the wall! Quick! Into the doorway!”
+
+“What’s up?”
+
+“Another practice alert.” The trooper’s voice was bored. “It gets so
+that you’d almost wish for a fight to relieve the monotony.”
+
+A trooper and several Lani came down the corridor, running in
+disciplined formation. Steel clanged on steel as they turned the corner
+and moments later the whine of servos came faintly to their ears. From
+somewhere deep in the pile a rising crescendo of generators under full
+battle load sent out vibrations that could be sensed rather than heard.
+A klaxon squawked briefly. There was another clash of metal, and a harsh
+voice boomed through the corridors. “Fourteen seconds. Well done. Secure
+stations!”
+
+The trooper grinned. “That ties the record,” he said. “We can go now.”
+
+The corridor ended abruptly at an iris flanked by two sentries. They
+conferred briefly with Kennon’s guide, dilated the iris, and motioned
+for Kennon to enter. The pastel interior of the modern office was a
+shocking contrast to the gray ferromorph corridors outside.
+
+Douglas Alexander was standing behind the desk. He was much the same.
+His pudgy face was haggard with uncertainty and his eyes darted back
+and forth as his fingers caressed the knobby grip of a small Burkholtz
+jutting from a holster at his waist. There were new, unpleasant furrows
+between his eyes. He looked older and the indefinable air of cruelty was
+more pronounced. He had been frightened the last time Kennon had seen
+him, and he was frightened now.
+
+“I’m not sure whether I am glad to see you, Kennon,” he said
+uncertainly. “But I suppose I have to be.”
+
+Kennon believed him.
+
+“How have you been?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Not too bad until this afternoon. Things have been going pretty well.”
+ He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. “I suppose Cousin
+Alex will skin me for this, but there’s nothing else I can do.” He
+licked his lips. “You’ve been here long enough--and you’ll have to know
+eventually.” He fidgeted and finally sat down behind the desk. “We
+have trouble. Half the Lani were stricken about four hours ago. It was
+sudden. No warning at all. And if they die--” his voice trailed off.
+
+“Well--what are we waiting for? Get someone to bring my bags down here
+and we’ll look them over.”
+
+“Do you have to?--Can’t you prescribe something?”
+
+“How? I haven’t examined the patients.”
+
+“I can tell you what’s wrong.”
+
+Kennon smiled. “I hardly think that’s the way to do it. Even though
+your description might be accurate, you still might miss something of
+critical importance.”
+
+Douglas sighed. “I thought that’s what you’d say,” he said. “Oh--very
+well--you might as well see what we have out here.”
+
+“You can’t possibly believe that I don’t already know,” Kennon said.
+“You have male Lani.”
+
+Douglas looked at him, his face blank with surprise. “But--how did you
+know? No one on the main island does except the Family. And we never
+talk about it. Did Eloise tell you? I noticed she was struck with you
+the day you came, and the Lani who have come out here since have been
+talking about you two. Did she do it?”
+
+Kennon shook his head. “She never said a word.”
+
+“Then how--”
+
+“I’m not stupid,” Kennon said. “That story you’ve spread about
+artificial fertilization has more holes in it than a sieve. That
+technique has been investigated a thousand times. And it has never
+worked past the first generation. If you had been using it, the Lani
+would long ago have been extinct. Haploids don’t reproduce, and the only
+way the diploid number of chromosomes can be kept is to replace those
+lost by maturation division of the ovum. You might be able to keep the
+diploid number by using immature ova, but the fertilization technique
+would be far more complex than the simple uterine injections you use at
+Hillside Station.”
+
+Douglas looked at him blankly.
+
+“Besides,” Kennon added, “I have a microscope. I checked your so-called
+fertilizing solution. I found spermatozoa, and spermatozoa only come
+from males. What’s more, the males have to be the same species as the
+females or fertilization will not take place. So there must be male
+Lani. Nothing else fits. You’ve been using artificial insemination
+on the main-island Lani. And from the way this place is guarded, it’s
+obvious that here is your stud farm.”
+
+Douglas shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of resignation. “I
+suppose,” he said, “that’s the way Old Doc found out too. We never told
+him, but he knew before he ever came out here.”
+
+“The only thing that puzzles me,” Kennon went on, “is how you managed to
+eliminate the Y-chromosome carriers within the sperm.”
+
+“Eh?”
+
+“The male sex-determinant. Half the sperm carry it, but so far as I
+know, there’s never been a male born on the main island.”
+
+“Oh--that. It’s something that’s done in the labs here. Probably one of
+the technicians could tell you. It’s called electro--electro freezing
+or something like that.”
+
+“Electrodiaphoresis?”
+
+Douglas nodded. “That sounds like it. I don’t know anything about
+it. One of Grandfather’s men did the basic work. We just follow
+instructions.” He shrugged. “Well--since you know the secret there’s no
+sense in hiding the bodies. Come along and tell me what’s wrong.”
+
+It was a peculiar feeling to walk down the row of cubical rooms with
+their barred doors. The whole area reminded him of a historical novel,
+of the prisons of early human history where men confined other men for
+infractions of social customs. The grimness of the place was appalling.
+The male Lani--impressive in their physical development--were in
+miserable condition, nauseated, green-faced, retching. The sickening
+odors of vomit and diarrhea hung heavily on the air. Douglas coughed and
+held a square of cloth to his face, and even Kennon, strong-stomached
+as he was, could feel his viscera twitch in sympathy with the caged
+sufferers.
+
+“Great Fleming, man!” Kennon exploded. “You can’t keep them here. Get
+them out! Give them some fresh air! This place would make a well man
+sick.”
+
+Douglas looked at him, “I wouldn’t take one of them out unless I had him
+shackled and there was an armed guard to help me. Those males are the
+most vicious, cunning, and dangerous animals on Kardon. They exist with
+but one thought in mind--to kill!”
+
+Kennon looked curiously through a barred door at one of the Lani. He lay
+on a bare cot, a magnificently muscled figure with a ragged black beard
+hiding his face. There were dozens of scars on his body and one angry
+purple area on his thick right forearm where flesh had been torn away
+not too long ago. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and soft
+moaning noises came from his tight lips as he pressed his abdomen with
+thick-fingered hands. “He doesn’t look so dangerous,” Kennon said.
+
+“Watch it!” Douglas warned. “Don’t get too close!” But the warning was
+too late. Kennon touched the bars, and as he did, the Lani moved with
+fluid speed, one huge hand clutching Kennon’s sleeve and pulling him
+against the bars while the other darted for his throat. Fingers bit
+into Kennon’s neck and tightened in a viselike grip. Kennon reacted
+automatically. His arms came up inside the Lani’s and crashed down,
+elbows out, tearing the Lani loose. He jumped back, rubbing his bruised
+throat. “That fellow’s not sick!” he gasped. “He’s crazy!”
+
+The Lani glared at him through the bars, disappointment written on his
+scarred and bearded face.
+
+“I warned you,” Douglas said. His voice held an undertone of malicious
+laughter. “He must be sick or he would have killed you. George is clever
+in a stupid sort of way.”
+
+Kennon looked into the cubicle. The Lani glared back and growled. There
+was a beastlike note in his voice that made the short hairs on Kennon’s
+neck prickle.
+
+“That fellow needs a lesson,” he said.
+
+“You want to give it to him?” Douglas asked.
+
+“Not particularly.”
+
+“Ha!--man!--you afraid!” the Lani taunted. His voice was thick and
+harsh. “All men fear me. All Lani, too. I am boss. Come close again man
+and I kill you!”
+
+“Are they all that stupid?” Kennon asked. “He sounds like a homicidal
+moron.”
+
+“He’s not stupid,” Douglas said. “Just uneducated.”
+
+“Why is he so murderous?”
+
+“That’s his training. All his life he has fought. From childhood his
+life has been based on his ability to survive in an environment where
+every male is his enemy. You see here the sublimation of individuality.
+He cannot co-operate with another male. He hates them, and they in turn
+hate him. George, here, is a perfect example of absolute freedom from
+restraint.” Douglas smiled unpleasantly.
+
+“His whole history is one of complete lack of control. As an infant,
+being a male, his mother thought she was favored by the gods and she
+denied him nothing. In fact we were quite insistent that she gave him
+everything he wanted. By the time he was able to walk and take care of
+himself, he was completely spoiled, selfish, and authoritative.
+
+“Then we took him and a dozen others exactly like him and put them
+together.” Douglas grinned. “You should see what happens when a dozen
+spoiled brats are forced to live together. It’s more fun. The little
+beasts hate each other on sight. And we stimulate them to compete for
+toys, food, and drink. Never quite enough to go around. You can imagine
+what happens. Instead of sharing, each little selfish individualist
+fights to get everything he can grab. Except for one thing we
+don’t punish them no matter what they do. If anyone shows signs of
+co-operating he is disciplined severely, the first time. The next time,
+he is culled. But other than that, we leave them alone. They develop
+their personalities and their muscles--and if one proves to be too
+much for his fellows we transfer him to a more advanced class where the
+competition is keener, and he learns what it is to lose.
+
+“At puberty we add sex drive to the basics, and by the time our male
+reaches maturity we have something like George. Actually, George is
+more mature than either you or I. He has all the answers he needs. He’s
+strong, solitary, authoritative, and selfish. He has no curiosity and
+resents encroachment. He’s a complete individualist. If he proves out he
+should make an excellent sire.”
+
+“But isn’t he dangerous to handle?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Yes, but we take precautions.”
+
+Kennon grimaced with distaste.
+
+“Look at it objectively,” Douglas said. “We’re trying to select the best
+physical type we can in the hope that he’ll pass his qualities to his
+offspring, and there’s no better practical way to select the strongest
+and hardiest than by natural selection. We control their environment
+as little as possible and let Nature do our educating until they’re old
+enough to be useful.
+
+“Naturally, there are some things which we cannot provide, such as
+exposure to disease, to the elements, and to predators. The one isn’t
+selective about whom it infects, while the others would tend to produce
+co-operation as a matter of survival.”
+
+“Isn’t there a great deal of mortality under such a regimen?” Kennon
+asked.
+
+“Not as much as you might expect. It’s about twenty per cent. And there
+is a great deal of compensation from a management viewpoint. We get
+essentially the same physical end product as we would from a closely
+managed operation, plus a great saving in labor. Males, you see, are
+fairly expendable. We only need a few a year.”
+
+“It’s brutal.”
+
+“So it is, but life is brutal. Still, it’s efficient for our purposes.
+We merely take advantage of natural impulses to produce a better
+product. Grandfather got the idea out of an old book--something about
+the noble savage, natural selection and survival of the fittest. He
+thought it was great--said there was nothing like relentless competition
+to bring out the strongest and hardiest types. And he’s been right for
+centuries. Can you imagine anything much better than George--from a
+physical viewpoint?”
+
+“He is a magnificent animal,” Kennon admitted as he eyed the Lani. “But
+it seems to me that you could train some obedience into him.”
+
+Douglas shook his head. “That would introduce a modifying factor,
+something bigger and more powerful than the male himself. And that would
+modify the results. We can control them well enough with knockout gas
+and shackles. And those things, oddly enough, don’t destroy their pride
+or self-esteem. They think that we use them because we are afraid, and
+it satisfies their egos.”
+
+Kennon eyed the caged Lani dubiously. “This is going to be difficult.
+I must examine them and treat them, but if they’re all as homicidal as
+this one--”
+
+“You fight me man,” George interrupted, his face twisted into lines of
+transparent guile. “I am boss and others do as I say. You beat me, then
+you are boss.”
+
+“Is this true?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Oh, it’s true enough,” Douglas said. “George is the leader and if you
+beat him you’d be top male until some other one got courage enough to
+challenge you. But he’s just trying to get his hands on you. He’d like
+to kill.”
+
+Kennon looked at the big humanoid appraisingly. George was huge,
+at least five centimeters taller and fifteen kilograms heavier than
+himself. And he was all muscle. “I don’t think I’d care to accept that
+challenge unless I was forced to,” Kennon said.
+
+Douglas chuckled. “I don’t blame you.”
+
+Kennon sighed. “It looks like we are going to need reinforcements to
+get these brutes under control. I’m not going in there with them, and I
+can’t examine them from out here.”
+
+“Oh, we can hold them all right. Paralysis gas and shackles will keep
+them quiet. There’s no need to bother the troopers. We can handle this
+by ourselves.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. “It’s your baby. You should know what you’re doing.”
+
+“I do,” Douglas said confidently. “Wait here until I get the gas
+capsules and the equipment.” He turned and walked back to the entrance
+to the cell block. At the iris he turned. “Be careful,” he said.
+
+“Don’t worry, I will.” Kennon looked at George through the bars and the
+humanoid glared back, his eyes bright with hatred. Kennon felt the
+short hairs prickle along the back of his neck. George roused a primal
+emotion--an elemental dislike that was deeper than reason--an antagonism
+intensely physical, almost overpowering--a purely adrenal response that
+had no business in the make-up of a civilized human.
+
+He had thought the Lani had a number of human traits until he had
+encountered George. But if George was a typical male--then the Lani were
+alien. He flexed his muscles and stared coldly into the burning blue
+eyes behind the bars. There would be considerable satisfaction in
+beating this monstrosity to a quivering pulp. Millennia of human
+pre-eminence--of belief that nothing, no matter how big or muscular,
+should fail to recognize that a man’s person was inviolate--fed the
+fuel of his anger. The most ferocious beasts on ten thousand worlds
+had learned this lesson. And yet this animal had laid hands on him
+with intent to kill. A cold corner of his mind kept telling him that he
+wasn’t behaving rationally, but he disregarded it. George was a walking
+need for a lesson in manners.
+
+“Don’t get the idea that I’m afraid of you--you overmuscled oaf,” Kennon
+snapped. “I can handle you or anyone like you. And if you put your hands
+on me again I’ll beat you within an inch of your worthless life.”
+
+The Lani snarled. “Let me out and I kill you. But you are like all men.
+You use gun and iron--not fair fight.”
+
+Douglas returned with a gas capsule and a set of shackles. “All right,”
+ he said. “We’re ready for him.” He handed Kennon the shackles and a key
+to the cell door--and drew his Burkholtz.
+
+“See,” the Lani growled. “It is as I say. Men are cowards.”
+
+“You know gun?” Douglas asked as he pointed the muzzle of the Burkholtz
+at the Lani.
+
+“I know,” George growled. “Gun kill.”
+
+“It does indeed,” Douglas said. “Now get back--clear back against the
+wall.”
+
+George snarled but didn’t move.
+
+“I’ll count three,” Douglas said, “and if you’re not back by then
+I’ll burn you down. You’ll obey even if you won’t do anything
+else.--one--two--”
+
+George retreated to the far end of his cell.
+
+“Now face the wall.” Douglas tossed the gas capsule into the cell. The
+thin-walled container broke, releasing a cloud of vapor. George
+crumpled to the floor. “Now we wait a couple of minutes for the gas to
+dissipate,” Douglas said. “After that he’s all yours. You can go in and
+put the irons on him.”
+
+“Will he be out long?” Kennon asked.
+
+“About five minutes. After that he’ll have muscular control.” Douglas
+chuckled. “They’re stupid,” he said. “They know what gas does to them,
+but they never have sense enough to hold their breath. They could be
+twice as much trouble as they are. All right, it’s safe to go in now.”
+ Douglas let the gun dangle in his hand.
+
+Kennon unlocked the door.
+
+And George rolled over, muscles bunched and driving! He hit the door
+with such force that Kennon was slammed against the wall, dazed--half
+stunned by the speed of the attack. George--he had time to think in one
+brief flash--wasn’t stupid. He had held his breath for the necessary two
+minutes!
+
+Douglas jerked the blaster up and fired, but his target was too quick.
+George dropped and rolled. The sizzling streak of violet flashed inches
+above his body and tore a six-inch hole through the back of the cell.
+And then George was on him! The huge, marvelously fast hands of the
+humanoid wrenched the blaster out of Douglas’s hands and jerked him
+forward. A scream burst from Douglas as George’s hands closed around his
+neck. Muscles sprang into writhing life in the humanoid’s huge forearms.
+There was a soft, brittle crack, and Douglas sagged limp in the iron
+grip that held him dangling.
+
+“Faugh!” George grunted. He dropped Douglas as Kennon pushed the door
+back and came out into the passageway. “Maybe you make better fight,”
+ George said as he lowered his head into the muscular mass of his broad
+shoulders.
+
+Kennon eyed him appraisingly, swinging the irons in his right hand.
+
+This time the Lani didn’t charge. He moved slowly, half crouched, long
+arms held slightly forward. Kennon backed away, watching the humanoid’s
+eyes for that telltale flicker of the pupils that gives warning
+of attack. The expression on George’s face never changed. It was
+satisfied--smug almost--reflecting the feelings of a brute conditioned
+to kill and given an opportunity to do so. The Lani radiated confidence.
+
+Kennon shivered involuntarily. He wasn’t frightened, but he had never
+met an opponent like this. A chill raced up the back of his legs and
+spread over his stomach and chest. His mouth was dry and his muscles
+quivered with tense anticipation. But his concentration never wavered.
+His hard blue eyes never left George’s, searching with microscopic
+intentness for the faintest sign of the Lani’s intentions.
+
+George charged--hands reaching for Kennon’s throat, face twisted in a
+snarl of rage and hate. But even as he charged Kennon moved. He ducked
+beneath the Lani’s outstretched hands and drove his left fist deep into
+George’s belly just below the breastbone.
+
+Air whistled out of the Lani’s gaping mouth as he bent double from the
+power of the blow. Kennon clipped him on the chin with a driving knee,
+snapping George’s head back and smashed the bearded face with the
+shackles. Blood spurted and George screamed with rage. One of the Lani’s
+big hands wrapped around the shackles and tugged. Kennon let go and
+drove another left to George’s ribs.
+
+The Lani threw the irons at Kennon, but his aim was poor. One of the
+handcuff rings scraped across Kennon’s cheek, but did nothing more
+than break the skin. Half paralyzed by the blows to his solar plexus,
+George’s co-ordination was badly impaired. But he kept trying. Kennon
+wrapped lean fingers about one of George’s outstretched hands, bent,
+pivoted, and slammed the Lani with bone-crushing force against the bars
+of a nearby cell. But George didn’t go down. “He’s more brute than man,”
+ Kennon thought. “No man could take a beating like that!” He moved aside
+from George’s stumbling rush, feeling a twinge of pity for the battered
+humanoid. It was no contest. Strong as he was, George didn’t know the
+rudiments of hand-to-hand fighting. His reactions were those of an
+animal, to close, clutch, bite, and tear. Even if he were completely
+well, the results would have been the same. It would merely have taken
+longer. Kennon drove a vicious judo chop to the junction of the Lani’s
+neck and shoulder. Brute strength was no match for the highly evolved
+mayhem that every spaceman learns as a necessary part of his trade.
+George had never been on planet leave in a spaceport town. He knew
+nothing about the dives, the crimps, the hostile port police. His idea
+of fighting was that of a beast, but Kennon was a civilized man to whom
+fighting was an art perfected by millennia of warfare. And Kennon knew
+his trade.
+
+Even so it took longer than Kennon expected because George was big,
+George was strong, and George had courage and pride that kept him coming
+as long as the blazing will behind his blazing eyes could drive his
+battered body. But the end was inevitable.
+
+Kennon looked at his bloody arm where George’s teeth had reached their
+mark. It was hardly more than a scratch, but it had been close. George
+had his lesson and Kennon felt oddly degraded. He sighed, dragged George
+back into the cell, and locked the door.
+
+Then he turned to Douglas. The howls of hate from the caged Lani died to
+a sullen silence as Kennon gently examined the limp body.
+
+Douglas wasn’t dead. His neck was dislocated, not broken, but he was in
+serious condition. Kennon was still bending over Douglas wondering how
+to call for help when three guards burst through the door, faces grim,
+weapons at the ready.
+
+“What’s going on here?” the leader demanded. “The board showed an
+open door down here.” He saw the body--“Mr. Douglas!” he gasped. “The
+commandant will have to know about this!” He took a communicator from
+his waist belt and spoke rapidly into it. “Arleson in stud cell block,”
+ he said. “Attempted escape. One casualty--Douglas Alexander--yes,
+that’s right. No--he’s not dead. Send a litter and bearers. Inform the
+commandant. I am making investigation on the spot. Out.” He turned to
+look coldly at Kennon.
+
+“Who are you--and what happened here?” he asked.
+
+Kennon told him.
+
+“You mean you took George!” Arleson said.
+
+“Look in his cell if you don’t believe me.”
+
+The soldier looked and then turned hack to Kennon. There was awed
+respect in his hard brown eyes. “You did that!--to him! Man, you’re a
+fighter,” he said in an unbelieving voice.
+
+A stretcher detail manned by two sober-faced Lani females came in,
+loaded Douglas’s body on the stretcher, and silently bore it away.
+
+“Douglas was a fool,” Arleson said. “He knew we never handle this kind
+without maximum restraint. I wonder why he did it?”
+
+“I couldn’t say. He told me that gas and shackles would hold him.”
+
+“He knew better. These Lani know gas capsules. All George had to do was
+hold his breath. In that cell George would have killed you. You couldn’t
+have stayed away from him.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. Maybe that was what Douglas had wanted. Kennon sighed.
+He didn’t have the answer. And it could just be that Douglas had tried
+to show off. Well, he would pay for it. He’d have a stiff neck for
+months, and perhaps that was a proper way to end it.
+
+* * *
+
+Commander Mullins, a thin gray-faced man with the hard cold eyes of
+a professional soldier, came into the corridor followed by another
+trooper.
+
+His eyes took in the wreckage that had been George, the split lips,
+the smashed nose, the puffed eyes, the cuts and bruises, and then raked
+across Kennon.
+
+“Spaceman--hey?” he asked. “I’ve seen work like that before.”
+
+Kennon nodded. “I was once. I’m station veterinarian now. Douglas called
+me over--said it was an emergency.”
+
+Mullins nodded.
+
+“Well--why aren’t you tending to it?”
+
+“I have to examine them,” Kennon said gesturing at the cells. “And I
+don’t want any more trouble like this.”
+
+“Don’t worry. You won’t have it. Now that you’ve beaten George, you’ll
+have no trouble at all. You’re top dog.” Mullins gestured at the cages.
+“They’ll be good for a while. Now you’d better get on with your work.
+There’s been enough disruption of routine for today. The men will help
+you.”
+
+* * *
+
+Kennon checked in at the commandant’s office before he left for the main
+island.
+
+“How is Douglas?” he asked.
+
+“He’s alive,” Mullins said. “We flew him to Albertsville--and good
+riddance. How are the Lani?”
+
+“They’ll be all right,” Kennon said. “It’s just food poisoning. I
+suggest you check your kitchen and your food handlers. There’s a break
+in sanitation that could incapacitate your whole command. I found a few
+things wrong but there are probably more.”
+
+“I’ll check on it--and thanks for the advice,” Mullins said. “Sit down,
+Doctor. Your airboat won’t be serviced for another few minutes. Tell me
+how things are on the main island. How’s Blalok?”
+
+“You know him?”
+
+“Of course. I used to be a frequent visitor there. But with that young
+pup here, I couldn’t leave. I didn’t dare to. He’d have disrupted
+routine in a single day. Look what he did in half an hour. Frankly, I
+owe you a debt for getting him off my hands.” Mullins chuckled dryly.
+
+“That’s a fine thing to say,” Kennon grinned. “But I can sympathize. It
+took us two months to straighten out Alexandria after the Boss-man sent
+him here.”
+
+“I heard about that.”
+
+“Well--we’re under control now. Things are going pretty smoothly.”
+
+“They’ll be better here,” Mullins said. “Now that Douglas is gone.” He
+shrugged. “I hope the Boss doesn’t send him back. He’s hard to handle
+and he makes discipline a problem.”
+
+“Could you tell me--or would it be violating security?” Kennon said.
+“Why do you have a Class II installation on full war footing out here?”
+
+Mullins chuckled. “It’s no secret,” he said. “There was a commercial
+raid on this place about fifty years ago. Seems as though one of our
+competitors didn’t like us. Alexandria was on a war footing then and
+managed to hold them off. But it scared the Old Man. You see, our
+competitive position is based on Lani labor. Our competitors didn’t know
+that. Their intelligence wasn’t so good. Up until that time, we’d been
+keeping the males out here in what was hardly more than a stockade.
+Those people could have taken a few dozen females and a couple of males
+and they’d have been in business. But they didn’t know. They tried to
+smash Alexandria instead. Naturally they didn’t have a chance. And after
+it was over the Old Man got smart. He still had the tapes for Alexandria
+so he built a duplicate out here and spent a few millions on modern
+armament. The way we’re set now it’d take a battle group to hurt us.”
+
+“But how about security? Don’t the others know about the Lani now?”
+
+“It’s a moot question. But it won’t do them any good. They can’t crack
+this place, and without males, all the females on Flora wouldn’t do
+them enough long-term good to pay for the force they’d need to be
+successful.”
+
+“So that’s why the males are isolated.”
+
+“There’s another reason--two of them in fact. One is physical. Even
+the best male is a dangerous beast. They have a flair for violence that
+makes them useless as labor and their training doesn’t help matters.
+And the other is mental. The females on the main island believe that we
+humans are responsible for the continuation of their breed. This tends
+to keep them in line. We have a great deal more trouble with them out
+here once they know the truth. We’ve had a number of cases of females
+trying to engineer a male’s escape. But they’re never repeated,” Mullins
+said grimly. “Actually, it would be an interesting life out here, except
+for the abattoir.” He grimaced. “That’s an unpleasant chore.”
+
+“You mean--” Kennon said.
+
+“Why, certainly. What else could we do with senile animals?”
+
+“But that’s murder!”
+
+Mullins shook his head. “No more than killing a cow for beef.”
+
+“You know,” Kennon said, “I’ve never thought of what happened to aged
+Lani. Sure, I’ve never seen one, but--Lord Lister!--I’m a fool.”
+
+“You’ll get used to the idea,” Mullins said. “They aren’t human, and
+except for a few, they aren’t as intelligent as a Santosian Varl. I know
+that they look like us except for those tails, but that’s as far as it
+goes. I’ve spent two hundred years with them and I know what I’m talking
+about.”
+
+“That’s what Alexander says.”
+
+“He should know. He’s lived with them all his life.”
+
+“Well--perhaps. But I’m not convinced.”
+
+“Neither was Old Doc--not until the day he died.”
+
+“Did he change then?”
+
+“I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But Old Doc was a stubborn cuss.”
+
+Kennon stood up. “I’ve given instructions for treatment to your
+corpsman,” he said. “Now I think I’d better be getting back. I have some
+reports to finish.”
+
+Mullins smiled grimly. “You know,” he said, “I get the feeling that you
+don’t approve of this operation.”
+
+“Frankly, I don’t,” Kennon said, “but I signed a contract.” He turned
+toward the door and gestured to the two Lani who waited outside with his
+bags. “I can find my way to the roof,” he said.
+
+“Well--good luck,” Mullins said. “We’ll call you again if we need you.”
+
+“Do that,” Kennon replied. He wanted to leave, to get away from this
+place and back to the main island. He wanted to see Copper. He’d be
+damned if anyone was going to butcher her. If he had to stay here until
+she died of old age, he’d do it. But nobody was going to hurt her.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+Kennon wondered if his colleagues in human medicine felt toward their
+patients as he did toward the Lani, or if they ultimately lost their
+individuality and became mere hosts for diseases, parasites,
+and tumors--vehicles for the practice of surgical and medical
+skills--economic units whose well-being meant a certain amount of
+credits. Probably not, he decided. They were human and their very
+humanity made them persons rather than things.
+
+But the possession of individuality was not an asset in the practice of
+animal medicine where economics was the main factor and the satisfaction
+of the owner the principal personality problem. The normal farm animals,
+the shrakes, cattle, sheep, morks, and swine were no problem. They were
+merely a job. But the Lani were different. They weren’t human, but they
+were intelligent and they did have personality even though they didn’t
+possess that indefinable quality that separated man from the beasts. It
+was hard to treat them with dispassionate objectivity. In fact, it was
+impossible.
+
+And this lack of objectivity annoyed him. Should he be this way? Was he
+right to identify them as individuals and treat them as persons
+rather than things? The passing months had failed to rob them of their
+personalities: they had not become the faceless mass of a herd of cattle
+or a flock of sheep. They were still not essentially different
+from humans--and wouldn’t men themselves lose many of their human
+characteristics if they were herded into barracks and treated as
+property for forty generations? Wouldn’t men, too, approach the animal
+condition if they were bred and treated as beasts, their pedigrees
+recorded, their types winnowed and selected? The thought was annoying.
+
+It would be better, Kennon reflected, if he didn’t have time to think,
+if he were so busy he could drop to his bed exhausted each night and
+sleep without dreaming, if he could keep on the run so fast that he
+wouldn’t have time to sit and reflect. But he had done his work too
+well. He had trained his staff too thoroughly. They could handle the
+petty routines of minor treatment and laboratory tests as well as he. He
+had only the intellectual stimulation of atypical cases and these were
+all too rare. The routine inspections were boring, yet he forced himself
+to make them because they filled the time. The hospital wards were
+virtually empty of patients, the work was up to date, the whole island
+was enjoying a carnival of health, and Kennon was still impaled upon
+the horns of his dilemma. It wasn’t so bad now that the first shock was
+over, but it was bad enough--and showed no signs of getting better. Now
+that Copper realized he wanted her, she did nothing to make his life
+easier. Instead she did her best to get underfoot, usually in some
+provocative position. It was enough to try the patience of a marble
+statue Kennon reflected grimly. But it did have its humorous side
+and were it not for the fact that Copper wasn’t human could have
+been thoroughly enjoyable. That, however, was the real hell of it. He
+couldn’t relax and enjoy the contest--his feet were on too slippery
+ground. And Copper with her unerring female instinct knew just what to
+do to make the footing slipperier. Sooner or later, she was certain that
+he would fall. It was only a question of applying sufficient pressure at
+the right spot and the right time. Now that she knew he desired her,
+she was content to wait. The only thing that had bothered her was the
+uncertainty whether he cared or not. For Copper the future was a simple
+thing and she was lighthearted about it. But not so Kennon. Even after
+the initial shock had passed there still remained the moral customs, the
+conditioning, and the prohibitions. But Copper--was Copper--and somehow
+the conditioning lost its force in her presence. Perhaps, he thought
+wryly, it was a symptom of the gradual erosion of his moral character in
+this abnormal environment.
+
+“I’m getting stale,” he confided to Copper as he sat in his office idly
+turning the pages of the Kardon Journal of Allied Medical Sciences.
+“There’s nothing to do that’s interesting.”
+
+“You could help me,” Copper said as she looked up from the pile of cards
+she was sorting. He had given her the thankless task of reorganizing the
+files, and she was barely half through the project.
+
+“There’s nothing to do that’s interesting,” he repeated. He cocked his
+head to one side. From this angle Copper looked decidedly intriguing as
+she bent over the file drawer and replaced a stack of cards.
+
+“I could suggest something,” Copper said demurely.
+
+“Yes, I know,” he said. “You’re full of suggestions.”
+
+“I was thinking that we could go on a picnic.”
+
+“A what?”
+
+“A picnic. Take a lunch and go somewhere in the jeep. Maybe up into the
+hills. I think it might be fun.”
+
+“Why not?” Kennon agreed. “At least it would break the monotony. Tell
+you what. You run up to the house and tell Kara to pack a lunch and
+we’ll take the day off.”
+
+“Good! I hoped you’d say that. I’m getting tired of these dirty old
+cards.” She stood up and sidled past the desk. Kennon resisted the
+impulse to slap as she went past, and congratulated himself on his
+self-control as she looked at him with a half-disappointed expression
+on her face. She had expected it, he thought gleefully. Score one for
+morality.
+
+
+
+
+He smiled. Whatever the other Lani might be, Copper was different.
+Quick, volatile, intelligent, she was a constant delight, a flashing
+kaleidoscope of unexpected facets. Perhaps the others were the same if
+he knew them better. But he didn’t know them--and avoided learning. In
+that direction lay ulcers.
+
+“We’ll go to Olympus,” he said.
+
+Copper looked dubious. “I’d rather not go there. That’s forbidden
+ground.”
+
+“Oh nonsense. You’re merely superstitious.”
+
+She smiled. “Perhaps you’re right. You usually are.”
+
+“That’s the virtue of being a man. Even if I’m wrong, I’m right.” He
+chuckled at the peculiar expression on her face.
+
+“Now off with you--and get that lunch basket packed.”
+
+She bowed. “Yes, master. Your slave flies on winged feet to execute your
+commands.”
+
+Kennon chuckled. Copper had been reading Old Doc’s romances again. He
+recognized the florid style.
+
+* * *
+
+Kennon landed the jeep in a mountain meadow halfway up the slope of
+the peacefully slumbering volcano. It was quiet and cool, and the light
+breeze was blowing Olympus’s smoky cap away from them to the west.
+Copper unpacked the lunch. She moved slowly. After all, there was plenty
+of time, and she wasn’t very hungry. Neither was Kennon.
+
+“Let’s go for a walk,” Copper said. “The woods look cool--and maybe we
+can work up an appetite.”
+
+“Good idea. I could use some exercise. That lunch looks big enough to
+choke a horse and I’d like to do it justice.”
+
+They walked through the woods, skirting scant patches of underbrush,
+slowly moving higher on the mountain slopes. The trees, unlike those
+of Beta, did not end abruptly at a snow line, but pushed green fingers
+upward through passages between old lava flows, on whose black wrinkled
+surfaces nothing grew. The faint hum of insects and the piping calls of
+the birdlike mammals added to the impression of remoteness. It was hard
+to believe that scarcely twenty kilometers from this primitive microcosm
+was the border of the highly organized and productive farmlands of
+Outworld Enterprises.
+
+“Do you think we can see the hospital if we go high enough?” Copper
+said. She panted a little, unaccustomed to the altitude.
+
+“Possibly,” Kennon said. “It is a long distance away. But we should be
+able to see Alexandria,” he added. “That’s high enough and big enough.”
+ He looked at her curiously. “How is it that you’re so breathless?”
+ he asked. “We’re not that high. You’re getting fat with too much soft
+living.”
+
+Copper smiled. “Perhaps I’m getting old.”
+
+“Nonsense,” Kennon chuckled. “It’s just fat. Come to think of it you
+are plumper. Not that I mind, but if you’re going to keep that sylphlike
+figure you’d better go on a diet.”
+
+“You’re too good to me,” Copper said.
+
+“You’re darn right I am. Well--let’s get going. Exercise is always good
+for the waistline, and I’d like to see what’s up ahead.”
+
+Scarcely a kilometer ahead they came to a wall of lava that barred their
+path. “Oh, oh,” Kennon said. “We can’t go over that.” He looked at the
+wrinkled and shattered rock with its knifelike edges.
+
+“I don’t think my feet could take it,” Copper admitted.
+
+“It looks like the end of the trail.”
+
+“No--not quite,” Kennon said. “There seems to be a path here.” He
+pointed to a narrow cleft in the black rock. “Let’s see where it goes.”
+
+Copper hung back. “I don’t think I want to,” she said doubtfully. “It
+looks awfully dark and narrow.”
+
+“Oh, stop it. Nothing’s going to hurt us. Come on.” Kennon took her
+hand.
+
+Unwillingly Copper allowed herself to be led forward. “There’s something
+about this place that frightens me,” she said uncomfortably as the high
+black wails closed in, narrowing until only a slit of yellow sky was
+visible overhead. The path underfoot was surprisingly smooth and free
+from rocks, but the narrow corridor, steeped in shadows, was gloomy and
+depressingly silent. It even bothered Kennon, although he wouldn’t
+admit it. What forces had sliced this razor-thin cleft in the dense
+rock around them? Earthquake probably. And if it happened once it could
+happen again. He would hate to be trapped here entombed in shattered
+rock.
+
+Gradually the passage widened, then abruptly it ended. A bleak vista of
+volcanic ash dotted with sputter cones opened before them. It was a
+flat tableland, roughly circular, scarcely half a kilometer across,
+a desolation of black rock, stunted trees and underbrush, and gray
+volcanic ash. A crater, somewhat larger than the rest, lay with its
+nearest edge about two hundred meters away. The rock edges were fire
+polished, gleaming in the yellow sunshine, and the thin margin of trees
+and brush surrounding the depression were gnarled and shrunken, twisted
+into fantastic shapes.
+
+“Hey! what’s this?” Kennon asked curiously. “That crater looks peculiar,
+like a meteor had struck here--but those stunted plants--hmm--there
+must have been some radioactivity too.” He looked at the crater
+speculatively. “Now I wonder--” he began.
+
+Copper had turned a sickly white. “No!” she said in a half-strangled
+voice--“oh, no!”
+
+Kennon looked at her. “You know what this is?” he demanded.
+
+“No,” Copper said. But her voice was unsteady.
+
+“You’re lying.”
+
+“But I don’t know.” Copper wailed. “I’m only guessing. I’ve never seen
+this place before in my life! Please!--let’s get out of here!”
+
+“Then you know about this,” Kennon demanded.
+
+“I think it’s the Pit,” Copper said. “The redes don’t say where it is.
+But the description fits--the Circle of Death, the Twisted Land--it’s
+all like the redes say.”
+
+“Redes?--what are redes? And what is this business about circles of
+death? There’s something here that’s peculiar and I want to know what it
+is.”
+
+“It’s nothing. Truly. Just let’s go back. Let’s leave this place. It’s
+no good. It’s tabu.”
+
+“Tabu? You’ve never used that word before.”
+
+“Forbidden.”
+
+“Who forbids it?”
+
+“The Gods--the Old Ones. It is not for Lani. Nor for you.” Her voice was
+harsh. “Come away before it is too late. Before the Silent Death strikes
+you down.”
+
+“I’m going to have a look at this.”
+
+“You’ll be killed!” Copper said. “And if you die, I die too.”
+
+“Don’t be foolish. There’s nothing here that can hurt me. See those
+trees and plants growing right up to the crater’s edge. If they can
+take it permanently, I can stand it for a few moments. If there’s any
+radioactivity there, it’s not very much.”
+
+“But the redes say--”
+
+“Oh, forget those redes. I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’m a Betan and
+can stand more radiation than most men. A brief exposure isn’t going to
+hurt me.”
+
+“You go and I go too,” Copper said desperately.
+
+“You’ll stay here where it’s safe,” Kennon said flatly.
+
+“I’m going with you,” Copper repeated. “I don’t want to live without
+you.”
+
+“I tell you I won’t be hurt. And one quick look isn’t going to bother
+whatever’s down there.”
+
+“That’s what Roga the Foolish said when he opened Lyssa’s tower. But
+he brought men to Flora. And your little look may bring an even greater
+calamity.”
+
+Kennon shrugged, and started Walking toward the crater’s edge.
+
+Copper followed.
+
+He turned to order her back, but the words died on his tips as he saw
+the terror and determination on her face. Neither commands nor pleas
+would move her. If he went she would follow. The only way he could stop
+her would be with violence, and he didn’t want to manhandle her. He felt
+an odd mixture of pride, tenderness, and admiration for her. Were their
+situations reversed, he doubted whether he would have the courage she
+was showing. He sighed. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he did need an
+antiradiation suit.
+
+“All right,” he said. “You win. I’ll get some protective clothing and
+look at it later.”
+
+Her knees sagged, but he caught her before she fell, and held her erect
+until her strength returned. Belatedly he understood the emotional
+strain that had been gripping her. “If you come back later, sir, you’ll
+take me with you.” The words were a statement, not a question.
+
+He nodded. “Providing you wear a radiation suit,” he said.
+
+She grimaced with distaste and he chuckled. Clothing and Copper simply
+didn’t get along together.
+
+“Well?”
+
+“All right,” she said unhappily.
+
+“And there’s one more condition.”
+
+“What’s that?” she asked suspiciously.
+
+“That you tell me about this place. You obviously know something about
+it, and with all your talking, you’ve never mentioned it to me.”
+
+“It is forbidden to talk of these things to men,” Copper said--and then,
+perversely, “Do you want me to tell you now?”
+
+“No--it can wait. We have come a long way and I am hungry. I listen
+poorly on an empty stomach. Let’s go back to the jeep and you can tell
+me later.”
+
+Copper smiled. “That’s good,” she said. “I’d feel better away from this
+place.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+“I was a poor learner of the redes,” Copper confessed. “And I’ll have to
+skip the Mysteries. I never even tried to learn them. Somehow I was sure
+I’d never be a preceptress.” She settled herself more comfortably on the
+tawny grass and watched him as he lay on his back beside her.
+
+“Eh?” Kennon said, “Preceptress?”
+
+“The guardians of our traditions. They know the redes and mysteries by
+heart.”
+
+“And you have kept your religion alive that way all these years?”
+
+“It isn’t exactly religion,” Copper said. “It’s more like history, we
+learn it to remember that we were once a great race--and that we may
+be again. Someday there will come a male, a leader to bring us out of
+bondage, and our race will be free of dependence on men. There will
+be pairings again, and freedom to live as we please.” She looked
+thoughtfully at Kennon. “You might even be the one--even though you are
+human. You’re different from the others.”
+
+“You’re prejudiced.” Kennon smiled. “I’m no different. Well--not very
+different at any rate.”
+
+“That is not my thought,” Copper said. “You are very different indeed.
+No man has ever resisted a Lani as long as you have.”
+
+Kennon shook his head. “Let’s not go into that now. What are these
+redes?”
+
+“I do not remember them all,” Copper apologized. “I was--”
+
+“You’ve said that before. Tell me what you do know.”
+
+“I remember the beginning fairly well,” she said. “It goes back to the
+time before Flora when everything was nothing and the Master Himself was
+lonely.”
+
+Without warning her voice changed to a rhythmic, cadenced chant that
+was almost a song. Her face became rapt and introspective as she rocked
+slowly from side to side. The rhythm was familiar and then he recognized
+it--the unintelligible music he had often heard coming from the barracks
+late at night when no men were around--the voiceless humming that the
+Lani sang at work.
+
+First there was Darkness--starless and sunless
+
+Void without form--darker than night
+
+Then did the Master--Lord of Creation
+
+Wave His right hand, saying, “Let there be light!”
+
+Verse, Kennon thought. That was logical. People remember poetry better
+than prose. But the form was not what he’d normally expect. It was
+advanced, a style that was past primitive blank verse or heroic
+pentameter. He listened intently as Copper went on.
+
+     Light filled the heavens, bright golden glowing,
+     Brought to the Void by His wondrous hand;
+     Then did the Master--Lord of Creation--
+     Nod His great head, saying, “Let there be land!”
+      Air, land, and water formed into being,
+     Born in the sight of His all-seeing eyes;
+     Then did the master--Lord of Creation--
+     Smile as He murmured, “Let life arise!”
+      All of the life conceived by the Master,
+     Varied in shape as the grasses and birds;
+     Hunters and hunted, moveless and moving,
+     Came into form at the sound of His words.
+
+“That’s a great deal like Genesis,” Kennon said with mild astonishment.
+“Where could you have picked that up?”
+
+“From the beginning of our race,” Copper said. “It came to us with Ulf
+and Lyssa--but what is Genesis?”
+
+“A part of an ancient religion--one that is still followed on some of
+the Central Worlds. Its followers call themselves Christians. They say
+it came from Earth, the mother-world of men.”
+
+“Our faith has no name. We are children of Lyssa, who was a daughter of
+the Master.”
+
+“It is an odd similarity,” Kennon said. “But other races have had
+stories of the Creation. And possibly there may be another explanation.
+Your ancestors could have picked this up from Alexander’s men. They came
+from Earth originally and some of them could have been Christians.”
+
+“No,” Cooper said. “This rede is long before Man Alexander. It is
+the origin of our world, even before Ulf and Lyssa. It is the first
+Book--the Book of the God-spell. Man Alexander came in the sixth
+Book--the Book of Roga.”
+
+“There’s no point in arguing about it,” Kennon said. “Go on--tell me the
+rest.”
+
+“It’s going to be a long story,” Copper said. “Even though I have
+forgotten some of it, I can chant the redes for hours.”
+
+Kennon braced his back against one of the fat tires of the jeep. “I’m a
+good listener,” he said.
+
+She chuckled. “You asked for this,” she said--and took up the verses
+where she had left off. And Kennon learned the Lani version of creation,
+of the first man and woman, cast out of Heaven for loving each other
+despite the Master’s objection, of how they came to Flora and founded
+the race of the Lani. He learned how the Lani grew in numbers and power,
+how they split into two warring groups over the theological point of
+whether Ulf or Lyssa was the principal deity, how Roga the Foolish
+opened Lyssa’s tower to find out whether the Ulfians or Lyssans were
+right, and brought the Black Years to Flora.
+
+He heard the trial of Roga and the details of his torture by the priests
+of Ulf and the priests of Lyssa--united by this greatest sacrilege. And
+he heard the Lani version of the landing of Alexander’s ship and man’s
+conquest of Flora.
+
+It was a story of savagery and superstition, of blood and intolerance,
+of bravery and cowardice, of love and beauty. Yet through it all, even
+through the redes that described the Conquest, there was a curious
+remoteness, a lack of emotion that made the verses more terrible as they
+flowed in passionless rhythm from Copper’s lips.
+
+“That’s enough!” Kennon said.
+
+“I told you you wouldn’t like it.”
+
+“It’s horrible. How can you remember such things?”
+
+“We begin to learn them as soon as we can talk. We know the redes almost
+our entire lives.” Copper was silent for a moment. “There’s lots more,”
+ she said, “but it’s all about our lives since the Man Alexander--the old
+one--took possession of us. And most of the newer redes are pretty dull.
+Our life hasn’t changed much since the men came. The Book of Man is
+boring.” Copper sighed. “I have dared a great deal by telling you these
+things. If the others knew, they would kill both of us.”
+
+“Then why tell me?” he asked.
+
+“I love you,” she said simply. “You wanted to know--and I can deny you
+nothing.”
+
+A wave of tenderness swept over him. She would give her life for
+him--and what would he give? Nothing. Not even his prejudices. His face
+twisted. If she was only human, If she wasn’t just an animal. If
+he wasn’t a Betan. If, if, if. Resentment gorged his throat. It was
+unfair--so damned unfair. He had no business coming here. He should have
+stayed on Beta or at least on a human world where he would never have
+met Copper. He loved her, but he couldn’t have her. It was Tantalus and
+Sisyphus rolled into one unsightly package and fastened to his
+soul. With a muttered curse he rose to his feet, and as he did he
+stopped--frozen--staring at Copper as though he had never seen her
+before.
+
+“How did you say that Roga was judged responsible for Alexander coming
+here?” he demanded.
+
+“He went into Lyssa’s tower--where Ulf and Lyssa tried to call
+Heaven--and with his foolish meddling set the tower alight with a glow
+that all could see. Less than a week later the Man Alexander came.”
+
+“Where was this tower?”
+
+“Where Alexandria now stands. Man Alexander destroyed it and built his
+house upon its ruins.”
+
+“And what was that place of the Pit?”
+
+“The Shrine of Ulf--where the God-Egg struck Flora. It is buried in the
+pit, but the Silent Death has protected it from blasphemy--and besides
+Man Alexander never learned about it. We feared that he would destroy it
+as he did Lyssa’s tower.”
+
+A wild hope stirred in Kennon. “We’re going home,” he announced.
+
+“Good.”
+
+“And we’re going to get a pair of radiation suits--and then we’re coming
+back. We’ll have a good look at that Pit, and if what’s in there is what
+I think it is”--his face was a mixture of grimness and eagerness--“we’ll
+blow this whole operation off this planet!”
+
+Copper blanched. “It is death to meddle with the God-Egg,” she said.
+
+“Superstition!” Kennon scoffed. “If that Egg is what I think, it was
+made by men, and you are their descendant.”
+
+“Perhaps you’re right, but I can’t help thinking you are wrong,” she
+said soberly. “Look at the trouble that came with Roga’s meddling. Be
+careful that you do not bring us a worse fate.”
+
+“I’ll be very careful. We’ll take every precaution.”
+
+“We?”
+
+“You’re coming, of course. I can’t imagine you staying away.”
+
+Copper nodded.
+
+“You shouldn’t worry so much,” Kennon teased. “You know we men live
+forever.”
+
+“That is true.”
+
+“And if I’m right you’re just as human as I. And you’re capable of
+living as long as I do.”
+
+“Yes, sir,” Copper said. Her voice was unconvinced, her expression
+noncommittal.
+
+“You females,” Kennon said in quick exasperation. “You drive a man
+crazy. Get an idea in your head and it takes triatomate to blast it out.
+Now let’s go.”
+
+Two hours brought them back to the volcanic area, and knowing what to
+look for, Kennon located the pockmarked mountain valley. From the air it
+looked completely ordinary. Kennon was amazed at the perfection of the
+natural camouflage. The Pit was merely another crater in the pitted
+ground. He dropped to a lower altitude, barely a hundred feet above the
+sputter cones. “Look!” he said.
+
+Below them was the crater of the Pit and in its center a smooth
+bluish-black hemisphere protruded from the crater floor. It would have
+passed unnoticed by the casual eye--nearly concealed by two gigantic
+blocks of pumice.
+
+“The God-Egg!” Copper exclaimed.
+
+“Egg--ha! that’s a spacer! I thought it would be. I’d recognize durilium
+anywhere. Let’s go down and look this over, but first we want a couple
+of pictures.” He pointed a camera at the crater and snapped the shutter.
+“There--now let’s have a closer look at our baby.”
+
+“Do you expect me to get into that thing?” Copper said distastefully as
+she prodded the shapeless green coveralls with a bare toe. She eyed the
+helmet, gloves and boots with equal distaste. “I’d suffocate.”
+
+“If you want to come with me, you’ll wear it,” Kennon said. “Otherwise
+you won’t come near that pit. Try it and I’ll chain you to the jeep.”
+
+“You wouldn’t!”
+
+“Just try me.”
+
+“Oh--all right. I’ll wear the thing--but I won’t be comfortable.”
+
+“Who cares about that? You’ll be protected.”
+
+“All right--show me how to put it on. I’d rather be with you than worry
+about what you are doing.”
+
+The suit was several sizes too large but it covered her adequately.
+Too adequately, Kennon decided. She looked like a pile of wrinkles with
+legs. He chuckled.
+
+She glared. “So I’m funny,” she said. “Let me tell you something else
+that’s funny. I’m hot. I’m sweating. I itch. Now--laugh!”
+
+“I don’t feel like laughing,” Kennon said. “I feel the same way.”
+
+They approached the edge of the Pit carefully. Kennon kept checking
+the radiation counter. The needle slowly rose and steadied at one-half
+roentgen per hour as he thrust the probe over the rim of the depression.
+“It’s fine, so far,” he said encouragingly. “We could take this much
+for quite a while even without suits.” He lowered himself over the edge,
+sliding down the gentle slope.
+
+“How is it down there?” Copper called. The intercom crackled in his ear.
+
+“Fine--barely over one roentgen per hour. With these suits we could
+stay here indefinitely.” The sigh of relief was music in her ears. “This
+place is barely lukewarm.”
+
+“That’s what you think,” Copper said.
+
+“I mean radiation warm,” Kennon said. “Stay up there and watch me. I may
+need some things.”
+
+“All right.” Copper squirmed inside the hot suit. The thing was an oven.
+She hoped that Kennon didn’t plan to work in the daytime. It would be
+impossible.
+
+Kennon gingerly approached the ship. It was half buried in the loose
+debris and ash that had fallen or blown into the pit during the
+centuries it had rested there. It was old--incredibly old. The hull
+design was ancient--riveted sheets of millimeter-thick durilium. Ships
+hadn’t been built like that in over two thousand years. And the ovoid
+shape was reminiscent of the even more ancient spindizzy design. A
+hyperspace converter like that couldn’t be less than four millennia
+old. It was a museum piece, but the blue-black hull was as smooth and
+unblemished as the day it had left fabrication.
+
+Space travel would have gotten nowhere without durilium, Kennon
+reflected. For five thousand years men had used the incredibly tough
+synthetic to build their spacecraft. It had given man his empire. Kennon
+gave the hull one quick glance. That part of the ship didn’t worry him.
+It was what he would find inside that bothered him. How much damage had
+occurred from two thousand or more years of disuse? How much had the
+original travelers cannibalized? How much could be salvaged? What sort
+of records remained? There were a thousand questions that the interior
+of that enigmatic hull might answer.
+
+The upper segment of the airlock was visible. It was closed, which was a
+good sign. A few hours’ work with a digger should expose it enough to be
+opened.
+
+“Copper,” he said, “we’re going to have to dig this out. There’s a small
+excavator in the cargo bed of the jeep. Do you think you can bring it
+down here?”
+
+“I think so.”
+
+“Good girl!” Kennon turned back to the ship. He was eager to enter it.
+There might be things inside that would settle the question of the Lani.
+The original crew had probably recognized the value of the hull as
+a repository as well as he did. But in the meantime there would be
+work--lots of it. And every step must be recorded.
+
+It was the rest of the day’s work to expose the emergency airlock. The
+little excavator toiled over the loose ash for hours before it displaced
+enough to make the port visible, and the ash was not yet cleared away
+sufficiently to open the portal when darkness brought a halt to the
+work.
+
+It would be impossible to unearth the spaceship with their low-capacity
+digger, Kennon decided. It would be difficult enough to clear the
+emergency airlock in the nose. But if the tubes and drive were still
+all right, by careful handling it should be possible to use the drive to
+blast out the loose ash and cinders which surrounded the hull.
+
+Kennon reluctantly gave up the idea of entering the spaceship. That
+would have to wait until tomorrow. Now they would have to conceal the
+work and call it a day. A few branches and the big blocks of pumice
+would suffice for temporary camouflage. Later they could make something
+better. Anything in the jeep which might be useful was cached along with
+the radiation suits in the passageway through the lava wall--and in a
+surprisingly short time they were heading homeward.
+
+Kennon was not too displeased. Tomorrow they would be able to enter
+the ship. Tomorrow they would probably have some of the answers to his
+questions. He looked ahead into the gathering night. The gray mass of
+the abandoned Olympus Station slipped below them as he lined the jeep
+along the path indicated by the luminous arrow atop the main building,
+set the controls on automatic, and locked the craft on the guide beacon
+in Alexandria’s tower. In a little less than an hour they would be home.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+Kennon was morally certain that the Lani were of human stock. Evolved,
+of course. Mutated. Genetic strangers to the rest of humanity. But
+human. The spaceship and the redes proved it as far as he was concerned.
+But moral certainty and legal certainty were two different things. What
+he believed might be good enough to hold up in a Brotherhood court, but
+he doubted it. Ulf and Lyssa might be the founders of the Lani race, but
+they had come to Kardon nearly four thousand years ago and no records
+existed to prove that the Lani weren’t here before they came. Redes
+passed by word of mouth through hundreds of generations were not
+evidence. Even the spaceship wasn’t the absolute proof that would be
+needed to overturn the earlier legal decision. Other and better
+proof was needed--something that would stand up in any court in the
+Brotherhood. He hoped the spaceship would hold that proof.
+
+But Kennon’s eagerness to find out what was inside the ancient spacer
+was tempered by hard practicality. Too much depended on what he might
+find inside that hull. Every step of the work must be documented beyond
+any refutation. Some method of establishing date, time, and location had
+to be prepared. There must be a record of every action. And that would
+require equipment and planning. There must be no mistake that could be
+twisted by the skillful counsel that Alexander undoubtedly retained.
+
+He had no doubt that the Family would fight. Too much money and
+prestige were involved. To prove the Lani human would destroy Outworld
+Enterprises on Kardon. Yet this thought did not bother him. To his
+surprise he had no qualms of conscience. He was perfectly willing to
+violate his contract, break faith with his employers, and plot their
+ruin. The higher duty came first--the duty to the human race.
+
+He smiled wryly. It wasn’t all higher duty. There were some personal
+desires that leavened the nobility. To prove Copper human was enough
+motivation--actually it was better than his sense of duty. Events,
+Kennon reflected, cause a great deal of change in one’s attitude.
+Although not by nature a plotter, schemes had been flitting through his
+mind with machinelike regularity, to be examined and discarded, or to be
+set aside for future reference.
+
+He rejected the direct approach. It was too dangerous, depended too much
+on personalities, and had too little chance for success. He considered
+the possibility of letters to the Brotherhood Council but ultimately
+rejected it. Not only was the proof legally insufficient to establish
+humanity in the Lani, but he also remembered Alexander’s incredible
+knowledge of his activities, and there was no reason to suppose that
+his present didn’t receive the same scrutiny as the past. And if he,
+who hadn’t written a letter in over a year, suddenly began to write, the
+correspondence would undoubtedly be regarded with suspicion and would
+probably be examined, and Dirac messages would be out for the same
+reason.
+
+He could take a vacation and while he was away from the island he
+could inform the Brotherhood. Leaving Flora wouldn’t be particularly
+difficult, but leaving Kardon would be virtually impossible. His
+contract called for vacations, but it expressly provided that they would
+be taken on Kardon. And again, there would be no assurance that his
+activities would not be watched. In fact, it was probable that they
+would be.
+
+There was nothing that could be done immediately. But there were certain
+long-range measures that could be started. He could begin preparing a
+case that could be presented to the Council. And Beta, when it knew,
+would help him. The situation of the Lani was so close to Beta’s own
+that its obvious merit as a test case simply could not be ignored. If
+he could get the evidence to Beta, it would be easy to enlist the aid
+of the entire Medico-Technological Civilization. It would take time and
+attention to detail; the case, the evidence, everything would have to
+be prepared with every safeguard and contingency provided, so that there
+would not be the slightest chance of a slip-up once it came to court.
+
+And perhaps the best method of bringing the evidence would be to
+transport it under its own power. The thought intrigued him. Actually it
+wouldn’t be too difficult. Externally the Egg wasn’t in bad shape. The
+virtually indestructible durilium hull was still intact. The controls
+and the engines, hermetically sealed inside the hull, were probably as
+good as the day they stopped running. The circuitry would undoubtedly be
+bad but it could be repaired and restored, and new fuel slugs could be
+obtained for the engine and the converter. But that was a problem for
+the future.
+
+The immediate problem was to get into the ship in a properly documented
+fashion.
+
+It took nearly two months, but finally, under the impersonal lenses of
+cameras and recorders, the entrance port of the God-Egg swung open and
+revealed the dark interior. Kennon moved carefully, recording every step
+as he entered the black orifice in the spaceship’s side. His handtorch
+gave plenty of light for the recorders as he moved inside--Copper at his
+heels, both of them physically unrecognizable in antiradiation suits.
+
+“Why are we moving so slowly?” Copper said. “Let’s go ahead and find out
+what’s beyond this passageway.”
+
+“From a superstitious coward you’ve certainly become a reckless
+explorer,” he said.
+
+“The Egg hasn’t hurt us, and we’ve been around it many times,” she said.
+“Either the curse has become too old to hurt us, or there never was any
+in the first place. So let’s see what is ahead. I’m curious.”
+
+Kennon shook his head. “In this business we must hurry slowly--very
+slowly. You know why.”
+
+“But I want to see.”
+
+“Patience, girl. Simmer down. You’ll see soon enough,” Kennon said. “Now
+help me set up this camera.”
+
+“Oh, all right--but isn’t there any excitement in you?”
+
+“I’m bubbling over with it,” Kennon admitted, “but I manage to keep it
+under control.”
+
+“You’re cold-blooded.”
+
+“No--I’m sensible. We want to nail this down. My future, yours, and that
+of your people depend upon how carefully we work. You wouldn’t want to
+let us all down by being too eager, would you?”
+
+She shook her head. “No--you’re right of course. But I still would like
+to see.”
+
+They moved cautiously through the airlock and into the control room.
+
+“Ah!” Kennon said with satisfaction. “I hoped for this, but I didn’t
+dare expect it.”
+
+“What?”
+
+“Look around. What do you see?”
+
+“Nothing but an empty room. It’s shaped like half an orange, and it has
+a lot of funny instruments and dials on the walls, and a video screen
+overhead. But that’s all. Why--what’s so unusual about it? It looks just
+like someone had left it.”
+
+“That’s the point. There’s nothing essential that’s missing. They didn’t
+cannibalize the instruments--and they didn’t come back.”
+
+“Why not?”
+
+“Maybe because that curse you mentioned a few minutes ago was real.”
+
+Copper drew back. “But you said it wouldn’t hurt us--”
+
+“Not now. The heat’s practically gone, but when whoever flew this crate
+came here, the whole shell could have been as hot as a Samarian summer.”
+
+“But couldn’t they have come back when it cooled?”
+
+“Not with this kind of heat. The hull was probably too radioactive to
+approach from the outside. And radioactivity cools off slowly. It might
+take several lifetimes for its level to become low enough to approach if
+there was no decontamination equipment available.”
+
+“I suppose that’s why the early ones thought the Egg was cursed.”
+
+Kennon nodded. “Now let’s check--oh! oh! what’s this?” He pointed to a
+metal-backed book lying on the control panel.
+
+“It looks like a book,” Copper said.
+
+“I’m hoping it’s the book.”
+
+“The book?”
+
+“Yes--the ship’s log. It’s possible. And if it is, we may have all the
+evidence we need--Copper!--Don’t touch it!”
+
+“Why not?”
+
+“Because its position has to be recorded first. Wait until we get the
+camera and recorders set up.”
+
+* * *
+
+Gingerly Kennon opened the ancient book. The sheets inside were
+brittle--crumbling with age--but he could make out the title U.N.S.S.
+Wanderer with the date of launching and a lower line which read “Ship’s
+Log.” Kennon was thankful for his medical training. The four years
+of Classical English that he had despised so much were essential now.
+Stumbling over unfamiliar words and phrases, he moved slowly through
+the log tracing the old ship’s history from pleasure craft to short-haul
+freight tractor to obsolescence in a space dump orbiting around a world
+called Heaven.
+
+There was a gap of nearly ten years indicated by a blank page before the
+entries resumed.
+
+“Ah--this is it!” Kennon said.
+
+“What is it?” Copper said curiously. “I can’t read the writing.”
+
+“Of course you can’t. It’s in English--a language that became
+obsolete during the Interregnum. I had to learn it, since most medical
+terminology is based on it.”
+
+“What is an Interregnum?” Copper interrupted. “I’ve never heard that word
+before.”
+
+“It’s a period of confusion when there is no stable government. The last
+one came after the Second Galactic War--but never mind that--it happened
+long ago and isn’t important now. The important thing that did happen
+was the Exodus.”
+
+“What was that?”
+
+“A religious revival and a tremendous desire to see what was happening
+beyond the next star. During that century men traveled wider and farther
+then they ever have before or since. In that outward explosion with
+its mixed motivations of religion and practicality, colonists and
+missionaries went starward to find new worlds to tame, and new races to
+be rescued from the darkness of idolatry and hell. Almost any sort
+of vehicle capable of mounting a spindizzy converter was pressed into
+service. The old spindizzies were soundly engineered converters of
+almost childlike simplicity that could and did carry ships enormous
+distances if their passengers didn’t care about subjective time-lag, and
+a little radioactivity.
+
+“And that’s what happened to this ship. According to this log it was
+bought by Alfred and Melissa Weygand--a missionary couple with the idea
+of spreading the Christian faith to the heathen.
+
+“Alfred and Melissa--Ulf and Lyssa--they were a part of this ancient
+explosion that scattered human seed across parsecs of interstellar
+space. It seems that they were a unit in a missionary fleet that had
+gone out to the stars with flame in their hearts and Gospel on their
+lips to bring the Word to the benighted heathen on other worlds.”
+ Kennon’s lips curled with mild contempt at their stupid foolhardiness
+even as his pulse quickened to their bravery. They had been fanatics,
+true enough, but theirs was a selfless fanaticism that would risk
+torture and death for what they believed--a fanaticism that was more
+sublime than the concept of Brotherhood which had evolved from it. They
+knew nothing of the enmity of race, of the incessant struggle man
+had since waged with alien intelligences all too willing to destroy
+intruders who encroached upon their worlds. Mankind’s early selflessness
+had long ago been discarded for frank expansionism and dominance over
+the lesser races that stood in their way. And in a way it was too bad.
+
+The ship’s log, meticulously kept in neat round English script, told a
+story that was more than the bare bones of flight. There was passion
+and tenderness and a spiritual quality that was shocking to a modern
+man steeped in millennia of conquest and self-interest. There was a
+greatness to it, a depth of faith that had since been lost. And as
+Kennon slowly deciphered the ancient script he admired the courage even
+as his mind winced with dismay at the unheeding recklessness.
+
+The Weygands had lost contact with the others, and had searched for them
+in hyperspace, doubling and twisting upon their course until they had
+become hopelessly lost, and then, with their fuel nearly exhausted, had
+broken out into the normal three-space continuum to find Kardon’s sun
+and the world they called Flora.
+
+How little they had known and how lucky they had been.
+
+It was only by the grace of their God that they had found this world
+before their fuel was exhausted. And it was only by further grace that
+the planet was habitable and not populated with intelligent life. They
+had more luck than people were entitled to in a dozen lifetimes. Against
+odds of a million to one they had survived.
+
+It was fascinating reading.
+
+But it was not proof.
+
+The last entry read: “We have circled this world and have seen no
+buildings--no sign of intelligent life. We are lost, marooned on this
+empty world. Our fuel supplies are too low for us to attempt to find the
+others. Nor could we. The constellations in the sky are strange. We do
+not know which way to go. Therefore we shall land upon the great island
+in the center of the yellow sea. And perhaps someday men will come to us
+since we cannot return to them. Melissa thinks that this is an example
+of Divine Providence, that the Lord’s mercy has been shown to us that
+were lost in the vastness of the deep--that we have been chosen, like
+Eve and Adam, to spread the seed of man to yet another world. I hope
+she is right, yet I fear the radiation level of the ship has become
+inordinately high. We may well be Eve and Adam, yet an Adam that cannot
+beget and an Eve that is not fruitful. I am trimming the ship for
+landing, and we shall leave it immediately after we have landed, taking
+with us only what we absolutely need. There is too much radiation from
+the spindizzy and the drive to remain here longer--and God knows how hot
+the outer hull may be.”
+
+And that was all. Presumptive evidence--yes. Reasonable certainty--yes.
+But not proof. Lawyers could argue that since no direct exploration was
+made there was no valid reason to assume that the Lani did not already
+inhabit Kardon. But Kennon knew. His body, more perceptive than his
+mind, had realized a truth that his brain would not accept until he read
+the log. It was at once joy and frustration. Joy that Copper was human,
+frustration that he could not obtain for her and her race the rights
+to which they were entitled. But the immediate problem was solved. His
+conditioning was broken now he was convinced that Copper was a member
+of the human race. It was no violation of his code to love her. The
+greatest barrier was broken, and with it gone the lesser ones would
+yield. Relief that was almost pain washed through him and left him weak
+with reaction.
+
+“What is it?” Copper asked as he turned to her. “What is this thing that
+has turned your face to joy?”
+
+“Can’t you guess?”
+
+She shook her head. “I have seen nothing but you reading this ancient
+book, yet you turn to me with the look in your eyes that the redes say
+Ulf had for Lyssa.”
+
+“You’re human!”
+
+Copper shrugged. “You’re mad. I’m a Lani. I was born a Lani--and I shall
+die one.”
+
+“Don’t you understand? All Lani are human. You all are the descendants
+of two humans who came here thousands of years ago.”
+
+“Then there is no reason why you cannot love me.”
+
+Kennon shook his head. “No,” he said. “There is no reason.”
+
+Copper laughed. It was a sound so merry and gay that Kennon looked at
+her in surprise. She looked as happy as she sounded.
+
+Simple and savage, Kennon thought. She cared nothing for the future, and
+probably very little about the injustice of her present. The thing that
+mattered was that what had kept them apart was gone. She was probably
+offering mental sacrifices to the Old Ones who had caused this change
+in the man she loved. She didn’t really care about what had caused the
+change. To her it was sufficient that it had happened.
+
+For a moment Kennon wished that it could be as simple for him as it
+apparently was for her. The fact that Copper was human posed a greater
+problem than the one it solved. The one had been personal. The other was
+infinitely greater. He could not let it lie. The very morality which had
+kept him from doing what he wished when he thought she was a humanoid
+now forced him to do what he did not wish. Every instinct said to leave
+it alone. The problem was too great for one man to solve, the situation
+too complicated, the evidence too inconclusive, the opposition too
+powerful. It would be far better to take his happiness and enjoy it.
+It was not his problem to solve. He could turn the evidence over to
+the Brotherhood once his contract was over, and better and more capable
+people than he could settle the Lani legal status. But the inner voice
+that had called him bestial now called him shirker, coward, and slacker.
+And this, too, could not be borne. The case of the Lani would have to
+be pursued as vigorously as he could do it. They were entitled to human
+rights--whether they wanted them or not.
+
+His first idea of making the spacer operational was a good one, Kennon
+decided as they finished the inspection of the ship. Even if it was
+never used it would make a good means of retreat. He grinned wryly. In a
+guerrilla operation such as the one he was considering it would be wise
+to have a way out if things got too hot. The heavy parts, the engines
+and the controls, were in workable condition and would merely require
+cleaning and oiling. Some of the optical equipment would have to be
+replaced and fuel slugs would have to be obtained for the drive--but
+none of these would be too hard to accomplish. The slugs from any of the
+power reactors on the island would serve nicely. All that would have
+to be done would be to modify the fuel ports on the ship’s engine. The
+spindizzy would have to be disassembled and checked, and the main leads,
+embedded in time-resistant plastic, would have to be examined. The most
+serious problem, however, wouldn’t involve these things. The control
+board wiring and circuitry was where the trouble would lie. Normal
+insulation and printed circuitry wasn’t designed to last for thousands
+of years. Each wired circuit would have to be removed, duplicated, and
+replaced. Every printed panel would have to be cleaned and receive a new
+coat of insulating varnish. Working full time, a four-man electronics
+team could do the job in a week. Working part-time the two of them might
+get it done in three months. And the other jobs would take at least
+another. Add a month for errors in judgment, lack of materials, and
+mistakes--and another for unavoidable delays--it would be at least six
+months before the Egg would be spaceworthy.
+
+Six months.
+
+Not too long if everything went well, but far too long if there were
+any mistakes. He would have to be careful, yet he must not give the
+impression of being careful. He shook his head. Being a subversive was
+going to require a greater amount of acting ability than he had ever
+been called upon to display.
+
+And what of Copper? How would she behave under the double strain of
+knowledge that she was human and knowledge of the spaceship? Women
+weren’t noted for their tight-lipped reticence. Would she tell the other
+Lani? Would she crack under the pressure? Did she have the qualities of
+a good conspirator?
+
+As it turned out, he didn’t need to worry. As a partner in crime, Copper
+was all that could be wished. Everything was normal. She was still
+obedient, helpful, and gay as ever. To watch her, no one would ever
+think that her bright head was full of knowledge that could rock Flora
+to its foundations. Never by look or word did she betray the slightest
+trace of strain or guilt.
+
+And in her other moments she was ecstatic in her love and helpful with
+the repair work on the Egg whenever Kennon could get time to visit the
+old spaceship.
+
+“You amaze me,” Kennon said as they eased the cover of the spindizzy
+in place and spun the bolts on the lugs that held it to the outer
+shielding. He picked up a heavy wrench and began methodically to seat
+the bolts as Copper wiped the white extrusion of the cover sealant from
+the shining case.
+
+“How?”
+
+“The way you hide your knowledge of this ship from the others. I know
+you better than anyone else on this island, and yet you would fool me.”
+
+“We Lani are used to hiding things. You men have been our masters for
+centuries, yet you do not know our redes. Nor do you know what we think,
+We obey you, but there are parts of us you do not own. It is easy to
+hide a little thing like this.”
+
+Kennon nodded. It figured. He seated another bolt. Three more and
+the drive room would be restored and they could start on the control
+circuits. “I wish you were as clever about adopting human customs as you
+are about hiding guilty knowledge,” he said.
+
+Copper laughed. “You mean those silly things you have been teaching me?
+Why should I learn them? I’m happy as I am. I love you, you love me, and
+that is all that matters.”
+
+“It’s not all that matters. Can’t you get it through your head that
+civilized customs are necessary in a civilized society?” He gave the
+next-to-last bolt an extra-vicious wrench. “You’ll have to know them if
+you expect to get along on Beta.”
+
+“But I will never see Beta.”
+
+“I am going there when my duty here is over. And you’re going with me.”
+
+“When will that be?”
+
+“Three years.”
+
+“So long? Well--we can think of it then, but I don’t think Man Alexander
+will let you take me.”
+
+“Then I shall take you without his consent.”
+
+She smiled. “It would be easier to stay here. In another fifteen years I
+will be old and you will not want me.”
+
+“I’ll never do that. I’ll always want you.”
+
+“You swear too easily,” she said gently. “You men live forever. We Lani
+are a short-lived race.”
+
+“But you needn’t be. It’s obviously--”
+
+“It’s been tried, my love--and those who were treated died. Man
+Alexander tried many years ago to make us long-lived like you. But he
+failed. You see, he loved one of us too.”
+
+“But--”
+
+“Let us think no more of it. Let us enjoy what we have and be grateful
+to the Gods for the love we enjoy--or do you have any Gods?”
+
+“One.”
+
+“Two are better. More, anyway. And besides, Ulf and Lyssa and the
+God-Egg are responsible for our joy.”
+
+“They are indeed,” Kennon said.
+
+“Then why should you think of leaving the place where they rule? You
+should stay here. There will be other Lani when I am gone. You will be
+happy always.”
+
+“Not without you,” Kennon said. “Don’t you understand that I love you?”
+
+“And I you. But I am a Lani. You are a man.”
+
+“You’re as human as I am,” Kennon said abruptly.
+
+“That is what you say,” Copper replied. “I am not so sure. I need more
+proof than this.” She waved her hand at the ship.
+
+“What proof do you need?”
+
+“The same as the proof you men require. If I should have your child,
+then I would believe that I was human.”
+
+“I’ve told you a thousand times that the radiation on this ship must
+have affected Ulf and Lyssa’s germ plasm. Can’t you understand that?”
+
+“I can understand it all right, but it does not change things. Ulf and
+Lyssa may have been human before they came here, but they were not when
+they landed. They were Lani, and their children were Lani.”
+
+“But they were of human stock.”
+
+“The law that lets men become our masters does not agree with you.”
+
+“Then the law is wrong. It should be changed.”
+
+Copper shrugged. “Two people cannot change a law.”
+
+“They can try--particularly if the law is unjust.”
+
+Copper sighed. “Is it not enough for us to love? Must you try to run
+through a wall?”
+
+“When the wall stands in the way of right and justice I must.”
+
+Copper looked at him with pity in her green eyes. “This I do not
+understand. I know nothing of right and justice. What are these things?
+Just words. Yet you will endanger our happiness for them. If it is my
+happiness you wish--then leave this foolishness alone. I have fifteen
+years I can live with you before I am old and you tire of me. With those
+years I can be content.”
+
+“But I can’t,” Kennon said. “Call me selfish if you wish, but I want you
+with me as long as I live. I don’t want to live my life without you.”
+
+“You want too much,” Copper said softly. “But if it makes you happy to
+try to get it, I shall help. And if we do not succeed you will at least
+be happier for trying. And if you are happy”--she shrugged--“then the
+rest makes little difference.”
+
+That was the crux of the matter, Kennon reflected bitterly. He was
+convinced she was human. She was not. And until her mind could be
+changed on that point she would help him but her heart wouldn’t be in
+it. And the only thing that would convince her that she was human would
+be a child--a child of his begetting. He could perhaps trick her with
+an artificial insemination of Lani sperm. There were drugs that could
+suspend consciousness, hypnotics that would make her believe anything
+she was told while under their influence.
+
+But in the end it would do no good. All witnesses in Brotherhood court
+actions were examined under psychoprobe, and a hypnotic was of no value
+against a lie detector that could extract the deepest buried truth.
+And he would be examined too. The truth would out--and nothing would be
+gained. In fact--everything would be lost. The attempt at trickery would
+prejudice any court against the honest evidence they had so painfully
+collected.
+
+He sighed. The only thing to do was to go on as they were--and hope that
+the evidence would hold. With Betan legal talent at their back it
+might. And, of course, they could try to produce a child as nature had
+intended. They could try--but Kennon knew it would not succeed. It never
+had.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Copper had been acting strangely of late, Kennon thought as he rolled
+over in his bed and watched her standing before the full-length mirror
+on the bathroom door. She pivoted slowly before the glass, eying herself
+critically, raising her arms over her head, holding them at her sides,
+flexing her supple spine and tightening muscles that moved like silken
+cords beneath her golden skin.
+
+“What are you trying to do--become a muscle dancer?” Kennon asked idly.
+
+She whirled, a crimson blush deepening the tan of her face. “You were
+supposed to be asleep,” she said.
+
+“I’m an unregenerate heel,” he replied, “and I don’t sleep too well
+nowadays unless you’re beside me.”
+
+“Well--I suppose you might as well know now as later,” she said. “You’ll
+know in any event.”
+
+“Know what?”
+
+“That you’re right. I am human.”
+
+“And what brought on this sudden change of--” He stopped abruptly, his
+eyes widening.
+
+“Yes,” Copper said. “I am with child. Your child.”
+
+“But that’s impossible.”
+
+She shook her head. “It’s a miracle perhaps, but it’s not impossible.
+It’s happened. Can’t you see the difference?”
+
+“See what? You look just as you always do.”
+
+“I suppose you can’t see it yet,” she admitted. “But I am with child.
+I’m two weeks past my time.”
+
+Kennon’s mind leaped to the obvious conclusion. Pseudo-pregnancy. He had
+seen it before among Lani at Hillside Farm. It was an odd syndrome
+which occasionally occurred in humans and animals. The brain, desiring
+children, made demands upon the body and the body responded to its
+desire by tricking the brain. Lani were fairly subject to it probably
+because they had better imaginations. He would run a few tests when they
+went down to the hospital, and once she realized the practical joke her
+body was playing everything would be all right. No wonder she seemed
+excited.
+
+“We’ll find out about that later,” he said equably. “We’ll settle this
+when we get back to the hospital.”
+
+Copper smiled confidently and patted her stomach. “I know what you are
+thinking, but you’re wrong. We Lani know about these things. In forty
+generations I am the first to conceive as the Master intended.”
+
+“I hope you haven’t,” Kennon said with such bitter sincerity that Copper
+looked at him wide-eyed. “Not now. Because if you have, neither your
+life nor mine is safe.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“The Alexanders. Do you think they’ll take it lying down? We’re not
+ready for them yet. They’ll fight, and the first thing they’ll do is
+kill you and erase me so we would never be able to talk. You have been
+declared an animal, and you will not be allowed to change.”
+
+“What can we do?” Copper asked. She shivered. “I do not want to die.”
+
+“Nor do I want you to,” Kennon said.
+
+“I could tell the others.”
+
+“And just what would that accomplish?”
+
+“In a week every Lani on the island would know it. There would be
+revolt. For the Lani would no longer be dependent upon Men to survive.
+Their greatest hold on us would be gone. And we would be free again on
+our island world.”
+
+“You would not!” Kennon said. “That sort of thinking is foolishness.
+Alexander would have men here within a week, and a week after that you
+would be smashed. Don’t you realize that there are thousands of millions
+of men in the galaxy--and to every one of them you would be animals. You
+know nothing about what you would face. Your puny hundreds couldn’t even
+stand against a fraction of the power Alexander could mount against you.
+Have you seen a Burkholtz blaster work? Have you seen remote-control
+antipersonnel missiles? Have you push-pull projectors, atomic warheads?
+All of these weapons Alexander can command. Don’t you realize he’s an
+entrepreneur?--one of the most powerful men in this sector?”
+
+Copper shook her head. “No,” she said in a small voice. “I know nothing
+about these things.”
+
+“And do you think forty generations of absolute obedience to men can be
+overcome because one Lani says she is pregnant by a man?”
+
+Copper frowned. “You put that in a different way. You talk as if it were
+my belief rather than the truth.”
+
+“What is truth?” Kennon said heavily. “Who would believe you? There are
+hundreds of others with child.
+
+“Sure you’re human. You know it. I know it. I’ve been trying to convince
+you for the past two months. You’re just as human as I am. But pray that
+you’re not pregnant. We can’t get out of here in less than four months
+and by then everybody will know about you. Someone will certainly check
+the records. And after that will come the psychoprobes. Everything will
+come to light. The Egg will be destroyed. I will be erased. You will be
+dead. And that will be the end of it.” He looked down at her with an odd
+expression of pity on his face. “You see?” he demanded harshly.
+
+Copper nodded. “I didn’t understand,” she said. “Don’t be angry with me.
+I shouldn’t have told you. I thought you’d be happy.”
+
+“I was never angry with you, but I am with myself. I was stupid. I
+didn’t figure on the remote possibility that we might be genetically
+compatible. I should have my head examined for putting you in such
+danger. However there’s the possibility--the probability--that your body
+is playing a trick upon you.”
+
+She shook her head. “You are wrong. I am not mistaken. I am with child
+and the child is yours. But the fault is no more yours than mine. I
+wanted you before you looked on me. I still do and I do not feel at
+fault. That I am yours, that my child is yours is a thing of wonder and
+joy. Never could I have expected so much.”
+
+Kennon looked down at her smudged face, streaked with the sudden
+rivulets of tears, and bitterness galled his throat. Dear God--let her
+be wrong, he prayed silently. Let it be pseudopregnancy this time. Let
+the tests be negative.
+
+But they weren’t. Unequivocally they confirmed Copper’s diagnosis. Here
+was the proof he needed. The final test that would prove the Lani human.
+And he had no way of getting it where it would do any good. It would
+take at least four months of steady labor before the ship was ready, and
+he didn’t have that sort of time. He was needed here and his prolonged
+absence would cause suspicion and investigation. Something would have to
+be done--but what? He couldn’t take Copper off the island in an airboat.
+They were checked with microscopic care by Otpen One’s IFF. A jeep
+didn’t have enough range to take them to the mainland. And even if they
+got there they couldn’t get off the planet. Alexander knew everything
+that happened on Kardon’s two spaceports. The Egg was the only way, but
+the Egg was unfinished and unspaceworthy.
+
+Frantically Kennon considered concealing Copper. He shook his head. It
+wouldn’t work. It would be impossible, to hide a baby on a place where
+every birth was recorded. Nor could one hide evidence of pregnancy in a
+Lani. Childbearing leaves telltale marks upon the body, and Copper, even
+if she could be concealed for the duration of her pregnancy, could never
+survive the sharp-eyed scrutiny of her fellows or the other humans.
+Questions would inevitably be asked.
+
+There had to be a solution. He rubbed his forehead wearily. It was
+strange how so little a thing as the union of a spermatozoon and an ovum
+could produce so much trouble. He looked across the office at Copper
+placidly filing case cards. She wasn’t worrying. With sublime faith,
+she was sure that he would find the answer, the one that would solve
+everything. He shuddered. The only logical solution was abortion--and
+that was unthinkable! He would not murder his child--nor would Copper
+permit it if he was capable of doing so.
+
+It was almost a relief when his phone rang and Blalok’s voice came
+cheerfully across the wire.
+
+“Tried to get you about an hour ago,” the superintendent said, “but your
+girl said you were busy.”
+
+“I was.”
+
+“You through now?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Well, get up to the fortress. Alexander just flew in and he’s calling a
+meeting. Something important has come up.”
+
+Something important! A wave of ice rattled down Kennon’s spine, and then
+he grinned feebly. Alexander didn’t know. He couldn’t know. It had to be
+something else.
+
+“I’ll be right up,” he said, marveling at the calmness in his voice.
+
+Kennon couldn’t help comparing this meeting with the one a year ago.
+The location was different--the conference room in Alexandria was more
+formal than Blalok’s parlor but the same people were present: Alexander,
+Blalok, Jordan, and himself. Somehow Alexander seemed to have shrunk. He
+was no longer as impressive as he had been. But the man still radiated
+force, even though it didn’t seem quite so overpowering. The year,
+Kennon thought, had done much to build his self-confidence. He felt
+assured rather than nervous.
+
+“Good to see you, Kennon,” Alexander said. “Reports say you’re doing a
+good job.”
+
+“I can’t claim the credit,” Kennon said. “Eighty-five per cent of our
+success is due to co-operation from the operating staff. And that’s
+Blalok’s doing--he knocked the heads of the division managers together
+and they took care of their staffs. Otherwise we could have had a bad
+time.”
+
+“But you didn’t,” Alexander said. “And you were the motive force.”
+
+“I’ve darn near motivated myself out of a job,” Kennon said. “They
+co-operate all too well nowadays.”
+
+“Which goes to prove that my theories on preventive medicine are right,”
+ Alexander said, turning to Blalok.
+
+“It looks that way,” Blalok admitted, “but that could be because you
+picked a good man.”
+
+“He’s good in more ways than one,” Alexander said. “Or did he tell you
+he saved Douglas’s life out on Otpen One?”
+
+“He’s never said a word.”
+
+Alexander smiled. “Another point in his favor. He knows how to keep his
+mouth shut.”
+
+“Not when he’s telling someone what to do about disease,” Jordon
+interjected.
+
+“Or telling someone off when they haven’t followed directions,” Blaiok
+added.
+
+“Better and better. I was sure that he was the one we needed when we
+first met.”
+
+Kennon felt his ears turn flaming red.
+
+“But that’s not the reason I brought you here. This isn’t a Jac Kennon
+admiration society. I called you because I want to expand the Lani
+breeding program.”
+
+“Why?” Jordan asked.
+
+Blalok stiffened. “You know my feeling about that, sir. I’ve never liked
+the idea of selling them. If that’s what’s in your mind--”
+
+Alexander shook his head. “Simmer down,” he said, as he seated himself
+at the head of the table. “There’s going to be no selling. The Lani are
+too valuable for that. We’ll need them more than the money they’d bring
+on the market. You see--I’ve acquired a planet out on the periphery. A
+place called Phoebe. One of our ships found it, and I staked a discovery
+claim on the major land mass, and the crew made lesser claims that
+covered all the available land. Last month the Brotherhood allowed the
+claims. Last week the crewmen sold me their land. Phoebe’s a lovely
+place--quite a bit like Flora--and the ecological tests show it’s
+capable of supporting mammalian life. Just before I came here I sent
+three shiploads of exterminators to clean it up and make it ready for
+us. It should be ready in two years.”
+
+“What sort of an ecology are you exterminating?” Jordan asked.
+
+“Not that it makes any difference,” Alexander said, “but it’s mainly
+reptilian. Nothing over Group I. We’ll restock with Floran animals.”
+
+Jordan sighed. “Since that’s the way it is, it doesn’t make any
+difference,” he said. “But it could have. The Lani are sensitive to
+things like that. If they thought that they were walking in over a pile
+of bodies they’d do badly. It’d be like Olympus all over again. And we
+couldn’t keep them from knowing. We talk and we forget, but they’d tell
+each other--and they’d remember.”
+
+“I know,” Alexander said, “somehow they’ve never forgotten that
+Grandfather trapped the last of the Lani males on Olympus.”
+
+Jordan nodded. “They can’t stand the place. That’s why we had to abandon
+the station.”
+
+“Does this new world have a moon?” Kennon asked abruptly.
+
+“Yes--in fact it has two.”
+
+“Habitable?”
+
+“No--they’re too small to hold air. But men could live there in
+domes--but why do you?--oh! I see! I hadn’t considered that point.”
+ Alexander’s hand darted to the phone beside him. “Get me Albertsville,”
+ he snapped. “Yes, my offices--I want Mr. Oliver in purchasing and
+contracting. Hello--Ward? Alexander here. Yes--everything’s fine. I
+have a job for you--use your scrambler-pattern two.” Alexander
+dialed the scrambler code on the second dial at the base of the phone,
+effectively preventing eavesdropping by beam tappers. “Yes,” he went on.
+“It’s Project Phoebe. Have you secured title to the moons? You haven’t?
+Well--you’d better do it before some of our competitors get bright
+ideas. Sure they know about the project--do you think they’re stupid?
+Warren over at Consolidated practically told me that he was onto our
+scheme. So get title to those moons. Since they’re uninhabitable and
+within the planet’s primary field they come under the Spatial Debris Act
+and you should be able to get Kardonian title without any great amount
+of trouble. Naturally we want them.--For defense--what else? We’ll have
+most of our eggs in that basket. No--I don’t know how we overlooked that
+point. But if it wasn’t for a bright young man out here we’d have left
+ourselves wide open. Now get cracking--get that leak plugged!” Alexander
+dropped the phone back in its cradle and sighed. “Well--that’s buttoned
+up,” he said. “Thanks, Kennon.”
+
+Kennon looked at Alexander’s grinning face, his own impassive, but a
+shattering certainty exploded in his mind--Alexander was a telepath!
+That was his difference! That was the thing that made him feared and
+respected by his business associates. It wouldn’t have been enough on
+the Central Worlds, where men knew of sensitives and took precautions
+against them. But out here on the periphery it was a deadly advantage.
+
+“So I gave it away,” Alexander said. “I suppose I was careless, but your
+thoughts about the moons shocked me.”
+
+“You practically told me once before, when you hired me,” Kennon said,
+“but I never realized it.”
+
+“You were too excited then.”
+
+“I wouldn’t know,” Kennon said. “At any rate I didn’t add the facts
+correctly.” From somewhere deep in his memory an old quip came floating
+to the surface: “An executive is a man who picks brains--others’
+brains.” By that definition Alexander was an executive of the first
+class. Alexander chuckled.
+
+Suddenly Kennon wanted to run. Panic flooded him! What had he been
+thinking about? Had he thought of--two times two are four, four times
+four are sixteen, sixteen times sixteen are--let’s see, six times
+sixteen is ninety-six, one times sixteen is--six, five, carry
+one--two--two hundred fifty-six. Two hundred fifty-six times--
+
+“What’s eating you?” Alexander demanded.
+
+“I’m angry,” Kennon said. “I told you the conditions I’d sign that
+contract, and you wrote a Peeper Clause into it. And then you peep in
+the worst way possible. There’s no defense against a Telep unless
+you know about him; you’ve had my whole mind bare! You’ve violated my
+personal privacy like no man has done before. Sure I’m mad. I expected
+honesty from you--and you peep!” The anger was stronger now--a wave of
+raw emotion based on a lifetime of training in mutual respect of a man’s
+privacy--a feeling intensified by his childhood environment of a crowded
+planetary ecology and the cramped crew quarters on a spaceship. To
+Kennon, Alexander had committed the ultimate sin.
+
+“I can see I made a mistake by not telling you,” Alexander said. His
+voice was cold. “But you have no right to insult me.”
+
+“I’m not saying it, am I?” Kennon snapped. The moonflower on the
+bookcase behind Alexander was a thing of beauty. Alexander liked beauty.
+He had said so, and the Great Hall below them bore it out. It was a
+lovely room. Those four bronze Lani in the fountain were works of art.
+One of them looked remarkably like Copper. Copper in bronze. The little
+witch had probably posed for the casting. Maybe it had even been made
+from her body.
+
+“They’re all of Susy,” Alexander said. “I can see why you are angry, and
+I don’t blame you. But remember I warned you about Lani.”
+
+Copper--Kennon wrenched his thoughts back to the moonflower. It had
+twelve petals, limpid white on the borders shading to deep blue in the
+center-from which the cream-colored stamen surrounded by transparent
+pistils sprang to burst into a golden glory of pollen that dripped
+in tiny yellow flecks to the broad petals below. It was a magnificent
+flower. There was nothing like it on Beta. That was a marvelous thing
+about flowers--wherever one went in the universe, plants used the same
+methods to fertilize their seed and spread their germ plasm. It was too
+bad that--Kennon jerked his attention to Alexander’s face. He detested
+the thought that his mind was common property. A man should have
+something he can call his own. There had been a clinics instructor
+in Year Six who was a sensitive. The classes had protected themselves
+against his prying with a circlet--a thought screen--he had done it too.
+Maybe he had brought the circlet with him. If he did, no one was going
+to catch him without it. It was a dirty business, this reading of
+others’ thought. Now where had he put that circlet? Was it among his old
+books--or was it with his instruments?
+
+“Why don’t you go back to your house and find it?” Alexander snapped.
+“As you are, you’re nothing but a disruption. I want you in on this
+meeting, but not the way you’re acting.”
+
+“I’m not going to act any other way until I get some protection from
+peeping,” Kennon said grimly. “And if you think this is bad wait till I
+start going through comparative anatomy.”
+
+“What’s the matter with you two?” Blalok asked.
+
+“Be quiet,” Alexander snapped. “This isn’t your problem. Kennon is
+behaving like a spoiled child!”
+
+“He’s a telepath!” Kennon said. “And he didn’t tell me.”
+
+“So what? I’ve known that for years.”
+
+“And you stand for it?”
+
+“I’m a Mystic, not a Betan,” Blalok said. “I don’t have your insane
+desire for privacy.”
+
+“Go find that thought screen if you still have it!” Alexander said. “I
+don’t want any more of this. You’re making me ill!”
+
+Kennon grinned thinly as he rose to his feet. It was a good thing he
+remembered Alexander was squeamish and didn’t like anatomy. The door
+was to his left, an iris door with eight leaves--terribly old-fashioned.
+About ten steps away. Count them--one--two--three--
+
+Alexander sighed as Kennon left the room. “I certainly pushed the panic
+button on that young man,” he said. “He has a pathological attitude
+toward telepathy. Wonder what he has to hide that he wants privacy so
+badly? Even for a Betan this reaction was violent.”
+
+“Oh, I don’t know. He’s a pretty emotional sort. Maybe he hates to look
+like a fool. He’s gotten himself mixed up with one of the Lani. Cute
+little thing by the name of Copper,” Blalok said.
+
+“Oh--that’s it. I thought that was what he was hiding. A picture of
+a girl kept popping up.” Alexander chuckled. “I suppose that’s the
+trouble. A man hardly likes to look a fool, particularly to someone
+who has warned him. At that, I don’t blame him. They are beautiful and
+affectionate. And even with their superstitions and tabus they’re better
+than most humans.”
+
+“For pets,” Blalok said heavily.
+
+“They’re not better at anything,” Jordan demurred. “They can’t be--man
+is the best and always will be.”
+
+“The eternal racial chauvinist,” Alexander murmured. He turned his
+attention to Blalok. “But for awhile, Evald, I’d suggest you keep an
+eye on our young man. I still don’t like his reaction. It was too
+violent--too defensive. I don’t feel right about it. Perhaps Betans are
+more sensitive than most people but it seems to me that he’s trying
+to conceal something. There was an undertone of fear--and something
+else--beneath his defenses.”
+
+“Couldn’t you get any more than that?” Blalok asked. “You’re pretty good
+at this mind-reading business.”
+
+“His defenses were remarkably good,” Alexander said dryly.
+
+* * *
+
+Well he’d done it now, Kennon thought. He found the thought-screen
+circlet sandwiched between two books on comparative neuroanatomy which
+he hadn’t bothered to unpack. He slipped it on and connected the lead
+wires to a portable battery pack. There was a half-forgotten tingling
+as the weak field heterodyned his thought waves. Kennon sighed. If
+Alexander wasn’t suspicious of him now the man was a fool. He’d done as
+well as he could with confusion and outrage, but it was hardly possible
+to hide behind superficialities. Even the most disciplined mind couldn’t
+do that without some preparation. Undoubtedly his concern about Copper
+had leaked through. He could only hope that other and more important
+things had not.
+
+Well--he could go back to the conference now, but he would have to be
+doubly careful from now on. He couldn’t make daily trips to Olympus. His
+reaction had killed that plan. Alexander would be suspicious now--and
+unusual actions would crystallize suspicion to certainty. Now he needed
+a reason to be in that area. And then he grinned. He had a reason--a
+good one--one that would fit in with Alexander’s plans and his own.
+The only problem would be to make Alexander buy it--and that might be
+difficult. He’d have to work carefully--but with normal luck he could
+put the idea across. He crossed his fingers as he trudged back up the
+path to Alexandria.
+
+The conference dragged on. Unlike most meetings, this one accomplished
+things--which was a tribute to Alexander’s ability to keep the subject
+in hand. Details of the expansion program presented by Alexander were
+rapidly reduced to workable plans. They involved some rearrangement of
+existing facilities, and the construction of others. But the obvious
+snags were rapidly disposed of, and the whole revamped operation was
+outlined on paper in surprisingly few hours. A deadline date was set,
+construction was authorized, and in the morning the first steps in the
+practical implementation of the new program would be taken.
+
+“Well, that’s that,” Alexander said with a sigh. “I think this calls for
+a drink.”
+
+“There’s one more thing,” Kennon said. “I know it isn’t much, but
+Jordan’s remark started me thinking.”
+
+“What remark?” Jordan asked.
+
+“The one you made at the beginning about Phoebe possibly being like the
+Olympus Station. I’ve often wondered why that particular location has
+been so difficult to operate. Sure, I know the accepted explanation,
+but I think we should learn why it works and how to break a tabu. If we
+don’t, we might be in for trouble.”
+
+“That’s a good thought,” Alexander said. “I tried to find out once, but
+all I could discover was that it was tabu. The Lani simply didn’t like
+it. And despite the fact that I can read minds, I didn’t learn any more
+than that. There’s a certain sex-linkage to telepathy, as you probably
+know.”
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+“All I could discover was that their dislike of Olympus was a basic
+emotion rather than reasoned thought. They were nervous, irritable,
+disobedient, and uncooperative while they were there--and even they
+didn’t know why. It was merely tabu. We even tried youngsters--but the
+attitude was the same. I’d like to know more about that basic emotion.”
+
+“We should understand it,” Kennon agreed. “If we transship a large
+number of Lani to a strange world, we should know their deepest
+motivations. We cannot take the chance that the transplant won’t take,
+with all the money you’re sinking into this project.”
+
+“You have a point there. Have you any suggestions about how to
+accomplish this?” Alexander’s voice was interested.
+
+“I have. Hire a psychologist. And reopen Olympus.”
+
+“It’ll be the same story,” Jordan said.
+
+“Not if you apply experimental procedure,” Kennon said. “Divide the
+place into a number of separate units in which groups of--say ten--Lani
+of various ages are kept. Let every group know where they are, but don’t
+let them come in contact with one another. Observe them constantly. Put
+spy cells in the units. Couple them to recorders. Prepare a set of test
+situations and observe how each group performs. Question individuals
+under narcosynthesis. Observe and record any changes in physical
+condition--give them the works. Maybe we can collect some basic data
+that will indicate the answer.”
+
+“Not a bad idea,” Alexander said.
+
+“I don’t like it,” Jordan said. “It sounds cumbersome.”
+
+“It is,” Kennon agreed. “But it may save a great deal of trouble later.”
+
+“I think you’re right, Kennon,” Blalok said. “We should know everything
+we can.”
+
+“What would you do first if you were heading this program?” Alexander
+asked. He eyed Kennon critically.
+
+“Nothing,” Kennon said promptly. “I’m not qualified to run an
+investigation like this. You need a specialist. I am a practitioner.”
+
+“Hmm--but you know experimental procedure.”
+
+“Naturally--but I do not have the training to prepare a program or
+evaluate its results. The only thing I could do would be to check the
+physical condition of the experimental groups.”
+
+“Could you set up the physical facilities?” Alexander asked.
+
+“Possibly--I’d need a set of plans of the station, and I couldn’t
+guarantee that the specialist wouldn’t want to make changes. But the
+physical arrangements should be simple enough to construct.”
+
+“How long would it take you to prepare a plan?”
+
+“I could have it by tomorrow, or perhaps a day later.”
+
+“If you can do it by then I’ll stay over. I’d like to examine this
+proposal more closely. It has merit. That’s the second constructive
+suggestion you’ve made tonight. Despite your peculiar desire for
+privacy, I’m glad you came back.” Alexander smiled.
+
+Kennon smiled back. Apparently the entrepreneur had taken the bait.
+But it was too early to tell whether he had swallowed it without
+reservation. It all depended upon how much had been given away before
+he had discovered that Alexander was a telepath. Perhaps Alexander was
+merely leading him on. There were too many intangibles, and there was no
+way of predicting how it would turn out. But he felt mildly optimistic.
+
+Alexander closed the meeting, and Kennon left promptly. He had a good
+excuse. There was plenty of work to do if he was going to prepare an
+adequate plan for utilizing Olympus Station. Jordan went with him,
+but Blalok stayed behind. It was natural enough. Blalok was the
+administrator, but Kennon felt uneasy. Nor would he have felt any better
+if he could have heard what went on after he left.
+
+Alexander looked quizzically at Blalok after the door closed behind the
+two men.
+
+“Well, Evald, what do you think? Does it strike you that Kennon’s
+sincere--or does it sound as though he has something up his sleeve?”
+
+“If he does,” Blalok said, “I don’t know what it could be. I wouldn’t
+take a job on Olympus if you gave it to me.”
+
+“If he doesn’t know about the place,” Alexander said thoughtfully, “it’s
+probable that his suggestion was honest. I think it is but I’m not sure.
+He worries me now that I can’t read him. I think I’ll send Douglas back
+here to watch him.”
+
+“Why? In my book that’d be a poor choice. After all, you said Kennon
+saved his life. He should be grateful.”
+
+“You don’t know Douglas,” Alexander said. “He hates Kennon’s guts for
+what he did.”
+
+“What did he do?”
+
+“He made Douglas feel inferior. And there’s no surer way to gain my
+cousin’s undying enmity.” Alexander laughed. “I know,” he said. “He’d
+like to kill me, too.”
+
+Blalok shrugged.
+
+“But in the meantime I want you to keep an eye on Kennon. If his outline
+is all right, I’m going to authorize him to set up this experiment. I
+want to give him every possible chance. I like him--and he’s done good
+work. I wouldn’t want him to feel that I distrust him.”
+
+“Which you do, of course,” Blalok said dryly.
+
+Alexander smiled. “Actually,” he said with equal dryness, “I distrust
+everyone.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+“If you think this job is easy, you have another think coming,” Kennon
+said bitterly. “I hired out as a veterinarian, not as a nursemaid for
+a bunch of psychoneurotic humans and superstitious Lani. The place is
+jinxed, they tell me.--Ha! Jinxed! Sure it’s jinxed! What job wouldn’t
+be with a bunch of goofballs like these I’ve got working on it.
+
+“I can’t keep a Lani here for two weeks without having her throw a
+catfit, and the superstitious idiots are affecting the men--who ought to
+know better! I wish I’d never have opened my big mouth to Alexander! As
+far as I’m concerned he can take this job and--”
+
+“Hey--take it easy, man!” Blalok said. “You’re heading straight for a
+nervous breakdown.”
+
+“And why shouldn’t I?” Kennon asked. “Nothing goes right. There’s always
+trouble. I order materials--they don’t arrive. There’s worker trouble,
+equipment trouble, installation trouble. Everybody’s cutting corners,
+trying to get done faster and away sooner--and all they do is mess up
+work that should have been done right the first time. We should have
+been finished last week, but we have another week to go, at least unless
+some bumble-fingered beanbrain gets another bright idea that sets us
+back again. I’m sick to death of it!”
+
+“I know, I know,” Blalok said soothingly, “and I’m sorry.”
+
+“Sorry? What good is that? You and Jordan come up here in relays. Just
+what do you think you’ll find? Or has Alexander dragged you into keeping
+an eye on me because I don’t like someone snooping inside my skull?”
+
+“It’s not that,” Blalok said. “It’s just--”
+
+“Oh, don’t make excuses. You know and I know the Boss-man is
+suspicious.” Kennon shrugged. “Normally I wouldn’t blame him but it’s
+a damned nuisance with things the way they are. All we have is one more
+bay and a hall to finish--but if--”
+
+“Now wait a minute,” Blalok said. “Get the kink out of your neck and
+simmer down. Sure--the Boss-man told us to keep an eye on you--but
+that’s not why I’m here this time.”
+
+“Well?”
+
+“Douglas came back this morning.”
+
+“What for?”
+
+“I don’t know.” Blalok’s face wore the noncommittal look it always wore
+when he was taking liberties with the truth.
+
+“You’re probably the worst liar in the galaxy,” Kennon chuckled. “He’s
+here to breathe down my neck, isn’t he?”
+
+Blalok nodded.
+
+“Keep him off my back for another week and he can breathe all he wants
+to. I’ll be done then.”
+
+“I can’t promise a thing.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. “It’s too much to ask, I guess.”
+
+“But I can try,” Blalok added.
+
+“That’s enough for me.” Kennon grinned. “Has he turned Alexandria into a
+shambles yet?”
+
+“Not yet, but everyone’s uneasy.”
+
+“I can’t blame them. That young fellow’s undiluted poison. By the way,
+how does he look?”
+
+“About the same.”
+
+“The medics must have done a good job,” Kennon said.
+
+“The Boss-man shipped him to Beta for treatment,” Blalok said. “He
+didn’t trust the docs out here.”
+
+“That figures. At any rate Douglas couldn’t have gone to a better
+place.”
+
+“What happened to him?”
+
+“He stuck his nose where he shouldn’t,” Kennon said pointedly.
+
+Blalok stiffened.
+
+“I’m sorry, Evald. Even if you knew, I couldn’t talk about it. What I
+know about Douglas is classified!”
+
+“Well--Douglas is doing plenty of talking. Claims his stay in the
+hospital was all your fault.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. “That’s his opinion. And as long as he stays out of my
+way he’s welcome to it.”
+
+Blalok looked at Kennon’s haggard face with mild concern, “Doc,” he
+said, “you’d better take it easy. You’re going to pieces.”
+
+“I’ll be through here in another week, I’ll have this all wrapped up.”
+
+“Providing you’re not wrapped up first.”
+
+“Eh?”
+
+“In a shroud. You look like a walking corpse.”
+
+Kennon chuckled wearily. “Sometimes I feel like one. But I’d like to get
+this job finished.”
+
+“Well, I’ll do what I can,” Blalok said. “I’ll try to keep him down at
+Alexandria for a few days.”
+
+“It’ll be enough,” Kennon said. More than enough--he added mentally.
+The coils of fuel wire were ready to load, and the power slugs for the
+ship’s reactor were already stored in the power plant building here at
+Olympus. Three more days and the old spacer would be as ready to fly as
+she would ever be. And after that, it was in the lap of fate.
+
+He ushered Blalok to his jeep and watched until he disappeared.
+
+“I’m getting to be a first-class liar,” he remarked wryly to himself
+as he turned back to the temporary quarters he was occupying at the
+station. “And the bad thing about it is that I’m actually enjoying it.”
+
+A few weeks ago an admission like that would have been inconceivable.
+It was odd, he thought, how one thing led to another and produced an
+end that could not be foreseen. Now he could lie and dissemble with the
+best. He had no compunction about falsifying a requisition, or stealing
+what he could not obtain with apparent honesty. His character had sunk
+to an all-time low, he reflected with grim humor as he walked into the
+shadow of the main building. Neither Blalok’s nor Jordan’s frequent
+visits bothered him. Both men were creatures of habit and both were
+married. They stayed home at night--and it was nighttime that he worked
+on the spacer. The project afforded him a perfect cover and it was only
+minutes by jeep away from the crater.
+
+Even so, the double duty was an appalling task. And it would have been
+impossible if it wasn’t for Copper. Her quick fingers, keen eyesight,
+and uncanny memory made the work seem simple, and neither the
+tediousness of repairing miles of circuitry nor the depressing
+environment of Olympus Station seemed to bother her. While he worked
+with the men on the project she restored and reassembled circuits in
+his quarters and at night they replaced them in the old ship. And the
+God-Egg was rapidly becoming operational.
+
+Kennon wondered what it was about Copper that made her so different from
+the rest. Olympus didn’t bother her at all. In fact she seemed to thrive
+on the depressing atmosphere that filled the Station. Perhaps it was
+because she had violated the tabu about the God-Egg so often that
+ordinary superstition had no effect upon her. He shrugged. He had
+troubles enough without worrying about Copper’s motivations, and not the
+least of these was taking the God-Egg into space.
+
+Kennon looked forward to blast-off with distinct misgivings. There was
+too much about the ancient spacer that was strange--and too much that
+was terrifying.
+
+Basically the ship was an ion-jet job with atomic primaries and a
+spindizzy converter that might possibly take her up as high as middle
+yellow Cth--far enough to give her a good turn of speed, but not enough
+to compensate for timelag. Her screens were monstrosities, double
+polyphase lattices that looked about as spacetight as so many sieves.
+There were no acceleration dampers, no temporal compensators, no
+autopilot, no four-space computer, and the primaries operated on nuclear
+rather than binding energy. The control chairs weren’t equipped with
+forcefields, but instead had incredibly primitive safety webs that held
+one in place by sheer tensile strength. Taking a ship like that into
+space was an open invitation to suicide. A man needed a combination of
+foolhardy bravery and incredible fatalism to blast off in a can like
+this. He had the stimulus, but the knowledge of what he would face
+troubled him more than he cared to admit. More and more, as he
+understood the ship, he was amazed at the courage of the ancients who
+had blithely leaped into hyperspace in these flying coffins with no more
+motivation than to see what was beyond the nearest star. And in ships
+more primitive than this men had swept through the star systems nearest
+Earth in the outward expansion of the First Millennium.
+
+He sighed. The breed of man must have been tough in the old days--and
+he’d soon be finding out if any of that ancient toughness remained.
+
+He opened the door to his quarters.
+
+Copper was sitting in his favorite chair, a pile of completed assemblies
+neatly stacked beside her, and a disorderly file of crumpled cloth at
+her feet. Her face was sullen as she looked up at him. “I’ve had about
+all of this I’m going to take,” she said mutinously as she stirred the
+heap of cloth with a bare foot. “Not even you are going to make me wear
+those--things!”
+
+Kennon sighed. It was the same old story. For months he had been trying
+patiently to indoctrinate Copper with a minimum of civilized habits, but
+she was quite literally a savage. In her entire lifetime she had never
+worn clothing, and to encase her body in hose, kilts, blouse, and
+sandals was a form of torture. She scratched, wiggled, and twisted at
+the garments until she looked as bad as she felt, and would usually
+finish a session by tearing off the offending clothes and sulking. She
+was doing it now.
+
+“You must act like a civilized human being,” Kennon said mildly. “You’re
+simply going to have to learn to wear these clothes properly.”
+
+“Why? I’m more comfortable as I am.”
+
+“That’s not the point. You are going to be living in human society and
+you must act human. The only planet where you could get away with nudity
+is Santos, and we’re not going there.”
+
+“Why not?”
+
+“I’ve explained it time and again. We’ll have to go to Beta. That’s the
+only place I know where you’ll have a fair hearing. And on Beta people
+wear clothes. They have to. It’s cold, even in summer, and in the
+wintertime, there’s snow.”
+
+“What’s snow?”
+
+“Ice crystals that fall like rain, but I’ve told you this before.”
+
+“And I still don’t believe it.”
+
+“Believe it or not you’re going to wear those things. Now put them on!”
+
+She looked at him with mutiny on her face. “All right, slave driver,”
+ she muttered as she picked up the clothing, “but I hope you’ll itch
+someday and be unable to scratch.”
+
+“And try to wear those garments more gracefully. You make them look like
+a sack.”
+
+“They feel like one. I keep thinking that all I need is a tag around my
+neck.”
+
+“You haven’t much time to get used to them,” Kennon said. “We’re leaving
+this week.”
+
+“So soon?”
+
+“Yes--and you’ll wear those things to the ship, into the ship, and all
+the time we’re on the ship. You’ll keep wearing clothing until it looks
+right.”
+
+“Slave driver!” Copper hissed.
+
+“Slave,” Kennon answered equably.
+
+Copper giggled. The sound was utterly unexpected, and completely
+incongruous. That was the wonder of her, Kennon reflected. Her mercurial
+temperament made life something that was continually exciting She was a
+never-ending delight.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+It was the last trip. Kennon loaded the jeep with the last-minute items
+he would need. The four reactor cores in their lead cases went aboard
+last and were packed inside a pile of lead-block shielding.
+
+He helped Copper in and looked back without regret as the bulk of
+Olympus Station vanished below him in the dusk. The last of the work
+crew had left that afternoon. The station was ready for occupancy.
+His assignment had been completed. He felt an odd pleasure at having
+finished the job. Alexander might not be happy about his subsequent
+actions, but he could have no complaint about what he did while he was
+here.
+
+“Well--say good-bye to Flora,” he said to Copper.
+
+“I don’t want to,” she said. “I don’t want to leave.”
+
+“You can’t stay. You know that.”
+
+She nodded. “But that doesn’t make me any less regretful.”
+
+“Regretful?”
+
+“All right--scared. We’re going to try to make the God-Egg fly again.
+Not only is it sacrilege, but as you’ve often said, it’s dangerous. I
+have no desire to die.”
+
+“You have two courses--”
+
+“I know--you’ve pointed them out often enough,” Copper said. “And since
+you decided to go I’d go with you even though I knew the Egg would blow
+up.”
+
+“You’re quite a girl,” Kennon said admiringly. “Did I ever tell you that
+I love you?”
+
+“Not nearly often enough,” Copper said. “You could do it every day and
+I’d never get tired of hearing it.”
+
+The jeep settled over the lava wall. “We’ll leave it in the passageway
+when we’re through,” Kennon said. “Maybe it will survive blast-off.”
+
+“Why worry about it?” Copper asked.
+
+“I hate destroying anything needlessly,” Kennon said.
+
+“And since we have plenty of time, we might as well be neat about our
+departure.”
+
+He was wrong, of course, but he didn’t know that.
+
+* * *
+
+Douglas Alexander checked the radarscope and whistled in surprise at
+the picture it revealed. “So that’s where he’s going,” he said softly
+to himself. “Cousin Alex was right as usual.” He grimaced unpleasantly.
+“He’s up to something--that’s for sure.” His face twisted into an
+expression that was half sneer, half triumph. “This is going to be
+fun.” He moved the control, and his airboat, hovering silently at five
+thousand meters, dropped toward the ground in free fall as Douglas
+loosened the Burkholtz in the holster at his waist. “But what is he
+doing?” he muttered. The question hung unanswered in the still air of
+the cabin as the airboat dropped downward.
+
+Douglas hadn’t been impressed with Blalok’s attempt at a delaying
+action. Normally he might have been, but his fear of his cousin was
+greater than his respect for Blalok. The superintendent had only
+succeeded in accomplishing something he had not intended when he had
+tried to dissuade Douglas from visiting Kennon. He had made Douglas
+cautious. The airboat and long-range surveillance had been the result.
+For the past two nights Douglas had hung over Olympus Station, checking
+the place--to leave at dawn when the new day’s work began. For two
+nights Kennon had been lucky. He had departed for the Egg shortly before
+Douglas took up his station, and had returned after the watcher had
+called it a night and had returned home. But this last night, Kennon
+left late--and his departure was noted.
+
+“Wonder who’s the girl with him?” Douglas said as the boat plunged down.
+“Well, I’ll be finding out in a minute.”
+
+Kennon’s head jerked upward at the sound of air whistling past the
+airboat’s hull, and a wave of icy coldness swept through his chest.
+There was no question that he was discovered. His shoulders sagged.
+
+“Well--it was a good try,” he said bitterly as Copper looked at him with
+sudden terror on her face.
+
+“I don’t want to die,” she wailed.
+
+“You won’t--not if I can help it,” Kennon said. “Move away from
+me--quickly!”
+
+“But--”
+
+“Do as I say!” Kennon’s voice was sharp. “And keep that hood over your
+face.”
+
+The airboat settled softly on the ash in front of him, the door snapped
+open and Douglas dropped to the ground, Burkholtz jutting from his pudgy
+fist.
+
+“My, my,” Douglas said, “what have we here? Dr. Kennon and a woman!
+I thought better of you than that, Doctor. And all dressed up in
+antiradiation suits. This is interesting. Just what are you doing up
+here on the mountain so late at night--prospecting?”
+
+“You might call it that,” Kennon said. His body sagged with relief.
+Douglas thank Ochsner it was Douglas! He was running true to
+form--talking when he should have been shooting.
+
+Douglas jerked his head toward Copper, standing a few feet to his left.
+“Who is she?”
+
+“None of your business,” Kennon snapped, hoping that his outburst
+covered Copper’s gasp of surprise and fear, and knowing that it didn’t.
+
+“I’m making it my business. There’s something funny going on around
+here.”
+
+Kennon blinked. Could it be that Douglas didn’t know? Had he been
+watching them on radar? Durilium was radar-transparent. It absorbed
+and dissipated electromagnetic waves rather than reflecting them. For a
+second he felt a tiny surge of hope.
+
+“Stand where you are,” Douglas said as he stepped over to the
+half-paralyzed Copper and jerked the hood back from her face. For a
+moment he looked puzzled. “Just who are you?” he demanded. “I don’t
+recall seeing you before.” And then recognition dawned. “Old Doc’s
+Lani!” he gasped.
+
+“She works for me now,” Kennon said.
+
+Douglas laughed. It wasn’t a nice sound. “All dressed up?” he asked.
+“Nice work.”
+
+“That’s my fault,” Kennon said.
+
+“You know the rules,” Douglas said. “I could blast you both.”
+
+“Go ahead,” Kennon said, “but if you do, you’ll never find out what
+we’re doing up here.”
+
+Douglas hesitated. Kennon’s voice was flat and filled with utter
+conviction.
+
+“There’s a reason why Copper’s wearing that suit,” Kennon continued,
+“and you won’t know that either.”
+
+The Burkholtz swiveled around to point at Kennon’s belly. “I’ve had
+about enough of this. Let’s have it. Tell me what you’re doing here!”
+
+“I’ll do better than that,” Kennon said promptly. “I’ll show you. You’ll
+be surprised at what we’ve uncovered.” He made his muscles relax, and
+forced himself to speak naturally. Copper, he noted, was still rigid
+with terror. The Alexanders--any of them--were everything he had said
+they were. They were the masters here. And despite Copper’s boast, she
+was as susceptible to their influence as any other Lani.
+
+“All right,” Douglas said, “show me this thing I’d never be able to
+find without your help.” He half turned to Copper. “Stay where you are,
+Lani,” he said. “Don’t move until I come back.”
+
+“Yes, Man Douglas,” Copper replied. Her voice was flat, colorless, and
+submissive.
+
+Kennon shuddered. He had never heard precisely that tone from her
+before. One word from Douglas and she had become a zombie--a mindless
+muscle preparation that existed only to obey. Anger filled him--anger
+that one he loved could be ordered by someone who wasn’t worth a
+third of her--anger that she obeyed--anger at his own impotence and
+frustration. It wasn’t a clean anger. It was a dark, red-splashed thing
+that struggled and writhed inside him, a fierce unreasoning rage that
+seethed and bubbled yet could not break free. For an instant, with
+blinding clarity, Kennon understood the feelings of the caged male Lani
+on Otpen One. And he sympathized.
+
+“Follow me,” he said and started around the ship.
+
+“Stay--no--go ahead,” Douglas said, “but remember, I’m right behind
+you.”
+
+Kennon walked straight up to the pit and pointed down at the dark bulk
+of the Egg., concealed in the shadows of the bottom.
+
+“That’s it,” he said.
+
+“What? I don’t see anything,” Douglas said suspiciously.
+
+“Here--I’ll shine a light.” Kennon reached for his belt.
+
+“No you don’t! I know that trick. You’re not going to blind me. Take
+that torch loose carefully--that’s it--now hand it to me.” Douglas’ hand
+closed over the smooth plastic. Cautiously he turned on the beam and
+directed it downward.
+
+“A spacer!” he gasped. “How did that get here?” He leaned forward to
+look into the pit as a dark shadow materialized behind him.
+
+Kennon choked back the involuntary cry of warning that rose in his
+throat. Copper! His muscles tensed as her arm came up and down--a
+shadow almost invisible in the starlight. The leaning figure of Douglas
+collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly released. The
+torch dropped from his hand and went bouncing and winking down the wall
+of the pit, followed by Douglas--a limp bundle of arms and legs that
+rotated grotesquely as he disappeared down the slope. Starlight gleamed
+on the Burkholtz lying on the lip of the crater, where it had fallen
+from his hand.
+
+“I told you that not even Man Alexander could order me since I gave my
+love to you,” Copper said smugly as she peered over the edge of the pit,
+a chunk of lava gripped in one small capable hand. “Maybe this proves
+it.”
+
+“Douglas isn’t Alexander,” Kennon said slowly as he picked up the
+blaster, “but I believe you.”
+
+“Didn’t I act convincingly?” she said brightly.
+
+“Very,” he said. “You fooled me completely.”
+
+“The important thing was that I fooled Douglas.”
+
+“You did that all right. Now let’s get him out of that pit.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“The jet blast will fry him when we take off.”
+
+“What difference would that make?”
+
+“I told you,” Kennon said, “that I never destroy things
+unnecessarily--not even things like Douglas.”
+
+“But he would have destroyed you.”
+
+“That’s no excuse for murder. Now go back to the jeep and fetch a rope.
+I’ll go down and get him out.”
+
+“Do we have to bother with him?” Copper asked, and then shrugged. It
+was an eloquent gesture expressing disgust, resignation, and unwilling
+compliance in one lift of smoothly muscled shoulders.
+
+“There’s no question about it,” Kennon said. “You’re becoming more human
+every day.”
+
+He chuckled as he slid over the edge of the pit following the path
+Douglas had taken a moment before. He found him sitting on a pile of
+ashes, shaking his head.
+
+“What happened?” Douglas asked querulously. There was fear in his voice.
+
+“Copper hit you on the head with a rock,” Kennon said as he bent over
+and retrieved the torch, still burning near Douglas’ feet.
+
+“The Lani?” Douglas’ voice was incredulous.
+
+“Not a Lani,” Kennon corrected. “She’s as human as you or I.”
+
+“That’s a lie,” Douglas said.
+
+“Maybe this spacer’s a lie too. Her ancestors came in it--a pair
+of humans named Alfred and Melissa Weygand. They were Christian
+missionaries from a planet called Heaven out in Ophiuchus Sector. Went
+out to convert aliens and landed here when their fuel ran out.”
+ Kennon paused. “That was about four millennia ago. Their descendants,
+naturally, reverted to barbarism in a few generations, but there’s
+enough evidence in the ship to prove that the Lani were their
+children.”
+
+“But the tails--the differences--the failure of the test,” Douglas said.
+
+“Mutation,” Kennon replied. “Those old spindizzy converters weren’t
+too choosy about how they scattered radiation. And they had come a long
+way.” He paused, looking down at Douglas, feeling a twinge of pity for
+the man. His world was crumbling. “And there was no other human blood
+available to filter out their peculiarities. It might have been done
+during the first couple of generations, but constant inbreeding fixed
+the genetic pattern.”
+
+“How did you discover this?” Douglas asked.
+
+“Accident,” Kennon said briefly.
+
+“You’ll never be able to prove they’re human!” Douglas said.
+
+“The ship’s log will do that.”
+
+“Not without a humanity test--they can’t pass that.”
+
+“Sorry to disappoint you. Your grandfather used the wrong sort of sperm.
+Now if there had been a Betan in the crew--”
+
+“You mean she’s pregnant!”
+
+Kennon nodded. “There’s been mutation on Beta,” he said. “And it’s
+apparently a similar one to hers. Betan-Lani matings are fertile.”
+
+Douglas’s shoulders sagged, and then straightened. “I don’t believe it,”
+ he said. “You’re just a damned sneaking spy. Somehow or other you got
+a spacer in here after you wormed your way into Cousin Alex’s
+confidence--and now you’re going to space out with the nucleus of a new
+farm. Just wait. When Alex learns of this the galaxy’ll be too small to
+hold you.”
+
+“Don’t babble like a fool!” Kennon said with disgust. “How could I land
+a spacer here without being spotted? You sound like a two-credit novel.
+And even if I did--would it be a can like this?” Kennon played the torch
+over the blue-black durilium protruding from the ashes.
+
+Douglas’ eyes widened as he took in the details of construction. “What
+an antique!” he blurted. “Where did you get this can?”
+
+“I found it here.”
+
+“Tell me another one.”
+
+“You won’t believe,” Kennon said flatly, “because you don’t dare
+believe. You have a mental block. You’ve killed, maimed, tortured--
+treated them like animals--and now your mind shrinks from admitting
+they’re human. You know what will happen if the old court decision is
+reversed. It will wreck your little empire, dry up your money, break
+you--and you can’t stand the thought of that. You don’t dare let us
+leave, yet you can’t stop us because I have your blaster and I’d just
+as soon shoot you as look at your rotten face. Now get on your feet and
+start climbing if you want to stay alive. We’re getting out of here, and
+you’ll fry inside this pit.”
+
+“Where are you taking me?”
+
+“Back to your airboat. I’m going to tie you up and set you off on
+autopilot. You’ll be able to get loose quickly enough but it’ll be too
+late to stop us. We’ll be gone, and you can think of how you’ll manage
+to face the human race.”
+
+“I hope you blow yourself and that antique clear out of space.”
+
+“We might. But you’ll never know for sure. But mark this--if I live I’ll
+be back with the Brotherhood. You can count on it.”
+
+They struggled up the side of the pit and halted, panting, on the rim.
+“How much radiation was down there?” Douglas asked worriedly.
+
+“Not enough to hurt you.”
+
+“That’s good.” Douglas accepted the statement at face value, a fact
+which failed to surprise Kennon. “You know,” he said, “I’ve been around
+Lani all my life. And I know that they’re not human. No self-respecting
+human would take a tenth of what they put up with.”
+
+“Their ancestors didn’t,” Kennon said. “They fought to the end. But your
+Grandfather was a smart man even though he was a Degrader.”
+
+“He wasn’t!” Douglas exploded. “No Alexander is a Degrader.”
+
+“He realized,” Kennon went on, “that he’d never succeed in enslaving the
+Lani unless he separated the sexes. And since women are more subjective
+in their outlook--and more pliable--he picked them for his slaves. The
+males he retired to stud. Probably the fact that there were more women
+than men helped him make up his mind.
+
+“In every society,” Kennon went on inexorably, “there are potential
+freeman and potential slaves. The latter invariably outnumber the
+former. They’re cowards: the timid, the unsacrificing--the ones that
+want peace at any price--the ones who will trade freedom for security.
+Those were the ones who hid rather than risk their lives fighting
+the aggressor. Those were the ones who survived. Old Alexander had a
+ready-made slave cadre when he finished off the last of the warriors.
+For four centuries the survivors have been bred and selected to
+perpetuate slave traits. And the system works. The men don’t want
+freedom--they want liberty to kill each other. The women don’t want
+freedom--they want males. And they’d serve them precisely as the Sarkian
+women serve their menfolk. You’ve killed any chance they had to become
+a civilization. It’s going to take generations perhaps before they’re
+reoriented. There’s plenty you Alexanders should answer for.”
+
+“If there’s any fault, it’s yours,” Douglas snarled. “We were doing all
+right until you came here. We’d still be doing all right if I had shot
+you both.” His shoulders sagged. “I should have killed you when I had
+the chance,” he said bitterly.
+
+“But you didn’t,” Kennon said, “and to show my gratitude I’m letting you
+get away with a whole skin. I don’t expect you to be grateful, but at
+least you’ll not be on my conscience. I don’t enjoy killing, not even
+things like you.”
+
+Douglas sneered. “You’re soft--a soft sentimental fool.”
+
+“Admitted,” Kennon said, “but that’s my nature.”
+
+“Yet you’d destroy the family, wreck Outworld Enterprises, and throw a
+whole world into chaos over a few thousand animals. I don’t understand
+you.”
+
+“They’re human,” Kennon said flatly.
+
+“Admitting they might once have been, they’re not now.”
+
+“And whose fault is that?”
+
+“Not ours,” Douglas said promptly. “If there is any fault it’s that of
+the court who decided they were humanoid.”
+
+“You didn’t help any.”
+
+“Why should we? Does one treat a shrake like a brother?--or a varl?--or
+a dog? We treat them like the animals they are. And we’ve done no worse
+with the Lani. Our consciences are clear.”
+
+Kennon laughed humorlessly. “Yet this clear conscience makes you want
+to kill me, so you can keep on treating them as animals--even though you
+know they’re human.”
+
+“I know nothing of the sort. But you’re right about the killing, I’d
+kill you cheerfully if I had the chance. It’s our necks if you get away
+with this. Of course, you probably won’t, but why take the chance. I
+like my neck more than I like yours.”
+
+“You’re honest at any rate,” Kennon admitted. “And in a way I don’t
+blame you. To you it’s probably better to be a rich slaver living off
+the legacy of a Degrader than a penniless humanitarian. But you’ve lost
+your chance.”
+
+Douglas screamed with rage. He whirled on Kennon, his face a distorted
+mask of hate.
+
+“Hold it!” Kennon barked. “I don’t want to kill you, but I’ll burn a
+hole clear through your rotten carcass if you make another move. I have
+no love for your kind.”
+
+Douglas spat contemptuously. “You haven’t got the guts,” he snarled. But
+he didn’t move.
+
+“Just stand still--very still,” Kennon said softly. The iron in his
+voice was not hidden by the quiet tone.
+
+Douglas shivered. “I’ll get you yet,” he said, but there was no force in
+the threat.
+
+“Here’s the rope you wanted,” Copper said as she emerged abruptly from
+the darkness. “I had a hard time finding it.”
+
+“You haven’t been too long,” Kennon said. “Now tie Douglas’ hands behind
+him while I keep him covered.”
+
+“It’s a pleasure,” Copper murmured.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+“I’m frightened,” Copper said, twisting uncomfortably in the shock chair
+beside Kennon’s.
+
+“After you have been so brave?” Kennon asked. “That’s nonsense. It’s
+just nervous reaction. Now web in like I showed you. It’s time for
+blast-off. We don’t dare wait much longer.”
+
+“All right--but I have a feeling that this isn’t right. Something is
+going to go wrong.”
+
+“I hope you don’t have precognition.” Kennon smiled. “I’ve checked
+everything. The ship is as good as she’ll ever be. There’s nothing more
+that we can do.”
+
+“There’s one consolation,” Copper said wanly. “At we’ll die together.”
+
+“There’s a better chance that we’ll live together.”
+
+“I hope so.”
+
+“Ready?” Kennon asked.
+
+She nodded.
+
+He flipped the switches that would send the fuel rods into the reactor.
+Below them a soft, barely audible whine ascended the sonic scale to
+a point of irritating inaudibility. Kennon smiled. The spindizzy was
+functioning properly. He flipped a second bank of switches and a dull
+roar came from the buried stem. Ashes and pumice heated to incandescence
+were blown through the air. Molten drops of radioactive lava skittered
+across the durilium hull as Kennon advanced the power. The whole stem
+of the ship was immersed in a seething lake of bolling rock as the Egg
+lifted slowly with ponderous dignity into the night sky.
+
+“Hang on!” Kennon said. “I’m going to hyper.” His hand moved a red lever
+and the Egg shimmered and vanished with a peculiar wrenching motion
+into an impossible direction that the mind could not grasp. And the
+interceptor missile from Otpen One nosed through the space the Egg had
+occupied.
+
+* * *
+
+“We made it!” Kennon said, looking across the writhing semifluid control
+board, shifting oddly in the harsh yellow monochromatic light that
+pervaded the cabin. The screens were leaking like sieves, but they were
+holding well enough to keep Cth yellow from being anything more than an
+annoyance. He glanced over at Copper, a fantastically elongated Copper
+who looked like a madman’s dream of chaos.
+
+And Copper screamed! The sound echoed and re-echoed, dying away with a
+lingering discordant reverberation that made his skin tingle.
+
+“Copper! It’s all right! It’s all right! Stop it!”
+
+Copper screamed again and her elongated figure suddenly foreshortened
+and collapsed into a small writhing ball from which two small pink hands
+emerged clutching at a gelid mass of air that flowed sluggishly around
+them.
+
+And Kennon knew what he had forgotten! Hyperspace with leaky screens was
+nothing to inflict upon an unprepared mind. It is one thing to endure
+partial exposure after months of training, with experienced medics
+standing by to help you through the shock phase, but quite another to
+be thrust from a safe and sheltered existence into the mind shattering
+distortions of the Cth continuum.
+
+The Egg was old. Her screens, never good at best, were hardly more than
+filters. Through the hull, through the drive lattice, the viciously
+distorted Cth environment seeped into the ship turning prosaic shapes
+of controls and instruments into writhing masses of obscene horror that
+sent extensions wiggling off into nothingness at eye-aching angles. A
+spaceman could take this--knowing it wasn’t real--but a tyro could not.
+
+Copper collapsed. Her mind, assaulted by sensations no untrained person
+should experience, went into shock. But she wasn’t granted the mercy
+of unconsciousness. Terrified by a pseudo reality that surpassed her
+wildest nightmares, she stared wide-eyed at the control room and the
+thing that had been Kennon. She screamed until her throat was raw,
+until the monster beside her touched her with Kennon’s hands. Then,
+mercifully, she felt a stinging in her arm and all sensation ceased.
+
+Kennon stared glumly at the controls. Fleming alone knew how many
+objective years were passing outside as they hurtled through four-space.
+Subjectively it would only be hours aboard the Egg, but a decade--or
+maybe a century--might pass outside this mad universe where neither time
+nor speed had meaning. The old ships didn’t have temporal compensators,
+nor could they travel through upper bands of Cth where subjective
+and objective time were more nearly equal. They were trapped in
+a semi-stasis of time as the ship fled on through the distorted
+monochromatic regions that bypassed normal space.
+
+The Egg slipped smoothly out of the hyper jump, back into the normal
+universe. Beta floated above them, the blue shield of her atmosphere
+shining softly in the light of Beta’s sun.
+
+“Couldn’t hit it that good again in a hundred tries,” Kennon gloated.
+“Halfway across the galaxy--and right on the nose.” He looked at the
+shock chair beside him. Copper was curled into a tight ball inside the
+confining safety web, knees drawn up, back bent, head down--arms wrapped
+protectingly around her legs--the fetal position of catatonic shock.
+
+He shook her shoulder--no response. Her pulse was thready and irregular.
+Her breathing was shallow. Her lips were blue. Her condition was
+obvious--space shock--extreme grade. She’d need medical attention if she
+was going to live. And she’d need it fast!
+
+“Just why, you educated nitwit,” he snarled at himself, “didn’t you have
+sense enough to give her that injection of Sonmol before we hypered! You
+haven’t the sense of a decerebrate Capellan grackle!”
+
+He turned on the radio. “Emergency!” he said. “Any station! Space-shock
+case aboard. Extreme urgency.”
+
+“Identify yourself--give your license. Over.”
+
+“What port are you?”
+
+“Hunterstown--will you please identify? Over.”
+
+“Your co-ordinates,” Kennon snapped. “Over.”
+
+“280.45--67.29 plus. Repeat--request your identification.”
+
+“Pilot Kennon, Jac, Beta 47M 26429. I have no I.D. for the ship--and
+you’ll see why when I land. Over.”
+
+“Hunterstown Port to Kennon. You are not--repeat not--cleared to land.
+Go into orbit and report your position. Over.”
+
+“Sorry, Hunterstown. You wouldn’t have checked in if you didn’t have
+room, and a hospital. This is an emergency. I’m setting down. Out.”
+
+“But--” The words got no farther. Kennon was already spinning the ship.
+
+“All right--we have you on the scope. But this is a class one violation.
+You may come in on Landing Beam One.”
+
+“Sorry. I have no GCA.”
+
+“What?--what sort of ship are you flying?” The voice was curious.
+
+“I’m matching intrinsics over your port. Talk me in when I break through
+the overcast.”
+
+“Talk you in?”
+
+“That’s right. My instruments are obsolete.”
+
+“Great Halstead! What else?”
+
+“I have an Ion drive. Plus two radioactive.”
+
+“Oh no!--And you still want to come in?”
+
+“I have to. My passenger’s in shock. She’s going to have a baby.”
+
+“All right--I’ll try to get you down in one piece.”
+
+“Have an ambulance ready,” Kennon said.
+
+Kennon lowered the Egg through the overcast. Ground control picked him
+up smoothly and took him down as though it had been rehearsed. The Egg
+touched down in the radioactive area of the port. Decontamination jets
+hissed, sluicing the ship to remove surface contamination.
+
+“Ochsner! what sort of a ship is that?” Ground Control’s startled voice
+came over the annunciator.
+
+“It’s an old one,” Kennon said.
+
+“That’s a gross understatement. Stand by for boarders. Ambulance coming
+up.”
+
+Kennon opened the airlock and two radiation-suited men entered. “At
+least you had sense enough to wear protective clothing in this hotbox,”
+ one said as they carefully unwebbed Copper and carried her out of the
+lock. “You wait here. The Port Captain wants to see you.”
+
+“Where are you taking her? What Center?” Kennon asked.
+
+“What should you care? You’ve nearly killed her. The idea of taking
+a pregnant woman up in this death trap! What in Fleming’s name’s the
+matter with your brain?”
+
+“I had to,” Kennon said. “I had to. It was a matter of life and death.”
+ For once, he thought wryly, the cliche was true.
+
+The Betan’s face behind the transparent helmet was disgusted and
+unbelieving. “I hear that sort of thing every day,” he said. “Am I
+supposed to believe it?”
+
+“You’d believe it if you’d have been where I was,” Kennon muttered.
+“Now--whe’re are you taking her?” he demanded.
+
+The man arched blond eyebrows. “To the local Medical Center--where else?
+There’s only one in this area.”
+
+“Thanks,” Kennon said.
+
+He watched the ambulance flit off as he waited for the Spaceport Patrol.
+There was no further need for the protection suit, so he peeled it off
+and hung it in the control-room locker. Copper was right, he mused. It
+did itch.
+
+The Port Captain’s men were late as usual--moving gingerly through the
+radiation area. A noncom gestured for him to enter their carryall. “Port
+Captain wants to see you,” he said.
+
+“I know,” Kennon replied.
+
+“You should have waited upstairs.”
+
+“I couldn’t. It was a matter of medicine,” Kennon said.
+
+The noncom’s face sobered. “Why didn’t you say so? All you said was that
+it was an emergency.”
+
+“I’ve been away. I forgot.”
+
+“You shouldn’t have done that. You’re a Betan, aren’t you?”
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+They drove to the Port Office, where Kennon expected--and got--a bad
+time from the port officials. He filled out numerous forms, signed
+affidavits, explained his unauthorized landing, showed his spaceman’s
+ticket, defended his act of piloting without an up-to-date license,
+signed more forms, entered a claim for salvage rights to the Egg, and
+finally when the Legal Division, the Traffic Control Division, the
+Spaceport Safety Office, Customs, Immigration, and Travelers Aid had
+finished with him, he was ushered into the presence of the Port Captain.
+
+The red-faced chunky officer eyed him with a cold stare. “You’ll be
+lucky, young man, if you get out of this with a year in Correction. Your
+story doesn’t hang together.”
+
+It didn’t, Kennon thought. But there was no sense telling all of it to
+a Port Captain. Under no circumstances could the man be any help to him.
+He had neither the power nor the prestige to request a Brotherhood Board
+of Inquiry. In rank, he was hardly more than a glorified Traffic Control
+officer. It would do no good to tell him an improbable tale of slavery
+on a distant planet. The only thing to do was wait out the storm and
+hope it would pass. If worst came to worst he’d use his rank, but he’d
+made enough stir already. He doubted if the Captain had authority to
+order him into Detention--but he was certain to get a lecture. These
+minor officials loved to tell someone off. He gritted his teeth. He’d
+endure it for Copper’s sake--and to get out of here quietly. Alexander
+would undoubtedly have agents posted by now, and his only chance for
+temporary freedom of action was to get out of here with as little fuss
+as possible.
+
+He sat quietly, his flushed face and tight jaw muscles betraying his
+impatience as the Captain paced up and down and talked on and on. The
+man sounded like he could go for hours. With increasing impatience
+Kennon listened to the cadenced flow of complaint and condemnation,
+occasionally inserting a “Yes, sir” or “Sorry, sir” or “No, sir” as the
+words flowed around him.
+
+However, there had to be a breaking point somewhere, and the monotony
+was beginning to wear his temper thin. Another five minutes, he
+reflected, was about all he could take.
+
+The door chime rang softly.
+
+“Come in,” the Port Captain said, breaking off in mid-tirade. The change
+in his manner was so abrupt that Kennon couldn’t help smiling.
+
+A young blond man in an interne’s gray uniform entered the room.
+
+“Yes, Doctor,” the Port Captain said. “What can I do for you?”
+
+“Do you have a Jac Kennon here? Dr. Jac Kennon?”
+
+“Did you say doctor?” the Port Captain said in a half-strangled voice.
+
+“You never let me tell you,” Kennon said mildly, “that my landing here
+was a matter of medicine. Technically you have contributed to a delay in
+treatment.”
+
+The Port Captain’s face paled. “Why didn’t you say something?” he said.
+
+“Against your gale of wind I would be but a faint breeze,” Kennon said
+coldly. He turned to the interne. “I’m Dr. Kennon.” They bowed formally
+to each other.
+
+“I’m Smalley, sir, from the medical center. Dr. Brainard sends his
+compliments and requests that you join him for consultation.”
+
+“The Port Captain--” Kennon began.
+
+“Don’t worry about it, Doctor. I’ll relinquish responsibility to Dr.
+Brainard,” the Captain said.
+
+“I have placed a formal written request with your office,” Smalley said
+stiffly. “You are relieved of further charge. Dr. Kennon is urgently
+needed. It is a matter of medicine.”
+
+The Captain looked relieved. On Beta it was poor policy to interfere
+with the doings of doctors and engineers--or even doctors of philosophy.
+
+“Very well. He’s yours--and I’m glad to be rid of him.” The Port Captain
+bowed to Kennon and Smalley and stalked out of the office.
+
+“Pompous little man,” Kennon observed, “but he certainly can talk.”
+
+“Oh--you know these Administrative people,” the interne said
+depreciatingly. “One mustn’t mind them. They’re necessary nuisances.”
+ He eyed Kennon curiously. “How is it that you didn’t stand on your
+professional rights?”
+
+“I have my reasons--but they have nothing to do with medicine.”
+
+“Oh--I see. Ethical.” The interne’s voice was faintly sarcastic.
+
+“Manners, Doctor--manners.” Kennon’s voice was gentle but the interne
+flushed a dull red.
+
+“Sorry, sir.”
+
+“Don’t mention it. It’s normal for a graduate to confuse liberty with
+license.” Kennon smiled. “Don’t worry. I shan’t report you.”
+
+“That’s good of you, sir.” Smalley’s face registered relief. Demerits
+were difficult to erase--particularly ones of courtesy.
+
+Kennon wondered if the young man would report himself. He doubted it.
+The interne didn’t look the type--probably he was dated for some obscure
+job, like a general practitioner. He shrugged. It took all kinds to make
+a profession. Even the Smalleys had their place.
+
+“That girl you brought in,” Smalley said as they entered a white
+car emblazoned with the three crosses, red, blue, and green, that
+represented the three fields of medicine. “She’s an interesting case.
+I’ve never seen space shock before. And the patient herself--one would
+hardly believe she was a Betan.”
+
+“She isn’t,” Kennon said.
+
+“So?” Blond eyebrows rose in inverted U’s of surprise. “But that’s
+hardly possible. Our tests indicate-”
+
+“Don’t you think that this is a matter for Dr. Brainard?” Kennon said
+icily. “Protocol--”
+
+“Of course. Stupid of me--but the case is so interesting. Half the
+center staff have seen her already. I wasn’t proposing to discuss the
+case. It wouldn’t be proper. Even though you are only a veterinarian.”
+
+“Only?” Kennon’s voice was hard. “I shouldn’t have to remind you of
+this, Mr. Smalley--but I have been for the past two years on a world of
+bad manners. I expected better here at home.”
+
+Smalley flushed to the roots of his straw-colored hair. “Sorry, Doctor,”
+ he muttered. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me.”
+
+“I can tell you,” Kennon said. “You’ve just graduated.”
+
+“How did you know?” Smalley said.
+
+“I was a graduate once, myself--not too long ago.”
+
+“How long, sir?”
+
+“Class of Eighty-seven.”
+
+“That’s twelve years ago,” Smalley said.
+
+Kennon nodded. Ten years lost. Not bad--not bad at all. But Alexander
+could have done a lot in ten years.
+
+“I meant no disrespect,” Smalley said worriedly.
+
+“I know it. But if you intend to practice on Beta, you’d better
+polish your professional manner. Now where I was, it didn’t make much
+difference. Laymen often called me ‘Doc.’”
+
+Smalley was properly shocked. “I hope you didn’t encourage them, sir.”
+
+“It was impossible to discourage them,” Kennon said. “After all, when
+the man who hires you--”
+
+“Oh--entrepreneurs,” Smalley said in a tone that explained everything.
+
+* * *
+
+The car stopped in front of the Medical Center’s staff entrance. “This
+way, sir,” Smalley said. He led the way down a green-tiled corridor
+to an elevator--then down another corridor past a pair of soft-footed
+nurses who eyed them curiously--looking at Kennon’s tunic and sandals
+with mild disapproval in their eyes. Smalley stopped and knocked softly
+on a closed door.
+
+“Enter,” said a pleasant baritone voice from the annunciator.
+
+“Dr. Brainard--Dr. Kennon,” Smalley said.
+
+Kennon liked the man instantly. A plump, pink-cheeked man of middle
+age, with prematurely white hair, Dr. Will Brainard combined a fatherly
+appearance with an impression of quick intelligence. The fat that
+sheathed his stocky body had obviously not touched his mind. Brainard
+rose from the deep chair near the window where he had been sitting,
+knocked the ashes from his pipe, and bowed stiffly. His eyes--sharp
+points of blue in the smooth pinkness of his face--surveyed Kennon
+curiously.
+
+“So you’re the young man who takes untrained pregnant women for rides in
+old-fashioned spacers,” he said. “Didn’t you know what would happen?”
+
+“I was in a hurry, Doctor,” Kennon said.
+
+“Obviously. Now tell me about it.” Brainard looked at the eager-faced
+interne standing behind Kennon. “That will be all, Smalley,” he said.
+
+Kennon waited until the door closed. “Ordinarily,” he said, “I’d never
+have done a thing like that, but there were some very pressing reasons.
+However, I should have given her an injection of Somnol before we
+started. I’m criminally liable. If anything happens to her--” His voice
+was tight with worry.
+
+“You’d give her an injection?” Brainard said. “I hope you didn’t mean
+that.”
+
+“But I did, sir. I’ve given thousands of Lani injections.”
+
+“What’s a Lani?”
+
+“She is, sir. The impression has been that her race isn’t human.”
+
+“Nonsense--it’s obvious she is.”
+
+“A Brotherhood Court of Inquiry didn’t think so.”
+
+“Hmm. Is that so?”
+
+“Yes, sir.--But before I go on, tell me, how is she?”
+
+“Oh, she’ll be fine. A little mental therapy and plenty of rest are all
+she needs. She’s a remarkably healthy young woman. But this is beside
+the point. There are a number of unusual features about this case that
+need investigation.” Brainard took a standard hospital form from his
+desk. “Mind if I ask you some questions, Doctor?”
+
+“Not at all but you are due for some unpleasant shocks as you go through
+that form.”
+
+“I believe I can survive them,” Brainard said dryly.
+
+“This is professional confidence--” Kennon began.
+
+“Of course, of course,” Brainard said impatiently. “Now let’s get on
+with it.”
+
+* * *
+
+“This is the most amazing tale I’ve ever heard,” Brainard said slowly.
+“Are you certain you are telling the truth?”
+
+Kennon grinned. “I don’t blame you for not believing me--but the
+evidence is conclusive, and there is enough documentary evidence in
+the space ship--and in the fact of the ship itself to prove what I am
+saying. Laboratory tests here will establish the fact that Copper’s
+child is also mine. And as for Flora, a Brotherhood Investigation Team
+can prove that part.”
+
+“That will be attended to,” Brainard said grimly.
+
+“But how did you deduce she wasn’t from a Betan colony?” Kennon asked.
+
+Brainard smiled. “That wasn’t hard. Her sun tan and the condition of her
+feet proved she was a practicing nudist. No Betan girl ever practices
+nudism to my knowledge. Besides, the I.D. tattoo under her left arm and
+the V on her hip are no marks of our culture. Then there was another
+thing--the serological analysis revealed no gerontal antibodies. She
+had never received an injection of longevity compound in her life. This
+might occur, but it’s highly improbable. The evidence indicates that
+she’s extra-Betan.”
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+“But this business of her being fifteen years old! That’s impossible.
+She has the development of a woman of twenty-five.”
+
+“Remember the Alpha V colony?” Kennon said.
+
+
+
+
+“Of course--oh--I see! It could be something like that.
+Certainly--strong yellow G-type sun--an isolated colony serviced at
+twenty-year intervals--there was a marked physical precocity.”
+
+“And if this had been continued for several millennia?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Hmm--I see. Yes, it’s possible. On Alpha V the colonists grew from
+infancy to maturity in fifteen years.”
+
+“And wasn’t Heaven one of our early colonies?”
+
+“Yes--it was established after the Great Schism near the end of the
+First Millennium--when science and religion split irrevocably on this
+world. We packed the whole lot of them off to a world of their own where
+they could develop as they pleased. They called it Heaven--odd name for
+a fogworld--but there’s no accounting for tastes.” Brainard chuckled.
+
+“I thought that was the case, but I couldn’t remember. My ancient
+history is pretty weak.”
+
+“You should read more,” Brainard said. “But as I see it--this girl is of
+Betan ancestry providing your theory and the facts coincide.”
+
+“Which could also explain why an outworld species of agerone would be
+toxic. They tried to prolong Lani life and met with failure. Our plants
+are mutant forms.”
+
+“Just as we are a mutant race,” Brainard said, “or partly mutant.” He
+sighed. “You have brought us a great deal of trouble, Kennon. You are
+bringing matters to a head. If our investigations prove your statements,
+we are morally bound to open the Lani question. And if those people are
+of Betan origin--that fellow Alexander will have plenty to answer for.”
+
+“I don’t believe it is really his fault,” Kennon said slowly. “I don’t
+think he has ever known the truth.”
+
+“Why didn’t you tell him?”
+
+“The answer to that should be obvious. Even though I trusted him
+completely, I could never be sure. He has a Free Trader background
+and those people can’t he trusted where money’s concerned. The whole
+Kardonian culture is an outgrowth of Free Traderism: small business,
+independent corporation, linear trusts, and all the cutthroat
+competition such a culture would naturally have. It’s a regular jungle
+of Free Enterprise. I couldn’t predict how he would react. He could
+either act in a moral manner and make restitution, or he could quietly
+cut our throats and go on with his business.”
+
+“I see. The temptation to cut a throat might be overwhelming.”
+
+“They fight commercial wars,” Kennon said.
+
+“Disgusting--utterly uncivilized! Under the circumstances you had no
+other course. Still, they have no moral right to enslave human beings.”
+
+“There is always the element of doubt. Maybe they didn’t know. After
+all, an impartial court declared the Lani alien--and the Betan mutation
+isn’t known throughout the Brotherhood.”
+
+“One doesn’t go around broadcasting data on the variations of one’s germ
+plasm,” Brainard said. “That’s a private affair--a matter of personal
+privacy.”
+
+“And public safety?”
+
+Brainard nodded. “We’re no more courageous than any other civilization.
+We have no desire to borrow trouble. We are content to leave things
+alone.”
+
+“That’s the trouble,” Kennon said. “We’re all content to leave things
+alone. If I hadn’t found the spaceship I’d not have been able to lay
+aside my moral conditioning. And if I had not, Copper would not have
+become pregnant and forced me into these drastic actions. It’s even
+possible that I would have done nothing.” He grimaced. “And when I left
+Alexander’s employment mnemonic erasure would have removed all memory of
+the Lani’s human origin.” He shrugged. “I still am not certain that it
+wouldn’t have been the wiser course. Naturally, once I knew, I couldn’t
+do anything else than what I did.”
+
+“Naturally,” Brainard said. “Humanity reaches the heights when it faces
+questions of moral responsibility.”
+
+“To mankind,” Kennon added heavily. “We have a convenient blind spot
+regarding our moral responsibility to other intelligent races.”
+
+“A harsh fact, but true--and who is to judge whether it is right or
+wrong? We achieved dominance of Earth by our moral responsibility to
+family, tribe, and nation--and we nearly exterminated ourselves when
+we forgot that this responsibility went beyond nations and embraced
+all mankind. We learned that after the Exodus. As for the other
+races--perhaps someday we will learn moral responsibility for all
+intelligence--but we are not ready for that yet. That’s too big a mental
+hurdle.” Brainard sighed. “We are what we are, and we change slowly. But
+we change.”
+
+“True enough,” Kennon said. “But it’s hard to be philosophical about
+it.”
+
+“You’re young. Live a couple of centuries and you will understand
+patience.”
+
+Kennon smiled.
+
+“You know,” Brainard said thoughtfully, “you still have plenty of things
+to do.”
+
+“I know. I’ll have to make a transcript of this discussion, have
+it witnessed, and make a sealed record. I have to arrange for the
+reposition of the evidence inside the Egg, and a complete recording of
+the Egg itself.”
+
+“And to be safe you’ll need several facsimiles, properly attested. The
+arms of these outworld entrepreneurs are long, and unfortunately not all
+Betans are models of honesty.”
+
+“I’d better get started then.”
+
+“Let me help you,” Brainard said. “I have a little influence in this
+area--and your cause interests me.” He picked up the phone on his desk.
+
+Kennon sighed. He had found an ally.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+“What are you going to do with that girl?” Brainard asked.
+
+“Formalize our mating as soon as she is able to get out of bed,” Kennon
+replied.
+
+“She is an ignorant, untrained savage!” Brainard protested. “You should
+hear the stories the nurses tell about her!”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me about those. I’ve lived with
+Lani for two years. But she’s not stupid.”
+
+“What are your plans?”
+
+“After we establish her humanity legally,” Kennon said, “I’m going to
+send her to school.”
+
+“For twenty years?”
+
+“If necessary. But I don’t think it will take that long. She has some
+schooling.”
+
+“But no training--and what of the Lani in the meantime?”
+
+“I have plans for that. I’m going back to Kardon and give Alexander a
+chance to make restitution. I think he is an honorable man. Slavery may
+be as revolting to him as it is to any civilized human. He deserves a
+chance to rectify his grandfather’s error.”
+
+“That is reasonable--and in the best traditions of the Brotherhood.”
+
+“Furthermore, it’s practical,” Kennon said. “Alexander is the only one
+fully qualified to handle the problems of enfranchisement. He’s known
+the Lani all his life, and he is an executive type. A Brotherhood
+committee would probably botch the whole affair. What with colonial
+jurisdiction, territorial rights, and all the legal quibbling that
+committees love, the Lani would get a poor deal. And there’s no reason
+to wreck the lives of a couple of hundred million Kardonians because
+the rightful owners of Kardon were illegally enslaved. That happened
+too long ago to have any practical meaning. There are other and better
+solutions.”
+
+“What?”
+
+“How should I know?” Kennon asked. “But I’m sure Alexander will. That’s
+his field.”
+
+“All you have to worry about is whether he’ll co-operate,” Brainard
+said.
+
+“He’ll co-operate once he knows the score,” Kennon said confidently.
+“And he’ll have to make some form of restitution. But it shouldn’t
+involve Kardon. Actually the Lani were never in a position to develop
+that world. They’d probably have remained on Flora indefinitely. The old
+court records showed no tendency for their culture to expand. They
+were an inbred group, a static, balanced society in harmony with their
+environment. In nearly thirty-five hundred years their numbers increased
+only to a few thousand. Actually there is a good possibility that the
+race would ultimately have died out if Old Alexander hadn’t enslaved
+them and instituted a controlled breeding program. There are more Lani
+alive today than there were at the height of their power. So in a way
+Old Alexander did them a favor. He kept their race alive. All we can
+expect is a fair and just settlement.”
+
+“But if Alexander doesn’t co-operate?”
+
+“That’s where you come in. You’ll be a watchdog. If you don’t receive
+annual progress reports from me--and see or talk to me personally every
+second year, you are released from our bond and can do what you wish
+with the evidence I’ve accumulated.”
+
+“We’d better get this into Private Record,” Brainard said. “We can
+transcribe an agreement and place it in the Public Repository.”
+
+“A good idea and we’d better waste no time. Alexander might still be
+looking for me--and if he is, it’s merely a question of time before he
+catches up.”
+
+“Ten years have passed. It’s doubtful. But we could keep you here at the
+Center.”
+
+Kennon shook his head. “Too dangerous. And besides it would compromise
+you. No--we’ll get everything possible done to make the Lani’s case
+airtight, and then I’ll return to Kardon. It will put our case in
+a better light if it ever comes to trial, if I go back voluntarily.
+Anyway--I’m morally bound to return. Now let’s make this record.”
+
+“It’s your decision,” Brainard said. “And it’s your neck--but I must
+admit that I agree with you.”
+
+“I’ll feel safer when we get the legal details clarified,” Kennon said.
+
+“And what of the girl?”
+
+“Can you take care of her if I have to leave quickly?”
+
+“Of course. I’ll give her personal attention, and after she has her
+child I’ll see that she is sent to you.”
+
+“That’s decent of you, Doctor.”
+
+“It’s my moral responsibility,” Brainard said as he slipped a new tape
+into the recorder.
+
+* * *
+
+Copper responded quickly to rest and therapy. The space shock cleared up
+quickly. The gerontological treatments put her to bed again, but within
+a month she was completely normal, and her lifespan was now that of a
+normal human. She could look forward to some four hundred years with
+Kennon--and the prospect was not unpleasant. The Center fascinated her.
+Never before had she seen a hospital devoted to the care and
+treatment of humans. It was a far cry, in its polished steel and stone
+magnificence, from the tiny primitive structure over which Kennon had
+presided. Yet both places served the same purpose. Perhaps Kennon was
+right--that there was no difference between man and Lani. The idea was
+not nearly as unbelievable as it was at first.
+
+“I never realized what it meant to be human,” Copper said as she held
+Kennon’s hand. “It is nice to feel important and to know that our child
+is a member of the race that rules the galaxy.”
+
+“So you’re convinced?” Kennon chuckled.
+
+“The serological identity--” she began.
+
+“Hmm. You’ve been getting some education, I see.”
+
+“Well,” Copper smiled, “I didn’t think you wanted a stupid woman. I can
+read--and since you are around so seldom nowadays, there is little else
+to do. I’ve been reading history, medicine, and novels,” she finished
+proudly.
+
+“A fine catholic selection,” Kennon said, “Now if you add mathematics,
+sociology, and philosophy you’ll have a well-rounded basic education.”
+
+“Dr. Brainard has been trying something he calls ‘hypno.’ He says it
+will help me learn faster. But I can’t see that it’s done much good.”
+
+“You won’t until you need the information,” Kennon said.
+
+“That technique is only good for implanting basic knowledge, and much of
+that will merely supplement or complete that which you already have. You
+won’t be conscious of it.”
+
+“Oh--I think I see what you mean.”
+
+“Of course, you’ll have to continue your formal education. There’s a
+great deal for you to learn. It should keep you busy while I’m away.”
+
+“Away? Where are you going?”
+
+“Back to Kardon.”
+
+“But you can’t! Alexander will destroy you.”
+
+“I think not. After all, ten years have elapsed since we left there and
+he’s had plenty of time to think. Douglas must have told him about us.
+I wouldn’t be surprised if he has already done something about your
+people.”
+
+She shivered. “He might--but the question is what would he do? He could
+have killed them all!”
+
+Kennon shook his head. “I don’t think so. He never struck me as a mass
+murderer.”
+
+She shook her head. “You don’t know the Alexanders like I do. I was
+raised by them. They’re capable of anything. But what is this business
+of ten years? That’s silly. I haven’t had my child yet--and it doesn’t
+take ten years of pregnancy to produce a baby.”
+
+“It’s the difference between subjective and objective time,” Kennon
+said. “We traveled here through hyperspace--low Cth--in an uncompensated
+ship, and there is little temporal flow in the levels below the blue.”
+
+“Oh--of course.”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “That would have been Greek to you a couple of weeks
+ago. See where that basic data fits?”
+
+“But I’ve always known that.”
+
+“You just think you have. Search your memory and see if I’m not right.”
+
+Copper shook her head. “It’s very strange,” she said. “But that’s not
+important. This idea of going back to Kardon, though--that’s a different
+thing--that is important.”
+
+“I have to do it. Not only because it’s a personal moral obligation but
+also because of the Lani. They must have their freedom.”
+
+“Providing there are any still alive.”
+
+“Stop being a calamity howler. Whatever Alexander may be, he’s not a
+butcher. He even loved a Lani once. You told me so yourself. And he
+couldn’t kill where he loved.”
+
+She nodded. “I suppose you’re right, but I’ve never lost my fear of the
+Man Alexander. He held the power of life and death over me. But if you
+must go then I should go too. My obligation is greater than yours.”
+
+“Later,” Kennon said. “You’re not ready to return. It will be time
+enough after you have learned some civilized habits.”
+
+Copper’s face lengthened. “You mean like wrapping myself in cloth like
+these people do?”
+
+“That’s part of it.”
+
+“Why can’t they be sensible--or are they so ashamed of what the gods
+gave them that they must hide themselves?”
+
+“No, it’s not that. At least not exactly. It’s custom. And you must
+learn to conform to customs--outwardly at least--no matter what you may
+really think.”
+
+“Isn’t that a form of lying?” Copper asked.
+
+“I suppose so.”
+
+“Isn’t that strange. Your society exalts truth, honor, morality, and
+intelligence--yet you lie about your attitude.”
+
+“It’s called diplomacy,” Kennon said. “It’s part of respect for others’
+attitudes and beliefs, a necessary part of human relationships.”
+
+“Then you’d be a nudist on Santos?”
+
+“Of course--even though I think it isn’t proper, I couldn’t inflict my
+ideas and attitudes on the customs of an independent world.”
+
+“Oh--you think I’m doing that?”
+
+“Yes--and it is a mark of barbarism.”
+
+“Sometimes you’re not very nice,” Copper said.
+
+Kennon smiled wryly. “I suppose I’m not,” he agreed.
+
+“I’ll try to be civilized,” Copper said. “But if you go to Kardon--I’m
+going with you.”
+
+“Perhaps,” Kennon said. “We’ll see how things turn out.”
+
+“You don’t want me to go with you?”
+
+“To be honest--no,” Kennon said. “You’re safe here, and until your
+status is cleared by a Brotherhood court, I wouldn’t care to place you
+in Alexander’s hands. And clearing your status is going to take time.”
+
+“You mean that I am still his property?”
+
+“Yes. But there is a legal doubt that will prevent him from exercising
+his claim as long as you stay on Beta. In the area where he has power,
+that doubt might not hold. So until your status is definitely proven to
+be human, you should not leave.”
+
+“And what happens if this court denies my claim?”
+
+“Then we appeal to the Council. However, with the evidence we have, your
+claim cannot reasonably be denied. The only question is one of time. It
+may take years. Still, I don’t think there is anything to worry about. I
+don’t think Alexander will give us any trouble, but there’s no sense in
+taking chances.”
+
+“You still think I’m a Lani,” she said accusingly.
+
+“I do not.”
+
+“Then you think that I’d obey Alexander, after what I did to Douglas.”
+
+“I can only repeat that Douglas isn’t the Boss-man.”
+
+“I wish I knew what you really thought.”
+
+“That isn’t hard. I think you should stay here until I get this business
+straightened out.”
+
+“That’s all?” she asked suspiciously. “After all, I know I’m not very
+pretty now. And there’s lots of Lani on Flora--”
+
+“Oh, for Ochsner’s sake! Do you think that I’m--” He paused, speechless.
+“Just what do you think I am?”
+
+“You’re a man. And that’s the trouble.”
+
+Kennon chuckled. “So that’s it! You don’t trust me.”
+
+“I love you,” Copper said.
+
+“Sometimes I wonder why men ever finalize their status with women,”
+ Kennon murmured. “It does no good. It doesn’t convince the woman. She’s
+still fearful, jealous, and suspicious--always belittling her ability
+to hold what she has, always alert for competition, clinging, holding,
+absorbing--when she should be working as part of a team.”
+
+“That’s not true!”
+
+“Then prove it.”
+
+“How--by staying here while you go to the end of the galaxy and play
+noble?”
+
+“I’m only doing what I have to do.”
+
+“And so am I--and if you go I’m going with you.”
+
+Kennon shrugged. There was no sense arguing. The only thing to do was
+make his plans and leave quietly. If she was faced with an established
+fact, she might be more reasonable. He doubted it, but alone, she could
+do nothing--and Brainard would see that she was comfortable. The salvage
+money from the Egg would keep her from being a public charge. And he had
+more banked in Albertsville which he could send her once he got there.
+He’d start making plans to leave as soon as possible.
+
+Copper looked up at him as he stood above her bed. Slowly she reached
+out and placed one slim hand in his. “I know what you are thinking,” she
+said, “and--” her face twisted in a grimace of pain, and the hand in his
+clutched with convulsive strength at his fingers.
+
+“What’s the matter?” he said.
+
+“Nothing--it’s perfectly normal,” she said. “I’m just going to give you
+a son. Now if you’d call for the doctor, perhaps we can get this over.
+That pain was only twenty minutes from the last. I think it’s about
+time.”
+
+Kennon--who had attended several hundred Lani births and had developed a
+certain callousness about them--was suddenly frightened and helpless
+as he pushed the call button. He could feel the cold sweat form on his
+forehead. He had started this. It was his fault if anything went wrong.
+He wished that it was someone else rather than Copper who was going
+through this trial. He was nervous, unsure, and guilty. In a word, he
+felt like a man whose mate was giving birth to their first child.
+
+* * *
+
+“It’s a boy,” Dr. Brainard said. He smiled down at Kennon’s haggard
+face.
+
+“How is Copper?” Kennon asked.
+
+“Fine--she’s healthy as a horse.”
+
+Kennon winced at the cliche It was so ancient that it had lost all
+meaning. Most Betans didn’t know what a horse was, let alone whether
+it was healthy or not. From what Kennon could remember of veterinary
+history, the horse wasn’t too healthy an animal. It was rather delicate,
+in fact.
+
+“How is the child?” Kennon asked. It took a little courage to ask this
+question. The baby could be anything from normal to a monstrosity.
+
+“Perfectly normal,” Brainard said. “A true Betan type even down to the
+vestigial tail. We amputated that, of course.”
+
+“Thank Ochsner!” Kennon breathed. “I was afraid.”
+
+“Of course you were,” Brainard said. “Do you want to see them now? When
+I left, Copper was asking for you.”
+
+Kennon sighed. Leaving, he realized, wasn’t going to be as easy as he
+had thought.
+
+“We’ll have to keep them here for a couple of months,” Brainard said.
+“We must take exhaustive tests if we expect the court to reverse its
+prior decision.”
+
+“I expected that,” Kennon said. He shrugged, “It’s probably best,” he
+said. “Now show me where Copper is.”
+
+“She’s back in the same room. You don’t need a guide.”
+
+Kennon didn’t. In fact, he behaved quite admirably.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+Longliners, Kennon reflected, didn’t make Beta a port of call, and the
+Shortliner connections with other worlds were infrequent. Beta had done
+a good job separating from the rest of the Brotherhood. Too good. The
+spaceline schedules showed only one departure in the next month, a
+Shortliner for Earth, and from Earth the road to Kardon was long and
+tortuous, involving a series of short jumps from world to world and a
+final medium-range hop from Halsey to Kardon. If everything went right
+and he made every connection he would be in Kardon four months after he
+left Beta. Kennon sighed as he left Travelers Aid. Morality was a heavy
+load to carry.
+
+He walked slowly down the road from the spaceport toward the
+Co-operative where he had been staying. He had left Huntersville and
+Copper a week ago, after he had seen his child. His child! The thought
+of being a father was oddly dismaying. It distorted his sense of values.
+But one thing was certain. He was returning to Kardon, and Copper was
+not coming with him. She had a duty to their son--and he had a duty to
+his contract with Alexander, to the Lani on Flora, and to Copper--and
+none of these could be satisfied by further running. He had to return
+and settle the account.
+
+A tall man in a conservative yellow-and-black suit was waiting patiently
+in front of his room. “My name is Richter,” he said “--Art Richter. Are
+you Dr. Jac Kennon?”
+
+“I could deny it, but I won’t,” Kennon said.
+
+“Thank you, Doctor. It was just a formality anyway. You see, I know
+you by sight.” He sighed. “One has to observe the formalities in this
+business.” He drew a long white envelope from his tunic and handed it to
+Kennon. “Most of my subjects try to deny their identity,” he said.
+
+“It’s a refreshing change to find an honest man.” He bowed formally.
+“I really thought this would be harder, considering the charges against
+you.” He bowed again and walked away.
+
+“Now--what was that?” Kennon muttered as he opened the envelope. The
+man Richter was undoubtedly a process server--but who had hired him?
+He unfolded the sheet and scanned the charges--coercion, larceny,
+livestock theft, and breach of contract. He shrugged. This was
+Alexander’s work. What was the man thinking of? It was insanity to
+bring the Lani matter into open court. Hadn’t Douglas told him what had
+happened? Couldn’t Alexander guess that he had fled with Copper for a
+good reason--one that would stand up in court? Didn’t he know about the
+spacer? Or had Douglas turned on his cousin? The pup had so many hates
+that it was possible. He was a natural troublemaker. Maybe Alexander
+didn’t know. Maybe he was working in the dark. Kennon scanned the sheet
+quickly. Ah! here it was. Complaint--Mr. Alexander X. M. Alexander,
+Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City!
+
+Alexander! Here on Beta! Kennon opened the door of his room, went
+straight to the phone beside the bed. He lifted the handset from its
+cradle and dialed the operator. “Get me Huntersville THU 2-1408. I want
+to speak to Dr. Brainard, Dr. Will Brainard. This is a priority
+call--my name is Kennon. Dr. Jac Kennon D.V.M. I’m in the registry--47M
+26429--yes--of course, and thank you.” He waited a moment. “Hello--Dr.
+Brainard?--Kennon here. I’ve just had some news. Alexander’s on Beta!
+Yes--he served me with a summons. Can you get a restraining order to
+prevent him from leaving? You can? Good! Here’s his address.” Kennon
+rattled off the location. “Yes--I’m taking the next airboat to Beta
+City. This should simplify things considerably.--Of course it should. He
+was a fool to have come here. Yes--I suppose you should tell Copper.
+Oh! She is? I’m sorry to hear that, but there’s no reason for her to
+be angry. She should realize that I did this for her--not to make her
+miserable. Hmm.--She--she has? You think she should come with
+me?--Yes, I realize she can be a problem when she wants to be. All right
+then--tell her to pack a toothbrush and a few spare diapers. And see if
+you can get me a couple of tickets on the next flight to Beta City. I’ll
+be over in a couple of hours and pick her up.” He cradled the phone and
+dialed the operator again.
+
+“I want the phone number of Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City, Mr.
+Alexander. Yes. I’ll wait. This number is HUV 2-1278 and my name
+is Kennon, Dr. Jac Kennon 47M 26429. I called you before. No, I’m a
+transient. I can refer you to Dr. James Brainard, Huntersville Medical
+Center. Yes, I’ll accept charges. Now will you give me that number? BCA
+7-8941--thank you.”
+
+Kennon hung up, dialed the number, and waited.
+
+“Hello,” he said. “Mr. Alexander? This is Dr. Kennon.--Yes--I suppose
+you do, but I’ve been trying to get back to Kardon for the past month.
+You are? Well, that’s your privilege, but I’d advise you to go easy
+until I see you. Naturally--I’m coming as soon as I can get there. We’ll
+be seeing you tomorrow morning at the latest. We?--I’m bringing Copper,
+of course. I just wanted you to know.”
+
+Kennon wiped his forehead. Alexander sounded angry and dangerous. Ten
+years hadn’t served to cool him off. What had happened on Kardon after
+he had left? Kennon shook his head. There was something here he didn’t
+understand. The entrepreneur should have been covering his tracks, not
+threatening jail and disaccreditation. It was obvious that a personal
+visit was more necessary than he had thought.
+
+Alexander was waiting. His eyebrows rose at the sight of Copper in
+formal Betan dress--and lifted a trifle more at the sight of the baby.
+
+“What is this, Kennon?” he asked.
+
+“Trouble,” Kennon said. He took off his hat. “I came here to settle
+things before you took this case to court. You obviously do not
+understand what has happened. I suppose Douglas has double-crossed you.
+It would be characteristic of him. But before we go any further I think
+we should clear the air and let each other know where we stand. I
+don’t want to make trouble if it’s not necessary. You’ll notice I’m not
+wearing a thought screen, so you’ll be able to check everything I say,
+and know I’m telling the truth.”
+
+“It had better be good,” Alexander said grimly. “I’ve been looking for
+you for ten years. I intend to throw the book at you.”
+
+“I don’t know whether my reason is good or not. Technically I’m guilty
+of breach of contract and larceny of corporation property, but there are
+extenuating circumstances.”
+
+Alexander chuckled mirthlessly. “There are a few other charges. And
+quite probably I can think of more if you beat these. I’m going to make
+an example of you, Kennon. I’m going to drag you down and stamp on you.
+You’re going to be a horrible example to all smart operators who think
+they can break contracts. It’s taken a million credits and ten years’
+time to hunt you down, but it’s going to be worth it.”
+
+“Copper’s child is a boy,” Kennon said mildly. “My son.”
+
+Alexander froze. “You can prove that?” he asked in a half-strangled
+voice.
+
+Kennon nodded. “You see the extenuating circumstance?” he asked.
+“Suppression of human slavery!”
+
+Alexander sat down. It was as though some unseen hand had pulled his
+legs from under him. “You believe it,” he said. “--No--you’ve proved
+it! Why--why didn’t you tell me? What sort of a man do you think I am?”
+
+“I didn’t know. I couldn’t take the chance until Copper was protected.
+You see, sir, I love her.”
+
+“That isn’t hard to do with Lani,” Alexander said. He sank back in his
+chair, his face clouded, his expression troubled. It was obvious that
+the realization shocked him.
+
+Kennon felt an odd sympathy for the entrepreneur. It wasn’t a nice
+feeling, he suspected, to have the beliefs of a lifetime ripped apart
+and sent to the disposal chute.
+
+“So the Lani are a human variant,” Alexander said dully.
+
+“The proof is here,” Kennon said, “and the supporting evidence is
+conclusive.”
+
+“Which makes me--what? A murderer? A slaver? A tyrant?” Alexander
+clutched his head with lean-fingered hands. “What am I?”
+
+“An innocent victim of circumstances,” Kennon said. “You didn’t know.
+None of us knew. And we still wouldn’t know if the Lani weren’t of
+Betan extraction.” He grimaced painfully. “I’ve done some soul-searching
+myself, and it hasn’t been a pleasant task.”
+
+“But it’s nothing like mine,” Alexander said in a low voice. “I
+suspected they were human when I was younger, but I denied my suspicions
+and accepted false facts instead of investigating.”
+
+“You would have found nothing.”
+
+“Unfortunately, that’s not true. We discovered quite a bit from the
+experimental station you left us when you disappeared ten years ago. But
+we stopped when we found the age that was being indoctrinated with Lani
+tabus. We could have gone farther, but I didn’t think it was necessary.”
+
+“Didn’t Douglas tell you?” Kennon asked curiously. “I told him when I
+turned him loose.”
+
+“Douglas didn’t tell anything except that you had somehow gotten a
+spaceship. I assumed it was one of those that were involved in that
+commercial raid a few decades ago, but I see it wasn’t. No--I knew
+nothing about this development. And Douglas, I guess, wanted to keep
+it hidden. He gave your co-ordinates and ordered Mullins to launch a
+missile. But he apparently forgot to turn on his IFF. At any rate
+the missile lost you--but found Douglas. Douglas was still talking to
+Alexandria when it struck.”
+
+“He might have informed you,” Kennon said. “If he had more time.”
+
+“I doubt it. He ordered the missile first. He was trying to destroy you
+before you could destroy Outworld Enterprises. His motives were selfish
+as usual.” Alexander looked at Kennon with a haggard eye. “I owe you an
+apology,” he said. “I’ve considered you responsible for Douglas’s death
+for ten years. I’ve searched for you on a hundred worlds. My agents in
+every branch office have had standing orders to report any unusual
+arrivals. I have hunted you personally. I wanted to break you--I wanted
+to kill you.”
+
+“I couldn’t help the delay,” Kennon said. “The ship was old.”
+
+“I know. You’ve told me more than you think. I’m a telepath, you know.”
+
+“I’ve never forgotten it,” Kennon said. “That was one of the principal
+reasons I came here. I wanted to see how you’d react when you learned
+the whole truth.”
+
+“And I suppose you gloat--no--you’re not doing that. But you are right.
+I could have checked it further. But I didn’t. Outworld Enterprises is
+far bigger than Flora--and I was busy. Galactic trade is a snake-pit.
+And, after all, there was Douglas’s death--and the Family with their
+never-ending clamor for money and their threats when it didn’t come
+promptly. I like being an entrepreneur, but until I made Outworld
+independent of Family control, I couldn’t do anything except run the
+business to their wishes. Actually the island was only a small part of
+the corporation. I tried to run it as humanely as possible under the
+circumstances.” He shuddered. “I don’t think I was ever needlessly
+cruel.”
+
+“No,” Kennon said, “you were indifferent.”
+
+“Which is just as bad,” Alexander said.
+
+“Well--what are you going to do about it?” Copper interjected. “You can
+beat yourself until you’re blue, but that won’t accomplish anything.”
+
+“What are you going to do?” Alexander countered. “You have the upper
+hand.”
+
+“Me?” Copper asked. “I have nothing. This is between you men.” She
+lapsed into silence.
+
+Alexander turned back to Kennon. “You have undoubtedly made some
+arrangements. You wouldn’t come here--oh! I see. Congratulations.
+Handling the evidence that way was a wise course. You have my
+admiration. But then I should have known that I was not dealing with a
+fool.” He smiled wryly. “Subconsciously I think I did know--but--”
+
+“That’s one consolation,” Kennon grinned. “To be thought a rascal is bad
+enough, but to be considered a fool is intolerable.”
+
+“But your decision not to use the evidence unless you were forced
+to--that’s poor business.”
+
+“But good morals,” Kennon said. “Neither the Brotherhood nor I could
+settle this affair. It is a matter only you can handle. There is
+no sense in killing Outworld or throwing Kardon into centuries of
+litigation. The Lani never were numerous enough to lay claim to an
+entire world. I’ll admit the club is there, but I’ll never use it unless
+it’s necessary.”
+
+“Why not?--it’s sound business practice.”
+
+“I’m a professional--not a businessman. And besides, I haven’t the moral
+right to return evil for good. You have not been a bad boss.”
+
+“Thanks,” Alexander said glumly. “I’ve always considered myself
+civilized.”
+
+“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that,” Kennon said. “Honorable,
+yes--civilized, no. But none of us are really civilized.”
+
+“So?”
+
+“We haven’t changed much, despite our development. Perhaps we’ve varied
+a little physically--and we’ve learned to use new tools, but our minds
+are still the minds of barbarians--blood brothers against the enemy, and
+everything not of us is enemy. Savages--hiding under a thin veneer
+of superficial culture. Savages with spaceships and the atom.” Kennon
+looked down at Copper. Apparently her thoughts were miles away in an
+introspective world that was all her own. She had said her piece and
+having done that was content to let the two men develop it. Kennon
+looked at her with odd respect. Alexander eyed her with a mildly
+startled expression on his lean face. And both men smiled, but the
+smiles were not amused.
+
+“Judging from Copper,” Alexander said, “I don’t think we’ll have to
+worry about how the Lani will turn out.” He looked at Kennon with mild
+sympathy. “You are going to have quite a time with her,” he said.
+
+“I suppose so. I’ll probably never know whether I’m guided or whether
+I’m doing the guiding. I’ve changed a lot of my opinions about Copper
+since the day I met her.”
+
+Copper looked up and smiled at them. It was an odd smile, hinting at
+secrets neither of them would ever know. Alexander chuckled. “It serves
+you right.” He crossed his legs and looked up at Kennon standing before
+him. By some uncanny legerdemain he had gotten control of himself
+and the situation at the same time. Being telepathic was an unfair
+advantage, Kennon thought.
+
+“You were equally unfair with your accusation,” Alexander said.
+“Sure--humanity makes mistakes, and like this one they’re sometimes
+brutal mistakes. But we are capable of atonement. Morally we have come a
+long way from the brutality of the Interregnum. I shouldn’t have to use
+examples, but look at that”--he waved at the view wall at the panorama
+of gleaming fairy towers and greenery that made Beta City one of the
+most beautiful in the Brotherhood. “Don’t tell me that five thousand
+years of peace and development haven’t produced civilization. That’s a
+concrete example out there.”
+
+“It isn’t,” Kennon said flatly. “Sure, it’s pretty--clean--and
+beautifully designed for art and utility--but it isn’t civilization.
+You’re confusing technology with culture. You look at this and say,
+‘What a great civilization man has built,’ when you really mean, ‘What
+a great technology mankind has developed.’ There’s all the difference in
+the world. Technology is of the mind and hands. Civilization is of the
+spirit--and spiritually we are still in the Dark Ages.
+
+“We conquer, kill, loot, and enslave. We establish standards to keep
+humanity a closed corporation, a special club in which men can live but
+aliens can’t. We’ve made the standards for admission so rigid that
+we even enslave our own kind and call them animals. That’s not
+civilization--that’s savagery!
+
+“For nearly five hundred years your family has run a slave pen. Your
+fortune is based upon it. And you have perpetuated this traffic in flesh
+on the specious reasoning that a court judgment of half a millennium ago
+is as good today as when it was handed down. Never once did anyone have
+the moral courage to re-examine that old decision. Never once did any
+human question the rightness of that decision. None of us are immune.
+We all based our conduct upon an antiquated law and searched no further.
+Everyone was happy with the status quo--or at least not so unhappy that
+they wanted to change it. Even I would have been content had it not been
+for Copper.”
+
+“Yet I do not feel that it was bad that I hired you,” Alexander said.
+“Even though you have shown me that I am a slaver, and made me see
+faults I never knew I had.” His face was drawn--harsh lines reached from
+nose to lips, from eyes to chin. Suddenly he looked old. “I can accept
+censure if censure is just. And this is just. No--I’m not sorry I hired
+you even though the thought of what I have helped do to the Lani makes
+me sick to my stomach.”
+
+“Well--” Kennon said. “What are you going to do about it?”
+
+“I don’t know,” Alexander said. “At the first smell of trouble, the
+Family will turn tail and run. You can break the company, and I won’t
+stand in your way. It’s only just. You’re the one who’s carrying the
+ball. Now run with it.”
+
+“That damned blind spot,” Kennon said. “You realize, of course, that
+you’re not legally liable. It was a mistake. All you have to do is admit
+the error and start from there. Naturally--no reasonable intelligence
+would expect that you change the older Lani. They’re too old for either
+agerone or change. It would be both cruel and inhuman to turn them
+loose. It’s with the youngsters that you can work--those who are
+physically and physiologically young enough to derive benefit from
+agerone and education.
+
+“As I remember, you bought a planet called Phoebe. Now why don’t you--”
+
+“Phase out! Of course! But that means that you can’t press charges.”
+
+“Why should I? I’m not one of these starry-eyed reformers who expect
+to change things overnight. It’s the future of the Lani race that’s
+important, And Brainard agrees with me. A phase-out is the proper
+solution. Change the education, let males be born--teach the young to
+think instead of to obey. Give them Phoebe for a home--they never owned
+all of Kardon anyway. And within a century or two we will have a new
+group of the human race--and then we can tell the Brotherhood.”
+
+Kennon looked inquiringly at Copper. She smiled and nodded. “It would
+cause less trouble that way,” she said. “It would be more sure--and
+there are never too many old ones.”
+
+Kennon shuddered, thinking of the euthanasia chambers on Otpen One.
+“There will be more from now on,” he said.
+
+“Outworld can afford it. It’ll bend us a little but we won’t break--and
+besides, the Lani will need our help for some time to come.” Alexander
+looked at Kennon. “Can we make an agreement that all parties will
+respect?” he asked.
+
+“I think so--providing there are no sleeper clauses in it,” Kennon said.
+
+“There won’t be,” Alexander said.
+
+And there weren’t.
+
+* * *
+
+It was a private ceremony. The Family, sulky and unwilling, faced with
+a choice of drastically reduced income or outright confiscation and
+preferring a portion of a loaf to none. Alexander--grim but oddly
+peaceful of expression. Brainard--pink-cheeked and emotionless. Kennon
+and Copper--happily conscious that it was at last finished. It was an
+oddly assorted group of conspirators who planned to restore a segment of
+humanity to the human race.
+
+Kennon signed last, and as he did, Alexander looked at him with a sly
+grin distorting the smooth pallor of his face.
+
+“You forgot something,” he said.
+
+“What?” Kennon said--aware suddenly that something was wrong.
+
+“What do you plan to do, now that this is over?”
+
+“Join the Medical Center here and practice veterinary medicine.”
+
+“You wouldn’t care to work for me--to help rebuild the wreckage you’ve
+helped create? I’ll need a manager on Kardon to phase out the island
+while we phase in Phoebe.”
+
+“No, thank you. I’ve had enough of that.”
+
+“You just think you have,” Alexander said gleefully. “That’s what you
+have forgotten. You’ve gotten your agreement--now you will satisfy me.
+As I see it you have breached your contract by leaving Flora without
+authorization.”
+
+“That is right,” Kennon said. A small lump of lead began to grow rapidly
+larger in his stomach. Brainard was grinning and Copper’s eyes were
+shining. “You’ve been jobbed!” his mind told him. He sighed. He knew
+what was coming next.
+
+“The punitive clause for breach of contract,” Alexander went on
+inexorably, “is very broad. Discretion is vested in the entrepreneur. I
+can obtain judgment against you in any court on any planet.”
+
+“I know,” Kennon said glumly.
+
+“But I am going to be civilized,” Alexander said. “I am going to be
+merciful. I am going to extend your contract until phase-out has been
+completed. You are going to have control of the entire Kardon phase of
+the operation. It’s poetic justice--you made the mess--now you can clean
+it up.”
+
+“That’s inhuman!”
+
+“Humanity has nothing to do with it. It’s justice,” Alexander said. He
+smiled at Copper’s radiant face. The thought of going home was good to
+her. “Good luck on your new job, Dr. Kennon,” he said. “And welcome to
+the brotherhood of the ulcer.”
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lani People, by J. F. Bone
+
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+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+
+<!DOCTYPE html
+   PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+   "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" >
+
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <title>
+      The Lani People, by J. F. Bone
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve">
+
+    body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify}
+    P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; }
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; }
+    hr  { width: 50%; text-align: center;}
+    .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; }
+    blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;}
+    .mynote    {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;}
+    .toc       { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;}
+    .toc2      { margin-left: 20%;}
+    div.fig    { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; }
+    div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; }
+    .figleft   {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;}
+    .figright  {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;}
+    .pagenum   {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal;
+               margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%;
+               text-align: right;}
+    pre        { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;}
+
+</style>
+  </head>
+  <body>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lani People, by J. F. Bone
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Lani People
+
+Author: J. F. Bone
+
+Release Date: December 23, 2008 [EBook #2509]
+Last Updated: November 1, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LANI PEOPLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer, and David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+    <p>
+      <br /><br />
+    </p>
+    <h1>
+      THE LANI PEOPLE
+    </h1>
+    <p>
+      <br />
+    </p>
+    <h2>
+      By J. F. Bone
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <hr />
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <blockquote>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big>
+      </p>
+      <p>
+        <br />
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER V </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER VI </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER XIII </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER XIV </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0018"> CHAPTER XVIII </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX </a>
+      </p>
+      <p class="toc">
+        <a href="#link2HCH0020"> CHAPTER XX </a>
+      </p>
+    </blockquote>
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <hr />
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER I
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      The boxed ad in the opportunities section of the Kardon Journal of Allied
+      Medical Sciences stood out like a cut diamond in a handful of gravel.
+      &ldquo;Wanted,&rdquo; it read, &ldquo;Veterinarian&mdash;for residency in active livestock
+      operation. Single recent graduate preferred. Quarters and service
+      furnished. Well-equipped hospital. Five-year contract, renewal option,
+      starting salary 15,000 cr./annum with periodic increases. State age,
+      school, marital status, and enclose recent tri-di with application.
+      Address Box V-9, this journal.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jac Kennon read the box a second time. There must be a catch to it.
+      Nothing that paid a salary that large could possibly be on the level.
+      Fifteen thousand a year was top pay even on Beta, and an offer like this
+      for a new graduate was unheard of&mdash;unless Kardon was in the middle of
+      an inflation. But Kardon wasn&rsquo;t. The planet&rsquo;s financial status was A-1. He
+      knew. He&rsquo;d checked that immediately after landing. Whatever might be wrong
+      with Kardon, it wasn&rsquo;t her currency. The rate of exchange was 1.2-1 Betan.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A five-year contract&mdash;hmm&mdash;that would be seventy-five thousand.
+      Figure three thousand a year for living expenses, that would leave
+      sixty-plenty of capital to start a clinic. The banks couldn&rsquo;t turn him
+      down if he had that much cash collateral.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled wryly. He&rsquo;d better get the job before he started spending
+      the money he didn&rsquo;t have. He had 231 credits plus a few halves, tenths,
+      and hundredths, a diploma in veterinary medicine, some textbooks, a few
+      instruments, and a first-class spaceman&rsquo;s ticket. By watching his expenses
+      he had enough money to live here for a month and if nothing came of his
+      efforts to find a job on this planet, there was always his spaceman&rsquo;s
+      ticket and another world.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Another world! There were over six thousand planets in the Brotherhood of
+      Man. At two months per planet, not figuring transit time, it would take
+      more than a thousand Galactic Standard years to visit them all, and a man
+      could look forward to scarcely more than five hundred at best. The habitat
+      of Man had become too large. There wasn&rsquo;t time to explore every
+      possibility.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But a man could have certain standards, and look until he found a position
+      that fitted. The trouble was&mdash;if the standards were too high the jobs
+      were too scarce. Despite the chronic shortage of veterinarians throughout
+      the Brotherhood, there was a peculiar reluctance on the part of
+      established practitioners to welcome recent graduates. Most of the ads in
+      the professional journals read &ldquo;State salary desired,&rdquo; which was nothing
+      more than economic blackmail&mdash;a bald-faced attempt to get as much for
+      as little as possible. Kennon grimaced wryly. He&rsquo;d be damned if he&rsquo;d sell
+      his training for six thousand a year. Slave labor, that&rsquo;s what it was.
+      There were a dozen ads like that in the Journal. Well, he&rsquo;d give them a
+      trial, but he&rsquo;d ask eight thousand and full GEA benefits. Eight years of
+      school and two more as an intern were worth at least that.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He pulled the portable voicewrite to a comfortable position in front of
+      the view wall and began composing another of the series of letters that
+      had begun months ago in time and parsecs away in space. His voice was a
+      fluid counterpoint to the soft hum of the machine.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And as he dictated, his eyes took in the vista through the view wall.
+      Albertsville was a nice town, too young for slums, too new for
+      overpopulation. The white buildings were the color of winter butter in the
+      warm yellow sunlight as the city drowsed in the noonday heat. It nestled
+      snugly in the center of a bowl-shaped valley whose surrounding forest clad
+      hills gave mute confirmation to the fact that Kardon was still primitive,
+      an unsettled world that had not yet reached the explosive stage of
+      population growth that presaged maturity. But that was no disadvantage. In
+      fact, Kennon liked it. Living could be fun on a planet like this.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was abysmally crude compared to Beta, but the Brotherhood had opened
+      Kardon less than five hundred years ago, and in such a short time one
+      couldn&rsquo;t expect all the comforts of civilization.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It required a high population density to supply them, and while Kardon was
+      integrated its population was scarcely more than two hundred million. It
+      would be some time yet before this world would achieve a Class I status.
+      However, a Class II planet had some advantages. What it lacked in
+      conveniences it made up in opportunities and elbow room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A normal Betan would have despised this world, but Kennon wasn&rsquo;t normal,
+      although to the casual eye he was a typical representative of the
+      Medico-Technological Civilization, long legged, fair haired, and short
+      bodied with the typical Betan squint that left his eyes mere slits behind
+      thick lashes and heavy brows. The difference was internal rather than
+      external.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Possibly it was due to the fact that his father was the commander of a
+      Shortliner and most of his formative years had been spent in space. To
+      Kennon, accustomed to the timeless horror of hyper space, all planets were
+      good, broad open places where a man could breathe unfiltered air and look
+      for miles across distances unbroken by dually bulk heads and safety
+      shields. On a planet there were spaciousness and freedom and after the
+      claustrophobic confinement of a hyper ship any world was paradise. Kennon
+      sighed, finished his letters, and placed them in the mail chute. Perhaps,
+      this time, there would be a favorable reply.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER II
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Kennon was startled by the speed with which his letters were answered.
+      Accustomed to the slower pace of Beta he had expected a week would elapse
+      before the first reply, but within twenty-four hours nine of his twelve
+      inquiries were returned. Five expressed the expected &ldquo;Thank you but I feel
+      that your asking salary is a bit high in view of your lack of experience.&rdquo;
+       Three were frankly interested and requested a personal interview. And the
+      last was the letter, outstanding in its quietly ostentatious folder-the
+      reply from Box V-9.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Would Dr. Kennon call at 10 A.M. tomorrow at the offices of Outworld
+      Enterprises Incorporated and bring this letter and suitable
+      identifications?&rdquo; Kennon chuckled. Would he? There was no question about
+      it. The address, 200 Central Avenue, was only a few blocks away. In fact,
+      he could see the building from his window, a tall functional block of
+      durilium and plastic, soaring above the others on the street, the sunlight
+      gleaming off its clean square lines. He eyed it curiously, wondering what
+      he would find inside.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The receptionist took his I.D. and the letter, scanned them briefly, and
+      slipped them into one of the message tubes beside her desk. &ldquo;It will only
+      be a moment, Doctor,&rdquo; she said impersonally. &ldquo;Would you care to sit down?
+      &lsquo;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; he said. The minute, reflected, could easily be an hour. But
+      she was right. It was only a minute until the message tube clicked and
+      popped a capsule onto the girl&rsquo;s desk. She opened it, and removed Kennon&rsquo;s
+      I.D. and a small yellow plastic rectangle. Her eyes widened at the sight
+      of the plastic card.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Here you are, Doctor. Take shaft number one. Slip the card into the
+      scanner slot and you&rsquo;ll be taken to the correct floor. The offices you
+      want will be at the end of the corridor to the left. You&rsquo;ll find any other
+      data you may need on the card in case you get lost.&rdquo; She looked at him
+      with a curious mixture of surprise and respect as she handed him the
+      contents of the message tube.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon murmured an acknowledgment, took the card and his I.D., and entered
+      the grav-shaft. There was the usual moment of heaviness as the shaft
+      whisked him upward and deposited him in front of a thickly carpeted
+      corridor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Executive level, Kennon thought as he followed the receptionist&rsquo;s
+      directions. No wonder she had looked respectful. But what was he doing
+      here? The employment of a veterinarian wasn&rsquo;t important enough to demand
+      the attention of a senior executive. The personnel section could handle
+      the details of his application as well as not. He shrugged. Perhaps
+      veterinarians were more important on Kardon. He didn&rsquo;t know a thing about
+      this world&rsquo;s customs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He opened the unmarked door at the end of the corridor, entered a small
+      reception room, smiled uncertainly at the woman behind the desk, and
+      received an answering smile in return.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Come right in, Dr. Kennon. Mr. Alexander is waiting for you.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander! The entrepreneur himself! Why? Numb with surprise Kennon
+      watched the woman open the intercom on her desk.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sir, Dr. Kennon is here,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Bring him in,&rdquo; a smooth voice replied from the speaker. Alexander X. M.
+      Alexander, President of Outworld Enterprises&mdash;a lean, dark, wolfish
+      man in his early sixties&mdash;eyed Kennon with a flat predatory
+      intentness that was oddly disquieting. His stare combined the analytical
+      inspection of the pathologist, the probing curiosity of the psychiatrist,
+      and the weighing appraisal of the butcher. Kennon&rsquo;s thoughts about
+      Alexander&rsquo;s youth vanished that instant. Those eyes belonged to a leader
+      on the battlefield of galactic business.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon felt the conditioned respect for authority surge through him in a
+      smothering wave. Grimly he fought it down, knowing it was a sign of
+      weakness that would do him no good in the interview which lay ahead.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So you&rsquo;re Kennon,&rdquo; Alexander said. His lingua franca was clean and
+      accentless. &ldquo;I expected someone older.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Frankly, sir, so did I,&rdquo; Kennon replied.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander smiled, an oddly pleasant smile that transformed the hard
+      straight lines in his face into friendly curves. &ldquo;Business, Dr. Kennon, is
+      not the sole property of age.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nor is a veterinary degree,&rdquo; Kennon replied.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;True. But one thinks of a Betan as someone ancient and sedate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ours is an old planet&mdash;but we still have new generations.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A fact most of us outsiders find hard to believe,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I
+      picture your world as an ironclad society crystallized by age and custom
+      into something rigid and in flexible.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You would be wrong to do so,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Even though we are cultural
+      introverts there is plenty of dynamism within our society.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How is it that you happen to be out here on the edge of civilization?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I never said I was like my society,&rdquo; Kennon grinned. &ldquo;Actually I suppose
+      I&rsquo;m one of the proverbial bad apples.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s more to it than that,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Your early years probably
+      influenced you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked sharply at the entrepreneur. How much did the man really
+      know about him? &ldquo;I suppose so,&rdquo; he said indifferently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander looked pleased. &ldquo;But even with your childhood experiences there
+      must be an atavistic streak in you&mdash;a throwback to your adventurous
+      Earth forebears who settled your world?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;Perhaps you&rsquo;re right. I really don&rsquo;t know. Actually,
+      I&rsquo;ve never thought about it. It merely seemed to me that an undeveloped
+      world offered more opportunity.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It does,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;But it also offers more work. If you&rsquo;re
+      figuring that you can get along on the minimum physical effort required on
+      the Central Worlds, you have a shock coming.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not that innocent,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;But I am not so stupid that I can&rsquo;t
+      apply modifications of Betan techniques to worlds as new as this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;I like you,&rdquo; he said suddenly. &ldquo;Here read this and
+      see if you&rsquo;d care to work for me.&rdquo; He picked a contract form from one of
+      the piles of paper on his desk and handed it to Kennon. &ldquo;This is one of
+      our standard work contracts. Take it back to your hotel and check it over.
+      I&rsquo;ll expect to see you at this time tomorrow.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why waste time?&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;The rapid-reading technique originated on
+      Beta. I can tell you in fifteen minutes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm. Certainly. Read it here if you wish. I like to get things settled&mdash;the
+      sooner the better. Sit down, young man and read. You can rouse me when
+      you&rsquo;re finished.&rdquo; He turned his attention to the papers on his desk and
+      within seconds was completely oblivious of Kennon, his face set in the
+      rapt trancelike expression of a trained rapid reader.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon watched for a moment as sheets of paper passed through Alexander&rsquo;s
+      hands to be added to the pile at the opposite end of the desk. The man
+      would do better, he thought, if he would have his staff transcribe the
+      papers to microfilm that could be read through an interval-timed scanner.
+      He might suggest that later. As for now, he shrugged and seated himself in
+      the chair beside the desk. The quiet was broken only by the rustle of
+      paper as the two rapt-faced men turned page after page with mechanical
+      regularity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Finally Kennon turned the last page, paused, blinked, and performed the
+      necessary mental gymnastics to orient his time sense. Alexander, he
+      noticed, was still engrossed, sunk in his autohypnotic trance. Kennon
+      waited until he had finished the legal folder which he was reading and
+      then gently intruded upon Alexander&rsquo;s concentration.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander looked up blankly and then went through the same mental
+      gyrations Kennon had performed a few minutes before. His eyes focused and
+      became hard and alert.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;What do you think of it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s the damnedest, trickiest, most unilateral piece of
+      legalistics I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; Kennon said bluntly. &ldquo;If that&rsquo;s the best you
+      can offer, I wouldn&rsquo;t touch the job with a pair of forceps.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander smiled. &ldquo;I see you read the fine print,&rdquo; he said. There was
+      quiet amusement in his voice. &ldquo;So you don&rsquo;t like the contract?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No sensible man would. I&rsquo;m damned if I&rsquo;ll sign commitment papers just to
+      get a job. No wonder you&rsquo;re having trouble getting professional help. If
+      your contracts are all like that it&rsquo;s&rsquo; a wonder anyone works for you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We have no complaints from our employees,&rdquo; Alexander said stiffly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How could you? If they signed that contract you&rsquo;d have a perfect right to
+      muzzle them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There are other applicants for this post,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then get one of them. I wouldn&rsquo;t be interested.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A spaceman&rsquo;s ticket is a good thing to have,&rdquo; Alexander said idly. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s
+      a useful ace in the hole. Besides, you have had three other job offers&mdash;all
+      of which are good even though they don&rsquo;t pay fifteen Ems a year.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon did a quick double take. Alexander&rsquo;s investigative staff was better
+      than good. It was uncanny.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But seriously, Dr. Kennon, I am pleased that you do not like that
+      contract. Frankly, I wouldn&rsquo;t consider employing you if you did.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sir?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That contract is a screen. It weeds out the careless, the fools, and the
+      unfit in one operation. A man who would sign a thing like that has no
+      place in my organization.&rdquo; Alexander chuckled at Kennon&rsquo;s blank
+      expression. &ldquo;I see you have had no experience with screening contracts.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon admitted. &ldquo;On Beta the tests are formal. The
+      Medico-Psych Division supervises them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Different worlds, different methods,&rdquo; Alexander observed. &ldquo;But they&rsquo;re
+      all directed toward the same goal. Here we aren&rsquo;t so civilized. We depend
+      more on personal judgment.&rdquo; He took another contract from one of the
+      drawers of his desk. &ldquo;Take a look at this. I think you&rsquo;ll be more
+      satisfied.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t mind, I&rsquo;ll read it now,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fair enough,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;except for Article Twelve.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The personal privilege section?
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s the contract. You can take it or leave it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll leave it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Thank you for your time.&rdquo; He rose to his
+      feet, smiled at Alexander, and turned to the door. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t bother to call
+      your receptionist,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I can find my way out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just a minute, Doctor,&rdquo; Alexander said. He was standing behind the desk,
+      holding out his hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Another test?&rdquo; Kennon inquired.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander nodded. &ldquo;The critical one,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Do you want the job?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Without knowing more about it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The contract is adequate. It defines my duties.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you think you can handle them?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know I can.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I notice,&rdquo; Alexander observed, &ldquo;that you didn&rsquo;t object to other
+      provisions.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, sir. They&rsquo;re pretty rigid, but for the salary you are paying I figure
+      you should have some rights. Certainly you have the right to protect your
+      interests. But that Article Twelve is a direct violation of everything a
+      human being should hold sacred besides being a violation of the Peeper
+      Laws. I&rsquo;d never sign a contract that didn&rsquo;t carry a full Peeper rider.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s quite a bit.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the minimum,&rdquo; Kennon corrected. &ldquo;Naturally, I won&rsquo;t object to
+      mnemonic erasure of matters pertaining to your business once my contract&rsquo;s
+      completed and I leave your employment. But until then there will be no
+      conditioning, no erasures, no taps, no snoopers, and no checkups other
+      than the regular periodic psychans. I&rsquo;ll consult with you on vacation time
+      and will arrange it to suit your convenience. I&rsquo;ll even agree to emergency
+      recall, but that&rsquo;s the limit.&rdquo; Kennon&rsquo;s voice was flat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You realize I&rsquo;m agreeing to give you a great deal of personal liberty,&rdquo;
+       Alexander said. &ldquo;How can I protect myself?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll sign a contingency rider,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;if you will specify
+      precisely what security matters I am not to reveal.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I accept,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Consider yourself hired.&rdquo; He touched a button
+      on his desk. &ldquo;Prepare a standard 2-A contract for Dr. Jac Kennon&rsquo;s
+      signature. And attach two riders, a full P-P-yes, no exceptions&mdash;and
+      a security-leak contingency, Form 287-C. Yes&mdash;that&rsquo;s right&mdash;that
+      one. And strike out all provisions of Article Twelve which conflict with
+      the Peeper Laws. Yes. Now&mdash;and finish it as soon as you can.&rdquo; He
+      touched another button. &ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I hope you&rsquo;ll enjoy
+      being a member of our group.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think I shall,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You know, sir, I would have waived part
+      of that last demand if you had cared to argue.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know it,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;But what concessions I could have wrung from
+      you would be relatively unimportant beside the fact that you would be
+      unhappy about them later. What little I could have won here, I&rsquo;d lose
+      elsewhere. And since I want you, I&rsquo;d prefer to have you satisfied.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I see,&rdquo; Kennon said. Actually he didn&rsquo;t see at all. He looked curiously
+      at the entrepreneur. Alexander couldn&rsquo;t be as easy as he seemed.
+      Objectivity and dispassionate weighing and balancing were nice traits and
+      very helpful ones, but in the bear pit of galactic business they wouldn&rsquo;t
+      keep their owner alive for five minutes. The interworld trade sharks would
+      have skinned him long ago and divided the stripped carcass of his company
+      between them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But Outworld was a &ldquo;respected&rdquo; company. The exchange reports said so&mdash;which
+      made Alexander a different breed of cat entirely. Still, his surface was
+      perfect&mdash;polished and impenetrable as a duralloy turret on one of the
+      latest Brotherhood battleships. Kennon regretted he wasn&rsquo;t a sensitive. It
+      would be nice to know what Alexander really was.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tell me, sir,&rdquo; Kennon asked. &ldquo;What are the real reasons that make you
+      think I&rsquo;m the man you want?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you&rsquo;re the young man who&rsquo;s so insistent on a personal privacy rider,&rdquo;
+       Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;However, there&rsquo;s no harm telling you. There are
+      several reasons.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re from a culture whose name is a byword for moral integrity. That
+      makes you a good risk so far as your ethics are concerned. In addition
+      you&rsquo;re the product of one of the finest educational systems in the
+      galaxy-and you have proven your intelligence to my satisfaction. You also
+      showed me that you weren&rsquo;t a spineless &lsquo;yes man.&rsquo; And finally, you have a
+      spirit of adventure. Not one in a million of your people would do what you
+      have done. What more could an entrepreneur ask of a prospective employee?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sighed and gave up. Alexander wasn&rsquo;t going to reveal a thing.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All I hope,&rdquo; Alexander continued affably, &ldquo;is that you&rsquo;ll find Outworld
+      Enterprises as attractive as did your predecessor Dr. Williamson. He was
+      with us until he died last month&mdash;better than a hundred years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Died rather young, didn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not exactly, he was nearly four hundred when he joined us. My grandfather
+      was essentially conservative. He liked older men, and Old Doc was one of
+      his choices&mdash;a good one, too. He was worth every credit we paid him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll try to do as well,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;d like to warn you that I
+      have no intention of staying as long as he did. I want to build a clinic
+      and I figure sixty thousand is about enough to get started.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When will you veterinarians ever learn to be organization men?&rdquo; Alexander
+      asked. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re as independent as tomcats.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon grinned. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a breed characteristic, I guess.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander shrugged. &ldquo;Perhaps you&rsquo;ll change your mind after you&rsquo;ve worked
+      for us.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Possibly, but I doubt it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tell me that five years from now,&rdquo; Alexander said&mdash;&ldquo;Ah&mdash;here
+      are the contracts.&rdquo; He smiled at the trim secretary who entered the room
+      carrying a stack of papers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The riders are as you asked, sir,&rdquo; the girl said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good. Now, Doctor, if you please.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t mind if I check them?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not at all. And when you&rsquo;re through, just leave them on the desk&mdash;except
+      for your copy, of course.&rdquo; Alexander scrawled his signature on the bottom
+      of each contract. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t disturb me. I&rsquo;ll be in contact with you. Leave
+      your whereabouts with your hotel.&rdquo; He turned to the papers in front of
+      him, and then looked up for the last time. &ldquo;Just one more thing,&rdquo; he said.
+      &ldquo;You impress me as a cautious man. It would be just as well if you carried
+      your caution with you when you leave this room.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded, and Alexander turned back to his work.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER III
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d never have guessed yesterday that I&rsquo;d be here today,&rdquo; Kennon said as
+      he looked down at the yellow waters of the Xantline Sea flashing to the
+      rear of the airboat at a steady thousand kilometers per hour as they sped
+      westward in the middle traffic level. The water, some ten thousand meters
+      below, had been completely empty for hours as the craft hurtled through
+      the equatorial air.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We have to move fast to stay ahead of our ulcers,&rdquo; Alexander said with a
+      wry smile. &ldquo;Besides, I wanted to get away from the Albertsville offices
+      for awhile.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Three hours&rsquo; notice,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s almost too fast.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You had nothing to keep you in the city, and neither did I&mdash;at least
+      nothing important. There are plenty of females where we are going and I
+      need you on Flora&mdash;not in Albertsville. Besides I can get you there
+      faster than if you waited for a company transport.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Judging from those empty sea lanes below, Flora must be an out-of-the-way
+      place,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is. It&rsquo;s out of the trade lanes. Most of the commercial traffic is in
+      the southern hemisphere. The northern hemisphere is practically all water.
+      Except for Flora and the Otpens there isn&rsquo;t a land area for nearly three
+      thousand kilometers in any direction, and since the company owns Flora and
+      the surrounding island groups there&rsquo;s no reason for shipping to come
+      there. We have our own supply vessels, a Discovery Charter, and a desire
+      for privacy.&mdash;Ah! It won&rsquo;t be long now. There&rsquo;s the Otpens!&rdquo;
+       Alexander pointed at a smudge on the horizon that quickly resolved into an
+      irregular chain of tiny islets that slipped below them. Kennon got a
+      glimpse of gray concrete on one of the larger islands, a smudge of green
+      trees, and white beaches against which the yellow waters dashed in
+      smothers of foam.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Rugged-looking place,&rdquo; he murmured.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Most of them are deserted. Two support search and warning stations and
+      automatic interceptors to protect our property. Look!&mdash;there&rsquo;s
+      Flora.&rdquo; Alexander gestured at the land mass that appeared below.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Flora was a great green oval two hundred kilometers long and about a
+      hundred wide.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pretty, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; Alexander said as they sped over the low range of
+      hills and the single gaunt volcano filling the eastward end of the island
+      and swept over a broad green valley dotted with fields and orchards
+      interspersed at intervals by red-roofed structures whose purpose was
+      obvious.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Our farms,&rdquo; Alexander said redundantly. The airboat crossed a fair-sized
+      river. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the Styx,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Grandfather named it. He was a
+      classicist in his way&mdash;spent a lot of his time reading books most
+      people never heard of. Things like the Iliad and Gone with the Wind. The
+      mountains he called the Apennines, and that volcano&rsquo;s Mount Olympus. The
+      marshland to the north is called the Pontine Marshes&mdash;our main road
+      is the Camino Real.&rdquo; Alexander grinned. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of Earth on Flora.
+      You&rsquo;ll find it in every name. Grandfather was an Earthman and he used to
+      get nostalgic for the homeworld. Well&mdash;there&rsquo;s Alexandria coming up.
+      We&rsquo;ve just about reached the end of the line.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon stared down at the huge gray-green citadel resting on a small hill
+      in the center of an open plain. It was a Class II Fortalice built on the
+      efficient star-shaped plan of half a millennium ago&mdash;an ugly spiky
+      pile of durilium, squat and massive with defensive shields and weapons
+      which could still withstand hours of assault by the most modern forces.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why did he build a thing like that?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Alexandria?&mdash;well, we had trouble with the natives when we first
+      came, and Grandfather had a synthesizer and tapes for a Fortalice in his
+      ship. So he built it. It serves the dual purpose of base and house. It&rsquo;s
+      mostly house now, but it&rsquo;s still capable of being defended.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And those outbuildings?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re part of your job.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The airboat braked sharply and settled with a smooth, sickeningly swift
+      rush that left Kennon gasping&mdash;feeling that his stomach was still
+      floating above him in the middle level. He never had become accustomed to
+      an arbutus landing characteristics. Spacers were slower and steadier. The
+      ship landed gently on a pitted concrete slab near the massive radiation
+      shields of the barricaded entranceway to the fortress. Projectors in
+      polished dually turrets swivelled to point their ugly noses at them. It
+      gave Kennon a queasy feeling. He never liked to trust his future to
+      automatic machinery. If the analyzers failed to decode the ship&rsquo;s I.D.
+      properly, Kennon, Alexander, the ship, and a fair slice of surrounding
+      territory would become an incandescent mass of dissociated atoms.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Grandfather was a good builder,&rdquo; Alexander, said proudly. &ldquo;Those
+      projectors have been mounted nearly four hundred years and they&rsquo;re still
+      as good as the day they were installed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can see that,&rdquo; Kennon said uncomfortably. &ldquo;You ought to dismantle them.
+      They&rsquo;re enough to give a man the weebies.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;Oh&mdash;they&rsquo;re safe. The firing mechanism&rsquo;s
+      safetied. But we keep them in operating condition. You never can tell when
+      they&rsquo;ll come in handy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I knew Kardon was primitive, but I didn&rsquo;t think it was that bad. What&rsquo;s
+      the trouble?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;None&mdash;right now,&rdquo; Alexander said obliquely, &ldquo;and since we&rsquo;ve shown
+      we can handle ourselves there probably won&rsquo;t be any more.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You must raise some pretty valuable stock if the competition tried to
+      rustle them in the face of that armament.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We do.&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Now if you&rsquo;ll follow me&rdquo;&mdash;the entrepreneur
+      opened the cabin door letting in a blast of heat and a flood of yellow
+      sunlight.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Great Arthur Fleming!&rdquo; Kennon exploded. &ldquo;This place is a furnace!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hot out here on the strip,&rdquo; Alexander admitted, &ldquo;but its cool enough
+      inside. Besides, you&rsquo;ll get used to this quickly enough&mdash;and the
+      nights are wonderful. The evening rains cool things off. Well&mdash;come
+      along.&rdquo; He began walking toward the arched entrance to the great building
+      some hundred meters away. Kennon followed looking around curiously. So
+      this was to be his home for the next five years? It didn&rsquo;t look
+      particularly inviting. There was a forbidding air about the place that was
+      in stark contrast to its pleasant surroundings.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      They were only a few meters from the archway when a stir of movement came
+      from its shadow&mdash;the first life Kennon had seen since they descended
+      from the ship. In this furnace heat even the air was quiet. Two women came
+      out of the darkness, moving with quiet graceful steps across the
+      blistering hot concrete. They were naked except for a loincloth, halter,
+      and sandals and so nearly identical in form and feature that Kennon took
+      them to be twins. Their skins were burned a deep brown that glistened in
+      the yellow sun light.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. It was none of his business how his employer ran his
+      household or what his servants wore or didn&rsquo;t wear. Santos was a planet of
+      nudists, and certainly this hot sun was fully as brilliant as the one
+      which warmed that tropical planet In fact, he could see some virtue in
+      wearing as little as possible. Already he was perspiring.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The two women walked past them toward the airboat. Kennon turned to look
+      at them and noticed with surprise that they weren&rsquo;t human. The long tails
+      curled below their spinal bases were adequate denials of human ancestry.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Humanoids!&rdquo; he gasped. &ldquo;For a moment I thought-&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Gave you a start-eh?&rdquo; Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;It always does when a stranger
+      sees a Lani for the first time. Well&mdash;now you&rsquo;ve seen some of the
+      livestock what do you think of them?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think you should have hired a medic.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander shook his head. &ldquo;No&mdash;it wouldn&rsquo;t be reason able or legal.
+      You&rsquo;re the man for the job.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ve no experience with humanoid types. We didn&rsquo;t cover that phase in
+      our studies&mdash;and from their appearance they&rsquo;d qualify as humans
+      anywhere if it weren&rsquo;t for those tails!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re far more similar than you think,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;It just goes
+      to show what parallel evolution can do. But there are differences.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I never knew that there was indigenous humanoid life on Kardon,&rdquo; Kennon
+      continued. &ldquo;The manual says nothing about it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Naturally. They&rsquo;re indigenous only to this area.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s impossible. Species as highly organized as that simply don&rsquo;t
+      originate on isolated islands.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This was a subcontinent once,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Most of it has been
+      inundated. Less than a quarter of a million years ago there was over a
+      hundred times the land area in this region than exists today. Then the
+      ocean rose. Now all that&rsquo;s left is the mid continent plateau and a few
+      mountain tops. You noted, I suppose, that this is mature topography except
+      for that range of hills to the east. The whole land area at the time of
+      flooding was virtually a peneplain. A rise of a few hundred feet in the
+      ocean level was all that was needed to drown most of the land.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I see. Yes, it&rsquo;s possible that life could have developed here under those
+      conditions. A peneplain topography argues permanence for hundreds of
+      millions of years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have studied geology?&rdquo; Alexander asked curiously. &ldquo;Only as part of my
+      cultural base,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Merely a casual acquaintance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We think the Lani were survivors of that catastrophe&mdash;and with their
+      primitive culture they were unable to reach the other land masses,&rdquo;
+       Alexander shrugged. &ldquo;At any rate they never established themselves
+      anywhere else.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How did you happen to come here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was born here,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;My grandfather discovered this world
+      better than four hundred years ago. He picked this area because it all
+      could be comfortably included in Discovery Rights. It wasn&rsquo;t until years
+      afterward that he realized the ecological peculiarities of this region.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He certainly capitalized on them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There was plenty of opportunity. The plants and animals here are
+      different from others in this world. Like Australia in reverse.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked blank, and Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;Australia was a subcontinent
+      on Earth,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;Its ecology, however, was exceedingly primitive
+      when compared with the rest of the planet. Flora&rsquo;s on the contrary, was&mdash;and
+      is&mdash;exceedingly advanced when compared with other native life forms
+      on Kardon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Your grandfather stumbled on a real bonanza,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;For which I&rsquo;m grateful,&rdquo; Alexander grinned. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s made me the biggest
+      operator in this sector of the galaxy. For practical purposes I own an
+      independent nation. There&rsquo;s about a thousand humans here, and nearly six
+      thousand Lani. We&rsquo;re increasing the Lani now, since we found they have
+      commercial possibilities. Up to thirty years ago we merely used them for
+      labor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon didn&rsquo;t speculate on what Alexander meant. He knew. For practical
+      purposes, his employer was a slave trader&mdash;or would have been if the
+      natives were human. As it was, the analogy was so close that it wasn&rsquo;t
+      funny.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      They entered the fortress, passed through a decontamination chamber that
+      would have done credit to an exploration ship, and emerged dressed in
+      tunics and sandals that were far more appropriate and comfortable in this
+      tropical climate.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one of Old Doc&rsquo;s ideas,&rdquo; Alexander said, gesturing at the door
+      from which they had emerged. &ldquo;He was a hound for sanitation and he
+      infected us with the habit.&rdquo; He turned and led the way down an arched
+      corridor that opened into a huge circular room studded with iris doors.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sucked his breath in with a low gasp of amazement. The room was a
+      gem of exquisite beauty. The parquet floor was inlaid with rare hardwoods
+      from a hundred different worlds. Parthian marble veneer covered with lacy
+      Van tapestries from Santos formed the walls. Delicate ceramics, sculpture,
+      and bronzes reflected the art of a score of different civilizations. A
+      circular pool, festooned with lacelike Halsite ferns, stood in the center
+      of the room, surrounding a polished black granite pedestal on which stood
+      an exquisite bronze of four Lani females industriously and eternally
+      pouring golden water from vases held in their shapely hands. &ldquo;Beautiful,&rdquo;
+       Kennon said softly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We like it,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh yes&mdash;I forgot to tell you about the Family,&rdquo; Alexander said
+      grimly. &ldquo;I run Outworld, and own fifty per cent of it. The Family owns the
+      other fifty. There are eight of them&mdash;the finest collection of
+      parasites in the entire galaxy. At the moment they can&rsquo;t block me since I
+      also control my cousin Douglas&rsquo;s shares. But when Douglas comes of age
+      they will be troublesome. Therefore I defer to them. I don&rsquo;t want to build
+      a united opposition. Usually I can get one or more of them to vote with me
+      on critical deals, but I always have to pay for their support.&rdquo;
+       Alexander&rsquo;s voice was bitter as he touched the dilate button on the iris
+      door beside him. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to meet them tonight. There&rsquo;s five of them
+      here now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That isn&rsquo;t in the contract,&rdquo; Kennon said. He was appalled at Alexander.
+      Civilized people didn&rsquo;t speak of others that way, even to intimates.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It can&rsquo;t be helped. You must meet them. It&rsquo;s part of the job.&rdquo;
+       Alexander&rsquo;s voice was grim. &ldquo;Mother, Cousin Anne, Douglas, and Eloise like
+      to play lord of the manor. Cousin Harold doesn&rsquo;t care&mdash;for which you
+      should be grateful.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The door dilated, and Alexander ushered Kennon into the room. The Lani
+      sitting on the couch opposite the door leaped to her feet, her mouth
+      opening in an O of surprise. Her soft snow-white hair, creamy skin, and
+      bright china blue eyes were a startling contrast to her black loincloth
+      and halter. Kennon stared appreciatively.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Her effect on Alexander, however, was entirely different. His face
+      darkened. &ldquo;You!&rdquo; he snapped. &ldquo;What are you doing here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Serving, sir,&rdquo; the Lani said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;On whose authority?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Man Douglas, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander groaned. &ldquo;You see,&rdquo; he said, turning to Kennon. &ldquo;We need someone
+      here with a little sense. Like I was telling you, the Family&rsquo;d&rdquo;&mdash;he
+      stopped abruptly and turned back to the Lani. &ldquo;Your name and pedigree,&rdquo; he
+      demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Silver Dawn, sir&mdash;out of White Magic&mdash;platinum experimental
+      type&mdash;strain four.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I thought so. How long have you been inhouse?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Almost a month, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re terminated. Report to Goldie and tell her that Man Alexander wants
+      you sent back to your group.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Lani&rsquo;s eyes widened. &ldquo;Man Alexander!&mdash;You?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Gosh!&rdquo; she breathed. &ldquo;The big boss!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Get moving,&rdquo; Alexander snapped, &ldquo;and tell Goldie to report to me in my
+      quarters.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sir, right away, sir!&rdquo; The Lath ran, disappearing through the door
+      they had entered with a flash of shapely white limbs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That Douglas!&rdquo; Alexander growled. &ldquo;Leave that young fool alone here for
+      six months and he&rsquo;d disrupt the entire operation. The nerve of that young
+      pup&mdash;requisitioning an experimental type for household labor. Just
+      what does he think he&rsquo;s doing?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The question obviously didn&rsquo;t demand a reply, so Kennon kept discreetly
+      silent as Alexander crossed the room to the two doors flanking the couch
+      on which the Lani had sat. He opened the left-hand one revealing a modern
+      grav-shaft that carried them swiftly to the uppermost level. They walked
+      down a short corridor and stopped before another door. It opened into a
+      suite furnished with stark functional simplicity. It fitted the
+      entrepreneur&rsquo;s outward personality so exactly that Kennon had no doubt
+      that this was Alexander&rsquo;s quarters.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sit down, Kennon. Relax while you can,&rdquo; Alexander said as he dropped into
+      a chair and crossed his sandaled feet.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you have many questions, but they can wait.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You might as well get some rest. You&rsquo;ll have little enough later. The
+      Family will probably put you through the meat grinder, but remember that
+      they don&rsquo;t control this business. You&rsquo;re my man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon had hardly seated himself in another chair when the door opened and
+      a plump pink-skinned Lani entered. She was considerably older than the
+      silver-haired one he had seen earlier, and her round face was smiling.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah, Goldie,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I understand Man Douglas has been giving
+      you quite a time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s high time you came back, sir,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Since Old Doc died, Man
+      Douglas has been impossible. He&rsquo;s been culling the staff and replacing
+      them with empty-headed fillies whose only claim to usefulness is that they
+      can fill out a halter. Pretty soon this place will be a pigsty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take care of that,&rdquo; Alexander promised. &ldquo;Now I&rsquo;d like you to meet
+      Old Doc&rsquo;s replacement. This is Dr. Kennon, our new veterinarian.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pleased, I&rsquo;m sure,&rdquo; Goldie said. &ldquo;You look like a nice man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He is,&rdquo; Alexander said, &ldquo;but he&rsquo;s just as hard as Old Doc&mdash;and he&rsquo;ll
+      have the same powers. Goldie&rsquo;s the head housekeeper,&rdquo; Alexander added.
+      &ldquo;She&rsquo;s an expert, and you&rsquo;d do well to take her advice on assignments.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Have a maid bring us a light meal and something to drink,&rdquo; Alexander
+      said. &ldquo;Have a couple of porters take Dr. Kennon&rsquo;s things to Old Doc&rsquo;s
+      house. Find Man Douglas and tell him I want to see him at once. Tell the
+      Family that I&rsquo;ve arrived and will see them in the Main Lounge at eight
+      tonight. Tell Blalok I&rsquo;ll be seeing him at nine. That&rsquo;s all.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; Goldie said and left the room, her tail curling buoyantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A good Lani,&rdquo; Alexander commented. &ldquo;One of the best. Loyal, trustworthy,
+      intelligent. She&rsquo;s been running Alexandria for the past ten years, and
+      should be good for at least ten more.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ten?&mdash;how old is she?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thirty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thirty&mdash;years?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good Lord Lister! I&rsquo;d have guessed her at least three hundred!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long as we do.
+      They&rsquo;re mature at twelve and dead at fifty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander sighed. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s another difference. Even without agerone we&rsquo;d
+      live to be a hundred.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Have you tried gerontological injections?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five Lani with them.&rdquo;
+       Alexander&rsquo;s face darkened at an unpleasant memory. &ldquo;So we don&rsquo;t try any
+      more,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There are too many differences.&rdquo; He stretched. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d tell
+      you more about them but it&rsquo;ll be better to hear it from Evald Blalok. He&rsquo;s
+      our superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell you a lot, too. He runs the Lani
+      Division. But right now let&rsquo;s wait for Cousin Douglas. The pup will take
+      his time about coming&mdash;but he&rsquo;ll do it in the end. He&rsquo;s afraid not
+      to.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather not,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s poor manners to be injected into a
+      family affair&mdash;especially when I&rsquo;m just one of the employees.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not just one of the employees. You are the Station Veterinarian,
+      and as such you hold an authority second only to Blalok and myself. You
+      and Blalok are my hands, ears, and eyes on Flora. You are responsible to
+      me&mdash;and to me alone. While I defer at times to the desires of the
+      Family, I do not have to. I run Outworld Enterprises and all the
+      extensions of that organization. I possess control&mdash;and the Family
+      knows it. My men are respected and furthermore they know everything that
+      goes on.&rdquo; He smiled icily. &ldquo;In a way it&rsquo;s quite a healthy situation. It
+      keeps my relatives under control. Somehow they dislike being disciplined
+      before outsiders. Now think no more about it.&rdquo; Alexander stood up and
+      walked over to one of the windows opening onto the broad roof gardens, and
+      stood looking at the sun-drenched greenery.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Odd, isn&rsquo;t it,&rdquo; Alexander said, &ldquo;how beautiful nature is and how simple
+      things are in a state of nature. It&rsquo;s only when man interjects himself
+      onto a scene that things get complicated. Take Flora for instance. Before
+      Grandfather came here, it must have been a pleasant place with the simple
+      natives happy in their paradise. But that&rsquo;s all changed now. We have taken
+      over&mdash;and they, like other lesser creatures on other worlds, have
+      been bent to our will and uses. I could pity them, but being human I
+      cannot afford that luxury.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon understood. He, too, had felt that sensation, that odd tightening
+      of the throat when he first saw a Varl on Santos. The Varl had been the
+      dominant life form there until men had come. Now they were just another
+      animal added to humanity&rsquo;s growing list of pets and livestock. The little
+      Varl with their soft-furred bodies and clever six-fingered hands made
+      excellent pets and precision workmen. The products of those clever hands,
+      the tiny instruments, the delicate microminiaturized control circuits, the
+      incredibly fine lacework and tapestries, formed the bulk of Santos&rsquo; 
+      interstellar trade.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He had owned a Varl once and had delighted in its almost human
+      intelligence. But the Varl weren&rsquo;t human and there lay their tragedy. Two
+      thousand years of human domination had left them completely dependent on
+      their conquerors. They were merely intelligent animals&mdash;and that was
+      all they would ever be until the human race changed its cultural pattern
+      or was overthrown. The one alternative was as unlikely as the other.
+      Humanity had met some fierce competitors, but none with its explosive
+      acquisitive nature, and none with its drive to conquer, colonize, and
+      rule. And probably it never would.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The little Varl were one race among hundreds that had fallen before the
+      fierceness and the greed of men. But unlike most others, the Varl were not
+      combative. Therefore they had survived.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Yet had it been necessary to reduce them to slavery? They would never be a
+      threat. Not only were they essentially gentle and noncombative, but their
+      delicate bodies could not stand the strains of spaceflight. They were
+      trapped on their world. Why should they be forced into so subordinate a
+      role?&mdash;Why was humanity so jealous of its dominance that no other
+      species could exist except by sufferance? Why after five thousand years of
+      exploration, invasion, and colonization did the human race still consider
+      the galaxy as its oyster, and themselves uniquely qualified to hold the
+      knife? He hadn&rsquo;t thought this way since he had given the Varl to his girl
+      friend of the moment, and had blasted off for Beta. Now the questions
+      returned to haunt him. As a Betan, the haunting was even more acute, since
+      Beta had a related problem that was already troublesome and would become
+      more acute as the years passed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He shrugged and laid the thought aside as a slim, dark-haired Lani entered
+      pushing a service cart ahead of her. The two men ate silently, each busy
+      with his own thoughts. And behind the view wall of Alexander&rsquo;s apartment
+      Kardon&rsquo;s brilliant yellow sun sank slowly toward the horizon, filling the
+      sky with flaming colors of red and gold, rimmed by the blues and purples
+      of approaching night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant, Kennon thought
+      with mild distaste, unlike the restful day-end displays of his homeworld.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER IV
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Douglas Alexander was a puffy-faced youngster with small intolerant eyes
+      set in folds of fat above a button nose and a loose-lipped sensual mouth.
+      There was an odd expression of defiance overlaid with fear on his pudgy
+      features. Looking at him, Kennon was reminded of a frightened dog, ready
+      either to bite or cower.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But it wasn&rsquo;t Douglas who held his eye. It was the two Lani who followed
+      him into the room. Every line of their bodies was perfection that spoke
+      volumes about generations of breeding for physical elegance. They moved
+      with a co-ordinated grace that made Douglas look even more clumsy by
+      contrast. And they were identical, twin cream-and-gold works of art. They
+      were completely nude&mdash;and Kennon for the first time in his life fully
+      appreciated the beauty of an unclad female. To cover them would be
+      sacrilege, and ornaments would only detract from their exquisite
+      perfection.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon knew that he was staring like an idiot. Alexander&rsquo;s amused smile
+      told him that much. With an effort he composed his startled features.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The pair looked at him with soft violet eyes&mdash;and it was as though
+      some psychic bathhouse attendant had poured ice water down his spine. For
+      he had seen that look before, that liquid introspective look in the velvet
+      eyes of cattle. He shivered. For a moment he had been thinking of them as
+      human. And somehow the lack of that indefinable some thing called humanity
+      robbed them of much of their glamour. They were still beautiful, but their
+      beauty had become impersonal.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t take these as representative of the Lani,&rdquo; Alexander said suddenly.
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re a special case, a very special case.&rdquo; He glared at his cousin.
+      &ldquo;Damn your impudence,&rdquo; he said without beat. &ldquo;I sent for you&mdash;not
+      your toys. Send them away.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas sulkily thrust out his lower lip. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t talk to me like that,
+      Cousin Alex,&rdquo; he began. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just a&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You heard me, Douglas. Out!&rdquo; Alexander&rsquo;s voice didn&rsquo;t rise but it cut like
+      a whip.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, very well,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t fight you&mdash;yet.&rdquo; He turned to
+      the humanoids. &ldquo;You heard the Boss-man. Go home.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The two nodded in unison and departed quickly. Somehow Kennon got the
+      impression that they were happy to leave.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just wait,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t boss me forever. Just wait. I&rsquo;ll
+      reach my majority in five years. I can vote my shares then&mdash;and then
+      I&rsquo;ll fix you. You won&rsquo;t be so high and mighty then, Mr. Big. I&rsquo;ll throw in
+      with the rest of the Family. They don&rsquo;t like you too much.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t hold your breath waiting for the Family to help you,&rdquo; Alexander
+      said. &ldquo;They wouldn&rsquo;t have anyone else but me handle the finances. They
+      love money too much. And until you get your inheritance remember one thing&mdash;I&rsquo;m
+      master here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know it,&rdquo; Douglas said, and then curiously&mdash;&ldquo;Who&rsquo;s the oddball?&rdquo;
+       He gestured at Kennon with a pudgy thumb.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Our new veterinarian, Dr. Kennon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;great! Now you tell me!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing like making a good first impression,&rdquo; Alexander said with
+      ironic emphasis. &ldquo;I hope he cuts you off from the Lani. He&rsquo;ll have the
+      authority to do it, since he&rsquo;s taking Old Doc&rsquo;s place.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He can&rsquo;t. I&rsquo;m an owner. I own-&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You own nothing. You&rsquo;re a minor. And under the terms of Grandfather&rsquo;s
+      will, you&rsquo;ll own nothing except an allowance until you reach legal age.
+      And that brings me to the reason I brought you here. Just when did you
+      gain the right to reorganize the household staff? Just when did you get
+      the power to interfere with the experimental program?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas flushed dull red and bit his lip. &ldquo;Do we have to go into this in
+      front of strangers?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Kennon&rsquo;s my agent,&rdquo; Alexander said coldly, &ldquo;and he might as well learn
+      about you and the others from the start.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;what do you want him to do&mdash;watch me crawl?&rdquo; Douglas
+      asked bitterly. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll make me do it. You always do. Do you want me to
+      beg, to say I was wrong, to promise I won&rsquo;t do it again?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve done that already,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Several times. You need a
+      lesson. I won&rsquo;t have you meddling with valuable animals.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And what are you going to do about it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Put you where you can do no more damage. As of tomorrow you&rsquo;ll go to
+      Otpen One.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas paled. His lips quivered, and his eyes flicked uneasily as he
+      watched Alexander&rsquo;s granite face. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t mean that,&rdquo; he said finally.
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re joking.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I never joke about business.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you can&rsquo;t do that! I&rsquo;ll tell the Family. They won&rsquo;t let you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I already have their consent,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I obtained it after your
+      last escapade. You&rsquo;ll be happy out there. You can play tin god all you
+      like. Master of life and death on a two-acre island. No one will mind. You
+      can also go to work. No one will mind that, either. And Mullins won&rsquo;t mind
+      as long as you leave the troops alone. Now get out of here and get packed.
+      You&rsquo;re leaving tomorrow morning.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But cousin Alex&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Move! I&rsquo;m tired of the sight of you!&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas turned and shambled out of the room. His ego was thoroughly
+      deflated and he seemed more frightened than before. Obviously the Otpens
+      weren&rsquo;t the pleasantest place in this world.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re a military post,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;And Commander Mullins doesn&rsquo;t
+      like Douglas. Can&rsquo;t say that I blame him. Douglas is a thoroughly
+      unpleasant specimen, and incidentally quite typical of the rest of the
+      Family.&rdquo; Alexander sighed and spread his hands in a gesture that combined
+      disgust and resignation. &ldquo;Sometimes I wonder why I have been cursed with
+      my relatives.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. The implications behind the empty eyes of Douglas&rsquo;s Lani
+      sickened him. There were several ways to produce that expression, all of
+      them unpleasant. Hypnoconditioning, the Quiet Treatment, brainburning,
+      transorbital leukotomy, lobectomy&mdash;all of the products of that
+      diseased period of humanity&rsquo;s thinking when men tampered with the brains
+      of other men in an effort to cure psychic states. Psychiatry had passed
+      that period, at least on the civilized worlds, where even animal
+      experiments were frowned upon as unnecessary cruelty.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You saw those two Lani,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Grandfather had them made that
+      way as a birthday present for Douglas. He was getting senile. He died a
+      year later. You&rsquo;d think a man would be ashamed to keep things like that
+      around&mdash;but not Douglas. He likes them.&rdquo; Alexander&rsquo;s voice was tinged
+      with contempt. &ldquo;He knows they disgust me&mdash;so he parades them in. I
+      could strangle that pup sometimes!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wondered about it. I wouldn&rsquo;t like to work for a man who permitted such
+      things.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That was done before I took over. For the past three years there have
+      been no dockings, no mutilations. I can&rsquo;t see treating a helpless animal
+      like that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I feel better about it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think you were that
+      sort.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Understand me,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m always opposed to senseless cruelty
+      and waste&mdash;particularly when it&rsquo;s dangerous. Docked Lani are the
+      height of stupidity. Just because someone wants a pet that is an exact
+      duplicate of a human being is no reason to risk a court action. Those
+      Lani, and a few others whose tails have been docked, could be a legal
+      bombshell if they ever left Flora.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon was jolted. He had been thinking of mental mutilation and Alexander
+      had been talking physical. Naturally they would be dangerous property.
+      Anyone attempting to sell a docked Lani would probably be thrown in
+      Detention and charged with slave trading.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did you ever figure the cost of taking a legal action through our court
+      system?&rdquo; Alexander asked. &ldquo;Even the small ones set you back four or five
+      thousand, and a first-class action like a Humanity Trial could cost over a
+      million. Grandfather found that out. Sure, there are differences between
+      Lani and humans, but a smart lawyer can make them seem trivial until the
+      final test and that would drag on for nearly two years until all the
+      requirements were satisfied&mdash;and by that time the unfavorable
+      publicity would drop sales to zero. The Family would be on my neck for
+      lost dividends, and I&rsquo;d lose much of the control I hold over them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure, it&rsquo;s possible that prehensile tails could be produced by mutation,
+      but so far as we know it hasn&rsquo;t happened in human history. As a result,
+      the tail serves as a trade-mark&mdash;something that can be easily
+      recognized by anyone. So we sell them intact.&rdquo; Alexander crossed his legs
+      and settled back in his chair. &ldquo;Shocks you, doesn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he admitted. &ldquo;It does.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know. You can&rsquo;t help it. Most of our new employees think the Lani are
+      human&mdash;at first. They learn better, but adjustment is always a
+      strain. They keep confusing external appearances with the true article.
+      But remember this&mdash;Lani are not human. They&rsquo;re animals. And on this
+      island they&rsquo;re treated as what they are&mdash;no more, no less. They are a
+      part of our economics and are bred, fed, and managed according to sound
+      livestock principles. Despite some of the things you may see here in
+      Alexandria, don&rsquo;t forget that. You are a veterinarian. Your job is to
+      handle disease problems in animals. Lani are animals. Therefore you will
+      be doing your job. I was disappointed in your reaction when you first saw
+      them, but I suppose it was natural. At any rate this should clear the
+      air.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It does&mdash;intellectually,&rdquo; Kennon admitted. &ldquo;But the physical
+      resemblance is so close that it is difficult to accept.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander smiled. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry. You&rsquo;ll accept it in time. Now I think it&rsquo;s
+      time that you met the Family.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER V
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      The main salon was crowded. The huge room, glittering with mirrors and
+      crystal, floored with thick carpets, and hung with rich drapes, had
+      something of the appearance of a Sarkian harem. Although there were only
+      five of the Alexander family present, there were at least twenty Lani
+      whose costumes ranged from the black G string and halter of the household
+      staff to the utter nudity of Douglas&rsquo;s playthings. They were all female,
+      and Kennon wondered for a moment what a male was like.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Besides Alexander, there were two men and three women: Douglas, still with
+      his sulky expression, an older man in his late nineties who looked like
+      Douglas&rsquo;s elder brother, two mature women who could be any age from fifty
+      to three hundred, and a girl. She might have been thirty&mdash;perhaps
+      younger, perhaps older, a lean feminine edition of Alexander, with the
+      same intriguing face and veiled predatory look. There was a hardness about
+      her that was absent in the others. Kennon had the feeling that whatever
+      this girl did, she didn&rsquo;t do it half way.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My sister Eloise,&rdquo; Alexander said in a low voice. &ldquo;Watch out for her.
+      She&rsquo;s as deadly as a puff adder and she collects men. The other man is
+      Douglas&rsquo;s father, Henry. The plump redhead beside him is his wife, Anne.
+      The other woman is my mother, Clara, even though Eloise and I don&rsquo;t look
+      like her. We take after Father.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s he?&rdquo; Kennon whispered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Dead,&rdquo; Alexander replied. &ldquo;He was killed twenty years ago.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to present Dr. Jac Kennon, our new veterinarian,&rdquo; Alexander said
+      into the hush that followed their entrance. The introductions that
+      followed were in proper form, and Kennon was beginning to feel more at
+      ease until Eloise sent one of her Lani with a summons. He looked around
+      for Alexander, but the entrepreneur was the center of a three-cornered
+      argument, hemmed in by Douglas, Henry, and Anne. Henry&rsquo;s voice was raised
+      in bitter protest that Alexander was exceeding his authority. He shrugged.
+      There was no help there.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;tell your mistress I&rsquo;ll be along in a moment.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, Doctor,&rdquo; the Lani said, &ldquo;but the Woman Eloise says for you to come,
+      and she is not accustomed to being disobeyed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tell her what I said,&rdquo; Kennon replied. &ldquo;I shall be there directly.&rdquo; He
+      crossed to the table and examined it, selecting a cluster of odd purple
+      fruit which looked more interesting than it tasted. When he had finished
+      he walked leisurely over to where Eloise sat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She looked at him angrily. &ldquo;I am accustomed to being obeyed by my
+      employees,&rdquo; she said coldly. Her dark eyes, oddly like her brother&rsquo;s,
+      traversed his hard body like twin scanners.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He returned her appraising stare with one of his own. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not your
+      employee,&rdquo; he said bluntly. &ldquo;I was hired by your brother, and there&rsquo;s a
+      full peeper rider on my contract.&rdquo; His eyes traveled slowly over her
+      carefully arranged hair, her make-up, her jewelry at throat and arms, her
+      painted finger- and toenails, and then across the slim small-breasted
+      lines of her body half revealed under her thin ankle-length tunic of
+      Lyranian silk.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Satisfied?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;On Beta,&rdquo; he said bluntly, &ldquo;your appearance would qualify you for a
+      parasite camp. Six months of hard labor would do you no end of good.
+      You&rsquo;re soft, lazy, and undisciplined.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Eloise gasped. &ldquo;Why, you&mdash;&rdquo; she sputtered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And perhaps next time you&rsquo;ll learn to be polite,&rdquo; Kennon continued
+      imperturbably. &ldquo;After all, the superficial attributes of good breeding are
+      not too hard to counterfeit.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      To his surprise, Eloise giggled. &ldquo;You bite, don&rsquo;t you?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;Remind
+      me to remember that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I shall.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course, your actions weren&rsquo;t good breeding either.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Admitted&mdash;but I&rsquo;ve never pretended to be what I&rsquo;m not. I&rsquo;m the son
+      of a spaceship skipper, and I&rsquo;m a veterinarian. That&rsquo;s all.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not all. You are also a man.&rdquo; Her face was sober, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been some
+      time since I&rsquo;ve met one. I&rsquo;d almost forgotten they existed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s your brother.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Alex?&mdash;he&rsquo;s a money making machine. Come&mdash;sit beside me and
+      let&rsquo;s talk.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About what?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&mdash;me&mdash;your job, your life&mdash;anything you wish?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That line isn&rsquo;t exactly new,&rdquo; Kennon grinned.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; she admitted, &ldquo;but it usually works.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m immune.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you think.&rdquo; Eloise&rsquo;s eyes were frankly appraising. &ldquo;I think I
+      could become interested in you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have a job here. I don&rsquo;t think I would have time to give you the
+      attention you&rsquo;d demand.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I get bored easily. It probably wouldn&rsquo;t be long before I would be tired
+      of you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps&mdash;and perhaps not, I can&rsquo;t afford to take the chance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You seem confident.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You forget. I was a sailor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And spacemen have a reputation, eh?&rdquo; Eloise chuckled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;At that, you might be right. I remember the first officer of&mdash;&rdquo; she
+      let the thought die. &ldquo;But I became tired of him,&rdquo; she finished.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon smiled. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never had that complaint.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps you&rsquo;d like to make the acid test?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But not tonight.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tomorrow then? Alex will be leaving in the morning. He never stays more
+      than a few hours.&rdquo; Eloise&rsquo;s eyes were bright, her lips moist and red.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll pick the time,&rdquo; Kennon said&mdash;and added to himself, &ldquo;If ever.&rdquo;
+       Despite her wealth Eloise was no different from the port-of-call girls. If
+      anything, she was worse since she had enough money to implement her
+      desires. They were merely in the trade for business reasons. No&mdash;Eloise
+      would be something to steer clear of. Alexander was right. She was a
+      mantrap. He stood up and bowed Betan fashion. &ldquo;I see your brother is free
+      now. He wants to brief me on my duties here. We were discussing it before
+      we entered.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Eloise pouted. &ldquo;You can always do that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You said yourself that Alexander never stays here very long. I would be a
+      poor employee if I delayed him.&rdquo; He grinned knowingly at her and she
+      smiled back with complete understanding.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Very well, then. Get your business done. Your pleasure can wait.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon steered Alexander over to an open window that led to a balcony.
+      &ldquo;Whew!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I see what you mean.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a tartar,&rdquo; Alexander agreed. &ldquo;I suspect that she&rsquo;s a nymphomaniac.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You suspect?&rdquo; Kennon asked. &ldquo;By this time you should know. Let&rsquo;s get out
+      of here. I&rsquo;ve had about all of your sister I care to take.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t say as I blame you. I&rsquo;ll show you to your quarters. Maybe Old Doc
+      left a bottle or two, although I suspect the old sinner hung on until the
+      last one was empty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If he had to put up with your relatives as a steady diet, I can&rsquo;t say
+      that I blame him,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Careful, Doctor. You&rsquo;re talking about my kinfolk,&rdquo; Alexander said wryly.
+      &ldquo;At that, though, you have a point.&rdquo; The two men slipped quietly from the
+      room. Apparently none of the Family was conscious of their departure
+      except Eloise, who watched them leave with an enigmatic expression on her
+      narrow face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      They left the fortress through the rear gate and walked slowly down the
+      winding path that led to the cluster of buildings in the valley below. It
+      was a beautiful night, calm and clear with the stars shining down from the
+      dark vault of the heavens. The constellations were strange, and Kennon
+      missed the moons. Beta had three, two of which were always in the sky, but
+      Kardon was moonless. Somehow it gave the sky an empty look.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A damp coolness rose from the ground as the evening rain evaporated
+      mistily into the still air. Kennon sniffed the odor of soil and growing
+      vegetation, clean pleasant odors in contrast to what he had left. In the
+      distance a bird called sleepily from one of the fortress turrets and was
+      answered by some creature Kennon couldn&rsquo;t identify. A murmur of blended
+      sound came from the valley below, punctuated by high-pitched laughter.
+      Someone was singing, or perhaps chanting would be a better description.
+      The melody was strange and the words unrecognizable. The thin whine of an
+      atomotor in the fortress&rsquo;s generating plant slowly built up to a keening
+      undertone that blended into the pattern of half-perceived sound.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nice, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; Alexander remarked as they rounded another turn on the
+      switchback path.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes. You can&rsquo;t hear a sound from back there except for that generator.
+      It&rsquo;s almost as though we shut those people out of existence by merely
+      closing a door.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wish it were that simple,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;But doors that can be
+      closed can also be opened. Well&mdash;think you&rsquo;ll like it here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think so, providing I don&rsquo;t have to entertain your relatives.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You mean Eloise? Don&rsquo;t worry about her. She&rsquo;s as fickle as the wind.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen anyone so frankly predatory,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;She worries
+      me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll all be gone tomorrow&mdash;except for Eloise,&rdquo; Alexander said
+      with mock comfort. &ldquo;Douglas is on the Otpens for a year, and the others
+      are off somewhere.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll be staying, I suppose.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;I&rsquo;m afraid I can&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hoped you&rsquo;d help me get organized. This whole thing has been something
+      of a shock. I was expecting something entirely different.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry&mdash;someone has to run the business. But Blalok&rsquo;ll brief you.
+      Actually he&rsquo;s more qualified than I. He knows everything worth knowing
+      about this place. We&rsquo;re going past his house in a minute&mdash;want to
+      stop in and see him?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty late.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not for Blalok. He&rsquo;s a Mystic&mdash;a nocturnal. He&rsquo;s probably doing his
+      work now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps we shouldn&rsquo;t disturb him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nonsense. He&rsquo;s used to it. I visit him frequently at night.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure&mdash;but you&rsquo;re the boss.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;in a sense you are too. At least in the veterinary end of this
+      business.&rdquo; Alexander swung sharply to the left and climbed a short flight
+      of stairs that led to the nearest house. Lights flared on the deep porch,
+      and the old-fashioned iris door dilated to frame the black silhouette of a
+      stocky, broad-shouldered man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good evening, sir,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was expecting you. That the new vet with
+      you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Your pipeline&rsquo;s still working, I see,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Yes, this is Dr.
+      Kennon&mdash;Evald Blalok&mdash;I wanted you two to meet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon liked the gray middle-aged man. He looked honest and competent, a
+      solid quiet man with a craggy face and the deep-set eyes of a Mystic. His
+      skin had the typical thickness and pore prominence of the dwellers on that
+      foggy world from which he came. But unlike the natives of Myst, his skin
+      was burned a dark brown by Kardon&rsquo;s sun. He seemed out of place on this
+      tropic world, but Kennon reflected wryly that there was probably more than
+      one misplaced human here, himself included.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been going over Station Fourteen&rsquo;s records with Jordan,&rdquo; Blalok said
+      as he ushered them into the house. A tall black-haired man rose as they
+      entered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Skip the formality, Jordan. Sit down,&rdquo; Alexander said, &ldquo;and meet Dr.
+      Kennon&mdash;Steve Jordan&mdash;Jordan runs the Lani Division.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded acknowledgment as Alexander continued, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s this trouble
+      at Fourteen?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. We&rsquo;ve got an epizootic of something. Another youngster died
+      this morning, and there&rsquo;s three more that look pretty bad, jaundice, no
+      appetite, complaining of muscular pains. Same symptoms as took the others.
+      The one this morning makes the fourth this month, and we&rsquo;re only half
+      through it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are all your losses in this one station?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;but it&rsquo;s worst there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like losses like that,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Neither do I,&rdquo; Jordan replied.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t Jordan&rsquo;s fault, sir,&rdquo; Blalok said quickly. &ldquo;As you know, we
+      haven&rsquo;t had a vet for three months.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Two,&rdquo; Alexander corrected.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Three&mdash;Old Doc wasn&rsquo;t around at all the month before he died,&rdquo;
+       Blalok said. &ldquo;As a result we&rsquo;ve got a problem. We need professional help.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well here he is&mdash;use him,&rdquo; Alexander said. He looked at Kennon, a
+      trace of amusement on his face. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing like getting into things
+      early.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Particularly when one comes into them stone cold,&rdquo; Kennon added. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a
+      poor way to start a career.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t afford to wait,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;We need help.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll see what can be done,&rdquo; Kennon replied. &ldquo;Have you saved the body?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Every one of them,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re in the hospital in the autopsy
+      room.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That was sensible. A post-mortem might give us an answer. Where&rsquo;s the
+      hospital?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll show you,&rdquo; Jordan offered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Count me out,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I have a weak stomach.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go along if it&rsquo;s necessary,&rdquo; Blalok said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a staff there, Old Doc trained them,&rdquo; Jordan said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then it shouldn&rsquo;t be necessary,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok sighed with relief and turned to Alexander. &ldquo;We could check the
+      records while those two are about their bloody work.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather check a long strong drink,&rdquo; Alexander replied. &ldquo;What with the
+      Family and this, it&rsquo;s too much to take for one evening.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon hid a smile. Alexander had a weak spot. He was squeamish. That was
+      a good thing to know.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER VI
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Jordan opened the door of the two-story building below Blalok&rsquo;s house.
+      &ldquo;This is it,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;just outside your front door. Convenient&mdash;no?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Too convenient,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;also too quiet. Isn&rsquo;t anyone on duty?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t know. Old Doc never kept the place open at night.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a stir of movement in the darkness, the lights flashed on, and a
+      sleepy-eyed Lani blinked at them in the sudden glare. She looked blankly
+      at Kennon and then brightened as she saw Jordan. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the trouble,
+      sir?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nothing. We want to look at the Lani I sent down this morning&mdash;Dr.
+      Kennon would like to inspect the carcass.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re the new doctor?&rdquo; the Lani asked. &ldquo;Thank goodness you&rsquo;ve come! I&rsquo;ll
+      get the staff. I&rsquo;ll be back in a moment.&rdquo; She stepped quickly over to the
+      switchboard beside the door and punched five buttons. Four more humanoids
+      came into the room, followed a little later by a fifth.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s the emergency?&rdquo; one asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He is&mdash;it&rsquo;s our new doctor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;More females,&rdquo; Kennon muttered to himself. He turned to Jordan. &ldquo;Aren&rsquo;t
+      there any males in this crew?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jordan stared at him with mild surprise. &ldquo;No, sir&mdash;didn&rsquo;t you know?
+      There are no male Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just that,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;Only females. There hasn&rsquo;t been a male on the
+      island since Old Man Alexander took over. He killed them all.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s impossible! How do they reproduce?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ever hear of artificial fertilization?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure&mdash;but that&rsquo;s a dead end. The offspring are haploids and they&rsquo;re
+      sterile. The line would die out in a generation.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not the Lani&mdash;you can see for yourself. We&rsquo;ve been using the
+      technique here for better than four centuries, and we&rsquo;re still doing all
+      right. Over forty generations so far, and from the looks of things we can
+      go on indefinitely.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But how is it done?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. That&rsquo;s Alexander&rsquo;s secret. The Boss-man doesn&rsquo;t tell us
+      everything. All I know is that we get results. Old Doc knew how it was
+      done, and I suppose you will too, but don&rsquo;t ask me. I&rsquo;m dumb.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. Maybe&mdash;maybe not. At any rate there was no sense in
+      belaboring the point. He turned to the staff. Five of them were the same
+      big-boned heavy-framed type that apparently did most of the manual labor.
+      The sixth, the late arrival, was an elegant creature, a bronze-skinned,
+      green-eyed minx with an elfin face half hidden under a wavy mass of
+      red-brown hair. Unlike the others, she had been docked&mdash;and in
+      contrast to their heavy eyes and sleep-puffed features she was alert and
+      lively. She flashed him an impish grin, revealing clean white teeth.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon smiled back. He couldn&rsquo;t help it. And suddenly the tension and
+      strangeness was broken. He felt oddly at ease. &ldquo;Which of you are on duty?&rdquo;
+       he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All of us,&rdquo; the redhead replied, &ldquo;if it&rsquo;s necessary. What do you want us
+      to do?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s already told me. He wants that last carcass prepped for a
+      post-mortem,&rdquo; the nightcall Lani said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good,&rdquo; the redhead said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be nice to get to work again.&rdquo; She turned
+      to face Kennon. &ldquo;Now, Doctor&mdash;would you like to see your office? Old
+      Doc left a fine collection of notes on Lani anatomy and perhaps you could
+      do with a little review.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could do with a lot of it,&rdquo; Kennon admitted. &ldquo;Unless the inner
+      structure of a Lani is as similar to human as their outer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There are differences,&rdquo; the redhead admitted. &ldquo;After all, we aren&rsquo;t quite
+      alike.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps I&rsquo;d better do some reading,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You need me any more?&rdquo; Jordan asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;I think not.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good. I&rsquo;ll get back. Frankly, I don&rsquo;t like this any better than Blalok or
+      the boss, but I&rsquo;m low man on that pole. See you later.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled as Jordan left. &ldquo;Now, let&rsquo;s get ready for that cadaver,&rdquo;
+       he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Carcass, doctor,&rdquo; the redhead corrected. &ldquo;A cadaver is a dead human
+      body.&rdquo; She accented the &ldquo;human.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Even in death there is no equality, Kennon thought. He nodded and the Lani
+      led the way to a door which opened into a good-sized office, liberally
+      covered with bookshelves. An old-fashioned plastic desk, some office
+      cybernetics, a battered voicewriter, and a few chairs completed the
+      furnishings. The redhead placed several large folio volumes in front of
+      him and stepped back from the desk as he leafed rapidly through the color
+      plates. It was an excellent atlas. Dr. Williamson had been a careful and
+      competent workman.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Half an hour later, well fortified with a positional knowledge of Lani
+      viscera, Kennon looked up at the redhead. She was still standing
+      patiently, a statue of red-gold and bronze.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Get a smock and let&rsquo;s go,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;No&mdash;wait a minute.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sir?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s your name? I don&rsquo;t want to say &lsquo;Hey you!&rsquo;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She smiled. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s Copper Glow&mdash;want my pedigree too?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;it wouldn&rsquo;t mean anything to me. Do they call you Copper or
+      Glow? or both?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just Copper, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Very well, Copper&mdash;let&rsquo;s get going.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The body of the dead Lani lay on the steel table, waxy and yellowish in
+      the pitiless light of the fluorescents. She had been hardly more than a
+      child. Kennon felt a twinge of pity&mdash;so young&mdash;so young to die.
+      And as he looked he was conscious of another feeling.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It had been an open secret among his classmates that he had refused an
+      offer to study human medicine because of his aversion to dissecting
+      cadavers. The sarcoplastic models were all right, but when it came to
+      flesh, Kennon didn&rsquo;t have the stomach for it. And now, the sight of the
+      dead humanoid brought back the same cold sweat and gut-wrenching nausea
+      that had caused him to turn to veterinary medicine eight years ago.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He fought the spasms back as he approached the table and made the external
+      examination. Icterus and a swollen abdomen&mdash;the rest was essentially
+      normal. And he knew with cold certainty that he could not lay a scalpel
+      edge upon that cold flesh. It was too human, too like his own.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are you ready, Doctor?&rdquo; the Lani standing across the table from him
+      asked. &ldquo;Shall I expose the viscera?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon&rsquo;s stomach froze. Of course! He should have realized! No pathologist
+      did his own dissection. He examined. And that he could do. It was the
+      tactile, not the visual sensations that upset him. He nodded. &ldquo;The
+      abdominal viscera first,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Lani laid back the skin and musculature with bold, sure strokes. An
+      excellent prosectress, Kennon thought. Kennon pointed at the swollen liver
+      and the Lani deftly severed its attachments and laid the organ out for
+      inspection. The cause of death was obvious. The youngster had succumbed to
+      a massive liver-fluke infestation. It was the worst he had ever seen. The
+      bile ducts were thick, calcified and choked with literally thousands of
+      the gray-green leaf-shaped trematodes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s look at the others,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Two more post-mortems confirmed the diagnosis. Except for minor
+      differences, the lesions were identical. He removed a few of the flukes
+      and set them aside for further study.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well that&rsquo;s that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can clean up now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He had found the criminal, and now the problem assumed the fascinating
+      qualities of a crime hunt. Now he must act to prevent further murders, to
+      reconstruct the crime, to find the modus operandi, to track the fluke to
+      its source, and to execute it before it could do more harm.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Photographs and tri-dis would have to be taken, the parasite would have to
+      be identified and its sensitivity to therapy determined. Studies would
+      have to be made on its life cycle, and the means by which it gained
+      entrance to its host. It wouldn&rsquo;t be simple, because this trematode was
+      probably Hepatodirus hominis, and it was tricky. It adapted, like the
+      species it parasitized.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon leaned back from the microscope and studied the illustrations in
+      the parasitology text. No matter how much Hepatodirus changed its life
+      cycle, it could not change its adult form. The arrangements of the suckers
+      and genital structures were typical. Old Doc&rsquo;s library on parasites was
+      too inadequate for more than diagnosis. He would have to wait for his own
+      books to be uncrated before he could do more than apply symptomatic
+      treatment. He sighed and rose slowly to his feet. Tomorrow was going to be
+      a busy day.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The door opened behind him and Copper slipped quietly into the office. She
+      looked at him curiously, a faint half-shy smile on her face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are you ready to fill out the autopsy protocol? It&rsquo;s customary.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also customary to knock on a door before entering.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is it? Old Doc never mentioned it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not Old Doc.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, you&rsquo;re not,&rdquo; she admitted. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re much younger&mdash;and far more
+      beautiful. Old Doc was a fat, gray old man.&rdquo; She paused and eyed Kennon
+      appraisingly with a look on her pointed face that was the virtual twin of
+      Eloise&rsquo;s. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ll like working for you if you&rsquo;re as nice as you are
+      pretty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t call a man beautiful or pretty!&rdquo; Kennon exploded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It just isn&rsquo;t done.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a funny human,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I called Old Doc beautiful, and he
+      didn&rsquo;t mind.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s different. He was an old man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What difference does that make?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like it,&rdquo; Kennon said, hitting on the perfect answer.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She stiffened. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, Doctor. I won&rsquo;t do it again.&rdquo; She looked down
+      at him, head cocked sideways. &ldquo;I guess I have a lot to learn about you.
+      You&rsquo;re much different from Old Doc. He didn&rsquo;t snap at me.&rdquo; She paused for
+      a moment, then drew a deep breath.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon blinked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About that report,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Regulations require that each post-mortem
+      be reported promptly and that a record of the Lani concerned be posted in
+      the death book together with all pertinent autopsy data. Man Blalok is
+      very fussy about proper records.&rdquo; She drew one of the chairs to a spot
+      beside the desk and sat down, crossed her long legs, and waited
+      expectantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon&rsquo;s mouth was suddenly dry. This situation was impossible. How in the
+      name of Sir Arthur Fleming could he dictate a coldly precise report with a
+      naked redhead sitting beside him? &ldquo;Look,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t need you. I
+      can operate a voicewriter. You can pick up the material later and
+      transcribe it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Her face fell. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t like me,&rdquo; she said, her green eyes filling with
+      quick tears. &ldquo;Old Doc never&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, damn Old Doc!&rdquo; Kennon snapped. &ldquo;And stop that sniveling&mdash;or get
+      out. Better yet&mdash;get out and stop sniveling!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She leaped to her feet and fled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon swore. There was no reason for him to act that way. He had been
+      more brutal than necessary. But the girl&mdash;no, the Lani&mdash;was
+      disconcerting. He felt ashamed of himself. He had behaved like a primitive
+      rather than a member of one of the oldest human civilizations in the
+      galaxy. He wouldn&rsquo;t bark at a dog that way. He shook his head. Probably he
+      was tired. Certainly he was irritable, and unclad females virtually
+      indistinguishable from human weren&rsquo;t the most soothing objects to
+      contemplate.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He wondered if his exasperation was real or merely a defense mechanism.
+      First Eloise, and then this! Confound it! He was surrounded! He felt
+      trapped. And it wasn&rsquo;t because he&rsquo;d been away from women too long. A week
+      was hardly that. He grinned as he recalled the blonde from Thule aboard
+      the starship. Now there was a woman, even though her ears were pointed and
+      her arms were too long. She didn&rsquo;t pressure a man. She let him make the
+      advances.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He grinned. That was it. He was on the defensive. He was the one who was
+      being pursued&mdash;and his male ego had revolted. He shrugged and turned
+      his attention to the autopsy report, but it was hopeless. He couldn&rsquo;t
+      concentrate. He jotted a few notes and dropped them on the desk&mdash;tomorrow
+      would be time enough. What he needed now was a stiff drink and eight
+      hours&rsquo; sleep.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER VII
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Kennon stopped at Blalok&rsquo;s house long enough to tell the superintendent
+      what was causing the trouble. Blalok scowled. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve never had flukes here
+      before,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Why should they appear now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been introduced,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;The thing that bothers me is how
+      Dr. Williamson missed them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The old man was senile,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;He was nearly blind the last six
+      months of his life. I wouldn&rsquo;t doubt that he let his assistants do most of
+      his work, and they could have missed them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Possibly, but the lesions are easy to see. At any rate, the culprit is
+      known now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Culprit?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hepatodirus hominis&mdash;the human liver fluke. He&rsquo;s a tricky little
+      fellow&mdash;travels almost as far as men do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad it&rsquo;s your problem, not mine. All I can remember about flukes is
+      that they&rsquo;re hard to eradicate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Particularly H. hominis.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You can tell me about it later. Right now Mr. Alexander&rsquo;s over at Old&mdash;your
+      house. Probably he&rsquo;s looking for you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Jordan?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He went up to Station Fourteen. We&rsquo;ll see him tomorrow.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll say good night then,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad you&rsquo;re here. It&rsquo;s a load off my shoulders. See you tomorrow.&rdquo;
+       Blalok waved a friendly good night and left the lights on long enough for
+      Kennon to make his way to his quarters.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander was seated in a heavily upholstered chair listening to a taped
+      symphony in the stereo, his eyes half closed, an expression of peace on
+      his face. An elderly Lani stood beside him. It was a comfortable picture.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The humanoid saw Kennon and gasped, a tiny indrawn sound of surprise.
+      Alexander&rsquo;s eyes snapped open. &ldquo;Oh&mdash;it&rsquo;s you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry,
+      Kara&mdash;it&rsquo;s your new doctor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kara smiled. &ldquo;You startled me,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I was dreaming.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;On your feet?&rdquo; Alexander interjected idly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I should have known you at once, Doctor. There&rsquo;s talk about you all over
+      the yards, ever since you arrived.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They know what is going on around here better than any of us,&rdquo; Alexander
+      chuckled. &ldquo;The grapevine is amazingly efficient. Well&mdash;what&rsquo;s the
+      story?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Liver fluke.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm&mdash;not good.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think it can be stopped. I looked at the records. It doesn&rsquo;t seem to
+      have been here too long.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope you&rsquo;re right. How long will it take?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Several months, maybe a year, maybe more. I can&rsquo;t say. But I&rsquo;ll try to
+      clean it up as quickly as possible. I&rsquo;m pretty sure of the fluke, and it&rsquo;s
+      a hard one to control.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hepatodirus?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s an offworld parasite, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes. It originated on Santos. Parasitized the Varl originally, but liked
+      humans better. It&rsquo;s adapted to a hundred different planetary environments,
+      and it keeps spreading. It&rsquo;s a real cutie&mdash;almost intelligent the way
+      it behaves. But it can be licked.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good&mdash;get on it right away.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m starting tomorrow.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Fine&mdash;I thought you&rsquo;d be the right man. Kara! Fix the doctor a
+      drink. We might as well have a nightcap&mdash;then I&rsquo;ll go back to the
+      house and listen to Henry and Anne&rsquo;s screams about poor mistreated
+      Douglas, and then back to Albertsville tomorrow. Duty and the credits
+      call.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With mild surprise, Kennon realized that Alexander was drunk. Not
+      obnoxiously, but enough to change his character. Intoxicated, he was a
+      friendlier person. If there was any truth in the ancient cliche about
+      alcohol bringing out a man&rsquo;s true character, then Alexander was basically
+      a very nice person indeed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;here&rsquo;s your home for the next five years,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+      &ldquo;Eight rooms, two baths, a freshener, and three Lani to keep the place
+      running. You&rsquo;ve got it made.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps&mdash;we&rsquo;ll see when we tackle this fluke infestation.
+      Personally, I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m going to have an easy time. Tomorrow I&rsquo;m
+      going to be up to my neck in trouble trying to save your profits.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll do it. I have confidence in you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I still think you should have hired a medic.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t all of your job,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;And besides I can&rsquo;t afford
+      to do it. Oh&mdash;not the money, but it might be admitting that the Lani
+      might be human. And we&rsquo;ve gone to a great deal of trouble to prove they&rsquo;re
+      not.&rdquo; He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a story behind
+      this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t doubt it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Maybe it&rsquo;d be better if I told it. It goes back over four centuries.
+      Grandfather was a clever man. After he had secured this island he became
+      worried about the surviving Lani. He didn&rsquo;t want to be accused of
+      genocide, since the Lani were so human in appearance. So he had his
+      medical officer make a few autopsies. The M.D. reported that while there
+      was similarity, the Lani were probably not human.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That was enough for Grandfather. He requested a Court of Inquiry. The
+      court was sitting in Halsey and the hearing was private. Even so, it
+      leaked and Grandfather was highly unpopular for a time until the lab
+      reports came in. It cost him over eight hundred Ems and nearly two years&rsquo; 
+      time to finish the case, but when it was over the Lani were declared
+      alien, and Grandfather had ironclad discovery rights.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They really put him through the mill. Grandfather furnished the bodies
+      and three court-appointed M.O.&lsquo;s went through them with microscopes. They
+      didn&rsquo;t miss a thing. Their reports are so detailed that they&rsquo;re classics
+      of their kind. They&rsquo;re almost required reading for anyone who wants to
+      learn Lani structure and function. The court rendered an interim decision
+      that the Lani were nonhuman, and armed with this, Grandfather prepared the
+      final tests which were run by a team of court-appointed medics and
+      biologists, who made in vitro and live tests on a number of Lani female
+      prisoners. The tests ran for over two years and were totally negative. So
+      the Alexander family acquired Flora and the Otpens, and a legal status.&rdquo;
+       Alexander stood up. &ldquo;Well&mdash;that&rsquo;s a capsule summary. The records are
+      in the library if you&rsquo;d care to check them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just to prove we&rsquo;re honest.&rdquo; He moved carefully toward the door, opened
+      it, and disappeared into the night.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Silently Kennon watched him descend the porch steps. He seemed steady
+      enough. For a moment Kennon debated whether he should see him home&mdash;and
+      then decided against it. If Alexander needed help he&rsquo;d have asked for it.
+      As it was, it was better to leave things alone. Certainly he didn&rsquo;t know
+      Alexander well enough to act as a guardian. He turned back to the living
+      area. The stereo was playing something soft and nostalgic as Kennon sank
+      into the chair Alexander had vacated. He let his body relax. It had been
+      as full a day as he had ever spent filled with changes so abrupt that they
+      were exhausting. He felt confused. There were no precedents he could
+      apply. Neither his studies nor his travels had prepared him for living in
+      a situation like this.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Legally and biologically the Lani weren&rsquo;t human. But they were
+      intelligent, upright, bipedal mammals whose morphology was so close to
+      man&rsquo;s that it had taken the ultimate test to settle their status. And
+      being a Betan, Kennon was suspicious of the accuracy of that ultimate
+      test.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But the Brotherhood of Man was based upon it. The feeling of unity that
+      pervaded mankind&rsquo;s expanding empire was its product. From almost the
+      beginning of mankind&rsquo;s leap to the stars it had been recognized that men
+      must help each other or perish. The spirit of co-operation against the
+      common enmity of alien worlds and cultures transcended the old petty
+      rivalries on Earth. Men&mdash;all men&mdash;were brothers in arms.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And so the Brotherhood was born&mdash;and the concept born of necessity
+      developed its muscles in a thousand battles on a thousand hostile worlds.
+      And ultimately it evolved into the only form of central authority that men
+      would accept. Yet basically it was not a government. It was an attitude of
+      mind. Men accepted its decisions as they would accept the rulings of a
+      family council, and for the same reasons.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Brotherhood laid down certain rules but it did not attempt to enforce
+      them. After all, it didn&rsquo;t need to. It also arbitrated disputes, admitted
+      new worlds to membership, and organized concerted human effort against
+      dangerous enemies. And that was all. Yet in its sphere the authority of
+      the Brotherhood was absolute.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There was only one criterion for membership in the Brotherhood&mdash;membership
+      in the human race. No matter how decadent or primitive a population might
+      be, if it was human it was automatically eligible for Brotherhood&mdash;a
+      free and equal partner in the society of human worlds.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon doubted that any nonhuman race had ever entered the select circle
+      of humanity, although individuals might have done so. A docked Lani, for
+      instance, would probably pass unquestioned as a human, but the Lani race
+      would not. In consequence they and their world were fair prey, and had
+      been attacked and subjugated.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Of course, proof of inhumanity was seldom a problem. Most alien life forms
+      were obviously alien. But there were a few&mdash;like the Lani&mdash;where
+      similarities were so close that it was impossible to determine their
+      status on the basis of morphology alone. And so the Humanity Test had come
+      into being.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Essentially it was based upon species compatibility&mdash;on the concept
+      that like can interbreed with like. Tests conducted on every inhabited
+      world in the Brotherhood had proven this conclusively. Whatever changes
+      had taken place in the somatic characteristics of mankind since the
+      Exodus, they had not altered the compatibility of human germ plasm. Man
+      could interbreed with man&mdash;aliens could not. The test was simple. The
+      results were observable. And what was more important, everyone could
+      understand it. No definition of humanity could be more simple or direct.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But was it accurate?
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Like other Betans, Kennon wondered. It was&mdash;so far&mdash;probably.
+      The qualifying phrases were those of the scientist, that strange breed
+      that refuses to accept anything as an established fact until it is proven
+      beyond a shadow of a doubt. After all, the human race had been spaceborne
+      for only six thousand years&mdash;scarcely time for any real differences
+      to develop. But physical changes had already appeared&mdash;and it would
+      only be a question of time before these would probably be followed by
+      genetic changes. And in some groups the changes might be extensive enough
+      to make them genetic strangers to the rest of humanity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      What would happen then? No one knew. Actually no one bothered to think
+      about it except for a few far-seeing men who worried as they saw.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Probably.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Might.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Possibly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      If.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Four words. But because of them the Betans were slowly withdrawing from
+      the rest of humanity. Already the radiations of Beta&rsquo;s variant-G sun had
+      produced changes in the population. Little things like tougher epidermis
+      and depilation of body hair&mdash;little things that held alarming
+      implications to Beta&rsquo;s scientists, and to Beta&rsquo;s people. Not too many
+      generations hence a Betan outside his home system would be a rarity, and
+      in a few millennia the Betan system itself would be a closed enclave
+      peopled by humans who had deviated too far from the basic stock to mingle
+      with it in safety.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Of course, the Brotherhood itself might be changed by that time, but there
+      was no assurance that this would happen. And mankind had a history of
+      dealing harshly with its mutants. So Beta would play it safe.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon wondered if there were other worlds in the Brotherhood that had
+      come to the same conclusion. Possibly there were. And possibly there were
+      worlds where marked deviations had occurred. There wasn&rsquo;t a year that
+      passed that didn&rsquo;t bring some new human world into the Brotherhood, and
+      many of these had developed from that cultural explosion during the First
+      Millennium known as the Exodus, where small groups of colonists in
+      inadequate ships set out for unannounced goals to homestead new worlds for
+      man. Some of these survived, and many were being discovered even at this
+      late date. But so far none had any difficulty in proving their human
+      origin.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Lani, conceivably, could have been descendants of one of these groups,
+      which probably explained the extreme care the Brotherhood courts had taken
+      with their case. But they had failed the test, and were declared animals.
+      Yet it was possible that they had mutated beyond genetic compatibility. If
+      they had, and if it were proved, here was a test case that could rock the
+      galaxy&mdash;that could shake the Brotherhood to its very foundations&mdash;that
+      could force a re-evaluation of the criteria of humanity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon grinned. He was a fine employee. Here he was, less than a full day
+      on the job, dreaming how he could ruin his employer, shake the foundation
+      of human civilization, and force ten thousand billion humans to change
+      their comfortable habit patterns and their belief in the unchangeable
+      sameness of men. He was, he reflected wryly, an incurable romantic.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER VIII
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wake up, Doctor, it&rsquo;s six A.M.&rdquo; A pleasant voice cut through Kennon&rsquo;s
+      slumber. He opened one eye and looked at the room. For a moment the
+      strange surroundings bothered him, then memory took over. He stirred
+      uncomfortably, looking for the owner of the voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have your morning calls at seven, and there&rsquo;s a full day ahead,&rdquo; the
+      voice went on. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, sir, but you should get up.&rdquo; The voice didn&rsquo;t
+      sound particularly sorry.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was behind him, Kennon decided. He rolled over with a groan of protest
+      and looked at his tormentor. A gasp of dismay left his lips, for standing
+      beside the bed, a half smile on her pointed face, was Copper&mdash;looking
+      fresh and alert and as disturbing as ever.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It wasn&rsquo;t right, Kennon thought bitterly, to be awakened from a sound
+      sleep by a naked humanoid who looked too human for comfort. &ldquo;What are you
+      doing here?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m supposed to be here,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m your secretary.&rdquo; She grinned
+      and flexed a few curves of her torso.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon was silent.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is there anything wrong?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment Kennon was tempted to tell her what was wrong&mdash;but he
+      held his tongue. She probably wouldn&rsquo;t understand. But there was one thing
+      he&rsquo;d better settle right now. &ldquo;Now look here, young lady&mdash;&rdquo; he began.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a lady,&rdquo; Copper interrupted before he could continue. &ldquo;Ladies are
+      human. I&rsquo;m a Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; Kennon growled. &ldquo;Lani or human, who cares? But do you have to
+      break into a man&rsquo;s bedroom and wake him in the middle of the night?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t break in,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and it isn&rsquo;t the middle of the night. It&rsquo;s
+      morning.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right&mdash;so it&rsquo;s morning and you didn&rsquo;t break in. Then how in
+      Halstead&rsquo;s sacred name did you get here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I sleep next door,&rdquo; she said jerking a thumb in the direction of an open
+      door in the side wall. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been there ever since you dismissed me last
+      night,&rdquo; she explained.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The explanation left Kennon cold. The old cliche about doing as the
+      Santosians do flicked through his mind. Well, perhaps he would in time&mdash;but
+      not yet. The habits of a lifetime couldn&rsquo;t be overturned overnight. &ldquo;Now
+      you have awakened me,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;perhaps you&rsquo;ll get out of here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I want to get dressed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll help you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You will not! I&rsquo;m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I&rsquo;ve been
+      dressing myself for years. I&rsquo;m not used to people helping me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My&mdash;what a strange world you must come from. Haven&rsquo;t you ever had a
+      Lani before?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You poor man.&rdquo; Her voice was curiously pitying. &ldquo;No one to make you feel
+      like the gods. No one to serve you. No one to even scrub your back.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s enough,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I can scrub my own back.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How?&mdash;you can&rsquo;t reach it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon groaned.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Weren&rsquo;t there any Lani on your world?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No wonder you left it. It must be quite primitive.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Primitive!&rdquo; Kennon&rsquo;s voice was outraged. &ldquo;Beta has one of the highest
+      civilizations in the Brotherhood!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you don&rsquo;t have Lani,&rdquo; she said patiently. &ldquo;So you must be primitive.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Halstead, Fleming, and Ochsner!&rdquo; Kennon swore. &ldquo;Do you believe that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Naturally, isn&rsquo;t it obvious? You can&rsquo;t possibly be civilized unless you
+      take responsibility for intelligent life other than your own race. Until
+      you face up to your responsibilities you are merely a member of a dominant
+      race, not a civilized one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon&rsquo;s reply caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at her,
+      and what he was about to say remained unspoken. &ldquo;Out of the mouths of
+      humanoids&mdash;&rdquo; he muttered oddly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What does that mean?&rdquo; Copper asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Forget it,&rdquo; Kennon said wildly. &ldquo;Leave me alone. Go put on some clothes.
+      You embarrass me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go,&rdquo; Copper said, &ldquo;but you&rsquo;ll have to be embarrassed. Only household
+      Lani wear cloth.&rdquo; She frowned, two vertical furrows dividing her dark
+      brows. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never understood why inhouse Lani have to be disfigured that
+      way, but I suppose there&rsquo;s some reason for it. Men seldom do anything
+      without a reason.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. Either she was grossly ignorant, which he doubted,
+      or she was conditioned to the eyeballs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The latter was more probable. But even that was doubtful. Her trenchant
+      remark about civilization wasn&rsquo;t the product of a conditioned mind. But
+      why was he worrying about her attitudes? They weren&rsquo;t important&mdash;she
+      wasn&rsquo;t even human. He shook his head. That was a sophistry. The fact that
+      she wasn&rsquo;t human had nothing to do with the importance of her attitude. &ldquo;I
+      suppose there is a reason,&rdquo; he agreed. &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t know it. I haven&rsquo;t
+      been here long enough to know anything about such things.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She nodded. &ldquo;That does make a difference,&rdquo; she admitted. &ldquo;Many new men are
+      bothered at first by the fact that we Lani are naked, but they adjust
+      quickly. So will you.&rdquo; She smiled as she turned away. &ldquo;You see,&rdquo; she added
+      over her shoulder as she left the room, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re not human. We&rsquo;re just
+      another of your domestic animals.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Was there laughter in her voice? Kennon wasn&rsquo;t sure. His sigh was composed
+      of equal parts of relief and exasperation as he slipped out of bed and
+      began to dress. He&rsquo;d forgo the shower this morning. He had no desire for
+      Copper to appear and offer to scrub his back. In his present state of mind
+      he couldn&rsquo;t take it. Possibly he&rsquo;d get used to it in time. Perhaps he
+      might even like it. But right now he wasn&rsquo;t acclimatized.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Man Blalok called,&rdquo; Copper said as she removed the breakfast dishes. &ldquo;He
+      said that he&rsquo;d be right over to pick you up. He wants to show you the
+      operation.&rdquo; &ldquo;When did he call?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About ten minutes ago. I told him that you were at breakfast. He said
+      he&rsquo;d wait.&rdquo; She disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a nightmare quality to this,&rdquo; Kennon muttered as he slipped his
+      arms into the sleeves of his tunic and closed the seam tabs. &ldquo;I have the
+      feeling that I&rsquo;m going to wake up any minute.&rdquo; He looked at his reflection
+      in the dresser mirror, and his reflection looked worriedly back. &ldquo;This
+      whole thing has an air of plausible unreality: the advertisement, the
+      contract, this impossible island that raises humanoids as part of the
+      livestock.&rdquo; He shrugged and his mirrored image shrugged back. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s
+      real, all right. No dream could possibly be this detailed. I wonder how
+      I&rsquo;m going to take it for the next five years? Probably not too well,&rdquo; he
+      mused silently. &ldquo;Already I&rsquo;m talking to myself. Without even trying, that
+      Lani Copper can make me feel like a Sarkian.&rdquo; He nodded at his image.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Sarkian analogy was almost perfect, he decided. For on that grimly
+      backward world females were as close to slaves as the Brotherhood would
+      permit; raised from birth under an iron regimen designed to produce
+      complaisant mates for the dominant males. Probably that was the reason
+      Sark was so backward. The men, having achieved domestic tranquillity, had
+      no desire to do anything that would disturb the status quo. And since no
+      Sarkian woman under any conceivable circumstances would annoy her lordly
+      master with demands to produce better mousetraps, household gadgetry, and
+      more money, the technological development of Sark had come to a virtual
+      standstill. It took two sexes to develop a civilization.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. Worlds developed as they did because people were as they
+      were, and while passing judgment was still a major human pursuit, no
+      native of one world had a right to force his customs down the unwilling
+      throat of another. It would be better to accept his present situation and
+      live with it rather than trying to impose his Betan conception of morality
+      upon Lani that neither understood nor appreciated it. His business was to
+      treat and prevent animal disease. What happened to the animals before
+      infection or after recovery was none of his affair. That was a matter
+      between Alexander and his conscience.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok was waiting for him, sitting behind the wheel of a square boxy
+      vehicle that squatted with an air of unpolished efficiency on the graveled
+      drive behind his house. He smiled a quick greeting as Kennon approached.
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about time you showed up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to get into the
+      habit of rising early on this place. We do most of our work early in the
+      morning and late in the afternoon. During the day it&rsquo;s too hot to breathe,
+      let alone work. Well, let&rsquo;s get going. There&rsquo;s still time to visit the
+      outer stations.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon climbed in and Blalok started the vehicle. &ldquo;I thought we&rsquo;d take a
+      jeep today,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They aren&rsquo;t very pretty, but they get around.&rdquo; He
+      turned onto the surfaced road that ran down the hill toward the hospital
+      and the complex of red-roofed buildings clustered about it. &ldquo;About those
+      flukes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You have any plans to get rid of them?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not yet. I&rsquo;ll have to look the place over. There&rsquo;s more detective work
+      than medicine involved in this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Detective work?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure&mdash;we know the criminal, but to squelch him we have to learn his
+      hangouts, study his modus operandi, and learn how to make his victims
+      secure from his activities. Unless we do that, we can treat individuals
+      from now to infinity and all we&rsquo;ll have is more cases. We have to apply
+      modern criminology tactics&mdash;eliminate the source of crime&mdash;stop
+      up the soft spots. In other words, kill the flukes before they enter the
+      Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Old Doc never said anything about this,&rdquo; Blalok said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Probably he never knew about it. I was looking over the herd books last
+      night, and I saw nothing about trematodes, or anything that looked like a
+      parasite pattern until the last few months.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My guess is that he was one of the first deaths.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You mean this thing attacks human beings?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Preferentially,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s strange, too, because it originated
+      on Santos so far as we know. In fact, some people think that the Varl bred
+      it for a weapon to use against us before we conquered them. They could
+      have done it. Their biological science was of a high enough order.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But how did it get here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t know&mdash;unless you&rsquo;ve hired a Santosian or someone else who
+      was affected.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We did have a man from Santos. Fellow called Joe Kryla. We had to let him
+      go because he was a nudist. It made a bad impression on the Lani. But that
+      was over a year ago.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s about the right time to build up a good reservoir of infection.
+      The fatal cases usually don&rsquo;t show up before an area is pretty well
+      seeded.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not so good.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, there&rsquo;s one thing in our favor. The Lani are pretty well
+      concentrated into groups. And so far there doesn&rsquo;t seem to be any
+      infestation outside of Hillside Station&mdash;except for two deaths in
+      Lani recently sent from there. If we quarantine those stations and work
+      fast, may be we can stop this before it spreads all over the island.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s fine, but what are you going to do now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Treat those that show symptoms. There should be some Trematox capsules at
+      the hospital. If there aren&rsquo;t we&rsquo;ll get them. We&rsquo;ll take the sick ones
+      back to the hospital area and push therapy and supportive treatment. Now
+      that we know the cause, we shouldn&rsquo;t have any more death losses.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Old Doc didn&rsquo;t treat at the hospital,&rdquo; Blalok said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not Old Doc.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s going to mess up our operations. We&rsquo;re using the ward buildings
+      to finish training the Lani scheduled for market.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s convenient. Most of the ward space is filled right now.&rdquo; Blalok
+      said. There was a touch of disgust in his voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re well, aren&rsquo;t they?&rdquo; Kennon demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then get them out of there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I told you-&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You told me nothing. The hospital area is needed for something more than
+      a training center. Perhaps Old Doc was trained in outcall work, but I&rsquo;m
+      not. I work from a hospital. The only things I do on outcalls are
+      diagnoses, vaccinations, and emergencies. The rest of the patients come to
+      the hospital.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t going to set well with Jordan and the division chiefs.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not my concern,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I run my business in the best way
+      possible. The patients are of more concern than the personal comfort of
+      any straw boss or administrator. You&rsquo;re the administrator&mdash;you calm
+      them down.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have the authority,&rdquo; Blalok admitted. &ldquo;But my advice to you is to go
+      slow.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Not if we want to prevent any more losses. There
+      simply won&rsquo;t be time to run all over the island dosing with Trematox and
+      taking temperatures, and while that sort of thing is routine, it should be
+      supervised. Besides, you&rsquo;ll see the advantages of this method. Soon
+      enough.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope so,&rdquo; Blalok said as he braked the jeep to a stop in front of the
+      hospital. &ldquo;I suppose you&rsquo;ll want to take some things along.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So I will,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back in a minute.&rdquo; Kennon slid from the
+      seat, leaving Blalok looking peculiarly at his departing back.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The minute stretched to nearly ten before Kennon returned followed by two
+      Lani carrying bags which they loaded into the back of the jeep. &ldquo;I had to
+      reorganize a little,&rdquo; Kennon apologized, &ldquo;some things were unfamiliar.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Plan on taking them?&rdquo; Blalok said, jerking a thumb at the two Lani.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not this time. I&rsquo;m having them fit up an ambulance. They should be busy
+      most of the day.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok grunted and started the turbine. He moved a lever and the jeep
+      floated off the ground.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;An airboat too,&rdquo; Kennon remarked. &ldquo;I wondered why this rig was so boxy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a multipurpose vehicle,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;We need them around here for
+      fast transport. Most of the roads aren&rsquo;t so good.&rdquo; He engaged the drive
+      and the jeep began to move. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll go cross country,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Hillside&rsquo;s
+      pretty far out&mdash;the farthest station since we abandoned Olympus.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The air began whistling past the boxlike body of the jeep as Blalok
+      increased the power to the drive and set the machine on automatic. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll
+      get a pretty good cross-section of our operations on this trip,&rdquo; he said
+      over the whine of the turbine. &ldquo;Look down there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They were passing across a series of fenced pastures and Kennon was
+      impressed. The size of this operation was beginning to sink in. It hadn&rsquo;t
+      looked so big from the substratosphere in Alexander&rsquo;s ship, but down here
+      close to the ground it was enormous. Fields of grain, wide orchards,
+      extensive gardens. Once they were forced to detour a huge supply boat that
+      rose heavily in front of them. Working in the fields were dozens of
+      brown-skinned Lani who paused to look up and wave as the jeep sped by.
+      Occasional clusters of farm buildings and the low barrackslike stations
+      appeared and disappeared behind them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s about twenty Lani at each of these stations,&rdquo; Blalok said, &ldquo;They
+      work the farm area under the direction of the stationmaster.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a farmer?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course. Usually he&rsquo;s a graduate of an agricultural school, but we have
+      a few who are descendants of the crew of the first Alexander, and there&rsquo;s
+      one old codger who was actually with him during the conquest. Most of our
+      stationmasters are family men. We feel that a wife and children add to a
+      man&rsquo;s stability&mdash;and incidentally keep him from fooling around with
+      the Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A series of fenced pastures containing hundreds of huge grayish-white
+      quadrupeds slipped past.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Cattle?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes&mdash;Earth strain. That&rsquo;s why they&rsquo;re so big. We also have sheep and
+      swine, but you won&rsquo;t see them on this run.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Any native animals?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A few&mdash;and some which are native to other worlds. But they&rsquo;re
+      luxury-trade items. The big sale items are beef, pork, and mutton.&rdquo; Blalok
+      chuckled. &ldquo;Did you think that the Lani were our principal export?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re only a drop in the bucket. Agriculture&mdash;Earth-style
+      agriculture&mdash;is our main source of income. The Lani are valuable
+      principally to keep down the cost of overhead. Virtually all of them work
+      right here on the island. We don&rsquo;t sell more than a hundred a year less
+      than five per cent of our total. And those are surplus&mdash;too light or
+      too delicate for farm work.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where do you find a market for all this produce?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s two hundred million people here, and quite a few billion more in
+      space-train range. We can produce more cheaply than any competitor, and we
+      can undersell any competition, even full automation.&rdquo; Blalok chuckled.
+      &ldquo;There are some things that a computer can&rsquo;t do as well as a human being,
+      and one of them is farm the foods on which humanity is accustomed to feed.
+      A man&rsquo;ll pay two credits for a steak. He could get a Chlorella substitute
+      for half a credit, but he&rsquo;ll still buy the steak if he can afford it. Same
+      thing goes for fruit, vegetables, grain, and garden truck. Man&rsquo;s eating
+      habits have only changed from necessity. Those who can pay will still pay
+      well for natural foods.&rdquo; Blalok chuckled. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve put quite a dent in the
+      algae and synthetics operations in this sector.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still a luxury trade,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve eaten synthetic,&rdquo; Blalok replied. &ldquo;What do you prefer?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon had to agree that Blalok was right. He, too, liked the real thing
+      far better than its imitations.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If it&rsquo;s this profitable, then why sell Lani?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the Family&rsquo;s idea. Actually&mdash;since the export type is surplus
+      it does us no harm. We keep enough for servants&mdash;and the others would
+      be inefficient for most farm work. So disposal by sale is a logical and
+      profitable way of culling. But now the Boss-man is being pressured into
+      breeding an export type. And this I don&rsquo;t like. It&rsquo;s too commercial.
+      Smells like slavery.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a Mystic, aren&rsquo;t you?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure&mdash;but that doesn&rsquo;t mean I like slavery. Oh, I know some of those
+      fatheaded Brotherhood economists call our system economic slavery&mdash;and
+      I&rsquo;ll admit that it&rsquo;s pretty hard to crack out of a spherical trust. But
+      that doesn&rsquo;t mean that we have to stay where we are. Mystics aren&rsquo;t owned
+      by their entrepreneurs. Sure, it&rsquo;s a tough haul to beat the boss, but it
+      can be done. I did it, and others do it all the time. The situation isn&rsquo;t
+      hopeless.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But it is with the Lani,&rdquo; Kennon added.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course. That&rsquo;s why they should be protected. What chance does a Lani
+      have? Without us they can&rsquo;t even keep going as a race. They&rsquo;re
+      technological morons. They don&rsquo;t live long enough to understand modern
+      civilization. To turn those poor helpless humanoids out into human society
+      would be criminal. It&rsquo;s our duty to protect them even while we&rsquo;re using
+      them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Man&rsquo;s burden?&rsquo; Kennon said, repeating the old cliche.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Exactly.&rdquo; Blalok scowled. &ldquo;I wish I had guts enough to give the Boss-man
+      the facts&mdash;but I can&rsquo;t get nerve enough to try. I&rsquo;ve a good job here&mdash;a
+      wife and two kids&mdash;and I don&rsquo;t want to jeopardize my future.&rdquo; Blalok
+      glanced over the side. &ldquo;Well, here we are,&rdquo; he said, and began descending
+      into the center of a spokelike mass of buildings radiating outward from a
+      central hub.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm&mdash;big place,&rdquo; Kennon murmured.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It should be,&rdquo; Blalok replied. &ldquo;It furnishes all of our Lani for
+      replacement and export. It can turn out over a thousand a year at full
+      capacity. Of course we don&rsquo;t run at that rate, or Flora would be
+      overpopulated. But this is a big layout, like you said. It can maintain a
+      population of at least forty thousand. Old Alexander had big ideas.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wonder what he planned to do with them?&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t know. The Old Man never took anyone into his confidence.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jordan came up as the jeep settled to the ground. &ldquo;Been expecting you for
+      the past half hour,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Your office said you were on your way.&mdash;Good
+      to see you, too, Doc. I&rsquo;ve been going over the records with Hank Allworth&mdash;the
+      stationmaster here.&rdquo; Jordan held out his hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re an Earthman, eh?&rdquo; Kennon asked as he grasped the outstretched
+      hand. The gesture was as old as man, its ritualistic meaning lost in
+      antiquity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;Marsborn&mdash;a neighbor world,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;But our customs
+      and Earth&rsquo;s are the same.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a long way from home,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No farther than you, Doc.&rdquo; Jordan looked uncomfortable. &ldquo;But we can
+      compare origins later. Right now, you&rsquo;d better come into the office. I&rsquo;ve
+      run across something peculiar.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER IX
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There are twelve bays to this station,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;Under our present
+      setup two are used for breeding and the other ten for maturation. We
+      rotate the youngsters around the bay&mdash;a different bay each year until
+      they&rsquo;re age eleven. Then they&rsquo;re sorted according to type and sent out for
+      a year of further specialized training after which they go onto the farms,
+      or to inhouse or export.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now here&rsquo;s the peculiar part. There&rsquo;s no trouble in Bays One through
+      Nine, but Bay Ten has had all our losses except two that have occurred at
+      the training stations.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s good news,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Our parasite can&rsquo;t have had time to
+      migrate too far. We have him pinpointed unless&mdash;say how many training
+      centers are there?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Three,&rdquo; Jordan said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Quarantine them,&rdquo; Kennon replied. &ldquo;Right now. Nothing goes in or out
+      until we&rsquo;ve checked them and completed prophylaxis.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jordan looked at Blalok inquiringly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the boss,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;Do as you&rsquo;re told. This is his problem.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why the quarantine?&rdquo; Jordan asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I want to get any carriers. We can check them with antigen, and then give
+      Trematox.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All that concentration in Bay Ten,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;Does it mean
+      something?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Blalok said that there was a Santosian in your division.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yeah&mdash;Joe Kryla&mdash;and come to think of it, he ran Bay Ten!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a help&mdash;now let&rsquo;s see what makes that bay different from the
+      others.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell you&mdash;but you may not understand,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take a chance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon grinned. &ldquo;All right, you asked for it. The parasite that&rsquo;s doing
+      the damage is a flatworm, a trematode called Hepatodirus hominis. As I&rsquo;ve
+      told Blalok, it&rsquo;s a tricky thing. Like all trematodes it has a three-stage
+      life cycle, but unlike every other fluke, its life cycle is not fixed to
+      definite intermediate hosts. Depending upon where it is, the fluke adapts.
+      It still must pass through its life cycle, but its intermediate host need
+      not be one species of snail, fish, or copepod. Any cold-blooded host will
+      do. What you have here is a Kardonian variant which has adapted to some
+      particular intermediate host on this world. Until now, its final host was
+      either man or Varl. Now we have a third, the Lani. And apparently they are
+      the most susceptible of the three. It never kills Varl. And humans, while
+      they&rsquo;re more susceptible, only occasionally succumb, but the Lani appear
+      to be the most susceptible of all. I&rsquo;ve never seen an infestation like
+      those Lani had. Their livers were literally crawling with flukes.&rdquo; Kennon
+      paused and looked at Jordan. &ldquo;You following me?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Slowly and poorly,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re assuming too much knowledge on
+      my part.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t say I didn&rsquo;t warn you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;I&rsquo;m really interested in only one thing&mdash;how do you break
+      the parasite up in business?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s only one sure way&mdash;and that&rsquo;s to break the life cycle. The
+      technique is thousands of years old, but it&rsquo;s just as good today as it was
+      then.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good&mdash;then let&rsquo;s do it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;To make a varrit stew,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;one must first catch the varrit.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Huh?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We have to learn the beastie&rsquo;s life cycle before we can break it, and
+      like I said, it adapts. Its intermediate host can be any one of a hundred
+      cold-blooded animals.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is there no place else where it can be attacked?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure, in the body of the final host, or on its final encysting place. But
+      that won&rsquo;t eliminate the bug.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll still survive in its infective form and enough Lani will get
+      subacute dosage to propagate it until the time is right for another
+      epizootic. We have to kill its intermediate host&mdash;or hosts if it has
+      more than one. That will keep it from growing and will ultimately
+      eradicate it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judson scratched his head. &ldquo;It sounds complicated.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is. It&rsquo;s so complicated that once the fluke becomes well established
+      it&rsquo;s virtually impossible to eradicate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you think it can be done here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We can give it the old college try. But it&rsquo;s going to take some detective
+      work.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where do we start?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;With Bay Ten. We look it over real well. Then we check the diet and
+      habits of the Lani. Then we check each individual Lani. Then we check the
+      life cycle of the parasite. Somewhere along the line if we&rsquo;re lucky we&rsquo;ll
+      find a weak point that can be attacked.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a big order,&rdquo; Blalok said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It can&rsquo;t be helped. That&rsquo;s the way it is. Of course, we&rsquo;re lucky that
+      we&rsquo;re on an isolated land mass. That gives us an advantage. We should be
+      able to clean this up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How long do you think it will take?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It depends on how well the fluke is established. Six months at the
+      minimum&mdash;and I wouldn&rsquo;t care to guess at the maximum. However, I hope
+      the minimum will be time enough.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So do I,&rdquo; Blalok said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;let&rsquo;s get on with it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope it won&rsquo;t interrupt our program,&rdquo; Jordan said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course it will interrupt it,&rdquo; Kennon replied. &ldquo;It can&rsquo;t help it. Get
+      the idea in your head that you&rsquo;re facing something here that can cripple
+      you&mdash;maybe abort your whole operation. You have a choice&mdash;interrupt
+      now or abort later. And half measures won&rsquo;t work. To eradicate this pest
+      requires an all-out effort.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t see why we can&rsquo;t merely bypass Bay Ten&mdash;&rdquo; Jordan said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Take my word for it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t. There&rsquo;s no accurate way of
+      telling how far this spreads until the death losses occur. Our tests for
+      fluke infestation aren&rsquo;t that good. We have to work thoroughly and
+      carefully. We can&rsquo;t be butting heads over this&mdash;either we all
+      co-operate or this whole operation will blow up in our faces.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Look at the record. Six months ago you ended a year with no deaths from
+      disease. Five months ago Old Doc and two Lani were ill. Four months ago
+      one of the two Lani was dead and Old Doc was too ill to be effective.
+      Three months ago Old Doc and the other Lani were dead, and before the end
+      of the month two more followed them. Two months ago six died, last month
+      eight, and so far this month you&rsquo;ve lost four and you have over two weeks
+      to go. Up to now they&rsquo;ve all been from here, but two this month were at
+      other stations. In six months if nothing is done, we&rsquo;ll be having losses
+      there unless we&rsquo;re lucky. And the losses will keep on increasing.
+      Apparently you don&rsquo;t know what it is to live with parasites&mdash;so let
+      me tell you. It isn&rsquo;t pleasant!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok shrugged. &ldquo;You needn&rsquo;t get hot about it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;After all,
+      you&rsquo;re the Doc&mdash;and we&rsquo;ll co-operate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jordan nodded. &ldquo;We will,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;All the way.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER X
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      There is a special providence that looks over recent veterinary graduates,
+      Kennon reflected as he checked the monthly reports from the Stations.
+      Since the time he had laid down the law to Judson and Blalok, he had had
+      no trouble from the production staff. And for the past four months there
+      had been no further trouble with Hepatodirus. That unwanted visitor had
+      apparently been evicted. At that, they had been lucky. The parasite had
+      been concentrated at Hillside Station and had failed to establish itself
+      in the training area. The intermediate host, it had turned out, was a
+      small amphibian that was susceptible to commercial insecticide. It had
+      been no trouble to eradicate. Systemic treatment and cooking of all food
+      had cleaned up the infective cercaria and individual infections, and after
+      six months of intensive search, quarantine, and investigation, Kennon was
+      morally certain that the disease had been eradicated. The last four
+      reports confirmed his belief.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Blalok was at last convinced
+      that his ideas were right. The hospital was operating as a hospital
+      should, with a staff of twelve Lani kept busy checking the full wards.
+      Actually, it was working better than it should, since stationmasters all
+      over the island were now shipping in sick animals rather than treating
+      them or requesting outpatient service.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hi, Doc,&rdquo; Blalok said as he pushed the door open and looked into the
+      office. &ldquo;You doing anything?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not at the moment,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Something troubling you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;just thought I&rsquo;d drop in for a moment and congratulate you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;For what?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;For surviving the first year.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That won&rsquo;t be for two months yet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok shook his head. &ldquo;This is Kardon,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s only three
+      hundred and two days in our year, ten thirty-day months and two special
+      days at the year&rsquo;s end.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;My contract is Galactic Standard. I still have two
+      months to go. But how come the ten-month year? Most other planets have
+      twelve, regardless of the number of days.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Old Alexander liked thirty-day months.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve wondered about that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll find a lot more peculiar things about Flora when you get to know
+      her better. This year has just been a breaking-in period.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s damn near broken me,&rdquo; he admitted. &ldquo;You know, I
+      thought that the Lani&rsquo;d be my principal practice when I came here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t figure that right. They&rsquo;re the easiest part. They&rsquo;re
+      intelligent and co-operative.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Which is more than one can say about the others.&rdquo; Kennon wiped the sweat
+      from his face. &ldquo;What with this infernal heat and their eternal
+      stubbornness, I&rsquo;ve nearly been driven crazy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t have laid out that vaccination program.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I had to. Your hog business was living mostly on luck, and the sheep and
+      shrakes were almost as bad. You can&rsquo;t get away from soil saprophytes no
+      matter how clean you are. Under a pasture setup there&rsquo;s always a chance of
+      contamination. And that old cliche about an ounce of prevention is truer
+      of livestock raising than anything else I can think of.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have some more good news for you,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why I came
+      over. We&rsquo;re going to have another species to treat and vaccinate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon groaned. &ldquo;Now what?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Poultry.&rdquo; Blalok&rsquo;s voice was disgusted. &ldquo;Personally I think it&rsquo;s a mess,
+      but Alexander thinks it&rsquo;s profitable. Someone&rsquo;s told him that pound for
+      pound chickens are the most efficient feed converters of all the domestic
+      animals. So we&rsquo;re getting a pilot plant: eggs, incubator, and a
+      knocked-down broiler battery so we can try the idea out. The Boss-man is
+      always hot on new ideas to increase efficiency and production. The only
+      trouble is that he fails to consider the work involved in setting up
+      another operation.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re so right. I&rsquo;ll have to brush up on pullorum, ornithosis,
+      coccidosis, leukosis, perosis, and Ochsner knows how many other-osises and&mdash;itises.
+      I was never too strong on fowl practice in school, and I&rsquo;d be happier if I
+      never had anything to do with them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So would I,&rdquo; Blalok agreed. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t see anything in this but trouble.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s forgotten something else,&rdquo; Blalok added. &ldquo;Poultry need
+      concentrated feed. We&rsquo;re going to have to install a feed mill.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;I hope he&rsquo;ll appreciate the bill he gets.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He thinks we can use local labor,&rdquo; Blalok said gloomily. &ldquo;I wish he&rsquo;d
+      realize that Lani are technological morons.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They could learn.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I suppose so&mdash;but it isn&rsquo;t easy. And besides, Allworth is the only
+      man with feed-mill experience, and he&rsquo;s up to his ears with Hillside
+      Station since that expansion order came in.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I never did get the reason for that. After we complained about the
+      slavery implications and got the Boss-man&rsquo;s okay to hold the line, why do
+      we need more Lani?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t you know? His sister&rsquo;s finally decided to try marriage. Found
+      herself some overmuscled Halsite who looked good to her&mdash;but she
+      couldn&rsquo;t crack his moral barrier.&rdquo; Blalok grinned. &ldquo;I thought you&rsquo;d be the
+      first to know. Wasn&rsquo;t she interested in you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;You could call it that. Interested&mdash;like the way a
+      dog&rsquo;s interested in a beefsteak. It&rsquo;s a good thing we had that fluke
+      problem or I&rsquo;d have been chewed up and digested long ago. That woman
+      frightens me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could be scared by uglier things,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;With the Boss-man&rsquo;s
+      sister on my side I wouldn&rsquo;t worry.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What makes you think she&rsquo;d be on my side? She&rsquo;s a cannibal.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, you know her better than I do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He did&mdash;he certainly did. That first month had been one of the worst
+      he had ever spent, Kennon reflected. Between Eloise and the flukes, he had
+      nearly collapsed&mdash;and when it had come to the final showdown, he
+      thought for a while that he&rsquo;d be looking for another job. But Alexander
+      had been more than passably understanding and had refused his sister&rsquo;s
+      passionate pleas for a Betan scalp. He owed a debt of gratitude to the
+      Boss-man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re lucky you never knew her,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That all depends on what you mean,&rdquo; Blalok said as he grinned and walked
+      to the door. The parting shot missed its mark entirely as Kennon looked at
+      him with blank incomprehension. &ldquo;You should have been a Mystic,&rdquo; Blalok
+      said. &ldquo;A knowledge of the sacred books would do you no end of good.&rdquo; And
+      with that cryptic remark the superintendent vanished.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That had all the elements of a snide remark,&rdquo; Kennon murmured to himself,
+      &ldquo;but my education&rsquo;s been neglected somewhere along the line. I don&rsquo;t get
+      it.&rdquo; He shrugged and buzzed for Copper. The veterinary report would have
+      to be added to the pile already before him, and the Boss-man liked to have
+      his reports on time.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper watched Kennon as he dictated the covering letter, her slim fingers
+      dancing over the stenotype. He had been here a full year&mdash;but instead
+      of becoming a familiar object, he had grown so gigantic that he filled her
+      world. And it wasn&rsquo;t merely because he was young and beautiful. He was
+      kind, too.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Yet she couldn&rsquo;t approach him, and she wanted to so desperately that it
+      was a physical pain. Other Lani had told her about men and what they could
+      do. Even her old preceptress at Hillside Station had given her some advice
+      when Man Allworth had tattooed the tiny V on her thigh that meant she had
+      been selected for the veterinary staff. And when Old Doc had brought her
+      from the Training Station to the hospital and removed her tail, she was
+      certain that she was one of the lucky ones who would know love.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But love wasn&rsquo;t a pain in the chest, an ache in the belly and thighs, an
+      unfulfilled longing that destroyed sleep and made food tasteless. Love was
+      supposed to be pleasant and exciting. She could remember every word her
+      preceptress had spoken.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My little one,&rdquo; the old Lani had said, &ldquo;you now wear the doctor&rsquo;s mark.
+      And soon no one will be able to tell you from a human. You will look like
+      our masters. You will share in their work. And there may be times when you
+      will find favor in their eyes. Then you may learn of love.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Love,&rdquo; the old voice was soft in Copper&rsquo;s ears. &ldquo;The word is almost a
+      stranger to us now, known only to the few who serve our masters. It was
+      not always so. The Old Ones knew love before Man Alexander came. And our
+      young were the fruit of love rather than the product of our masters&rsquo; 
+      cunning. But you may know the flower even though you cannot bear its
+      fruit. You may enter that world of pleasure-pain the Old Ones knew, that
+      world which is now denied us.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But remember always that you are a Lani. A man may be kind to you. He may
+      treat you gently. He may show you love. Yet you never will be his equal.
+      Nor must you become too attached to him, for you are not human. You are
+      not his natural mate. You cannot bear his young. You cannot completely
+      share. You can only accept.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So if love should come to you, take it and enjoy it, but do not try to
+      possess it. For there lies heartache rather than happiness. And it is a
+      world of heartache, my little one, to long for something which you cannot
+      have.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      To long for something which one cannot have! Copper knew that feeling. It
+      had been with her ever since Kennon had come into her life that night a
+      year ago. And it had grown until it had become gigantic. He was kind&mdash;yes.
+      He was harsh&mdash;occasionally. Yet he had shown her no more affection
+      than he would have shown a dog. Less&mdash;for he would have petted a dog
+      and he did not touch her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He laughed, but she was not a part of his laughter. He needed her, but the
+      need was that of a builder for a tool. He liked her and sometimes shared
+      his problems and triumphs with her, and sometimes his defeats, but he did
+      not love. There had never been for her the bright fierce look he had bent
+      upon the Woman Eloise those times when she had come to him, the look men
+      gave to those who found favor in their eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Had he looked at her but once with that expression she would have come to
+      him though fire barred the way. The Woman Eloise was a fool.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper looked at him across the corner of the desk, the yellow hair, the
+      bronze skin, firm chin, soft lips and long straight nose, the narrowed
+      eyes, hooded beneath thick brows, scanning the papers in his lean-tendoned
+      hands. His nearness was an ache in her body&mdash;yet he was far away.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She thought of how his hands would feel upon her. He had touched her once,
+      and that touch had burned like hot iron. For hours she had felt it. He
+      looked up. Her heart choked her with its beating. She would die for him if
+      he would but once run his fingers over her tingling skin, and stroke her
+      hair.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The naked emotion in Copper&rsquo;s face was readable enough, Kennon thought.
+      One didn&rsquo;t need Sorovkin techniques to interpret what was in her mind. And
+      it would have been amusing if it weren&rsquo;t so sad. For what she wanted, he
+      couldn&rsquo;t give. Yet if she were human it would be easy. A hundred
+      generations of Betan moral code said &ldquo;never,&rdquo; yet when he looked at her
+      their voices faded. He was a man&mdash;a member of the ruling race. She
+      was an animal&mdash;a beast&mdash;a humanoid&mdash;near human but not near
+      enough. To like her was easy&mdash;but to love her was impossible. It
+      would be bestiality. Yet his body, less discerning than his mind,
+      responded to her nearness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He sighed. It was a pleasant unpleasantness, a mixed emotion he could not
+      analyze. In a way it was poetry&mdash;the fierce, vaguely disquieting
+      poetry of the sensual Santosian bards&mdash;the lyrics that sung of the
+      joys of flesh. He had never really liked them, yet they filled him with a
+      vague longing, an odd uneasiness&mdash;just the sort that filled him now.
+      There was a deadly parallel here. He sighed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sir? Do you want something?&rdquo; Copper asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could use a cup of coffee,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;These reports are getting me
+      down.&rdquo; The banality amused him&mdash;sitting here thinking of Copper and
+      talking about coffee. Banality was at once the curse and the saving grace
+      of mankind. It kept men from the emotional peaks and valleys that could
+      destroy them. He chuckled shakily. The only alternative would be to get
+      rid of her&mdash;and he couldn&rsquo;t (or wouldn&rsquo;t?&mdash;the question intruded
+      slyly) do that.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper returned with a steaming cup which she set before him. Truly, this
+      coffee was a man&rsquo;s drink. She had tried it once but the hot bitterness
+      scalded her mouth and flooded her body with its heat. And she had felt so
+      lightheaded. Not like herself at all. It wasn&rsquo;t a drink for Lani. Of that
+      she was certain.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Yet he enjoyed it. He looked at her and smiled. He was pleased with her.
+      Perhaps&mdash;yet&mdash;she might find favor in his eyes. The hope was
+      always there within her&mdash;a hope that was at once fear and prayer. And
+      if she did&mdash;she would know what to do.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked up. Copper&rsquo;s face was convulsed with a bright mixture of
+      hope and pain. Never, he swore, had he saw anything more beautiful or sad.
+      Involuntarily he placed his hand upon her arm. She flinched, her muscles
+      tensing under his finger tips. It was though his fingers carried a
+      galvanic current that backlashed up his arm even as it stiffened hers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter, Copper?&rdquo; he asked softly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nothing, Doctor. I&rsquo;m just upset.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There it was again, the calm friendly curiosity that was worse than a bath
+      in ice water. Her heart sank. She shivered. She would never find her
+      desire here. He was cold&mdash;cold&mdash;cold! He wouldn&rsquo;t see. He didn&rsquo;t
+      care. All right&mdash;so that was how it had to be. But first she would
+      tell him. Then he could do with her as he wished. &ldquo;I hoped&mdash;for the
+      past year that you would see me. That you would think of me not as a Lani,
+      but as a beloved.&rdquo; The words came faster now, tumbling over one another.
+      &ldquo;That you would desire me and take me to those worlds we cannot know
+      unless you humans show us. I have hoped so much, but I suppose it&rsquo;s wrong&mdash;for
+      you&mdash;you are so very human, and I&mdash;well, I&rsquo;m not!&rdquo; The last
+      three words held all the sadness and the longing of mankind aspiring to be
+      God.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My dear&mdash;my poor child,&rdquo; Kennon murmured.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She looked at him, but her eyes could not focus on his face, for his hands
+      were on her shoulders and the nearness of him drove the breath from her
+      body. From a distance she heard a hard tight voice that was her own. &ldquo;Oh,
+      sir&mdash;oh please, sir!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The hands withdrew, leaving emptiness&mdash;but her heartbeat slowed and
+      the pink haze cleared and she could see his face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And with a surge of terror and triumph she realized what she saw! That
+      hard bright look that encompassed and possessed her! The curved lips drawn
+      over white, white teeth! The flared nostrils! The hungry demand upon his
+      face that answered the demand in her heart! And she knew&mdash;at last&mdash;with
+      a knowledge that turned her limbs to water, that she had found favor in
+      his eyes!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XI
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Mixed emotion! Ha! The author of that cliche didn&rsquo;t even know its meaning!
+      Kennon strode furiously down the dusty road toward Station One trying to
+      sublimate his inner conflict into action. It was useless, of course, for
+      once he stopped moving the grim tug-of-war between training and desire
+      would begin again, and no matter how it ended the result would be
+      unsatisfactory. As long as he had been able to delude himself that he was
+      fond of Copper the way a man is fond of some lesser species, it had been
+      all right. But he knew now that he was fond of her as a man is of a woman&mdash;and
+      it was hell! For no rationalization in the universe would allow him to
+      define her as human. Copper was humanoid&mdash;something like human. And
+      to live with her and love her would not be miscegenation, which was bad
+      enough, but bestiality which was a thousand times worse.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Although throughout most of the Brotherhood miscegenation was an unknown
+      word, and even bestiality had become a loose definition on many worlds
+      with humanoid populations, the words had definite meaning and moral force
+      to a Betan. And&mdash;God help him&mdash;he was a Betan. A lifetime of
+      training in a moral code that frowned upon mixed marriages and shrank
+      appalled from even the thought of mixing species was nothing to bring face
+      to face with the fact that he loved Copper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was odd, Kennon reflected bitterly, that humans could do with animals
+      what their customs and codes prohibited them from doing to themselves. For
+      thousands of years&mdash;back to the very dawn of history when men had
+      bred horses and asses to produce mules&mdash;men had been mixing species
+      to produce useful hybrids. Yet a Betan who could hybridize plants or
+      animals with complete equanimity shrank with horror from the thought of
+      applying the same technique to himself.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      What was there about a human being that was so sacrosanct? He shook his
+      head angrily. He didn&rsquo;t know. There was no answer. But the idea&mdash;the
+      belief&mdash;was there, ingrained into his attitudes, a part of his
+      outlook, built carefully block by block from infancy until it now towered
+      into a mighty wall that barred him from doing what he wished to do.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It would be an easier hurdle if he had been born anywhere except on Beta.
+      In the rest of the Brotherhood, the color of a man&rsquo;s skin, the shape of
+      his face, the quality and color of his hair and eyes made no difference.
+      All men were brothers. But on Beta, where a variant-G sun had already
+      caused genetic divergence, the brotherhood of man was a term that was
+      merely given lip service. Betans were different and from birth they were
+      taught to accept the difference and to live with it. Mixing of Betan stock
+      with other human species, while not actually forbidden, was so encircled
+      with conditioning that it was a rare Betan indeed who would risk
+      self-opprobrium and the contempt of his fellows to mate with an outsider.
+      And as for humanoids&mdash;Kennon shuddered. He couldn&rsquo;t break the
+      attitudes of a lifetime. Yet he loved Copper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And she knew he did!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And that was an even greater horror. He had fled from the office, from the
+      glad light in her eyes, as a burned child flees fire. He needed time to
+      think, time to plan. Yet his body and his surface thoughts wanted no plans
+      or time. Living with a Lani wasn&rsquo;t frowned upon on Flora. Many of the
+      staff did, nor did anyone seem to think less of them for doing so. Even
+      Alexander himself had half-confessed to a more than platonic affection for
+      a Lani called Susy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Yet this was no excuse, nor would it silence the cold still voice in his
+      mind that kept repeating sodomite&mdash;sodomite&mdash;sodomite with a
+      passionless inflection that was even more terrible than anger.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The five kilometers to Station One disappeared unnoticed beneath his feet
+      as he walked, and he looked up in surprise to see the white walls and red
+      roofs of the station looming before him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good Lord! Doc! What&rsquo;s got into you?&rdquo; the stationmaster said. &ldquo;You look
+      like you&rsquo;d seen a ghost. And out in this sun without a helmet! Come
+      inside, man, before you get sunstroke!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled without humor. &ldquo;Getting sunstroke is the least of my
+      worries, Al,&rdquo; he said, but he allowed Al Crothers to usher him inside.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s odd that you showed up right now,&rdquo; Al said, his dark face showing
+      the curiosity that filled him. &ldquo;I just had a call from Message Center not
+      five minutes ago, telling me to have you call in if you showed up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sighed. &ldquo;On this island you can&rsquo;t get away from the phone,&rdquo; he said
+      wryly. &ldquo;O.K., where is it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You look pretty bushed, Doc. Maybe you&rsquo;d better rest awhile.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And maybe it&rsquo;s an emergency,&rdquo; Kennon interrupted. &ldquo;And probably it is
+      because the staff can handle routine matters&mdash;so maybe you&rsquo;d better
+      show me where you keep the phone.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;One moment please,&rdquo; the Message Center operator said. There were a few
+      clicks in the background. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s your party,&rdquo; she continued. &ldquo;Go ahead,
+      Doctor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Kennon?&rdquo; a nervous voice crackled from the receiver.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re needed out on Otpen One.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Who is calling&mdash;and what&rsquo;s the rush?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Douglas&mdash;Douglas Alexander. The Lani are dying! It&rsquo;s an emergency!
+      Cousin Alex&rsquo;ll skin us alive if we let these Lani die!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas! Kennon hadn&rsquo;t thought of him since the one time they had met in
+      Alexandria. That was a year ago. It seemed much longer. Since the Boss-man
+      had exiled his cousin to that bleak rock to the east of Flora there had
+      been no word of him. And now&mdash;he laughed a sharp bark of humorless
+      annoyance&mdash;Douglas couldn&rsquo;t have timed it better if he had tried!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll come. What seems to be the trouble?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re sick.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s obvious,&rdquo; Kennon snapped. &ldquo;Otherwise you wouldn&rsquo;t be calling.
+      Can&rsquo;t you tell me any more than that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re vomiting. They have diarrhea. Several have had fits.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be right out. Expect me in an hour.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So you&rsquo;re leaving?&rdquo; Al asked as he cradled the phone.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a practitioner&rsquo;s life,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Full of interruptions. Can I
+      borrow your jeep?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll drive you. Where do you want to go?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;To the hospital,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to pick up my gear. It&rsquo;s an
+      emergency all right.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a tough one,&rdquo; Al said admiringly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d hate to walk five kilos in
+      this heat without a hat&mdash;and then go out on a call.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not necessarily toughness. I believe in doing one
+      job at a time&mdash;and my contract reads veterinary service, not personal
+      problems. The job comes first and there&rsquo;s work to do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper wasn&rsquo;t in sight when Kennon came back to the hospital&mdash;a fact
+      for which he was grateful. He packed quickly, threw his bags into the
+      jeep, and took off with almost guilty haste. He&rsquo;d contact the Hospital
+      from the Otpens. Right now all he wanted was to put distance between
+      himself and Copper. Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but at the
+      moment propinquity was by far the more dangerous thing. He pointed the
+      blunt nose of the jeep toward Mount Olympus, set the autopilot, opened the
+      throttle, and relaxed as best he could as the little vehicle sped at top
+      speed for the outer islands. A vague curiosity filled him. He&rsquo;d never been
+      on the Otpens. He wondered what they were like.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Otpen One was a rocky tree-clad islet crowned with the stellate mass of a
+      Class II Fortalice. But this one wasn&rsquo;t like Alexandria. It was fully
+      manned and in service condition.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Airboat!&rdquo; a voice crackled from the dashboard speaker of the jeep,
+      &ldquo;Identify yourself! You are being tracked.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon quickly flipped the IFF switch. &ldquo;Dr. Kennon, from Flora,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you, sir. You are expected and are clear to land. Bring your
+      vehicle down in the marked area.&rdquo; A section of the roof turned a garish
+      yellow as Kennon circled the building. He brought the jeep in lightly,
+      setting it carefully in the center of the area.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Leave your vehicle,&rdquo; the speaker chattered. &ldquo;If you are armed leave your
+      weapon behind.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my habit to carry a gun,&rdquo; Kennon snapped.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry, sir&mdash;regulations,&rdquo; the speaker said. &lsquo;&ldquo;This is S.O.P.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon left the jeep and instantly felt the probing tingle of a search
+      beam. He looked around curiously at the flat roof of the fortress with its
+      domed turrets and ugly snouts of the main battery projectors pointing
+      skyward. Beside him, the long metal doors of a missile launcher made a
+      rectangular trace on the smooth surface of the roof. Behind him the
+      central tower poked its gaunt ferromorph and durilium outline into the
+      darkening sky bearing its crown of spiderweb radar antennae turning
+      steadily on their gimbals covering a vast hemisphere from horizon to
+      zenith with endless inspection.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      From the base of the tower a man emerged. He was tall, taller even than
+      Kennon, and the muscles of his body showed through the tightness of his
+      battle dress. His face was harsh, and in his hands he carried a Burkholtz
+      magnum&mdash;the most powerful portable weapon mankind had yet devised.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You are Dr. Kennon?&rdquo; the trooper asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Your I.D., please.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon handed it over and the big man scanned the card with practiced
+      eyes. &ldquo;Check,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Follow me, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My bags,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be taken care of.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged and followed the man into the tower. A modern grav-shaft
+      lowered them to the ground floor. They passed through a gloomy caricature
+      of the Great Hall in Alexandria, through an iris, and down a long corridor
+      lined with doors.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A bell rang.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Back!&rdquo; the trooper said. &ldquo;Against the wall! Quick! Into the doorway!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s up?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Another practice alert.&rdquo; The trooper&rsquo;s voice was bored. &ldquo;It gets so that
+      you&rsquo;d almost wish for a fight to relieve the monotony.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A trooper and several Lani came down the corridor, running in disciplined
+      formation. Steel clanged on steel as they turned the corner and moments
+      later the whine of servos came faintly to their ears. From somewhere deep
+      in the pile a rising crescendo of generators under full battle load sent
+      out vibrations that could be sensed rather than heard. A klaxon squawked
+      briefly. There was another clash of metal, and a harsh voice boomed
+      through the corridors. &ldquo;Fourteen seconds. Well done. Secure stations!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The trooper grinned. &ldquo;That ties the record,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We can go now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The corridor ended abruptly at an iris flanked by two sentries. They
+      conferred briefly with Kennon&rsquo;s guide, dilated the iris, and motioned for
+      Kennon to enter. The pastel interior of the modern office was a shocking
+      contrast to the gray ferromorph corridors outside.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas Alexander was standing behind the desk. He was much the same. His
+      pudgy face was haggard with uncertainty and his eyes darted back and forth
+      as his fingers caressed the knobby grip of a small Burkholtz jutting from
+      a holster at his waist. There were new, unpleasant furrows between his
+      eyes. He looked older and the indefinable air of cruelty was more
+      pronounced. He had been frightened the last time Kennon had seen him, and
+      he was frightened now.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure whether I am glad to see you, Kennon,&rdquo; he said uncertainly.
+      &ldquo;But I suppose I have to be.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon believed him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How have you been?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not too bad until this afternoon. Things have been going pretty well.&rdquo; He
+      shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. &ldquo;I suppose Cousin Alex
+      will skin me for this, but there&rsquo;s nothing else I can do.&rdquo; He licked his
+      lips. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve been here long enough&mdash;and you&rsquo;ll have to know
+      eventually.&rdquo; He fidgeted and finally sat down behind the desk. &ldquo;We have
+      trouble. Half the Lani were stricken about four hours ago. It was sudden.
+      No warning at all. And if they die&mdash;&rdquo; his voice trailed off.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;what are we waiting for? Get someone to bring my bags down
+      here and we&rsquo;ll look them over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you have to?&mdash;Can&rsquo;t you prescribe something?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How? I haven&rsquo;t examined the patients.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can tell you what&rsquo;s wrong.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon smiled. &ldquo;I hardly think that&rsquo;s the way to do it. Even though your
+      description might be accurate, you still might miss something of critical
+      importance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas sighed. &ldquo;I thought that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;d say,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Oh&mdash;very
+      well&mdash;you might as well see what we have out here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t possibly believe that I don&rsquo;t already know,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You
+      have male Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas looked at him, his face blank with surprise. &ldquo;But&mdash;how did
+      you know? No one on the main island does except the Family. And we never
+      talk about it. Did Eloise tell you? I noticed she was struck with you the
+      day you came, and the Lani who have come out here since have been talking
+      about you two. Did she do it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. &ldquo;She never said a word.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then how&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not stupid,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;That story you&rsquo;ve spread about artificial
+      fertilization has more holes in it than a sieve. That technique has been
+      investigated a thousand times. And it has never worked past the first
+      generation. If you had been using it, the Lani would long ago have been
+      extinct. Haploids don&rsquo;t reproduce, and the only way the diploid number of
+      chromosomes can be kept is to replace those lost by maturation division of
+      the ovum. You might be able to keep the diploid number by using immature
+      ova, but the fertilization technique would be far more complex than the
+      simple uterine injections you use at Hillside Station.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas looked at him blankly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Besides,&rdquo; Kennon added, &ldquo;I have a microscope. I checked your so-called
+      fertilizing solution. I found spermatozoa, and spermatozoa only come from
+      males. What&rsquo;s more, the males have to be the same species as the females
+      or fertilization will not take place. So there must be male Lani. Nothing
+      else fits. You&rsquo;ve been using artificial insemination on the main-island
+      Lani. And from the way this place is guarded, it&rsquo;s obvious that here is
+      your stud farm.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of resignation. &ldquo;I
+      suppose,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s the way Old Doc found out too. We never told
+      him, but he knew before he ever came out here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The only thing that puzzles me,&rdquo; Kennon went on, &ldquo;is how you managed to
+      eliminate the Y-chromosome carriers within the sperm.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Eh?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The male sex-determinant. Half the sperm carry it, but so far as I know,
+      there&rsquo;s never been a male born on the main island.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;that. It&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s done in the labs here. Probably one
+      of the technicians could tell you. It&rsquo;s called electro&mdash;electro
+      freezing or something like that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Electrodiaphoresis?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas nodded. &ldquo;That sounds like it. I don&rsquo;t know anything about it. One
+      of Grandfather&rsquo;s men did the basic work. We just follow instructions.&rdquo; He
+      shrugged. &ldquo;Well&mdash;since you know the secret there&rsquo;s no sense in hiding
+      the bodies. Come along and tell me what&rsquo;s wrong.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      It was a peculiar feeling to walk down the row of cubical rooms with their
+      barred doors. The whole area reminded him of a historical novel, of the
+      prisons of early human history where men confined other men for
+      infractions of social customs. The grimness of the place was appalling.
+      The male Lani&mdash;impressive in their physical development&mdash;were in
+      miserable condition, nauseated, green-faced, retching. The sickening odors
+      of vomit and diarrhea hung heavily on the air. Douglas coughed and held a
+      square of cloth to his face, and even Kennon, strong-stomached as he was,
+      could feel his viscera twitch in sympathy with the caged sufferers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Great Fleming, man!&rdquo; Kennon exploded. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t keep them here. Get them
+      out! Give them some fresh air! This place would make a well man sick.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas looked at him, &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t take one of them out unless I had him
+      shackled and there was an armed guard to help me. Those males are the most
+      vicious, cunning, and dangerous animals on Kardon. They exist with but one
+      thought in mind&mdash;to kill!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked curiously through a barred door at one of the Lani. He lay
+      on a bare cot, a magnificently muscled figure with a ragged black beard
+      hiding his face. There were dozens of scars on his body and one angry
+      purple area on his thick right forearm where flesh had been torn away not
+      too long ago. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and soft moaning
+      noises came from his tight lips as he pressed his abdomen with
+      thick-fingered hands. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t look so dangerous,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Watch it!&rdquo; Douglas warned. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t get too close!&rdquo; But the warning was too
+      late. Kennon touched the bars, and as he did, the Lani moved with fluid
+      speed, one huge hand clutching Kennon&rsquo;s sleeve and pulling him against the
+      bars while the other darted for his throat. Fingers bit into Kennon&rsquo;s neck
+      and tightened in a viselike grip. Kennon reacted automatically. His arms
+      came up inside the Lani&rsquo;s and crashed down, elbows out, tearing the Lani
+      loose. He jumped back, rubbing his bruised throat. &ldquo;That fellow&rsquo;s not
+      sick!&rdquo; he gasped. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s crazy!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Lani glared at him through the bars, disappointment written on his
+      scarred and bearded face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I warned you,&rdquo; Douglas said. His voice held an undertone of malicious
+      laughter. &ldquo;He must be sick or he would have killed you. George is clever
+      in a stupid sort of way.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked into the cubicle. The Lani glared back and growled. There
+      was a beastlike note in his voice that made the short hairs on Kennon&rsquo;s
+      neck prickle.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That fellow needs a lesson,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You want to give it to him?&rdquo; Douglas asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not particularly.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ha!&mdash;man!&mdash;you afraid!&rdquo; the Lani taunted. His voice was thick
+      and harsh. &ldquo;All men fear me. All Lani, too. I am boss. Come close again
+      man and I kill you!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are they all that stupid?&rdquo; Kennon asked. &ldquo;He sounds like a homicidal
+      moron.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not stupid,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;Just uneducated.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why is he so murderous?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s his training. All his life he has fought. From childhood his life
+      has been based on his ability to survive in an environment where every
+      male is his enemy. You see here the sublimation of individuality. He
+      cannot co-operate with another male. He hates them, and they in turn hate
+      him. George, here, is a perfect example of absolute freedom from
+      restraint.&rdquo; Douglas smiled unpleasantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;His whole history is one of complete lack of control. As an infant, being
+      a male, his mother thought she was favored by the gods and she denied him
+      nothing. In fact we were quite insistent that she gave him everything he
+      wanted. By the time he was able to walk and take care of himself, he was
+      completely spoiled, selfish, and authoritative.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then we took him and a dozen others exactly like him and put them
+      together.&rdquo; Douglas grinned. &ldquo;You should see what happens when a dozen
+      spoiled brats are forced to live together. It&rsquo;s more fun. The little
+      beasts hate each other on sight. And we stimulate them to compete for
+      toys, food, and drink. Never quite enough to go around. You can imagine
+      what happens. Instead of sharing, each little selfish individualist fights
+      to get everything he can grab. Except for one thing we don&rsquo;t punish them
+      no matter what they do. If anyone shows signs of co-operating he is
+      disciplined severely, the first time. The next time, he is culled. But
+      other than that, we leave them alone. They develop their personalities and
+      their muscles&mdash;and if one proves to be too much for his fellows we
+      transfer him to a more advanced class where the competition is keener, and
+      he learns what it is to lose.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;At puberty we add sex drive to the basics, and by the time our male
+      reaches maturity we have something like George. Actually, George is more
+      mature than either you or I. He has all the answers he needs. He&rsquo;s strong,
+      solitary, authoritative, and selfish. He has no curiosity and resents
+      encroachment. He&rsquo;s a complete individualist. If he proves out he should
+      make an excellent sire.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But isn&rsquo;t he dangerous to handle?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, but we take precautions.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon grimaced with distaste.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Look at it objectively,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to select the best
+      physical type we can in the hope that he&rsquo;ll pass his qualities to his
+      offspring, and there&rsquo;s no better practical way to select the strongest and
+      hardiest than by natural selection. We control their environment as little
+      as possible and let Nature do our educating until they&rsquo;re old enough to be
+      useful.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Naturally, there are some things which we cannot provide, such as
+      exposure to disease, to the elements, and to predators. The one isn&rsquo;t
+      selective about whom it infects, while the others would tend to produce
+      co-operation as a matter of survival.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t there a great deal of mortality under such a regimen?&rdquo; Kennon
+      asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not as much as you might expect. It&rsquo;s about twenty per cent. And there is
+      a great deal of compensation from a management viewpoint. We get
+      essentially the same physical end product as we would from a closely
+      managed operation, plus a great saving in labor. Males, you see, are
+      fairly expendable. We only need a few a year.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s brutal.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So it is, but life is brutal. Still, it&rsquo;s efficient for our purposes. We
+      merely take advantage of natural impulses to produce a better product.
+      Grandfather got the idea out of an old book&mdash;something about the
+      noble savage, natural selection and survival of the fittest. He thought it
+      was great&mdash;said there was nothing like relentless competition to
+      bring out the strongest and hardiest types. And he&rsquo;s been right for
+      centuries. Can you imagine anything much better than George&mdash;from a
+      physical viewpoint?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He is a magnificent animal,&rdquo; Kennon admitted as he eyed the Lani. &ldquo;But it
+      seems to me that you could train some obedience into him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas shook his head. &ldquo;That would introduce a modifying factor,
+      something bigger and more powerful than the male himself. And that would
+      modify the results. We can control them well enough with knockout gas and
+      shackles. And those things, oddly enough, don&rsquo;t destroy their pride or
+      self-esteem. They think that we use them because we are afraid, and it
+      satisfies their egos.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon eyed the caged Lani dubiously. &ldquo;This is going to be difficult. I
+      must examine them and treat them, but if they&rsquo;re all as homicidal as this
+      one&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You fight me man,&rdquo; George interrupted, his face twisted into lines of
+      transparent guile. &ldquo;I am boss and others do as I say. You beat me, then
+      you are boss.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is this true?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s true enough,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;George is the leader and if you
+      beat him you&rsquo;d be top male until some other one got courage enough to
+      challenge you. But he&rsquo;s just trying to get his hands on you. He&rsquo;d like to
+      kill.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked at the big humanoid appraisingly. George was huge, at least
+      five centimeters taller and fifteen kilograms heavier than himself. And he
+      was all muscle. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d care to accept that challenge unless I
+      was forced to,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas chuckled. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t blame you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sighed. &ldquo;It looks like we are going to need reinforcements to get
+      these brutes under control. I&rsquo;m not going in there with them, and I can&rsquo;t
+      examine them from out here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, we can hold them all right. Paralysis gas and shackles will keep them
+      quiet. There&rsquo;s no need to bother the troopers. We can handle this by
+      ourselves.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s your baby. You should know what you&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do,&rdquo; Douglas said confidently. &ldquo;Wait here until I get the gas capsules
+      and the equipment.&rdquo; He turned and walked back to the entrance to the cell
+      block. At the iris he turned. &ldquo;Be careful,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry, I will.&rdquo; Kennon looked at George through the bars and the
+      humanoid glared back, his eyes bright with hatred. Kennon felt the short
+      hairs prickle along the back of his neck. George roused a primal emotion&mdash;an
+      elemental dislike that was deeper than reason&mdash;an antagonism
+      intensely physical, almost overpowering&mdash;a purely adrenal response
+      that had no business in the make-up of a civilized human.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He had thought the Lani had a number of human traits until he had
+      encountered George. But if George was a typical male&mdash;then the Lani
+      were alien. He flexed his muscles and stared coldly into the burning blue
+      eyes behind the bars. There would be considerable satisfaction in beating
+      this monstrosity to a quivering pulp. Millennia of human pre-eminence&mdash;of
+      belief that nothing, no matter how big or muscular, should fail to
+      recognize that a man&rsquo;s person was inviolate&mdash;fed the fuel of his
+      anger. The most ferocious beasts on ten thousand worlds had learned this
+      lesson. And yet this animal had laid hands on him with intent to kill. A
+      cold corner of his mind kept telling him that he wasn&rsquo;t behaving
+      rationally, but he disregarded it. George was a walking need for a lesson
+      in manners.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t get the idea that I&rsquo;m afraid of you&mdash;you overmuscled oaf,&rdquo;
+       Kennon snapped. &ldquo;I can handle you or anyone like you. And if you put your
+      hands on me again I&rsquo;ll beat you within an inch of your worthless life.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Lani snarled. &ldquo;Let me out and I kill you. But you are like all men.
+      You use gun and iron&mdash;not fair fight.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas returned with a gas capsule and a set of shackles. &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; he
+      said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready for him.&rdquo; He handed Kennon the shackles and a key to
+      the cell door&mdash;and drew his Burkholtz.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;See,&rdquo; the Lani growled. &ldquo;It is as I say. Men are cowards.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know gun?&rdquo; Douglas asked as he pointed the muzzle of the Burkholtz at
+      the Lani.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; George growled. &ldquo;Gun kill.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It does indeed,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;Now get back&mdash;clear back against the
+      wall.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      George snarled but didn&rsquo;t move.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll count three,&rdquo; Douglas said, &ldquo;and if you&rsquo;re not back by then I&rsquo;ll
+      burn you down. You&rsquo;ll obey even if you won&rsquo;t do anything else.&mdash;one&mdash;two&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      George retreated to the far end of his cell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now face the wall.&rdquo; Douglas tossed the gas capsule into the cell. The
+      thin-walled container broke, releasing a cloud of vapor. George crumpled
+      to the floor. &ldquo;Now we wait a couple of minutes for the gas to dissipate,&rdquo;
+       Douglas said. &ldquo;After that he&rsquo;s all yours. You can go in and put the irons
+      on him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Will he be out long?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About five minutes. After that he&rsquo;ll have muscular control.&rdquo; Douglas
+      chuckled. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re stupid,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They know what gas does to them, but
+      they never have sense enough to hold their breath. They could be twice as
+      much trouble as they are. All right, it&rsquo;s safe to go in now.&rdquo; Douglas let
+      the gun dangle in his hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon unlocked the door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And George rolled over, muscles bunched and driving! He hit the door with
+      such force that Kennon was slammed against the wall, dazed&mdash;half
+      stunned by the speed of the attack. George&mdash;he had time to think in
+      one brief flash&mdash;wasn&rsquo;t stupid. He had held his breath for the
+      necessary two minutes!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas jerked the blaster up and fired, but his target was too quick.
+      George dropped and rolled. The sizzling streak of violet flashed inches
+      above his body and tore a six-inch hole through the back of the cell. And
+      then George was on him! The huge, marvelously fast hands of the humanoid
+      wrenched the blaster out of Douglas&rsquo;s hands and jerked him forward. A
+      scream burst from Douglas as George&rsquo;s hands closed around his neck.
+      Muscles sprang into writhing life in the humanoid&rsquo;s huge forearms. There
+      was a soft, brittle crack, and Douglas sagged limp in the iron grip that
+      held him dangling.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Faugh!&rdquo; George grunted. He dropped Douglas as Kennon pushed the door back
+      and came out into the passageway. &ldquo;Maybe you make better fight,&rdquo; George
+      said as he lowered his head into the muscular mass of his broad shoulders.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon eyed him appraisingly, swinging the irons in his right hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      This time the Lani didn&rsquo;t charge. He moved slowly, half crouched, long
+      arms held slightly forward. Kennon backed away, watching the humanoid&rsquo;s
+      eyes for that telltale flicker of the pupils that gives warning of attack.
+      The expression on George&rsquo;s face never changed. It was satisfied&mdash;smug
+      almost&mdash;reflecting the feelings of a brute conditioned to kill and
+      given an opportunity to do so. The Lani radiated confidence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shivered involuntarily. He wasn&rsquo;t frightened, but he had never met
+      an opponent like this. A chill raced up the back of his legs and spread
+      over his stomach and chest. His mouth was dry and his muscles quivered
+      with tense anticipation. But his concentration never wavered. His hard
+      blue eyes never left George&rsquo;s, searching with microscopic intentness for
+      the faintest sign of the Lani&rsquo;s intentions.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      George charged&mdash;hands reaching for Kennon&rsquo;s throat, face twisted in a
+      snarl of rage and hate. But even as he charged Kennon moved. He ducked
+      beneath the Lani&rsquo;s outstretched hands and drove his left fist deep into
+      George&rsquo;s belly just below the breastbone.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Air whistled out of the Lani&rsquo;s gaping mouth as he bent double from the
+      power of the blow. Kennon clipped him on the chin with a driving knee,
+      snapping George&rsquo;s head back and smashed the bearded face with the
+      shackles. Blood spurted and George screamed with rage. One of the Lani&rsquo;s
+      big hands wrapped around the shackles and tugged. Kennon let go and drove
+      another left to George&rsquo;s ribs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Lani threw the irons at Kennon, but his aim was poor. One of the
+      handcuff rings scraped across Kennon&rsquo;s cheek, but did nothing more than
+      break the skin. Half paralyzed by the blows to his solar plexus, George&rsquo;s
+      co-ordination was badly impaired. But he kept trying. Kennon wrapped lean
+      fingers about one of George&rsquo;s outstretched hands, bent, pivoted, and
+      slammed the Lani with bone-crushing force against the bars of a nearby
+      cell. But George didn&rsquo;t go down. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s more brute than man,&rdquo; Kennon
+      thought. &ldquo;No man could take a beating like that!&rdquo; He moved aside from
+      George&rsquo;s stumbling rush, feeling a twinge of pity for the battered
+      humanoid. It was no contest. Strong as he was, George didn&rsquo;t know the
+      rudiments of hand-to-hand fighting. His reactions were those of an animal,
+      to close, clutch, bite, and tear. Even if he were completely well, the
+      results would have been the same. It would merely have taken longer.
+      Kennon drove a vicious judo chop to the junction of the Lani&rsquo;s neck and
+      shoulder. Brute strength was no match for the highly evolved mayhem that
+      every spaceman learns as a necessary part of his trade. George had never
+      been on planet leave in a spaceport town. He knew nothing about the dives,
+      the crimps, the hostile port police. His idea of fighting was that of a
+      beast, but Kennon was a civilized man to whom fighting was an art
+      perfected by millennia of warfare. And Kennon knew his trade.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Even so it took longer than Kennon expected because George was big, George
+      was strong, and George had courage and pride that kept him coming as long
+      as the blazing will behind his blazing eyes could drive his battered body.
+      But the end was inevitable.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked at his bloody arm where George&rsquo;s teeth had reached their
+      mark. It was hardly more than a scratch, but it had been close. George had
+      his lesson and Kennon felt oddly degraded. He sighed, dragged George back
+      into the cell, and locked the door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Then he turned to Douglas. The howls of hate from the caged Lani died to a
+      sullen silence as Kennon gently examined the limp body.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas wasn&rsquo;t dead. His neck was dislocated, not broken, but he was in
+      serious condition. Kennon was still bending over Douglas wondering how to
+      call for help when three guards burst through the door, faces grim,
+      weapons at the ready.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s going on here?&rdquo; the leader demanded. &ldquo;The board showed an open
+      door down here.&rdquo; He saw the body&mdash;&ldquo;Mr. Douglas!&rdquo; he gasped. &ldquo;The
+      commandant will have to know about this!&rdquo; He took a communicator from his
+      waist belt and spoke rapidly into it. &ldquo;Arleson in stud cell block,&rdquo; he
+      said. &ldquo;Attempted escape. One casualty&mdash;Douglas Alexander&mdash;yes,
+      that&rsquo;s right. No&mdash;he&rsquo;s not dead. Send a litter and bearers. Inform
+      the commandant. I am making investigation on the spot. Out.&rdquo; He turned to
+      look coldly at Kennon.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Who are you&mdash;and what happened here?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon told him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You mean you took George!&rdquo; Arleson said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Look in his cell if you don&rsquo;t believe me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The soldier looked and then turned hack to Kennon. There was awed respect
+      in his hard brown eyes. &ldquo;You did that!&mdash;to him! Man, you&rsquo;re a
+      fighter,&rdquo; he said in an unbelieving voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A stretcher detail manned by two sober-faced Lani females came in, loaded
+      Douglas&rsquo;s body on the stretcher, and silently bore it away.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Douglas was a fool,&rdquo; Arleson said. &ldquo;He knew we never handle this kind
+      without maximum restraint. I wonder why he did it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t say. He told me that gas and shackles would hold him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He knew better. These Lani know gas capsules. All George had to do was
+      hold his breath. In that cell George would have killed you. You couldn&rsquo;t
+      have stayed away from him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. Maybe that was what Douglas had wanted. Kennon sighed. He
+      didn&rsquo;t have the answer. And it could just be that Douglas had tried to
+      show off. Well, he would pay for it. He&rsquo;d have a stiff neck for months,
+      and perhaps that was a proper way to end it.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Commander Mullins, a thin gray-faced man with the hard cold eyes of a
+      professional soldier, came into the corridor followed by another trooper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      His eyes took in the wreckage that had been George, the split lips, the
+      smashed nose, the puffed eyes, the cuts and bruises, and then raked across
+      Kennon.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Spaceman&mdash;hey?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen work like that before.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. &ldquo;I was once. I&rsquo;m station veterinarian now. Douglas called
+      me over&mdash;said it was an emergency.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mullins nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;why aren&rsquo;t you tending to it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have to examine them,&rdquo; Kennon said gesturing at the cells. &ldquo;And I don&rsquo;t
+      want any more trouble like this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry. You won&rsquo;t have it. Now that you&rsquo;ve beaten George, you&rsquo;ll
+      have no trouble at all. You&rsquo;re top dog.&rdquo; Mullins gestured at the cages.
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be good for a while. Now you&rsquo;d better get on with your work.
+      There&rsquo;s been enough disruption of routine for today. The men will help
+      you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon checked in at the commandant&rsquo;s office before he left for the main
+      island.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How is Douglas?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s alive,&rdquo; Mullins said. &ldquo;We flew him to Albertsville&mdash;and good
+      riddance. How are the Lani?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be all right,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just food poisoning. I suggest
+      you check your kitchen and your food handlers. There&rsquo;s a break in
+      sanitation that could incapacitate your whole command. I found a few
+      things wrong but there are probably more.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll check on it&mdash;and thanks for the advice,&rdquo; Mullins said. &ldquo;Sit
+      down, Doctor. Your airboat won&rsquo;t be serviced for another few minutes. Tell
+      me how things are on the main island. How&rsquo;s Blalok?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know him?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course. I used to be a frequent visitor there. But with that young pup
+      here, I couldn&rsquo;t leave. I didn&rsquo;t dare to. He&rsquo;d have disrupted routine in a
+      single day. Look what he did in half an hour. Frankly, I owe you a debt
+      for getting him off my hands.&rdquo; Mullins chuckled dryly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a fine thing to say,&rdquo; Kennon grinned. &ldquo;But I can sympathize. It
+      took us two months to straighten out Alexandria after the Boss-man sent
+      him here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I heard about that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;we&rsquo;re under control now. Things are going pretty smoothly.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be better here,&rdquo; Mullins said. &ldquo;Now that Douglas is gone.&rdquo; He
+      shrugged. &ldquo;I hope the Boss doesn&rsquo;t send him back. He&rsquo;s hard to handle and
+      he makes discipline a problem.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Could you tell me&mdash;or would it be violating security?&rdquo; Kennon said.
+      &ldquo;Why do you have a Class II installation on full war footing out here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mullins chuckled. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no secret,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There was a commercial raid
+      on this place about fifty years ago. Seems as though one of our
+      competitors didn&rsquo;t like us. Alexandria was on a war footing then and
+      managed to hold them off. But it scared the Old Man. You see, our
+      competitive position is based on Lani labor. Our competitors didn&rsquo;t know
+      that. Their intelligence wasn&rsquo;t so good. Up until that time, we&rsquo;d been
+      keeping the males out here in what was hardly more than a stockade. Those
+      people could have taken a few dozen females and a couple of males and
+      they&rsquo;d have been in business. But they didn&rsquo;t know. They tried to smash
+      Alexandria instead. Naturally they didn&rsquo;t have a chance. And after it was
+      over the Old Man got smart. He still had the tapes for Alexandria so he
+      built a duplicate out here and spent a few millions on modern armament.
+      The way we&rsquo;re set now it&rsquo;d take a battle group to hurt us.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But how about security? Don&rsquo;t the others know about the Lani now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a moot question. But it won&rsquo;t do them any good. They can&rsquo;t crack
+      this place, and without males, all the females on Flora wouldn&rsquo;t do them
+      enough long-term good to pay for the force they&rsquo;d need to be successful.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s why the males are isolated.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s another reason&mdash;two of them in fact. One is physical. Even
+      the best male is a dangerous beast. They have a flair for violence that
+      makes them useless as labor and their training doesn&rsquo;t help matters. And
+      the other is mental. The females on the main island believe that we humans
+      are responsible for the continuation of their breed. This tends to keep
+      them in line. We have a great deal more trouble with them out here once
+      they know the truth. We&rsquo;ve had a number of cases of females trying to
+      engineer a male&rsquo;s escape. But they&rsquo;re never repeated,&rdquo; Mullins said
+      grimly. &ldquo;Actually, it would be an interesting life out here, except for
+      the abattoir.&rdquo; He grimaced. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s an unpleasant chore.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You mean&mdash;&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, certainly. What else could we do with senile animals?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s murder!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mullins shook his head. &ldquo;No more than killing a cow for beef.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never thought of what happened to aged
+      Lani. Sure, I&rsquo;ve never seen one, but&mdash;Lord Lister!&mdash;I&rsquo;m a fool.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll get used to the idea,&rdquo; Mullins said. &ldquo;They aren&rsquo;t human, and
+      except for a few, they aren&rsquo;t as intelligent as a Santosian Varl. I know
+      that they look like us except for those tails, but that&rsquo;s as far as it
+      goes. I&rsquo;ve spent two hundred years with them and I know what I&rsquo;m talking
+      about.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what Alexander says.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He should know. He&rsquo;s lived with them all his life.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;perhaps. But I&rsquo;m not convinced.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Neither was Old Doc&mdash;not until the day he died.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did he change then?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. I wasn&rsquo;t there. But Old Doc was a stubborn cuss.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon stood up. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve given instructions for treatment to your corpsman,&rdquo;
+       he said. &ldquo;Now I think I&rsquo;d better be getting back. I have some reports to
+      finish.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mullins smiled grimly. &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I get the feeling that you
+      don&rsquo;t approve of this operation.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Frankly, I don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;but I signed a contract.&rdquo; He turned
+      toward the door and gestured to the two Lani who waited outside with his
+      bags. &ldquo;I can find my way to the roof,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;good luck,&rdquo; Mullins said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll call you again if we need
+      you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do that,&rdquo; Kennon replied. He wanted to leave, to get away from this place
+      and back to the main island. He wanted to see Copper. He&rsquo;d be damned if
+      anyone was going to butcher her. If he had to stay here until she died of
+      old age, he&rsquo;d do it. But nobody was going to hurt her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XII
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Kennon wondered if his colleagues in human medicine felt toward their
+      patients as he did toward the Lani, or if they ultimately lost their
+      individuality and became mere hosts for diseases, parasites, and tumors&mdash;vehicles
+      for the practice of surgical and medical skills&mdash;economic units whose
+      well-being meant a certain amount of credits. Probably not, he decided.
+      They were human and their very humanity made them persons rather than
+      things.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But the possession of individuality was not an asset in the practice of
+      animal medicine where economics was the main factor and the satisfaction
+      of the owner the principal personality problem. The normal farm animals,
+      the shrakes, cattle, sheep, morks, and swine were no problem. They were
+      merely a job. But the Lani were different. They weren&rsquo;t human, but they
+      were intelligent and they did have personality even though they didn&rsquo;t
+      possess that indefinable quality that separated man from the beasts. It
+      was hard to treat them with dispassionate objectivity. In fact, it was
+      impossible.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And this lack of objectivity annoyed him. Should he be this way? Was he
+      right to identify them as individuals and treat them as persons rather
+      than things? The passing months had failed to rob them of their
+      personalities: they had not become the faceless mass of a herd of cattle
+      or a flock of sheep. They were still not essentially different from humans&mdash;and
+      wouldn&rsquo;t men themselves lose many of their human characteristics if they
+      were herded into barracks and treated as property for forty generations?
+      Wouldn&rsquo;t men, too, approach the animal condition if they were bred and
+      treated as beasts, their pedigrees recorded, their types winnowed and
+      selected? The thought was annoying.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It would be better, Kennon reflected, if he didn&rsquo;t have time to think, if
+      he were so busy he could drop to his bed exhausted each night and sleep
+      without dreaming, if he could keep on the run so fast that he wouldn&rsquo;t
+      have time to sit and reflect. But he had done his work too well. He had
+      trained his staff too thoroughly. They could handle the petty routines of
+      minor treatment and laboratory tests as well as he. He had only the
+      intellectual stimulation of atypical cases and these were all too rare.
+      The routine inspections were boring, yet he forced himself to make them
+      because they filled the time. The hospital wards were virtually empty of
+      patients, the work was up to date, the whole island was enjoying a
+      carnival of health, and Kennon was still impaled upon the horns of his
+      dilemma. It wasn&rsquo;t so bad now that the first shock was over, but it was
+      bad enough&mdash;and showed no signs of getting better. Now that Copper
+      realized he wanted her, she did nothing to make his life easier. Instead
+      she did her best to get underfoot, usually in some provocative position.
+      It was enough to try the patience of a marble statue Kennon reflected
+      grimly. But it did have its humorous side and were it not for the fact
+      that Copper wasn&rsquo;t human could have been thoroughly enjoyable. That,
+      however, was the real hell of it. He couldn&rsquo;t relax and enjoy the contest&mdash;his
+      feet were on too slippery ground. And Copper with her unerring female
+      instinct knew just what to do to make the footing slipperier. Sooner or
+      later, she was certain that he would fall. It was only a question of
+      applying sufficient pressure at the right spot and the right time. Now
+      that she knew he desired her, she was content to wait. The only thing that
+      had bothered her was the uncertainty whether he cared or not. For Copper
+      the future was a simple thing and she was lighthearted about it. But not
+      so Kennon. Even after the initial shock had passed there still remained
+      the moral customs, the conditioning, and the prohibitions. But Copper&mdash;was
+      Copper&mdash;and somehow the conditioning lost its force in her presence.
+      Perhaps, he thought wryly, it was a symptom of the gradual erosion of his
+      moral character in this abnormal environment.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting stale,&rdquo; he confided to Copper as he sat in his office idly
+      turning the pages of the Kardon Journal of Allied Medical Sciences.
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing to do that&rsquo;s interesting.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You could help me,&rdquo; Copper said as she looked up from the pile of cards
+      she was sorting. He had given her the thankless task of reorganizing the
+      files, and she was barely half through the project.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing to do that&rsquo;s interesting,&rdquo; he repeated. He cocked his
+      head to one side. From this angle Copper looked decidedly intriguing as
+      she bent over the file drawer and replaced a stack of cards.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could suggest something,&rdquo; Copper said demurely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, I know,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re full of suggestions.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was thinking that we could go on a picnic.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A what?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A picnic. Take a lunch and go somewhere in the jeep. Maybe up into the
+      hills. I think it might be fun.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo; Kennon agreed. &ldquo;At least it would break the monotony. Tell you
+      what. You run up to the house and tell Kara to pack a lunch and we&rsquo;ll take
+      the day off.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good! I hoped you&rsquo;d say that. I&rsquo;m getting tired of these dirty old
+      cards.&rdquo; She stood up and sidled past the desk. Kennon resisted the impulse
+      to slap as she went past, and congratulated himself on his self-control as
+      she looked at him with a half-disappointed expression on her face. She had
+      expected it, he thought gleefully. Score one for morality.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He smiled. Whatever the other Lani might be, Copper was different. Quick,
+      volatile, intelligent, she was a constant delight, a flashing kaleidoscope
+      of unexpected facets. Perhaps the others were the same if he knew them
+      better. But he didn&rsquo;t know them&mdash;and avoided learning. In that
+      direction lay ulcers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll go to Olympus,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper looked dubious. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather not go there. That&rsquo;s forbidden ground.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh nonsense. You&rsquo;re merely superstitious.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She smiled. &ldquo;Perhaps you&rsquo;re right. You usually are.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the virtue of being a man. Even if I&rsquo;m wrong, I&rsquo;m right.&rdquo; He
+      chuckled at the peculiar expression on her face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now off with you&mdash;and get that lunch basket packed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She bowed. &ldquo;Yes, master. Your slave flies on winged feet to execute your
+      commands.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. Copper had been reading Old Doc&rsquo;s romances again. He
+      recognized the florid style.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon landed the jeep in a mountain meadow halfway up the slope of the
+      peacefully slumbering volcano. It was quiet and cool, and the light breeze
+      was blowing Olympus&rsquo;s smoky cap away from them to the west. Copper
+      unpacked the lunch. She moved slowly. After all, there was plenty of time,
+      and she wasn&rsquo;t very hungry. Neither was Kennon.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go for a walk,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;The woods look cool&mdash;and maybe
+      we can work up an appetite.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good idea. I could use some exercise. That lunch looks big enough to
+      choke a horse and I&rsquo;d like to do it justice.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They walked through the woods, skirting scant patches of underbrush,
+      slowly moving higher on the mountain slopes. The trees, unlike those of
+      Beta, did not end abruptly at a snow line, but pushed green fingers upward
+      through passages between old lava flows, on whose black wrinkled surfaces
+      nothing grew. The faint hum of insects and the piping calls of the
+      birdlike mammals added to the impression of remoteness. It was hard to
+      believe that scarcely twenty kilometers from this primitive microcosm was
+      the border of the highly organized and productive farmlands of Outworld
+      Enterprises.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you think we can see the hospital if we go high enough?&rdquo; Copper said.
+      She panted a little, unaccustomed to the altitude.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Possibly,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;It is a long distance away. But we should be
+      able to see Alexandria,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s high enough and big enough.&rdquo; He
+      looked at her curiously. &ldquo;How is it that you&rsquo;re so breathless?&rdquo; he asked.
+      &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not that high. You&rsquo;re getting fat with too much soft living.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper smiled. &ldquo;Perhaps I&rsquo;m getting old.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just fat. Come to think of it you are
+      plumper. Not that I mind, but if you&rsquo;re going to keep that sylphlike
+      figure you&rsquo;d better go on a diet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re too good to me,&rdquo; Copper said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re darn right I am. Well&mdash;let&rsquo;s get going. Exercise is always
+      good for the waistline, and I&rsquo;d like to see what&rsquo;s up ahead.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Scarcely a kilometer ahead they came to a wall of lava that barred their
+      path. &ldquo;Oh, oh,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t go over that.&rdquo; He looked at the
+      wrinkled and shattered rock with its knifelike edges.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think my feet could take it,&rdquo; Copper admitted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It looks like the end of the trail.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;not quite,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;There seems to be a path here.&rdquo; He
+      pointed to a narrow cleft in the black rock. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see where it goes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper hung back. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I want to,&rdquo; she said doubtfully. &ldquo;It
+      looks awfully dark and narrow.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, stop it. Nothing&rsquo;s going to hurt us. Come on.&rdquo; Kennon took her hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Unwillingly Copper allowed herself to be led forward. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s something
+      about this place that frightens me,&rdquo; she said uncomfortably as the high
+      black wails closed in, narrowing until only a slit of yellow sky was
+      visible overhead. The path underfoot was surprisingly smooth and free from
+      rocks, but the narrow corridor, steeped in shadows, was gloomy and
+      depressingly silent. It even bothered Kennon, although he wouldn&rsquo;t admit
+      it. What forces had sliced this razor-thin cleft in the dense rock around
+      them? Earthquake probably. And if it happened once it could happen again.
+      He would hate to be trapped here entombed in shattered rock.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Gradually the passage widened, then abruptly it ended. A bleak vista of
+      volcanic ash dotted with sputter cones opened before them. It was a flat
+      tableland, roughly circular, scarcely half a kilometer across, a
+      desolation of black rock, stunted trees and underbrush, and gray volcanic
+      ash. A crater, somewhat larger than the rest, lay with its nearest edge
+      about two hundred meters away. The rock edges were fire polished, gleaming
+      in the yellow sunshine, and the thin margin of trees and brush surrounding
+      the depression were gnarled and shrunken, twisted into fantastic shapes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hey! what&rsquo;s this?&rdquo; Kennon asked curiously. &ldquo;That crater looks peculiar,
+      like a meteor had struck here&mdash;but those stunted plants&mdash;hmm&mdash;there
+      must have been some radioactivity too.&rdquo; He looked at the crater
+      speculatively. &ldquo;Now I wonder&mdash;&rdquo; he began.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper had turned a sickly white. &ldquo;No!&rdquo; she said in a half-strangled voice&mdash;&ldquo;oh,
+      no!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked at her. &ldquo;You know what this is?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; Copper said. But her voice was unsteady.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re lying.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo; Copper wailed. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m only guessing. I&rsquo;ve never seen
+      this place before in my life! Please!&mdash;let&rsquo;s get out of here!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then you know about this,&rdquo; Kennon demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s the Pit,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;The redes don&rsquo;t say where it is. But
+      the description fits&mdash;the Circle of Death, the Twisted Land&mdash;it&rsquo;s
+      all like the redes say.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Redes?&mdash;what are redes? And what is this business about circles of
+      death? There&rsquo;s something here that&rsquo;s peculiar and I want to know what it
+      is.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nothing. Truly. Just let&rsquo;s go back. Let&rsquo;s leave this place. It&rsquo;s no
+      good. It&rsquo;s tabu.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tabu? You&rsquo;ve never used that word before.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Forbidden.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Who forbids it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Gods&mdash;the Old Ones. It is not for Lani. Nor for you.&rdquo; Her voice
+      was harsh. &ldquo;Come away before it is too late. Before the Silent Death
+      strikes you down.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to have a look at this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll be killed!&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;And if you die, I die too.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be foolish. There&rsquo;s nothing here that can hurt me. See those trees
+      and plants growing right up to the crater&rsquo;s edge. If they can take it
+      permanently, I can stand it for a few moments. If there&rsquo;s any
+      radioactivity there, it&rsquo;s not very much.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But the redes say&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, forget those redes. I know what I&rsquo;m doing. Besides, I&rsquo;m a Betan and
+      can stand more radiation than most men. A brief exposure isn&rsquo;t going to
+      hurt me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You go and I go too,&rdquo; Copper said desperately.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll stay here where it&rsquo;s safe,&rdquo; Kennon said flatly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going with you,&rdquo; Copper repeated. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to live without you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I tell you I won&rsquo;t be hurt. And one quick look isn&rsquo;t going to bother
+      whatever&rsquo;s down there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what Roga the Foolish said when he opened Lyssa&rsquo;s tower. But he
+      brought men to Flora. And your little look may bring an even greater
+      calamity.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged, and started Walking toward the crater&rsquo;s edge.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper followed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He turned to order her back, but the words died on his tips as he saw the
+      terror and determination on her face. Neither commands nor pleas would
+      move her. If he went she would follow. The only way he could stop her
+      would be with violence, and he didn&rsquo;t want to manhandle her. He felt an
+      odd mixture of pride, tenderness, and admiration for her. Were their
+      situations reversed, he doubted whether he would have the courage she was
+      showing. He sighed. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he did need an
+      antiradiation suit.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You win. I&rsquo;ll get some protective clothing and look
+      at it later.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Her knees sagged, but he caught her before she fell, and held her erect
+      until her strength returned. Belatedly he understood the emotional strain
+      that had been gripping her. &ldquo;If you come back later, sir, you&rsquo;ll take me
+      with you.&rdquo; The words were a statement, not a question.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He nodded. &ldquo;Providing you wear a radiation suit,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She grimaced with distaste and he chuckled. Clothing and Copper simply
+      didn&rsquo;t get along together.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; she said unhappily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And there&rsquo;s one more condition.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s that?&rdquo; she asked suspiciously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That you tell me about this place. You obviously know something about it,
+      and with all your talking, you&rsquo;ve never mentioned it to me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is forbidden to talk of these things to men,&rdquo; Copper said&mdash;and
+      then, perversely, &ldquo;Do you want me to tell you now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;it can wait. We have come a long way and I am hungry. I listen
+      poorly on an empty stomach. Let&rsquo;s go back to the jeep and you can tell me
+      later.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper smiled. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d feel better away from this
+      place.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XIII
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was a poor learner of the redes,&rdquo; Copper confessed. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ll have to
+      skip the Mysteries. I never even tried to learn them. Somehow I was sure
+      I&rsquo;d never be a preceptress.&rdquo; She settled herself more comfortably on the
+      tawny grass and watched him as he lay on his back beside her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Eh?&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;Preceptress?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The guardians of our traditions. They know the redes and mysteries by
+      heart.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you have kept your religion alive that way all these years?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It isn&rsquo;t exactly religion,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s more like history, we
+      learn it to remember that we were once a great race&mdash;and that we may
+      be again. Someday there will come a male, a leader to bring us out of
+      bondage, and our race will be free of dependence on men. There will be
+      pairings again, and freedom to live as we please.&rdquo; She looked thoughtfully
+      at Kennon. &ldquo;You might even be the one&mdash;even though you are human.
+      You&rsquo;re different from the others.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re prejudiced.&rdquo; Kennon smiled. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m no different. Well&mdash;not very
+      different at any rate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is not my thought,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;You are very different indeed. No
+      man has ever resisted a Lani as long as you have.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not go into that now. What are these redes?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do not remember them all,&rdquo; Copper apologized. &ldquo;I was&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve said that before. Tell me what you do know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I remember the beginning fairly well,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It goes back to the
+      time before Flora when everything was nothing and the Master Himself was
+      lonely.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Without warning her voice changed to a rhythmic, cadenced chant that was
+      almost a song. Her face became rapt and introspective as she rocked slowly
+      from side to side. The rhythm was familiar and then he recognized it&mdash;the
+      unintelligible music he had often heard coming from the barracks late at
+      night when no men were around&mdash;the voiceless humming that the Lani
+      sang at work.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      First there was Darkness&mdash;starless and sunless
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Void without form&mdash;darker than night
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Then did the Master&mdash;Lord of Creation
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Wave His right hand, saying, &ldquo;Let there be light!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Verse, Kennon thought. That was logical. People remember poetry better
+      than prose. But the form was not what he&rsquo;d normally expect. It was
+      advanced, a style that was past primitive blank verse or heroic
+      pentameter. He listened intently as Copper went on.
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+     Light filled the heavens, bright golden glowing,
+     Brought to the Void by His wondrous hand;
+     Then did the Master&mdash;Lord of Creation&mdash;
+     Nod His great head, saying, &ldquo;Let there be land!&rdquo;
+      Air, land, and water formed into being,
+     Born in the sight of His all-seeing eyes;
+     Then did the master&mdash;Lord of Creation&mdash;
+     Smile as He murmured, &ldquo;Let life arise!&rdquo;
+      All of the life conceived by the Master,
+     Varied in shape as the grasses and birds;
+     Hunters and hunted, moveless and moving,
+     Came into form at the sound of His words.
+</pre>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a great deal like Genesis,&rdquo; Kennon said with mild astonishment.
+      &ldquo;Where could you have picked that up?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;From the beginning of our race,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;It came to us with Ulf and
+      Lyssa&mdash;but what is Genesis?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A part of an ancient religion&mdash;one that is still followed on some of
+      the Central Worlds. Its followers call themselves Christians. They say it
+      came from Earth, the mother-world of men.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Our faith has no name. We are children of Lyssa, who was a daughter of
+      the Master.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is an odd similarity,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;But other races have had stories
+      of the Creation. And possibly there may be another explanation. Your
+      ancestors could have picked this up from Alexander&rsquo;s men. They came from
+      Earth originally and some of them could have been Christians.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; Cooper said. &ldquo;This rede is long before Man Alexander. It is the
+      origin of our world, even before Ulf and Lyssa. It is the first Book&mdash;the
+      Book of the God-spell. Man Alexander came in the sixth Book&mdash;the Book
+      of Roga.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no point in arguing about it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Go on&mdash;tell me
+      the rest.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a long story,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;Even though I have
+      forgotten some of it, I can chant the redes for hours.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon braced his back against one of the fat tires of the jeep. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a
+      good listener,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She chuckled. &ldquo;You asked for this,&rdquo; she said&mdash;and took up the verses
+      where she had left off. And Kennon learned the Lani version of creation,
+      of the first man and woman, cast out of Heaven for loving each other
+      despite the Master&rsquo;s objection, of how they came to Flora and founded the
+      race of the Lani. He learned how the Lani grew in numbers and power, how
+      they split into two warring groups over the theological point of whether
+      Ulf or Lyssa was the principal deity, how Roga the Foolish opened Lyssa&rsquo;s
+      tower to find out whether the Ulfians or Lyssans were right, and brought
+      the Black Years to Flora.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He heard the trial of Roga and the details of his torture by the priests
+      of Ulf and the priests of Lyssa&mdash;united by this greatest sacrilege.
+      And he heard the Lani version of the landing of Alexander&rsquo;s ship and man&rsquo;s
+      conquest of Flora.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was a story of savagery and superstition, of blood and intolerance, of
+      bravery and cowardice, of love and beauty. Yet through it all, even
+      through the redes that described the Conquest, there was a curious
+      remoteness, a lack of emotion that made the verses more terrible as they
+      flowed in passionless rhythm from Copper&rsquo;s lips.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s enough!&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I told you you wouldn&rsquo;t like it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s horrible. How can you remember such things?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We begin to learn them as soon as we can talk. We know the redes almost
+      our entire lives.&rdquo; Copper was silent for a moment. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s lots more,&rdquo;
+       she said, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s all about our lives since the Man Alexander&mdash;the
+      old one&mdash;took possession of us. And most of the newer redes are
+      pretty dull. Our life hasn&rsquo;t changed much since the men came. The Book of
+      Man is boring.&rdquo; Copper sighed. &ldquo;I have dared a great deal by telling you
+      these things. If the others knew, they would kill both of us.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then why tell me?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I love you,&rdquo; she said simply. &ldquo;You wanted to know&mdash;and I can deny
+      you nothing.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A wave of tenderness swept over him. She would give her life for him&mdash;and
+      what would he give? Nothing. Not even his prejudices. His face twisted. If
+      she was only human, If she wasn&rsquo;t just an animal. If he wasn&rsquo;t a Betan.
+      If, if, if. Resentment gorged his throat. It was unfair&mdash;so damned
+      unfair. He had no business coming here. He should have stayed on Beta or
+      at least on a human world where he would never have met Copper. He loved
+      her, but he couldn&rsquo;t have her. It was Tantalus and Sisyphus rolled into
+      one unsightly package and fastened to his soul. With a muttered curse he
+      rose to his feet, and as he did he stopped&mdash;frozen&mdash;staring at
+      Copper as though he had never seen her before.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How did you say that Roga was judged responsible for Alexander coming
+      here?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He went into Lyssa&rsquo;s tower&mdash;where Ulf and Lyssa tried to call Heaven&mdash;and
+      with his foolish meddling set the tower alight with a glow that all could
+      see. Less than a week later the Man Alexander came.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where was this tower?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where Alexandria now stands. Man Alexander destroyed it and built his
+      house upon its ruins.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And what was that place of the Pit?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Shrine of Ulf&mdash;where the God-Egg struck Flora. It is buried in
+      the pit, but the Silent Death has protected it from blasphemy&mdash;and
+      besides Man Alexander never learned about it. We feared that he would
+      destroy it as he did Lyssa&rsquo;s tower.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A wild hope stirred in Kennon. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going home,&rdquo; he announced.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re going to get a pair of radiation suits&mdash;and then we&rsquo;re
+      coming back. We&rsquo;ll have a good look at that Pit, and if what&rsquo;s in there is
+      what I think it is&rdquo;&mdash;his face was a mixture of grimness and eagerness&mdash;&ldquo;we&rsquo;ll
+      blow this whole operation off this planet!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper blanched. &ldquo;It is death to meddle with the God-Egg,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Superstition!&rdquo; Kennon scoffed. &ldquo;If that Egg is what I think, it was made
+      by men, and you are their descendant.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps you&rsquo;re right, but I can&rsquo;t help thinking you are wrong,&rdquo; she said
+      soberly. &ldquo;Look at the trouble that came with Roga&rsquo;s meddling. Be careful
+      that you do not bring us a worse fate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be very careful. We&rsquo;ll take every precaution.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re coming, of course. I can&rsquo;t imagine you staying away.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t worry so much,&rdquo; Kennon teased. &ldquo;You know we men live
+      forever.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is true.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And if I&rsquo;m right you&rsquo;re just as human as I. And you&rsquo;re capable of living
+      as long as I do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; Copper said. Her voice was unconvinced, her expression
+      noncommittal.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You females,&rdquo; Kennon said in quick exasperation. &ldquo;You drive a man crazy.
+      Get an idea in your head and it takes triatomate to blast it out. Now
+      let&rsquo;s go.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Two hours brought them back to the volcanic area, and knowing what to look
+      for, Kennon located the pockmarked mountain valley. From the air it looked
+      completely ordinary. Kennon was amazed at the perfection of the natural
+      camouflage. The Pit was merely another crater in the pitted ground. He
+      dropped to a lower altitude, barely a hundred feet above the sputter
+      cones. &ldquo;Look!&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Below them was the crater of the Pit and in its center a smooth
+      bluish-black hemisphere protruded from the crater floor. It would have
+      passed unnoticed by the casual eye&mdash;nearly concealed by two gigantic
+      blocks of pumice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The God-Egg!&rdquo; Copper exclaimed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Egg&mdash;ha! that&rsquo;s a spacer! I thought it would be. I&rsquo;d recognize
+      durilium anywhere. Let&rsquo;s go down and look this over, but first we want a
+      couple of pictures.&rdquo; He pointed a camera at the crater and snapped the
+      shutter. &ldquo;There&mdash;now let&rsquo;s have a closer look at our baby.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you expect me to get into that thing?&rdquo; Copper said distastefully as
+      she prodded the shapeless green coveralls with a bare toe. She eyed the
+      helmet, gloves and boots with equal distaste. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d suffocate.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you want to come with me, you&rsquo;ll wear it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Otherwise you
+      won&rsquo;t come near that pit. Try it and I&rsquo;ll chain you to the jeep.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You wouldn&rsquo;t!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just try me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;all right. I&rsquo;ll wear the thing&mdash;but I won&rsquo;t be
+      comfortable.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Who cares about that? You&rsquo;ll be protected.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right&mdash;show me how to put it on. I&rsquo;d rather be with you than
+      worry about what you are doing.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The suit was several sizes too large but it covered her adequately. Too
+      adequately, Kennon decided. She looked like a pile of wrinkles with legs.
+      He chuckled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She glared. &ldquo;So I&rsquo;m funny,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Let me tell you something else
+      that&rsquo;s funny. I&rsquo;m hot. I&rsquo;m sweating. I itch. Now&mdash;laugh!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel like laughing,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I feel the same way.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They approached the edge of the Pit carefully. Kennon kept checking the
+      radiation counter. The needle slowly rose and steadied at one-half
+      roentgen per hour as he thrust the probe over the rim of the depression.
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fine, so far,&rdquo; he said encouragingly. &ldquo;We could take this much for
+      quite a while even without suits.&rdquo; He lowered himself over the edge,
+      sliding down the gentle slope.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How is it down there?&rdquo; Copper called. The intercom crackled in his ear.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Fine&mdash;barely over one roentgen per hour. With these suits we could
+      stay here indefinitely.&rdquo; The sigh of relief was music in her ears. &ldquo;This
+      place is barely lukewarm.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you think,&rdquo; Copper said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I mean radiation warm,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Stay up there and watch me. I may
+      need some things.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right.&rdquo; Copper squirmed inside the hot suit. The thing was an oven.
+      She hoped that Kennon didn&rsquo;t plan to work in the daytime. It would be
+      impossible.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon gingerly approached the ship. It was half buried in the loose
+      debris and ash that had fallen or blown into the pit during the centuries
+      it had rested there. It was old&mdash;incredibly old. The hull design was
+      ancient&mdash;riveted sheets of millimeter-thick durilium. Ships hadn&rsquo;t
+      been built like that in over two thousand years. And the ovoid shape was
+      reminiscent of the even more ancient spindizzy design. A hyperspace
+      converter like that couldn&rsquo;t be less than four millennia old. It was a
+      museum piece, but the blue-black hull was as smooth and unblemished as the
+      day it had left fabrication.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Space travel would have gotten nowhere without durilium, Kennon reflected.
+      For five thousand years men had used the incredibly tough synthetic to
+      build their spacecraft. It had given man his empire. Kennon gave the hull
+      one quick glance. That part of the ship didn&rsquo;t worry him. It was what he
+      would find inside that bothered him. How much damage had occurred from two
+      thousand or more years of disuse? How much had the original travelers
+      cannibalized? How much could be salvaged? What sort of records remained?
+      There were a thousand questions that the interior of that enigmatic hull
+      might answer.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The upper segment of the airlock was visible. It was closed, which was a
+      good sign. A few hours&rsquo; work with a digger should expose it enough to be
+      opened.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Copper,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re going to have to dig this out. There&rsquo;s a small
+      excavator in the cargo bed of the jeep. Do you think you can bring it down
+      here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think so.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good girl!&rdquo; Kennon turned back to the ship. He was eager to enter it.
+      There might be things inside that would settle the question of the Lani.
+      The original crew had probably recognized the value of the hull as a
+      repository as well as he did. But in the meantime there would be work&mdash;lots
+      of it. And every step must be recorded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was the rest of the day&rsquo;s work to expose the emergency airlock. The
+      little excavator toiled over the loose ash for hours before it displaced
+      enough to make the port visible, and the ash was not yet cleared away
+      sufficiently to open the portal when darkness brought a halt to the work.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It would be impossible to unearth the spaceship with their low-capacity
+      digger, Kennon decided. It would be difficult enough to clear the
+      emergency airlock in the nose. But if the tubes and drive were still all
+      right, by careful handling it should be possible to use the drive to blast
+      out the loose ash and cinders which surrounded the hull.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon reluctantly gave up the idea of entering the spaceship. That would
+      have to wait until tomorrow. Now they would have to conceal the work and
+      call it a day. A few branches and the big blocks of pumice would suffice
+      for temporary camouflage. Later they could make something better. Anything
+      in the jeep which might be useful was cached along with the radiation
+      suits in the passageway through the lava wall&mdash;and in a surprisingly
+      short time they were heading homeward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon was not too displeased. Tomorrow they would be able to enter the
+      ship. Tomorrow they would probably have some of the answers to his
+      questions. He looked ahead into the gathering night. The gray mass of the
+      abandoned Olympus Station slipped below them as he lined the jeep along
+      the path indicated by the luminous arrow atop the main building, set the
+      controls on automatic, and locked the craft on the guide beacon in
+      Alexandria&rsquo;s tower. In a little less than an hour they would be home.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XIV
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Kennon was morally certain that the Lani were of human stock. Evolved, of
+      course. Mutated. Genetic strangers to the rest of humanity. But human. The
+      spaceship and the redes proved it as far as he was concerned. But moral
+      certainty and legal certainty were two different things. What he believed
+      might be good enough to hold up in a Brotherhood court, but he doubted it.
+      Ulf and Lyssa might be the founders of the Lani race, but they had come to
+      Kardon nearly four thousand years ago and no records existed to prove that
+      the Lani weren&rsquo;t here before they came. Redes passed by word of mouth
+      through hundreds of generations were not evidence. Even the spaceship
+      wasn&rsquo;t the absolute proof that would be needed to overturn the earlier
+      legal decision. Other and better proof was needed&mdash;something that
+      would stand up in any court in the Brotherhood. He hoped the spaceship
+      would hold that proof.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But Kennon&rsquo;s eagerness to find out what was inside the ancient spacer was
+      tempered by hard practicality. Too much depended on what he might find
+      inside that hull. Every step of the work must be documented beyond any
+      refutation. Some method of establishing date, time, and location had to be
+      prepared. There must be a record of every action. And that would require
+      equipment and planning. There must be no mistake that could be twisted by
+      the skillful counsel that Alexander undoubtedly retained.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He had no doubt that the Family would fight. Too much money and prestige
+      were involved. To prove the Lani human would destroy Outworld Enterprises
+      on Kardon. Yet this thought did not bother him. To his surprise he had no
+      qualms of conscience. He was perfectly willing to violate his contract,
+      break faith with his employers, and plot their ruin. The higher duty came
+      first&mdash;the duty to the human race.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He smiled wryly. It wasn&rsquo;t all higher duty. There were some personal
+      desires that leavened the nobility. To prove Copper human was enough
+      motivation&mdash;actually it was better than his sense of duty. Events,
+      Kennon reflected, cause a great deal of change in one&rsquo;s attitude. Although
+      not by nature a plotter, schemes had been flitting through his mind with
+      machinelike regularity, to be examined and discarded, or to be set aside
+      for future reference.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He rejected the direct approach. It was too dangerous, depended too much
+      on personalities, and had too little chance for success. He considered the
+      possibility of letters to the Brotherhood Council but ultimately rejected
+      it. Not only was the proof legally insufficient to establish humanity in
+      the Lani, but he also remembered Alexander&rsquo;s incredible knowledge of his
+      activities, and there was no reason to suppose that his present didn&rsquo;t
+      receive the same scrutiny as the past. And if he, who hadn&rsquo;t written a
+      letter in over a year, suddenly began to write, the correspondence would
+      undoubtedly be regarded with suspicion and would probably be examined, and
+      Dirac messages would be out for the same reason.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He could take a vacation and while he was away from the island he could
+      inform the Brotherhood. Leaving Flora wouldn&rsquo;t be particularly difficult,
+      but leaving Kardon would be virtually impossible. His contract called for
+      vacations, but it expressly provided that they would be taken on Kardon.
+      And again, there would be no assurance that his activities would not be
+      watched. In fact, it was probable that they would be.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There was nothing that could be done immediately. But there were certain
+      long-range measures that could be started. He could begin preparing a case
+      that could be presented to the Council. And Beta, when it knew, would help
+      him. The situation of the Lani was so close to Beta&rsquo;s own that its obvious
+      merit as a test case simply could not be ignored. If he could get the
+      evidence to Beta, it would be easy to enlist the aid of the entire
+      Medico-Technological Civilization. It would take time and attention to
+      detail; the case, the evidence, everything would have to be prepared with
+      every safeguard and contingency provided, so that there would not be the
+      slightest chance of a slip-up once it came to court.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And perhaps the best method of bringing the evidence would be to transport
+      it under its own power. The thought intrigued him. Actually it wouldn&rsquo;t be
+      too difficult. Externally the Egg wasn&rsquo;t in bad shape. The virtually
+      indestructible durilium hull was still intact. The controls and the
+      engines, hermetically sealed inside the hull, were probably as good as the
+      day they stopped running. The circuitry would undoubtedly be bad but it
+      could be repaired and restored, and new fuel slugs could be obtained for
+      the engine and the converter. But that was a problem for the future.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The immediate problem was to get into the ship in a properly documented
+      fashion.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It took nearly two months, but finally, under the impersonal lenses of
+      cameras and recorders, the entrance port of the God-Egg swung open and
+      revealed the dark interior. Kennon moved carefully, recording every step
+      as he entered the black orifice in the spaceship&rsquo;s side. His handtorch
+      gave plenty of light for the recorders as he moved inside&mdash;Copper at
+      his heels, both of them physically unrecognizable in antiradiation suits.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why are we moving so slowly?&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s go ahead and find out
+      what&rsquo;s beyond this passageway.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;From a superstitious coward you&rsquo;ve certainly become a reckless explorer,&rdquo;
+       he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Egg hasn&rsquo;t hurt us, and we&rsquo;ve been around it many times,&rdquo; she said.
+      &ldquo;Either the curse has become too old to hurt us, or there never was any in
+      the first place. So let&rsquo;s see what is ahead. I&rsquo;m curious.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. &ldquo;In this business we must hurry slowly&mdash;very
+      slowly. You know why.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I want to see.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Patience, girl. Simmer down. You&rsquo;ll see soon enough,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Now
+      help me set up this camera.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, all right&mdash;but isn&rsquo;t there any excitement in you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m bubbling over with it,&rdquo; Kennon admitted, &ldquo;but I manage to keep it
+      under control.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re cold-blooded.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;I&rsquo;m sensible. We want to nail this down. My future, yours, and
+      that of your people depend upon how carefully we work. You wouldn&rsquo;t want
+      to let us all down by being too eager, would you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She shook her head. &ldquo;No&mdash;you&rsquo;re right of course. But I still would
+      like to see.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They moved cautiously through the airlock and into the control room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; Kennon said with satisfaction. &ldquo;I hoped for this, but I didn&rsquo;t dare
+      expect it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Look around. What do you see?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nothing but an empty room. It&rsquo;s shaped like half an orange, and it has a
+      lot of funny instruments and dials on the walls, and a video screen
+      overhead. But that&rsquo;s all. Why&mdash;what&rsquo;s so unusual about it? It looks
+      just like someone had left it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the point. There&rsquo;s nothing essential that&rsquo;s missing. They didn&rsquo;t
+      cannibalize the instruments&mdash;and they didn&rsquo;t come back.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Maybe because that curse you mentioned a few minutes ago was real.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper drew back. &ldquo;But you said it wouldn&rsquo;t hurt us&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not now. The heat&rsquo;s practically gone, but when whoever flew this crate
+      came here, the whole shell could have been as hot as a Samarian summer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But couldn&rsquo;t they have come back when it cooled?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not with this kind of heat. The hull was probably too radioactive to
+      approach from the outside. And radioactivity cools off slowly. It might
+      take several lifetimes for its level to become low enough to approach if
+      there was no decontamination equipment available.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I suppose that&rsquo;s why the early ones thought the Egg was cursed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. &ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s check&mdash;oh! oh! what&rsquo;s this?&rdquo; He pointed to
+      a metal-backed book lying on the control panel.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It looks like a book,&rdquo; Copper said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping it&rsquo;s the book.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The book?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes&mdash;the ship&rsquo;s log. It&rsquo;s possible. And if it is, we may have all
+      the evidence we need&mdash;Copper!&mdash;Don&rsquo;t touch it!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Because its position has to be recorded first. Wait until we get the
+      camera and recorders set up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Gingerly Kennon opened the ancient book. The sheets inside were brittle&mdash;crumbling
+      with age&mdash;but he could make out the title U.N.S.S. Wanderer with the
+      date of launching and a lower line which read &ldquo;Ship&rsquo;s Log.&rdquo; Kennon was
+      thankful for his medical training. The four years of Classical English
+      that he had despised so much were essential now. Stumbling over unfamiliar
+      words and phrases, he moved slowly through the log tracing the old ship&rsquo;s
+      history from pleasure craft to short-haul freight tractor to obsolescence
+      in a space dump orbiting around a world called Heaven.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a gap of nearly ten years indicated by a blank page before the
+      entries resumed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah&mdash;this is it!&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; Copper said curiously. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t read the writing.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course you can&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s in English&mdash;a language that became
+      obsolete during the Interregnum. I had to learn it, since most medical
+      terminology is based on it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is an Interregnum?&rdquo; Copper interrupted. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never heard that word
+      before.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a period of confusion when there is no stable government. The last
+      one came after the Second Galactic War&mdash;but never mind that&mdash;it
+      happened long ago and isn&rsquo;t important now. The important thing that did
+      happen was the Exodus.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What was that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A religious revival and a tremendous desire to see what was happening
+      beyond the next star. During that century men traveled wider and farther
+      then they ever have before or since. In that outward explosion with its
+      mixed motivations of religion and practicality, colonists and missionaries
+      went starward to find new worlds to tame, and new races to be rescued from
+      the darkness of idolatry and hell. Almost any sort of vehicle capable of
+      mounting a spindizzy converter was pressed into service. The old
+      spindizzies were soundly engineered converters of almost childlike
+      simplicity that could and did carry ships enormous distances if their
+      passengers didn&rsquo;t care about subjective time-lag, and a little
+      radioactivity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s what happened to this ship. According to this log it was
+      bought by Alfred and Melissa Weygand&mdash;a missionary couple with the
+      idea of spreading the Christian faith to the heathen.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Alfred and Melissa&mdash;Ulf and Lyssa&mdash;they were a part of this
+      ancient explosion that scattered human seed across parsecs of interstellar
+      space. It seems that they were a unit in a missionary fleet that had gone
+      out to the stars with flame in their hearts and Gospel on their lips to
+      bring the Word to the benighted heathen on other worlds.&rdquo; Kennon&rsquo;s lips
+      curled with mild contempt at their stupid foolhardiness even as his pulse
+      quickened to their bravery. They had been fanatics, true enough, but
+      theirs was a selfless fanaticism that would risk torture and death for
+      what they believed&mdash;a fanaticism that was more sublime than the
+      concept of Brotherhood which had evolved from it. They knew nothing of the
+      enmity of race, of the incessant struggle man had since waged with alien
+      intelligences all too willing to destroy intruders who encroached upon
+      their worlds. Mankind&rsquo;s early selflessness had long ago been discarded for
+      frank expansionism and dominance over the lesser races that stood in their
+      way. And in a way it was too bad.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The ship&rsquo;s log, meticulously kept in neat round English script, told a
+      story that was more than the bare bones of flight. There was passion and
+      tenderness and a spiritual quality that was shocking to a modern man
+      steeped in millennia of conquest and self-interest. There was a greatness
+      to it, a depth of faith that had since been lost. And as Kennon slowly
+      deciphered the ancient script he admired the courage even as his mind
+      winced with dismay at the unheeding recklessness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Weygands had lost contact with the others, and had searched for them
+      in hyperspace, doubling and twisting upon their course until they had
+      become hopelessly lost, and then, with their fuel nearly exhausted, had
+      broken out into the normal three-space continuum to find Kardon&rsquo;s sun and
+      the world they called Flora.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      How little they had known and how lucky they had been.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was only by the grace of their God that they had found this world
+      before their fuel was exhausted. And it was only by further grace that the
+      planet was habitable and not populated with intelligent life. They had
+      more luck than people were entitled to in a dozen lifetimes. Against odds
+      of a million to one they had survived.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was fascinating reading.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But it was not proof.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The last entry read: &ldquo;We have circled this world and have seen no
+      buildings&mdash;no sign of intelligent life. We are lost, marooned on this
+      empty world. Our fuel supplies are too low for us to attempt to find the
+      others. Nor could we. The constellations in the sky are strange. We do not
+      know which way to go. Therefore we shall land upon the great island in the
+      center of the yellow sea. And perhaps someday men will come to us since we
+      cannot return to them. Melissa thinks that this is an example of Divine
+      Providence, that the Lord&rsquo;s mercy has been shown to us that were lost in
+      the vastness of the deep&mdash;that we have been chosen, like Eve and
+      Adam, to spread the seed of man to yet another world. I hope she is right,
+      yet I fear the radiation level of the ship has become inordinately high.
+      We may well be Eve and Adam, yet an Adam that cannot beget and an Eve that
+      is not fruitful. I am trimming the ship for landing, and we shall leave it
+      immediately after we have landed, taking with us only what we absolutely
+      need. There is too much radiation from the spindizzy and the drive to
+      remain here longer&mdash;and God knows how hot the outer hull may be.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      And that was all. Presumptive evidence&mdash;yes. Reasonable certainty&mdash;yes.
+      But not proof. Lawyers could argue that since no direct exploration was
+      made there was no valid reason to assume that the Lani did not already
+      inhabit Kardon. But Kennon knew. His body, more perceptive than his mind,
+      had realized a truth that his brain would not accept until he read the
+      log. It was at once joy and frustration. Joy that Copper was human,
+      frustration that he could not obtain for her and her race the rights to
+      which they were entitled. But the immediate problem was solved. His
+      conditioning was broken now he was convinced that Copper was a member of
+      the human race. It was no violation of his code to love her. The greatest
+      barrier was broken, and with it gone the lesser ones would yield. Relief
+      that was almost pain washed through him and left him weak with reaction.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; Copper asked as he turned to her. &ldquo;What is this thing that
+      has turned your face to joy?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you guess?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She shook her head. &ldquo;I have seen nothing but you reading this ancient
+      book, yet you turn to me with the look in your eyes that the redes say Ulf
+      had for Lyssa.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re human!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper shrugged. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re mad. I&rsquo;m a Lani. I was born a Lani&mdash;and I
+      shall die one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you understand? All Lani are human. You all are the descendants of
+      two humans who came here thousands of years ago.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then there is no reason why you cannot love me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is no reason.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper laughed. It was a sound so merry and gay that Kennon looked at her
+      in surprise. She looked as happy as she sounded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Simple and savage, Kennon thought. She cared nothing for the future, and
+      probably very little about the injustice of her present. The thing that
+      mattered was that what had kept them apart was gone. She was probably
+      offering mental sacrifices to the Old Ones who had caused this change in
+      the man she loved. She didn&rsquo;t really care about what had caused the
+      change. To her it was sufficient that it had happened.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment Kennon wished that it could be as simple for him as it
+      apparently was for her. The fact that Copper was human posed a greater
+      problem than the one it solved. The one had been personal. The other was
+      infinitely greater. He could not let it lie. The very morality which had
+      kept him from doing what he wished when he thought she was a humanoid now
+      forced him to do what he did not wish. Every instinct said to leave it
+      alone. The problem was too great for one man to solve, the situation too
+      complicated, the evidence too inconclusive, the opposition too powerful.
+      It would be far better to take his happiness and enjoy it. It was not his
+      problem to solve. He could turn the evidence over to the Brotherhood once
+      his contract was over, and better and more capable people than he could
+      settle the Lani legal status. But the inner voice that had called him
+      bestial now called him shirker, coward, and slacker. And this, too, could
+      not be borne. The case of the Lani would have to be pursued as vigorously
+      as he could do it. They were entitled to human rights&mdash;whether they
+      wanted them or not.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      His first idea of making the spacer operational was a good one, Kennon
+      decided as they finished the inspection of the ship. Even if it was never
+      used it would make a good means of retreat. He grinned wryly. In a
+      guerrilla operation such as the one he was considering it would be wise to
+      have a way out if things got too hot. The heavy parts, the engines and the
+      controls, were in workable condition and would merely require cleaning and
+      oiling. Some of the optical equipment would have to be replaced and fuel
+      slugs would have to be obtained for the drive&mdash;but none of these
+      would be too hard to accomplish. The slugs from any of the power reactors
+      on the island would serve nicely. All that would have to be done would be
+      to modify the fuel ports on the ship&rsquo;s engine. The spindizzy would have to
+      be disassembled and checked, and the main leads, embedded in
+      time-resistant plastic, would have to be examined. The most serious
+      problem, however, wouldn&rsquo;t involve these things. The control board wiring
+      and circuitry was where the trouble would lie. Normal insulation and
+      printed circuitry wasn&rsquo;t designed to last for thousands of years. Each
+      wired circuit would have to be removed, duplicated, and replaced. Every
+      printed panel would have to be cleaned and receive a new coat of
+      insulating varnish. Working full time, a four-man electronics team could
+      do the job in a week. Working part-time the two of them might get it done
+      in three months. And the other jobs would take at least another. Add a
+      month for errors in judgment, lack of materials, and mistakes&mdash;and
+      another for unavoidable delays&mdash;it would be at least six months
+      before the Egg would be spaceworthy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Six months.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Not too long if everything went well, but far too long if there were any
+      mistakes. He would have to be careful, yet he must not give the impression
+      of being careful. He shook his head. Being a subversive was going to
+      require a greater amount of acting ability than he had ever been called
+      upon to display.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And what of Copper? How would she behave under the double strain of
+      knowledge that she was human and knowledge of the spaceship? Women weren&rsquo;t
+      noted for their tight-lipped reticence. Would she tell the other Lani?
+      Would she crack under the pressure? Did she have the qualities of a good
+      conspirator?
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As it turned out, he didn&rsquo;t need to worry. As a partner in crime, Copper
+      was all that could be wished. Everything was normal. She was still
+      obedient, helpful, and gay as ever. To watch her, no one would ever think
+      that her bright head was full of knowledge that could rock Flora to its
+      foundations. Never by look or word did she betray the slightest trace of
+      strain or guilt.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And in her other moments she was ecstatic in her love and helpful with the
+      repair work on the Egg whenever Kennon could get time to visit the old
+      spaceship.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You amaze me,&rdquo; Kennon said as they eased the cover of the spindizzy in
+      place and spun the bolts on the lugs that held it to the outer shielding.
+      He picked up a heavy wrench and began methodically to seat the bolts as
+      Copper wiped the white extrusion of the cover sealant from the shining
+      case.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The way you hide your knowledge of this ship from the others. I know you
+      better than anyone else on this island, and yet you would fool me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We Lani are used to hiding things. You men have been our masters for
+      centuries, yet you do not know our redes. Nor do you know what we think,
+      We obey you, but there are parts of us you do not own. It is easy to hide
+      a little thing like this.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. It figured. He seated another bolt. Three more and the
+      drive room would be restored and they could start on the control circuits.
+      &ldquo;I wish you were as clever about adopting human customs as you are about
+      hiding guilty knowledge,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper laughed. &ldquo;You mean those silly things you have been teaching me?
+      Why should I learn them? I&rsquo;m happy as I am. I love you, you love me, and
+      that is all that matters.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not all that matters. Can&rsquo;t you get it through your head that
+      civilized customs are necessary in a civilized society?&rdquo; He gave the
+      next-to-last bolt an extra-vicious wrench. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to know them if
+      you expect to get along on Beta.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I will never see Beta.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am going there when my duty here is over. And you&rsquo;re going with me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When will that be?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Three years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So long? Well&mdash;we can think of it then, but I don&rsquo;t think Man
+      Alexander will let you take me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then I shall take you without his consent.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She smiled. &ldquo;It would be easier to stay here. In another fifteen years I
+      will be old and you will not want me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll never do that. I&rsquo;ll always want you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You swear too easily,&rdquo; she said gently. &ldquo;You men live forever. We Lani
+      are a short-lived race.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you needn&rsquo;t be. It&rsquo;s obviously&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been tried, my love&mdash;and those who were treated died. Man
+      Alexander tried many years ago to make us long-lived like you. But he
+      failed. You see, he loved one of us too.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let us think no more of it. Let us enjoy what we have and be grateful to
+      the Gods for the love we enjoy&mdash;or do you have any Gods?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;One.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Two are better. More, anyway. And besides, Ulf and Lyssa and the God-Egg
+      are responsible for our joy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They are indeed,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then why should you think of leaving the place where they rule? You
+      should stay here. There will be other Lani when I am gone. You will be
+      happy always.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not without you,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you understand that I love you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I you. But I am a Lani. You are a man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re as human as I am,&rdquo; Kennon said abruptly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is what you say,&rdquo; Copper replied. &ldquo;I am not so sure. I need more
+      proof than this.&rdquo; She waved her hand at the ship.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What proof do you need?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The same as the proof you men require. If I should have your child, then
+      I would believe that I was human.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told you a thousand times that the radiation on this ship must have
+      affected Ulf and Lyssa&rsquo;s germ plasm. Can&rsquo;t you understand that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can understand it all right, but it does not change things. Ulf and
+      Lyssa may have been human before they came here, but they were not when
+      they landed. They were Lani, and their children were Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But they were of human stock.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The law that lets men become our masters does not agree with you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then the law is wrong. It should be changed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper shrugged. &ldquo;Two people cannot change a law.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They can try&mdash;particularly if the law is unjust.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper sighed. &ldquo;Is it not enough for us to love? Must you try to run
+      through a wall?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When the wall stands in the way of right and justice I must.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper looked at him with pity in her green eyes. &ldquo;This I do not
+      understand. I know nothing of right and justice. What are these things?
+      Just words. Yet you will endanger our happiness for them. If it is my
+      happiness you wish&mdash;then leave this foolishness alone. I have fifteen
+      years I can live with you before I am old and you tire of me. With those
+      years I can be content.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Call me selfish if you wish, but I want you
+      with me as long as I live. I don&rsquo;t want to live my life without you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You want too much,&rdquo; Copper said softly. &ldquo;But if it makes you happy to try
+      to get it, I shall help. And if we do not succeed you will at least be
+      happier for trying. And if you are happy&rdquo;&mdash;she shrugged&mdash;&ldquo;then
+      the rest makes little difference.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      That was the crux of the matter, Kennon reflected bitterly. He was
+      convinced she was human. She was not. And until her mind could be changed
+      on that point she would help him but her heart wouldn&rsquo;t be in it. And the
+      only thing that would convince her that she was human would be a child&mdash;a
+      child of his begetting. He could perhaps trick her with an artificial
+      insemination of Lani sperm. There were drugs that could suspend
+      consciousness, hypnotics that would make her believe anything she was told
+      while under their influence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But in the end it would do no good. All witnesses in Brotherhood court
+      actions were examined under psychoprobe, and a hypnotic was of no value
+      against a lie detector that could extract the deepest buried truth. And he
+      would be examined too. The truth would out&mdash;and nothing would be
+      gained. In fact&mdash;everything would be lost. The attempt at trickery
+      would prejudice any court against the honest evidence they had so
+      painfully collected.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He sighed. The only thing to do was to go on as they were&mdash;and hope
+      that the evidence would hold. With Betan legal talent at their back it
+      might. And, of course, they could try to produce a child as nature had
+      intended. They could try&mdash;but Kennon knew it would not succeed. It
+      never had.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XV
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Copper had been acting strangely of late, Kennon thought as he rolled over
+      in his bed and watched her standing before the full-length mirror on the
+      bathroom door. She pivoted slowly before the glass, eying herself
+      critically, raising her arms over her head, holding them at her sides,
+      flexing her supple spine and tightening muscles that moved like silken
+      cords beneath her golden skin.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What are you trying to do&mdash;become a muscle dancer?&rdquo; Kennon asked
+      idly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She whirled, a crimson blush deepening the tan of her face. &ldquo;You were
+      supposed to be asleep,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m an unregenerate heel,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;and I don&rsquo;t sleep too well
+      nowadays unless you&rsquo;re beside me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;I suppose you might as well know now as later,&rdquo; she said.
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll know in any event.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Know what?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That you&rsquo;re right. I am human.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And what brought on this sudden change of&mdash;&rdquo; He stopped abruptly,
+      his eyes widening.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;I am with child. Your child.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s impossible.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She shook her head. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a miracle perhaps, but it&rsquo;s not impossible. It&rsquo;s
+      happened. Can&rsquo;t you see the difference?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;See what? You look just as you always do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I suppose you can&rsquo;t see it yet,&rdquo; she admitted. &ldquo;But I am with child. I&rsquo;m
+      two weeks past my time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon&rsquo;s mind leaped to the obvious conclusion. Pseudo-pregnancy. He had
+      seen it before among Lani at Hillside Farm. It was an odd syndrome which
+      occasionally occurred in humans and animals. The brain, desiring children,
+      made demands upon the body and the body responded to its desire by
+      tricking the brain. Lani were fairly subject to it probably because they
+      had better imaginations. He would run a few tests when they went down to
+      the hospital, and once she realized the practical joke her body was
+      playing everything would be all right. No wonder she seemed excited.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll find out about that later,&rdquo; he said equably. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll settle this
+      when we get back to the hospital.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper smiled confidently and patted her stomach. &ldquo;I know what you are
+      thinking, but you&rsquo;re wrong. We Lani know about these things. In forty
+      generations I am the first to conceive as the Master intended.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope you haven&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said with such bitter sincerity that Copper
+      looked at him wide-eyed. &ldquo;Not now. Because if you have, neither your life
+      nor mine is safe.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Alexanders. Do you think they&rsquo;ll take it lying down? We&rsquo;re not ready
+      for them yet. They&rsquo;ll fight, and the first thing they&rsquo;ll do is kill you
+      and erase me so we would never be able to talk. You have been declared an
+      animal, and you will not be allowed to change.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What can we do?&rdquo; Copper asked. She shivered. &ldquo;I do not want to die.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nor do I want you to,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could tell the others.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And just what would that accomplish?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;In a week every Lani on the island would know it. There would be revolt.
+      For the Lani would no longer be dependent upon Men to survive. Their
+      greatest hold on us would be gone. And we would be free again on our
+      island world.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You would not!&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;That sort of thinking is foolishness.
+      Alexander would have men here within a week, and a week after that you
+      would be smashed. Don&rsquo;t you realize that there are thousands of millions
+      of men in the galaxy&mdash;and to every one of them you would be animals.
+      You know nothing about what you would face. Your puny hundreds couldn&rsquo;t
+      even stand against a fraction of the power Alexander could mount against
+      you. Have you seen a Burkholtz blaster work? Have you seen remote-control
+      antipersonnel missiles? Have you push-pull projectors, atomic warheads?
+      All of these weapons Alexander can command. Don&rsquo;t you realize he&rsquo;s an
+      entrepreneur?&mdash;one of the most powerful men in this sector?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper shook her head. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; she said in a small voice. &ldquo;I know nothing
+      about these things.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And do you think forty generations of absolute obedience to men can be
+      overcome because one Lani says she is pregnant by a man?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper frowned. &ldquo;You put that in a different way. You talk as if it were
+      my belief rather than the truth.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is truth?&rdquo; Kennon said heavily. &ldquo;Who would believe you? There are
+      hundreds of others with child.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure you&rsquo;re human. You know it. I know it. I&rsquo;ve been trying to convince
+      you for the past two months. You&rsquo;re just as human as I am. But pray that
+      you&rsquo;re not pregnant. We can&rsquo;t get out of here in less than four months and
+      by then everybody will know about you. Someone will certainly check the
+      records. And after that will come the psychoprobes. Everything will come
+      to light. The Egg will be destroyed. I will be erased. You will be dead.
+      And that will be the end of it.&rdquo; He looked down at her with an odd
+      expression of pity on his face. &ldquo;You see?&rdquo; he demanded harshly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper nodded. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t understand,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be angry with me. I
+      shouldn&rsquo;t have told you. I thought you&rsquo;d be happy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was never angry with you, but I am with myself. I was stupid. I didn&rsquo;t
+      figure on the remote possibility that we might be genetically compatible.
+      I should have my head examined for putting you in such danger. However
+      there&rsquo;s the possibility&mdash;the probability&mdash;that your body is
+      playing a trick upon you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She shook her head. &ldquo;You are wrong. I am not mistaken. I am with child and
+      the child is yours. But the fault is no more yours than mine. I wanted you
+      before you looked on me. I still do and I do not feel at fault. That I am
+      yours, that my child is yours is a thing of wonder and joy. Never could I
+      have expected so much.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked down at her smudged face, streaked with the sudden rivulets
+      of tears, and bitterness galled his throat. Dear God&mdash;let her be
+      wrong, he prayed silently. Let it be pseudopregnancy this time. Let the
+      tests be negative.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But they weren&rsquo;t. Unequivocally they confirmed Copper&rsquo;s diagnosis. Here
+      was the proof he needed. The final test that would prove the Lani human.
+      And he had no way of getting it where it would do any good. It would take
+      at least four months of steady labor before the ship was ready, and he
+      didn&rsquo;t have that sort of time. He was needed here and his prolonged
+      absence would cause suspicion and investigation. Something would have to
+      be done&mdash;but what? He couldn&rsquo;t take Copper off the island in an
+      airboat. They were checked with microscopic care by Otpen One&rsquo;s IFF. A
+      jeep didn&rsquo;t have enough range to take them to the mainland. And even if
+      they got there they couldn&rsquo;t get off the planet. Alexander knew everything
+      that happened on Kardon&rsquo;s two spaceports. The Egg was the only way, but
+      the Egg was unfinished and unspaceworthy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Frantically Kennon considered concealing Copper. He shook his head. It
+      wouldn&rsquo;t work. It would be impossible, to hide a baby on a place where
+      every birth was recorded. Nor could one hide evidence of pregnancy in a
+      Lani. Childbearing leaves telltale marks upon the body, and Copper, even
+      if she could be concealed for the duration of her pregnancy, could never
+      survive the sharp-eyed scrutiny of her fellows or the other humans.
+      Questions would inevitably be asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There had to be a solution. He rubbed his forehead wearily. It was strange
+      how so little a thing as the union of a spermatozoon and an ovum could
+      produce so much trouble. He looked across the office at Copper placidly
+      filing case cards. She wasn&rsquo;t worrying. With sublime faith, she was sure
+      that he would find the answer, the one that would solve everything. He
+      shuddered. The only logical solution was abortion&mdash;and that was
+      unthinkable! He would not murder his child&mdash;nor would Copper permit
+      it if he was capable of doing so.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was almost a relief when his phone rang and Blalok&rsquo;s voice came
+      cheerfully across the wire.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tried to get you about an hour ago,&rdquo; the superintendent said, &ldquo;but your
+      girl said you were busy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You through now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, get up to the fortress. Alexander just flew in and he&rsquo;s calling a
+      meeting. Something important has come up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Something important! A wave of ice rattled down Kennon&rsquo;s spine, and then
+      he grinned feebly. Alexander didn&rsquo;t know. He couldn&rsquo;t know. It had to be
+      something else.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be right up,&rdquo; he said, marveling at the calmness in his voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon couldn&rsquo;t help comparing this meeting with the one a year ago. The
+      location was different&mdash;the conference room in Alexandria was more
+      formal than Blalok&rsquo;s parlor but the same people were present: Alexander,
+      Blalok, Jordan, and himself. Somehow Alexander seemed to have shrunk. He
+      was no longer as impressive as he had been. But the man still radiated
+      force, even though it didn&rsquo;t seem quite so overpowering. The year, Kennon
+      thought, had done much to build his self-confidence. He felt assured
+      rather than nervous.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good to see you, Kennon,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Reports say you&rsquo;re doing a
+      good job.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t claim the credit,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Eighty-five per cent of our
+      success is due to co-operation from the operating staff. And that&rsquo;s
+      Blalok&rsquo;s doing&mdash;he knocked the heads of the division managers
+      together and they took care of their staffs. Otherwise we could have had a
+      bad time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;And you were the motive force.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve darn near motivated myself out of a job,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;They
+      co-operate all too well nowadays.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Which goes to prove that my theories on preventive medicine are right,&rdquo;
+       Alexander said, turning to Blalok.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It looks that way,&rdquo; Blalok admitted, &ldquo;but that could be because you
+      picked a good man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s good in more ways than one,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Or did he tell you he
+      saved Douglas&rsquo;s life out on Otpen One?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s never said a word.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander smiled. &ldquo;Another point in his favor. He knows how to keep his
+      mouth shut.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not when he&rsquo;s telling someone what to do about disease,&rdquo; Jordon
+      interjected.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Or telling someone off when they haven&rsquo;t followed directions,&rdquo; Blaiok
+      added.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Better and better. I was sure that he was the one we needed when we first
+      met.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon felt his ears turn flaming red.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s not the reason I brought you here. This isn&rsquo;t a Jac Kennon
+      admiration society. I called you because I want to expand the Lani
+      breeding program.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo; Jordan asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok stiffened. &ldquo;You know my feeling about that, sir. I&rsquo;ve never liked
+      the idea of selling them. If that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s in your mind&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander shook his head. &ldquo;Simmer down,&rdquo; he said, as he seated himself at
+      the head of the table. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s going to be no selling. The Lani are too
+      valuable for that. We&rsquo;ll need them more than the money they&rsquo;d bring on the
+      market. You see&mdash;I&rsquo;ve acquired a planet out on the periphery. A place
+      called Phoebe. One of our ships found it, and I staked a discovery claim
+      on the major land mass, and the crew made lesser claims that covered all
+      the available land. Last month the Brotherhood allowed the claims. Last
+      week the crewmen sold me their land. Phoebe&rsquo;s a lovely place&mdash;quite a
+      bit like Flora&mdash;and the ecological tests show it&rsquo;s capable of
+      supporting mammalian life. Just before I came here I sent three shiploads
+      of exterminators to clean it up and make it ready for us. It should be
+      ready in two years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What sort of an ecology are you exterminating?&rdquo; Jordan asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not that it makes any difference,&rdquo; Alexander said, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s mainly
+      reptilian. Nothing over Group I. We&rsquo;ll restock with Floran animals.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jordan sighed. &ldquo;Since that&rsquo;s the way it is, it doesn&rsquo;t make any
+      difference,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But it could have. The Lani are sensitive to things
+      like that. If they thought that they were walking in over a pile of bodies
+      they&rsquo;d do badly. It&rsquo;d be like Olympus all over again. And we couldn&rsquo;t keep
+      them from knowing. We talk and we forget, but they&rsquo;d tell each other&mdash;and
+      they&rsquo;d remember.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Alexander said, &ldquo;somehow they&rsquo;ve never forgotten that
+      Grandfather trapped the last of the Lani males on Olympus.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Jordan nodded. &ldquo;They can&rsquo;t stand the place. That&rsquo;s why we had to abandon
+      the station.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Does this new world have a moon?&rdquo; Kennon asked abruptly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes&mdash;in fact it has two.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Habitable?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No&mdash;they&rsquo;re too small to hold air. But men could live there in domes&mdash;but
+      why do you?&mdash;oh! I see! I hadn&rsquo;t considered that point.&rdquo; Alexander&rsquo;s
+      hand darted to the phone beside him. &ldquo;Get me Albertsville,&rdquo; he snapped.
+      &ldquo;Yes, my offices&mdash;I want Mr. Oliver in purchasing and contracting.
+      Hello&mdash;Ward? Alexander here. Yes&mdash;everything&rsquo;s fine. I have a
+      job for you&mdash;use your scrambler-pattern two.&rdquo; Alexander dialed the
+      scrambler code on the second dial at the base of the phone, effectively
+      preventing eavesdropping by beam tappers. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he went on. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s Project
+      Phoebe. Have you secured title to the moons? You haven&rsquo;t? Well&mdash;you&rsquo;d
+      better do it before some of our competitors get bright ideas. Sure they
+      know about the project&mdash;do you think they&rsquo;re stupid? Warren over at
+      Consolidated practically told me that he was onto our scheme. So get title
+      to those moons. Since they&rsquo;re uninhabitable and within the planet&rsquo;s
+      primary field they come under the Spatial Debris Act and you should be
+      able to get Kardonian title without any great amount of trouble. Naturally
+      we want them.&mdash;For defense&mdash;what else? We&rsquo;ll have most of our
+      eggs in that basket. No&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know how we overlooked that point.
+      But if it wasn&rsquo;t for a bright young man out here we&rsquo;d have left ourselves
+      wide open. Now get cracking&mdash;get that leak plugged!&rdquo; Alexander
+      dropped the phone back in its cradle and sighed. &ldquo;Well&mdash;that&rsquo;s
+      buttoned up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Thanks, Kennon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked at Alexander&rsquo;s grinning face, his own impassive, but a
+      shattering certainty exploded in his mind&mdash;Alexander was a telepath!
+      That was his difference! That was the thing that made him feared and
+      respected by his business associates. It wouldn&rsquo;t have been enough on the
+      Central Worlds, where men knew of sensitives and took precautions against
+      them. But out here on the periphery it was a deadly advantage.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So I gave it away,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I suppose I was careless, but your
+      thoughts about the moons shocked me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You practically told me once before, when you hired me,&rdquo; Kennon said,
+      &ldquo;but I never realized it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You were too excited then.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;At any rate I didn&rsquo;t add the facts
+      correctly.&rdquo; From somewhere deep in his memory an old quip came floating to
+      the surface: &ldquo;An executive is a man who picks brains&mdash;others&rsquo; 
+      brains.&rdquo; By that definition Alexander was an executive of the first class.
+      Alexander chuckled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Suddenly Kennon wanted to run. Panic flooded him! What had he been
+      thinking about? Had he thought of&mdash;two times two are four, four times
+      four are sixteen, sixteen times sixteen are&mdash;let&rsquo;s see, six times
+      sixteen is ninety-six, one times sixteen is&mdash;six, five, carry one&mdash;two&mdash;two
+      hundred fifty-six. Two hundred fifty-six times&mdash;
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s eating you?&rdquo; Alexander demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m angry,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I told you the conditions I&rsquo;d sign that
+      contract, and you wrote a Peeper Clause into it. And then you peep in the
+      worst way possible. There&rsquo;s no defense against a Telep unless you know
+      about him; you&rsquo;ve had my whole mind bare! You&rsquo;ve violated my personal
+      privacy like no man has done before. Sure I&rsquo;m mad. I expected honesty from
+      you&mdash;and you peep!&rdquo; The anger was stronger now&mdash;a wave of raw
+      emotion based on a lifetime of training in mutual respect of a man&rsquo;s
+      privacy&mdash;a feeling intensified by his childhood environment of a
+      crowded planetary ecology and the cramped crew quarters on a spaceship. To
+      Kennon, Alexander had committed the ultimate sin.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can see I made a mistake by not telling you,&rdquo; Alexander said. His voice
+      was cold. &ldquo;But you have no right to insult me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying it, am I?&rdquo; Kennon snapped. The moonflower on the bookcase
+      behind Alexander was a thing of beauty. Alexander liked beauty. He had
+      said so, and the Great Hall below them bore it out. It was a lovely room.
+      Those four bronze Lani in the fountain were works of art. One of them
+      looked remarkably like Copper. Copper in bronze. The little witch had
+      probably posed for the casting. Maybe it had even been made from her body.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re all of Susy,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I can see why you are angry, and I
+      don&rsquo;t blame you. But remember I warned you about Lani.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper&mdash;Kennon wrenched his thoughts back to the moonflower. It had
+      twelve petals, limpid white on the borders shading to deep blue in the
+      center-from which the cream-colored stamen surrounded by transparent
+      pistils sprang to burst into a golden glory of pollen that dripped in tiny
+      yellow flecks to the broad petals below. It was a magnificent flower.
+      There was nothing like it on Beta. That was a marvelous thing about
+      flowers&mdash;wherever one went in the universe, plants used the same
+      methods to fertilize their seed and spread their germ plasm. It was too
+      bad that&mdash;Kennon jerked his attention to Alexander&rsquo;s face. He
+      detested the thought that his mind was common property. A man should have
+      something he can call his own. There had been a clinics instructor in Year
+      Six who was a sensitive. The classes had protected themselves against his
+      prying with a circlet&mdash;a thought screen&mdash;he had done it too.
+      Maybe he had brought the circlet with him. If he did, no one was going to
+      catch him without it. It was a dirty business, this reading of others&rsquo; 
+      thought. Now where had he put that circlet? Was it among his old books&mdash;or
+      was it with his instruments?
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t you go back to your house and find it?&rdquo; Alexander snapped. &ldquo;As
+      you are, you&rsquo;re nothing but a disruption. I want you in on this meeting,
+      but not the way you&rsquo;re acting.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to act any other way until I get some protection from
+      peeping,&rdquo; Kennon said grimly. &ldquo;And if you think this is bad wait till I
+      start going through comparative anatomy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter with you two?&rdquo; Blalok asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Be quiet,&rdquo; Alexander snapped. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t your problem. Kennon is
+      behaving like a spoiled child!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a telepath!&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;And he didn&rsquo;t tell me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So what? I&rsquo;ve known that for years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you stand for it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a Mystic, not a Betan,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have your insane desire
+      for privacy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Go find that thought screen if you still have it!&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I
+      don&rsquo;t want any more of this. You&rsquo;re making me ill!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon grinned thinly as he rose to his feet. It was a good thing he
+      remembered Alexander was squeamish and didn&rsquo;t like anatomy. The door was
+      to his left, an iris door with eight leaves&mdash;terribly old-fashioned.
+      About ten steps away. Count them&mdash;one&mdash;two&mdash;three&mdash;
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander sighed as Kennon left the room. &ldquo;I certainly pushed the panic
+      button on that young man,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He has a pathological attitude toward
+      telepathy. Wonder what he has to hide that he wants privacy so badly? Even
+      for a Betan this reaction was violent.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, I don&rsquo;t know. He&rsquo;s a pretty emotional sort. Maybe he hates to look
+      like a fool. He&rsquo;s gotten himself mixed up with one of the Lani. Cute
+      little thing by the name of Copper,&rdquo; Blalok said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;that&rsquo;s it. I thought that was what he was hiding. A picture of a
+      girl kept popping up.&rdquo; Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;I suppose that&rsquo;s the trouble.
+      A man hardly likes to look a fool, particularly to someone who has warned
+      him. At that, I don&rsquo;t blame him. They are beautiful and affectionate. And
+      even with their superstitions and tabus they&rsquo;re better than most humans.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;For pets,&rdquo; Blalok said heavily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re not better at anything,&rdquo; Jordan demurred. &ldquo;They can&rsquo;t be&mdash;man
+      is the best and always will be.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The eternal racial chauvinist,&rdquo; Alexander murmured. He turned his
+      attention to Blalok. &ldquo;But for awhile, Evald, I&rsquo;d suggest you keep an eye
+      on our young man. I still don&rsquo;t like his reaction. It was too violent&mdash;too
+      defensive. I don&rsquo;t feel right about it. Perhaps Betans are more sensitive
+      than most people but it seems to me that he&rsquo;s trying to conceal something.
+      There was an undertone of fear&mdash;and something else&mdash;beneath his
+      defenses.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Couldn&rsquo;t you get any more than that?&rdquo; Blalok asked. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re pretty good
+      at this mind-reading business.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;His defenses were remarkably good,&rdquo; Alexander said dryly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Well he&rsquo;d done it now, Kennon thought. He found the thought-screen circlet
+      sandwiched between two books on comparative neuroanatomy which he hadn&rsquo;t
+      bothered to unpack. He slipped it on and connected the lead wires to a
+      portable battery pack. There was a half-forgotten tingling as the weak
+      field heterodyned his thought waves. Kennon sighed. If Alexander wasn&rsquo;t
+      suspicious of him now the man was a fool. He&rsquo;d done as well as he could
+      with confusion and outrage, but it was hardly possible to hide behind
+      superficialities. Even the most disciplined mind couldn&rsquo;t do that without
+      some preparation. Undoubtedly his concern about Copper had leaked through.
+      He could only hope that other and more important things had not.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Well&mdash;he could go back to the conference now, but he would have to be
+      doubly careful from now on. He couldn&rsquo;t make daily trips to Olympus. His
+      reaction had killed that plan. Alexander would be suspicious now&mdash;and
+      unusual actions would crystallize suspicion to certainty. Now he needed a
+      reason to be in that area. And then he grinned. He had a reason&mdash;a
+      good one&mdash;one that would fit in with Alexander&rsquo;s plans and his own.
+      The only problem would be to make Alexander buy it&mdash;and that might be
+      difficult. He&rsquo;d have to work carefully&mdash;but with normal luck he could
+      put the idea across. He crossed his fingers as he trudged back up the path
+      to Alexandria.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The conference dragged on. Unlike most meetings, this one accomplished
+      things&mdash;which was a tribute to Alexander&rsquo;s ability to keep the
+      subject in hand. Details of the expansion program presented by Alexander
+      were rapidly reduced to workable plans. They involved some rearrangement
+      of existing facilities, and the construction of others. But the obvious
+      snags were rapidly disposed of, and the whole revamped operation was
+      outlined on paper in surprisingly few hours. A deadline date was set,
+      construction was authorized, and in the morning the first steps in the
+      practical implementation of the new program would be taken.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s that,&rdquo; Alexander said with a sigh. &ldquo;I think this calls for a
+      drink.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s one more thing,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I know it isn&rsquo;t much, but Jordan&rsquo;s
+      remark started me thinking.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What remark?&rdquo; Jordan asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The one you made at the beginning about Phoebe possibly being like the
+      Olympus Station. I&rsquo;ve often wondered why that particular location has been
+      so difficult to operate. Sure, I know the accepted explanation, but I
+      think we should learn why it works and how to break a tabu. If we don&rsquo;t,
+      we might be in for trouble.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a good thought,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I tried to find out once, but
+      all I could discover was that it was tabu. The Lani simply didn&rsquo;t like it.
+      And despite the fact that I can read minds, I didn&rsquo;t learn any more than
+      that. There&rsquo;s a certain sex-linkage to telepathy, as you probably know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All I could discover was that their dislike of Olympus was a basic
+      emotion rather than reasoned thought. They were nervous, irritable,
+      disobedient, and uncooperative while they were there&mdash;and even they
+      didn&rsquo;t know why. It was merely tabu. We even tried youngsters&mdash;but
+      the attitude was the same. I&rsquo;d like to know more about that basic
+      emotion.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We should understand it,&rdquo; Kennon agreed. &ldquo;If we transship a large number
+      of Lani to a strange world, we should know their deepest motivations. We
+      cannot take the chance that the transplant won&rsquo;t take, with all the money
+      you&rsquo;re sinking into this project.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have a point there. Have you any suggestions about how to accomplish
+      this?&rdquo; Alexander&rsquo;s voice was interested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have. Hire a psychologist. And reopen Olympus.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be the same story,&rdquo; Jordan said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not if you apply experimental procedure,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Divide the place
+      into a number of separate units in which groups of&mdash;say ten&mdash;Lani
+      of various ages are kept. Let every group know where they are, but don&rsquo;t
+      let them come in contact with one another. Observe them constantly. Put
+      spy cells in the units. Couple them to recorders. Prepare a set of test
+      situations and observe how each group performs. Question individuals under
+      narcosynthesis. Observe and record any changes in physical condition&mdash;give
+      them the works. Maybe we can collect some basic data that will indicate
+      the answer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not a bad idea,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like it,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;It sounds cumbersome.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is,&rdquo; Kennon agreed. &ldquo;But it may save a great deal of trouble later.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re right, Kennon,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;We should know everything we
+      can.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What would you do first if you were heading this program?&rdquo; Alexander
+      asked. He eyed Kennon critically.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; Kennon said promptly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not qualified to run an
+      investigation like this. You need a specialist. I am a practitioner.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm&mdash;but you know experimental procedure.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Naturally&mdash;but I do not have the training to prepare a program or
+      evaluate its results. The only thing I could do would be to check the
+      physical condition of the experimental groups.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Could you set up the physical facilities?&rdquo; Alexander asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Possibly&mdash;I&rsquo;d need a set of plans of the station, and I couldn&rsquo;t
+      guarantee that the specialist wouldn&rsquo;t want to make changes. But the
+      physical arrangements should be simple enough to construct.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How long would it take you to prepare a plan?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could have it by tomorrow, or perhaps a day later.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you can do it by then I&rsquo;ll stay over. I&rsquo;d like to examine this
+      proposal more closely. It has merit. That&rsquo;s the second constructive
+      suggestion you&rsquo;ve made tonight. Despite your peculiar desire for privacy,
+      I&rsquo;m glad you came back.&rdquo; Alexander smiled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon smiled back. Apparently the entrepreneur had taken the bait. But it
+      was too early to tell whether he had swallowed it without reservation. It
+      all depended upon how much had been given away before he had discovered
+      that Alexander was a telepath. Perhaps Alexander was merely leading him
+      on. There were too many intangibles, and there was no way of predicting
+      how it would turn out. But he felt mildly optimistic.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander closed the meeting, and Kennon left promptly. He had a good
+      excuse. There was plenty of work to do if he was going to prepare an
+      adequate plan for utilizing Olympus Station. Jordan went with him, but
+      Blalok stayed behind. It was natural enough. Blalok was the administrator,
+      but Kennon felt uneasy. Nor would he have felt any better if he could have
+      heard what went on after he left.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander looked quizzically at Blalok after the door closed behind the
+      two men.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, Evald, what do you think? Does it strike you that Kennon&rsquo;s sincere&mdash;or
+      does it sound as though he has something up his sleeve?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If he does,&rdquo; Blalok said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what it could be. I wouldn&rsquo;t take
+      a job on Olympus if you gave it to me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If he doesn&rsquo;t know about the place,&rdquo; Alexander said thoughtfully, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s
+      probable that his suggestion was honest. I think it is but I&rsquo;m not sure.
+      He worries me now that I can&rsquo;t read him. I think I&rsquo;ll send Douglas back
+      here to watch him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why? In my book that&rsquo;d be a poor choice. After all, you said Kennon saved
+      his life. He should be grateful.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know Douglas,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;He hates Kennon&rsquo;s guts for what
+      he did.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What did he do?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He made Douglas feel inferior. And there&rsquo;s no surer way to gain my
+      cousin&rsquo;s undying enmity.&rdquo; Alexander laughed. &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;d like
+      to kill me, too.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok shrugged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But in the meantime I want you to keep an eye on Kennon. If his outline
+      is all right, I&rsquo;m going to authorize him to set up this experiment. I want
+      to give him every possible chance. I like him&mdash;and he&rsquo;s done good
+      work. I wouldn&rsquo;t want him to feel that I distrust him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Which you do, of course,&rdquo; Blalok said dryly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander smiled. &ldquo;Actually,&rdquo; he said with equal dryness, &ldquo;I distrust
+      everyone.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XVI
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you think this job is easy, you have another think coming,&rdquo; Kennon
+      said bitterly. &ldquo;I hired out as a veterinarian, not as a nursemaid for a
+      bunch of psychoneurotic humans and superstitious Lani. The place is
+      jinxed, they tell me.&mdash;Ha! Jinxed! Sure it&rsquo;s jinxed! What job
+      wouldn&rsquo;t be with a bunch of goofballs like these I&rsquo;ve got working on it.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t keep a Lani here for two weeks without having her throw a catfit,
+      and the superstitious idiots are affecting the men&mdash;who ought to know
+      better! I wish I&rsquo;d never have opened my big mouth to Alexander! As far as
+      I&rsquo;m concerned he can take this job and&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hey&mdash;take it easy, man!&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re heading straight for a
+      nervous breakdown.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And why shouldn&rsquo;t I?&rdquo; Kennon asked. &ldquo;Nothing goes right. There&rsquo;s always
+      trouble. I order materials&mdash;they don&rsquo;t arrive. There&rsquo;s worker
+      trouble, equipment trouble, installation trouble. Everybody&rsquo;s cutting
+      corners, trying to get done faster and away sooner&mdash;and all they do
+      is mess up work that should have been done right the first time. We should
+      have been finished last week, but we have another week to go, at least
+      unless some bumble-fingered beanbrain gets another bright idea that sets
+      us back again. I&rsquo;m sick to death of it!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know, I know,&rdquo; Blalok said soothingly, &ldquo;and I&rsquo;m sorry.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry? What good is that? You and Jordan come up here in relays. Just
+      what do you think you&rsquo;ll find? Or has Alexander dragged you into keeping
+      an eye on me because I don&rsquo;t like someone snooping inside my skull?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t make excuses. You know and I know the Boss-man is suspicious.&rdquo;
+       Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;Normally I wouldn&rsquo;t blame him but it&rsquo;s a damned nuisance
+      with things the way they are. All we have is one more bay and a hall to
+      finish&mdash;but if&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now wait a minute,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;Get the kink out of your neck and
+      simmer down. Sure&mdash;the Boss-man told us to keep an eye on you&mdash;but
+      that&rsquo;s not why I&rsquo;m here this time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Douglas came back this morning.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What for?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo; Blalok&rsquo;s face wore the noncommittal look it always wore
+      when he was taking liberties with the truth.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re probably the worst liar in the galaxy,&rdquo; Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s
+      here to breathe down my neck, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Keep him off my back for another week and he can breathe all he wants to.
+      I&rsquo;ll be done then.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t promise a thing.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s too much to ask, I guess.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I can try,&rdquo; Blalok added.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s enough for me.&rdquo; Kennon grinned. &ldquo;Has he turned Alexandria into a
+      shambles yet?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not yet, but everyone&rsquo;s uneasy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t blame them. That young fellow&rsquo;s undiluted poison. By the way, how
+      does he look?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About the same.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The medics must have done a good job,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Boss-man shipped him to Beta for treatment,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t
+      trust the docs out here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That figures. At any rate Douglas couldn&rsquo;t have gone to a better place.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What happened to him?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He stuck his nose where he shouldn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said pointedly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok stiffened.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry, Evald. Even if you knew, I couldn&rsquo;t talk about it. What I know
+      about Douglas is classified!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;Douglas is doing plenty of talking. Claims his stay in the
+      hospital was all your fault.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s his opinion. And as long as he stays out of my
+      way he&rsquo;s welcome to it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Blalok looked at Kennon&rsquo;s haggard face with mild concern, &ldquo;Doc,&rdquo; he said,
+      &ldquo;you&rsquo;d better take it easy. You&rsquo;re going to pieces.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be through here in another week, I&rsquo;ll have this all wrapped up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Providing you&rsquo;re not wrapped up first.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Eh?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;In a shroud. You look like a walking corpse.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled wearily. &ldquo;Sometimes I feel like one. But I&rsquo;d like to get
+      this job finished.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;ll do what I can,&rdquo; Blalok said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll try to keep him down at
+      Alexandria for a few days.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be enough,&rdquo; Kennon said. More than enough&mdash;he added mentally.
+      The coils of fuel wire were ready to load, and the power slugs for the
+      ship&rsquo;s reactor were already stored in the power plant building here at
+      Olympus. Three more days and the old spacer would be as ready to fly as
+      she would ever be. And after that, it was in the lap of fate.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He ushered Blalok to his jeep and watched until he disappeared.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting to be a first-class liar,&rdquo; he remarked wryly to himself as he
+      turned back to the temporary quarters he was occupying at the station.
+      &ldquo;And the bad thing about it is that I&rsquo;m actually enjoying it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A few weeks ago an admission like that would have been inconceivable. It
+      was odd, he thought, how one thing led to another and produced an end that
+      could not be foreseen. Now he could lie and dissemble with the best. He
+      had no compunction about falsifying a requisition, or stealing what he
+      could not obtain with apparent honesty. His character had sunk to an
+      all-time low, he reflected with grim humor as he walked into the shadow of
+      the main building. Neither Blalok&rsquo;s nor Jordan&rsquo;s frequent visits bothered
+      him. Both men were creatures of habit and both were married. They stayed
+      home at night&mdash;and it was nighttime that he worked on the spacer. The
+      project afforded him a perfect cover and it was only minutes by jeep away
+      from the crater.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Even so, the double duty was an appalling task. And it would have been
+      impossible if it wasn&rsquo;t for Copper. Her quick fingers, keen eyesight, and
+      uncanny memory made the work seem simple, and neither the tediousness of
+      repairing miles of circuitry nor the depressing environment of Olympus
+      Station seemed to bother her. While he worked with the men on the project
+      she restored and reassembled circuits in his quarters and at night they
+      replaced them in the old ship. And the God-Egg was rapidly becoming
+      operational.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon wondered what it was about Copper that made her so different from
+      the rest. Olympus didn&rsquo;t bother her at all. In fact she seemed to thrive
+      on the depressing atmosphere that filled the Station. Perhaps it was
+      because she had violated the tabu about the God-Egg so often that ordinary
+      superstition had no effect upon her. He shrugged. He had troubles enough
+      without worrying about Copper&rsquo;s motivations, and not the least of these
+      was taking the God-Egg into space.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked forward to blast-off with distinct misgivings. There was too
+      much about the ancient spacer that was strange&mdash;and too much that was
+      terrifying.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Basically the ship was an ion-jet job with atomic primaries and a
+      spindizzy converter that might possibly take her up as high as middle
+      yellow Cth&mdash;far enough to give her a good turn of speed, but not
+      enough to compensate for timelag. Her screens were monstrosities, double
+      polyphase lattices that looked about as spacetight as so many sieves.
+      There were no acceleration dampers, no temporal compensators, no
+      autopilot, no four-space computer, and the primaries operated on nuclear
+      rather than binding energy. The control chairs weren&rsquo;t equipped with
+      forcefields, but instead had incredibly primitive safety webs that held
+      one in place by sheer tensile strength. Taking a ship like that into space
+      was an open invitation to suicide. A man needed a combination of foolhardy
+      bravery and incredible fatalism to blast off in a can like this. He had
+      the stimulus, but the knowledge of what he would face troubled him more
+      than he cared to admit. More and more, as he understood the ship, he was
+      amazed at the courage of the ancients who had blithely leaped into
+      hyperspace in these flying coffins with no more motivation than to see
+      what was beyond the nearest star. And in ships more primitive than this
+      men had swept through the star systems nearest Earth in the outward
+      expansion of the First Millennium.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He sighed. The breed of man must have been tough in the old days&mdash;and
+      he&rsquo;d soon be finding out if any of that ancient toughness remained.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He opened the door to his quarters.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper was sitting in his favorite chair, a pile of completed assemblies
+      neatly stacked beside her, and a disorderly file of crumpled cloth at her
+      feet. Her face was sullen as she looked up at him. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had about all of
+      this I&rsquo;m going to take,&rdquo; she said mutinously as she stirred the heap of
+      cloth with a bare foot. &ldquo;Not even you are going to make me wear those&mdash;things!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sighed. It was the same old story. For months he had been trying
+      patiently to indoctrinate Copper with a minimum of civilized habits, but
+      she was quite literally a savage. In her entire lifetime she had never
+      worn clothing, and to encase her body in hose, kilts, blouse, and sandals
+      was a form of torture. She scratched, wiggled, and twisted at the garments
+      until she looked as bad as she felt, and would usually finish a session by
+      tearing off the offending clothes and sulking. She was doing it now.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You must act like a civilized human being,&rdquo; Kennon said mildly. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re
+      simply going to have to learn to wear these clothes properly.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why? I&rsquo;m more comfortable as I am.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not the point. You are going to be living in human society and you
+      must act human. The only planet where you could get away with nudity is
+      Santos, and we&rsquo;re not going there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve explained it time and again. We&rsquo;ll have to go to Beta. That&rsquo;s the
+      only place I know where you&rsquo;ll have a fair hearing. And on Beta people
+      wear clothes. They have to. It&rsquo;s cold, even in summer, and in the
+      wintertime, there&rsquo;s snow.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s snow?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ice crystals that fall like rain, but I&rsquo;ve told you this before.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I still don&rsquo;t believe it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Believe it or not you&rsquo;re going to wear those things. Now put them on!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She looked at him with mutiny on her face. &ldquo;All right, slave driver,&rdquo; she
+      muttered as she picked up the clothing, &ldquo;but I hope you&rsquo;ll itch someday
+      and be unable to scratch.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And try to wear those garments more gracefully. You make them look like a
+      sack.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They feel like one. I keep thinking that all I need is a tag around my
+      neck.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You haven&rsquo;t much time to get used to them,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re leaving
+      this week.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So soon?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes&mdash;and you&rsquo;ll wear those things to the ship, into the ship, and
+      all the time we&rsquo;re on the ship. You&rsquo;ll keep wearing clothing until it
+      looks right.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Slave driver!&rdquo; Copper hissed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Slave,&rdquo; Kennon answered equably.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper giggled. The sound was utterly unexpected, and completely
+      incongruous. That was the wonder of her, Kennon reflected. Her mercurial
+      temperament made life something that was continually exciting She was a
+      never-ending delight.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XVII
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      It was the last trip. Kennon loaded the jeep with the last-minute items he
+      would need. The four reactor cores in their lead cases went aboard last
+      and were packed inside a pile of lead-block shielding.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He helped Copper in and looked back without regret as the bulk of Olympus
+      Station vanished below him in the dusk. The last of the work crew had left
+      that afternoon. The station was ready for occupancy. His assignment had
+      been completed. He felt an odd pleasure at having finished the job.
+      Alexander might not be happy about his subsequent actions, but he could
+      have no complaint about what he did while he was here.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;say good-bye to Flora,&rdquo; he said to Copper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to leave.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t stay. You know that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She nodded. &ldquo;But that doesn&rsquo;t make me any less regretful.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Regretful?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right&mdash;scared. We&rsquo;re going to try to make the God-Egg fly again.
+      Not only is it sacrilege, but as you&rsquo;ve often said, it&rsquo;s dangerous. I have
+      no desire to die.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have two courses&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know&mdash;you&rsquo;ve pointed them out often enough,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;And
+      since you decided to go I&rsquo;d go with you even though I knew the Egg would
+      blow up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re quite a girl,&rdquo; Kennon said admiringly. &ldquo;Did I ever tell you that I
+      love you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not nearly often enough,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;You could do it every day and I&rsquo;d
+      never get tired of hearing it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The jeep settled over the lava wall. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll leave it in the passageway
+      when we&rsquo;re through,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Maybe it will survive blast-off.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why worry about it?&rdquo; Copper asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hate destroying anything needlessly,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And since we have plenty of time, we might as well be neat about our
+      departure.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He was wrong, of course, but he didn&rsquo;t know that.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas Alexander checked the radarscope and whistled in surprise at the
+      picture it revealed. &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s where he&rsquo;s going,&rdquo; he said softly to
+      himself. &ldquo;Cousin Alex was right as usual.&rdquo; He grimaced unpleasantly. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s
+      up to something&mdash;that&rsquo;s for sure.&rdquo; His face twisted into an
+      expression that was half sneer, half triumph. &ldquo;This is going to be fun.&rdquo;
+       He moved the control, and his airboat, hovering silently at five thousand
+      meters, dropped toward the ground in free fall as Douglas loosened the
+      Burkholtz in the holster at his waist. &ldquo;But what is he doing?&rdquo; he
+      muttered. The question hung unanswered in the still air of the cabin as
+      the airboat dropped downward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas hadn&rsquo;t been impressed with Blalok&rsquo;s attempt at a delaying action.
+      Normally he might have been, but his fear of his cousin was greater than
+      his respect for Blalok. The superintendent had only succeeded in
+      accomplishing something he had not intended when he had tried to dissuade
+      Douglas from visiting Kennon. He had made Douglas cautious. The airboat
+      and long-range surveillance had been the result. For the past two nights
+      Douglas had hung over Olympus Station, checking the place&mdash;to leave
+      at dawn when the new day&rsquo;s work began. For two nights Kennon had been
+      lucky. He had departed for the Egg shortly before Douglas took up his
+      station, and had returned after the watcher had called it a night and had
+      returned home. But this last night, Kennon left late&mdash;and his
+      departure was noted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wonder who&rsquo;s the girl with him?&rdquo; Douglas said as the boat plunged down.
+      &ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;ll be finding out in a minute.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon&rsquo;s head jerked upward at the sound of air whistling past the
+      airboat&rsquo;s hull, and a wave of icy coldness swept through his chest. There
+      was no question that he was discovered. His shoulders sagged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;it was a good try,&rdquo; he said bitterly as Copper looked at him
+      with sudden terror on her face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to die,&rdquo; she wailed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You won&rsquo;t&mdash;not if I can help it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Move away from me&mdash;quickly!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do as I say!&rdquo; Kennon&rsquo;s voice was sharp. &ldquo;And keep that hood over your
+      face.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The airboat settled softly on the ash in front of him, the door snapped
+      open and Douglas dropped to the ground, Burkholtz jutting from his pudgy
+      fist.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My, my,&rdquo; Douglas said, &ldquo;what have we here? Dr. Kennon and a woman! I
+      thought better of you than that, Doctor. And all dressed up in
+      antiradiation suits. This is interesting. Just what are you doing up here
+      on the mountain so late at night&mdash;prospecting?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You might call it that,&rdquo; Kennon said. His body sagged with relief.
+      Douglas thank Ochsner it was Douglas! He was running true to form&mdash;talking
+      when he should have been shooting.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas jerked his head toward Copper, standing a few feet to his left.
+      &ldquo;Who is she?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;None of your business,&rdquo; Kennon snapped, hoping that his outburst covered
+      Copper&rsquo;s gasp of surprise and fear, and knowing that it didn&rsquo;t.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m making it my business. There&rsquo;s something funny going on around here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon blinked. Could it be that Douglas didn&rsquo;t know? Had he been watching
+      them on radar? Durilium was radar-transparent. It absorbed and dissipated
+      electromagnetic waves rather than reflecting them. For a second he felt a
+      tiny surge of hope.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Stand where you are,&rdquo; Douglas said as he stepped over to the
+      half-paralyzed Copper and jerked the hood back from her face. For a moment
+      he looked puzzled. &ldquo;Just who are you?&rdquo; he demanded. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t recall seeing
+      you before.&rdquo; And then recognition dawned. &ldquo;Old Doc&rsquo;s Lani!&rdquo; he gasped.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She works for me now,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas laughed. It wasn&rsquo;t a nice sound. &ldquo;All dressed up?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;Nice
+      work.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s my fault,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know the rules,&rdquo; Douglas said. &ldquo;I could blast you both.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Go ahead,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;but if you do, you&rsquo;ll never find out what we&rsquo;re
+      doing up here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas hesitated. Kennon&rsquo;s voice was flat and filled with utter
+      conviction.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a reason why Copper&rsquo;s wearing that suit,&rdquo; Kennon continued, &ldquo;and
+      you won&rsquo;t know that either.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Burkholtz swiveled around to point at Kennon&rsquo;s belly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had about
+      enough of this. Let&rsquo;s have it. Tell me what you&rsquo;re doing here!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll do better than that,&rdquo; Kennon said promptly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll show you. You&rsquo;ll
+      be surprised at what we&rsquo;ve uncovered.&rdquo; He made his muscles relax, and
+      forced himself to speak naturally. Copper, he noted, was still rigid with
+      terror. The Alexanders&mdash;any of them&mdash;were everything he had said
+      they were. They were the masters here. And despite Copper&rsquo;s boast, she was
+      as susceptible to their influence as any other Lani.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right,&rdquo; Douglas said, &ldquo;show me this thing I&rsquo;d never be able to find
+      without your help.&rdquo; He half turned to Copper. &ldquo;Stay where you are, Lani,&rdquo;
+       he said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t move until I come back.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, Man Douglas,&rdquo; Copper replied. Her voice was flat, colorless, and
+      submissive.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shuddered. He had never heard precisely that tone from her before.
+      One word from Douglas and she had become a zombie&mdash;a mindless muscle
+      preparation that existed only to obey. Anger filled him&mdash;anger that
+      one he loved could be ordered by someone who wasn&rsquo;t worth a third of her&mdash;anger
+      that she obeyed&mdash;anger at his own impotence and frustration. It
+      wasn&rsquo;t a clean anger. It was a dark, red-splashed thing that struggled and
+      writhed inside him, a fierce unreasoning rage that seethed and bubbled yet
+      could not break free. For an instant, with blinding clarity, Kennon
+      understood the feelings of the caged male Lani on Otpen One. And he
+      sympathized.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Follow me,&rdquo; he said and started around the ship.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Stay&mdash;no&mdash;go ahead,&rdquo; Douglas said, &ldquo;but remember, I&rsquo;m right
+      behind you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon walked straight up to the pit and pointed down at the dark bulk of
+      the Egg., concealed in the shadows of the bottom.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What? I don&rsquo;t see anything,&rdquo; Douglas said suspiciously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Here&mdash;I&rsquo;ll shine a light.&rdquo; Kennon reached for his belt.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No you don&rsquo;t! I know that trick. You&rsquo;re not going to blind me. Take that
+      torch loose carefully&mdash;that&rsquo;s it&mdash;now hand it to me.&rdquo; Douglas&rsquo; 
+      hand closed over the smooth plastic. Cautiously he turned on the beam and
+      directed it downward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A spacer!&rdquo; he gasped. &ldquo;How did that get here?&rdquo; He leaned forward to look
+      into the pit as a dark shadow materialized behind him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon choked back the involuntary cry of warning that rose in his throat.
+      Copper! His muscles tensed as her arm came up and down&mdash;a shadow
+      almost invisible in the starlight. The leaning figure of Douglas collapsed
+      like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly released. The torch dropped
+      from his hand and went bouncing and winking down the wall of the pit,
+      followed by Douglas&mdash;a limp bundle of arms and legs that rotated
+      grotesquely as he disappeared down the slope. Starlight gleamed on the
+      Burkholtz lying on the lip of the crater, where it had fallen from his
+      hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I told you that not even Man Alexander could order me since I gave my
+      love to you,&rdquo; Copper said smugly as she peered over the edge of the pit, a
+      chunk of lava gripped in one small capable hand. &ldquo;Maybe this proves it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Douglas isn&rsquo;t Alexander,&rdquo; Kennon said slowly as he picked up the blaster,
+      &ldquo;but I believe you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t I act convincingly?&rdquo; she said brightly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Very,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You fooled me completely.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The important thing was that I fooled Douglas.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You did that all right. Now let&rsquo;s get him out of that pit.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The jet blast will fry him when we take off.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What difference would that make?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I told you,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;that I never destroy things unnecessarily&mdash;not
+      even things like Douglas.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But he would have destroyed you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s no excuse for murder. Now go back to the jeep and fetch a rope.
+      I&rsquo;ll go down and get him out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do we have to bother with him?&rdquo; Copper asked, and then shrugged. It was
+      an eloquent gesture expressing disgust, resignation, and unwilling
+      compliance in one lift of smoothly muscled shoulders.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no question about it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re becoming more human
+      every day.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He chuckled as he slid over the edge of the pit following the path Douglas
+      had taken a moment before. He found him sitting on a pile of ashes,
+      shaking his head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; Douglas asked querulously. There was fear in his voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Copper hit you on the head with a rock,&rdquo; Kennon said as he bent over and
+      retrieved the torch, still burning near Douglas&rsquo; feet.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Lani?&rdquo; Douglas&rsquo; voice was incredulous.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not a Lani,&rdquo; Kennon corrected. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s as human as you or I.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a lie,&rdquo; Douglas said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Maybe this spacer&rsquo;s a lie too. Her ancestors came in it&mdash;a pair of
+      humans named Alfred and Melissa Weygand. They were Christian missionaries
+      from a planet called Heaven out in Ophiuchus Sector. Went out to convert
+      aliens and landed here when their fuel ran out.&rdquo; Kennon paused. &ldquo;That was
+      about four millennia ago. Their descendants, naturally, reverted to
+      barbarism in a few generations, but there&rsquo;s enough evidence in the ship to
+      prove that the Lani were their children.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But the tails&mdash;the differences&mdash;the failure of the test,&rdquo;
+       Douglas said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mutation,&rdquo; Kennon replied. &ldquo;Those old spindizzy converters weren&rsquo;t too
+      choosy about how they scattered radiation. And they had come a long way.&rdquo;
+       He paused, looking down at Douglas, feeling a twinge of pity for the man.
+      His world was crumbling. &ldquo;And there was no other human blood available to
+      filter out their peculiarities. It might have been done during the first
+      couple of generations, but constant inbreeding fixed the genetic pattern.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How did you discover this?&rdquo; Douglas asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Accident,&rdquo; Kennon said briefly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll never be able to prove they&rsquo;re human!&rdquo; Douglas said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The ship&rsquo;s log will do that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not without a humanity test&mdash;they can&rsquo;t pass that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry to disappoint you. Your grandfather used the wrong sort of sperm.
+      Now if there had been a Betan in the crew&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You mean she&rsquo;s pregnant!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been mutation on Beta,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s
+      apparently a similar one to hers. Betan-Lani matings are fertile.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas&rsquo;s shoulders sagged, and then straightened. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe it,&rdquo;
+       he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re just a damned sneaking spy. Somehow or other you got a
+      spacer in here after you wormed your way into Cousin Alex&rsquo;s confidence&mdash;and
+      now you&rsquo;re going to space out with the nucleus of a new farm. Just wait.
+      When Alex learns of this the galaxy&rsquo;ll be too small to hold you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t babble like a fool!&rdquo; Kennon said with disgust. &ldquo;How could I land a
+      spacer here without being spotted? You sound like a two-credit novel. And
+      even if I did&mdash;would it be a can like this?&rdquo; Kennon played the torch
+      over the blue-black durilium protruding from the ashes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas&rsquo; eyes widened as he took in the details of construction. &ldquo;What an
+      antique!&rdquo; he blurted. &ldquo;Where did you get this can?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I found it here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tell me another one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You won&rsquo;t believe,&rdquo; Kennon said flatly, &ldquo;because you don&rsquo;t dare believe.
+      You have a mental block. You&rsquo;ve killed, maimed, tortured&mdash; treated
+      them like animals&mdash;and now your mind shrinks from admitting they&rsquo;re
+      human. You know what will happen if the old court decision is reversed. It
+      will wreck your little empire, dry up your money, break you&mdash;and you
+      can&rsquo;t stand the thought of that. You don&rsquo;t dare let us leave, yet you
+      can&rsquo;t stop us because I have your blaster and I&rsquo;d just as soon shoot you
+      as look at your rotten face. Now get on your feet and start climbing if
+      you want to stay alive. We&rsquo;re getting out of here, and you&rsquo;ll fry inside
+      this pit.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where are you taking me?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Back to your airboat. I&rsquo;m going to tie you up and set you off on
+      autopilot. You&rsquo;ll be able to get loose quickly enough but it&rsquo;ll be too
+      late to stop us. We&rsquo;ll be gone, and you can think of how you&rsquo;ll manage to
+      face the human race.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope you blow yourself and that antique clear out of space.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We might. But you&rsquo;ll never know for sure. But mark this&mdash;if I live
+      I&rsquo;ll be back with the Brotherhood. You can count on it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They struggled up the side of the pit and halted, panting, on the rim.
+      &ldquo;How much radiation was down there?&rdquo; Douglas asked worriedly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not enough to hurt you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s good.&rdquo; Douglas accepted the statement at face value, a fact which
+      failed to surprise Kennon. &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been around Lani all
+      my life. And I know that they&rsquo;re not human. No self-respecting human would
+      take a tenth of what they put up with.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Their ancestors didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;They fought to the end. But your
+      Grandfather was a smart man even though he was a Degrader.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t!&rdquo; Douglas exploded. &ldquo;No Alexander is a Degrader.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He realized,&rdquo; Kennon went on, &ldquo;that he&rsquo;d never succeed in enslaving the
+      Lani unless he separated the sexes. And since women are more subjective in
+      their outlook&mdash;and more pliable&mdash;he picked them for his slaves.
+      The males he retired to stud. Probably the fact that there were more women
+      than men helped him make up his mind.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;In every society,&rdquo; Kennon went on inexorably, &ldquo;there are potential
+      freeman and potential slaves. The latter invariably outnumber the former.
+      They&rsquo;re cowards: the timid, the unsacrificing&mdash;the ones that want
+      peace at any price&mdash;the ones who will trade freedom for security.
+      Those were the ones who hid rather than risk their lives fighting the
+      aggressor. Those were the ones who survived. Old Alexander had a
+      ready-made slave cadre when he finished off the last of the warriors. For
+      four centuries the survivors have been bred and selected to perpetuate
+      slave traits. And the system works. The men don&rsquo;t want freedom&mdash;they
+      want liberty to kill each other. The women don&rsquo;t want freedom&mdash;they
+      want males. And they&rsquo;d serve them precisely as the Sarkian women serve
+      their menfolk. You&rsquo;ve killed any chance they had to become a civilization.
+      It&rsquo;s going to take generations perhaps before they&rsquo;re reoriented. There&rsquo;s
+      plenty you Alexanders should answer for.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If there&rsquo;s any fault, it&rsquo;s yours,&rdquo; Douglas snarled. &ldquo;We were doing all
+      right until you came here. We&rsquo;d still be doing all right if I had shot you
+      both.&rdquo; His shoulders sagged. &ldquo;I should have killed you when I had the
+      chance,&rdquo; he said bitterly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;and to show my gratitude I&rsquo;m letting you
+      get away with a whole skin. I don&rsquo;t expect you to be grateful, but at
+      least you&rsquo;ll not be on my conscience. I don&rsquo;t enjoy killing, not even
+      things like you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas sneered. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re soft&mdash;a soft sentimental fool.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Admitted,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;but that&rsquo;s my nature.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yet you&rsquo;d destroy the family, wreck Outworld Enterprises, and throw a
+      whole world into chaos over a few thousand animals. I don&rsquo;t understand
+      you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They&rsquo;re human,&rdquo; Kennon said flatly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Admitting they might once have been, they&rsquo;re not now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And whose fault is that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not ours,&rdquo; Douglas said promptly. &ldquo;If there is any fault it&rsquo;s that of the
+      court who decided they were humanoid.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t help any.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why should we? Does one treat a shrake like a brother?&mdash;or a varl?&mdash;or
+      a dog? We treat them like the animals they are. And we&rsquo;ve done no worse
+      with the Lani. Our consciences are clear.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon laughed humorlessly. &ldquo;Yet this clear conscience makes you want to
+      kill me, so you can keep on treating them as animals&mdash;even though you
+      know they&rsquo;re human.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know nothing of the sort. But you&rsquo;re right about the killing, I&rsquo;d kill
+      you cheerfully if I had the chance. It&rsquo;s our necks if you get away with
+      this. Of course, you probably won&rsquo;t, but why take the chance. I like my
+      neck more than I like yours.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re honest at any rate,&rdquo; Kennon admitted. &ldquo;And in a way I don&rsquo;t blame
+      you. To you it&rsquo;s probably better to be a rich slaver living off the legacy
+      of a Degrader than a penniless humanitarian. But you&rsquo;ve lost your chance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas screamed with rage. He whirled on Kennon, his face a distorted
+      mask of hate.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hold it!&rdquo; Kennon barked. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to kill you, but I&rsquo;ll burn a hole
+      clear through your rotten carcass if you make another move. I have no love
+      for your kind.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas spat contemptuously. &ldquo;You haven&rsquo;t got the guts,&rdquo; he snarled. But
+      he didn&rsquo;t move.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just stand still&mdash;very still,&rdquo; Kennon said softly. The iron in his
+      voice was not hidden by the quiet tone.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Douglas shivered. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get you yet,&rdquo; he said, but there was no force in
+      the threat.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s the rope you wanted,&rdquo; Copper said as she emerged abruptly from the
+      darkness. &ldquo;I had a hard time finding it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You haven&rsquo;t been too long,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Now tie Douglas&rsquo; hands behind
+      him while I keep him covered.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a pleasure,&rdquo; Copper murmured.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XVIII
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m frightened,&rdquo; Copper said, twisting uncomfortably in the shock chair
+      beside Kennon&rsquo;s.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;After you have been so brave?&rdquo; Kennon asked. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s nonsense. It&rsquo;s just
+      nervous reaction. Now web in like I showed you. It&rsquo;s time for blast-off.
+      We don&rsquo;t dare wait much longer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right&mdash;but I have a feeling that this isn&rsquo;t right. Something is
+      going to go wrong.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope you don&rsquo;t have precognition.&rdquo; Kennon smiled. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve checked
+      everything. The ship is as good as she&rsquo;ll ever be. There&rsquo;s nothing more
+      that we can do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s one consolation,&rdquo; Copper said wanly. &ldquo;At we&rsquo;ll die together.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a better chance that we&rsquo;ll live together.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I hope so.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ready?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He flipped the switches that would send the fuel rods into the reactor.
+      Below them a soft, barely audible whine ascended the sonic scale to a
+      point of irritating inaudibility. Kennon smiled. The spindizzy was
+      functioning properly. He flipped a second bank of switches and a dull roar
+      came from the buried stem. Ashes and pumice heated to incandescence were
+      blown through the air. Molten drops of radioactive lava skittered across
+      the durilium hull as Kennon advanced the power. The whole stem of the ship
+      was immersed in a seething lake of bolling rock as the Egg lifted slowly
+      with ponderous dignity into the night sky.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hang on!&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to hyper.&rdquo; His hand moved a red lever
+      and the Egg shimmered and vanished with a peculiar wrenching motion into
+      an impossible direction that the mind could not grasp. And the interceptor
+      missile from Otpen One nosed through the space the Egg had occupied.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We made it!&rdquo; Kennon said, looking across the writhing semifluid control
+      board, shifting oddly in the harsh yellow monochromatic light that
+      pervaded the cabin. The screens were leaking like sieves, but they were
+      holding well enough to keep Cth yellow from being anything more than an
+      annoyance. He glanced over at Copper, a fantastically elongated Copper who
+      looked like a madman&rsquo;s dream of chaos.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And Copper screamed! The sound echoed and re-echoed, dying away with a
+      lingering discordant reverberation that made his skin tingle.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Copper! It&rsquo;s all right! It&rsquo;s all right! Stop it!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper screamed again and her elongated figure suddenly foreshortened and
+      collapsed into a small writhing ball from which two small pink hands
+      emerged clutching at a gelid mass of air that flowed sluggishly around
+      them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And Kennon knew what he had forgotten! Hyperspace with leaky screens was
+      nothing to inflict upon an unprepared mind. It is one thing to endure
+      partial exposure after months of training, with experienced medics
+      standing by to help you through the shock phase, but quite another to be
+      thrust from a safe and sheltered existence into the mind shattering
+      distortions of the Cth continuum.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Egg was old. Her screens, never good at best, were hardly more than
+      filters. Through the hull, through the drive lattice, the viciously
+      distorted Cth environment seeped into the ship turning prosaic shapes of
+      controls and instruments into writhing masses of obscene horror that sent
+      extensions wiggling off into nothingness at eye-aching angles. A spaceman
+      could take this&mdash;knowing it wasn&rsquo;t real&mdash;but a tyro could not.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper collapsed. Her mind, assaulted by sensations no untrained person
+      should experience, went into shock. But she wasn&rsquo;t granted the mercy of
+      unconsciousness. Terrified by a pseudo reality that surpassed her wildest
+      nightmares, she stared wide-eyed at the control room and the thing that
+      had been Kennon. She screamed until her throat was raw, until the monster
+      beside her touched her with Kennon&rsquo;s hands. Then, mercifully, she felt a
+      stinging in her arm and all sensation ceased.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon stared glumly at the controls. Fleming alone knew how many
+      objective years were passing outside as they hurtled through four-space.
+      Subjectively it would only be hours aboard the Egg, but a decade&mdash;or
+      maybe a century&mdash;might pass outside this mad universe where neither
+      time nor speed had meaning. The old ships didn&rsquo;t have temporal
+      compensators, nor could they travel through upper bands of Cth where
+      subjective and objective time were more nearly equal. They were trapped in
+      a semi-stasis of time as the ship fled on through the distorted
+      monochromatic regions that bypassed normal space.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Egg slipped smoothly out of the hyper jump, back into the normal
+      universe. Beta floated above them, the blue shield of her atmosphere
+      shining softly in the light of Beta&rsquo;s sun.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Couldn&rsquo;t hit it that good again in a hundred tries,&rdquo; Kennon gloated.
+      &ldquo;Halfway across the galaxy&mdash;and right on the nose.&rdquo; He looked at the
+      shock chair beside him. Copper was curled into a tight ball inside the
+      confining safety web, knees drawn up, back bent, head down&mdash;arms
+      wrapped protectingly around her legs&mdash;the fetal position of catatonic
+      shock.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He shook her shoulder&mdash;no response. Her pulse was thready and
+      irregular. Her breathing was shallow. Her lips were blue. Her condition
+      was obvious&mdash;space shock&mdash;extreme grade. She&rsquo;d need medical
+      attention if she was going to live. And she&rsquo;d need it fast!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just why, you educated nitwit,&rdquo; he snarled at himself, &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t you have
+      sense enough to give her that injection of Sonmol before we hypered! You
+      haven&rsquo;t the sense of a decerebrate Capellan grackle!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He turned on the radio. &ldquo;Emergency!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Any station! Space-shock
+      case aboard. Extreme urgency.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Identify yourself&mdash;give your license. Over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What port are you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hunterstown&mdash;will you please identify? Over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Your co-ordinates,&rdquo; Kennon snapped. &ldquo;Over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;280.45&mdash;67.29 plus. Repeat&mdash;request your identification.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pilot Kennon, Jac, Beta 47M 26429. I have no I.D. for the ship&mdash;and
+      you&rsquo;ll see why when I land. Over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hunterstown Port to Kennon. You are not&mdash;repeat not&mdash;cleared to
+      land. Go into orbit and report your position. Over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry, Hunterstown. You wouldn&rsquo;t have checked in if you didn&rsquo;t have room,
+      and a hospital. This is an emergency. I&rsquo;m setting down. Out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But&mdash;&rdquo; The words got no farther. Kennon was already spinning the
+      ship.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right&mdash;we have you on the scope. But this is a class one
+      violation. You may come in on Landing Beam One.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry. I have no GCA.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What?&mdash;what sort of ship are you flying?&rdquo; The voice was curious.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m matching intrinsics over your port. Talk me in when I break through
+      the overcast.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Talk you in?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s right. My instruments are obsolete.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Great Halstead! What else?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have an Ion drive. Plus two radioactive.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh no!&mdash;And you still want to come in?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have to. My passenger&rsquo;s in shock. She&rsquo;s going to have a baby.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All right&mdash;I&rsquo;ll try to get you down in one piece.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Have an ambulance ready,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon lowered the Egg through the overcast. Ground control picked him up
+      smoothly and took him down as though it had been rehearsed. The Egg
+      touched down in the radioactive area of the port. Decontamination jets
+      hissed, sluicing the ship to remove surface contamination.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ochsner! what sort of a ship is that?&rdquo; Ground Control&rsquo;s startled voice
+      came over the annunciator.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an old one,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a gross understatement. Stand by for boarders. Ambulance coming
+      up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon opened the airlock and two radiation-suited men entered. &ldquo;At least
+      you had sense enough to wear protective clothing in this hotbox,&rdquo; one said
+      as they carefully unwebbed Copper and carried her out of the lock. &ldquo;You
+      wait here. The Port Captain wants to see you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where are you taking her? What Center?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What should you care? You&rsquo;ve nearly killed her. The idea of taking a
+      pregnant woman up in this death trap! What in Fleming&rsquo;s name&rsquo;s the matter
+      with your brain?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I had to,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;I had to. It was a matter of life and death.&rdquo;
+       For once, he thought wryly, the cliche was true.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Betan&rsquo;s face behind the transparent helmet was disgusted and
+      unbelieving. &ldquo;I hear that sort of thing every day,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Am I
+      supposed to believe it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;d believe it if you&rsquo;d have been where I was,&rdquo; Kennon muttered. &ldquo;Now&mdash;whe&rsquo;re
+      are you taking her?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The man arched blond eyebrows. &ldquo;To the local Medical Center&mdash;where
+      else? There&rsquo;s only one in this area.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He watched the ambulance flit off as he waited for the Spaceport Patrol.
+      There was no further need for the protection suit, so he peeled it off and
+      hung it in the control-room locker. Copper was right, he mused. It did
+      itch.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Port Captain&rsquo;s men were late as usual&mdash;moving gingerly through
+      the radiation area. A noncom gestured for him to enter their carryall.
+      &ldquo;Port Captain wants to see you,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Kennon replied.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You should have waited upstairs.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t. It was a matter of medicine,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The noncom&rsquo;s face sobered. &ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you say so? All you said was that
+      it was an emergency.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been away. I forgot.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t have done that. You&rsquo;re a Betan, aren&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      They drove to the Port Office, where Kennon expected&mdash;and got&mdash;a
+      bad time from the port officials. He filled out numerous forms, signed
+      affidavits, explained his unauthorized landing, showed his spaceman&rsquo;s
+      ticket, defended his act of piloting without an up-to-date license, signed
+      more forms, entered a claim for salvage rights to the Egg, and finally
+      when the Legal Division, the Traffic Control Division, the Spaceport
+      Safety Office, Customs, Immigration, and Travelers Aid had finished with
+      him, he was ushered into the presence of the Port Captain.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The red-faced chunky officer eyed him with a cold stare. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll be lucky,
+      young man, if you get out of this with a year in Correction. Your story
+      doesn&rsquo;t hang together.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      It didn&rsquo;t, Kennon thought. But there was no sense telling all of it to a
+      Port Captain. Under no circumstances could the man be any help to him. He
+      had neither the power nor the prestige to request a Brotherhood Board of
+      Inquiry. In rank, he was hardly more than a glorified Traffic Control
+      officer. It would do no good to tell him an improbable tale of slavery on
+      a distant planet. The only thing to do was wait out the storm and hope it
+      would pass. If worst came to worst he&rsquo;d use his rank, but he&rsquo;d made enough
+      stir already. He doubted if the Captain had authority to order him into
+      Detention&mdash;but he was certain to get a lecture. These minor officials
+      loved to tell someone off. He gritted his teeth. He&rsquo;d endure it for
+      Copper&rsquo;s sake&mdash;and to get out of here quietly. Alexander would
+      undoubtedly have agents posted by now, and his only chance for temporary
+      freedom of action was to get out of here with as little fuss as possible.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He sat quietly, his flushed face and tight jaw muscles betraying his
+      impatience as the Captain paced up and down and talked on and on. The man
+      sounded like he could go for hours. With increasing impatience Kennon
+      listened to the cadenced flow of complaint and condemnation, occasionally
+      inserting a &ldquo;Yes, sir&rdquo; or &ldquo;Sorry, sir&rdquo; or &ldquo;No, sir&rdquo; as the words flowed
+      around him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      However, there had to be a breaking point somewhere, and the monotony was
+      beginning to wear his temper thin. Another five minutes, he reflected, was
+      about all he could take.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The door chime rang softly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Come in,&rdquo; the Port Captain said, breaking off in mid-tirade. The change
+      in his manner was so abrupt that Kennon couldn&rsquo;t help smiling.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A young blond man in an interne&rsquo;s gray uniform entered the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, Doctor,&rdquo; the Port Captain said. &ldquo;What can I do for you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you have a Jac Kennon here? Dr. Jac Kennon?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did you say doctor?&rdquo; the Port Captain said in a half-strangled voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You never let me tell you,&rdquo; Kennon said mildly, &ldquo;that my landing here was
+      a matter of medicine. Technically you have contributed to a delay in
+      treatment.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Port Captain&rsquo;s face paled. &ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you say something?&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Against your gale of wind I would be but a faint breeze,&rdquo; Kennon said
+      coldly. He turned to the interne. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Dr. Kennon.&rdquo; They bowed formally to
+      each other.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Smalley, sir, from the medical center. Dr. Brainard sends his
+      compliments and requests that you join him for consultation.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Port Captain&mdash;&rdquo; Kennon began.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry about it, Doctor. I&rsquo;ll relinquish responsibility to Dr.
+      Brainard,&rdquo; the Captain said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have placed a formal written request with your office,&rdquo; Smalley said
+      stiffly. &ldquo;You are relieved of further charge. Dr. Kennon is urgently
+      needed. It is a matter of medicine.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Captain looked relieved. On Beta it was poor policy to interfere with
+      the doings of doctors and engineers&mdash;or even doctors of philosophy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Very well. He&rsquo;s yours&mdash;and I&rsquo;m glad to be rid of him.&rdquo; The Port
+      Captain bowed to Kennon and Smalley and stalked out of the office.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pompous little man,&rdquo; Kennon observed, &ldquo;but he certainly can talk.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;you know these Administrative people,&rdquo; the interne said
+      depreciatingly. &ldquo;One mustn&rsquo;t mind them. They&rsquo;re necessary nuisances.&rdquo; He
+      eyed Kennon curiously. &ldquo;How is it that you didn&rsquo;t stand on your
+      professional rights?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have my reasons&mdash;but they have nothing to do with medicine.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;I see. Ethical.&rdquo; The interne&rsquo;s voice was faintly sarcastic.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Manners, Doctor&mdash;manners.&rdquo; Kennon&rsquo;s voice was gentle but the interne
+      flushed a dull red.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sorry, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t mention it. It&rsquo;s normal for a graduate to confuse liberty with
+      license.&rdquo; Kennon smiled. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry. I shan&rsquo;t report you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s good of you, sir.&rdquo; Smalley&rsquo;s face registered relief. Demerits were
+      difficult to erase&mdash;particularly ones of courtesy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon wondered if the young man would report himself. He doubted it. The
+      interne didn&rsquo;t look the type&mdash;probably he was dated for some obscure
+      job, like a general practitioner. He shrugged. It took all kinds to make a
+      profession. Even the Smalleys had their place.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That girl you brought in,&rdquo; Smalley said as they entered a white car
+      emblazoned with the three crosses, red, blue, and green, that represented
+      the three fields of medicine. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s an interesting case. I&rsquo;ve never seen
+      space shock before. And the patient herself&mdash;one would hardly believe
+      she was a Betan.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So?&rdquo; Blond eyebrows rose in inverted U&rsquo;s of surprise. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s hardly
+      possible. Our tests indicate-&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you think that this is a matter for Dr. Brainard?&rdquo; Kennon said
+      icily. &ldquo;Protocol&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course. Stupid of me&mdash;but the case is so interesting. Half the
+      center staff have seen her already. I wasn&rsquo;t proposing to discuss the
+      case. It wouldn&rsquo;t be proper. Even though you are only a veterinarian.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Only?&rdquo; Kennon&rsquo;s voice was hard. &ldquo;I shouldn&rsquo;t have to remind you of this,
+      Mr. Smalley&mdash;but I have been for the past two years on a world of bad
+      manners. I expected better here at home.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Smalley flushed to the roots of his straw-colored hair. &ldquo;Sorry, Doctor,&rdquo;
+       he muttered. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s the matter with me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can tell you,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just graduated.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How did you know?&rdquo; Smalley said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was a graduate once, myself&mdash;not too long ago.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How long, sir?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Class of Eighty-seven.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s twelve years ago,&rdquo; Smalley said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. Ten years lost. Not bad&mdash;not bad at all. But Alexander
+      could have done a lot in ten years.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I meant no disrespect,&rdquo; Smalley said worriedly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know it. But if you intend to practice on Beta, you&rsquo;d better polish
+      your professional manner. Now where I was, it didn&rsquo;t make much difference.
+      Laymen often called me &lsquo;Doc.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Smalley was properly shocked. &ldquo;I hope you didn&rsquo;t encourage them, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It was impossible to discourage them,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;After all, when the
+      man who hires you&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;entrepreneurs,&rdquo; Smalley said in a tone that explained
+      everything.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The car stopped in front of the Medical Center&rsquo;s staff entrance. &ldquo;This
+      way, sir,&rdquo; Smalley said. He led the way down a green-tiled corridor to an
+      elevator&mdash;then down another corridor past a pair of soft-footed
+      nurses who eyed them curiously&mdash;looking at Kennon&rsquo;s tunic and sandals
+      with mild disapproval in their eyes. Smalley stopped and knocked softly on
+      a closed door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Enter,&rdquo; said a pleasant baritone voice from the annunciator.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Dr. Brainard&mdash;Dr. Kennon,&rdquo; Smalley said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon liked the man instantly. A plump, pink-cheeked man of middle age,
+      with prematurely white hair, Dr. Will Brainard combined a fatherly
+      appearance with an impression of quick intelligence. The fat that sheathed
+      his stocky body had obviously not touched his mind. Brainard rose from the
+      deep chair near the window where he had been sitting, knocked the ashes
+      from his pipe, and bowed stiffly. His eyes&mdash;sharp points of blue in
+      the smooth pinkness of his face&mdash;surveyed Kennon curiously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So you&rsquo;re the young man who takes untrained pregnant women for rides in
+      old-fashioned spacers,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t you know what would happen?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was in a hurry, Doctor,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Obviously. Now tell me about it.&rdquo; Brainard looked at the eager-faced
+      interne standing behind Kennon. &ldquo;That will be all, Smalley,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon waited until the door closed. &ldquo;Ordinarily,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d never
+      have done a thing like that, but there were some very pressing reasons.
+      However, I should have given her an injection of Somnol before we started.
+      I&rsquo;m criminally liable. If anything happens to her&mdash;&rdquo; His voice was
+      tight with worry.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;d give her an injection?&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;I hope you didn&rsquo;t mean
+      that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I did, sir. I&rsquo;ve given thousands of Lani injections.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s a Lani?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She is, sir. The impression has been that her race isn&rsquo;t human.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nonsense&mdash;it&rsquo;s obvious she is.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A Brotherhood Court of Inquiry didn&rsquo;t think so.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm. Is that so?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, sir.&mdash;But before I go on, tell me, how is she?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, she&rsquo;ll be fine. A little mental therapy and plenty of rest are all
+      she needs. She&rsquo;s a remarkably healthy young woman. But this is beside the
+      point. There are a number of unusual features about this case that need
+      investigation.&rdquo; Brainard took a standard hospital form from his desk.
+      &ldquo;Mind if I ask you some questions, Doctor?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not at all but you are due for some unpleasant shocks as you go through
+      that form.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I believe I can survive them,&rdquo; Brainard said dryly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This is professional confidence&mdash;&rdquo; Kennon began.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course, of course,&rdquo; Brainard said impatiently. &ldquo;Now let&rsquo;s get on with
+      it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This is the most amazing tale I&rsquo;ve ever heard,&rdquo; Brainard said slowly.
+      &ldquo;Are you certain you are telling the truth?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon grinned. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t blame you for not believing me&mdash;but the
+      evidence is conclusive, and there is enough documentary evidence in the
+      space ship&mdash;and in the fact of the ship itself to prove what I am
+      saying. Laboratory tests here will establish the fact that Copper&rsquo;s child
+      is also mine. And as for Flora, a Brotherhood Investigation Team can prove
+      that part.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That will be attended to,&rdquo; Brainard said grimly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But how did you deduce she wasn&rsquo;t from a Betan colony?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Brainard smiled. &ldquo;That wasn&rsquo;t hard. Her sun tan and the condition of her
+      feet proved she was a practicing nudist. No Betan girl ever practices
+      nudism to my knowledge. Besides, the I.D. tattoo under her left arm and
+      the V on her hip are no marks of our culture. Then there was another thing&mdash;the
+      serological analysis revealed no gerontal antibodies. She had never
+      received an injection of longevity compound in her life. This might occur,
+      but it&rsquo;s highly improbable. The evidence indicates that she&rsquo;s
+      extra-Betan.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But this business of her being fifteen years old! That&rsquo;s impossible. She
+      has the development of a woman of twenty-five.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Remember the Alpha V colony?&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course&mdash;oh&mdash;I see! It could be something like that.
+      Certainly&mdash;strong yellow G-type sun&mdash;an isolated colony serviced
+      at twenty-year intervals&mdash;there was a marked physical precocity.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And if this had been continued for several millennia?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm&mdash;I see. Yes, it&rsquo;s possible. On Alpha V the colonists grew from
+      infancy to maturity in fifteen years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And wasn&rsquo;t Heaven one of our early colonies?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes&mdash;it was established after the Great Schism near the end of the
+      First Millennium&mdash;when science and religion split irrevocably on this
+      world. We packed the whole lot of them off to a world of their own where
+      they could develop as they pleased. They called it Heaven&mdash;odd name
+      for a fogworld&mdash;but there&rsquo;s no accounting for tastes.&rdquo; Brainard
+      chuckled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I thought that was the case, but I couldn&rsquo;t remember. My ancient history
+      is pretty weak.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You should read more,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;But as I see it&mdash;this girl is
+      of Betan ancestry providing your theory and the facts coincide.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Which could also explain why an outworld species of agerone would be
+      toxic. They tried to prolong Lani life and met with failure. Our plants
+      are mutant forms.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Just as we are a mutant race,&rdquo; Brainard said, &ldquo;or partly mutant.&rdquo; He
+      sighed. &ldquo;You have brought us a great deal of trouble, Kennon. You are
+      bringing matters to a head. If our investigations prove your statements,
+      we are morally bound to open the Lani question. And if those people are of
+      Betan origin&mdash;that fellow Alexander will have plenty to answer for.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe it is really his fault,&rdquo; Kennon said slowly. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t
+      think he has ever known the truth.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you tell him?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The answer to that should be obvious. Even though I trusted him
+      completely, I could never be sure. He has a Free Trader background and
+      those people can&rsquo;t he trusted where money&rsquo;s concerned. The whole Kardonian
+      culture is an outgrowth of Free Traderism: small business, independent
+      corporation, linear trusts, and all the cutthroat competition such a
+      culture would naturally have. It&rsquo;s a regular jungle of Free Enterprise. I
+      couldn&rsquo;t predict how he would react. He could either act in a moral manner
+      and make restitution, or he could quietly cut our throats and go on with
+      his business.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I see. The temptation to cut a throat might be overwhelming.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They fight commercial wars,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Disgusting&mdash;utterly uncivilized! Under the circumstances you had no
+      other course. Still, they have no moral right to enslave human beings.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There is always the element of doubt. Maybe they didn&rsquo;t know. After all,
+      an impartial court declared the Lani alien&mdash;and the Betan mutation
+      isn&rsquo;t known throughout the Brotherhood.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;One doesn&rsquo;t go around broadcasting data on the variations of one&rsquo;s germ
+      plasm,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a private affair&mdash;a matter of personal
+      privacy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And public safety?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Brainard nodded. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re no more courageous than any other civilization. We
+      have no desire to borrow trouble. We are content to leave things alone.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the trouble,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all content to leave things
+      alone. If I hadn&rsquo;t found the spaceship I&rsquo;d not have been able to lay aside
+      my moral conditioning. And if I had not, Copper would not have become
+      pregnant and forced me into these drastic actions. It&rsquo;s even possible that
+      I would have done nothing.&rdquo; He grimaced. &ldquo;And when I left Alexander&rsquo;s
+      employment mnemonic erasure would have removed all memory of the Lani&rsquo;s
+      human origin.&rdquo; He shrugged. &ldquo;I still am not certain that it wouldn&rsquo;t have
+      been the wiser course. Naturally, once I knew, I couldn&rsquo;t do anything else
+      than what I did.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Naturally,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;Humanity reaches the heights when it faces
+      questions of moral responsibility.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;To mankind,&rdquo; Kennon added heavily. &ldquo;We have a convenient blind spot
+      regarding our moral responsibility to other intelligent races.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A harsh fact, but true&mdash;and who is to judge whether it is right or
+      wrong? We achieved dominance of Earth by our moral responsibility to
+      family, tribe, and nation&mdash;and we nearly exterminated ourselves when
+      we forgot that this responsibility went beyond nations and embraced all
+      mankind. We learned that after the Exodus. As for the other races&mdash;perhaps
+      someday we will learn moral responsibility for all intelligence&mdash;but
+      we are not ready for that yet. That&rsquo;s too big a mental hurdle.&rdquo; Brainard
+      sighed. &ldquo;We are what we are, and we change slowly. But we change.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;True enough,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s hard to be philosophical about it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re young. Live a couple of centuries and you will understand
+      patience.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon smiled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; Brainard said thoughtfully, &ldquo;you still have plenty of things
+      to do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know. I&rsquo;ll have to make a transcript of this discussion, have it
+      witnessed, and make a sealed record. I have to arrange for the reposition
+      of the evidence inside the Egg, and a complete recording of the Egg
+      itself.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And to be safe you&rsquo;ll need several facsimiles, properly attested. The
+      arms of these outworld entrepreneurs are long, and unfortunately not all
+      Betans are models of honesty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d better get started then.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let me help you,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;I have a little influence in this area&mdash;and
+      your cause interests me.&rdquo; He picked up the phone on his desk.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sighed. He had found an ally.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XIX
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What are you going to do with that girl?&rdquo; Brainard asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Formalize our mating as soon as she is able to get out of bed,&rdquo; Kennon
+      replied.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She is an ignorant, untrained savage!&rdquo; Brainard protested. &ldquo;You should
+      hear the stories the nurses tell about her!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to tell me about those. I&rsquo;ve lived with
+      Lani for two years. But she&rsquo;s not stupid.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What are your plans?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;After we establish her humanity legally,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to send
+      her to school.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;For twenty years?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If necessary. But I don&rsquo;t think it will take that long. She has some
+      schooling.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But no training&mdash;and what of the Lani in the meantime?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have plans for that. I&rsquo;m going back to Kardon and give Alexander a
+      chance to make restitution. I think he is an honorable man. Slavery may be
+      as revolting to him as it is to any civilized human. He deserves a chance
+      to rectify his grandfather&rsquo;s error.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is reasonable&mdash;and in the best traditions of the Brotherhood.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Furthermore, it&rsquo;s practical,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Alexander is the only one
+      fully qualified to handle the problems of enfranchisement. He&rsquo;s known the
+      Lani all his life, and he is an executive type. A Brotherhood committee
+      would probably botch the whole affair. What with colonial jurisdiction,
+      territorial rights, and all the legal quibbling that committees love, the
+      Lani would get a poor deal. And there&rsquo;s no reason to wreck the lives of a
+      couple of hundred million Kardonians because the rightful owners of Kardon
+      were illegally enslaved. That happened too long ago to have any practical
+      meaning. There are other and better solutions.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How should I know?&rdquo; Kennon asked. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m sure Alexander will. That&rsquo;s
+      his field.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;All you have to worry about is whether he&rsquo;ll co-operate,&rdquo; Brainard said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll co-operate once he knows the score,&rdquo; Kennon said confidently. &ldquo;And
+      he&rsquo;ll have to make some form of restitution. But it shouldn&rsquo;t involve
+      Kardon. Actually the Lani were never in a position to develop that world.
+      They&rsquo;d probably have remained on Flora indefinitely. The old court records
+      showed no tendency for their culture to expand. They were an inbred group,
+      a static, balanced society in harmony with their environment. In nearly
+      thirty-five hundred years their numbers increased only to a few thousand.
+      Actually there is a good possibility that the race would ultimately have
+      died out if Old Alexander hadn&rsquo;t enslaved them and instituted a controlled
+      breeding program. There are more Lani alive today than there were at the
+      height of their power. So in a way Old Alexander did them a favor. He kept
+      their race alive. All we can expect is a fair and just settlement.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But if Alexander doesn&rsquo;t co-operate?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s where you come in. You&rsquo;ll be a watchdog. If you don&rsquo;t receive
+      annual progress reports from me&mdash;and see or talk to me personally
+      every second year, you are released from our bond and can do what you wish
+      with the evidence I&rsquo;ve accumulated.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We&rsquo;d better get this into Private Record,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;We can
+      transcribe an agreement and place it in the Public Repository.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A good idea and we&rsquo;d better waste no time. Alexander might still be
+      looking for me&mdash;and if he is, it&rsquo;s merely a question of time before
+      he catches up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ten years have passed. It&rsquo;s doubtful. But we could keep you here at the
+      Center.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. &ldquo;Too dangerous. And besides it would compromise
+      you. No&mdash;we&rsquo;ll get everything possible done to make the Lani&rsquo;s case
+      airtight, and then I&rsquo;ll return to Kardon. It will put our case in a better
+      light if it ever comes to trial, if I go back voluntarily. Anyway&mdash;I&rsquo;m
+      morally bound to return. Now let&rsquo;s make this record.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s your decision,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s your neck&mdash;but I must
+      admit that I agree with you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll feel safer when we get the legal details clarified,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And what of the girl?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Can you take care of her if I have to leave quickly?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course. I&rsquo;ll give her personal attention, and after she has her child
+      I&rsquo;ll see that she is sent to you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s decent of you, Doctor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my moral responsibility,&rdquo; Brainard said as he slipped a new tape
+      into the recorder.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper responded quickly to rest and therapy. The space shock cleared up
+      quickly. The gerontological treatments put her to bed again, but within a
+      month she was completely normal, and her lifespan was now that of a normal
+      human. She could look forward to some four hundred years with Kennon&mdash;and
+      the prospect was not unpleasant. The Center fascinated her. Never before
+      had she seen a hospital devoted to the care and treatment of humans. It
+      was a far cry, in its polished steel and stone magnificence, from the tiny
+      primitive structure over which Kennon had presided. Yet both places served
+      the same purpose. Perhaps Kennon was right&mdash;that there was no
+      difference between man and Lani. The idea was not nearly as unbelievable
+      as it was at first.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I never realized what it meant to be human,&rdquo; Copper said as she held
+      Kennon&rsquo;s hand. &ldquo;It is nice to feel important and to know that our child is
+      a member of the race that rules the galaxy.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So you&rsquo;re convinced?&rdquo; Kennon chuckled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The serological identity&mdash;&rdquo; she began.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hmm. You&rsquo;ve been getting some education, I see.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; Copper smiled, &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think you wanted a stupid woman. I can
+      read&mdash;and since you are around so seldom nowadays, there is little
+      else to do. I&rsquo;ve been reading history, medicine, and novels,&rdquo; she finished
+      proudly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A fine catholic selection,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;Now if you add mathematics,
+      sociology, and philosophy you&rsquo;ll have a well-rounded basic education.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Dr. Brainard has been trying something he calls &lsquo;hypno.&rsquo; He says it will
+      help me learn faster. But I can&rsquo;t see that it&rsquo;s done much good.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You won&rsquo;t until you need the information,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That technique is only good for implanting basic knowledge, and much of
+      that will merely supplement or complete that which you already have. You
+      won&rsquo;t be conscious of it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;I think I see what you mean.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course, you&rsquo;ll have to continue your formal education. There&rsquo;s a great
+      deal for you to learn. It should keep you busy while I&rsquo;m away.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Away? Where are you going?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Back to Kardon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you can&rsquo;t! Alexander will destroy you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think not. After all, ten years have elapsed since we left there and
+      he&rsquo;s had plenty of time to think. Douglas must have told him about us. I
+      wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised if he has already done something about your people.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She shivered. &ldquo;He might&mdash;but the question is what would he do? He
+      could have killed them all!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shook his head. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so. He never struck me as a mass
+      murderer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She shook her head. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know the Alexanders like I do. I was raised
+      by them. They&rsquo;re capable of anything. But what is this business of ten
+      years? That&rsquo;s silly. I haven&rsquo;t had my child yet&mdash;and it doesn&rsquo;t take
+      ten years of pregnancy to produce a baby.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the difference between subjective and objective time,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+      &ldquo;We traveled here through hyperspace&mdash;low Cth&mdash;in an
+      uncompensated ship, and there is little temporal flow in the levels below
+      the blue.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;of course.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;That would have been Greek to you a couple of weeks ago.
+      See where that basic data fits?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ve always known that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You just think you have. Search your memory and see if I&rsquo;m not right.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper shook her head. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very strange,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s not
+      important. This idea of going back to Kardon, though&mdash;that&rsquo;s a
+      different thing&mdash;that is important.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have to do it. Not only because it&rsquo;s a personal moral obligation but
+      also because of the Lani. They must have their freedom.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Providing there are any still alive.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Stop being a calamity howler. Whatever Alexander may be, he&rsquo;s not a
+      butcher. He even loved a Lani once. You told me so yourself. And he
+      couldn&rsquo;t kill where he loved.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She nodded. &ldquo;I suppose you&rsquo;re right, but I&rsquo;ve never lost my fear of the
+      Man Alexander. He held the power of life and death over me. But if you
+      must go then I should go too. My obligation is greater than yours.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Later,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not ready to return. It will be time enough
+      after you have learned some civilized habits.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper&rsquo;s face lengthened. &ldquo;You mean like wrapping myself in cloth like
+      these people do?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s part of it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why can&rsquo;t they be sensible&mdash;or are they so ashamed of what the gods
+      gave them that they must hide themselves?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, it&rsquo;s not that. At least not exactly. It&rsquo;s custom. And you must learn
+      to conform to customs&mdash;outwardly at least&mdash;no matter what you
+      may really think.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t that a form of lying?&rdquo; Copper asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I suppose so.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t that strange. Your society exalts truth, honor, morality, and
+      intelligence&mdash;yet you lie about your attitude.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s called diplomacy,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s part of respect for others&rsquo; 
+      attitudes and beliefs, a necessary part of human relationships.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then you&rsquo;d be a nudist on Santos?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course&mdash;even though I think it isn&rsquo;t proper, I couldn&rsquo;t inflict
+      my ideas and attitudes on the customs of an independent world.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh&mdash;you think I&rsquo;m doing that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes&mdash;and it is a mark of barbarism.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sometimes you&rsquo;re not very nice,&rdquo; Copper said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon smiled wryly. &ldquo;I suppose I&rsquo;m not,&rdquo; he agreed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll try to be civilized,&rdquo; Copper said. &ldquo;But if you go to Kardon&mdash;I&rsquo;m
+      going with you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see how things turn out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want me to go with you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;To be honest&mdash;no,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re safe here, and until your
+      status is cleared by a Brotherhood court, I wouldn&rsquo;t care to place you in
+      Alexander&rsquo;s hands. And clearing your status is going to take time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You mean that I am still his property?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes. But there is a legal doubt that will prevent him from exercising his
+      claim as long as you stay on Beta. In the area where he has power, that
+      doubt might not hold. So until your status is definitely proven to be
+      human, you should not leave.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And what happens if this court denies my claim?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then we appeal to the Council. However, with the evidence we have, your
+      claim cannot reasonably be denied. The only question is one of time. It
+      may take years. Still, I don&rsquo;t think there is anything to worry about. I
+      don&rsquo;t think Alexander will give us any trouble, but there&rsquo;s no sense in
+      taking chances.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You still think I&rsquo;m a Lani,&rdquo; she said accusingly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do not.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then you think that I&rsquo;d obey Alexander, after what I did to Douglas.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can only repeat that Douglas isn&rsquo;t the Boss-man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wish I knew what you really thought.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That isn&rsquo;t hard. I think you should stay here until I get this business
+      straightened out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all?&rdquo; she asked suspiciously. &ldquo;After all, I know I&rsquo;m not very
+      pretty now. And there&rsquo;s lots of Lani on Flora&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, for Ochsner&rsquo;s sake! Do you think that I&rsquo;m&mdash;&rdquo; He paused,
+      speechless. &ldquo;Just what do you think I am?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a man. And that&rsquo;s the trouble.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon chuckled. &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s it! You don&rsquo;t trust me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I love you,&rdquo; Copper said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sometimes I wonder why men ever finalize their status with women,&rdquo; Kennon
+      murmured. &ldquo;It does no good. It doesn&rsquo;t convince the woman. She&rsquo;s still
+      fearful, jealous, and suspicious&mdash;always belittling her ability to
+      hold what she has, always alert for competition, clinging, holding,
+      absorbing&mdash;when she should be working as part of a team.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not true!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then prove it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How&mdash;by staying here while you go to the end of the galaxy and play
+      noble?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m only doing what I have to do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And so am I&mdash;and if you go I&rsquo;m going with you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shrugged. There was no sense arguing. The only thing to do was make
+      his plans and leave quietly. If she was faced with an established fact,
+      she might be more reasonable. He doubted it, but alone, she could do
+      nothing&mdash;and Brainard would see that she was comfortable. The salvage
+      money from the Egg would keep her from being a public charge. And he had
+      more banked in Albertsville which he could send her once he got there.
+      He&rsquo;d start making plans to leave as soon as possible.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper looked up at him as he stood above her bed. Slowly she reached out
+      and placed one slim hand in his. &ldquo;I know what you are thinking,&rdquo; she said,
+      &ldquo;and&mdash;&rdquo; her face twisted in a grimace of pain, and the hand in his
+      clutched with convulsive strength at his fingers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter?&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nothing&mdash;it&rsquo;s perfectly normal,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just going to give
+      you a son. Now if you&rsquo;d call for the doctor, perhaps we can get this over.
+      That pain was only twenty minutes from the last. I think it&rsquo;s about time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon&mdash;who had attended several hundred Lani births and had
+      developed a certain callousness about them&mdash;was suddenly frightened
+      and helpless as he pushed the call button. He could feel the cold sweat
+      form on his forehead. He had started this. It was his fault if anything
+      went wrong. He wished that it was someone else rather than Copper who was
+      going through this trial. He was nervous, unsure, and guilty. In a word,
+      he felt like a man whose mate was giving birth to their first child.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a boy,&rdquo; Dr. Brainard said. He smiled down at Kennon&rsquo;s haggard face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How is Copper?&rdquo; Kennon asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Fine&mdash;she&rsquo;s healthy as a horse.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon winced at the cliche It was so ancient that it had lost all
+      meaning. Most Betans didn&rsquo;t know what a horse was, let alone whether it
+      was healthy or not. From what Kennon could remember of veterinary history,
+      the horse wasn&rsquo;t too healthy an animal. It was rather delicate, in fact.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How is the child?&rdquo; Kennon asked. It took a little courage to ask this
+      question. The baby could be anything from normal to a monstrosity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perfectly normal,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;A true Betan type even down to the
+      vestigial tail. We amputated that, of course.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank Ochsner!&rdquo; Kennon breathed. &ldquo;I was afraid.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course you were,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;Do you want to see them now? When I
+      left, Copper was asking for you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon sighed. Leaving, he realized, wasn&rsquo;t going to be as easy as he had
+      thought.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to keep them here for a couple of months,&rdquo; Brainard said. &ldquo;We
+      must take exhaustive tests if we expect the court to reverse its prior
+      decision.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I expected that,&rdquo; Kennon said. He shrugged, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably best,&rdquo; he
+      said. &ldquo;Now show me where Copper is.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She&rsquo;s back in the same room. You don&rsquo;t need a guide.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon didn&rsquo;t. In fact, he behaved quite admirably.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      CHAPTER XX
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Longliners, Kennon reflected, didn&rsquo;t make Beta a port of call, and the
+      Shortliner connections with other worlds were infrequent. Beta had done a
+      good job separating from the rest of the Brotherhood. Too good. The
+      spaceline schedules showed only one departure in the next month, a
+      Shortliner for Earth, and from Earth the road to Kardon was long and
+      tortuous, involving a series of short jumps from world to world and a
+      final medium-range hop from Halsey to Kardon. If everything went right and
+      he made every connection he would be in Kardon four months after he left
+      Beta. Kennon sighed as he left Travelers Aid. Morality was a heavy load to
+      carry.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He walked slowly down the road from the spaceport toward the Co-operative
+      where he had been staying. He had left Huntersville and Copper a week ago,
+      after he had seen his child. His child! The thought of being a father was
+      oddly dismaying. It distorted his sense of values. But one thing was
+      certain. He was returning to Kardon, and Copper was not coming with him.
+      She had a duty to their son&mdash;and he had a duty to his contract with
+      Alexander, to the Lani on Flora, and to Copper&mdash;and none of these
+      could be satisfied by further running. He had to return and settle the
+      account.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A tall man in a conservative yellow-and-black suit was waiting patiently
+      in front of his room. &ldquo;My name is Richter,&rdquo; he said &ldquo;&mdash;Art Richter.
+      Are you Dr. Jac Kennon?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I could deny it, but I won&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you, Doctor. It was just a formality anyway. You see, I know you by
+      sight.&rdquo; He sighed. &ldquo;One has to observe the formalities in this business.&rdquo;
+       He drew a long white envelope from his tunic and handed it to Kennon.
+      &ldquo;Most of my subjects try to deny their identity,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a refreshing change to find an honest man.&rdquo; He bowed formally. &ldquo;I
+      really thought this would be harder, considering the charges against you.&rdquo;
+       He bowed again and walked away.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now&mdash;what was that?&rdquo; Kennon muttered as he opened the envelope. The
+      man Richter was undoubtedly a process server&mdash;but who had hired him?
+      He unfolded the sheet and scanned the charges&mdash;coercion, larceny,
+      livestock theft, and breach of contract. He shrugged. This was Alexander&rsquo;s
+      work. What was the man thinking of? It was insanity to bring the Lani
+      matter into open court. Hadn&rsquo;t Douglas told him what had happened?
+      Couldn&rsquo;t Alexander guess that he had fled with Copper for a good reason&mdash;one
+      that would stand up in court? Didn&rsquo;t he know about the spacer? Or had
+      Douglas turned on his cousin? The pup had so many hates that it was
+      possible. He was a natural troublemaker. Maybe Alexander didn&rsquo;t know.
+      Maybe he was working in the dark. Kennon scanned the sheet quickly. Ah!
+      here it was. Complaint&mdash;Mr. Alexander X. M. Alexander, Skyline Tower
+      1024, Beta City!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander! Here on Beta! Kennon opened the door of his room, went straight
+      to the phone beside the bed. He lifted the handset from its cradle and
+      dialed the operator. &ldquo;Get me Huntersville THU 2-1408. I want to speak to
+      Dr. Brainard, Dr. Will Brainard. This is a priority call&mdash;my name is
+      Kennon. Dr. Jac Kennon D.V.M. I&rsquo;m in the registry&mdash;47M 26429&mdash;yes&mdash;of
+      course, and thank you.&rdquo; He waited a moment. &ldquo;Hello&mdash;Dr. Brainard?&mdash;Kennon
+      here. I&rsquo;ve just had some news. Alexander&rsquo;s on Beta! Yes&mdash;he served me
+      with a summons. Can you get a restraining order to prevent him from
+      leaving? You can? Good! Here&rsquo;s his address.&rdquo; Kennon rattled off the
+      location. &ldquo;Yes&mdash;I&rsquo;m taking the next airboat to Beta City. This should
+      simplify things considerably.&mdash;Of course it should. He was a fool to
+      have come here. Yes&mdash;I suppose you should tell Copper. Oh! She is?
+      I&rsquo;m sorry to hear that, but there&rsquo;s no reason for her to be angry. She
+      should realize that I did this for her&mdash;not to make her miserable.
+      Hmm.&mdash;She&mdash;she has? You think she should come with me?&mdash;Yes,
+      I realize she can be a problem when she wants to be. All right then&mdash;tell
+      her to pack a toothbrush and a few spare diapers. And see if you can get
+      me a couple of tickets on the next flight to Beta City. I&rsquo;ll be over in a
+      couple of hours and pick her up.&rdquo; He cradled the phone and dialed the
+      operator again.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I want the phone number of Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City, Mr. Alexander.
+      Yes. I&rsquo;ll wait. This number is HUV 2-1278 and my name is Kennon, Dr. Jac
+      Kennon 47M 26429. I called you before. No, I&rsquo;m a transient. I can refer
+      you to Dr. James Brainard, Huntersville Medical Center. Yes, I&rsquo;ll accept
+      charges. Now will you give me that number? BCA 7-8941&mdash;thank you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon hung up, dialed the number, and waited.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Mr. Alexander? This is Dr. Kennon.&mdash;Yes&mdash;I
+      suppose you do, but I&rsquo;ve been trying to get back to Kardon for the past
+      month. You are? Well, that&rsquo;s your privilege, but I&rsquo;d advise you to go easy
+      until I see you. Naturally&mdash;I&rsquo;m coming as soon as I can get there.
+      We&rsquo;ll be seeing you tomorrow morning at the latest. We?&mdash;I&rsquo;m bringing
+      Copper, of course. I just wanted you to know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon wiped his forehead. Alexander sounded angry and dangerous. Ten
+      years hadn&rsquo;t served to cool him off. What had happened on Kardon after he
+      had left? Kennon shook his head. There was something here he didn&rsquo;t
+      understand. The entrepreneur should have been covering his tracks, not
+      threatening jail and disaccreditation. It was obvious that a personal
+      visit was more necessary than he had thought.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander was waiting. His eyebrows rose at the sight of Copper in formal
+      Betan dress&mdash;and lifted a trifle more at the sight of the baby.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is this, Kennon?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Trouble,&rdquo; Kennon said. He took off his hat. &ldquo;I came here to settle things
+      before you took this case to court. You obviously do not understand what
+      has happened. I suppose Douglas has double-crossed you. It would be
+      characteristic of him. But before we go any further I think we should
+      clear the air and let each other know where we stand. I don&rsquo;t want to make
+      trouble if it&rsquo;s not necessary. You&rsquo;ll notice I&rsquo;m not wearing a thought
+      screen, so you&rsquo;ll be able to check everything I say, and know I&rsquo;m telling
+      the truth.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It had better be good,&rdquo; Alexander said grimly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been looking for you
+      for ten years. I intend to throw the book at you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know whether my reason is good or not. Technically I&rsquo;m guilty of
+      breach of contract and larceny of corporation property, but there are
+      extenuating circumstances.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander chuckled mirthlessly. &ldquo;There are a few other charges. And quite
+      probably I can think of more if you beat these. I&rsquo;m going to make an
+      example of you, Kennon. I&rsquo;m going to drag you down and stamp on you.
+      You&rsquo;re going to be a horrible example to all smart operators who think
+      they can break contracts. It&rsquo;s taken a million credits and ten years&rsquo; time
+      to hunt you down, but it&rsquo;s going to be worth it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Copper&rsquo;s child is a boy,&rdquo; Kennon said mildly. &ldquo;My son.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander froze. &ldquo;You can prove that?&rdquo; he asked in a half-strangled voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon nodded. &ldquo;You see the extenuating circumstance?&rdquo; he asked.
+      &ldquo;Suppression of human slavery!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander sat down. It was as though some unseen hand had pulled his legs
+      from under him. &ldquo;You believe it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;&mdash;No&mdash;you&rsquo;ve proved
+      it! Why&mdash;why didn&rsquo;t you tell me? What sort of a man do you think I
+      am?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know. I couldn&rsquo;t take the chance until Copper was protected. You
+      see, sir, I love her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That isn&rsquo;t hard to do with Lani,&rdquo; Alexander said. He sank back in his
+      chair, his face clouded, his expression troubled. It was obvious that the
+      realization shocked him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon felt an odd sympathy for the entrepreneur. It wasn&rsquo;t a nice
+      feeling, he suspected, to have the beliefs of a lifetime ripped apart and
+      sent to the disposal chute.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So the Lani are a human variant,&rdquo; Alexander said dully.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The proof is here,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;and the supporting evidence is
+      conclusive.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Which makes me&mdash;what? A murderer? A slaver? A tyrant?&rdquo; Alexander
+      clutched his head with lean-fingered hands. &ldquo;What am I?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;An innocent victim of circumstances,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t know. None
+      of us knew. And we still wouldn&rsquo;t know if the Lani weren&rsquo;t of Betan
+      extraction.&rdquo; He grimaced painfully. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve done some soul-searching myself,
+      and it hasn&rsquo;t been a pleasant task.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s nothing like mine,&rdquo; Alexander said in a low voice. &ldquo;I suspected
+      they were human when I was younger, but I denied my suspicions and
+      accepted false facts instead of investigating.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You would have found nothing.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Unfortunately, that&rsquo;s not true. We discovered quite a bit from the
+      experimental station you left us when you disappeared ten years ago. But
+      we stopped when we found the age that was being indoctrinated with Lani
+      tabus. We could have gone farther, but I didn&rsquo;t think it was necessary.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t Douglas tell you?&rdquo; Kennon asked curiously. &ldquo;I told him when I
+      turned him loose.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Douglas didn&rsquo;t tell anything except that you had somehow gotten a
+      spaceship. I assumed it was one of those that were involved in that
+      commercial raid a few decades ago, but I see it wasn&rsquo;t. No&mdash;I knew
+      nothing about this development. And Douglas, I guess, wanted to keep it
+      hidden. He gave your co-ordinates and ordered Mullins to launch a missile.
+      But he apparently forgot to turn on his IFF. At any rate the missile lost
+      you&mdash;but found Douglas. Douglas was still talking to Alexandria when
+      it struck.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He might have informed you,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;If he had more time.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I doubt it. He ordered the missile first. He was trying to destroy you
+      before you could destroy Outworld Enterprises. His motives were selfish as
+      usual.&rdquo; Alexander looked at Kennon with a haggard eye. &ldquo;I owe you an
+      apology,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve considered you responsible for Douglas&rsquo;s death
+      for ten years. I&rsquo;ve searched for you on a hundred worlds. My agents in
+      every branch office have had standing orders to report any unusual
+      arrivals. I have hunted you personally. I wanted to break you&mdash;I
+      wanted to kill you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t help the delay,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;The ship was old.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know. You&rsquo;ve told me more than you think. I&rsquo;m a telepath, you know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never forgotten it,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;That was one of the principal
+      reasons I came here. I wanted to see how you&rsquo;d react when you learned the
+      whole truth.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I suppose you gloat&mdash;no&mdash;you&rsquo;re not doing that. But you are
+      right. I could have checked it further. But I didn&rsquo;t. Outworld Enterprises
+      is far bigger than Flora&mdash;and I was busy. Galactic trade is a
+      snake-pit. And, after all, there was Douglas&rsquo;s death&mdash;and the Family
+      with their never-ending clamor for money and their threats when it didn&rsquo;t
+      come promptly. I like being an entrepreneur, but until I made Outworld
+      independent of Family control, I couldn&rsquo;t do anything except run the
+      business to their wishes. Actually the island was only a small part of the
+      corporation. I tried to run it as humanely as possible under the
+      circumstances.&rdquo; He shuddered. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I was ever needlessly cruel.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; Kennon said, &ldquo;you were indifferent.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Which is just as bad,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;what are you going to do about it?&rdquo; Copper interjected. &ldquo;You
+      can beat yourself until you&rsquo;re blue, but that won&rsquo;t accomplish anything.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What are you going to do?&rdquo; Alexander countered. &ldquo;You have the upper
+      hand.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Me?&rdquo; Copper asked. &ldquo;I have nothing. This is between you men.&rdquo; She lapsed
+      into silence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Alexander turned back to Kennon. &ldquo;You have undoubtedly made some
+      arrangements. You wouldn&rsquo;t come here&mdash;oh! I see. Congratulations.
+      Handling the evidence that way was a wise course. You have my admiration.
+      But then I should have known that I was not dealing with a fool.&rdquo; He
+      smiled wryly. &ldquo;Subconsciously I think I did know&mdash;but&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one consolation,&rdquo; Kennon grinned. &ldquo;To be thought a rascal is bad
+      enough, but to be considered a fool is intolerable.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But your decision not to use the evidence unless you were forced to&mdash;that&rsquo;s
+      poor business.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But good morals,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Neither the Brotherhood nor I could
+      settle this affair. It is a matter only you can handle. There is no sense
+      in killing Outworld or throwing Kardon into centuries of litigation. The
+      Lani never were numerous enough to lay claim to an entire world. I&rsquo;ll
+      admit the club is there, but I&rsquo;ll never use it unless it&rsquo;s necessary.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why not?&mdash;it&rsquo;s sound business practice.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a professional&mdash;not a businessman. And besides, I haven&rsquo;t the
+      moral right to return evil for good. You have not been a bad boss.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Alexander said glumly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always considered myself
+      civilized.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t go so far as to say that,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;Honorable, yes&mdash;civilized,
+      no. But none of us are really civilized.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t changed much, despite our development. Perhaps we&rsquo;ve varied a
+      little physically&mdash;and we&rsquo;ve learned to use new tools, but our minds
+      are still the minds of barbarians&mdash;blood brothers against the enemy,
+      and everything not of us is enemy. Savages&mdash;hiding under a thin
+      veneer of superficial culture. Savages with spaceships and the atom.&rdquo;
+       Kennon looked down at Copper. Apparently her thoughts were miles away in
+      an introspective world that was all her own. She had said her piece and
+      having done that was content to let the two men develop it. Kennon looked
+      at her with odd respect. Alexander eyed her with a mildly startled
+      expression on his lean face. And both men smiled, but the smiles were not
+      amused.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Judging from Copper,&rdquo; Alexander said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ll have to worry
+      about how the Lani will turn out.&rdquo; He looked at Kennon with mild sympathy.
+      &ldquo;You are going to have quite a time with her,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I suppose so. I&rsquo;ll probably never know whether I&rsquo;m guided or whether I&rsquo;m
+      doing the guiding. I&rsquo;ve changed a lot of my opinions about Copper since
+      the day I met her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Copper looked up and smiled at them. It was an odd smile, hinting at
+      secrets neither of them would ever know. Alexander chuckled. &ldquo;It serves
+      you right.&rdquo; He crossed his legs and looked up at Kennon standing before
+      him. By some uncanny legerdemain he had gotten control of himself and the
+      situation at the same time. Being telepathic was an unfair advantage,
+      Kennon thought.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You were equally unfair with your accusation,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;Sure&mdash;humanity
+      makes mistakes, and like this one they&rsquo;re sometimes brutal mistakes. But
+      we are capable of atonement. Morally we have come a long way from the
+      brutality of the Interregnum. I shouldn&rsquo;t have to use examples, but look
+      at that&rdquo;&mdash;he waved at the view wall at the panorama of gleaming fairy
+      towers and greenery that made Beta City one of the most beautiful in the
+      Brotherhood. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t tell me that five thousand years of peace and
+      development haven&rsquo;t produced civilization. That&rsquo;s a concrete example out
+      there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennon said flatly. &ldquo;Sure, it&rsquo;s pretty&mdash;clean&mdash;and
+      beautifully designed for art and utility&mdash;but it isn&rsquo;t civilization.
+      You&rsquo;re confusing technology with culture. You look at this and say, &lsquo;What
+      a great civilization man has built,&rsquo; when you really mean, &lsquo;What a great
+      technology mankind has developed.&rsquo; There&rsquo;s all the difference in the
+      world. Technology is of the mind and hands. Civilization is of the spirit&mdash;and
+      spiritually we are still in the Dark Ages.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We conquer, kill, loot, and enslave. We establish standards to keep
+      humanity a closed corporation, a special club in which men can live but
+      aliens can&rsquo;t. We&rsquo;ve made the standards for admission so rigid that we even
+      enslave our own kind and call them animals. That&rsquo;s not civilization&mdash;that&rsquo;s
+      savagery!
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;For nearly five hundred years your family has run a slave pen. Your
+      fortune is based upon it. And you have perpetuated this traffic in flesh
+      on the specious reasoning that a court judgment of half a millennium ago
+      is as good today as when it was handed down. Never once did anyone have
+      the moral courage to re-examine that old decision. Never once did any
+      human question the rightness of that decision. None of us are immune. We
+      all based our conduct upon an antiquated law and searched no further.
+      Everyone was happy with the status quo&mdash;or at least not so unhappy
+      that they wanted to change it. Even I would have been content had it not
+      been for Copper.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yet I do not feel that it was bad that I hired you,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+      &ldquo;Even though you have shown me that I am a slaver, and made me see faults
+      I never knew I had.&rdquo; His face was drawn&mdash;harsh lines reached from
+      nose to lips, from eyes to chin. Suddenly he looked old. &ldquo;I can accept
+      censure if censure is just. And this is just. No&mdash;I&rsquo;m not sorry I
+      hired you even though the thought of what I have helped do to the Lani
+      makes me sick to my stomach.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well&mdash;&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;What are you going to do about it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;At the first smell of trouble, the Family
+      will turn tail and run. You can break the company, and I won&rsquo;t stand in
+      your way. It&rsquo;s only just. You&rsquo;re the one who&rsquo;s carrying the ball. Now run
+      with it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That damned blind spot,&rdquo; Kennon said. &ldquo;You realize, of course, that
+      you&rsquo;re not legally liable. It was a mistake. All you have to do is admit
+      the error and start from there. Naturally&mdash;no reasonable intelligence
+      would expect that you change the older Lani. They&rsquo;re too old for either
+      agerone or change. It would be both cruel and inhuman to turn them loose.
+      It&rsquo;s with the youngsters that you can work&mdash;those who are physically
+      and physiologically young enough to derive benefit from agerone and
+      education.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;As I remember, you bought a planet called Phoebe. Now why don&rsquo;t you&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Phase out! Of course! But that means that you can&rsquo;t press charges.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why should I? I&rsquo;m not one of these starry-eyed reformers who expect to
+      change things overnight. It&rsquo;s the future of the Lani race that&rsquo;s
+      important, And Brainard agrees with me. A phase-out is the proper
+      solution. Change the education, let males be born&mdash;teach the young to
+      think instead of to obey. Give them Phoebe for a home&mdash;they never
+      owned all of Kardon anyway. And within a century or two we will have a new
+      group of the human race&mdash;and then we can tell the Brotherhood.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon looked inquiringly at Copper. She smiled and nodded. &ldquo;It would
+      cause less trouble that way,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It would be more sure&mdash;and
+      there are never too many old ones.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon shuddered, thinking of the euthanasia chambers on Otpen One. &ldquo;There
+      will be more from now on,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Outworld can afford it. It&rsquo;ll bend us a little but we won&rsquo;t break&mdash;and
+      besides, the Lani will need our help for some time to come.&rdquo; Alexander
+      looked at Kennon. &ldquo;Can we make an agreement that all parties will
+      respect?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think so&mdash;providing there are no sleeper clauses in it,&rdquo; Kennon
+      said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There won&rsquo;t be,&rdquo; Alexander said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      And there weren&rsquo;t.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      * * *
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      It was a private ceremony. The Family, sulky and unwilling, faced with a
+      choice of drastically reduced income or outright confiscation and
+      preferring a portion of a loaf to none. Alexander&mdash;grim but oddly
+      peaceful of expression. Brainard&mdash;pink-cheeked and emotionless.
+      Kennon and Copper&mdash;happily conscious that it was at last finished. It
+      was an oddly assorted group of conspirators who planned to restore a
+      segment of humanity to the human race.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Kennon signed last, and as he did, Alexander looked at him with a sly grin
+      distorting the smooth pallor of his face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You forgot something,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What?&rdquo; Kennon said&mdash;aware suddenly that something was wrong.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What do you plan to do, now that this is over?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Join the Medical Center here and practice veterinary medicine.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You wouldn&rsquo;t care to work for me&mdash;to help rebuild the wreckage
+      you&rsquo;ve helped create? I&rsquo;ll need a manager on Kardon to phase out the
+      island while we phase in Phoebe.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, thank you. I&rsquo;ve had enough of that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You just think you have,&rdquo; Alexander said gleefully. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what you have
+      forgotten. You&rsquo;ve gotten your agreement&mdash;now you will satisfy me. As
+      I see it you have breached your contract by leaving Flora without
+      authorization.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is right,&rdquo; Kennon said. A small lump of lead began to grow rapidly
+      larger in his stomach. Brainard was grinning and Copper&rsquo;s eyes were
+      shining. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve been jobbed!&rdquo; his mind told him. He sighed. He knew what
+      was coming next.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The punitive clause for breach of contract,&rdquo; Alexander went on
+      inexorably, &ldquo;is very broad. Discretion is vested in the entrepreneur. I
+      can obtain judgment against you in any court on any planet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Kennon said glumly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I am going to be civilized,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I am going to be
+      merciful. I am going to extend your contract until phase-out has been
+      completed. You are going to have control of the entire Kardon phase of the
+      operation. It&rsquo;s poetic justice&mdash;you made the mess&mdash;now you can
+      clean it up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s inhuman!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Humanity has nothing to do with it. It&rsquo;s justice,&rdquo; Alexander said. He
+      smiled at Copper&rsquo;s radiant face. The thought of going home was good to
+      her. &ldquo;Good luck on your new job, Dr. Kennon,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And welcome to the
+      brotherhood of the ulcer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+
+
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+</html>
diff --git a/2509.txt b/2509.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7ad6d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2509.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8187 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lani People, by J. F. Bone
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Lani People
+
+Author: J. F. Bone
+
+Posting Date: December 23, 2008 [EBook #2509]
+Release Date: February, 2001
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LANI PEOPLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer
+
+
+
+
+
+THE LANI PEOPLE
+
+
+By J. F. Bone
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+The boxed ad in the opportunities section of the Kardon Journal of
+Allied Medical Sciences stood out like a cut diamond in a handful
+of gravel. "Wanted," it read, "Veterinarian--for residency in active
+livestock operation. Single recent graduate preferred. Quarters and
+service furnished. Well-equipped hospital. Five-year contract, renewal
+option, starting salary 15,000 cr./annum with periodic increases. State
+age, school, marital status, and enclose recent tri-di with application.
+Address Box V-9, this journal."
+
+Jac Kennon read the box a second time. There must be a catch to it.
+Nothing that paid a salary that large could possibly be on the level.
+Fifteen thousand a year was top pay even on Beta, and an offer like this
+for a new graduate was unheard of--unless Kardon was in the middle of an
+inflation. But Kardon wasn't. The planet's financial status was A-1.
+He knew. He'd checked that immediately after landing. Whatever might
+be wrong with Kardon, it wasn't her currency. The rate of exchange was
+1.2-1 Betan.
+
+A five-year contract--hmm--that would be seventy-five thousand. Figure
+three thousand a year for living expenses, that would leave sixty-plenty
+of capital to start a clinic. The banks couldn't turn him down if he had
+that much cash collateral.
+
+Kennon chuckled wryly. He'd better get the job before he started
+spending the money he didn't have. He had 231 credits plus a few
+halves, tenths, and hundredths, a diploma in veterinary medicine, some
+textbooks, a few instruments, and a first-class spaceman's ticket. By
+watching his expenses he had enough money to live here for a month and
+if nothing came of his efforts to find a job on this planet, there was
+always his spaceman's ticket and another world.
+
+Another world! There were over six thousand planets in the Brotherhood
+of Man. At two months per planet, not figuring transit time, it would
+take more than a thousand Galactic Standard years to visit them all, and
+a man could look forward to scarcely more than five hundred at best. The
+habitat of Man had become too large. There wasn't time to explore every
+possibility.
+
+But a man could have certain standards, and look until he found a
+position that fitted. The trouble was--if the standards were too high
+the jobs were too scarce. Despite the chronic shortage of veterinarians
+throughout the Brotherhood, there was a peculiar reluctance on the part
+of established practitioners to welcome recent graduates. Most of the
+ads in the professional journals read "State salary desired," which was
+nothing more than economic blackmail--a bald-faced attempt to get as
+much for as little as possible. Kennon grimaced wryly. He'd be damned if
+he'd sell his training for six thousand a year. Slave labor, that's what
+it was. There were a dozen ads like that in the Journal. Well, he'd give
+them a trial, but he'd ask eight thousand and full GEA benefits. Eight
+years of school and two more as an intern were worth at least that.
+
+He pulled the portable voicewrite to a comfortable position in front of
+the view wall and began composing another of the series of letters that
+had begun months ago in time and parsecs away in space. His voice was a
+fluid counterpoint to the soft hum of the machine.
+
+And as he dictated, his eyes took in the vista through the view
+wall. Albertsville was a nice town, too young for slums, too new for
+overpopulation. The white buildings were the color of winter butter in
+the warm yellow sunlight as the city drowsed in the noonday heat. It
+nestled snugly in the center of a bowl-shaped valley whose surrounding
+forest clad hills gave mute confirmation to the fact that Kardon
+was still primitive, an unsettled world that had not yet reached the
+explosive stage of population growth that presaged maturity. But that
+was no disadvantage. In fact, Kennon liked it. Living could be fun on a
+planet like this.
+
+It was abysmally crude compared to Beta, but the Brotherhood had opened
+Kardon less than five hundred years ago, and in such a short time one
+couldn't expect all the comforts of civilization.
+
+It required a high population density to supply them, and while Kardon
+was integrated its population was scarcely more than two hundred
+million. It would be some time yet before this world would achieve a
+Class I status. However, a Class II planet had some advantages. What it
+lacked in conveniences it made up in opportunities and elbow room.
+
+A normal Betan would have despised this world, but Kennon wasn't normal,
+although to the casual eye he was a typical representative of the
+Medico-Technological Civilization, long legged, fair haired, and short
+bodied with the typical Betan squint that left his eyes mere slits
+behind thick lashes and heavy brows. The difference was internal rather
+than external.
+
+Possibly it was due to the fact that his father was the commander of a
+Shortliner and most of his formative years had been spent in space. To
+Kennon, accustomed to the timeless horror of hyper space, all planets
+were good, broad open places where a man could breathe unfiltered air
+and look for miles across distances unbroken by dually bulk heads and
+safety shields. On a planet there were spaciousness and freedom and
+after the claustrophobic confinement of a hyper ship any world was
+paradise. Kennon sighed, finished his letters, and placed them in the
+mail chute. Perhaps, this time, there would be a favorable reply.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+Kennon was startled by the speed with which his letters were answered.
+Accustomed to the slower pace of Beta he had expected a week would
+elapse before the first reply, but within twenty-four hours nine of his
+twelve inquiries were returned. Five expressed the expected "Thank you
+but I feel that your asking salary is a bit high in view of your lack
+of experience." Three were frankly interested and requested a personal
+interview. And the last was the letter, outstanding in its quietly
+ostentatious folder-the reply from Box V-9.
+
+"Would Dr. Kennon call at 10 A.M. tomorrow at the offices of
+Outworld Enterprises Incorporated and bring this letter and suitable
+identifications?" Kennon chuckled. Would he? There was no question about
+it. The address, 200 Central Avenue, was only a few blocks away. In
+fact, he could see the building from his window, a tall functional block
+of durilium and plastic, soaring above the others on the street, the
+sunlight gleaming off its clean square lines. He eyed it curiously,
+wondering what he would find inside.
+
+* * *
+
+The receptionist took his I.D. and the letter, scanned them briefly,
+and slipped them into one of the message tubes beside her desk. "It will
+only be a moment, Doctor," she said impersonally. "Would you care to sit
+down? '"
+
+"Thank you," he said. The minute, reflected, could easily be an hour. But
+she was right. It was only a minute until the message tube clicked
+and popped a capsule onto the girl's desk. She opened it, and removed
+Kennon's I.D. and a small yellow plastic rectangle. Her eyes widened at
+the sight of the plastic card.
+
+"Here you are, Doctor. Take shaft number one. Slip the card into the
+scanner slot and you'll be taken to the correct floor. The offices you
+want will be at the end of the corridor to the left. You'll find any
+other data you may need on the card in case you get lost." She looked at
+him with a curious mixture of surprise and respect as she handed him the
+contents of the message tube.
+
+Kennon murmured an acknowledgment, took the card and his I.D., and
+entered the grav-shaft. There was the usual moment of heaviness as
+the shaft whisked him upward and deposited him in front of a thickly
+carpeted corridor.
+
+Executive level, Kennon thought as he followed the receptionist's
+directions. No wonder she had looked respectful. But what was he doing
+here? The employment of a veterinarian wasn't important enough to demand
+the attention of a senior executive. The personnel section could handle
+the details of his application as well as not. He shrugged. Perhaps
+veterinarians were more important on Kardon. He didn't know a thing
+about this world's customs.
+
+He opened the unmarked door at the end of the corridor, entered a small
+reception room, smiled uncertainly at the woman behind the desk, and
+received an answering smile in return.
+
+Come right in, Dr. Kennon. Mr. Alexander is waiting for you.
+
+Alexander! The entrepreneur himself! Why? Numb with surprise Kennon
+watched the woman open the intercom on her desk.
+
+"Sir, Dr. Kennon is here," she said.
+
+"Bring him in," a smooth voice replied from the speaker. Alexander X. M.
+Alexander, President of Outworld Enterprises--a lean, dark, wolfish man
+in his early sixties--eyed Kennon with a flat predatory intentness that
+was oddly disquieting. His stare combined the analytical inspection
+of the pathologist, the probing curiosity of the psychiatrist, and the
+weighing appraisal of the butcher. Kennon's thoughts about Alexander's
+youth vanished that instant. Those eyes belonged to a leader on the
+battlefield of galactic business.
+
+Kennon felt the conditioned respect for authority surge through him in
+a smothering wave. Grimly he fought it down, knowing it was a sign of
+weakness that would do him no good in the interview which lay ahead.
+
+"So you're Kennon," Alexander said. His lingua franca was clean and
+accentless. "I expected someone older."
+
+"Frankly, sir, so did I," Kennon replied.
+
+Alexander smiled, an oddly pleasant smile that transformed the hard
+straight lines in his face into friendly curves. "Business, Dr. Kennon,
+is not the sole property of age."
+
+"Nor is a veterinary degree," Kennon replied.
+
+"True. But one thinks of a Betan as someone ancient and sedate."
+
+"Ours is an old planet--but we still have new generations."
+
+"A fact most of us outsiders find hard to believe," Alexander said. "I
+picture your world as an ironclad society crystallized by age and custom
+into something rigid and in flexible."
+
+"You would be wrong to do so," Kennon said. "Even though we are cultural
+introverts there is plenty of dynamism within our society."
+
+"How is it that you happen to be out here on the edge of civilization?"
+
+"I never said I was like my society," Kennon grinned. "Actually I
+suppose I'm one of the proverbial bad apples."
+
+"There's more to it than that," Alexander said. "Your early years
+probably influenced you."
+
+Kennon looked sharply at the entrepreneur. How much did the man really
+know about him? "I suppose so," he said indifferently.
+
+Alexander looked pleased. "But even with your childhood experiences
+there must be an atavistic streak in you--a throwback to your
+adventurous Earth forebears who settled your world?"
+
+Kennon shrugged. "Perhaps you're right. I really don't know. Actually,
+I've never thought about it. It merely seemed to me that an undeveloped
+world offered more opportunity."
+
+"It does," Alexander said. "But it also offers more work. If you're
+figuring that you can get along on the minimum physical effort required
+on the Central Worlds, you have a shock coming."
+
+"I'm not that innocent," Kennon said. "But I am not so stupid that I
+can't apply modifications of Betan techniques to worlds as new as this."
+
+Alexander chuckled. "I like you," he said suddenly. "Here read this and
+see if you'd care to work for me." He picked a contract form from one of
+the piles of paper on his desk and handed it to Kennon. "This is one
+of our standard work contracts. Take it back to your hotel and check it
+over. I'll expect to see you at this time tomorrow."
+
+"Why waste time?" Kennon said. "The rapid-reading technique originated
+on Beta. I can tell you in fifteen minutes."
+
+"Hmm. Certainly. Read it here if you wish. I like to get things
+settled--the sooner the better. Sit down, young man and read. You can
+rouse me when you're finished." He turned his attention to the papers on
+his desk and within seconds was completely oblivious of Kennon, his face
+set in the rapt trancelike expression of a trained rapid reader.
+
+Kennon watched for a moment as sheets of paper passed through
+Alexander's hands to be added to the pile at the opposite end of the
+desk. The man would do better, he thought, if he would have his staff
+transcribe the papers to microfilm that could be read through an
+interval-timed scanner. He might suggest that later. As for now, he
+shrugged and seated himself in the chair beside the desk. The quiet was
+broken only by the rustle of paper as the two rapt-faced men turned page
+after page with mechanical regularity.
+
+Finally Kennon turned the last page, paused, blinked, and performed
+the necessary mental gymnastics to orient his time sense. Alexander, he
+noticed, was still engrossed, sunk in his autohypnotic trance. Kennon
+waited until he had finished the legal folder which he was reading and
+then gently intruded upon Alexander's concentration.
+
+Alexander looked up blankly and then went through the same mental
+gyrations Kennon had performed a few minutes before. His eyes focused
+and became hard and alert.
+
+"Well?" he asked. "What do you think of it?"
+
+"I think it's the damnedest, trickiest, most unilateral piece of
+legalistics I've ever seen," Kennon said bluntly. "If that's the best
+you can offer, I wouldn't touch the job with a pair of forceps."
+
+Alexander smiled. "I see you read the fine print," he said. There was
+quiet amusement in his voice. "So you don't like the contract?"
+
+"No sensible man would. I'm damned if I'll sign commitment papers just
+to get a job. No wonder you're having trouble getting professional help.
+If your contracts are all like that it's' a wonder anyone works for
+you."
+
+"We have no complaints from our employees," Alexander said stiffly.
+
+"How could you? If they signed that contract you'd have a perfect right
+to muzzle them."
+
+"There are other applicants for this post," Alexander said.
+
+"Then get one of them. I wouldn't be interested."
+
+"A spaceman's ticket is a good thing to have," Alexander said idly.
+"It's a useful ace in the hole. Besides, you have had three other job
+offers--all of which are good even though they don't pay fifteen Ems a
+year."
+
+Kennon did a quick double take. Alexander's investigative staff was
+better than good. It was uncanny.
+
+"But seriously, Dr. Kennon, I am pleased that you do not like that
+contract. Frankly, I wouldn't consider employing you if you did."
+
+"Sir?"
+
+"That contract is a screen. It weeds out the careless, the fools, and
+the unfit in one operation. A man who would sign a thing like that
+has no place in my organization." Alexander chuckled at Kennon's blank
+expression. "I see you have had no experience with screening contracts."
+
+"I haven't," Kennon admitted. "On Beta the tests are formal. The
+Medico-Psych Division supervises them."
+
+"Different worlds, different methods," Alexander observed. "But they're
+all directed toward the same goal. Here we aren't so civilized. We
+depend more on personal judgment." He took another contract from one of
+the drawers of his desk. "Take a look at this. I think you'll be more
+satisfied."
+
+"If you don't mind, I'll read it now," Kennon said.
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+* * *
+
+"It's fair enough," Kennon said, "except for Article Twelve."
+
+"The personal privilege section?
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, that's the contract. You can take it or leave it."
+
+"I'll leave it," Kennon said. "Thank you for your time." He rose to his
+feet, smiled at Alexander, and turned to the door. "Don't bother to call
+your receptionist," he said. "I can find my way out."
+
+"Just a minute, Doctor," Alexander said. He was standing behind the
+desk, holding out his hand.
+
+"Another test?" Kennon inquired.
+
+Alexander nodded. "The critical one," he said. "Do you want the job?"
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Without knowing more about it?"
+
+"The contract is adequate. It defines my duties."
+
+"And you think you can handle them?"
+
+"I know I can."
+
+"I notice," Alexander observed, "that you didn't object to other
+provisions."
+
+"No, sir. They're pretty rigid, but for the salary you are paying I
+figure you should have some rights. Certainly you have the right to
+protect your interests. But that Article Twelve is a direct violation of
+everything a human being should hold sacred besides being a violation
+of the Peeper Laws. I'd never sign a contract that didn't carry a full
+Peeper rider."
+
+"That's quite a bit."
+
+"That's the minimum," Kennon corrected. "Naturally, I won't object
+to mnemonic erasure of matters pertaining to your business once my
+contract's completed and I leave your employment. But until then there
+will be no conditioning, no erasures, no taps, no snoopers, and no
+checkups other than the regular periodic psychans. I'll consult with you
+on vacation time and will arrange it to suit your convenience. I'll even
+agree to emergency recall, but that's the limit." Kennon's voice was
+flat.
+
+"You realize I'm agreeing to give you a great deal of personal liberty,"
+Alexander said. "How can I protect myself?"
+
+"I'll sign a contingency rider," Kennon said, "if you will specify
+precisely what security matters I am not to reveal."
+
+"I accept," Alexander said. "Consider yourself hired." He touched
+a button on his desk. "Prepare a standard 2-A contract for Dr.
+Jac Kennon's signature. And attach two riders, a full P-P-yes, no
+exceptions--and a security-leak contingency, Form 287-C. Yes--that's
+right--that one. And strike out all provisions of Article Twelve which
+conflict with the Peeper Laws. Yes. Now--and finish it as soon as you
+can." He touched another button. "Well, that's that," he said. "I hope
+you'll enjoy being a member of our group."
+
+"I think I shall," Kennon said. "You know, sir, I would have waived part
+of that last demand if you had cared to argue."
+
+"I know it," Alexander said. "But what concessions I could have wrung
+from you would be relatively unimportant beside the fact that you would
+be unhappy about them later. What little I could have won here, I'd lose
+elsewhere. And since I want you, I'd prefer to have you satisfied."
+
+"I see," Kennon said. Actually he didn't see at all. He looked curiously
+at the entrepreneur. Alexander couldn't be as easy as he seemed.
+Objectivity and dispassionate weighing and balancing were nice traits
+and very helpful ones, but in the bear pit of galactic business they
+wouldn't keep their owner alive for five minutes. The interworld trade
+sharks would have skinned him long ago and divided the stripped carcass
+of his company between them.
+
+But Outworld was a "respected" company. The exchange reports said
+so--which made Alexander a different breed of cat entirely. Still, his
+surface was perfect--polished and impenetrable as a duralloy turret on
+one of the latest Brotherhood battleships. Kennon regretted he wasn't a
+sensitive. It would be nice to know what Alexander really was.
+
+"Tell me, sir," Kennon asked. "What are the real reasons that make you
+think I'm the man you want?"
+
+"And you're the young man who's so insistent on a personal privacy
+rider," Alexander chuckled. "However, there's no harm telling you. There
+are several reasons.
+
+"You're from a culture whose name is a byword for moral integrity. That
+makes you a good risk so far as your ethics are concerned. In addition
+you're the product of one of the finest educational systems in the
+galaxy-and you have proven your intelligence to my satisfaction. You
+also showed me that you weren't a spineless 'yes man.' And finally, you
+have a spirit of adventure. Not one in a million of your people would do
+what you have done. What more could an entrepreneur ask of a prospective
+employee?"
+
+Kennon sighed and gave up. Alexander wasn't going to reveal a thing.
+
+"All I hope," Alexander continued affably, "is that you'll find Outworld
+Enterprises as attractive as did your predecessor Dr. Williamson. He was
+with us until he died last month--better than a hundred years."
+
+"Died rather young, didn't he?"
+
+"Not exactly, he was nearly four hundred when he joined us. My
+grandfather was essentially conservative. He liked older men, and Old
+Doc was one of his choices--a good one, too. He was worth every credit
+we paid him."
+
+"I'll try to do as well," Kennon said, "but I'd like to warn you that I
+have no intention of staying as long as he did. I want to build a clinic
+and I figure sixty thousand is about enough to get started."
+
+"When will you veterinarians ever learn to be organization men?"
+Alexander asked. "You're as independent as tomcats."
+
+Kennon grinned. "It's a breed characteristic, I guess."
+
+Alexander shrugged. "Perhaps you'll change your mind after you've worked
+for us."
+
+"Possibly, but I doubt it."
+
+"Tell me that five years from now," Alexander said--"Ah--here are
+the contracts." He smiled at the trim secretary who entered the room
+carrying a stack of papers.
+
+"The riders are as you asked, sir," the girl said.
+
+"Good. Now, Doctor, if you please."
+
+"You don't mind if I check them?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Not at all. And when you're through, just leave them on the
+desk--except for your copy, of course." Alexander scrawled his signature
+on the bottom of each contract. "Don't disturb me. I'll be in contact
+with you. Leave your whereabouts with your hotel." He turned to the
+papers in front of him, and then looked up for the last time. "Just one
+more thing," he said. "You impress me as a cautious man. It would be
+just as well if you carried your caution with you when you leave this
+room."
+
+Kennon nodded, and Alexander turned back to his work.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+"I'd never have guessed yesterday that I'd be here today," Kennon said
+as he looked down at the yellow waters of the Xantline Sea flashing to
+the rear of the airboat at a steady thousand kilometers per hour as they
+sped westward in the middle traffic level. The water, some ten thousand
+meters below, had been completely empty for hours as the craft hurtled
+through the equatorial air.
+
+"We have to move fast to stay ahead of our ulcers," Alexander said
+with a wry smile. "Besides, I wanted to get away from the Albertsville
+offices for awhile."
+
+"Three hours' notice," Kennon said. "That's almost too fast."
+
+"You had nothing to keep you in the city, and neither did I--at least
+nothing important. There are plenty of females where we are going and
+I need you on Flora--not in Albertsville. Besides I can get you there
+faster than if you waited for a company transport."
+
+"Judging from those empty sea lanes below, Flora must be an
+out-of-the-way place," Kennon said.
+
+"It is. It's out of the trade lanes. Most of the commercial traffic is
+in the southern hemisphere. The northern hemisphere is practically
+all water. Except for Flora and the Otpens there isn't a land area for
+nearly three thousand kilometers in any direction, and since the company
+owns Flora and the surrounding island groups there's no reason for
+shipping to come there. We have our own supply vessels, a Discovery
+Charter, and a desire for privacy.--Ah! It won't be long now. There's
+the Otpens!" Alexander pointed at a smudge on the horizon that quickly
+resolved into an irregular chain of tiny islets that slipped below them.
+Kennon got a glimpse of gray concrete on one of the larger islands, a
+smudge of green trees, and white beaches against which the yellow waters
+dashed in smothers of foam.
+
+"Rugged-looking place," he murmured.
+
+"Most of them are deserted. Two support search and warning stations and
+automatic interceptors to protect our property. Look!--there's Flora."
+Alexander gestured at the land mass that appeared below.
+
+Flora was a great green oval two hundred kilometers long and about a
+hundred wide.
+
+"Pretty, isn't it?" Alexander said as they sped over the low range
+of hills and the single gaunt volcano filling the eastward end of
+the island and swept over a broad green valley dotted with fields
+and orchards interspersed at intervals by red-roofed structures whose
+purpose was obvious.
+
+"Our farms," Alexander said redundantly. The airboat crossed a
+fair-sized river. "That's the Styx," Alexander said. "Grandfather named
+it. He was a classicist in his way--spent a lot of his time reading
+books most people never heard of. Things like the Iliad and Gone with
+the Wind. The mountains he called the Apennines, and that volcano's
+Mount Olympus. The marshland to the north is called the Pontine
+Marshes--our main road is the Camino Real." Alexander grinned. "There's
+a lot of Earth on Flora. You'll find it in every name. Grandfather
+was an Earthman and he used to get nostalgic for the homeworld.
+Well--there's Alexandria coming up. We've just about reached the end of
+the line."
+
+Kennon stared down at the huge gray-green citadel resting on a small
+hill in the center of an open plain. It was a Class II Fortalice built
+on the efficient star-shaped plan of half a millennium ago--an ugly
+spiky pile of durilium, squat and massive with defensive shields and
+weapons which could still withstand hours of assault by the most modern
+forces.
+
+"Why did he build a thing like that?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Alexandria?--well, we had trouble with the natives when we first came,
+and Grandfather had a synthesizer and tapes for a Fortalice in his
+ship. So he built it. It serves the dual purpose of base and house. It's
+mostly house now, but it's still capable of being defended."
+
+"And those outbuildings?"
+
+"They're part of your job."
+
+The airboat braked sharply and settled with a smooth, sickeningly
+swift rush that left Kennon gasping--feeling that his stomach was still
+floating above him in the middle level. He never had become accustomed
+to an arbutus landing characteristics. Spacers were slower and steadier.
+The ship landed gently on a pitted concrete slab near the massive
+radiation shields of the barricaded entranceway to the fortress.
+Projectors in polished dually turrets swivelled to point their ugly
+noses at them. It gave Kennon a queasy feeling. He never liked to trust
+his future to automatic machinery. If the analyzers failed to decode the
+ship's I.D. properly, Kennon, Alexander, the ship, and a fair slice of
+surrounding territory would become an incandescent mass of dissociated
+atoms.
+
+"Grandfather was a good builder," Alexander, said proudly. "Those
+projectors have been mounted nearly four hundred years and they're still
+as good as the day they were installed."
+
+"I can see that," Kennon said uncomfortably. "You ought to dismantle
+them. They're enough to give a man the weebies."
+
+Alexander chuckled. "Oh--they're safe. The firing mechanism's safetied.
+But we keep them in operating condition. You never can tell when they'll
+come in handy."
+
+"I knew Kardon was primitive, but I didn't think it was that bad. What's
+the trouble?"
+
+"None--right now," Alexander said obliquely, "and since we've shown we
+can handle ourselves there probably won't be any more."
+
+"You must raise some pretty valuable stock if the competition tried to
+rustle them in the face of that armament."
+
+"We do." Alexander said. "Now if you'll follow me"--the entrepreneur
+opened the cabin door letting in a blast of heat and a flood of yellow
+sunlight.
+
+"Great Arthur Fleming!" Kennon exploded. "This place is a furnace!"
+
+"It's hot out here on the strip," Alexander admitted, "but its cool
+enough inside. Besides, you'll get used to this quickly enough--and
+the nights are wonderful. The evening rains cool things off. Well--come
+along." He began walking toward the arched entrance to the great
+building some hundred meters away. Kennon followed looking around
+curiously. So this was to be his home for the next five years? It didn't
+look particularly inviting. There was a forbidding air about the place
+that was in stark contrast to its pleasant surroundings.
+
+They were only a few meters from the archway when a stir of movement
+came from its shadow--the first life Kennon had seen since they
+descended from the ship. In this furnace heat even the air was quiet.
+Two women came out of the darkness, moving with quiet graceful steps
+across the blistering hot concrete. They were naked except for a
+loincloth, halter, and sandals and so nearly identical in form and
+feature that Kennon took them to be twins. Their skins were burned a
+deep brown that glistened in the yellow sun light.
+
+Kennon shrugged. It was none of his business how his employer ran his
+household or what his servants wore or didn't wear. Santos was a planet
+of nudists, and certainly this hot sun was fully as brilliant as the one
+which warmed that tropical planet In fact, he could see some virtue in
+wearing as little as possible. Already he was perspiring.
+
+The two women walked past them toward the airboat. Kennon turned to
+look at them and noticed with surprise that they weren't human. The long
+tails curled below their spinal bases were adequate denials of human
+ancestry.
+
+"Humanoids!" he gasped. "For a moment I thought-"
+
+"Gave you a start-eh?" Alexander chuckled. "It always does when a
+stranger sees a Lani for the first time. Well--now you've seen some of
+the livestock what do you think of them?"
+
+"I think you should have hired a medic."
+
+Alexander shook his head. "No--it wouldn't be reason able or legal.
+You're the man for the job."
+
+"But I've no experience with humanoid types. We didn't cover that phase
+in our studies--and from their appearance they'd qualify as humans
+anywhere if it weren't for those tails!"
+
+"They're far more similar than you think," Alexander said. "It just goes
+to show what parallel evolution can do. But there are differences."
+
+"I never knew that there was indigenous humanoid life on Kardon," Kennon
+continued. "The manual says nothing about it."
+
+"Naturally. They're indigenous only to this area."
+
+
+
+
+"That's impossible. Species as highly organized as that simply don't
+originate on isolated islands."
+
+"This was a subcontinent once," Alexander said. "Most of it has been
+inundated. Less than a quarter of a million years ago there was over a
+hundred times the land area in this region than exists today. Then the
+ocean rose. Now all that's left is the mid continent plateau and a few
+mountain tops. You noted, I suppose, that this is mature topography
+except for that range of hills to the east. The whole land area at the
+time of flooding was virtually a peneplain. A rise of a few hundred feet
+in the ocean level was all that was needed to drown most of the land."
+
+"I see. Yes, it's possible that life could have developed here under
+those conditions. A peneplain topography argues permanence for hundreds
+of millions of years."
+
+"You have studied geology?" Alexander asked curiously. "Only as part of
+my cultural base," Kennon said. "Merely a casual acquaintance."
+
+"We think the Lani were survivors of that catastrophe--and with their
+primitive culture they were unable to reach the other land masses,"
+Alexander shrugged. "At any rate they never established themselves
+anywhere else."
+
+"How did you happen to come here?"
+
+"I was born here," Alexander said. "My grandfather discovered this world
+better than four hundred years ago. He picked this area because it all
+could be comfortably included in Discovery Rights. It wasn't until years
+afterward that he realized the ecological peculiarities of this region."
+
+"He certainly capitalized on them."
+
+"There was plenty of opportunity. The plants and animals here are
+different from others in this world. Like Australia in reverse."
+
+Kennon looked blank, and Alexander chuckled. "Australia was a
+subcontinent on Earth," he explained. "Its ecology, however, was
+exceedingly primitive when compared with the rest of the planet. Flora's
+on the contrary, was--and is--exceedingly advanced when compared with
+other native life forms on Kardon."
+
+"Your grandfather stumbled on a real bonanza," Kennon said.
+
+"For which I'm grateful," Alexander grinned. "It's made me the biggest
+operator in this sector of the galaxy. For practical purposes I own an
+independent nation. There's about a thousand humans here, and nearly six
+thousand Lani. We're increasing the Lani now, since we found they have
+commercial possibilities. Up to thirty years ago we merely used them for
+labor."
+
+Kennon didn't speculate on what Alexander meant. He knew. For practical
+purposes, his employer was a slave trader--or would have been if the
+natives were human. As it was, the analogy was so close that it wasn't
+funny.
+
+They entered the fortress, passed through a decontamination chamber that
+would have done credit to an exploration ship, and emerged dressed in
+tunics and sandals that were far more appropriate and comfortable in
+this tropical climate.
+
+"That's one of Old Doc's ideas," Alexander said, gesturing at the door
+from which they had emerged. "He was a hound for sanitation and he
+infected us with the habit." He turned and led the way down an arched
+corridor that opened into a huge circular room studded with iris doors.
+
+Kennon sucked his breath in with a low gasp of amazement. The room was
+a gem of exquisite beauty. The parquet floor was inlaid with rare
+hardwoods from a hundred different worlds. Parthian marble veneer
+covered with lacy Van tapestries from Santos formed the walls. Delicate
+ceramics, sculpture, and bronzes reflected the art of a score of
+different civilizations. A circular pool, festooned with lacelike
+Halsite ferns, stood in the center of the room, surrounding a polished
+black granite pedestal on which stood an exquisite bronze of four Lani
+females industriously and eternally pouring golden water from vases held
+in their shapely hands. "Beautiful," Kennon said softly.
+
+"We like it," Alexander said.
+
+"We?"
+
+"Oh yes--I forgot to tell you about the Family," Alexander said grimly.
+"I run Outworld, and own fifty per cent of it. The Family owns the other
+fifty. There are eight of them--the finest collection of parasites
+in the entire galaxy. At the moment they can't block me since I also
+control my cousin Douglas's shares. But when Douglas comes of age they
+will be troublesome. Therefore I defer to them. I don't want to build a
+united opposition. Usually I can get one or more of them to vote with
+me on critical deals, but I always have to pay for their support."
+Alexander's voice was bitter as he touched the dilate button on the iris
+door beside him. "You'll have to meet them tonight. There's five of them
+here now."
+
+"That isn't in the contract," Kennon said. He was appalled at Alexander.
+Civilized people didn't speak of others that way, even to intimates.
+
+"It can't be helped. You must meet them. It's part of the job."
+Alexander's voice was grim. "Mother, Cousin Anne, Douglas, and Eloise
+like to play lord of the manor. Cousin Harold doesn't care--for which
+you should be grateful."
+
+The door dilated, and Alexander ushered Kennon into the room. The Lani
+sitting on the couch opposite the door leaped to her feet, her mouth
+opening in an O of surprise. Her soft snow-white hair, creamy skin, and
+bright china blue eyes were a startling contrast to her black loincloth
+and halter. Kennon stared appreciatively.
+
+Her effect on Alexander, however, was entirely different. His face
+darkened. "You!" he snapped. "What are you doing here?"
+
+"Serving, sir," the Lani said.
+
+"On whose authority?"
+
+"Man Douglas, sir."
+
+Alexander groaned. "You see," he said, turning to Kennon. "We
+need someone here with a little sense. Like I was telling you, the
+Family'd"--he stopped abruptly and turned back to the Lani. "Your name
+and pedigree," he demanded.
+
+"Silver Dawn, sir--out of White Magic--platinum experimental
+type--strain four."
+
+"I thought so. How long have you been inhouse?"
+
+"Almost a month, sir."
+
+"You're terminated. Report to Goldie and tell her that Man Alexander
+wants you sent back to your group."
+
+The Lani's eyes widened. "Man Alexander!--You?"
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+"Gosh!" she breathed. "The big boss!"
+
+"Get moving," Alexander snapped, "and tell Goldie to report to me in my
+quarters."
+
+"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" The Lath ran, disappearing through the door
+they had entered with a flash of shapely white limbs.
+
+"That Douglas!" Alexander growled. "Leave that young fool alone here
+for six months and he'd disrupt the entire operation. The nerve of that
+young pup--requisitioning an experimental type for household labor. Just
+what does he think he's doing?"
+
+The question obviously didn't demand a reply, so Kennon kept discreetly
+silent as Alexander crossed the room to the two doors flanking the
+couch on which the Lani had sat. He opened the left-hand one revealing a
+modern grav-shaft that carried them swiftly to the uppermost level. They
+walked down a short corridor and stopped before another door. It opened
+into a suite furnished with stark functional simplicity. It fitted the
+entrepreneur's outward personality so exactly that Kennon had no doubt
+that this was Alexander's quarters.
+
+"Sit down, Kennon. Relax while you can," Alexander said as he dropped
+into a chair and crossed his sandaled feet.
+
+"I'm sure you have many questions, but they can wait."
+
+"You might as well get some rest. You'll have little enough later. The
+Family will probably put you through the meat grinder, but remember that
+they don't control this business. You're my man."
+
+Kennon had hardly seated himself in another chair when the door opened
+and a plump pink-skinned Lani entered. She was considerably older
+than the silver-haired one he had seen earlier, and her round face was
+smiling.
+
+"Ah, Goldie," Alexander said. "I understand Man Douglas has been giving
+you quite a time."
+
+"It's high time you came back, sir," she said. "Since Old Doc died, Man
+Douglas has been impossible. He's been culling the staff and replacing
+them with empty-headed fillies whose only claim to usefulness is that
+they can fill out a halter. Pretty soon this place will be a pigsty."
+
+"I'll take care of that," Alexander promised. "Now I'd like you to meet
+Old Doc's replacement. This is Dr. Kennon, our new veterinarian."
+
+"Pleased, I'm sure," Goldie said. "You look like a nice man."
+
+"He is," Alexander said, "but he's just as hard as Old Doc--and he'll
+have the same powers. Goldie's the head housekeeper," Alexander added.
+"She's an expert, and you'd do well to take her advice on assignments."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"Have a maid bring us a light meal and something to drink," Alexander
+said. "Have a couple of porters take Dr. Kennon's things to Old Doc's
+house. Find Man Douglas and tell him I want to see him at once. Tell the
+Family that I've arrived and will see them in the Main Lounge at eight
+tonight. Tell Blalok I'll be seeing him at nine. That's all."
+
+"Yes, sir," Goldie said and left the room, her tail curling buoyantly.
+
+"A good Lani," Alexander commented. "One of the best. Loyal,
+trustworthy, intelligent. She's been running Alexandria for the past ten
+years, and should be good for at least ten more."
+
+"Ten?--how old is she?"
+
+"Thirty."
+
+"Thirty--years?"
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+"Good Lord Lister! I'd have guessed her at least three hundred!"
+
+"Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long as we do.
+They're mature at twelve and dead at fifty."
+
+Alexander sighed. "That's another difference. Even without agerone we'd
+live to be a hundred."
+
+"Have you tried gerontological injections?"
+
+"Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five Lani with
+them." Alexander's face darkened at an unpleasant memory. "So we don't
+try any more," he said. "There are too many differences." He stretched.
+"I'd tell you more about them but it'll be better to hear it from Evald
+Blalok. He's our superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell you a lot, too.
+He runs the Lani Division. But right now let's wait for Cousin Douglas.
+The pup will take his time about coming--but he'll do it in the end.
+He's afraid not to."
+
+"I'd rather not," Kennon said. "It's poor manners to be injected into a
+family affair--especially when I'm just one of the employees."
+
+"You're not just one of the employees. You are the Station Veterinarian,
+and as such you hold an authority second only to Blalok and myself. You
+and Blalok are my hands, ears, and eyes on Flora. You are responsible
+to me--and to me alone. While I defer at times to the desires of
+the Family, I do not have to. I run Outworld Enterprises and all the
+extensions of that organization. I possess control--and the Family knows
+it. My men are respected and furthermore they know everything that goes
+on." He smiled icily. "In a way it's quite a healthy situation. It
+keeps my relatives under control. Somehow they dislike being disciplined
+before outsiders. Now think no more about it." Alexander stood up and
+walked over to one of the windows opening onto the broad roof gardens,
+and stood looking at the sun-drenched greenery.
+
+"Odd, isn't it," Alexander said, "how beautiful nature is and how simple
+things are in a state of nature. It's only when man interjects himself
+onto a scene that things get complicated. Take Flora for instance.
+Before Grandfather came here, it must have been a pleasant place with
+the simple natives happy in their paradise. But that's all changed
+now. We have taken over--and they, like other lesser creatures on other
+worlds, have been bent to our will and uses. I could pity them, but
+being human I cannot afford that luxury."
+
+Kennon understood. He, too, had felt that sensation, that odd tightening
+of the throat when he first saw a Varl on Santos. The Varl had been the
+dominant life form there until men had come. Now they were just another
+animal added to humanity's growing list of pets and livestock. The
+little Varl with their soft-furred bodies and clever six-fingered hands
+made excellent pets and precision workmen. The products of those clever
+hands, the tiny instruments, the delicate microminiaturized control
+circuits, the incredibly fine lacework and tapestries, formed the bulk
+of Santos' interstellar trade.
+
+He had owned a Varl once and had delighted in its almost human
+intelligence. But the Varl weren't human and there lay their tragedy.
+Two thousand years of human domination had left them completely
+dependent on their conquerors. They were merely intelligent animals--and
+that was all they would ever be until the human race changed its
+cultural pattern or was overthrown. The one alternative was as unlikely
+as the other. Humanity had met some fierce competitors, but none with
+its explosive acquisitive nature, and none with its drive to conquer,
+colonize, and rule. And probably it never would.
+
+The little Varl were one race among hundreds that had fallen before the
+fierceness and the greed of men. But unlike most others, the Varl were
+not combative. Therefore they had survived.
+
+Yet had it been necessary to reduce them to slavery? They would never
+be a threat. Not only were they essentially gentle and noncombative, but
+their delicate bodies could not stand the strains of spaceflight.
+They were trapped on their world. Why should they be forced into so
+subordinate a role?--Why was humanity so jealous of its dominance
+that no other species could exist except by sufferance? Why after five
+thousand years of exploration, invasion, and colonization did the human
+race still consider the galaxy as its oyster, and themselves uniquely
+qualified to hold the knife? He hadn't thought this way since he had
+given the Varl to his girl friend of the moment, and had blasted off for
+Beta. Now the questions returned to haunt him. As a Betan, the haunting
+was even more acute, since Beta had a related problem that was already
+troublesome and would become more acute as the years passed.
+
+He shrugged and laid the thought aside as a slim, dark-haired Lani
+entered pushing a service cart ahead of her. The two men ate silently,
+each busy with his own thoughts. And behind the view wall of Alexander's
+apartment Kardon's brilliant yellow sun sank slowly toward the horizon,
+filling the sky with flaming colors of red and gold, rimmed by the blues
+and purples of approaching night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant,
+Kennon thought with mild distaste, unlike the restful day-end displays
+of his homeworld.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+Douglas Alexander was a puffy-faced youngster with small intolerant
+eyes set in folds of fat above a button nose and a loose-lipped sensual
+mouth. There was an odd expression of defiance overlaid with fear on his
+pudgy features. Looking at him, Kennon was reminded of a frightened dog,
+ready either to bite or cower.
+
+But it wasn't Douglas who held his eye. It was the two Lani who followed
+him into the room. Every line of their bodies was perfection that spoke
+volumes about generations of breeding for physical elegance. They moved
+with a co-ordinated grace that made Douglas look even more clumsy by
+contrast. And they were identical, twin cream-and-gold works of art.
+They were completely nude--and Kennon for the first time in his life
+fully appreciated the beauty of an unclad female. To cover them would
+be sacrilege, and ornaments would only detract from their exquisite
+perfection.
+
+Kennon knew that he was staring like an idiot. Alexander's amused smile
+told him that much. With an effort he composed his startled features.
+
+The pair looked at him with soft violet eyes--and it was as though some
+psychic bathhouse attendant had poured ice water down his spine. For he
+had seen that look before, that liquid introspective look in the velvet
+eyes of cattle. He shivered. For a moment he had been thinking of them
+as human. And somehow the lack of that indefinable some thing called
+humanity robbed them of much of their glamour. They were still
+beautiful, but their beauty had become impersonal.
+
+
+"Don't take these as representative of the Lani," Alexander said
+suddenly. "They're a special case, a very special case." He glared at
+his cousin. "Damn your impudence," he said without beat. "I sent for
+you--not your toys. Send them away."
+
+Douglas sulkily thrust out his lower lip. "You can't talk to me like
+that, Cousin Alex," he began. "I'm just a--"
+
+"You heard me, Douglas. Out!" Alexander's voice didn't rise but it cut
+like a whip.
+
+"Oh, very well," Douglas said. "I can't fight you--yet." He turned to
+the humanoids. "You heard the Boss-man. Go home."
+
+The two nodded in unison and departed quickly. Somehow Kennon got the
+impression that they were happy to leave.
+
+"Just wait," Douglas said. "You can't boss me forever. Just wait. I'll
+reach my majority in five years. I can vote my shares then--and then
+I'll fix you. You won't be so high and mighty then, Mr. Big. I'll throw
+in with the rest of the Family. They don't like you too much."
+
+"Don't hold your breath waiting for the Family to help you," Alexander
+said. "They wouldn't have anyone else but me handle the finances. They
+love money too much. And until you get your inheritance remember one
+thing--I'm master here."
+
+"I know it," Douglas said, and then curiously--"Who's the oddball?" He
+gestured at Kennon with a pudgy thumb.
+
+"Our new veterinarian, Dr. Kennon."
+
+"Oh--great! Now you tell me!"
+
+"There's nothing like making a good first impression," Alexander said
+with ironic emphasis. "I hope he cuts you off from the Lani. He'll have
+the authority to do it, since he's taking Old Doc's place."
+
+"He can't. I'm an owner. I own-"
+
+"You own nothing. You're a minor. And under the terms of Grandfather's
+will, you'll own nothing except an allowance until you reach legal age.
+And that brings me to the reason I brought you here. Just when did you
+gain the right to reorganize the household staff? Just when did you get
+the power to interfere with the experimental program?"
+
+Douglas flushed dull red and bit his lip. "Do we have to go into this in
+front of strangers?"
+
+"Kennon's my agent," Alexander said coldly, "and he might as well learn
+about you and the others from the start."
+
+"Well--what do you want him to do--watch me crawl?" Douglas asked
+bitterly. "You'll make me do it. You always do. Do you want me to beg,
+to say I was wrong, to promise I won't do it again?"
+
+"You've done that already," Alexander said. "Several times. You need a
+lesson. I won't have you meddling with valuable animals."
+
+"And what are you going to do about it?"
+
+"Put you where you can do no more damage. As of tomorrow you'll go to
+Otpen One."
+
+Douglas paled. His lips quivered, and his eyes flicked uneasily as
+he watched Alexander's granite face. "You don't mean that," he said
+finally. "You're joking."
+
+"I never joke about business."
+
+"But you can't do that! I'll tell the Family. They won't let you."
+
+"I already have their consent," Alexander said. "I obtained it after
+your last escapade. You'll be happy out there. You can play tin god all
+you like. Master of life and death on a two-acre island. No one will
+mind. You can also go to work. No one will mind that, either. And
+Mullins won't mind as long as you leave the troops alone. Now get out of
+here and get packed. You're leaving tomorrow morning."
+
+"But cousin Alex--"
+
+"Move! I'm tired of the sight of you!" Alexander said.
+
+Douglas turned and shambled out of the room. His ego was thoroughly
+deflated and he seemed more frightened than before. Obviously the Otpens
+weren't the pleasantest place in this world.
+
+"They're a military post," Alexander said. "And Commander Mullins
+doesn't like Douglas. Can't say that I blame him. Douglas is a
+thoroughly unpleasant specimen, and incidentally quite typical of the
+rest of the Family." Alexander sighed and spread his hands in a gesture
+that combined disgust and resignation. "Sometimes I wonder why I have
+been cursed with my relatives."
+
+Kennon nodded. The implications behind the empty eyes of Douglas's Lani
+sickened him. There were several ways to produce that expression, all of
+them unpleasant. Hypnoconditioning, the Quiet Treatment, brainburning,
+transorbital leukotomy, lobectomy--all of the products of that diseased
+period of humanity's thinking when men tampered with the brains of other
+men in an effort to cure psychic states. Psychiatry had passed that
+period, at least on the civilized worlds, where even animal experiments
+were frowned upon as unnecessary cruelty.
+
+"You saw those two Lani," Alexander said. "Grandfather had them made
+that way as a birthday present for Douglas. He was getting senile. He
+died a year later. You'd think a man would be ashamed to keep things
+like that around--but not Douglas. He likes them." Alexander's voice was
+tinged with contempt. "He knows they disgust me--so he parades them in.
+I could strangle that pup sometimes!"
+
+"I wondered about it. I wouldn't like to work for a man who permitted
+such things."
+
+"That was done before I took over. For the past three years there have
+been no dockings, no mutilations. I can't see treating a helpless animal
+like that."
+
+"I feel better about it," Kennon said. "I didn't think you were that
+sort."
+
+"Understand me," Alexander said. "I'm always opposed to senseless
+cruelty and waste--particularly when it's dangerous. Docked Lani are the
+height of stupidity. Just because someone wants a pet that is an exact
+duplicate of a human being is no reason to risk a court action. Those
+Lani, and a few others whose tails have been docked, could be a legal
+bombshell if they ever left Flora."
+
+Kennon was jolted. He had been thinking of mental mutilation and
+Alexander had been talking physical. Naturally they would be dangerous
+property. Anyone attempting to sell a docked Lani would probably be
+thrown in Detention and charged with slave trading.
+
+"Did you ever figure the cost of taking a legal action through our court
+system?" Alexander asked. "Even the small ones set you back four or five
+thousand, and a first-class action like a Humanity Trial could cost
+over a million. Grandfather found that out. Sure, there are differences
+between Lani and humans, but a smart lawyer can make them seem trivial
+until the final test and that would drag on for nearly two years until
+all the requirements were satisfied--and by that time the unfavorable
+publicity would drop sales to zero. The Family would be on my neck for
+lost dividends, and I'd lose much of the control I hold over them.
+
+"Sure, it's possible that prehensile tails could be produced by
+mutation, but so far as we know it hasn't happened in human history. As
+a result, the tail serves as a trade-mark--something that can be easily
+recognized by anyone. So we sell them intact." Alexander crossed his
+legs and settled back in his chair. "Shocks you, doesn't it?"
+
+Kennon nodded. "Yes," he admitted. "It does."
+
+"I know. You can't help it. Most of our new employees think the Lani are
+human--at first. They learn better, but adjustment is always a strain.
+They keep confusing external appearances with the true article. But
+remember this--Lani are not human. They're animals. And on this island
+they're treated as what they are--no more, no less. They are a part
+of our economics and are bred, fed, and managed according to sound
+livestock principles. Despite some of the things you may see here in
+Alexandria, don't forget that. You are a veterinarian. Your job is to
+handle disease problems in animals. Lani are animals. Therefore you will
+be doing your job. I was disappointed in your reaction when you first
+saw them, but I suppose it was natural. At any rate this should clear
+the air."
+
+"It does--intellectually," Kennon admitted. "But the physical
+resemblance is so close that it is difficult to accept."
+
+Alexander smiled. "Don't worry. You'll accept it in time. Now I think
+it's time that you met the Family."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+The main salon was crowded. The huge room, glittering with mirrors and
+crystal, floored with thick carpets, and hung with rich drapes, had
+something of the appearance of a Sarkian harem. Although there were only
+five of the Alexander family present, there were at least twenty
+Lani whose costumes ranged from the black G string and halter of the
+household staff to the utter nudity of Douglas's playthings. They were
+all female, and Kennon wondered for a moment what a male was like.
+
+Besides Alexander, there were two men and three women: Douglas, still
+with his sulky expression, an older man in his late nineties who looked
+like Douglas's elder brother, two mature women who could be any age from
+fifty to three hundred, and a girl. She might have been thirty--perhaps
+younger, perhaps older, a lean feminine edition of Alexander, with the
+same intriguing face and veiled predatory look. There was a hardness
+about her that was absent in the others. Kennon had the feeling that
+whatever this girl did, she didn't do it half way.
+
+"My sister Eloise," Alexander said in a low voice. "Watch out for her.
+She's as deadly as a puff adder and she collects men. The other man is
+Douglas's father, Henry. The plump redhead beside him is his wife, Anne.
+The other woman is my mother, Clara, even though Eloise and I don't look
+like her. We take after Father."
+
+"Where's he?" Kennon whispered.
+
+"Dead," Alexander replied. "He was killed twenty years ago."
+
+"I'd like to present Dr. Jac Kennon, our new veterinarian," Alexander
+said into the hush that followed their entrance. The introductions that
+followed were in proper form, and Kennon was beginning to feel more at
+ease until Eloise sent one of her Lani with a summons. He looked around
+for Alexander, but the entrepreneur was the center of a three-cornered
+argument, hemmed in by Douglas, Henry, and Anne. Henry's voice was
+raised in bitter protest that Alexander was exceeding his authority. He
+shrugged. There was no help there.
+
+"All right," he said, "tell your mistress I'll be along in a moment."
+
+"Yes, Doctor," the Lani said, "but the Woman Eloise says for you to
+come, and she is not accustomed to being disobeyed."
+
+"Tell her what I said," Kennon replied. "I shall be there directly." He
+crossed to the table and examined it, selecting a cluster of odd purple
+fruit which looked more interesting than it tasted. When he had finished
+he walked leisurely over to where Eloise sat.
+
+She looked at him angrily. "I am accustomed to being obeyed by my
+employees," she said coldly. Her dark eyes, oddly like her brother's,
+traversed his hard body like twin scanners.
+
+He returned her appraising stare with one of his own. "I'm not your
+employee," he said bluntly. "I was hired by your brother, and there's
+a full peeper rider on my contract." His eyes traveled slowly over her
+carefully arranged hair, her make-up, her jewelry at throat and
+arms, her painted finger- and toenails, and then across the slim
+small-breasted lines of her body half revealed under her thin
+ankle-length tunic of Lyranian silk.
+
+"Satisfied?" she asked.
+
+"On Beta," he said bluntly, "your appearance would qualify you for a
+parasite camp. Six months of hard labor would do you no end of good.
+You're soft, lazy, and undisciplined."
+
+Eloise gasped. "Why, you--" she sputtered.
+
+"And perhaps next time you'll learn to be polite," Kennon continued
+imperturbably. "After all, the superficial attributes of good breeding
+are not too hard to counterfeit."
+
+To his surprise, Eloise giggled. "You bite, don't you?" she asked.
+"Remind me to remember that."
+
+"I shall."
+
+"Of course, your actions weren't good breeding either."
+
+"Admitted--but I've never pretended to be what I'm not. I'm the son of a
+spaceship skipper, and I'm a veterinarian. That's all."
+
+"That's not all. You are also a man." Her face was sober, "It's been
+some time since I've met one. I'd almost forgotten they existed."
+
+"There's your brother."
+
+"Alex?--he's a money making machine. Come--sit beside me and let's
+talk."
+
+"About what?"
+
+"You--me--your job, your life--anything you wish?"
+
+"That line isn't exactly new," Kennon grinned.
+
+"I know," she admitted, "but it usually works."
+
+"I'm immune."
+
+"That's what you think." Eloise's eyes were frankly appraising. "I think
+I could become interested in you."
+
+"I have a job here. I don't think I would have time to give you the
+attention you'd demand."
+
+"I get bored easily. It probably wouldn't be long before I would be
+tired of you."
+
+"Perhaps--and perhaps not, I can't afford to take the chance."
+
+"You seem confident."
+
+"You forget. I was a sailor."
+
+"And spacemen have a reputation, eh?" Eloise chuckled.
+
+"At that, you might be right. I remember the first officer of--" she let
+the thought die. "But I became tired of him," she finished.
+
+Kennon smiled. "I've never had that complaint."
+
+"Perhaps you'd like to make the acid test?" she asked.
+
+"Perhaps," he said. "But not tonight."
+
+"Tomorrow then? Alex will be leaving in the morning. He never stays more
+than a few hours." Eloise's eyes were bright, her lips moist and red.
+
+"I'll pick the time," Kennon said--and added to himself, "If ever."
+Despite her wealth Eloise was no different from the port-of-call girls.
+If anything, she was worse since she had enough money to implement her
+desires. They were merely in the trade for business reasons. No--Eloise
+would be something to steer clear of. Alexander was right. She was a
+mantrap. He stood up and bowed Betan fashion. "I see your brother is
+free now. He wants to brief me on my duties here. We were discussing it
+before we entered."
+
+Eloise pouted. "You can always do that."
+
+"You said yourself that Alexander never stays here very long. I would be
+a poor employee if I delayed him." He grinned knowingly at her and she
+smiled back with complete understanding.
+
+"Very well, then. Get your business done. Your pleasure can wait."
+
+Kennon steered Alexander over to an open window that led to a balcony.
+"Whew!" he said. "I see what you mean."
+
+"She's a tartar," Alexander agreed. "I suspect that she's a
+nymphomaniac."
+
+"You suspect?" Kennon asked. "By this time you should know. Let's get
+out of here. I've had about all of your sister I care to take."
+
+"Can't say as I blame you. I'll show you to your quarters. Maybe Old Doc
+left a bottle or two, although I suspect the old sinner hung on until
+the last one was empty."
+
+"If he had to put up with your relatives as a steady diet, I can't say
+that I blame him," Kennon said.
+
+"Careful, Doctor. You're talking about my kinfolk," Alexander said
+wryly. "At that, though, you have a point." The two men slipped quietly
+from the room. Apparently none of the Family was conscious of their
+departure except Eloise, who watched them leave with an enigmatic
+expression on her narrow face.
+
+They left the fortress through the rear gate and walked slowly down the
+winding path that led to the cluster of buildings in the valley below.
+It was a beautiful night, calm and clear with the stars shining down
+from the dark vault of the heavens. The constellations were strange, and
+Kennon missed the moons. Beta had three, two of which were always in the
+sky, but Kardon was moonless. Somehow it gave the sky an empty look.
+
+A damp coolness rose from the ground as the evening rain evaporated
+mistily into the still air. Kennon sniffed the odor of soil and growing
+vegetation, clean pleasant odors in contrast to what he had left. In the
+distance a bird called sleepily from one of the fortress turrets and was
+answered by some creature Kennon couldn't identify. A murmur of blended
+sound came from the valley below, punctuated by high-pitched laughter.
+Someone was singing, or perhaps chanting would be a better description.
+The melody was strange and the words unrecognizable. The thin whine
+of an atomotor in the fortress's generating plant slowly built up to a
+keening undertone that blended into the pattern of half-perceived sound.
+
+"Nice, isn't it?" Alexander remarked as they rounded another turn on the
+switchback path.
+
+"Yes. You can't hear a sound from back there except for that generator.
+It's almost as though we shut those people out of existence by merely
+closing a door."
+
+"I wish it were that simple," Alexander said. "But doors that can be
+closed can also be opened. Well--think you'll like it here?"
+
+"I think so, providing I don't have to entertain your relatives."
+
+"You mean Eloise? Don't worry about her. She's as fickle as the wind."
+
+"I've never seen anyone so frankly predatory," Kennon said. "She worries
+me."
+
+"They'll all be gone tomorrow--except for Eloise," Alexander said with
+mock comfort. "Douglas is on the Otpens for a year, and the others are
+off somewhere."
+
+"You'll be staying, I suppose."
+
+"No--I'm afraid I can't."
+
+"I hoped you'd help me get organized. This whole thing has been
+something of a shock. I was expecting something entirely different."
+
+"Sorry--someone has to run the business. But Blalok'll brief you.
+Actually he's more qualified than I. He knows everything worth knowing
+about this place. We're going past his house in a minute--want to stop
+in and see him?"
+
+"It's pretty late."
+
+"Not for Blalok. He's a Mystic--a nocturnal. He's probably doing his
+work now."
+
+"Perhaps we shouldn't disturb him."
+
+"Nonsense. He's used to it. I visit him frequently at night."
+
+"Sure--but you're the boss."
+
+"Well--in a sense you are too. At least in the veterinary end of this
+business." Alexander swung sharply to the left and climbed a short
+flight of stairs that led to the nearest house. Lights flared on the
+deep porch, and the old-fashioned iris door dilated to frame the black
+silhouette of a stocky, broad-shouldered man.
+
+"Good evening, sir," he said. "I was expecting you. That the new vet
+with you?"
+
+"Your pipeline's still working, I see," Alexander said. "Yes, this is
+Dr. Kennon--Evald Blalok--I wanted you two to meet."
+
+Kennon liked the gray middle-aged man. He looked honest and competent,
+a solid quiet man with a craggy face and the deep-set eyes of a Mystic.
+His skin had the typical thickness and pore prominence of the dwellers
+on that foggy world from which he came. But unlike the natives of Myst,
+his skin was burned a dark brown by Kardon's sun. He seemed out of place
+on this tropic world, but Kennon reflected wryly that there was probably
+more than one misplaced human here, himself included.
+
+"I've been going over Station Fourteen's records with Jordan," Blalok
+said as he ushered them into the house. A tall black-haired man rose as
+they entered.
+
+"Skip the formality, Jordan. Sit down," Alexander said, "and meet Dr.
+Kennon--Steve Jordan--Jordan runs the Lani Division."
+
+Kennon nodded acknowledgment as Alexander continued, "What's this
+trouble at Fourteen?"
+
+"I don't know. We've got an epizootic of something. Another youngster
+died this morning, and there's three more that look pretty bad,
+jaundice, no appetite, complaining of muscular pains. Same symptoms as
+took the others. The one this morning makes the fourth this month, and
+we're only half through it."
+
+"Are all your losses in this one station?" Kennon asked.
+
+"No--but it's worst there."
+
+"I don't like losses like that," Alexander said.
+
+"Neither do I," Jordan replied.
+
+"This isn't Jordan's fault, sir," Blalok said quickly. "As you know, we
+haven't had a vet for three months."
+
+"Two," Alexander corrected.
+
+"Three--Old Doc wasn't around at all the month before he died," Blalok
+said. "As a result we've got a problem. We need professional help."
+
+"Well here he is--use him," Alexander said. He looked at Kennon, a trace
+of amusement on his face. "There's nothing like getting into things
+early."
+
+"Particularly when one comes into them stone cold," Kennon added. "It's
+a poor way to start a career."
+
+"We can't afford to wait," Jordan said. "We need help."
+
+"I'll see what can be done," Kennon replied. "Have you saved the body?"
+
+"Every one of them," Jordan said. "They're in the hospital in the
+autopsy room."
+
+"That was sensible. A post-mortem might give us an answer. Where's the
+hospital?"
+
+"I'll show you," Jordan offered.
+
+"Count me out," Alexander said. "I have a weak stomach."
+
+"I'll go along if it's necessary," Blalok said.
+
+"There's a staff there, Old Doc trained them," Jordan said.
+
+"Then it shouldn't be necessary," Kennon said.
+
+Blalok sighed with relief and turned to Alexander. "We could check the
+records while those two are about their bloody work."
+
+"I'd rather check a long strong drink," Alexander replied. "What with
+the Family and this, it's too much to take for one evening."
+
+Kennon hid a smile. Alexander had a weak spot. He was squeamish. That
+was a good thing to know.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+Jordan opened the door of the two-story building below Blalok's house.
+"This is it," he said, "just outside your front door. Convenient--no?"
+
+"Too convenient," Kennon said, "also too quiet. Isn't anyone on duty?"
+
+"I wouldn't know. Old Doc never kept the place open at night."
+
+There was a stir of movement in the darkness, the lights flashed on,
+and a sleepy-eyed Lani blinked at them in the sudden glare. She looked
+blankly at Kennon and then brightened as she saw Jordan. "What's the
+trouble, sir?" she asked.
+
+"Nothing. We want to look at the Lani I sent down this morning--Dr.
+Kennon would like to inspect the carcass."
+
+"You're the new doctor?" the Lani asked. "Thank goodness you've come!
+I'll get the staff. I'll be back in a moment." She stepped quickly over
+to the switchboard beside the door and punched five buttons. Four more
+humanoids came into the room, followed a little later by a fifth.
+
+"Where's the emergency?" one asked.
+
+"He is--it's our new doctor."
+
+"More females," Kennon muttered to himself. He turned to Jordan. "Aren't
+there any males in this crew?"
+
+Jordan stared at him with mild surprise. "No, sir--didn't you know?
+There are no male Lani."
+
+"What?"
+
+"Just that," Jordan said. "Only females. There hasn't been a male on the
+island since Old Man Alexander took over. He killed them all."
+
+"But that's impossible! How do they reproduce?"
+
+"Ever hear of artificial fertilization?"
+
+"Sure--but that's a dead end. The offspring are haploids and they're
+sterile. The line would die out in a generation."
+
+"Not the Lani--you can see for yourself. We've been using the technique
+here for better than four centuries, and we're still doing all right.
+Over forty generations so far, and from the looks of things we can go on
+indefinitely."
+
+"But how is it done?"
+
+"I don't know. That's Alexander's secret. The Boss-man doesn't tell us
+everything. All I know is that we get results. Old Doc knew how it was
+done, and I suppose you will too, but don't ask me. I'm dumb."
+
+Kennon shrugged. Maybe--maybe not. At any rate there was no sense in
+belaboring the point. He turned to the staff. Five of them were the
+same big-boned heavy-framed type that apparently did most of the
+manual labor. The sixth, the late arrival, was an elegant creature, a
+bronze-skinned, green-eyed minx with an elfin face half hidden under a
+wavy mass of red-brown hair. Unlike the others, she had been docked--and
+in contrast to their heavy eyes and sleep-puffed features she was alert
+and lively. She flashed him an impish grin, revealing clean white teeth.
+
+Kennon smiled back. He couldn't help it. And suddenly the tension and
+strangeness was broken. He felt oddly at ease. "Which of you are on
+duty?" he asked.
+
+"All of us," the redhead replied, "if it's necessary. What do you want
+us to do?"
+
+"He's already told me. He wants that last carcass prepped for a
+post-mortem," the nightcall Lani said.
+
+"Good," the redhead said. "It'll be nice to get to work again." She
+turned to face Kennon. "Now, Doctor--would you like to see your office?
+Old Doc left a fine collection of notes on Lani anatomy and perhaps you
+could do with a little review."
+
+"I could do with a lot of it," Kennon admitted. "Unless the inner
+structure of a Lani is as similar to human as their outer."
+
+"There are differences," the redhead admitted. "After all, we aren't
+quite alike."
+
+"Perhaps I'd better do some reading," Kennon said.
+
+"You need me any more?" Jordan asked.
+
+"No--I think not."
+
+"Good. I'll get back. Frankly, I don't like this any better than Blalok
+or the boss, but I'm low man on that pole. See you later."
+
+Kennon chuckled as Jordan left. "Now, let's get ready for that cadaver,"
+he said.
+
+"Carcass, doctor," the redhead corrected. "A cadaver is a dead human
+body." She accented the "human."
+
+Even in death there is no equality, Kennon thought. He nodded and
+the Lani led the way to a door which opened into a good-sized office,
+liberally covered with bookshelves. An old-fashioned plastic desk, some
+office cybernetics, a battered voicewriter, and a few chairs completed
+the furnishings. The redhead placed several large folio volumes in front
+of him and stepped back from the desk as he leafed rapidly through
+the color plates. It was an excellent atlas. Dr. Williamson had been a
+careful and competent workman.
+
+Half an hour later, well fortified with a positional knowledge of
+Lani viscera, Kennon looked up at the redhead. She was still standing
+patiently, a statue of red-gold and bronze.
+
+"Get a smock and let's go," he said. "No--wait a minute."
+
+"Yes, sir?"
+
+"What's your name? I don't want to say 'Hey you!'"
+
+She smiled. "It's Copper Glow--want my pedigree too?"
+
+"No--it wouldn't mean anything to me. Do they call you Copper or Glow?
+or both?"
+
+"Just Copper, sir."
+
+"Very well, Copper--let's get going."
+
+* * *
+
+The body of the dead Lani lay on the steel table, waxy and yellowish in
+the pitiless light of the fluorescents. She had been hardly more than a
+child. Kennon felt a twinge of pity--so young--so young to die. And as
+he looked he was conscious of another feeling.
+
+It had been an open secret among his classmates that he had refused
+an offer to study human medicine because of his aversion to dissecting
+cadavers. The sarcoplastic models were all right, but when it came to
+flesh, Kennon didn't have the stomach for it. And now, the sight of the
+dead humanoid brought back the same cold sweat and gut-wrenching nausea
+that had caused him to turn to veterinary medicine eight years ago.
+
+He fought the spasms back as he approached the table and made the
+external examination. Icterus and a swollen abdomen--the rest was
+essentially normal. And he knew with cold certainty that he could not
+lay a scalpel edge upon that cold flesh. It was too human, too like his
+own.
+
+"Are you ready, Doctor?" the Lani standing across the table from him
+asked. "Shall I expose the viscera?"
+
+Kennon's stomach froze. Of course! He should have realized! No
+pathologist did his own dissection. He examined. And that he could do.
+It was the tactile, not the visual sensations that upset him. He nodded.
+"The abdominal viscera first," he said.
+
+The Lani laid back the skin and musculature with bold, sure strokes.
+An excellent prosectress, Kennon thought. Kennon pointed at the swollen
+liver and the Lani deftly severed its attachments and laid the organ
+out for inspection. The cause of death was obvious. The youngster had
+succumbed to a massive liver-fluke infestation. It was the worst he
+had ever seen. The bile ducts were thick, calcified and choked with
+literally thousands of the gray-green leaf-shaped trematodes.
+
+"Let's look at the others," he said.
+
+Two more post-mortems confirmed the diagnosis. Except for minor
+differences, the lesions were identical. He removed a few of the flukes
+and set them aside for further study.
+
+"Well that's that," he said. "You can clean up now."
+
+He had found the criminal, and now the problem assumed the fascinating
+qualities of a crime hunt. Now he must act to prevent further murders,
+to reconstruct the crime, to find the modus operandi, to track the fluke
+to its source, and to execute it before it could do more harm.
+
+Photographs and tri-dis would have to be taken, the parasite would have
+to be identified and its sensitivity to therapy determined. Studies
+would have to be made on its life cycle, and the means by which it
+gained entrance to its host. It wouldn't be simple, because this
+trematode was probably Hepatodirus hominis, and it was tricky. It
+adapted, like the species it parasitized.
+
+Kennon leaned back from the microscope and studied the illustrations in
+the parasitology text. No matter how much Hepatodirus changed its life
+cycle, it could not change its adult form. The arrangements of the
+suckers and genital structures were typical. Old Doc's library on
+parasites was too inadequate for more than diagnosis. He would have to
+wait for his own books to be uncrated before he could do more than apply
+symptomatic treatment. He sighed and rose slowly to his feet. Tomorrow
+was going to be a busy day.
+
+The door opened behind him and Copper slipped quietly into the office.
+She looked at him curiously, a faint half-shy smile on her face.
+
+"What is it?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Are you ready to fill out the autopsy protocol? It's customary."
+
+"It's also customary to knock on a door before entering."
+
+"Is it? Old Doc never mentioned it."
+
+"I'm not Old Doc."
+
+"No, you're not," she admitted. "You're much younger--and far more
+beautiful. Old Doc was a fat, gray old man." She paused and eyed Kennon
+appraisingly with a look on her pointed face that was the virtual twin
+of Eloise's. "I think I'll like working for you if you're as nice as you
+are pretty."
+
+"You don't call a man beautiful or pretty!" Kennon exploded.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"It just isn't done."
+
+"You're a funny human," she said. "I called Old Doc beautiful, and he
+didn't mind."
+
+"That's different. He was an old man."
+
+"What difference does that make?"
+
+"I don't like it," Kennon said, hitting on the perfect answer.
+
+She stiffened. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I won't do it again." She looked down
+at him, head cocked sideways. "I guess I have a lot to learn about you.
+You're much different from Old Doc. He didn't snap at me." She paused
+for a moment, then drew a deep breath.
+
+Kennon blinked.
+
+"About that report," she said. "Regulations require that each
+post-mortem be reported promptly and that a record of the Lani concerned
+be posted in the death book together with all pertinent autopsy data.
+Man Blalok is very fussy about proper records." She drew one of the
+chairs to a spot beside the desk and sat down, crossed her long legs,
+and waited expectantly.
+
+Kennon's mouth was suddenly dry. This situation was impossible. How in
+the name of Sir Arthur Fleming could he dictate a coldly precise report
+with a naked redhead sitting beside him? "Look," he said. "I won't need
+you. I can operate a voicewriter. You can pick up the material later and
+transcribe it."
+
+Her face fell. "You don't like me," she said, her green eyes filling
+with quick tears. "Old Doc never--"
+
+"Oh, damn Old Doc!" Kennon snapped. "And stop that sniveling--or get
+out. Better yet--get out and stop sniveling!"
+
+She leaped to her feet and fled.
+
+Kennon swore. There was no reason for him to act that way. He had
+been more brutal than necessary. But the girl--no, the Lani--was
+disconcerting. He felt ashamed of himself. He had behaved like a
+primitive rather than a member of one of the oldest human civilizations
+in the galaxy. He wouldn't bark at a dog that way. He shook his head.
+Probably he was tired. Certainly he was irritable, and unclad females
+virtually indistinguishable from human weren't the most soothing objects
+to contemplate.
+
+He wondered if his exasperation was real or merely a defense mechanism.
+First Eloise, and then this! Confound it! He was surrounded! He felt
+trapped. And it wasn't because he'd been away from women too long. A
+week was hardly that. He grinned as he recalled the blonde from Thule
+aboard the starship. Now there was a woman, even though her ears were
+pointed and her arms were too long. She didn't pressure a man. She let
+him make the advances.
+
+He grinned. That was it. He was on the defensive. He was the one who was
+being pursued--and his male ego had revolted. He shrugged and turned
+his attention to the autopsy report, but it was hopeless. He
+couldn't concentrate. He jotted a few notes and dropped them on the
+desk--tomorrow would be time enough. What he needed now was a stiff
+drink and eight hours' sleep.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Kennon stopped at Blalok's house long enough to tell the superintendent
+what was causing the trouble. Blalok scowled. "We've never had flukes
+here before," he said. "Why should they appear now?"
+
+"They've been introduced," Kennon said. "The thing that bothers me is
+how Dr. Williamson missed them."
+
+"The old man was senile," Blalok said. "He was nearly blind the last six
+months of his life. I wouldn't doubt that he let his assistants do most
+of his work, and they could have missed them."
+
+"Possibly, but the lesions are easy to see. At any rate, the culprit is
+known now."
+
+"Culprit?"
+
+"Hepatodirus hominis--the human liver fluke. He's a tricky little
+fellow--travels almost as far as men do."
+
+"I'm glad it's your problem, not mine. All I can remember about flukes
+is that they're hard to eradicate."
+
+"Particularly H. hominis."
+
+"You can tell me about it later. Right now Mr. Alexander's over at
+Old--your house. Probably he's looking for you."
+
+"Where's Jordan?"
+
+"He went up to Station Fourteen. We'll see him tomorrow."
+
+"I'll say good night then," Kennon said.
+
+"I'm glad you're here. It's a load off my shoulders. See you tomorrow."
+Blalok waved a friendly good night and left the lights on long enough
+for Kennon to make his way to his quarters.
+
+Alexander was seated in a heavily upholstered chair listening to a taped
+symphony in the stereo, his eyes half closed, an expression of peace
+on his face. An elderly Lani stood beside him. It was a comfortable
+picture.
+
+The humanoid saw Kennon and gasped, a tiny indrawn sound of surprise.
+Alexander's eyes snapped open. "Oh--it's you," he said. "Don't worry,
+Kara--it's your new doctor."
+
+Kara smiled. "You startled me," she said. "I was dreaming."
+
+"On your feet?" Alexander interjected idly.
+
+"I should have known you at once, Doctor. There's talk about you all
+over the yards, ever since you arrived."
+
+"They know what is going on around here better than any of us,"
+Alexander chuckled. "The grapevine is amazingly efficient. Well--what's
+the story?"
+
+"Liver fluke."
+
+"Hmm--not good."
+
+"I think it can be stopped. I looked at the records. It doesn't seem to
+have been here too long."
+
+"I hope you're right. How long will it take?"
+
+"Several months, maybe a year, maybe more. I can't say. But I'll try to
+clean it up as quickly as possible. I'm pretty sure of the fluke, and
+it's a hard one to control."
+
+"Hepatodirus?"
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"That's an offworld parasite, isn't it?"
+
+"Yes. It originated on Santos. Parasitized the Varl originally, but
+liked humans better. It's adapted to a hundred different planetary
+environments, and it keeps spreading. It's a real cutie--almost
+intelligent the way it behaves. But it can be licked."
+
+"Good--get on it right away."
+
+"I'm starting tomorrow."
+
+"Fine--I thought you'd be the right man. Kara! Fix the doctor a drink.
+We might as well have a nightcap--then I'll go back to the house and
+listen to Henry and Anne's screams about poor mistreated Douglas, and
+then back to Albertsville tomorrow. Duty and the credits call."
+
+With mild surprise, Kennon realized that Alexander was drunk. Not
+obnoxiously, but enough to change his character. Intoxicated, he was a
+friendlier person. If there was any truth in the ancient cliche
+about alcohol bringing out a man's true character, then Alexander was
+basically a very nice person indeed.
+
+"Well--here's your home for the next five years," Alexander said. "Eight
+rooms, two baths, a freshener, and three Lani to keep the place running.
+You've got it made."
+
+"Perhaps--we'll see when we tackle this fluke infestation. Personally, I
+don't think I'm going to have an easy time. Tomorrow I'm going to be up
+to my neck in trouble trying to save your profits."
+
+"You'll do it. I have confidence in you."
+
+"I still think you should have hired a medic."
+
+"This isn't all of your job," Alexander said. "And besides I can't
+afford to do it. Oh--not the money, but it might be admitting that the
+Lani might be human. And we've gone to a great deal of trouble to prove
+they're not." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "There's a story
+behind this."
+
+"I wouldn't doubt it."
+
+"Maybe it'd be better if I told it. It goes back over four centuries.
+Grandfather was a clever man. After he had secured this island he
+became worried about the surviving Lani. He didn't want to be accused
+of genocide, since the Lani were so human in appearance. So he had his
+medical officer make a few autopsies. The M.D. reported that while there
+was similarity, the Lani were probably not human.
+
+"That was enough for Grandfather. He requested a Court of Inquiry. The
+court was sitting in Halsey and the hearing was private. Even so, it
+leaked and Grandfather was highly unpopular for a time until the lab
+reports came in. It cost him over eight hundred Ems and nearly two
+years' time to finish the case, but when it was over the Lani were
+declared alien, and Grandfather had ironclad discovery rights.
+
+"They really put him through the mill. Grandfather furnished the bodies
+and three court-appointed M.O.'s went through them with microscopes.
+They didn't miss a thing. Their reports are so detailed that they're
+classics of their kind. They're almost required reading for anyone
+who wants to learn Lani structure and function. The court rendered
+an interim decision that the Lani were nonhuman, and armed with this,
+Grandfather prepared the final tests which were run by a team of
+court-appointed medics and biologists, who made in vitro and live tests
+on a number of Lani female prisoners. The tests ran for over two years
+and were totally negative. So the Alexander family acquired Flora and
+the Otpens, and a legal status." Alexander stood up. "Well--that's a
+capsule summary. The records are in the library if you'd care to check
+them."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Just to prove we're honest." He moved carefully toward the door, opened
+it, and disappeared into the night.
+
+Silently Kennon watched him descend the porch steps. He seemed steady
+enough. For a moment Kennon debated whether he should see him home--and
+then decided against it. If Alexander needed help he'd have asked for
+it. As it was, it was better to leave things alone. Certainly he didn't
+know Alexander well enough to act as a guardian. He turned back to the
+living area. The stereo was playing something soft and nostalgic as
+Kennon sank into the chair Alexander had vacated. He let his body relax.
+It had been as full a day as he had ever spent filled with changes
+so abrupt that they were exhausting. He felt confused. There were no
+precedents he could apply. Neither his studies nor his travels had
+prepared him for living in a situation like this.
+
+Legally and biologically the Lani weren't human. But they were
+intelligent, upright, bipedal mammals whose morphology was so close to
+man's that it had taken the ultimate test to settle their status. And
+being a Betan, Kennon was suspicious of the accuracy of that ultimate
+test.
+
+But the Brotherhood of Man was based upon it. The feeling of unity that
+pervaded mankind's expanding empire was its product. From almost the
+beginning of mankind's leap to the stars it had been recognized that men
+must help each other or perish. The spirit of co-operation against the
+common enmity of alien worlds and cultures transcended the old petty
+rivalries on Earth. Men--all men--were brothers in arms.
+
+And so the Brotherhood was born--and the concept born of necessity
+developed its muscles in a thousand battles on a thousand hostile
+worlds. And ultimately it evolved into the only form of central
+authority that men would accept. Yet basically it was not a government.
+It was an attitude of mind. Men accepted its decisions as they would
+accept the rulings of a family council, and for the same reasons.
+
+The Brotherhood laid down certain rules but it did not attempt to
+enforce them. After all, it didn't need to. It also arbitrated disputes,
+admitted new worlds to membership, and organized concerted human effort
+against dangerous enemies. And that was all. Yet in its sphere the
+authority of the Brotherhood was absolute.
+
+
+There was only one criterion for membership in the
+Brotherhood--membership in the human race. No matter how decadent or
+primitive a population might be, if it was human it was automatically
+eligible for Brotherhood--a free and equal partner in the society of
+human worlds.
+
+Kennon doubted that any nonhuman race had ever entered the select circle
+of humanity, although individuals might have done so. A docked Lani, for
+instance, would probably pass unquestioned as a human, but the Lani race
+would not. In consequence they and their world were fair prey, and had
+been attacked and subjugated.
+
+Of course, proof of inhumanity was seldom a problem. Most alien life
+forms were obviously alien. But there were a few--like the Lani--where
+similarities were so close that it was impossible to determine their
+status on the basis of morphology alone. And so the Humanity Test had
+come into being.
+
+Essentially it was based upon species compatibility--on the concept that
+like can interbreed with like. Tests conducted on every inhabited world
+in the Brotherhood had proven this conclusively. Whatever changes had
+taken place in the somatic characteristics of mankind since the Exodus,
+they had not altered the compatibility of human germ plasm. Man could
+interbreed with man--aliens could not. The test was simple. The results
+were observable. And what was more important, everyone could understand
+it. No definition of humanity could be more simple or direct.
+
+But was it accurate?
+
+Like other Betans, Kennon wondered. It was--so far--probably. The
+qualifying phrases were those of the scientist, that strange breed that
+refuses to accept anything as an established fact until it is proven
+beyond a shadow of a doubt. After all, the human race had been
+spaceborne for only six thousand years--scarcely time for any real
+differences to develop. But physical changes had already appeared--and
+it would only be a question of time before these would probably be
+followed by genetic changes. And in some groups the changes might be
+extensive enough to make them genetic strangers to the rest of humanity.
+
+What would happen then? No one knew. Actually no one bothered to think
+about it except for a few far-seeing men who worried as they saw.
+
+Probably.
+
+Might.
+
+Possibly.
+
+If.
+
+Four words. But because of them the Betans were slowly withdrawing from
+the rest of humanity. Already the radiations of Beta's variant-G sun had
+produced changes in the population. Little things like tougher
+epidermis and depilation of body hair--little things that held alarming
+implications to Beta's scientists, and to Beta's people. Not too many
+generations hence a Betan outside his home system would be a rarity,
+and in a few millennia the Betan system itself would be a closed enclave
+peopled by humans who had deviated too far from the basic stock to
+mingle with it in safety.
+
+Of course, the Brotherhood itself might be changed by that time, but
+there was no assurance that this would happen. And mankind had a history
+of dealing harshly with its mutants. So Beta would play it safe.
+
+Kennon wondered if there were other worlds in the Brotherhood that had
+come to the same conclusion. Possibly there were. And possibly there
+were worlds where marked deviations had occurred. There wasn't a year
+that passed that didn't bring some new human world into the Brotherhood,
+and many of these had developed from that cultural explosion during the
+First Millennium known as the Exodus, where small groups of colonists in
+inadequate ships set out for unannounced goals to homestead new worlds
+for man. Some of these survived, and many were being discovered even
+at this late date. But so far none had any difficulty in proving their
+human origin.
+
+The Lani, conceivably, could have been descendants of one of these
+groups, which probably explained the extreme care the Brotherhood
+courts had taken with their case. But they had failed the test, and
+were declared animals. Yet it was possible that they had mutated beyond
+genetic compatibility. If they had, and if it were proved, here was a
+test case that could rock the galaxy--that could shake the Brotherhood
+to its very foundations--that could force a re-evaluation of the
+criteria of humanity.
+
+Kennon grinned. He was a fine employee. Here he was, less than a full
+day on the job, dreaming how he could ruin his employer, shake the
+foundation of human civilization, and force ten thousand billion humans
+to change their comfortable habit patterns and their belief in the
+unchangeable sameness of men. He was, he reflected wryly, an incurable
+romantic.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+"Wake up, Doctor, it's six A.M." A pleasant voice cut through Kennon's
+slumber. He opened one eye and looked at the room. For a moment the
+strange surroundings bothered him, then memory took over. He stirred
+uncomfortably, looking for the owner of the voice.
+
+"You have your morning calls at seven, and there's a full day ahead,"
+the voice went on. "I'm sorry, sir, but you should get up." The voice
+didn't sound particularly sorry.
+
+It was behind him, Kennon decided. He rolled over with a groan of
+protest and looked at his tormentor. A gasp of dismay left his lips,
+for standing beside the bed, a half smile on her pointed face, was
+Copper--looking fresh and alert and as disturbing as ever.
+
+It wasn't right, Kennon thought bitterly, to be awakened from a sound
+sleep by a naked humanoid who looked too human for comfort. "What are
+you doing here?" he demanded.
+
+"I'm supposed to be here," Copper said. "I'm your secretary." She
+grinned and flexed a few curves of her torso.
+
+Kennon was silent.
+
+"Is there anything wrong?" she asked.
+
+For a moment Kennon was tempted to tell her what was wrong--but he held
+his tongue. She probably wouldn't understand. But there was one thing
+he'd better settle right now. "Now look here, young lady--" he began.
+
+"I'm not a lady," Copper interrupted before he could continue. "Ladies
+are human. I'm a Lani."
+
+"All right," Kennon growled. "Lani or human, who cares? But do you have
+to break into a man's bedroom and wake him in the middle of the night?"
+
+"I didn't break in," she said, "and it isn't the middle of the night.
+It's morning."
+
+"All right--so it's morning and you didn't break in. Then how in
+Halstead's sacred name did you get here?"
+
+
+"I sleep next door," she said jerking a thumb in the direction of an
+open door in the side wall. "I've been there ever since you dismissed me
+last night," she explained.
+
+The explanation left Kennon cold. The old cliche about doing as the
+Santosians do flicked through his mind. Well, perhaps he would in
+time--but not yet. The habits of a lifetime couldn't be overturned
+overnight. "Now you have awakened me," he said, "perhaps you'll get out
+of here."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"I want to get dressed."
+
+"I'll help you."
+
+"You will not! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I've been
+dressing myself for years. I'm not used to people helping me."
+
+"My--what a strange world you must come from. Haven't you ever had a
+Lani before?"
+
+"No."
+
+"You poor man." Her voice was curiously pitying. "No one to make you
+feel like the gods. No one to serve you. No one to even scrub your
+back."
+
+"That's enough," Kennon said. "I can scrub my own back."
+
+"How?--you can't reach it."
+
+Kennon groaned.
+
+"Weren't there any Lani on your world?"
+
+"No."
+
+"No wonder you left it. It must be quite primitive."
+
+"Primitive!" Kennon's voice was outraged. "Beta has one of the highest
+civilizations in the Brotherhood!"
+
+"But you don't have Lani," she said patiently. "So you must be
+primitive."
+
+"Halstead, Fleming, and Ochsner!" Kennon swore. "Do you believe that?"
+
+"Naturally, isn't it obvious? You can't possibly be civilized unless you
+take responsibility for intelligent life other than your own race.
+Until you face up to your responsibilities you are merely a member of a
+dominant race, not a civilized one."
+
+Kennon's reply caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at
+her, and what he was about to say remained unspoken. "Out of the mouths
+of humanoids--" he muttered oddly.
+
+"What does that mean?" Copper asked.
+
+"Forget it," Kennon said wildly. "Leave me alone. Go put on some
+clothes. You embarrass me."
+
+"I'll go," Copper said, "but you'll have to be embarrassed. Only
+household Lani wear cloth." She frowned, two vertical furrows dividing
+her dark brows. "I've never understood why inhouse Lani have to be
+disfigured that way, but I suppose there's some reason for it. Men
+seldom do anything without a reason."
+
+Kennon shook his head. Either she was grossly ignorant, which he
+doubted, or she was conditioned to the eyeballs.
+
+The latter was more probable. But even that was doubtful. Her trenchant
+remark about civilization wasn't the product of a conditioned mind. But
+why was he worrying about her attitudes? They weren't important--she
+wasn't even human. He shook his head. That was a sophistry. The fact
+that she wasn't human had nothing to do with the importance of her
+attitude. "I suppose there is a reason," he agreed. "But I don't know
+it. I haven't been here long enough to know anything about such things."
+
+She nodded. "That does make a difference," she admitted. "Many new
+men are bothered at first by the fact that we Lani are naked, but they
+adjust quickly. So will you." She smiled as she turned away. "You see,"
+she added over her shoulder as she left the room, "we're not human.
+We're just another of your domestic animals."
+
+Was there laughter in her voice? Kennon wasn't sure. His sigh was
+composed of equal parts of relief and exasperation as he slipped out of
+bed and began to dress. He'd forgo the shower this morning. He had no
+desire for Copper to appear and offer to scrub his back. In his present
+state of mind he couldn't take it. Possibly he'd get used to it in time.
+Perhaps he might even like it. But right now he wasn't acclimatized.
+
+* * *
+
+"Man Blalok called," Copper said as she removed the breakfast dishes.
+"He said that he'd be right over to pick you up. He wants to show you
+the operation." "When did he call?"
+
+"About ten minutes ago. I told him that you were at breakfast. He said
+he'd wait." She disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
+
+"There's a nightmare quality to this," Kennon muttered as he slipped his
+arms into the sleeves of his tunic and closed the seam tabs. "I have
+the feeling that I'm going to wake up any minute." He looked at his
+reflection in the dresser mirror, and his reflection looked worriedly
+back. "This whole thing has an air of plausible unreality: the
+advertisement, the contract, this impossible island that raises
+humanoids as part of the livestock." He shrugged and his mirrored image
+shrugged back. "But it's real, all right. No dream could possibly be
+this detailed. I wonder how I'm going to take it for the next five
+years? Probably not too well," he mused silently. "Already I'm talking
+to myself. Without even trying, that Lani Copper can make me feel like a
+Sarkian." He nodded at his image.
+
+The Sarkian analogy was almost perfect, he decided. For on that grimly
+backward world females were as close to slaves as the Brotherhood would
+permit; raised from birth under an iron regimen designed to produce
+complaisant mates for the dominant males. Probably that was the reason
+Sark was so backward. The men, having achieved domestic tranquillity,
+had no desire to do anything that would disturb the status quo. And
+since no Sarkian woman under any conceivable circumstances would annoy
+her lordly master with demands to produce better mousetraps, household
+gadgetry, and more money, the technological development of Sark had come
+to a virtual standstill. It took two sexes to develop a civilization.
+
+Kennon shrugged. Worlds developed as they did because people were as
+they were, and while passing judgment was still a major human pursuit,
+no native of one world had a right to force his customs down the
+unwilling throat of another. It would be better to accept his present
+situation and live with it rather than trying to impose his Betan
+conception of morality upon Lani that neither understood nor appreciated
+it. His business was to treat and prevent animal disease. What happened
+to the animals before infection or after recovery was none of his
+affair. That was a matter between Alexander and his conscience.
+
+Blalok was waiting for him, sitting behind the wheel of a square boxy
+vehicle that squatted with an air of unpolished efficiency on the
+graveled drive behind his house. He smiled a quick greeting as Kennon
+approached. "It's about time you showed up," he said. "You'll have to
+get into the habit of rising early on this place. We do most of our work
+early in the morning and late in the afternoon. During the day it's too
+hot to breathe, let alone work. Well, let's get going. There's still
+time to visit the outer stations."
+
+Kennon climbed in and Blalok started the vehicle. "I thought we'd take a
+jeep today," he said. "They aren't very pretty, but they get around." He
+turned onto the surfaced road that ran down the hill toward the hospital
+and the complex of red-roofed buildings clustered about it. "About those
+flukes," he said. "You have any plans to get rid of them?"
+
+"Not yet. I'll have to look the place over. There's more detective work
+than medicine involved in this."
+
+"Detective work?"
+
+"Sure--we know the criminal, but to squelch him we have to learn his
+hangouts, study his modus operandi, and learn how to make his victims
+secure from his activities. Unless we do that, we can treat individuals
+from now to infinity and all we'll have is more cases. We have to apply
+modern criminology tactics--eliminate the source of crime--stop up the
+soft spots. In other words, kill the flukes before they enter the Lani."
+
+"Old Doc never said anything about this," Blalok said.
+
+"Probably he never knew about it. I was looking over the herd books last
+night, and I saw nothing about trematodes, or anything that looked like
+a parasite pattern until the last few months."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"My guess is that he was one of the first deaths."
+
+"You mean this thing attacks human beings?"
+
+"Preferentially," Kennon said. "It's strange, too, because it originated
+on Santos so far as we know. In fact, some people think that the Varl
+bred it for a weapon to use against us before we conquered them. They
+could have done it. Their biological science was of a high enough
+order."
+
+"But how did it get here?"
+
+"I wouldn't know--unless you've hired a Santosian or someone else who
+was affected."
+
+"We did have a man from Santos. Fellow called Joe Kryla. We had to let
+him go because he was a nudist. It made a bad impression on the Lani.
+But that was over a year ago."
+
+"That's about the right time to build up a good reservoir of infection.
+The fatal cases usually don't show up before an area is pretty well
+seeded."
+
+"That's not so good."
+
+"Well, there's one thing in our favor. The Lani are pretty well
+concentrated into groups. And so far there doesn't seem to be any
+infestation outside of Hillside Station--except for two deaths in Lani
+recently sent from there. If we quarantine those stations and work fast,
+may be we can stop this before it spreads all over the island."
+
+"That's fine, but what are you going to do now?"
+
+"Treat those that show symptoms. There should be some Trematox capsules
+at the hospital. If there aren't we'll get them. We'll take the
+sick ones back to the hospital area and push therapy and supportive
+treatment. Now that we know the cause, we shouldn't have any more death
+losses."
+
+"Old Doc didn't treat at the hospital," Blalok said.
+
+"I'm not Old Doc."
+
+"But it's going to mess up our operations. We're using the ward
+buildings to finish training the Lani scheduled for market."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"It's convenient. Most of the ward space is filled right now." Blalok
+said. There was a touch of disgust in his voice.
+
+"They're well, aren't they?" Kennon demanded.
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Then get them out of there."
+
+"But I told you-"
+
+"You told me nothing. The hospital area is needed for something more
+than a training center. Perhaps Old Doc was trained in outcall work, but
+I'm not. I work from a hospital. The only things I do on outcalls are
+diagnoses, vaccinations, and emergencies. The rest of the patients come
+to the hospital."
+
+"This isn't going to set well with Jordan and the division chiefs."
+
+"That's not my concern," Kennon said. "I run my business in the best way
+possible. The patients are of more concern than the personal comfort of
+any straw boss or administrator. You're the administrator--you calm them
+down."
+
+"You have the authority," Blalok admitted. "But my advice to you is to
+go slow."
+
+"I can't," Kennon said. "Not if we want to prevent any more losses.
+There simply won't be time to run all over the island dosing with
+Trematox and taking temperatures, and while that sort of thing is
+routine, it should be supervised. Besides, you'll see the advantages of
+this method. Soon enough."
+
+"I hope so," Blalok said as he braked the jeep to a stop in front of the
+hospital. "I suppose you'll want to take some things along."
+
+"So I will," Kennon said. "I'll be back in a minute." Kennon slid from
+the seat, leaving Blalok looking peculiarly at his departing back.
+
+The minute stretched to nearly ten before Kennon returned followed by
+two Lani carrying bags which they loaded into the back of the jeep.
+"I had to reorganize a little," Kennon apologized, "some things were
+unfamiliar."
+
+"Plan on taking them?" Blalok said, jerking a thumb at the two Lani.
+
+"Not this time. I'm having them fit up an ambulance. They should be busy
+most of the day."
+
+Blalok grunted and started the turbine. He moved a lever and the jeep
+floated off the ground.
+
+"An airboat too," Kennon remarked. "I wondered why this rig was so
+boxy."
+
+"It's a multipurpose vehicle," Blalok said. "We need them around here
+for fast transport. Most of the roads aren't so good." He engaged the
+drive and the jeep began to move. "We'll go cross country," he said.
+"Hillside's pretty far out--the farthest station since we abandoned
+Olympus."
+
+The air began whistling past the boxlike body of the jeep as Blalok
+increased the power to the drive and set the machine on automatic.
+"We'll get a pretty good cross-section of our operations on this trip,"
+he said over the whine of the turbine. "Look down there."
+
+They were passing across a series of fenced pastures and Kennon was
+impressed. The size of this operation was beginning to sink in. It
+hadn't looked so big from the substratosphere in Alexander's ship, but
+down here close to the ground it was enormous. Fields of grain, wide
+orchards, extensive gardens. Once they were forced to detour a huge
+supply boat that rose heavily in front of them. Working in the fields
+were dozens of brown-skinned Lani who paused to look up and wave as
+the jeep sped by. Occasional clusters of farm buildings and the low
+barrackslike stations appeared and disappeared behind them.
+
+"There's about twenty Lani at each of these stations," Blalok said,
+"They work the farm area under the direction of the stationmaster."
+
+"He's a farmer?"
+
+"Of course. Usually he's a graduate of an agricultural school, but we
+have a few who are descendants of the crew of the first Alexander, and
+there's one old codger who was actually with him during the conquest.
+Most of our stationmasters are family men. We feel that a wife and
+children add to a man's stability--and incidentally keep him from
+fooling around with the Lani."
+
+A series of fenced pastures containing hundreds of huge grayish-white
+quadrupeds slipped past.
+
+"Cattle?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Yes--Earth strain. That's why they're so big. We also have sheep and
+swine, but you won't see them on this run."
+
+"Any native animals?"
+
+"A few--and some which are native to other worlds. But they're
+luxury-trade items. The big sale items are beef, pork, and mutton."
+Blalok chuckled. "Did you think that the Lani were our principal
+export?"
+
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"They're only a drop in the bucket. Agriculture--Earth-style
+agriculture--is our main source of income. The Lani are valuable
+principally to keep down the cost of overhead. Virtually all of them
+work right here on the island. We don't sell more than a hundred a year
+less than five per cent of our total. And those are surplus--too light
+or too delicate for farm work."
+
+"Where do you find a market for all this produce?" Kennon asked.
+
+"There's two hundred million people here, and quite a few billion more
+in space-train range. We can produce more cheaply than any competitor,
+and we can undersell any competition, even full automation." Blalok
+chuckled. "There are some things that a computer can't do as well as
+a human being, and one of them is farm the foods on which humanity is
+accustomed to feed. A man'll pay two credits for a steak. He could get a
+Chlorella substitute for half a credit, but he'll still buy the steak
+if he can afford it. Same thing goes for fruit, vegetables, grain, and
+garden truck. Man's eating habits have only changed from necessity.
+Those who can pay will still pay well for natural foods." Blalok
+chuckled. "We've put quite a dent in the algae and synthetics operations
+in this sector."
+
+"It's still a luxury trade," Kennon said.
+
+"You've eaten synthetic," Blalok replied. "What do you prefer?"
+
+Kennon had to agree that Blalok was right. He, too, liked the real thing
+far better than its imitations.
+
+"If it's this profitable, then why sell Lani?" Kennon asked.
+
+"It's the Family's idea. Actually--since the export type is surplus it
+does us no harm. We keep enough for servants--and the others would be
+inefficient for most farm work. So disposal by sale is a logical and
+profitable way of culling. But now the Boss-man is being pressured into
+breeding an export type. And this I don't like. It's too commercial.
+Smells like slavery."
+
+"You're a Mystic, aren't you?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Sure--but that doesn't mean I like slavery. Oh, I know some of those
+fatheaded Brotherhood economists call our system economic slavery--and
+I'll admit that it's pretty hard to crack out of a spherical trust.
+But that doesn't mean that we have to stay where we are. Mystics aren't
+owned by their entrepreneurs. Sure, it's a tough haul to beat the
+boss, but it can be done. I did it, and others do it all the time. The
+situation isn't hopeless."
+
+"But it is with the Lani," Kennon added.
+
+"Of course. That's why they should be protected. What chance does a
+Lani have? Without us they can't even keep going as a race. They're
+technological morons. They don't live long enough to understand modern
+civilization. To turn those poor helpless humanoids out into human
+society would be criminal. It's our duty to protect them even while
+we're using them."
+
+"Man's burden?' Kennon said, repeating the old cliche.
+
+"Exactly." Blalok scowled. "I wish I had guts enough to give the
+Boss-man the facts--but I can't get nerve enough to try. I've a good job
+here--a wife and two kids--and I don't want to jeopardize my future."
+Blalok glanced over the side. "Well, here we are," he said, and began
+descending into the center of a spokelike mass of buildings radiating
+outward from a central hub.
+
+"Hmm--big place," Kennon murmured.
+
+"It should be," Blalok replied. "It furnishes all of our Lani for
+replacement and export. It can turn out over a thousand a year at
+full capacity. Of course we don't run at that rate, or Flora would be
+overpopulated. But this is a big layout, like you said. It can maintain
+a population of at least forty thousand. Old Alexander had big ideas."
+
+"I wonder what he planned to do with them?" Kennon said.
+
+"I wouldn't know. The Old Man never took anyone into his confidence."
+
+Jordan came up as the jeep settled to the ground. "Been expecting you
+for the past half hour," he said. "Your office said you were on your
+way.--Good to see you, too, Doc. I've been going over the records with
+Hank Allworth--the stationmaster here." Jordan held out his hand.
+
+"You're an Earthman, eh?" Kennon asked as he grasped the outstretched
+hand. The gesture was as old as man, its ritualistic meaning lost in
+antiquity.
+
+"No--Marsborn--a neighbor world," Jordan said. "But our customs and
+Earth's are the same."
+
+"You're a long way from home," Kennon said.
+
+"No farther than you, Doc." Jordan looked uncomfortable. "But we can
+compare origins later. Right now, you'd better come into the office.
+I've run across something peculiar."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+"There are twelve bays to this station," Jordan said. "Under our present
+setup two are used for breeding and the other ten for maturation. We
+rotate the youngsters around the bay--a different bay each year until
+they're age eleven. Then they're sorted according to type and sent out
+for a year of further specialized training after which they go onto the
+farms, or to inhouse or export.
+
+"Now here's the peculiar part. There's no trouble in Bays One through
+Nine, but Bay Ten has had all our losses except two that have occurred
+at the training stations."
+
+"That's good news," Kennon said. "Our parasite can't have had time to
+migrate too far. We have him pinpointed unless--say how many training
+centers are there?"
+
+"Three," Jordan said.
+
+"Quarantine them," Kennon replied. "Right now. Nothing goes in or out
+until we've checked them and completed prophylaxis."
+
+Jordan looked at Blalok inquiringly.
+
+"He's the boss," Blalok said. "Do as you're told. This is his problem."
+
+"Why the quarantine?" Jordan asked.
+
+"I want to get any carriers. We can check them with antigen, and then
+give Trematox."
+
+"All that concentration in Bay Ten," Jordan said. "Does it mean
+something?"
+
+"Blalok said that there was a Santosian in your division."
+
+"Yeah--Joe Kryla--and come to think of it, he ran Bay Ten!"
+
+"That's a help--now let's see what makes that bay different from the
+others."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"I'll tell you--but you may not understand," Kennon said.
+
+"I'll take a chance."
+
+Kennon grinned. "All right, you asked for it. The parasite that's doing
+the damage is a flatworm, a trematode called Hepatodirus hominis. As
+I've told Blalok, it's a tricky thing. Like all trematodes it has a
+three-stage life cycle, but unlike every other fluke, its life cycle is
+not fixed to definite intermediate hosts. Depending upon where it is,
+the fluke adapts. It still must pass through its life cycle, but its
+intermediate host need not be one species of snail, fish, or copepod.
+Any cold-blooded host will do. What you have here is a Kardonian variant
+which has adapted to some particular intermediate host on this world.
+Until now, its final host was either man or Varl. Now we have a third,
+the Lani. And apparently they are the most susceptible of the three.
+It never kills Varl. And humans, while they're more susceptible, only
+occasionally succumb, but the Lani appear to be the most susceptible of
+all. I've never seen an infestation like those Lani had. Their livers
+were literally crawling with flukes." Kennon paused and looked at
+Jordan. "You following me?" he asked.
+
+"Slowly and poorly," Jordan said. "You're assuming too much knowledge on
+my part."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "You can't say I didn't warn you."
+
+"Well--I'm really interested in only one thing--how do you break the
+parasite up in business?"
+
+"There's only one sure way--and that's to break the life cycle. The
+technique is thousands of years old, but it's just as good today as it
+was then."
+
+"Good--then let's do it."
+
+"To make a varrit stew," Kennon said, "one must first catch the varrit."
+
+"Huh?"
+
+"We have to learn the beastie's life cycle before we can break it,
+and like I said, it adapts. Its intermediate host can be any one of a
+hundred cold-blooded animals."
+
+"Is there no place else where it can be attacked?"
+
+"Sure, in the body of the final host, or on its final encysting place.
+But that won't eliminate the bug."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"It'll still survive in its infective form and enough Lani will get
+subacute dosage to propagate it until the time is right for another
+epizootic. We have to kill its intermediate host--or hosts if it has
+more than one. That will keep it from growing and will ultimately
+eradicate it."
+
+Judson scratched his head. "It sounds complicated."
+
+"It is. It's so complicated that once the fluke becomes well established
+it's virtually impossible to eradicate."
+
+"And you think it can be done here?"
+
+"We can give it the old college try. But it's going to take some
+detective work."
+
+"Where do we start?"
+
+"With Bay Ten. We look it over real well. Then we check the diet and
+habits of the Lani. Then we check each individual Lani. Then we check
+the life cycle of the parasite. Somewhere along the line if we're lucky
+we'll find a weak point that can be attacked."
+
+"That's a big order," Blalok said.
+
+"It can't be helped. That's the way it is. Of course, we're lucky that
+we're on an isolated land mass. That gives us an advantage. We should be
+able to clean this up."
+
+"How long do you think it will take?"
+
+"It depends on how well the fluke is established. Six months at the
+minimum--and I wouldn't care to guess at the maximum. However, I hope
+the minimum will be time enough."
+
+"So do I," Blalok said.
+
+"Well," Kennon said, "let's get on with it."
+
+"I hope it won't interrupt our program," Jordan said.
+
+"Of course it will interrupt it," Kennon replied. "It can't help it. Get
+the idea in your head that you're facing something here that can cripple
+you--maybe abort your whole operation. You have a choice--interrupt now
+or abort later. And half measures won't work. To eradicate this pest
+requires an all-out effort."
+
+"But I can't see why we can't merely bypass Bay Ten--" Jordan said.
+
+"Take my word for it," Kennon said. "You can't. There's no accurate way
+of telling how far this spreads until the death losses occur. Our tests
+for fluke infestation aren't that good. We have to work thoroughly and
+carefully. We can't be butting heads over this--either we all co-operate
+or this whole operation will blow up in our faces.
+
+"Look at the record. Six months ago you ended a year with no deaths from
+disease. Five months ago Old Doc and two Lani were ill. Four months ago
+one of the two Lani was dead and Old Doc was too ill to be effective.
+Three months ago Old Doc and the other Lani were dead, and before the
+end of the month two more followed them. Two months ago six died, last
+month eight, and so far this month you've lost four and you have over
+two weeks to go. Up to now they've all been from here, but two this
+month were at other stations. In six months if nothing is done, we'll
+be having losses there unless we're lucky. And the losses will keep
+on increasing. Apparently you don't know what it is to live with
+parasites--so let me tell you. It isn't pleasant!"
+
+Blalok shrugged. "You needn't get hot about it," he said. "After all,
+you're the Doc--and we'll co-operate."
+
+Jordan nodded. "We will," he said. "All the way."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+There is a special providence that looks over recent veterinary
+graduates, Kennon reflected as he checked the monthly reports from the
+Stations. Since the time he had laid down the law to Judson and Blalok,
+he had had no trouble from the production staff. And for the past four
+months there had been no further trouble with Hepatodirus. That unwanted
+visitor had apparently been evicted. At that, they had been lucky. The
+parasite had been concentrated at Hillside Station and had failed to
+establish itself in the training area. The intermediate host, it had
+turned out, was a small amphibian that was susceptible to commercial
+insecticide. It had been no trouble to eradicate. Systemic treatment and
+cooking of all food had cleaned up the infective cercaria and individual
+infections, and after six months of intensive search, quarantine, and
+investigation, Kennon was morally certain that the disease had been
+eradicated. The last four reports confirmed his belief.
+
+He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Blalok was at last convinced
+that his ideas were right. The hospital was operating as a hospital
+should, with a staff of twelve Lani kept busy checking the full wards.
+Actually, it was working better than it should, since stationmasters all
+over the island were now shipping in sick animals rather than treating
+them or requesting outpatient service.
+
+"Hi, Doc," Blalok said as he pushed the door open and looked into the
+office. "You doing anything?"
+
+"Not at the moment," Kennon said. "Something troubling you?"
+
+"No--just thought I'd drop in for a moment and congratulate you."
+
+"For what?"
+
+"For surviving the first year."
+
+"That won't be for two months yet."
+
+Blalok shook his head. "This is Kardon," he said. "There's only three
+hundred and two days in our year, ten thirty-day months and two special
+days at the year's end."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "My contract is Galactic Standard. I still have two
+months to go. But how come the ten-month year? Most other planets have
+twelve, regardless of the number of days."
+
+"Old Alexander liked thirty-day months."
+
+"I've wondered about that."
+
+"You'll find a lot more peculiar things about Flora when you get to know
+her better. This year has just been a breaking-in period."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "It's damn near broken me," he admitted. "You know, I
+thought that the Lani'd be my principal practice when I came here."
+
+"You didn't figure that right. They're the easiest part. They're
+intelligent and co-operative."
+
+"Which is more than one can say about the others." Kennon wiped the
+sweat from his face. "What with this infernal heat and their eternal
+stubbornness, I've nearly been driven crazy."
+
+"You shouldn't have laid out that vaccination program."
+
+"I had to. Your hog business was living mostly on luck, and the sheep
+and shrakes were almost as bad. You can't get away from soil saprophytes
+no matter how clean you are. Under a pasture setup there's always
+a chance of contamination. And that old cliche about an ounce of
+prevention is truer of livestock raising than anything else I can think
+of."
+
+"I have some more good news for you," Blalok said. "That's why I came
+over. We're going to have another species to treat and vaccinate."
+
+Kennon groaned. "Now what?"
+
+"Poultry." Blalok's voice was disgusted. "Personally I think it's a
+mess, but Alexander thinks it's profitable. Someone's told him that
+pound for pound chickens are the most efficient feed converters of all
+the domestic animals. So we're getting a pilot plant: eggs, incubator,
+and a knocked-down broiler battery so we can try the idea out.
+The Boss-man is always hot on new ideas to increase efficiency and
+production. The only trouble is that he fails to consider the work
+involved in setting up another operation."
+
+"You're so right. I'll have to brush up on pullorum, ornithosis,
+coccidosis, leukosis, perosis, and Ochsner knows how many other-osises
+and--itises. I was never too strong on fowl practice in school, and I'd
+be happier if I never had anything to do with them."
+
+"So would I," Blalok agreed. "I can't see anything in this but trouble."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"And he's forgotten something else," Blalok added. "Poultry need
+concentrated feed. We're going to have to install a feed mill."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "I hope he'll appreciate the bill he gets."
+
+"He thinks we can use local labor," Blalok said gloomily. "I wish he'd
+realize that Lani are technological morons."
+
+"They could learn."
+
+"I suppose so--but it isn't easy. And besides, Allworth is the only man
+with feed-mill experience, and he's up to his ears with Hillside Station
+since that expansion order came in."
+
+"I never did get the reason for that. After we complained about the
+slavery implications and got the Boss-man's okay to hold the line, why
+do we need more Lani?"
+
+"Didn't you know? His sister's finally decided to try marriage. Found
+herself some overmuscled Halsite who looked good to her--but she
+couldn't crack his moral barrier." Blalok grinned. "I thought you'd be
+the first to know. Wasn't she interested in you?"
+
+Kennon chuckled. "You could call it that. Interested--like the way a
+dog's interested in a beefsteak. It's a good thing we had that fluke
+problem or I'd have been chewed up and digested long ago. That woman
+frightens me."
+
+"I could be scared by uglier things," Blalok said. "With the Boss-man's
+sister on my side I wouldn't worry."
+
+"What makes you think she'd be on my side? She's a cannibal."
+
+"Well, you know her better than I do."
+
+He did--he certainly did. That first month had been one of the worst he
+had ever spent, Kennon reflected. Between Eloise and the flukes, he had
+nearly collapsed--and when it had come to the final showdown, he thought
+for a while that he'd be looking for another job. But Alexander had been
+more than passably understanding and had refused his sister's passionate
+pleas for a Betan scalp. He owed a debt of gratitude to the Boss-man.
+
+"You're lucky you never knew her," Kennon said.
+
+"That all depends on what you mean," Blalok said as he grinned and
+walked to the door. The parting shot missed its mark entirely as Kennon
+looked at him with blank incomprehension. "You should have been a
+Mystic," Blalok said. "A knowledge of the sacred books would do you no
+end of good." And with that cryptic remark the superintendent vanished.
+
+"That had all the elements of a snide remark," Kennon murmured to
+himself, "but my education's been neglected somewhere along the line. I
+don't get it." He shrugged and buzzed for Copper. The veterinary report
+would have to be added to the pile already before him, and the Boss-man
+liked to have his reports on time.
+
+Copper watched Kennon as he dictated the covering letter, her slim
+fingers dancing over the stenotype. He had been here a full year--but
+instead of becoming a familiar object, he had grown so gigantic that
+he filled her world. And it wasn't merely because he was young and
+beautiful. He was kind, too.
+
+Yet she couldn't approach him, and she wanted to so desperately that
+it was a physical pain. Other Lani had told her about men and what they
+could do. Even her old preceptress at Hillside Station had given her
+some advice when Man Allworth had tattooed the tiny V on her thigh that
+meant she had been selected for the veterinary staff. And when Old Doc
+had brought her from the Training Station to the hospital and removed
+her tail, she was certain that she was one of the lucky ones who would
+know love.
+
+But love wasn't a pain in the chest, an ache in the belly and thighs, an
+unfulfilled longing that destroyed sleep and made food tasteless. Love
+was supposed to be pleasant and exciting. She could remember every word
+her preceptress had spoken.
+
+"My little one," the old Lani had said, "you now wear the doctor's mark.
+And soon no one will be able to tell you from a human. You will look
+like our masters. You will share in their work. And there may be times
+when you will find favor in their eyes. Then you may learn of love.
+
+"Love," the old voice was soft in Copper's ears. "The word is almost a
+stranger to us now, known only to the few who serve our masters. It was
+not always so. The Old Ones knew love before Man Alexander came. And
+our young were the fruit of love rather than the product of our masters'
+cunning. But you may know the flower even though you cannot bear its
+fruit. You may enter that world of pleasure-pain the Old Ones knew, that
+world which is now denied us.
+
+"But remember always that you are a Lani. A man may be kind to you. He
+may treat you gently. He may show you love. Yet you never will be his
+equal. Nor must you become too attached to him, for you are not human.
+You are not his natural mate. You cannot bear his young. You cannot
+completely share. You can only accept.
+
+"So if love should come to you, take it and enjoy it, but do not try to
+possess it. For there lies heartache rather than happiness. And it is
+a world of heartache, my little one, to long for something which you
+cannot have."
+
+To long for something which one cannot have! Copper knew that feeling.
+It had been with her ever since Kennon had come into her life that
+night a year ago. And it had grown until it had become gigantic. He
+was kind--yes. He was harsh--occasionally. Yet he had shown her no more
+affection than he would have shown a dog. Less--for he would have petted
+a dog and he did not touch her.
+
+He laughed, but she was not a part of his laughter. He needed her, but
+the need was that of a builder for a tool. He liked her and sometimes
+shared his problems and triumphs with her, and sometimes his defeats,
+but he did not love. There had never been for her the bright fierce look
+he had bent upon the Woman Eloise those times when she had come to him,
+the look men gave to those who found favor in their eyes.
+
+Had he looked at her but once with that expression she would have come
+to him though fire barred the way. The Woman Eloise was a fool.
+
+Copper looked at him across the corner of the desk, the yellow hair, the
+bronze skin, firm chin, soft lips and long straight nose, the
+narrowed eyes, hooded beneath thick brows, scanning the papers in his
+lean-tendoned hands. His nearness was an ache in her body--yet he was
+far away.
+
+She thought of how his hands would feel upon her. He had touched her
+once, and that touch had burned like hot iron. For hours she had felt
+it. He looked up. Her heart choked her with its beating. She would die
+for him if he would but once run his fingers over her tingling skin, and
+stroke her hair.
+
+The naked emotion in Copper's face was readable enough, Kennon thought.
+One didn't need Sorovkin techniques to interpret what was in her mind.
+And it would have been amusing if it weren't so sad. For what she
+wanted, he couldn't give. Yet if she were human it would be easy. A
+hundred generations of Betan moral code said "never," yet when he looked
+at her their voices faded. He was a man--a member of the ruling race.
+She was an animal--a beast--a humanoid--near human but not near enough.
+To like her was easy--but to love her was impossible. It would be
+bestiality. Yet his body, less discerning than his mind, responded to
+her nearness.
+
+He sighed. It was a pleasant unpleasantness, a mixed emotion he could
+not analyze. In a way it was poetry--the fierce, vaguely disquieting
+poetry of the sensual Santosian bards--the lyrics that sung of the joys
+of flesh. He had never really liked them, yet they filled him with a
+vague longing, an odd uneasiness--just the sort that filled him now.
+There was a deadly parallel here. He sighed.
+
+"Yes, sir? Do you want something?" Copper asked.
+
+"I could use a cup of coffee," he said. "These reports are getting me
+down." The banality amused him--sitting here thinking of Copper and
+talking about coffee. Banality was at once the curse and the saving
+grace of mankind. It kept men from the emotional peaks and valleys that
+could destroy them. He chuckled shakily. The only alternative would be
+to get rid of her--and he couldn't (or wouldn't?--the question intruded
+slyly) do that.
+
+Copper returned with a steaming cup which she set before him. Truly,
+this coffee was a man's drink. She had tried it once but the hot
+bitterness scalded her mouth and flooded her body with its heat. And she
+had felt so lightheaded. Not like herself at all. It wasn't a drink for
+Lani. Of that she was certain.
+
+Yet he enjoyed it. He looked at her and smiled. He was pleased with
+her. Perhaps--yet--she might find favor in his eyes. The hope was always
+there within her--a hope that was at once fear and prayer. And if she
+did--she would know what to do.
+
+Kennon looked up. Copper's face was convulsed with a bright mixture of
+hope and pain. Never, he swore, had he saw anything more beautiful or
+sad. Involuntarily he placed his hand upon her arm. She flinched, her
+muscles tensing under his finger tips. It was though his fingers carried
+a galvanic current that backlashed up his arm even as it stiffened hers.
+
+"What's the matter, Copper?" he asked softly.
+
+"Nothing, Doctor. I'm just upset."
+
+"Why?"
+
+There it was again, the calm friendly curiosity that was worse than a
+bath in ice water. Her heart sank. She shivered. She would never find
+her desire here. He was cold--cold--cold! He wouldn't see. He didn't
+care. All right--so that was how it had to be. But first she would tell
+him. Then he could do with her as he wished. "I hoped--for the past year
+that you would see me. That you would think of me not as a Lani, but as
+a beloved." The words came faster now, tumbling over one another. "That
+you would desire me and take me to those worlds we cannot know unless
+you humans show us. I have hoped so much, but I suppose it's wrong--for
+you--you are so very human, and I--well, I'm not!" The last three words
+held all the sadness and the longing of mankind aspiring to be God.
+
+"My dear--my poor child," Kennon murmured.
+
+She looked at him, but her eyes could not focus on his face, for his
+hands were on her shoulders and the nearness of him drove the breath
+from her body. From a distance she heard a hard tight voice that was her
+own. "Oh, sir--oh please, sir!"
+
+The hands withdrew, leaving emptiness--but her heartbeat slowed and the
+pink haze cleared and she could see his face.
+
+And with a surge of terror and triumph she realized what she saw! That
+hard bright look that encompassed and possessed her! The curved lips
+drawn over white, white teeth! The flared nostrils! The hungry demand
+upon his face that answered the demand in her heart! And she knew--at
+last--with a knowledge that turned her limbs to water, that she had
+found favor in his eyes!
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Mixed emotion! Ha! The author of that cliche didn't even know its
+meaning! Kennon strode furiously down the dusty road toward Station One
+trying to sublimate his inner conflict into action. It was useless, of
+course, for once he stopped moving the grim tug-of-war between training
+and desire would begin again, and no matter how it ended the result
+would be unsatisfactory. As long as he had been able to delude himself
+that he was fond of Copper the way a man is fond of some lesser species,
+it had been all right. But he knew now that he was fond of her as a man
+is of a woman--and it was hell! For no rationalization in the universe
+would allow him to define her as human. Copper was humanoid--something
+like human. And to live with her and love her would not be
+miscegenation, which was bad enough, but bestiality which was a thousand
+times worse.
+
+Although throughout most of the Brotherhood miscegenation was an unknown
+word, and even bestiality had become a loose definition on many worlds
+with humanoid populations, the words had definite meaning and moral
+force to a Betan. And--God help him--he was a Betan. A lifetime of
+training in a moral code that frowned upon mixed marriages and shrank
+appalled from even the thought of mixing species was nothing to bring
+face to face with the fact that he loved Copper.
+
+It was odd, Kennon reflected bitterly, that humans could do with animals
+what their customs and codes prohibited them from doing to themselves.
+For thousands of years--back to the very dawn of history when men had
+bred horses and asses to produce mules--men had been mixing species
+to produce useful hybrids. Yet a Betan who could hybridize plants or
+animals with complete equanimity shrank with horror from the thought of
+applying the same technique to himself.
+
+What was there about a human being that was so sacrosanct? He shook his
+head angrily. He didn't know. There was no answer. But the idea--the
+belief--was there, ingrained into his attitudes, a part of his outlook,
+built carefully block by block from infancy until it now towered into a
+mighty wall that barred him from doing what he wished to do.
+
+It would be an easier hurdle if he had been born anywhere except on
+Beta. In the rest of the Brotherhood, the color of a man's skin, the
+shape of his face, the quality and color of his hair and eyes made no
+difference. All men were brothers. But on Beta, where a variant-G sun
+had already caused genetic divergence, the brotherhood of man was a term
+that was merely given lip service. Betans were different and from birth
+they were taught to accept the difference and to live with it. Mixing of
+Betan stock with other human species, while not actually forbidden, was
+so encircled with conditioning that it was a rare Betan indeed who would
+risk self-opprobrium and the contempt of his fellows to mate with an
+outsider. And as for humanoids--Kennon shuddered. He couldn't break the
+attitudes of a lifetime. Yet he loved Copper.
+
+And she knew he did!
+
+And that was an even greater horror. He had fled from the office, from
+the glad light in her eyes, as a burned child flees fire. He needed time
+to think, time to plan. Yet his body and his surface thoughts wanted no
+plans or time. Living with a Lani wasn't frowned upon on Flora. Many of
+the staff did, nor did anyone seem to think less of them for doing
+so. Even Alexander himself had half-confessed to a more than platonic
+affection for a Lani called Susy.
+
+Yet this was no excuse, nor would it silence the cold still voice in his
+mind that kept repeating sodomite--sodomite--sodomite with a passionless
+inflection that was even more terrible than anger.
+
+The five kilometers to Station One disappeared unnoticed beneath his
+feet as he walked, and he looked up in surprise to see the white walls
+and red roofs of the station looming before him.
+
+"Good Lord! Doc! What's got into you?" the stationmaster said. "You
+look like you'd seen a ghost. And out in this sun without a helmet! Come
+inside, man, before you get sunstroke!"
+
+Kennon chuckled without humor. "Getting sunstroke is the least of my
+worries, Al," he said, but he allowed Al Crothers to usher him inside.
+
+"It's odd that you showed up right now," Al said, his dark face showing
+the curiosity that filled him. "I just had a call from Message Center
+not five minutes ago, telling me to have you call in if you showed up."
+
+
+Kennon sighed. "On this island you can't get away from the phone," he
+said wryly. "O.K., where is it?"
+
+"You look pretty bushed, Doc. Maybe you'd better rest awhile."
+
+"And maybe it's an emergency," Kennon interrupted. "And probably it is
+because the staff can handle routine matters--so maybe you'd better show
+me where you keep the phone."
+
+* * *
+
+"One moment please," the Message Center operator said. There were a few
+clicks in the background. "Here's your party," she continued. "Go ahead,
+Doctor."
+
+"Kennon?" a nervous voice crackled from the receiver.
+
+"Yes?"
+
+"You're needed out on Otpen One."
+
+"Who is calling--and what's the rush?"
+
+"Douglas--Douglas Alexander. The Lani are dying! It's an emergency!
+Cousin Alex'll skin us alive if we let these Lani die!"
+
+Douglas! Kennon hadn't thought of him since the one time they had met
+in Alexandria. That was a year ago. It seemed much longer. Since the
+Boss-man had exiled his cousin to that bleak rock to the east of Flora
+there had been no word of him. And now--he laughed a sharp bark of
+humorless annoyance--Douglas couldn't have timed it better if he had
+tried!
+
+"All right," Kennon said. "I'll come. What seems to be the trouble?"
+
+"They're sick."
+
+"That's obvious," Kennon snapped. "Otherwise you wouldn't be calling.
+Can't you tell me any more than that?"
+
+"They're vomiting. They have diarrhea. Several have had fits."
+
+"Thanks," Kennon said. "I'll be right out. Expect me in an hour."
+
+"So you're leaving?" Al asked as he cradled the phone.
+
+"That's a practitioner's life," Kennon said. "Full of interruptions. Can
+I borrow your jeep?"
+
+"I'll drive you. Where do you want to go?"
+
+"To the hospital," Kennon said. "I'll have to pick up my gear. It's an
+emergency all right."
+
+"You're a tough one," Al said admiringly. "I'd hate to walk five kilos
+in this heat without a hat--and then go out on a call."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "It's not necessarily toughness. I believe in doing one
+job at a time--and my contract reads veterinary service, not personal
+problems. The job comes first and there's work to do."
+
+Copper wasn't in sight when Kennon came back to the hospital--a fact for
+which he was grateful. He packed quickly, threw his bags into the jeep,
+and took off with almost guilty haste. He'd contact the Hospital from
+the Otpens. Right now all he wanted was to put distance between himself
+and Copper. Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but at the moment
+propinquity was by far the more dangerous thing. He pointed the blunt
+nose of the jeep toward Mount Olympus, set the autopilot, opened the
+throttle, and relaxed as best he could as the little vehicle sped at top
+speed for the outer islands. A vague curiosity filled him. He'd never
+been on the Otpens. He wondered what they were like.
+
+* * *
+
+Otpen One was a rocky tree-clad islet crowned with the stellate mass of
+a Class II Fortalice. But this one wasn't like Alexandria. It was fully
+manned and in service condition.
+
+"Airboat!" a voice crackled from the dashboard speaker of the jeep,
+"Identify yourself! You are being tracked."
+
+Kennon quickly flipped the IFF switch. "Dr. Kennon, from Flora," he
+said.
+
+"Thank you, sir. You are expected and are clear to land. Bring your
+vehicle down in the marked area." A section of the roof turned a garish
+yellow as Kennon circled the building. He brought the jeep in lightly,
+setting it carefully in the center of the area.
+
+"Leave your vehicle," the speaker chattered. "If you are armed leave
+your weapon behind."
+
+"It's not my habit to carry a gun," Kennon snapped.
+
+"Sorry, sir--regulations," the speaker said. '"This is S.O.P."
+
+Kennon left the jeep and instantly felt the probing tingle of a search
+beam. He looked around curiously at the flat roof of the fortress
+with its domed turrets and ugly snouts of the main battery projectors
+pointing skyward. Beside him, the long metal doors of a missile launcher
+made a rectangular trace on the smooth surface of the roof. Behind him
+the central tower poked its gaunt ferromorph and durilium outline into
+the darkening sky bearing its crown of spiderweb radar antennae turning
+steadily on their gimbals covering a vast hemisphere from horizon to
+zenith with endless inspection.
+
+From the base of the tower a man emerged. He was tall, taller even than
+Kennon, and the muscles of his body showed through the tightness of
+his battle dress. His face was harsh, and in his hands he carried a
+Burkholtz magnum--the most powerful portable weapon mankind had yet
+devised.
+
+"You are Dr. Kennon?" the trooper asked.
+
+"I am."
+
+"Your I.D., please."
+
+Kennon handed it over and the big man scanned the card with practiced
+eyes. "Check," he said. "Follow me, sir."
+
+"My bags," Kennon said.
+
+"They'll be taken care of."
+
+Kennon shrugged and followed the man into the tower. A modern grav-shaft
+lowered them to the ground floor. They passed through a gloomy
+caricature of the Great Hall in Alexandria, through an iris, and down a
+long corridor lined with doors.
+
+A bell rang.
+
+"Back!" the trooper said. "Against the wall! Quick! Into the doorway!"
+
+"What's up?"
+
+"Another practice alert." The trooper's voice was bored. "It gets so
+that you'd almost wish for a fight to relieve the monotony."
+
+A trooper and several Lani came down the corridor, running in
+disciplined formation. Steel clanged on steel as they turned the corner
+and moments later the whine of servos came faintly to their ears. From
+somewhere deep in the pile a rising crescendo of generators under full
+battle load sent out vibrations that could be sensed rather than heard.
+A klaxon squawked briefly. There was another clash of metal, and a harsh
+voice boomed through the corridors. "Fourteen seconds. Well done. Secure
+stations!"
+
+The trooper grinned. "That ties the record," he said. "We can go now."
+
+The corridor ended abruptly at an iris flanked by two sentries. They
+conferred briefly with Kennon's guide, dilated the iris, and motioned
+for Kennon to enter. The pastel interior of the modern office was a
+shocking contrast to the gray ferromorph corridors outside.
+
+Douglas Alexander was standing behind the desk. He was much the same.
+His pudgy face was haggard with uncertainty and his eyes darted back
+and forth as his fingers caressed the knobby grip of a small Burkholtz
+jutting from a holster at his waist. There were new, unpleasant furrows
+between his eyes. He looked older and the indefinable air of cruelty was
+more pronounced. He had been frightened the last time Kennon had seen
+him, and he was frightened now.
+
+"I'm not sure whether I am glad to see you, Kennon," he said
+uncertainly. "But I suppose I have to be."
+
+Kennon believed him.
+
+"How have you been?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Not too bad until this afternoon. Things have been going pretty well."
+He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. "I suppose Cousin
+Alex will skin me for this, but there's nothing else I can do." He
+licked his lips. "You've been here long enough--and you'll have to know
+eventually." He fidgeted and finally sat down behind the desk. "We
+have trouble. Half the Lani were stricken about four hours ago. It was
+sudden. No warning at all. And if they die--" his voice trailed off.
+
+"Well--what are we waiting for? Get someone to bring my bags down here
+and we'll look them over."
+
+"Do you have to?--Can't you prescribe something?"
+
+"How? I haven't examined the patients."
+
+"I can tell you what's wrong."
+
+Kennon smiled. "I hardly think that's the way to do it. Even though
+your description might be accurate, you still might miss something of
+critical importance."
+
+Douglas sighed. "I thought that's what you'd say," he said. "Oh--very
+well--you might as well see what we have out here."
+
+"You can't possibly believe that I don't already know," Kennon said.
+"You have male Lani."
+
+Douglas looked at him, his face blank with surprise. "But--how did you
+know? No one on the main island does except the Family. And we never
+talk about it. Did Eloise tell you? I noticed she was struck with you
+the day you came, and the Lani who have come out here since have been
+talking about you two. Did she do it?"
+
+Kennon shook his head. "She never said a word."
+
+"Then how--"
+
+"I'm not stupid," Kennon said. "That story you've spread about
+artificial fertilization has more holes in it than a sieve. That
+technique has been investigated a thousand times. And it has never
+worked past the first generation. If you had been using it, the Lani
+would long ago have been extinct. Haploids don't reproduce, and the only
+way the diploid number of chromosomes can be kept is to replace those
+lost by maturation division of the ovum. You might be able to keep the
+diploid number by using immature ova, but the fertilization technique
+would be far more complex than the simple uterine injections you use at
+Hillside Station."
+
+Douglas looked at him blankly.
+
+"Besides," Kennon added, "I have a microscope. I checked your so-called
+fertilizing solution. I found spermatozoa, and spermatozoa only come
+from males. What's more, the males have to be the same species as the
+females or fertilization will not take place. So there must be male
+Lani. Nothing else fits. You've been using artificial insemination
+on the main-island Lani. And from the way this place is guarded, it's
+obvious that here is your stud farm."
+
+Douglas shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of resignation. "I
+suppose," he said, "that's the way Old Doc found out too. We never told
+him, but he knew before he ever came out here."
+
+"The only thing that puzzles me," Kennon went on, "is how you managed to
+eliminate the Y-chromosome carriers within the sperm."
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"The male sex-determinant. Half the sperm carry it, but so far as I
+know, there's never been a male born on the main island."
+
+"Oh--that. It's something that's done in the labs here. Probably one of
+the technicians could tell you. It's called electro--electro freezing
+or something like that."
+
+"Electrodiaphoresis?"
+
+Douglas nodded. "That sounds like it. I don't know anything about
+it. One of Grandfather's men did the basic work. We just follow
+instructions." He shrugged. "Well--since you know the secret there's no
+sense in hiding the bodies. Come along and tell me what's wrong."
+
+It was a peculiar feeling to walk down the row of cubical rooms with
+their barred doors. The whole area reminded him of a historical novel,
+of the prisons of early human history where men confined other men for
+infractions of social customs. The grimness of the place was appalling.
+The male Lani--impressive in their physical development--were in
+miserable condition, nauseated, green-faced, retching. The sickening
+odors of vomit and diarrhea hung heavily on the air. Douglas coughed and
+held a square of cloth to his face, and even Kennon, strong-stomached
+as he was, could feel his viscera twitch in sympathy with the caged
+sufferers.
+
+"Great Fleming, man!" Kennon exploded. "You can't keep them here. Get
+them out! Give them some fresh air! This place would make a well man
+sick."
+
+Douglas looked at him, "I wouldn't take one of them out unless I had him
+shackled and there was an armed guard to help me. Those males are the
+most vicious, cunning, and dangerous animals on Kardon. They exist with
+but one thought in mind--to kill!"
+
+Kennon looked curiously through a barred door at one of the Lani. He lay
+on a bare cot, a magnificently muscled figure with a ragged black beard
+hiding his face. There were dozens of scars on his body and one angry
+purple area on his thick right forearm where flesh had been torn away
+not too long ago. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and soft
+moaning noises came from his tight lips as he pressed his abdomen with
+thick-fingered hands. "He doesn't look so dangerous," Kennon said.
+
+"Watch it!" Douglas warned. "Don't get too close!" But the warning was
+too late. Kennon touched the bars, and as he did, the Lani moved with
+fluid speed, one huge hand clutching Kennon's sleeve and pulling him
+against the bars while the other darted for his throat. Fingers bit
+into Kennon's neck and tightened in a viselike grip. Kennon reacted
+automatically. His arms came up inside the Lani's and crashed down,
+elbows out, tearing the Lani loose. He jumped back, rubbing his bruised
+throat. "That fellow's not sick!" he gasped. "He's crazy!"
+
+The Lani glared at him through the bars, disappointment written on his
+scarred and bearded face.
+
+"I warned you," Douglas said. His voice held an undertone of malicious
+laughter. "He must be sick or he would have killed you. George is clever
+in a stupid sort of way."
+
+Kennon looked into the cubicle. The Lani glared back and growled. There
+was a beastlike note in his voice that made the short hairs on Kennon's
+neck prickle.
+
+"That fellow needs a lesson," he said.
+
+"You want to give it to him?" Douglas asked.
+
+"Not particularly."
+
+"Ha!--man!--you afraid!" the Lani taunted. His voice was thick and
+harsh. "All men fear me. All Lani, too. I am boss. Come close again man
+and I kill you!"
+
+"Are they all that stupid?" Kennon asked. "He sounds like a homicidal
+moron."
+
+"He's not stupid," Douglas said. "Just uneducated."
+
+"Why is he so murderous?"
+
+"That's his training. All his life he has fought. From childhood his
+life has been based on his ability to survive in an environment where
+every male is his enemy. You see here the sublimation of individuality.
+He cannot co-operate with another male. He hates them, and they in turn
+hate him. George, here, is a perfect example of absolute freedom from
+restraint." Douglas smiled unpleasantly.
+
+"His whole history is one of complete lack of control. As an infant,
+being a male, his mother thought she was favored by the gods and she
+denied him nothing. In fact we were quite insistent that she gave him
+everything he wanted. By the time he was able to walk and take care of
+himself, he was completely spoiled, selfish, and authoritative.
+
+"Then we took him and a dozen others exactly like him and put them
+together." Douglas grinned. "You should see what happens when a dozen
+spoiled brats are forced to live together. It's more fun. The little
+beasts hate each other on sight. And we stimulate them to compete for
+toys, food, and drink. Never quite enough to go around. You can imagine
+what happens. Instead of sharing, each little selfish individualist
+fights to get everything he can grab. Except for one thing we
+don't punish them no matter what they do. If anyone shows signs of
+co-operating he is disciplined severely, the first time. The next time,
+he is culled. But other than that, we leave them alone. They develop
+their personalities and their muscles--and if one proves to be too
+much for his fellows we transfer him to a more advanced class where the
+competition is keener, and he learns what it is to lose.
+
+"At puberty we add sex drive to the basics, and by the time our male
+reaches maturity we have something like George. Actually, George is
+more mature than either you or I. He has all the answers he needs. He's
+strong, solitary, authoritative, and selfish. He has no curiosity and
+resents encroachment. He's a complete individualist. If he proves out he
+should make an excellent sire."
+
+"But isn't he dangerous to handle?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Yes, but we take precautions."
+
+Kennon grimaced with distaste.
+
+"Look at it objectively," Douglas said. "We're trying to select the best
+physical type we can in the hope that he'll pass his qualities to his
+offspring, and there's no better practical way to select the strongest
+and hardiest than by natural selection. We control their environment
+as little as possible and let Nature do our educating until they're old
+enough to be useful.
+
+"Naturally, there are some things which we cannot provide, such as
+exposure to disease, to the elements, and to predators. The one isn't
+selective about whom it infects, while the others would tend to produce
+co-operation as a matter of survival."
+
+"Isn't there a great deal of mortality under such a regimen?" Kennon
+asked.
+
+"Not as much as you might expect. It's about twenty per cent. And there
+is a great deal of compensation from a management viewpoint. We get
+essentially the same physical end product as we would from a closely
+managed operation, plus a great saving in labor. Males, you see, are
+fairly expendable. We only need a few a year."
+
+"It's brutal."
+
+"So it is, but life is brutal. Still, it's efficient for our purposes.
+We merely take advantage of natural impulses to produce a better
+product. Grandfather got the idea out of an old book--something about
+the noble savage, natural selection and survival of the fittest. He
+thought it was great--said there was nothing like relentless competition
+to bring out the strongest and hardiest types. And he's been right for
+centuries. Can you imagine anything much better than George--from a
+physical viewpoint?"
+
+"He is a magnificent animal," Kennon admitted as he eyed the Lani. "But
+it seems to me that you could train some obedience into him."
+
+Douglas shook his head. "That would introduce a modifying factor,
+something bigger and more powerful than the male himself. And that would
+modify the results. We can control them well enough with knockout gas
+and shackles. And those things, oddly enough, don't destroy their pride
+or self-esteem. They think that we use them because we are afraid, and
+it satisfies their egos."
+
+Kennon eyed the caged Lani dubiously. "This is going to be difficult.
+I must examine them and treat them, but if they're all as homicidal as
+this one--"
+
+"You fight me man," George interrupted, his face twisted into lines of
+transparent guile. "I am boss and others do as I say. You beat me, then
+you are boss."
+
+"Is this true?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Oh, it's true enough," Douglas said. "George is the leader and if you
+beat him you'd be top male until some other one got courage enough to
+challenge you. But he's just trying to get his hands on you. He'd like
+to kill."
+
+Kennon looked at the big humanoid appraisingly. George was huge,
+at least five centimeters taller and fifteen kilograms heavier than
+himself. And he was all muscle. "I don't think I'd care to accept that
+challenge unless I was forced to," Kennon said.
+
+Douglas chuckled. "I don't blame you."
+
+Kennon sighed. "It looks like we are going to need reinforcements to
+get these brutes under control. I'm not going in there with them, and I
+can't examine them from out here."
+
+"Oh, we can hold them all right. Paralysis gas and shackles will keep
+them quiet. There's no need to bother the troopers. We can handle this
+by ourselves."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "It's your baby. You should know what you're doing."
+
+"I do," Douglas said confidently. "Wait here until I get the gas
+capsules and the equipment." He turned and walked back to the entrance
+to the cell block. At the iris he turned. "Be careful," he said.
+
+"Don't worry, I will." Kennon looked at George through the bars and the
+humanoid glared back, his eyes bright with hatred. Kennon felt the
+short hairs prickle along the back of his neck. George roused a primal
+emotion--an elemental dislike that was deeper than reason--an antagonism
+intensely physical, almost overpowering--a purely adrenal response that
+had no business in the make-up of a civilized human.
+
+He had thought the Lani had a number of human traits until he had
+encountered George. But if George was a typical male--then the Lani were
+alien. He flexed his muscles and stared coldly into the burning blue
+eyes behind the bars. There would be considerable satisfaction in
+beating this monstrosity to a quivering pulp. Millennia of human
+pre-eminence--of belief that nothing, no matter how big or muscular,
+should fail to recognize that a man's person was inviolate--fed the
+fuel of his anger. The most ferocious beasts on ten thousand worlds
+had learned this lesson. And yet this animal had laid hands on him
+with intent to kill. A cold corner of his mind kept telling him that he
+wasn't behaving rationally, but he disregarded it. George was a walking
+need for a lesson in manners.
+
+"Don't get the idea that I'm afraid of you--you overmuscled oaf," Kennon
+snapped. "I can handle you or anyone like you. And if you put your hands
+on me again I'll beat you within an inch of your worthless life."
+
+The Lani snarled. "Let me out and I kill you. But you are like all men.
+You use gun and iron--not fair fight."
+
+Douglas returned with a gas capsule and a set of shackles. "All right,"
+he said. "We're ready for him." He handed Kennon the shackles and a key
+to the cell door--and drew his Burkholtz.
+
+"See," the Lani growled. "It is as I say. Men are cowards."
+
+"You know gun?" Douglas asked as he pointed the muzzle of the Burkholtz
+at the Lani.
+
+"I know," George growled. "Gun kill."
+
+"It does indeed," Douglas said. "Now get back--clear back against the
+wall."
+
+George snarled but didn't move.
+
+"I'll count three," Douglas said, "and if you're not back by then
+I'll burn you down. You'll obey even if you won't do anything
+else.--one--two--"
+
+George retreated to the far end of his cell.
+
+"Now face the wall." Douglas tossed the gas capsule into the cell. The
+thin-walled container broke, releasing a cloud of vapor. George
+crumpled to the floor. "Now we wait a couple of minutes for the gas to
+dissipate," Douglas said. "After that he's all yours. You can go in and
+put the irons on him."
+
+"Will he be out long?" Kennon asked.
+
+"About five minutes. After that he'll have muscular control." Douglas
+chuckled. "They're stupid," he said. "They know what gas does to them,
+but they never have sense enough to hold their breath. They could be
+twice as much trouble as they are. All right, it's safe to go in now."
+Douglas let the gun dangle in his hand.
+
+Kennon unlocked the door.
+
+And George rolled over, muscles bunched and driving! He hit the door
+with such force that Kennon was slammed against the wall, dazed--half
+stunned by the speed of the attack. George--he had time to think in one
+brief flash--wasn't stupid. He had held his breath for the necessary two
+minutes!
+
+Douglas jerked the blaster up and fired, but his target was too quick.
+George dropped and rolled. The sizzling streak of violet flashed inches
+above his body and tore a six-inch hole through the back of the cell.
+And then George was on him! The huge, marvelously fast hands of the
+humanoid wrenched the blaster out of Douglas's hands and jerked him
+forward. A scream burst from Douglas as George's hands closed around his
+neck. Muscles sprang into writhing life in the humanoid's huge forearms.
+There was a soft, brittle crack, and Douglas sagged limp in the iron
+grip that held him dangling.
+
+"Faugh!" George grunted. He dropped Douglas as Kennon pushed the door
+back and came out into the passageway. "Maybe you make better fight,"
+George said as he lowered his head into the muscular mass of his broad
+shoulders.
+
+Kennon eyed him appraisingly, swinging the irons in his right hand.
+
+This time the Lani didn't charge. He moved slowly, half crouched, long
+arms held slightly forward. Kennon backed away, watching the humanoid's
+eyes for that telltale flicker of the pupils that gives warning
+of attack. The expression on George's face never changed. It was
+satisfied--smug almost--reflecting the feelings of a brute conditioned
+to kill and given an opportunity to do so. The Lani radiated confidence.
+
+Kennon shivered involuntarily. He wasn't frightened, but he had never
+met an opponent like this. A chill raced up the back of his legs and
+spread over his stomach and chest. His mouth was dry and his muscles
+quivered with tense anticipation. But his concentration never wavered.
+His hard blue eyes never left George's, searching with microscopic
+intentness for the faintest sign of the Lani's intentions.
+
+George charged--hands reaching for Kennon's throat, face twisted in a
+snarl of rage and hate. But even as he charged Kennon moved. He ducked
+beneath the Lani's outstretched hands and drove his left fist deep into
+George's belly just below the breastbone.
+
+Air whistled out of the Lani's gaping mouth as he bent double from the
+power of the blow. Kennon clipped him on the chin with a driving knee,
+snapping George's head back and smashed the bearded face with the
+shackles. Blood spurted and George screamed with rage. One of the Lani's
+big hands wrapped around the shackles and tugged. Kennon let go and
+drove another left to George's ribs.
+
+The Lani threw the irons at Kennon, but his aim was poor. One of the
+handcuff rings scraped across Kennon's cheek, but did nothing more
+than break the skin. Half paralyzed by the blows to his solar plexus,
+George's co-ordination was badly impaired. But he kept trying. Kennon
+wrapped lean fingers about one of George's outstretched hands, bent,
+pivoted, and slammed the Lani with bone-crushing force against the bars
+of a nearby cell. But George didn't go down. "He's more brute than man,"
+Kennon thought. "No man could take a beating like that!" He moved aside
+from George's stumbling rush, feeling a twinge of pity for the battered
+humanoid. It was no contest. Strong as he was, George didn't know the
+rudiments of hand-to-hand fighting. His reactions were those of an
+animal, to close, clutch, bite, and tear. Even if he were completely
+well, the results would have been the same. It would merely have taken
+longer. Kennon drove a vicious judo chop to the junction of the Lani's
+neck and shoulder. Brute strength was no match for the highly evolved
+mayhem that every spaceman learns as a necessary part of his trade.
+George had never been on planet leave in a spaceport town. He knew
+nothing about the dives, the crimps, the hostile port police. His idea
+of fighting was that of a beast, but Kennon was a civilized man to whom
+fighting was an art perfected by millennia of warfare. And Kennon knew
+his trade.
+
+Even so it took longer than Kennon expected because George was big,
+George was strong, and George had courage and pride that kept him coming
+as long as the blazing will behind his blazing eyes could drive his
+battered body. But the end was inevitable.
+
+Kennon looked at his bloody arm where George's teeth had reached their
+mark. It was hardly more than a scratch, but it had been close. George
+had his lesson and Kennon felt oddly degraded. He sighed, dragged George
+back into the cell, and locked the door.
+
+Then he turned to Douglas. The howls of hate from the caged Lani died to
+a sullen silence as Kennon gently examined the limp body.
+
+Douglas wasn't dead. His neck was dislocated, not broken, but he was in
+serious condition. Kennon was still bending over Douglas wondering how
+to call for help when three guards burst through the door, faces grim,
+weapons at the ready.
+
+"What's going on here?" the leader demanded. "The board showed an
+open door down here." He saw the body--"Mr. Douglas!" he gasped. "The
+commandant will have to know about this!" He took a communicator from
+his waist belt and spoke rapidly into it. "Arleson in stud cell block,"
+he said. "Attempted escape. One casualty--Douglas Alexander--yes,
+that's right. No--he's not dead. Send a litter and bearers. Inform the
+commandant. I am making investigation on the spot. Out." He turned to
+look coldly at Kennon.
+
+"Who are you--and what happened here?" he asked.
+
+Kennon told him.
+
+"You mean you took George!" Arleson said.
+
+"Look in his cell if you don't believe me."
+
+The soldier looked and then turned hack to Kennon. There was awed
+respect in his hard brown eyes. "You did that!--to him! Man, you're a
+fighter," he said in an unbelieving voice.
+
+A stretcher detail manned by two sober-faced Lani females came in,
+loaded Douglas's body on the stretcher, and silently bore it away.
+
+"Douglas was a fool," Arleson said. "He knew we never handle this kind
+without maximum restraint. I wonder why he did it?"
+
+"I couldn't say. He told me that gas and shackles would hold him."
+
+"He knew better. These Lani know gas capsules. All George had to do was
+hold his breath. In that cell George would have killed you. You couldn't
+have stayed away from him."
+
+Kennon shrugged. Maybe that was what Douglas had wanted. Kennon sighed.
+He didn't have the answer. And it could just be that Douglas had tried
+to show off. Well, he would pay for it. He'd have a stiff neck for
+months, and perhaps that was a proper way to end it.
+
+* * *
+
+Commander Mullins, a thin gray-faced man with the hard cold eyes of
+a professional soldier, came into the corridor followed by another
+trooper.
+
+His eyes took in the wreckage that had been George, the split lips,
+the smashed nose, the puffed eyes, the cuts and bruises, and then raked
+across Kennon.
+
+"Spaceman--hey?" he asked. "I've seen work like that before."
+
+Kennon nodded. "I was once. I'm station veterinarian now. Douglas called
+me over--said it was an emergency."
+
+Mullins nodded.
+
+"Well--why aren't you tending to it?"
+
+"I have to examine them," Kennon said gesturing at the cells. "And I
+don't want any more trouble like this."
+
+"Don't worry. You won't have it. Now that you've beaten George, you'll
+have no trouble at all. You're top dog." Mullins gestured at the cages.
+"They'll be good for a while. Now you'd better get on with your work.
+There's been enough disruption of routine for today. The men will help
+you."
+
+* * *
+
+Kennon checked in at the commandant's office before he left for the main
+island.
+
+"How is Douglas?" he asked.
+
+"He's alive," Mullins said. "We flew him to Albertsville--and good
+riddance. How are the Lani?"
+
+"They'll be all right," Kennon said. "It's just food poisoning. I
+suggest you check your kitchen and your food handlers. There's a break
+in sanitation that could incapacitate your whole command. I found a few
+things wrong but there are probably more."
+
+"I'll check on it--and thanks for the advice," Mullins said. "Sit down,
+Doctor. Your airboat won't be serviced for another few minutes. Tell me
+how things are on the main island. How's Blalok?"
+
+"You know him?"
+
+"Of course. I used to be a frequent visitor there. But with that young
+pup here, I couldn't leave. I didn't dare to. He'd have disrupted
+routine in a single day. Look what he did in half an hour. Frankly, I
+owe you a debt for getting him off my hands." Mullins chuckled dryly.
+
+"That's a fine thing to say," Kennon grinned. "But I can sympathize. It
+took us two months to straighten out Alexandria after the Boss-man sent
+him here."
+
+"I heard about that."
+
+"Well--we're under control now. Things are going pretty smoothly."
+
+"They'll be better here," Mullins said. "Now that Douglas is gone." He
+shrugged. "I hope the Boss doesn't send him back. He's hard to handle
+and he makes discipline a problem."
+
+"Could you tell me--or would it be violating security?" Kennon said.
+"Why do you have a Class II installation on full war footing out here?"
+
+Mullins chuckled. "It's no secret," he said. "There was a commercial
+raid on this place about fifty years ago. Seems as though one of our
+competitors didn't like us. Alexandria was on a war footing then and
+managed to hold them off. But it scared the Old Man. You see, our
+competitive position is based on Lani labor. Our competitors didn't know
+that. Their intelligence wasn't so good. Up until that time, we'd been
+keeping the males out here in what was hardly more than a stockade.
+Those people could have taken a few dozen females and a couple of males
+and they'd have been in business. But they didn't know. They tried to
+smash Alexandria instead. Naturally they didn't have a chance. And after
+it was over the Old Man got smart. He still had the tapes for Alexandria
+so he built a duplicate out here and spent a few millions on modern
+armament. The way we're set now it'd take a battle group to hurt us."
+
+"But how about security? Don't the others know about the Lani now?"
+
+"It's a moot question. But it won't do them any good. They can't crack
+this place, and without males, all the females on Flora wouldn't do
+them enough long-term good to pay for the force they'd need to be
+successful."
+
+"So that's why the males are isolated."
+
+"There's another reason--two of them in fact. One is physical. Even
+the best male is a dangerous beast. They have a flair for violence that
+makes them useless as labor and their training doesn't help matters.
+And the other is mental. The females on the main island believe that we
+humans are responsible for the continuation of their breed. This tends
+to keep them in line. We have a great deal more trouble with them out
+here once they know the truth. We've had a number of cases of females
+trying to engineer a male's escape. But they're never repeated," Mullins
+said grimly. "Actually, it would be an interesting life out here, except
+for the abattoir." He grimaced. "That's an unpleasant chore."
+
+"You mean--" Kennon said.
+
+"Why, certainly. What else could we do with senile animals?"
+
+"But that's murder!"
+
+Mullins shook his head. "No more than killing a cow for beef."
+
+"You know," Kennon said, "I've never thought of what happened to aged
+Lani. Sure, I've never seen one, but--Lord Lister!--I'm a fool."
+
+"You'll get used to the idea," Mullins said. "They aren't human, and
+except for a few, they aren't as intelligent as a Santosian Varl. I know
+that they look like us except for those tails, but that's as far as it
+goes. I've spent two hundred years with them and I know what I'm talking
+about."
+
+"That's what Alexander says."
+
+"He should know. He's lived with them all his life."
+
+"Well--perhaps. But I'm not convinced."
+
+"Neither was Old Doc--not until the day he died."
+
+"Did he change then?"
+
+"I don't know. I wasn't there. But Old Doc was a stubborn cuss."
+
+Kennon stood up. "I've given instructions for treatment to your
+corpsman," he said. "Now I think I'd better be getting back. I have some
+reports to finish."
+
+Mullins smiled grimly. "You know," he said, "I get the feeling that you
+don't approve of this operation."
+
+"Frankly, I don't," Kennon said, "but I signed a contract." He turned
+toward the door and gestured to the two Lani who waited outside with his
+bags. "I can find my way to the roof," he said.
+
+"Well--good luck," Mullins said. "We'll call you again if we need you."
+
+"Do that," Kennon replied. He wanted to leave, to get away from this
+place and back to the main island. He wanted to see Copper. He'd be
+damned if anyone was going to butcher her. If he had to stay here until
+she died of old age, he'd do it. But nobody was going to hurt her.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+Kennon wondered if his colleagues in human medicine felt toward their
+patients as he did toward the Lani, or if they ultimately lost their
+individuality and became mere hosts for diseases, parasites,
+and tumors--vehicles for the practice of surgical and medical
+skills--economic units whose well-being meant a certain amount of
+credits. Probably not, he decided. They were human and their very
+humanity made them persons rather than things.
+
+But the possession of individuality was not an asset in the practice of
+animal medicine where economics was the main factor and the satisfaction
+of the owner the principal personality problem. The normal farm animals,
+the shrakes, cattle, sheep, morks, and swine were no problem. They were
+merely a job. But the Lani were different. They weren't human, but they
+were intelligent and they did have personality even though they didn't
+possess that indefinable quality that separated man from the beasts. It
+was hard to treat them with dispassionate objectivity. In fact, it was
+impossible.
+
+And this lack of objectivity annoyed him. Should he be this way? Was he
+right to identify them as individuals and treat them as persons
+rather than things? The passing months had failed to rob them of their
+personalities: they had not become the faceless mass of a herd of cattle
+or a flock of sheep. They were still not essentially different
+from humans--and wouldn't men themselves lose many of their human
+characteristics if they were herded into barracks and treated as
+property for forty generations? Wouldn't men, too, approach the animal
+condition if they were bred and treated as beasts, their pedigrees
+recorded, their types winnowed and selected? The thought was annoying.
+
+It would be better, Kennon reflected, if he didn't have time to think,
+if he were so busy he could drop to his bed exhausted each night and
+sleep without dreaming, if he could keep on the run so fast that he
+wouldn't have time to sit and reflect. But he had done his work too
+well. He had trained his staff too thoroughly. They could handle the
+petty routines of minor treatment and laboratory tests as well as he. He
+had only the intellectual stimulation of atypical cases and these were
+all too rare. The routine inspections were boring, yet he forced himself
+to make them because they filled the time. The hospital wards were
+virtually empty of patients, the work was up to date, the whole island
+was enjoying a carnival of health, and Kennon was still impaled upon
+the horns of his dilemma. It wasn't so bad now that the first shock was
+over, but it was bad enough--and showed no signs of getting better. Now
+that Copper realized he wanted her, she did nothing to make his life
+easier. Instead she did her best to get underfoot, usually in some
+provocative position. It was enough to try the patience of a marble
+statue Kennon reflected grimly. But it did have its humorous side
+and were it not for the fact that Copper wasn't human could have
+been thoroughly enjoyable. That, however, was the real hell of it. He
+couldn't relax and enjoy the contest--his feet were on too slippery
+ground. And Copper with her unerring female instinct knew just what to
+do to make the footing slipperier. Sooner or later, she was certain that
+he would fall. It was only a question of applying sufficient pressure at
+the right spot and the right time. Now that she knew he desired her,
+she was content to wait. The only thing that had bothered her was the
+uncertainty whether he cared or not. For Copper the future was a simple
+thing and she was lighthearted about it. But not so Kennon. Even after
+the initial shock had passed there still remained the moral customs, the
+conditioning, and the prohibitions. But Copper--was Copper--and somehow
+the conditioning lost its force in her presence. Perhaps, he thought
+wryly, it was a symptom of the gradual erosion of his moral character in
+this abnormal environment.
+
+"I'm getting stale," he confided to Copper as he sat in his office idly
+turning the pages of the Kardon Journal of Allied Medical Sciences.
+"There's nothing to do that's interesting."
+
+"You could help me," Copper said as she looked up from the pile of cards
+she was sorting. He had given her the thankless task of reorganizing the
+files, and she was barely half through the project.
+
+"There's nothing to do that's interesting," he repeated. He cocked his
+head to one side. From this angle Copper looked decidedly intriguing as
+she bent over the file drawer and replaced a stack of cards.
+
+"I could suggest something," Copper said demurely.
+
+"Yes, I know," he said. "You're full of suggestions."
+
+"I was thinking that we could go on a picnic."
+
+"A what?"
+
+"A picnic. Take a lunch and go somewhere in the jeep. Maybe up into the
+hills. I think it might be fun."
+
+"Why not?" Kennon agreed. "At least it would break the monotony. Tell
+you what. You run up to the house and tell Kara to pack a lunch and
+we'll take the day off."
+
+"Good! I hoped you'd say that. I'm getting tired of these dirty old
+cards." She stood up and sidled past the desk. Kennon resisted the
+impulse to slap as she went past, and congratulated himself on his
+self-control as she looked at him with a half-disappointed expression
+on her face. She had expected it, he thought gleefully. Score one for
+morality.
+
+
+
+
+He smiled. Whatever the other Lani might be, Copper was different.
+Quick, volatile, intelligent, she was a constant delight, a flashing
+kaleidoscope of unexpected facets. Perhaps the others were the same if
+he knew them better. But he didn't know them--and avoided learning. In
+that direction lay ulcers.
+
+"We'll go to Olympus," he said.
+
+Copper looked dubious. "I'd rather not go there. That's forbidden
+ground."
+
+"Oh nonsense. You're merely superstitious."
+
+She smiled. "Perhaps you're right. You usually are."
+
+"That's the virtue of being a man. Even if I'm wrong, I'm right." He
+chuckled at the peculiar expression on her face.
+
+"Now off with you--and get that lunch basket packed."
+
+She bowed. "Yes, master. Your slave flies on winged feet to execute your
+commands."
+
+Kennon chuckled. Copper had been reading Old Doc's romances again. He
+recognized the florid style.
+
+* * *
+
+Kennon landed the jeep in a mountain meadow halfway up the slope of
+the peacefully slumbering volcano. It was quiet and cool, and the light
+breeze was blowing Olympus's smoky cap away from them to the west.
+Copper unpacked the lunch. She moved slowly. After all, there was plenty
+of time, and she wasn't very hungry. Neither was Kennon.
+
+"Let's go for a walk," Copper said. "The woods look cool--and maybe we
+can work up an appetite."
+
+"Good idea. I could use some exercise. That lunch looks big enough to
+choke a horse and I'd like to do it justice."
+
+They walked through the woods, skirting scant patches of underbrush,
+slowly moving higher on the mountain slopes. The trees, unlike those
+of Beta, did not end abruptly at a snow line, but pushed green fingers
+upward through passages between old lava flows, on whose black wrinkled
+surfaces nothing grew. The faint hum of insects and the piping calls of
+the birdlike mammals added to the impression of remoteness. It was hard
+to believe that scarcely twenty kilometers from this primitive microcosm
+was the border of the highly organized and productive farmlands of
+Outworld Enterprises.
+
+"Do you think we can see the hospital if we go high enough?" Copper
+said. She panted a little, unaccustomed to the altitude.
+
+"Possibly," Kennon said. "It is a long distance away. But we should be
+able to see Alexandria," he added. "That's high enough and big enough."
+He looked at her curiously. "How is it that you're so breathless?"
+he asked. "We're not that high. You're getting fat with too much soft
+living."
+
+Copper smiled. "Perhaps I'm getting old."
+
+"Nonsense," Kennon chuckled. "It's just fat. Come to think of it you
+are plumper. Not that I mind, but if you're going to keep that sylphlike
+figure you'd better go on a diet."
+
+"You're too good to me," Copper said.
+
+"You're darn right I am. Well--let's get going. Exercise is always good
+for the waistline, and I'd like to see what's up ahead."
+
+Scarcely a kilometer ahead they came to a wall of lava that barred their
+path. "Oh, oh," Kennon said. "We can't go over that." He looked at the
+wrinkled and shattered rock with its knifelike edges.
+
+"I don't think my feet could take it," Copper admitted.
+
+"It looks like the end of the trail."
+
+"No--not quite," Kennon said. "There seems to be a path here." He
+pointed to a narrow cleft in the black rock. "Let's see where it goes."
+
+Copper hung back. "I don't think I want to," she said doubtfully. "It
+looks awfully dark and narrow."
+
+"Oh, stop it. Nothing's going to hurt us. Come on." Kennon took her
+hand.
+
+Unwillingly Copper allowed herself to be led forward. "There's something
+about this place that frightens me," she said uncomfortably as the high
+black wails closed in, narrowing until only a slit of yellow sky was
+visible overhead. The path underfoot was surprisingly smooth and free
+from rocks, but the narrow corridor, steeped in shadows, was gloomy and
+depressingly silent. It even bothered Kennon, although he wouldn't
+admit it. What forces had sliced this razor-thin cleft in the dense
+rock around them? Earthquake probably. And if it happened once it could
+happen again. He would hate to be trapped here entombed in shattered
+rock.
+
+Gradually the passage widened, then abruptly it ended. A bleak vista of
+volcanic ash dotted with sputter cones opened before them. It was a
+flat tableland, roughly circular, scarcely half a kilometer across,
+a desolation of black rock, stunted trees and underbrush, and gray
+volcanic ash. A crater, somewhat larger than the rest, lay with its
+nearest edge about two hundred meters away. The rock edges were fire
+polished, gleaming in the yellow sunshine, and the thin margin of trees
+and brush surrounding the depression were gnarled and shrunken, twisted
+into fantastic shapes.
+
+"Hey! what's this?" Kennon asked curiously. "That crater looks peculiar,
+like a meteor had struck here--but those stunted plants--hmm--there
+must have been some radioactivity too." He looked at the crater
+speculatively. "Now I wonder--" he began.
+
+Copper had turned a sickly white. "No!" she said in a half-strangled
+voice--"oh, no!"
+
+Kennon looked at her. "You know what this is?" he demanded.
+
+"No," Copper said. But her voice was unsteady.
+
+"You're lying."
+
+"But I don't know." Copper wailed. "I'm only guessing. I've never seen
+this place before in my life! Please!--let's get out of here!"
+
+"Then you know about this," Kennon demanded.
+
+"I think it's the Pit," Copper said. "The redes don't say where it is.
+But the description fits--the Circle of Death, the Twisted Land--it's
+all like the redes say."
+
+"Redes?--what are redes? And what is this business about circles of
+death? There's something here that's peculiar and I want to know what it
+is."
+
+"It's nothing. Truly. Just let's go back. Let's leave this place. It's
+no good. It's tabu."
+
+"Tabu? You've never used that word before."
+
+"Forbidden."
+
+"Who forbids it?"
+
+"The Gods--the Old Ones. It is not for Lani. Nor for you." Her voice was
+harsh. "Come away before it is too late. Before the Silent Death strikes
+you down."
+
+"I'm going to have a look at this."
+
+"You'll be killed!" Copper said. "And if you die, I die too."
+
+"Don't be foolish. There's nothing here that can hurt me. See those
+trees and plants growing right up to the crater's edge. If they can
+take it permanently, I can stand it for a few moments. If there's any
+radioactivity there, it's not very much."
+
+"But the redes say--"
+
+"Oh, forget those redes. I know what I'm doing. Besides, I'm a Betan and
+can stand more radiation than most men. A brief exposure isn't going to
+hurt me."
+
+"You go and I go too," Copper said desperately.
+
+"You'll stay here where it's safe," Kennon said flatly.
+
+"I'm going with you," Copper repeated. "I don't want to live without
+you."
+
+"I tell you I won't be hurt. And one quick look isn't going to bother
+whatever's down there."
+
+"That's what Roga the Foolish said when he opened Lyssa's tower. But
+he brought men to Flora. And your little look may bring an even greater
+calamity."
+
+Kennon shrugged, and started Walking toward the crater's edge.
+
+Copper followed.
+
+He turned to order her back, but the words died on his tips as he saw
+the terror and determination on her face. Neither commands nor pleas
+would move her. If he went she would follow. The only way he could stop
+her would be with violence, and he didn't want to manhandle her. He felt
+an odd mixture of pride, tenderness, and admiration for her. Were their
+situations reversed, he doubted whether he would have the courage she
+was showing. He sighed. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he did need an
+antiradiation suit.
+
+"All right," he said. "You win. I'll get some protective clothing and
+look at it later."
+
+Her knees sagged, but he caught her before she fell, and held her erect
+until her strength returned. Belatedly he understood the emotional
+strain that had been gripping her. "If you come back later, sir, you'll
+take me with you." The words were a statement, not a question.
+
+He nodded. "Providing you wear a radiation suit," he said.
+
+She grimaced with distaste and he chuckled. Clothing and Copper simply
+didn't get along together.
+
+"Well?"
+
+"All right," she said unhappily.
+
+"And there's one more condition."
+
+"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
+
+"That you tell me about this place. You obviously know something about
+it, and with all your talking, you've never mentioned it to me."
+
+"It is forbidden to talk of these things to men," Copper said--and then,
+perversely, "Do you want me to tell you now?"
+
+"No--it can wait. We have come a long way and I am hungry. I listen
+poorly on an empty stomach. Let's go back to the jeep and you can tell
+me later."
+
+Copper smiled. "That's good," she said. "I'd feel better away from this
+place."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+"I was a poor learner of the redes," Copper confessed. "And I'll have to
+skip the Mysteries. I never even tried to learn them. Somehow I was sure
+I'd never be a preceptress." She settled herself more comfortably on the
+tawny grass and watched him as he lay on his back beside her.
+
+"Eh?" Kennon said, "Preceptress?"
+
+"The guardians of our traditions. They know the redes and mysteries by
+heart."
+
+"And you have kept your religion alive that way all these years?"
+
+"It isn't exactly religion," Copper said. "It's more like history, we
+learn it to remember that we were once a great race--and that we may
+be again. Someday there will come a male, a leader to bring us out of
+bondage, and our race will be free of dependence on men. There will
+be pairings again, and freedom to live as we please." She looked
+thoughtfully at Kennon. "You might even be the one--even though you are
+human. You're different from the others."
+
+"You're prejudiced." Kennon smiled. "I'm no different. Well--not very
+different at any rate."
+
+"That is not my thought," Copper said. "You are very different indeed.
+No man has ever resisted a Lani as long as you have."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "Let's not go into that now. What are these
+redes?"
+
+"I do not remember them all," Copper apologized. "I was--"
+
+"You've said that before. Tell me what you do know."
+
+"I remember the beginning fairly well," she said. "It goes back to the
+time before Flora when everything was nothing and the Master Himself was
+lonely."
+
+Without warning her voice changed to a rhythmic, cadenced chant that
+was almost a song. Her face became rapt and introspective as she rocked
+slowly from side to side. The rhythm was familiar and then he recognized
+it--the unintelligible music he had often heard coming from the barracks
+late at night when no men were around--the voiceless humming that the
+Lani sang at work.
+
+First there was Darkness--starless and sunless
+
+Void without form--darker than night
+
+Then did the Master--Lord of Creation
+
+Wave His right hand, saying, "Let there be light!"
+
+Verse, Kennon thought. That was logical. People remember poetry better
+than prose. But the form was not what he'd normally expect. It was
+advanced, a style that was past primitive blank verse or heroic
+pentameter. He listened intently as Copper went on.
+
+     Light filled the heavens, bright golden glowing,
+     Brought to the Void by His wondrous hand;
+     Then did the Master--Lord of Creation--
+     Nod His great head, saying, "Let there be land!"
+     Air, land, and water formed into being,
+     Born in the sight of His all-seeing eyes;
+     Then did the master--Lord of Creation--
+     Smile as He murmured, "Let life arise!"
+     All of the life conceived by the Master,
+     Varied in shape as the grasses and birds;
+     Hunters and hunted, moveless and moving,
+     Came into form at the sound of His words.
+
+"That's a great deal like Genesis," Kennon said with mild astonishment.
+"Where could you have picked that up?"
+
+"From the beginning of our race," Copper said. "It came to us with Ulf
+and Lyssa--but what is Genesis?"
+
+"A part of an ancient religion--one that is still followed on some of
+the Central Worlds. Its followers call themselves Christians. They say
+it came from Earth, the mother-world of men."
+
+"Our faith has no name. We are children of Lyssa, who was a daughter of
+the Master."
+
+"It is an odd similarity," Kennon said. "But other races have had
+stories of the Creation. And possibly there may be another explanation.
+Your ancestors could have picked this up from Alexander's men. They came
+from Earth originally and some of them could have been Christians."
+
+"No," Cooper said. "This rede is long before Man Alexander. It is
+the origin of our world, even before Ulf and Lyssa. It is the first
+Book--the Book of the God-spell. Man Alexander came in the sixth
+Book--the Book of Roga."
+
+"There's no point in arguing about it," Kennon said. "Go on--tell me the
+rest."
+
+"It's going to be a long story," Copper said. "Even though I have
+forgotten some of it, I can chant the redes for hours."
+
+Kennon braced his back against one of the fat tires of the jeep. "I'm a
+good listener," he said.
+
+She chuckled. "You asked for this," she said--and took up the verses
+where she had left off. And Kennon learned the Lani version of creation,
+of the first man and woman, cast out of Heaven for loving each other
+despite the Master's objection, of how they came to Flora and founded
+the race of the Lani. He learned how the Lani grew in numbers and power,
+how they split into two warring groups over the theological point of
+whether Ulf or Lyssa was the principal deity, how Roga the Foolish
+opened Lyssa's tower to find out whether the Ulfians or Lyssans were
+right, and brought the Black Years to Flora.
+
+He heard the trial of Roga and the details of his torture by the priests
+of Ulf and the priests of Lyssa--united by this greatest sacrilege. And
+he heard the Lani version of the landing of Alexander's ship and man's
+conquest of Flora.
+
+It was a story of savagery and superstition, of blood and intolerance,
+of bravery and cowardice, of love and beauty. Yet through it all, even
+through the redes that described the Conquest, there was a curious
+remoteness, a lack of emotion that made the verses more terrible as they
+flowed in passionless rhythm from Copper's lips.
+
+"That's enough!" Kennon said.
+
+"I told you you wouldn't like it."
+
+"It's horrible. How can you remember such things?"
+
+"We begin to learn them as soon as we can talk. We know the redes almost
+our entire lives." Copper was silent for a moment. "There's lots more,"
+she said, "but it's all about our lives since the Man Alexander--the old
+one--took possession of us. And most of the newer redes are pretty dull.
+Our life hasn't changed much since the men came. The Book of Man is
+boring." Copper sighed. "I have dared a great deal by telling you these
+things. If the others knew, they would kill both of us."
+
+"Then why tell me?" he asked.
+
+"I love you," she said simply. "You wanted to know--and I can deny you
+nothing."
+
+A wave of tenderness swept over him. She would give her life for
+him--and what would he give? Nothing. Not even his prejudices. His face
+twisted. If she was only human, If she wasn't just an animal. If
+he wasn't a Betan. If, if, if. Resentment gorged his throat. It was
+unfair--so damned unfair. He had no business coming here. He should have
+stayed on Beta or at least on a human world where he would never have
+met Copper. He loved her, but he couldn't have her. It was Tantalus and
+Sisyphus rolled into one unsightly package and fastened to his
+soul. With a muttered curse he rose to his feet, and as he did he
+stopped--frozen--staring at Copper as though he had never seen her
+before.
+
+"How did you say that Roga was judged responsible for Alexander coming
+here?" he demanded.
+
+"He went into Lyssa's tower--where Ulf and Lyssa tried to call
+Heaven--and with his foolish meddling set the tower alight with a glow
+that all could see. Less than a week later the Man Alexander came."
+
+"Where was this tower?"
+
+"Where Alexandria now stands. Man Alexander destroyed it and built his
+house upon its ruins."
+
+"And what was that place of the Pit?"
+
+"The Shrine of Ulf--where the God-Egg struck Flora. It is buried in the
+pit, but the Silent Death has protected it from blasphemy--and besides
+Man Alexander never learned about it. We feared that he would destroy it
+as he did Lyssa's tower."
+
+A wild hope stirred in Kennon. "We're going home," he announced.
+
+"Good."
+
+"And we're going to get a pair of radiation suits--and then we're coming
+back. We'll have a good look at that Pit, and if what's in there is what
+I think it is"--his face was a mixture of grimness and eagerness--"we'll
+blow this whole operation off this planet!"
+
+Copper blanched. "It is death to meddle with the God-Egg," she said.
+
+"Superstition!" Kennon scoffed. "If that Egg is what I think, it was
+made by men, and you are their descendant."
+
+"Perhaps you're right, but I can't help thinking you are wrong," she
+said soberly. "Look at the trouble that came with Roga's meddling. Be
+careful that you do not bring us a worse fate."
+
+"I'll be very careful. We'll take every precaution."
+
+"We?"
+
+"You're coming, of course. I can't imagine you staying away."
+
+Copper nodded.
+
+"You shouldn't worry so much," Kennon teased. "You know we men live
+forever."
+
+"That is true."
+
+"And if I'm right you're just as human as I. And you're capable of
+living as long as I do."
+
+"Yes, sir," Copper said. Her voice was unconvinced, her expression
+noncommittal.
+
+"You females," Kennon said in quick exasperation. "You drive a man
+crazy. Get an idea in your head and it takes triatomate to blast it out.
+Now let's go."
+
+Two hours brought them back to the volcanic area, and knowing what to
+look for, Kennon located the pockmarked mountain valley. From the air it
+looked completely ordinary. Kennon was amazed at the perfection of the
+natural camouflage. The Pit was merely another crater in the pitted
+ground. He dropped to a lower altitude, barely a hundred feet above the
+sputter cones. "Look!" he said.
+
+Below them was the crater of the Pit and in its center a smooth
+bluish-black hemisphere protruded from the crater floor. It would have
+passed unnoticed by the casual eye--nearly concealed by two gigantic
+blocks of pumice.
+
+"The God-Egg!" Copper exclaimed.
+
+"Egg--ha! that's a spacer! I thought it would be. I'd recognize durilium
+anywhere. Let's go down and look this over, but first we want a couple
+of pictures." He pointed a camera at the crater and snapped the shutter.
+"There--now let's have a closer look at our baby."
+
+"Do you expect me to get into that thing?" Copper said distastefully as
+she prodded the shapeless green coveralls with a bare toe. She eyed the
+helmet, gloves and boots with equal distaste. "I'd suffocate."
+
+"If you want to come with me, you'll wear it," Kennon said. "Otherwise
+you won't come near that pit. Try it and I'll chain you to the jeep."
+
+"You wouldn't!"
+
+"Just try me."
+
+"Oh--all right. I'll wear the thing--but I won't be comfortable."
+
+"Who cares about that? You'll be protected."
+
+"All right--show me how to put it on. I'd rather be with you than worry
+about what you are doing."
+
+The suit was several sizes too large but it covered her adequately.
+Too adequately, Kennon decided. She looked like a pile of wrinkles with
+legs. He chuckled.
+
+She glared. "So I'm funny," she said. "Let me tell you something else
+that's funny. I'm hot. I'm sweating. I itch. Now--laugh!"
+
+"I don't feel like laughing," Kennon said. "I feel the same way."
+
+They approached the edge of the Pit carefully. Kennon kept checking
+the radiation counter. The needle slowly rose and steadied at one-half
+roentgen per hour as he thrust the probe over the rim of the depression.
+"It's fine, so far," he said encouragingly. "We could take this much
+for quite a while even without suits." He lowered himself over the edge,
+sliding down the gentle slope.
+
+"How is it down there?" Copper called. The intercom crackled in his ear.
+
+"Fine--barely over one roentgen per hour. With these suits we could
+stay here indefinitely." The sigh of relief was music in her ears. "This
+place is barely lukewarm."
+
+"That's what you think," Copper said.
+
+"I mean radiation warm," Kennon said. "Stay up there and watch me. I may
+need some things."
+
+"All right." Copper squirmed inside the hot suit. The thing was an oven.
+She hoped that Kennon didn't plan to work in the daytime. It would be
+impossible.
+
+Kennon gingerly approached the ship. It was half buried in the loose
+debris and ash that had fallen or blown into the pit during the
+centuries it had rested there. It was old--incredibly old. The hull
+design was ancient--riveted sheets of millimeter-thick durilium. Ships
+hadn't been built like that in over two thousand years. And the ovoid
+shape was reminiscent of the even more ancient spindizzy design. A
+hyperspace converter like that couldn't be less than four millennia
+old. It was a museum piece, but the blue-black hull was as smooth and
+unblemished as the day it had left fabrication.
+
+Space travel would have gotten nowhere without durilium, Kennon
+reflected. For five thousand years men had used the incredibly tough
+synthetic to build their spacecraft. It had given man his empire. Kennon
+gave the hull one quick glance. That part of the ship didn't worry him.
+It was what he would find inside that bothered him. How much damage had
+occurred from two thousand or more years of disuse? How much had the
+original travelers cannibalized? How much could be salvaged? What sort
+of records remained? There were a thousand questions that the interior
+of that enigmatic hull might answer.
+
+The upper segment of the airlock was visible. It was closed, which was a
+good sign. A few hours' work with a digger should expose it enough to be
+opened.
+
+"Copper," he said, "we're going to have to dig this out. There's a small
+excavator in the cargo bed of the jeep. Do you think you can bring it
+down here?"
+
+"I think so."
+
+"Good girl!" Kennon turned back to the ship. He was eager to enter it.
+There might be things inside that would settle the question of the Lani.
+The original crew had probably recognized the value of the hull as
+a repository as well as he did. But in the meantime there would be
+work--lots of it. And every step must be recorded.
+
+It was the rest of the day's work to expose the emergency airlock. The
+little excavator toiled over the loose ash for hours before it displaced
+enough to make the port visible, and the ash was not yet cleared away
+sufficiently to open the portal when darkness brought a halt to the
+work.
+
+It would be impossible to unearth the spaceship with their low-capacity
+digger, Kennon decided. It would be difficult enough to clear the
+emergency airlock in the nose. But if the tubes and drive were still
+all right, by careful handling it should be possible to use the drive to
+blast out the loose ash and cinders which surrounded the hull.
+
+Kennon reluctantly gave up the idea of entering the spaceship. That
+would have to wait until tomorrow. Now they would have to conceal the
+work and call it a day. A few branches and the big blocks of pumice
+would suffice for temporary camouflage. Later they could make something
+better. Anything in the jeep which might be useful was cached along with
+the radiation suits in the passageway through the lava wall--and in a
+surprisingly short time they were heading homeward.
+
+Kennon was not too displeased. Tomorrow they would be able to enter
+the ship. Tomorrow they would probably have some of the answers to his
+questions. He looked ahead into the gathering night. The gray mass of
+the abandoned Olympus Station slipped below them as he lined the jeep
+along the path indicated by the luminous arrow atop the main building,
+set the controls on automatic, and locked the craft on the guide beacon
+in Alexandria's tower. In a little less than an hour they would be home.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+Kennon was morally certain that the Lani were of human stock. Evolved,
+of course. Mutated. Genetic strangers to the rest of humanity. But
+human. The spaceship and the redes proved it as far as he was concerned.
+But moral certainty and legal certainty were two different things. What
+he believed might be good enough to hold up in a Brotherhood court, but
+he doubted it. Ulf and Lyssa might be the founders of the Lani race, but
+they had come to Kardon nearly four thousand years ago and no records
+existed to prove that the Lani weren't here before they came. Redes
+passed by word of mouth through hundreds of generations were not
+evidence. Even the spaceship wasn't the absolute proof that would be
+needed to overturn the earlier legal decision. Other and better
+proof was needed--something that would stand up in any court in the
+Brotherhood. He hoped the spaceship would hold that proof.
+
+But Kennon's eagerness to find out what was inside the ancient spacer
+was tempered by hard practicality. Too much depended on what he might
+find inside that hull. Every step of the work must be documented beyond
+any refutation. Some method of establishing date, time, and location had
+to be prepared. There must be a record of every action. And that would
+require equipment and planning. There must be no mistake that could be
+twisted by the skillful counsel that Alexander undoubtedly retained.
+
+He had no doubt that the Family would fight. Too much money and
+prestige were involved. To prove the Lani human would destroy Outworld
+Enterprises on Kardon. Yet this thought did not bother him. To his
+surprise he had no qualms of conscience. He was perfectly willing to
+violate his contract, break faith with his employers, and plot their
+ruin. The higher duty came first--the duty to the human race.
+
+He smiled wryly. It wasn't all higher duty. There were some personal
+desires that leavened the nobility. To prove Copper human was enough
+motivation--actually it was better than his sense of duty. Events,
+Kennon reflected, cause a great deal of change in one's attitude.
+Although not by nature a plotter, schemes had been flitting through his
+mind with machinelike regularity, to be examined and discarded, or to be
+set aside for future reference.
+
+He rejected the direct approach. It was too dangerous, depended too much
+on personalities, and had too little chance for success. He considered
+the possibility of letters to the Brotherhood Council but ultimately
+rejected it. Not only was the proof legally insufficient to establish
+humanity in the Lani, but he also remembered Alexander's incredible
+knowledge of his activities, and there was no reason to suppose that
+his present didn't receive the same scrutiny as the past. And if he,
+who hadn't written a letter in over a year, suddenly began to write, the
+correspondence would undoubtedly be regarded with suspicion and would
+probably be examined, and Dirac messages would be out for the same
+reason.
+
+He could take a vacation and while he was away from the island he
+could inform the Brotherhood. Leaving Flora wouldn't be particularly
+difficult, but leaving Kardon would be virtually impossible. His
+contract called for vacations, but it expressly provided that they would
+be taken on Kardon. And again, there would be no assurance that his
+activities would not be watched. In fact, it was probable that they
+would be.
+
+There was nothing that could be done immediately. But there were certain
+long-range measures that could be started. He could begin preparing a
+case that could be presented to the Council. And Beta, when it knew,
+would help him. The situation of the Lani was so close to Beta's own
+that its obvious merit as a test case simply could not be ignored. If
+he could get the evidence to Beta, it would be easy to enlist the aid
+of the entire Medico-Technological Civilization. It would take time and
+attention to detail; the case, the evidence, everything would have to
+be prepared with every safeguard and contingency provided, so that there
+would not be the slightest chance of a slip-up once it came to court.
+
+And perhaps the best method of bringing the evidence would be to
+transport it under its own power. The thought intrigued him. Actually it
+wouldn't be too difficult. Externally the Egg wasn't in bad shape. The
+virtually indestructible durilium hull was still intact. The controls
+and the engines, hermetically sealed inside the hull, were probably as
+good as the day they stopped running. The circuitry would undoubtedly be
+bad but it could be repaired and restored, and new fuel slugs could be
+obtained for the engine and the converter. But that was a problem for
+the future.
+
+The immediate problem was to get into the ship in a properly documented
+fashion.
+
+It took nearly two months, but finally, under the impersonal lenses of
+cameras and recorders, the entrance port of the God-Egg swung open and
+revealed the dark interior. Kennon moved carefully, recording every step
+as he entered the black orifice in the spaceship's side. His handtorch
+gave plenty of light for the recorders as he moved inside--Copper at his
+heels, both of them physically unrecognizable in antiradiation suits.
+
+"Why are we moving so slowly?" Copper said. "Let's go ahead and find out
+what's beyond this passageway."
+
+"From a superstitious coward you've certainly become a reckless
+explorer," he said.
+
+"The Egg hasn't hurt us, and we've been around it many times," she said.
+"Either the curse has become too old to hurt us, or there never was any
+in the first place. So let's see what is ahead. I'm curious."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "In this business we must hurry slowly--very
+slowly. You know why."
+
+"But I want to see."
+
+"Patience, girl. Simmer down. You'll see soon enough," Kennon said. "Now
+help me set up this camera."
+
+"Oh, all right--but isn't there any excitement in you?"
+
+"I'm bubbling over with it," Kennon admitted, "but I manage to keep it
+under control."
+
+"You're cold-blooded."
+
+"No--I'm sensible. We want to nail this down. My future, yours, and that
+of your people depend upon how carefully we work. You wouldn't want to
+let us all down by being too eager, would you?"
+
+She shook her head. "No--you're right of course. But I still would like
+to see."
+
+They moved cautiously through the airlock and into the control room.
+
+"Ah!" Kennon said with satisfaction. "I hoped for this, but I didn't
+dare expect it."
+
+"What?"
+
+"Look around. What do you see?"
+
+"Nothing but an empty room. It's shaped like half an orange, and it has
+a lot of funny instruments and dials on the walls, and a video screen
+overhead. But that's all. Why--what's so unusual about it? It looks just
+like someone had left it."
+
+"That's the point. There's nothing essential that's missing. They didn't
+cannibalize the instruments--and they didn't come back."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Maybe because that curse you mentioned a few minutes ago was real."
+
+Copper drew back. "But you said it wouldn't hurt us--"
+
+"Not now. The heat's practically gone, but when whoever flew this crate
+came here, the whole shell could have been as hot as a Samarian summer."
+
+"But couldn't they have come back when it cooled?"
+
+"Not with this kind of heat. The hull was probably too radioactive to
+approach from the outside. And radioactivity cools off slowly. It might
+take several lifetimes for its level to become low enough to approach if
+there was no decontamination equipment available."
+
+"I suppose that's why the early ones thought the Egg was cursed."
+
+Kennon nodded. "Now let's check--oh! oh! what's this?" He pointed to a
+metal-backed book lying on the control panel.
+
+"It looks like a book," Copper said.
+
+"I'm hoping it's the book."
+
+"The book?"
+
+"Yes--the ship's log. It's possible. And if it is, we may have all the
+evidence we need--Copper!--Don't touch it!"
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because its position has to be recorded first. Wait until we get the
+camera and recorders set up."
+
+* * *
+
+Gingerly Kennon opened the ancient book. The sheets inside were
+brittle--crumbling with age--but he could make out the title U.N.S.S.
+Wanderer with the date of launching and a lower line which read "Ship's
+Log." Kennon was thankful for his medical training. The four years
+of Classical English that he had despised so much were essential now.
+Stumbling over unfamiliar words and phrases, he moved slowly through
+the log tracing the old ship's history from pleasure craft to short-haul
+freight tractor to obsolescence in a space dump orbiting around a world
+called Heaven.
+
+There was a gap of nearly ten years indicated by a blank page before the
+entries resumed.
+
+"Ah--this is it!" Kennon said.
+
+"What is it?" Copper said curiously. "I can't read the writing."
+
+"Of course you can't. It's in English--a language that became
+obsolete during the Interregnum. I had to learn it, since most medical
+terminology is based on it."
+
+"What is an Interregnum?" Copper interrupted. "I've never heard that word
+before."
+
+"It's a period of confusion when there is no stable government. The last
+one came after the Second Galactic War--but never mind that--it happened
+long ago and isn't important now. The important thing that did happen
+was the Exodus."
+
+"What was that?"
+
+"A religious revival and a tremendous desire to see what was happening
+beyond the next star. During that century men traveled wider and farther
+then they ever have before or since. In that outward explosion with
+its mixed motivations of religion and practicality, colonists and
+missionaries went starward to find new worlds to tame, and new races to
+be rescued from the darkness of idolatry and hell. Almost any sort
+of vehicle capable of mounting a spindizzy converter was pressed into
+service. The old spindizzies were soundly engineered converters of
+almost childlike simplicity that could and did carry ships enormous
+distances if their passengers didn't care about subjective time-lag, and
+a little radioactivity.
+
+"And that's what happened to this ship. According to this log it was
+bought by Alfred and Melissa Weygand--a missionary couple with the idea
+of spreading the Christian faith to the heathen.
+
+"Alfred and Melissa--Ulf and Lyssa--they were a part of this ancient
+explosion that scattered human seed across parsecs of interstellar
+space. It seems that they were a unit in a missionary fleet that had
+gone out to the stars with flame in their hearts and Gospel on their
+lips to bring the Word to the benighted heathen on other worlds."
+Kennon's lips curled with mild contempt at their stupid foolhardiness
+even as his pulse quickened to their bravery. They had been fanatics,
+true enough, but theirs was a selfless fanaticism that would risk
+torture and death for what they believed--a fanaticism that was more
+sublime than the concept of Brotherhood which had evolved from it. They
+knew nothing of the enmity of race, of the incessant struggle man
+had since waged with alien intelligences all too willing to destroy
+intruders who encroached upon their worlds. Mankind's early selflessness
+had long ago been discarded for frank expansionism and dominance over
+the lesser races that stood in their way. And in a way it was too bad.
+
+The ship's log, meticulously kept in neat round English script, told a
+story that was more than the bare bones of flight. There was passion
+and tenderness and a spiritual quality that was shocking to a modern
+man steeped in millennia of conquest and self-interest. There was a
+greatness to it, a depth of faith that had since been lost. And as
+Kennon slowly deciphered the ancient script he admired the courage even
+as his mind winced with dismay at the unheeding recklessness.
+
+The Weygands had lost contact with the others, and had searched for them
+in hyperspace, doubling and twisting upon their course until they had
+become hopelessly lost, and then, with their fuel nearly exhausted, had
+broken out into the normal three-space continuum to find Kardon's sun
+and the world they called Flora.
+
+How little they had known and how lucky they had been.
+
+It was only by the grace of their God that they had found this world
+before their fuel was exhausted. And it was only by further grace that
+the planet was habitable and not populated with intelligent life. They
+had more luck than people were entitled to in a dozen lifetimes. Against
+odds of a million to one they had survived.
+
+It was fascinating reading.
+
+But it was not proof.
+
+The last entry read: "We have circled this world and have seen no
+buildings--no sign of intelligent life. We are lost, marooned on this
+empty world. Our fuel supplies are too low for us to attempt to find the
+others. Nor could we. The constellations in the sky are strange. We do
+not know which way to go. Therefore we shall land upon the great island
+in the center of the yellow sea. And perhaps someday men will come to us
+since we cannot return to them. Melissa thinks that this is an example
+of Divine Providence, that the Lord's mercy has been shown to us that
+were lost in the vastness of the deep--that we have been chosen, like
+Eve and Adam, to spread the seed of man to yet another world. I hope
+she is right, yet I fear the radiation level of the ship has become
+inordinately high. We may well be Eve and Adam, yet an Adam that cannot
+beget and an Eve that is not fruitful. I am trimming the ship for
+landing, and we shall leave it immediately after we have landed, taking
+with us only what we absolutely need. There is too much radiation from
+the spindizzy and the drive to remain here longer--and God knows how hot
+the outer hull may be."
+
+And that was all. Presumptive evidence--yes. Reasonable certainty--yes.
+But not proof. Lawyers could argue that since no direct exploration was
+made there was no valid reason to assume that the Lani did not already
+inhabit Kardon. But Kennon knew. His body, more perceptive than his
+mind, had realized a truth that his brain would not accept until he read
+the log. It was at once joy and frustration. Joy that Copper was human,
+frustration that he could not obtain for her and her race the rights
+to which they were entitled. But the immediate problem was solved. His
+conditioning was broken now he was convinced that Copper was a member
+of the human race. It was no violation of his code to love her. The
+greatest barrier was broken, and with it gone the lesser ones would
+yield. Relief that was almost pain washed through him and left him weak
+with reaction.
+
+"What is it?" Copper asked as he turned to her. "What is this thing that
+has turned your face to joy?"
+
+"Can't you guess?"
+
+She shook her head. "I have seen nothing but you reading this ancient
+book, yet you turn to me with the look in your eyes that the redes say
+Ulf had for Lyssa."
+
+"You're human!"
+
+Copper shrugged. "You're mad. I'm a Lani. I was born a Lani--and I shall
+die one."
+
+"Don't you understand? All Lani are human. You all are the descendants
+of two humans who came here thousands of years ago."
+
+"Then there is no reason why you cannot love me."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "No," he said. "There is no reason."
+
+Copper laughed. It was a sound so merry and gay that Kennon looked at
+her in surprise. She looked as happy as she sounded.
+
+Simple and savage, Kennon thought. She cared nothing for the future, and
+probably very little about the injustice of her present. The thing that
+mattered was that what had kept them apart was gone. She was probably
+offering mental sacrifices to the Old Ones who had caused this change
+in the man she loved. She didn't really care about what had caused the
+change. To her it was sufficient that it had happened.
+
+For a moment Kennon wished that it could be as simple for him as it
+apparently was for her. The fact that Copper was human posed a greater
+problem than the one it solved. The one had been personal. The other was
+infinitely greater. He could not let it lie. The very morality which had
+kept him from doing what he wished when he thought she was a humanoid
+now forced him to do what he did not wish. Every instinct said to leave
+it alone. The problem was too great for one man to solve, the situation
+too complicated, the evidence too inconclusive, the opposition too
+powerful. It would be far better to take his happiness and enjoy it.
+It was not his problem to solve. He could turn the evidence over to
+the Brotherhood once his contract was over, and better and more capable
+people than he could settle the Lani legal status. But the inner voice
+that had called him bestial now called him shirker, coward, and slacker.
+And this, too, could not be borne. The case of the Lani would have to
+be pursued as vigorously as he could do it. They were entitled to human
+rights--whether they wanted them or not.
+
+His first idea of making the spacer operational was a good one, Kennon
+decided as they finished the inspection of the ship. Even if it was
+never used it would make a good means of retreat. He grinned wryly. In a
+guerrilla operation such as the one he was considering it would be wise
+to have a way out if things got too hot. The heavy parts, the engines
+and the controls, were in workable condition and would merely require
+cleaning and oiling. Some of the optical equipment would have to be
+replaced and fuel slugs would have to be obtained for the drive--but
+none of these would be too hard to accomplish. The slugs from any of the
+power reactors on the island would serve nicely. All that would have
+to be done would be to modify the fuel ports on the ship's engine. The
+spindizzy would have to be disassembled and checked, and the main leads,
+embedded in time-resistant plastic, would have to be examined. The most
+serious problem, however, wouldn't involve these things. The control
+board wiring and circuitry was where the trouble would lie. Normal
+insulation and printed circuitry wasn't designed to last for thousands
+of years. Each wired circuit would have to be removed, duplicated, and
+replaced. Every printed panel would have to be cleaned and receive a new
+coat of insulating varnish. Working full time, a four-man electronics
+team could do the job in a week. Working part-time the two of them might
+get it done in three months. And the other jobs would take at least
+another. Add a month for errors in judgment, lack of materials, and
+mistakes--and another for unavoidable delays--it would be at least six
+months before the Egg would be spaceworthy.
+
+Six months.
+
+Not too long if everything went well, but far too long if there were
+any mistakes. He would have to be careful, yet he must not give the
+impression of being careful. He shook his head. Being a subversive was
+going to require a greater amount of acting ability than he had ever
+been called upon to display.
+
+And what of Copper? How would she behave under the double strain of
+knowledge that she was human and knowledge of the spaceship? Women
+weren't noted for their tight-lipped reticence. Would she tell the other
+Lani? Would she crack under the pressure? Did she have the qualities of
+a good conspirator?
+
+As it turned out, he didn't need to worry. As a partner in crime, Copper
+was all that could be wished. Everything was normal. She was still
+obedient, helpful, and gay as ever. To watch her, no one would ever
+think that her bright head was full of knowledge that could rock Flora
+to its foundations. Never by look or word did she betray the slightest
+trace of strain or guilt.
+
+And in her other moments she was ecstatic in her love and helpful with
+the repair work on the Egg whenever Kennon could get time to visit the
+old spaceship.
+
+"You amaze me," Kennon said as they eased the cover of the spindizzy
+in place and spun the bolts on the lugs that held it to the outer
+shielding. He picked up a heavy wrench and began methodically to seat
+the bolts as Copper wiped the white extrusion of the cover sealant from
+the shining case.
+
+"How?"
+
+"The way you hide your knowledge of this ship from the others. I know
+you better than anyone else on this island, and yet you would fool me."
+
+"We Lani are used to hiding things. You men have been our masters for
+centuries, yet you do not know our redes. Nor do you know what we think,
+We obey you, but there are parts of us you do not own. It is easy to
+hide a little thing like this."
+
+Kennon nodded. It figured. He seated another bolt. Three more and
+the drive room would be restored and they could start on the control
+circuits. "I wish you were as clever about adopting human customs as you
+are about hiding guilty knowledge," he said.
+
+Copper laughed. "You mean those silly things you have been teaching me?
+Why should I learn them? I'm happy as I am. I love you, you love me, and
+that is all that matters."
+
+"It's not all that matters. Can't you get it through your head that
+civilized customs are necessary in a civilized society?" He gave the
+next-to-last bolt an extra-vicious wrench. "You'll have to know them if
+you expect to get along on Beta."
+
+"But I will never see Beta."
+
+"I am going there when my duty here is over. And you're going with me."
+
+"When will that be?"
+
+"Three years."
+
+"So long? Well--we can think of it then, but I don't think Man Alexander
+will let you take me."
+
+"Then I shall take you without his consent."
+
+She smiled. "It would be easier to stay here. In another fifteen years I
+will be old and you will not want me."
+
+"I'll never do that. I'll always want you."
+
+"You swear too easily," she said gently. "You men live forever. We Lani
+are a short-lived race."
+
+"But you needn't be. It's obviously--"
+
+"It's been tried, my love--and those who were treated died. Man
+Alexander tried many years ago to make us long-lived like you. But he
+failed. You see, he loved one of us too."
+
+"But--"
+
+"Let us think no more of it. Let us enjoy what we have and be grateful
+to the Gods for the love we enjoy--or do you have any Gods?"
+
+"One."
+
+"Two are better. More, anyway. And besides, Ulf and Lyssa and the
+God-Egg are responsible for our joy."
+
+"They are indeed," Kennon said.
+
+"Then why should you think of leaving the place where they rule? You
+should stay here. There will be other Lani when I am gone. You will be
+happy always."
+
+"Not without you," Kennon said. "Don't you understand that I love you?"
+
+"And I you. But I am a Lani. You are a man."
+
+"You're as human as I am," Kennon said abruptly.
+
+"That is what you say," Copper replied. "I am not so sure. I need more
+proof than this." She waved her hand at the ship.
+
+"What proof do you need?"
+
+"The same as the proof you men require. If I should have your child,
+then I would believe that I was human."
+
+"I've told you a thousand times that the radiation on this ship must
+have affected Ulf and Lyssa's germ plasm. Can't you understand that?"
+
+"I can understand it all right, but it does not change things. Ulf and
+Lyssa may have been human before they came here, but they were not when
+they landed. They were Lani, and their children were Lani."
+
+"But they were of human stock."
+
+"The law that lets men become our masters does not agree with you."
+
+"Then the law is wrong. It should be changed."
+
+Copper shrugged. "Two people cannot change a law."
+
+"They can try--particularly if the law is unjust."
+
+Copper sighed. "Is it not enough for us to love? Must you try to run
+through a wall?"
+
+"When the wall stands in the way of right and justice I must."
+
+Copper looked at him with pity in her green eyes. "This I do not
+understand. I know nothing of right and justice. What are these things?
+Just words. Yet you will endanger our happiness for them. If it is my
+happiness you wish--then leave this foolishness alone. I have fifteen
+years I can live with you before I am old and you tire of me. With those
+years I can be content."
+
+"But I can't," Kennon said. "Call me selfish if you wish, but I want you
+with me as long as I live. I don't want to live my life without you."
+
+"You want too much," Copper said softly. "But if it makes you happy to
+try to get it, I shall help. And if we do not succeed you will at least
+be happier for trying. And if you are happy"--she shrugged--"then the
+rest makes little difference."
+
+That was the crux of the matter, Kennon reflected bitterly. He was
+convinced she was human. She was not. And until her mind could be
+changed on that point she would help him but her heart wouldn't be in
+it. And the only thing that would convince her that she was human would
+be a child--a child of his begetting. He could perhaps trick her with
+an artificial insemination of Lani sperm. There were drugs that could
+suspend consciousness, hypnotics that would make her believe anything
+she was told while under their influence.
+
+But in the end it would do no good. All witnesses in Brotherhood court
+actions were examined under psychoprobe, and a hypnotic was of no value
+against a lie detector that could extract the deepest buried truth.
+And he would be examined too. The truth would out--and nothing would be
+gained. In fact--everything would be lost. The attempt at trickery would
+prejudice any court against the honest evidence they had so painfully
+collected.
+
+He sighed. The only thing to do was to go on as they were--and hope that
+the evidence would hold. With Betan legal talent at their back it
+might. And, of course, they could try to produce a child as nature had
+intended. They could try--but Kennon knew it would not succeed. It never
+had.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Copper had been acting strangely of late, Kennon thought as he rolled
+over in his bed and watched her standing before the full-length mirror
+on the bathroom door. She pivoted slowly before the glass, eying herself
+critically, raising her arms over her head, holding them at her sides,
+flexing her supple spine and tightening muscles that moved like silken
+cords beneath her golden skin.
+
+"What are you trying to do--become a muscle dancer?" Kennon asked idly.
+
+She whirled, a crimson blush deepening the tan of her face. "You were
+supposed to be asleep," she said.
+
+"I'm an unregenerate heel," he replied, "and I don't sleep too well
+nowadays unless you're beside me."
+
+"Well--I suppose you might as well know now as later," she said. "You'll
+know in any event."
+
+"Know what?"
+
+"That you're right. I am human."
+
+"And what brought on this sudden change of--" He stopped abruptly, his
+eyes widening.
+
+"Yes," Copper said. "I am with child. Your child."
+
+"But that's impossible."
+
+She shook her head. "It's a miracle perhaps, but it's not impossible.
+It's happened. Can't you see the difference?"
+
+"See what? You look just as you always do."
+
+"I suppose you can't see it yet," she admitted. "But I am with child.
+I'm two weeks past my time."
+
+Kennon's mind leaped to the obvious conclusion. Pseudo-pregnancy. He had
+seen it before among Lani at Hillside Farm. It was an odd syndrome
+which occasionally occurred in humans and animals. The brain, desiring
+children, made demands upon the body and the body responded to its
+desire by tricking the brain. Lani were fairly subject to it probably
+because they had better imaginations. He would run a few tests when they
+went down to the hospital, and once she realized the practical joke her
+body was playing everything would be all right. No wonder she seemed
+excited.
+
+"We'll find out about that later," he said equably. "We'll settle this
+when we get back to the hospital."
+
+Copper smiled confidently and patted her stomach. "I know what you are
+thinking, but you're wrong. We Lani know about these things. In forty
+generations I am the first to conceive as the Master intended."
+
+"I hope you haven't," Kennon said with such bitter sincerity that Copper
+looked at him wide-eyed. "Not now. Because if you have, neither your
+life nor mine is safe."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"The Alexanders. Do you think they'll take it lying down? We're not
+ready for them yet. They'll fight, and the first thing they'll do is
+kill you and erase me so we would never be able to talk. You have been
+declared an animal, and you will not be allowed to change."
+
+"What can we do?" Copper asked. She shivered. "I do not want to die."
+
+"Nor do I want you to," Kennon said.
+
+"I could tell the others."
+
+"And just what would that accomplish?"
+
+"In a week every Lani on the island would know it. There would be
+revolt. For the Lani would no longer be dependent upon Men to survive.
+Their greatest hold on us would be gone. And we would be free again on
+our island world."
+
+"You would not!" Kennon said. "That sort of thinking is foolishness.
+Alexander would have men here within a week, and a week after that you
+would be smashed. Don't you realize that there are thousands of millions
+of men in the galaxy--and to every one of them you would be animals. You
+know nothing about what you would face. Your puny hundreds couldn't even
+stand against a fraction of the power Alexander could mount against you.
+Have you seen a Burkholtz blaster work? Have you seen remote-control
+antipersonnel missiles? Have you push-pull projectors, atomic warheads?
+All of these weapons Alexander can command. Don't you realize he's an
+entrepreneur?--one of the most powerful men in this sector?"
+
+Copper shook her head. "No," she said in a small voice. "I know nothing
+about these things."
+
+"And do you think forty generations of absolute obedience to men can be
+overcome because one Lani says she is pregnant by a man?"
+
+Copper frowned. "You put that in a different way. You talk as if it were
+my belief rather than the truth."
+
+"What is truth?" Kennon said heavily. "Who would believe you? There are
+hundreds of others with child.
+
+"Sure you're human. You know it. I know it. I've been trying to convince
+you for the past two months. You're just as human as I am. But pray that
+you're not pregnant. We can't get out of here in less than four months
+and by then everybody will know about you. Someone will certainly check
+the records. And after that will come the psychoprobes. Everything will
+come to light. The Egg will be destroyed. I will be erased. You will be
+dead. And that will be the end of it." He looked down at her with an odd
+expression of pity on his face. "You see?" he demanded harshly.
+
+Copper nodded. "I didn't understand," she said. "Don't be angry with me.
+I shouldn't have told you. I thought you'd be happy."
+
+"I was never angry with you, but I am with myself. I was stupid. I
+didn't figure on the remote possibility that we might be genetically
+compatible. I should have my head examined for putting you in such
+danger. However there's the possibility--the probability--that your body
+is playing a trick upon you."
+
+She shook her head. "You are wrong. I am not mistaken. I am with child
+and the child is yours. But the fault is no more yours than mine. I
+wanted you before you looked on me. I still do and I do not feel at
+fault. That I am yours, that my child is yours is a thing of wonder and
+joy. Never could I have expected so much."
+
+Kennon looked down at her smudged face, streaked with the sudden
+rivulets of tears, and bitterness galled his throat. Dear God--let her
+be wrong, he prayed silently. Let it be pseudopregnancy this time. Let
+the tests be negative.
+
+But they weren't. Unequivocally they confirmed Copper's diagnosis. Here
+was the proof he needed. The final test that would prove the Lani human.
+And he had no way of getting it where it would do any good. It would
+take at least four months of steady labor before the ship was ready, and
+he didn't have that sort of time. He was needed here and his prolonged
+absence would cause suspicion and investigation. Something would have to
+be done--but what? He couldn't take Copper off the island in an airboat.
+They were checked with microscopic care by Otpen One's IFF. A jeep
+didn't have enough range to take them to the mainland. And even if they
+got there they couldn't get off the planet. Alexander knew everything
+that happened on Kardon's two spaceports. The Egg was the only way, but
+the Egg was unfinished and unspaceworthy.
+
+Frantically Kennon considered concealing Copper. He shook his head. It
+wouldn't work. It would be impossible, to hide a baby on a place where
+every birth was recorded. Nor could one hide evidence of pregnancy in a
+Lani. Childbearing leaves telltale marks upon the body, and Copper, even
+if she could be concealed for the duration of her pregnancy, could never
+survive the sharp-eyed scrutiny of her fellows or the other humans.
+Questions would inevitably be asked.
+
+There had to be a solution. He rubbed his forehead wearily. It was
+strange how so little a thing as the union of a spermatozoon and an ovum
+could produce so much trouble. He looked across the office at Copper
+placidly filing case cards. She wasn't worrying. With sublime faith,
+she was sure that he would find the answer, the one that would solve
+everything. He shuddered. The only logical solution was abortion--and
+that was unthinkable! He would not murder his child--nor would Copper
+permit it if he was capable of doing so.
+
+It was almost a relief when his phone rang and Blalok's voice came
+cheerfully across the wire.
+
+"Tried to get you about an hour ago," the superintendent said, "but your
+girl said you were busy."
+
+"I was."
+
+"You through now?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, get up to the fortress. Alexander just flew in and he's calling a
+meeting. Something important has come up."
+
+Something important! A wave of ice rattled down Kennon's spine, and then
+he grinned feebly. Alexander didn't know. He couldn't know. It had to be
+something else.
+
+"I'll be right up," he said, marveling at the calmness in his voice.
+
+Kennon couldn't help comparing this meeting with the one a year ago.
+The location was different--the conference room in Alexandria was more
+formal than Blalok's parlor but the same people were present: Alexander,
+Blalok, Jordan, and himself. Somehow Alexander seemed to have shrunk. He
+was no longer as impressive as he had been. But the man still radiated
+force, even though it didn't seem quite so overpowering. The year,
+Kennon thought, had done much to build his self-confidence. He felt
+assured rather than nervous.
+
+"Good to see you, Kennon," Alexander said. "Reports say you're doing a
+good job."
+
+"I can't claim the credit," Kennon said. "Eighty-five per cent of our
+success is due to co-operation from the operating staff. And that's
+Blalok's doing--he knocked the heads of the division managers together
+and they took care of their staffs. Otherwise we could have had a bad
+time."
+
+"But you didn't," Alexander said. "And you were the motive force."
+
+"I've darn near motivated myself out of a job," Kennon said. "They
+co-operate all too well nowadays."
+
+"Which goes to prove that my theories on preventive medicine are right,"
+Alexander said, turning to Blalok.
+
+"It looks that way," Blalok admitted, "but that could be because you
+picked a good man."
+
+"He's good in more ways than one," Alexander said. "Or did he tell you
+he saved Douglas's life out on Otpen One?"
+
+"He's never said a word."
+
+Alexander smiled. "Another point in his favor. He knows how to keep his
+mouth shut."
+
+"Not when he's telling someone what to do about disease," Jordon
+interjected.
+
+"Or telling someone off when they haven't followed directions," Blaiok
+added.
+
+"Better and better. I was sure that he was the one we needed when we
+first met."
+
+Kennon felt his ears turn flaming red.
+
+"But that's not the reason I brought you here. This isn't a Jac Kennon
+admiration society. I called you because I want to expand the Lani
+breeding program."
+
+"Why?" Jordan asked.
+
+Blalok stiffened. "You know my feeling about that, sir. I've never liked
+the idea of selling them. If that's what's in your mind--"
+
+Alexander shook his head. "Simmer down," he said, as he seated himself
+at the head of the table. "There's going to be no selling. The Lani are
+too valuable for that. We'll need them more than the money they'd bring
+on the market. You see--I've acquired a planet out on the periphery. A
+place called Phoebe. One of our ships found it, and I staked a discovery
+claim on the major land mass, and the crew made lesser claims that
+covered all the available land. Last month the Brotherhood allowed the
+claims. Last week the crewmen sold me their land. Phoebe's a lovely
+place--quite a bit like Flora--and the ecological tests show it's
+capable of supporting mammalian life. Just before I came here I sent
+three shiploads of exterminators to clean it up and make it ready for
+us. It should be ready in two years."
+
+"What sort of an ecology are you exterminating?" Jordan asked.
+
+"Not that it makes any difference," Alexander said, "but it's mainly
+reptilian. Nothing over Group I. We'll restock with Floran animals."
+
+Jordan sighed. "Since that's the way it is, it doesn't make any
+difference," he said. "But it could have. The Lani are sensitive to
+things like that. If they thought that they were walking in over a pile
+of bodies they'd do badly. It'd be like Olympus all over again. And we
+couldn't keep them from knowing. We talk and we forget, but they'd tell
+each other--and they'd remember."
+
+"I know," Alexander said, "somehow they've never forgotten that
+Grandfather trapped the last of the Lani males on Olympus."
+
+Jordan nodded. "They can't stand the place. That's why we had to abandon
+the station."
+
+"Does this new world have a moon?" Kennon asked abruptly.
+
+"Yes--in fact it has two."
+
+"Habitable?"
+
+"No--they're too small to hold air. But men could live there in
+domes--but why do you?--oh! I see! I hadn't considered that point."
+Alexander's hand darted to the phone beside him. "Get me Albertsville,"
+he snapped. "Yes, my offices--I want Mr. Oliver in purchasing and
+contracting. Hello--Ward? Alexander here. Yes--everything's fine. I
+have a job for you--use your scrambler-pattern two." Alexander
+dialed the scrambler code on the second dial at the base of the phone,
+effectively preventing eavesdropping by beam tappers. "Yes," he went on.
+"It's Project Phoebe. Have you secured title to the moons? You haven't?
+Well--you'd better do it before some of our competitors get bright
+ideas. Sure they know about the project--do you think they're stupid?
+Warren over at Consolidated practically told me that he was onto our
+scheme. So get title to those moons. Since they're uninhabitable and
+within the planet's primary field they come under the Spatial Debris Act
+and you should be able to get Kardonian title without any great amount
+of trouble. Naturally we want them.--For defense--what else? We'll have
+most of our eggs in that basket. No--I don't know how we overlooked that
+point. But if it wasn't for a bright young man out here we'd have left
+ourselves wide open. Now get cracking--get that leak plugged!" Alexander
+dropped the phone back in its cradle and sighed. "Well--that's buttoned
+up," he said. "Thanks, Kennon."
+
+Kennon looked at Alexander's grinning face, his own impassive, but a
+shattering certainty exploded in his mind--Alexander was a telepath!
+That was his difference! That was the thing that made him feared and
+respected by his business associates. It wouldn't have been enough on
+the Central Worlds, where men knew of sensitives and took precautions
+against them. But out here on the periphery it was a deadly advantage.
+
+"So I gave it away," Alexander said. "I suppose I was careless, but your
+thoughts about the moons shocked me."
+
+"You practically told me once before, when you hired me," Kennon said,
+"but I never realized it."
+
+"You were too excited then."
+
+"I wouldn't know," Kennon said. "At any rate I didn't add the facts
+correctly." From somewhere deep in his memory an old quip came floating
+to the surface: "An executive is a man who picks brains--others'
+brains." By that definition Alexander was an executive of the first
+class. Alexander chuckled.
+
+Suddenly Kennon wanted to run. Panic flooded him! What had he been
+thinking about? Had he thought of--two times two are four, four times
+four are sixteen, sixteen times sixteen are--let's see, six times
+sixteen is ninety-six, one times sixteen is--six, five, carry
+one--two--two hundred fifty-six. Two hundred fifty-six times--
+
+"What's eating you?" Alexander demanded.
+
+"I'm angry," Kennon said. "I told you the conditions I'd sign that
+contract, and you wrote a Peeper Clause into it. And then you peep in
+the worst way possible. There's no defense against a Telep unless
+you know about him; you've had my whole mind bare! You've violated my
+personal privacy like no man has done before. Sure I'm mad. I expected
+honesty from you--and you peep!" The anger was stronger now--a wave of
+raw emotion based on a lifetime of training in mutual respect of a man's
+privacy--a feeling intensified by his childhood environment of a crowded
+planetary ecology and the cramped crew quarters on a spaceship. To
+Kennon, Alexander had committed the ultimate sin.
+
+"I can see I made a mistake by not telling you," Alexander said. His
+voice was cold. "But you have no right to insult me."
+
+"I'm not saying it, am I?" Kennon snapped. The moonflower on the
+bookcase behind Alexander was a thing of beauty. Alexander liked beauty.
+He had said so, and the Great Hall below them bore it out. It was a
+lovely room. Those four bronze Lani in the fountain were works of art.
+One of them looked remarkably like Copper. Copper in bronze. The little
+witch had probably posed for the casting. Maybe it had even been made
+from her body.
+
+"They're all of Susy," Alexander said. "I can see why you are angry, and
+I don't blame you. But remember I warned you about Lani."
+
+Copper--Kennon wrenched his thoughts back to the moonflower. It had
+twelve petals, limpid white on the borders shading to deep blue in the
+center-from which the cream-colored stamen surrounded by transparent
+pistils sprang to burst into a golden glory of pollen that dripped
+in tiny yellow flecks to the broad petals below. It was a magnificent
+flower. There was nothing like it on Beta. That was a marvelous thing
+about flowers--wherever one went in the universe, plants used the same
+methods to fertilize their seed and spread their germ plasm. It was too
+bad that--Kennon jerked his attention to Alexander's face. He detested
+the thought that his mind was common property. A man should have
+something he can call his own. There had been a clinics instructor
+in Year Six who was a sensitive. The classes had protected themselves
+against his prying with a circlet--a thought screen--he had done it too.
+Maybe he had brought the circlet with him. If he did, no one was going
+to catch him without it. It was a dirty business, this reading of
+others' thought. Now where had he put that circlet? Was it among his old
+books--or was it with his instruments?
+
+"Why don't you go back to your house and find it?" Alexander snapped.
+"As you are, you're nothing but a disruption. I want you in on this
+meeting, but not the way you're acting."
+
+"I'm not going to act any other way until I get some protection from
+peeping," Kennon said grimly. "And if you think this is bad wait till I
+start going through comparative anatomy."
+
+"What's the matter with you two?" Blalok asked.
+
+"Be quiet," Alexander snapped. "This isn't your problem. Kennon is
+behaving like a spoiled child!"
+
+"He's a telepath!" Kennon said. "And he didn't tell me."
+
+"So what? I've known that for years."
+
+"And you stand for it?"
+
+"I'm a Mystic, not a Betan," Blalok said. "I don't have your insane
+desire for privacy."
+
+"Go find that thought screen if you still have it!" Alexander said. "I
+don't want any more of this. You're making me ill!"
+
+Kennon grinned thinly as he rose to his feet. It was a good thing he
+remembered Alexander was squeamish and didn't like anatomy. The door
+was to his left, an iris door with eight leaves--terribly old-fashioned.
+About ten steps away. Count them--one--two--three--
+
+Alexander sighed as Kennon left the room. "I certainly pushed the panic
+button on that young man," he said. "He has a pathological attitude
+toward telepathy. Wonder what he has to hide that he wants privacy so
+badly? Even for a Betan this reaction was violent."
+
+"Oh, I don't know. He's a pretty emotional sort. Maybe he hates to look
+like a fool. He's gotten himself mixed up with one of the Lani. Cute
+little thing by the name of Copper," Blalok said.
+
+"Oh--that's it. I thought that was what he was hiding. A picture of
+a girl kept popping up." Alexander chuckled. "I suppose that's the
+trouble. A man hardly likes to look a fool, particularly to someone
+who has warned him. At that, I don't blame him. They are beautiful and
+affectionate. And even with their superstitions and tabus they're better
+than most humans."
+
+"For pets," Blalok said heavily.
+
+"They're not better at anything," Jordan demurred. "They can't be--man
+is the best and always will be."
+
+"The eternal racial chauvinist," Alexander murmured. He turned his
+attention to Blalok. "But for awhile, Evald, I'd suggest you keep an
+eye on our young man. I still don't like his reaction. It was too
+violent--too defensive. I don't feel right about it. Perhaps Betans are
+more sensitive than most people but it seems to me that he's trying
+to conceal something. There was an undertone of fear--and something
+else--beneath his defenses."
+
+"Couldn't you get any more than that?" Blalok asked. "You're pretty good
+at this mind-reading business."
+
+"His defenses were remarkably good," Alexander said dryly.
+
+* * *
+
+Well he'd done it now, Kennon thought. He found the thought-screen
+circlet sandwiched between two books on comparative neuroanatomy which
+he hadn't bothered to unpack. He slipped it on and connected the lead
+wires to a portable battery pack. There was a half-forgotten tingling
+as the weak field heterodyned his thought waves. Kennon sighed. If
+Alexander wasn't suspicious of him now the man was a fool. He'd done as
+well as he could with confusion and outrage, but it was hardly possible
+to hide behind superficialities. Even the most disciplined mind couldn't
+do that without some preparation. Undoubtedly his concern about Copper
+had leaked through. He could only hope that other and more important
+things had not.
+
+Well--he could go back to the conference now, but he would have to be
+doubly careful from now on. He couldn't make daily trips to Olympus. His
+reaction had killed that plan. Alexander would be suspicious now--and
+unusual actions would crystallize suspicion to certainty. Now he needed
+a reason to be in that area. And then he grinned. He had a reason--a
+good one--one that would fit in with Alexander's plans and his own.
+The only problem would be to make Alexander buy it--and that might be
+difficult. He'd have to work carefully--but with normal luck he could
+put the idea across. He crossed his fingers as he trudged back up the
+path to Alexandria.
+
+The conference dragged on. Unlike most meetings, this one accomplished
+things--which was a tribute to Alexander's ability to keep the subject
+in hand. Details of the expansion program presented by Alexander were
+rapidly reduced to workable plans. They involved some rearrangement of
+existing facilities, and the construction of others. But the obvious
+snags were rapidly disposed of, and the whole revamped operation was
+outlined on paper in surprisingly few hours. A deadline date was set,
+construction was authorized, and in the morning the first steps in the
+practical implementation of the new program would be taken.
+
+"Well, that's that," Alexander said with a sigh. "I think this calls for
+a drink."
+
+"There's one more thing," Kennon said. "I know it isn't much, but
+Jordan's remark started me thinking."
+
+"What remark?" Jordan asked.
+
+"The one you made at the beginning about Phoebe possibly being like the
+Olympus Station. I've often wondered why that particular location has
+been so difficult to operate. Sure, I know the accepted explanation,
+but I think we should learn why it works and how to break a tabu. If we
+don't, we might be in for trouble."
+
+"That's a good thought," Alexander said. "I tried to find out once, but
+all I could discover was that it was tabu. The Lani simply didn't like
+it. And despite the fact that I can read minds, I didn't learn any more
+than that. There's a certain sex-linkage to telepathy, as you probably
+know."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"All I could discover was that their dislike of Olympus was a basic
+emotion rather than reasoned thought. They were nervous, irritable,
+disobedient, and uncooperative while they were there--and even they
+didn't know why. It was merely tabu. We even tried youngsters--but the
+attitude was the same. I'd like to know more about that basic emotion."
+
+"We should understand it," Kennon agreed. "If we transship a large
+number of Lani to a strange world, we should know their deepest
+motivations. We cannot take the chance that the transplant won't take,
+with all the money you're sinking into this project."
+
+"You have a point there. Have you any suggestions about how to
+accomplish this?" Alexander's voice was interested.
+
+"I have. Hire a psychologist. And reopen Olympus."
+
+"It'll be the same story," Jordan said.
+
+"Not if you apply experimental procedure," Kennon said. "Divide the
+place into a number of separate units in which groups of--say ten--Lani
+of various ages are kept. Let every group know where they are, but don't
+let them come in contact with one another. Observe them constantly. Put
+spy cells in the units. Couple them to recorders. Prepare a set of test
+situations and observe how each group performs. Question individuals
+under narcosynthesis. Observe and record any changes in physical
+condition--give them the works. Maybe we can collect some basic data
+that will indicate the answer."
+
+"Not a bad idea," Alexander said.
+
+"I don't like it," Jordan said. "It sounds cumbersome."
+
+"It is," Kennon agreed. "But it may save a great deal of trouble later."
+
+"I think you're right, Kennon," Blalok said. "We should know everything
+we can."
+
+"What would you do first if you were heading this program?" Alexander
+asked. He eyed Kennon critically.
+
+"Nothing," Kennon said promptly. "I'm not qualified to run an
+investigation like this. You need a specialist. I am a practitioner."
+
+"Hmm--but you know experimental procedure."
+
+"Naturally--but I do not have the training to prepare a program or
+evaluate its results. The only thing I could do would be to check the
+physical condition of the experimental groups."
+
+"Could you set up the physical facilities?" Alexander asked.
+
+"Possibly--I'd need a set of plans of the station, and I couldn't
+guarantee that the specialist wouldn't want to make changes. But the
+physical arrangements should be simple enough to construct."
+
+"How long would it take you to prepare a plan?"
+
+"I could have it by tomorrow, or perhaps a day later."
+
+"If you can do it by then I'll stay over. I'd like to examine this
+proposal more closely. It has merit. That's the second constructive
+suggestion you've made tonight. Despite your peculiar desire for
+privacy, I'm glad you came back." Alexander smiled.
+
+Kennon smiled back. Apparently the entrepreneur had taken the bait.
+But it was too early to tell whether he had swallowed it without
+reservation. It all depended upon how much had been given away before
+he had discovered that Alexander was a telepath. Perhaps Alexander was
+merely leading him on. There were too many intangibles, and there was no
+way of predicting how it would turn out. But he felt mildly optimistic.
+
+Alexander closed the meeting, and Kennon left promptly. He had a good
+excuse. There was plenty of work to do if he was going to prepare an
+adequate plan for utilizing Olympus Station. Jordan went with him,
+but Blalok stayed behind. It was natural enough. Blalok was the
+administrator, but Kennon felt uneasy. Nor would he have felt any better
+if he could have heard what went on after he left.
+
+Alexander looked quizzically at Blalok after the door closed behind the
+two men.
+
+"Well, Evald, what do you think? Does it strike you that Kennon's
+sincere--or does it sound as though he has something up his sleeve?"
+
+"If he does," Blalok said, "I don't know what it could be. I wouldn't
+take a job on Olympus if you gave it to me."
+
+"If he doesn't know about the place," Alexander said thoughtfully, "it's
+probable that his suggestion was honest. I think it is but I'm not sure.
+He worries me now that I can't read him. I think I'll send Douglas back
+here to watch him."
+
+"Why? In my book that'd be a poor choice. After all, you said Kennon
+saved his life. He should be grateful."
+
+"You don't know Douglas," Alexander said. "He hates Kennon's guts for
+what he did."
+
+"What did he do?"
+
+"He made Douglas feel inferior. And there's no surer way to gain my
+cousin's undying enmity." Alexander laughed. "I know," he said. "He'd
+like to kill me, too."
+
+Blalok shrugged.
+
+"But in the meantime I want you to keep an eye on Kennon. If his outline
+is all right, I'm going to authorize him to set up this experiment. I
+want to give him every possible chance. I like him--and he's done good
+work. I wouldn't want him to feel that I distrust him."
+
+"Which you do, of course," Blalok said dryly.
+
+Alexander smiled. "Actually," he said with equal dryness, "I distrust
+everyone."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+"If you think this job is easy, you have another think coming," Kennon
+said bitterly. "I hired out as a veterinarian, not as a nursemaid for
+a bunch of psychoneurotic humans and superstitious Lani. The place is
+jinxed, they tell me.--Ha! Jinxed! Sure it's jinxed! What job wouldn't
+be with a bunch of goofballs like these I've got working on it.
+
+"I can't keep a Lani here for two weeks without having her throw a
+catfit, and the superstitious idiots are affecting the men--who ought to
+know better! I wish I'd never have opened my big mouth to Alexander! As
+far as I'm concerned he can take this job and--"
+
+"Hey--take it easy, man!" Blalok said. "You're heading straight for a
+nervous breakdown."
+
+"And why shouldn't I?" Kennon asked. "Nothing goes right. There's always
+trouble. I order materials--they don't arrive. There's worker trouble,
+equipment trouble, installation trouble. Everybody's cutting corners,
+trying to get done faster and away sooner--and all they do is mess up
+work that should have been done right the first time. We should have
+been finished last week, but we have another week to go, at least unless
+some bumble-fingered beanbrain gets another bright idea that sets us
+back again. I'm sick to death of it!"
+
+"I know, I know," Blalok said soothingly, "and I'm sorry."
+
+"Sorry? What good is that? You and Jordan come up here in relays. Just
+what do you think you'll find? Or has Alexander dragged you into keeping
+an eye on me because I don't like someone snooping inside my skull?"
+
+"It's not that," Blalok said. "It's just--"
+
+"Oh, don't make excuses. You know and I know the Boss-man is
+suspicious." Kennon shrugged. "Normally I wouldn't blame him but it's
+a damned nuisance with things the way they are. All we have is one more
+bay and a hall to finish--but if--"
+
+"Now wait a minute," Blalok said. "Get the kink out of your neck and
+simmer down. Sure--the Boss-man told us to keep an eye on you--but
+that's not why I'm here this time."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"Douglas came back this morning."
+
+"What for?"
+
+"I don't know." Blalok's face wore the noncommittal look it always wore
+when he was taking liberties with the truth.
+
+"You're probably the worst liar in the galaxy," Kennon chuckled. "He's
+here to breathe down my neck, isn't he?"
+
+Blalok nodded.
+
+"Keep him off my back for another week and he can breathe all he wants
+to. I'll be done then."
+
+"I can't promise a thing."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "It's too much to ask, I guess."
+
+"But I can try," Blalok added.
+
+"That's enough for me." Kennon grinned. "Has he turned Alexandria into a
+shambles yet?"
+
+"Not yet, but everyone's uneasy."
+
+"I can't blame them. That young fellow's undiluted poison. By the way,
+how does he look?"
+
+"About the same."
+
+"The medics must have done a good job," Kennon said.
+
+"The Boss-man shipped him to Beta for treatment," Blalok said. "He
+didn't trust the docs out here."
+
+"That figures. At any rate Douglas couldn't have gone to a better
+place."
+
+"What happened to him?"
+
+"He stuck his nose where he shouldn't," Kennon said pointedly.
+
+Blalok stiffened.
+
+"I'm sorry, Evald. Even if you knew, I couldn't talk about it. What I
+know about Douglas is classified!"
+
+"Well--Douglas is doing plenty of talking. Claims his stay in the
+hospital was all your fault."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "That's his opinion. And as long as he stays out of my
+way he's welcome to it."
+
+Blalok looked at Kennon's haggard face with mild concern, "Doc," he
+said, "you'd better take it easy. You're going to pieces."
+
+"I'll be through here in another week, I'll have this all wrapped up."
+
+"Providing you're not wrapped up first."
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"In a shroud. You look like a walking corpse."
+
+Kennon chuckled wearily. "Sometimes I feel like one. But I'd like to get
+this job finished."
+
+"Well, I'll do what I can," Blalok said. "I'll try to keep him down at
+Alexandria for a few days."
+
+"It'll be enough," Kennon said. More than enough--he added mentally.
+The coils of fuel wire were ready to load, and the power slugs for the
+ship's reactor were already stored in the power plant building here at
+Olympus. Three more days and the old spacer would be as ready to fly as
+she would ever be. And after that, it was in the lap of fate.
+
+He ushered Blalok to his jeep and watched until he disappeared.
+
+"I'm getting to be a first-class liar," he remarked wryly to himself
+as he turned back to the temporary quarters he was occupying at the
+station. "And the bad thing about it is that I'm actually enjoying it."
+
+A few weeks ago an admission like that would have been inconceivable.
+It was odd, he thought, how one thing led to another and produced an
+end that could not be foreseen. Now he could lie and dissemble with the
+best. He had no compunction about falsifying a requisition, or stealing
+what he could not obtain with apparent honesty. His character had sunk
+to an all-time low, he reflected with grim humor as he walked into the
+shadow of the main building. Neither Blalok's nor Jordan's frequent
+visits bothered him. Both men were creatures of habit and both were
+married. They stayed home at night--and it was nighttime that he worked
+on the spacer. The project afforded him a perfect cover and it was only
+minutes by jeep away from the crater.
+
+Even so, the double duty was an appalling task. And it would have been
+impossible if it wasn't for Copper. Her quick fingers, keen eyesight,
+and uncanny memory made the work seem simple, and neither the
+tediousness of repairing miles of circuitry nor the depressing
+environment of Olympus Station seemed to bother her. While he worked
+with the men on the project she restored and reassembled circuits in
+his quarters and at night they replaced them in the old ship. And the
+God-Egg was rapidly becoming operational.
+
+Kennon wondered what it was about Copper that made her so different from
+the rest. Olympus didn't bother her at all. In fact she seemed to thrive
+on the depressing atmosphere that filled the Station. Perhaps it was
+because she had violated the tabu about the God-Egg so often that
+ordinary superstition had no effect upon her. He shrugged. He had
+troubles enough without worrying about Copper's motivations, and not the
+least of these was taking the God-Egg into space.
+
+Kennon looked forward to blast-off with distinct misgivings. There was
+too much about the ancient spacer that was strange--and too much that
+was terrifying.
+
+Basically the ship was an ion-jet job with atomic primaries and a
+spindizzy converter that might possibly take her up as high as middle
+yellow Cth--far enough to give her a good turn of speed, but not enough
+to compensate for timelag. Her screens were monstrosities, double
+polyphase lattices that looked about as spacetight as so many sieves.
+There were no acceleration dampers, no temporal compensators, no
+autopilot, no four-space computer, and the primaries operated on nuclear
+rather than binding energy. The control chairs weren't equipped with
+forcefields, but instead had incredibly primitive safety webs that held
+one in place by sheer tensile strength. Taking a ship like that into
+space was an open invitation to suicide. A man needed a combination of
+foolhardy bravery and incredible fatalism to blast off in a can like
+this. He had the stimulus, but the knowledge of what he would face
+troubled him more than he cared to admit. More and more, as he
+understood the ship, he was amazed at the courage of the ancients who
+had blithely leaped into hyperspace in these flying coffins with no more
+motivation than to see what was beyond the nearest star. And in ships
+more primitive than this men had swept through the star systems nearest
+Earth in the outward expansion of the First Millennium.
+
+He sighed. The breed of man must have been tough in the old days--and
+he'd soon be finding out if any of that ancient toughness remained.
+
+He opened the door to his quarters.
+
+Copper was sitting in his favorite chair, a pile of completed assemblies
+neatly stacked beside her, and a disorderly file of crumpled cloth at
+her feet. Her face was sullen as she looked up at him. "I've had about
+all of this I'm going to take," she said mutinously as she stirred the
+heap of cloth with a bare foot. "Not even you are going to make me wear
+those--things!"
+
+Kennon sighed. It was the same old story. For months he had been trying
+patiently to indoctrinate Copper with a minimum of civilized habits, but
+she was quite literally a savage. In her entire lifetime she had never
+worn clothing, and to encase her body in hose, kilts, blouse, and
+sandals was a form of torture. She scratched, wiggled, and twisted at
+the garments until she looked as bad as she felt, and would usually
+finish a session by tearing off the offending clothes and sulking. She
+was doing it now.
+
+"You must act like a civilized human being," Kennon said mildly. "You're
+simply going to have to learn to wear these clothes properly."
+
+"Why? I'm more comfortable as I am."
+
+"That's not the point. You are going to be living in human society and
+you must act human. The only planet where you could get away with nudity
+is Santos, and we're not going there."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"I've explained it time and again. We'll have to go to Beta. That's the
+only place I know where you'll have a fair hearing. And on Beta people
+wear clothes. They have to. It's cold, even in summer, and in the
+wintertime, there's snow."
+
+"What's snow?"
+
+"Ice crystals that fall like rain, but I've told you this before."
+
+"And I still don't believe it."
+
+"Believe it or not you're going to wear those things. Now put them on!"
+
+She looked at him with mutiny on her face. "All right, slave driver,"
+she muttered as she picked up the clothing, "but I hope you'll itch
+someday and be unable to scratch."
+
+"And try to wear those garments more gracefully. You make them look like
+a sack."
+
+"They feel like one. I keep thinking that all I need is a tag around my
+neck."
+
+"You haven't much time to get used to them," Kennon said. "We're leaving
+this week."
+
+"So soon?"
+
+"Yes--and you'll wear those things to the ship, into the ship, and all
+the time we're on the ship. You'll keep wearing clothing until it looks
+right."
+
+"Slave driver!" Copper hissed.
+
+"Slave," Kennon answered equably.
+
+Copper giggled. The sound was utterly unexpected, and completely
+incongruous. That was the wonder of her, Kennon reflected. Her mercurial
+temperament made life something that was continually exciting She was a
+never-ending delight.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+It was the last trip. Kennon loaded the jeep with the last-minute items
+he would need. The four reactor cores in their lead cases went aboard
+last and were packed inside a pile of lead-block shielding.
+
+He helped Copper in and looked back without regret as the bulk of
+Olympus Station vanished below him in the dusk. The last of the work
+crew had left that afternoon. The station was ready for occupancy.
+His assignment had been completed. He felt an odd pleasure at having
+finished the job. Alexander might not be happy about his subsequent
+actions, but he could have no complaint about what he did while he was
+here.
+
+"Well--say good-bye to Flora," he said to Copper.
+
+"I don't want to," she said. "I don't want to leave."
+
+"You can't stay. You know that."
+
+She nodded. "But that doesn't make me any less regretful."
+
+"Regretful?"
+
+"All right--scared. We're going to try to make the God-Egg fly again.
+Not only is it sacrilege, but as you've often said, it's dangerous. I
+have no desire to die."
+
+"You have two courses--"
+
+"I know--you've pointed them out often enough," Copper said. "And since
+you decided to go I'd go with you even though I knew the Egg would blow
+up."
+
+"You're quite a girl," Kennon said admiringly. "Did I ever tell you that
+I love you?"
+
+"Not nearly often enough," Copper said. "You could do it every day and
+I'd never get tired of hearing it."
+
+The jeep settled over the lava wall. "We'll leave it in the passageway
+when we're through," Kennon said. "Maybe it will survive blast-off."
+
+"Why worry about it?" Copper asked.
+
+"I hate destroying anything needlessly," Kennon said.
+
+"And since we have plenty of time, we might as well be neat about our
+departure."
+
+He was wrong, of course, but he didn't know that.
+
+* * *
+
+Douglas Alexander checked the radarscope and whistled in surprise at
+the picture it revealed. "So that's where he's going," he said softly
+to himself. "Cousin Alex was right as usual." He grimaced unpleasantly.
+"He's up to something--that's for sure." His face twisted into an
+expression that was half sneer, half triumph. "This is going to be
+fun." He moved the control, and his airboat, hovering silently at five
+thousand meters, dropped toward the ground in free fall as Douglas
+loosened the Burkholtz in the holster at his waist. "But what is he
+doing?" he muttered. The question hung unanswered in the still air of
+the cabin as the airboat dropped downward.
+
+Douglas hadn't been impressed with Blalok's attempt at a delaying
+action. Normally he might have been, but his fear of his cousin was
+greater than his respect for Blalok. The superintendent had only
+succeeded in accomplishing something he had not intended when he had
+tried to dissuade Douglas from visiting Kennon. He had made Douglas
+cautious. The airboat and long-range surveillance had been the result.
+For the past two nights Douglas had hung over Olympus Station, checking
+the place--to leave at dawn when the new day's work began. For two
+nights Kennon had been lucky. He had departed for the Egg shortly before
+Douglas took up his station, and had returned after the watcher had
+called it a night and had returned home. But this last night, Kennon
+left late--and his departure was noted.
+
+"Wonder who's the girl with him?" Douglas said as the boat plunged down.
+"Well, I'll be finding out in a minute."
+
+Kennon's head jerked upward at the sound of air whistling past the
+airboat's hull, and a wave of icy coldness swept through his chest.
+There was no question that he was discovered. His shoulders sagged.
+
+"Well--it was a good try," he said bitterly as Copper looked at him with
+sudden terror on her face.
+
+"I don't want to die," she wailed.
+
+"You won't--not if I can help it," Kennon said. "Move away from
+me--quickly!"
+
+"But--"
+
+"Do as I say!" Kennon's voice was sharp. "And keep that hood over your
+face."
+
+The airboat settled softly on the ash in front of him, the door snapped
+open and Douglas dropped to the ground, Burkholtz jutting from his pudgy
+fist.
+
+"My, my," Douglas said, "what have we here? Dr. Kennon and a woman!
+I thought better of you than that, Doctor. And all dressed up in
+antiradiation suits. This is interesting. Just what are you doing up
+here on the mountain so late at night--prospecting?"
+
+"You might call it that," Kennon said. His body sagged with relief.
+Douglas thank Ochsner it was Douglas! He was running true to
+form--talking when he should have been shooting.
+
+Douglas jerked his head toward Copper, standing a few feet to his left.
+"Who is she?"
+
+"None of your business," Kennon snapped, hoping that his outburst
+covered Copper's gasp of surprise and fear, and knowing that it didn't.
+
+"I'm making it my business. There's something funny going on around
+here."
+
+Kennon blinked. Could it be that Douglas didn't know? Had he been
+watching them on radar? Durilium was radar-transparent. It absorbed
+and dissipated electromagnetic waves rather than reflecting them. For a
+second he felt a tiny surge of hope.
+
+"Stand where you are," Douglas said as he stepped over to the
+half-paralyzed Copper and jerked the hood back from her face. For a
+moment he looked puzzled. "Just who are you?" he demanded. "I don't
+recall seeing you before." And then recognition dawned. "Old Doc's
+Lani!" he gasped.
+
+"She works for me now," Kennon said.
+
+Douglas laughed. It wasn't a nice sound. "All dressed up?" he asked.
+"Nice work."
+
+"That's my fault," Kennon said.
+
+"You know the rules," Douglas said. "I could blast you both."
+
+"Go ahead," Kennon said, "but if you do, you'll never find out what
+we're doing up here."
+
+Douglas hesitated. Kennon's voice was flat and filled with utter
+conviction.
+
+"There's a reason why Copper's wearing that suit," Kennon continued,
+"and you won't know that either."
+
+The Burkholtz swiveled around to point at Kennon's belly. "I've had
+about enough of this. Let's have it. Tell me what you're doing here!"
+
+"I'll do better than that," Kennon said promptly. "I'll show you. You'll
+be surprised at what we've uncovered." He made his muscles relax, and
+forced himself to speak naturally. Copper, he noted, was still rigid
+with terror. The Alexanders--any of them--were everything he had said
+they were. They were the masters here. And despite Copper's boast, she
+was as susceptible to their influence as any other Lani.
+
+"All right," Douglas said, "show me this thing I'd never be able to
+find without your help." He half turned to Copper. "Stay where you are,
+Lani," he said. "Don't move until I come back."
+
+"Yes, Man Douglas," Copper replied. Her voice was flat, colorless, and
+submissive.
+
+Kennon shuddered. He had never heard precisely that tone from her
+before. One word from Douglas and she had become a zombie--a mindless
+muscle preparation that existed only to obey. Anger filled him--anger
+that one he loved could be ordered by someone who wasn't worth a
+third of her--anger that she obeyed--anger at his own impotence and
+frustration. It wasn't a clean anger. It was a dark, red-splashed thing
+that struggled and writhed inside him, a fierce unreasoning rage that
+seethed and bubbled yet could not break free. For an instant, with
+blinding clarity, Kennon understood the feelings of the caged male Lani
+on Otpen One. And he sympathized.
+
+"Follow me," he said and started around the ship.
+
+"Stay--no--go ahead," Douglas said, "but remember, I'm right behind
+you."
+
+Kennon walked straight up to the pit and pointed down at the dark bulk
+of the Egg., concealed in the shadows of the bottom.
+
+"That's it," he said.
+
+"What? I don't see anything," Douglas said suspiciously.
+
+"Here--I'll shine a light." Kennon reached for his belt.
+
+"No you don't! I know that trick. You're not going to blind me. Take
+that torch loose carefully--that's it--now hand it to me." Douglas' hand
+closed over the smooth plastic. Cautiously he turned on the beam and
+directed it downward.
+
+"A spacer!" he gasped. "How did that get here?" He leaned forward to
+look into the pit as a dark shadow materialized behind him.
+
+Kennon choked back the involuntary cry of warning that rose in his
+throat. Copper! His muscles tensed as her arm came up and down--a
+shadow almost invisible in the starlight. The leaning figure of Douglas
+collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly released. The
+torch dropped from his hand and went bouncing and winking down the wall
+of the pit, followed by Douglas--a limp bundle of arms and legs that
+rotated grotesquely as he disappeared down the slope. Starlight gleamed
+on the Burkholtz lying on the lip of the crater, where it had fallen
+from his hand.
+
+"I told you that not even Man Alexander could order me since I gave my
+love to you," Copper said smugly as she peered over the edge of the pit,
+a chunk of lava gripped in one small capable hand. "Maybe this proves
+it."
+
+"Douglas isn't Alexander," Kennon said slowly as he picked up the
+blaster, "but I believe you."
+
+"Didn't I act convincingly?" she said brightly.
+
+"Very," he said. "You fooled me completely."
+
+"The important thing was that I fooled Douglas."
+
+"You did that all right. Now let's get him out of that pit."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"The jet blast will fry him when we take off."
+
+"What difference would that make?"
+
+"I told you," Kennon said, "that I never destroy things
+unnecessarily--not even things like Douglas."
+
+"But he would have destroyed you."
+
+"That's no excuse for murder. Now go back to the jeep and fetch a rope.
+I'll go down and get him out."
+
+"Do we have to bother with him?" Copper asked, and then shrugged. It
+was an eloquent gesture expressing disgust, resignation, and unwilling
+compliance in one lift of smoothly muscled shoulders.
+
+"There's no question about it," Kennon said. "You're becoming more human
+every day."
+
+He chuckled as he slid over the edge of the pit following the path
+Douglas had taken a moment before. He found him sitting on a pile of
+ashes, shaking his head.
+
+"What happened?" Douglas asked querulously. There was fear in his voice.
+
+"Copper hit you on the head with a rock," Kennon said as he bent over
+and retrieved the torch, still burning near Douglas' feet.
+
+"The Lani?" Douglas' voice was incredulous.
+
+"Not a Lani," Kennon corrected. "She's as human as you or I."
+
+"That's a lie," Douglas said.
+
+"Maybe this spacer's a lie too. Her ancestors came in it--a pair
+of humans named Alfred and Melissa Weygand. They were Christian
+missionaries from a planet called Heaven out in Ophiuchus Sector. Went
+out to convert aliens and landed here when their fuel ran out."
+Kennon paused. "That was about four millennia ago. Their descendants,
+naturally, reverted to barbarism in a few generations, but there's
+enough evidence in the ship to prove that the Lani were their
+children."
+
+"But the tails--the differences--the failure of the test," Douglas said.
+
+"Mutation," Kennon replied. "Those old spindizzy converters weren't
+too choosy about how they scattered radiation. And they had come a long
+way." He paused, looking down at Douglas, feeling a twinge of pity for
+the man. His world was crumbling. "And there was no other human blood
+available to filter out their peculiarities. It might have been done
+during the first couple of generations, but constant inbreeding fixed
+the genetic pattern."
+
+"How did you discover this?" Douglas asked.
+
+"Accident," Kennon said briefly.
+
+"You'll never be able to prove they're human!" Douglas said.
+
+"The ship's log will do that."
+
+"Not without a humanity test--they can't pass that."
+
+"Sorry to disappoint you. Your grandfather used the wrong sort of sperm.
+Now if there had been a Betan in the crew--"
+
+"You mean she's pregnant!"
+
+Kennon nodded. "There's been mutation on Beta," he said. "And it's
+apparently a similar one to hers. Betan-Lani matings are fertile."
+
+Douglas's shoulders sagged, and then straightened. "I don't believe it,"
+he said. "You're just a damned sneaking spy. Somehow or other you got
+a spacer in here after you wormed your way into Cousin Alex's
+confidence--and now you're going to space out with the nucleus of a new
+farm. Just wait. When Alex learns of this the galaxy'll be too small to
+hold you."
+
+"Don't babble like a fool!" Kennon said with disgust. "How could I land
+a spacer here without being spotted? You sound like a two-credit novel.
+And even if I did--would it be a can like this?" Kennon played the torch
+over the blue-black durilium protruding from the ashes.
+
+Douglas' eyes widened as he took in the details of construction. "What
+an antique!" he blurted. "Where did you get this can?"
+
+"I found it here."
+
+"Tell me another one."
+
+"You won't believe," Kennon said flatly, "because you don't dare
+believe. You have a mental block. You've killed, maimed, tortured--
+treated them like animals--and now your mind shrinks from admitting
+they're human. You know what will happen if the old court decision is
+reversed. It will wreck your little empire, dry up your money, break
+you--and you can't stand the thought of that. You don't dare let us
+leave, yet you can't stop us because I have your blaster and I'd just
+as soon shoot you as look at your rotten face. Now get on your feet and
+start climbing if you want to stay alive. We're getting out of here, and
+you'll fry inside this pit."
+
+"Where are you taking me?"
+
+"Back to your airboat. I'm going to tie you up and set you off on
+autopilot. You'll be able to get loose quickly enough but it'll be too
+late to stop us. We'll be gone, and you can think of how you'll manage
+to face the human race."
+
+"I hope you blow yourself and that antique clear out of space."
+
+"We might. But you'll never know for sure. But mark this--if I live I'll
+be back with the Brotherhood. You can count on it."
+
+They struggled up the side of the pit and halted, panting, on the rim.
+"How much radiation was down there?" Douglas asked worriedly.
+
+"Not enough to hurt you."
+
+"That's good." Douglas accepted the statement at face value, a fact
+which failed to surprise Kennon. "You know," he said, "I've been around
+Lani all my life. And I know that they're not human. No self-respecting
+human would take a tenth of what they put up with."
+
+"Their ancestors didn't," Kennon said. "They fought to the end. But your
+Grandfather was a smart man even though he was a Degrader."
+
+"He wasn't!" Douglas exploded. "No Alexander is a Degrader."
+
+"He realized," Kennon went on, "that he'd never succeed in enslaving the
+Lani unless he separated the sexes. And since women are more subjective
+in their outlook--and more pliable--he picked them for his slaves. The
+males he retired to stud. Probably the fact that there were more women
+than men helped him make up his mind.
+
+"In every society," Kennon went on inexorably, "there are potential
+freeman and potential slaves. The latter invariably outnumber the
+former. They're cowards: the timid, the unsacrificing--the ones that
+want peace at any price--the ones who will trade freedom for security.
+Those were the ones who hid rather than risk their lives fighting
+the aggressor. Those were the ones who survived. Old Alexander had a
+ready-made slave cadre when he finished off the last of the warriors.
+For four centuries the survivors have been bred and selected to
+perpetuate slave traits. And the system works. The men don't want
+freedom--they want liberty to kill each other. The women don't want
+freedom--they want males. And they'd serve them precisely as the Sarkian
+women serve their menfolk. You've killed any chance they had to become
+a civilization. It's going to take generations perhaps before they're
+reoriented. There's plenty you Alexanders should answer for."
+
+"If there's any fault, it's yours," Douglas snarled. "We were doing all
+right until you came here. We'd still be doing all right if I had shot
+you both." His shoulders sagged. "I should have killed you when I had
+the chance," he said bitterly.
+
+"But you didn't," Kennon said, "and to show my gratitude I'm letting you
+get away with a whole skin. I don't expect you to be grateful, but at
+least you'll not be on my conscience. I don't enjoy killing, not even
+things like you."
+
+Douglas sneered. "You're soft--a soft sentimental fool."
+
+"Admitted," Kennon said, "but that's my nature."
+
+"Yet you'd destroy the family, wreck Outworld Enterprises, and throw a
+whole world into chaos over a few thousand animals. I don't understand
+you."
+
+"They're human," Kennon said flatly.
+
+"Admitting they might once have been, they're not now."
+
+"And whose fault is that?"
+
+"Not ours," Douglas said promptly. "If there is any fault it's that of
+the court who decided they were humanoid."
+
+"You didn't help any."
+
+"Why should we? Does one treat a shrake like a brother?--or a varl?--or
+a dog? We treat them like the animals they are. And we've done no worse
+with the Lani. Our consciences are clear."
+
+Kennon laughed humorlessly. "Yet this clear conscience makes you want
+to kill me, so you can keep on treating them as animals--even though you
+know they're human."
+
+"I know nothing of the sort. But you're right about the killing, I'd
+kill you cheerfully if I had the chance. It's our necks if you get away
+with this. Of course, you probably won't, but why take the chance. I
+like my neck more than I like yours."
+
+"You're honest at any rate," Kennon admitted. "And in a way I don't
+blame you. To you it's probably better to be a rich slaver living off
+the legacy of a Degrader than a penniless humanitarian. But you've lost
+your chance."
+
+Douglas screamed with rage. He whirled on Kennon, his face a distorted
+mask of hate.
+
+"Hold it!" Kennon barked. "I don't want to kill you, but I'll burn a
+hole clear through your rotten carcass if you make another move. I have
+no love for your kind."
+
+Douglas spat contemptuously. "You haven't got the guts," he snarled. But
+he didn't move.
+
+"Just stand still--very still," Kennon said softly. The iron in his
+voice was not hidden by the quiet tone.
+
+Douglas shivered. "I'll get you yet," he said, but there was no force in
+the threat.
+
+"Here's the rope you wanted," Copper said as she emerged abruptly from
+the darkness. "I had a hard time finding it."
+
+"You haven't been too long," Kennon said. "Now tie Douglas' hands behind
+him while I keep him covered."
+
+"It's a pleasure," Copper murmured.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+"I'm frightened," Copper said, twisting uncomfortably in the shock chair
+beside Kennon's.
+
+"After you have been so brave?" Kennon asked. "That's nonsense. It's
+just nervous reaction. Now web in like I showed you. It's time for
+blast-off. We don't dare wait much longer."
+
+"All right--but I have a feeling that this isn't right. Something is
+going to go wrong."
+
+"I hope you don't have precognition." Kennon smiled. "I've checked
+everything. The ship is as good as she'll ever be. There's nothing more
+that we can do."
+
+"There's one consolation," Copper said wanly. "At we'll die together."
+
+"There's a better chance that we'll live together."
+
+"I hope so."
+
+"Ready?" Kennon asked.
+
+She nodded.
+
+He flipped the switches that would send the fuel rods into the reactor.
+Below them a soft, barely audible whine ascended the sonic scale to
+a point of irritating inaudibility. Kennon smiled. The spindizzy was
+functioning properly. He flipped a second bank of switches and a dull
+roar came from the buried stem. Ashes and pumice heated to incandescence
+were blown through the air. Molten drops of radioactive lava skittered
+across the durilium hull as Kennon advanced the power. The whole stem
+of the ship was immersed in a seething lake of bolling rock as the Egg
+lifted slowly with ponderous dignity into the night sky.
+
+"Hang on!" Kennon said. "I'm going to hyper." His hand moved a red lever
+and the Egg shimmered and vanished with a peculiar wrenching motion
+into an impossible direction that the mind could not grasp. And the
+interceptor missile from Otpen One nosed through the space the Egg had
+occupied.
+
+* * *
+
+"We made it!" Kennon said, looking across the writhing semifluid control
+board, shifting oddly in the harsh yellow monochromatic light that
+pervaded the cabin. The screens were leaking like sieves, but they were
+holding well enough to keep Cth yellow from being anything more than an
+annoyance. He glanced over at Copper, a fantastically elongated Copper
+who looked like a madman's dream of chaos.
+
+And Copper screamed! The sound echoed and re-echoed, dying away with a
+lingering discordant reverberation that made his skin tingle.
+
+"Copper! It's all right! It's all right! Stop it!"
+
+Copper screamed again and her elongated figure suddenly foreshortened
+and collapsed into a small writhing ball from which two small pink hands
+emerged clutching at a gelid mass of air that flowed sluggishly around
+them.
+
+And Kennon knew what he had forgotten! Hyperspace with leaky screens was
+nothing to inflict upon an unprepared mind. It is one thing to endure
+partial exposure after months of training, with experienced medics
+standing by to help you through the shock phase, but quite another to
+be thrust from a safe and sheltered existence into the mind shattering
+distortions of the Cth continuum.
+
+The Egg was old. Her screens, never good at best, were hardly more than
+filters. Through the hull, through the drive lattice, the viciously
+distorted Cth environment seeped into the ship turning prosaic shapes
+of controls and instruments into writhing masses of obscene horror that
+sent extensions wiggling off into nothingness at eye-aching angles. A
+spaceman could take this--knowing it wasn't real--but a tyro could not.
+
+Copper collapsed. Her mind, assaulted by sensations no untrained person
+should experience, went into shock. But she wasn't granted the mercy
+of unconsciousness. Terrified by a pseudo reality that surpassed her
+wildest nightmares, she stared wide-eyed at the control room and the
+thing that had been Kennon. She screamed until her throat was raw,
+until the monster beside her touched her with Kennon's hands. Then,
+mercifully, she felt a stinging in her arm and all sensation ceased.
+
+Kennon stared glumly at the controls. Fleming alone knew how many
+objective years were passing outside as they hurtled through four-space.
+Subjectively it would only be hours aboard the Egg, but a decade--or
+maybe a century--might pass outside this mad universe where neither time
+nor speed had meaning. The old ships didn't have temporal compensators,
+nor could they travel through upper bands of Cth where subjective
+and objective time were more nearly equal. They were trapped in
+a semi-stasis of time as the ship fled on through the distorted
+monochromatic regions that bypassed normal space.
+
+The Egg slipped smoothly out of the hyper jump, back into the normal
+universe. Beta floated above them, the blue shield of her atmosphere
+shining softly in the light of Beta's sun.
+
+"Couldn't hit it that good again in a hundred tries," Kennon gloated.
+"Halfway across the galaxy--and right on the nose." He looked at the
+shock chair beside him. Copper was curled into a tight ball inside the
+confining safety web, knees drawn up, back bent, head down--arms wrapped
+protectingly around her legs--the fetal position of catatonic shock.
+
+He shook her shoulder--no response. Her pulse was thready and irregular.
+Her breathing was shallow. Her lips were blue. Her condition was
+obvious--space shock--extreme grade. She'd need medical attention if she
+was going to live. And she'd need it fast!
+
+"Just why, you educated nitwit," he snarled at himself, "didn't you have
+sense enough to give her that injection of Sonmol before we hypered! You
+haven't the sense of a decerebrate Capellan grackle!"
+
+He turned on the radio. "Emergency!" he said. "Any station! Space-shock
+case aboard. Extreme urgency."
+
+"Identify yourself--give your license. Over."
+
+"What port are you?"
+
+"Hunterstown--will you please identify? Over."
+
+"Your co-ordinates," Kennon snapped. "Over."
+
+"280.45--67.29 plus. Repeat--request your identification."
+
+"Pilot Kennon, Jac, Beta 47M 26429. I have no I.D. for the ship--and
+you'll see why when I land. Over."
+
+"Hunterstown Port to Kennon. You are not--repeat not--cleared to land.
+Go into orbit and report your position. Over."
+
+"Sorry, Hunterstown. You wouldn't have checked in if you didn't have
+room, and a hospital. This is an emergency. I'm setting down. Out."
+
+"But--" The words got no farther. Kennon was already spinning the ship.
+
+"All right--we have you on the scope. But this is a class one violation.
+You may come in on Landing Beam One."
+
+"Sorry. I have no GCA."
+
+"What?--what sort of ship are you flying?" The voice was curious.
+
+"I'm matching intrinsics over your port. Talk me in when I break through
+the overcast."
+
+"Talk you in?"
+
+"That's right. My instruments are obsolete."
+
+"Great Halstead! What else?"
+
+"I have an Ion drive. Plus two radioactive."
+
+"Oh no!--And you still want to come in?"
+
+"I have to. My passenger's in shock. She's going to have a baby."
+
+"All right--I'll try to get you down in one piece."
+
+"Have an ambulance ready," Kennon said.
+
+Kennon lowered the Egg through the overcast. Ground control picked him
+up smoothly and took him down as though it had been rehearsed. The Egg
+touched down in the radioactive area of the port. Decontamination jets
+hissed, sluicing the ship to remove surface contamination.
+
+"Ochsner! what sort of a ship is that?" Ground Control's startled voice
+came over the annunciator.
+
+"It's an old one," Kennon said.
+
+"That's a gross understatement. Stand by for boarders. Ambulance coming
+up."
+
+Kennon opened the airlock and two radiation-suited men entered. "At
+least you had sense enough to wear protective clothing in this hotbox,"
+one said as they carefully unwebbed Copper and carried her out of the
+lock. "You wait here. The Port Captain wants to see you."
+
+"Where are you taking her? What Center?" Kennon asked.
+
+"What should you care? You've nearly killed her. The idea of taking
+a pregnant woman up in this death trap! What in Fleming's name's the
+matter with your brain?"
+
+"I had to," Kennon said. "I had to. It was a matter of life and death."
+For once, he thought wryly, the cliche was true.
+
+The Betan's face behind the transparent helmet was disgusted and
+unbelieving. "I hear that sort of thing every day," he said. "Am I
+supposed to believe it?"
+
+"You'd believe it if you'd have been where I was," Kennon muttered.
+"Now--whe're are you taking her?" he demanded.
+
+The man arched blond eyebrows. "To the local Medical Center--where else?
+There's only one in this area."
+
+"Thanks," Kennon said.
+
+He watched the ambulance flit off as he waited for the Spaceport Patrol.
+There was no further need for the protection suit, so he peeled it off
+and hung it in the control-room locker. Copper was right, he mused. It
+did itch.
+
+The Port Captain's men were late as usual--moving gingerly through the
+radiation area. A noncom gestured for him to enter their carryall. "Port
+Captain wants to see you," he said.
+
+"I know," Kennon replied.
+
+"You should have waited upstairs."
+
+"I couldn't. It was a matter of medicine," Kennon said.
+
+The noncom's face sobered. "Why didn't you say so? All you said was that
+it was an emergency."
+
+"I've been away. I forgot."
+
+"You shouldn't have done that. You're a Betan, aren't you?"
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+They drove to the Port Office, where Kennon expected--and got--a bad
+time from the port officials. He filled out numerous forms, signed
+affidavits, explained his unauthorized landing, showed his spaceman's
+ticket, defended his act of piloting without an up-to-date license,
+signed more forms, entered a claim for salvage rights to the Egg, and
+finally when the Legal Division, the Traffic Control Division, the
+Spaceport Safety Office, Customs, Immigration, and Travelers Aid had
+finished with him, he was ushered into the presence of the Port Captain.
+
+The red-faced chunky officer eyed him with a cold stare. "You'll be
+lucky, young man, if you get out of this with a year in Correction. Your
+story doesn't hang together."
+
+It didn't, Kennon thought. But there was no sense telling all of it to
+a Port Captain. Under no circumstances could the man be any help to him.
+He had neither the power nor the prestige to request a Brotherhood Board
+of Inquiry. In rank, he was hardly more than a glorified Traffic Control
+officer. It would do no good to tell him an improbable tale of slavery
+on a distant planet. The only thing to do was wait out the storm and
+hope it would pass. If worst came to worst he'd use his rank, but he'd
+made enough stir already. He doubted if the Captain had authority to
+order him into Detention--but he was certain to get a lecture. These
+minor officials loved to tell someone off. He gritted his teeth. He'd
+endure it for Copper's sake--and to get out of here quietly. Alexander
+would undoubtedly have agents posted by now, and his only chance for
+temporary freedom of action was to get out of here with as little fuss
+as possible.
+
+He sat quietly, his flushed face and tight jaw muscles betraying his
+impatience as the Captain paced up and down and talked on and on. The
+man sounded like he could go for hours. With increasing impatience
+Kennon listened to the cadenced flow of complaint and condemnation,
+occasionally inserting a "Yes, sir" or "Sorry, sir" or "No, sir" as the
+words flowed around him.
+
+However, there had to be a breaking point somewhere, and the monotony
+was beginning to wear his temper thin. Another five minutes, he
+reflected, was about all he could take.
+
+The door chime rang softly.
+
+"Come in," the Port Captain said, breaking off in mid-tirade. The change
+in his manner was so abrupt that Kennon couldn't help smiling.
+
+A young blond man in an interne's gray uniform entered the room.
+
+"Yes, Doctor," the Port Captain said. "What can I do for you?"
+
+"Do you have a Jac Kennon here? Dr. Jac Kennon?"
+
+"Did you say doctor?" the Port Captain said in a half-strangled voice.
+
+"You never let me tell you," Kennon said mildly, "that my landing here
+was a matter of medicine. Technically you have contributed to a delay in
+treatment."
+
+The Port Captain's face paled. "Why didn't you say something?" he said.
+
+"Against your gale of wind I would be but a faint breeze," Kennon said
+coldly. He turned to the interne. "I'm Dr. Kennon." They bowed formally
+to each other.
+
+"I'm Smalley, sir, from the medical center. Dr. Brainard sends his
+compliments and requests that you join him for consultation."
+
+"The Port Captain--" Kennon began.
+
+"Don't worry about it, Doctor. I'll relinquish responsibility to Dr.
+Brainard," the Captain said.
+
+"I have placed a formal written request with your office," Smalley said
+stiffly. "You are relieved of further charge. Dr. Kennon is urgently
+needed. It is a matter of medicine."
+
+The Captain looked relieved. On Beta it was poor policy to interfere
+with the doings of doctors and engineers--or even doctors of philosophy.
+
+"Very well. He's yours--and I'm glad to be rid of him." The Port Captain
+bowed to Kennon and Smalley and stalked out of the office.
+
+"Pompous little man," Kennon observed, "but he certainly can talk."
+
+"Oh--you know these Administrative people," the interne said
+depreciatingly. "One mustn't mind them. They're necessary nuisances."
+He eyed Kennon curiously. "How is it that you didn't stand on your
+professional rights?"
+
+"I have my reasons--but they have nothing to do with medicine."
+
+"Oh--I see. Ethical." The interne's voice was faintly sarcastic.
+
+"Manners, Doctor--manners." Kennon's voice was gentle but the interne
+flushed a dull red.
+
+"Sorry, sir."
+
+"Don't mention it. It's normal for a graduate to confuse liberty with
+license." Kennon smiled. "Don't worry. I shan't report you."
+
+"That's good of you, sir." Smalley's face registered relief. Demerits
+were difficult to erase--particularly ones of courtesy.
+
+Kennon wondered if the young man would report himself. He doubted it.
+The interne didn't look the type--probably he was dated for some obscure
+job, like a general practitioner. He shrugged. It took all kinds to make
+a profession. Even the Smalleys had their place.
+
+"That girl you brought in," Smalley said as they entered a white
+car emblazoned with the three crosses, red, blue, and green, that
+represented the three fields of medicine. "She's an interesting case.
+I've never seen space shock before. And the patient herself--one would
+hardly believe she was a Betan."
+
+"She isn't," Kennon said.
+
+"So?" Blond eyebrows rose in inverted U's of surprise. "But that's
+hardly possible. Our tests indicate-"
+
+"Don't you think that this is a matter for Dr. Brainard?" Kennon said
+icily. "Protocol--"
+
+"Of course. Stupid of me--but the case is so interesting. Half the
+center staff have seen her already. I wasn't proposing to discuss the
+case. It wouldn't be proper. Even though you are only a veterinarian."
+
+"Only?" Kennon's voice was hard. "I shouldn't have to remind you of
+this, Mr. Smalley--but I have been for the past two years on a world of
+bad manners. I expected better here at home."
+
+Smalley flushed to the roots of his straw-colored hair. "Sorry, Doctor,"
+he muttered. "I don't know what's the matter with me."
+
+"I can tell you," Kennon said. "You've just graduated."
+
+"How did you know?" Smalley said.
+
+"I was a graduate once, myself--not too long ago."
+
+"How long, sir?"
+
+"Class of Eighty-seven."
+
+"That's twelve years ago," Smalley said.
+
+Kennon nodded. Ten years lost. Not bad--not bad at all. But Alexander
+could have done a lot in ten years.
+
+"I meant no disrespect," Smalley said worriedly.
+
+"I know it. But if you intend to practice on Beta, you'd better
+polish your professional manner. Now where I was, it didn't make much
+difference. Laymen often called me 'Doc.'"
+
+Smalley was properly shocked. "I hope you didn't encourage them, sir."
+
+"It was impossible to discourage them," Kennon said. "After all, when
+the man who hires you--"
+
+"Oh--entrepreneurs," Smalley said in a tone that explained everything.
+
+* * *
+
+The car stopped in front of the Medical Center's staff entrance. "This
+way, sir," Smalley said. He led the way down a green-tiled corridor
+to an elevator--then down another corridor past a pair of soft-footed
+nurses who eyed them curiously--looking at Kennon's tunic and sandals
+with mild disapproval in their eyes. Smalley stopped and knocked softly
+on a closed door.
+
+"Enter," said a pleasant baritone voice from the annunciator.
+
+"Dr. Brainard--Dr. Kennon," Smalley said.
+
+Kennon liked the man instantly. A plump, pink-cheeked man of middle
+age, with prematurely white hair, Dr. Will Brainard combined a fatherly
+appearance with an impression of quick intelligence. The fat that
+sheathed his stocky body had obviously not touched his mind. Brainard
+rose from the deep chair near the window where he had been sitting,
+knocked the ashes from his pipe, and bowed stiffly. His eyes--sharp
+points of blue in the smooth pinkness of his face--surveyed Kennon
+curiously.
+
+"So you're the young man who takes untrained pregnant women for rides in
+old-fashioned spacers," he said. "Didn't you know what would happen?"
+
+"I was in a hurry, Doctor," Kennon said.
+
+"Obviously. Now tell me about it." Brainard looked at the eager-faced
+interne standing behind Kennon. "That will be all, Smalley," he said.
+
+Kennon waited until the door closed. "Ordinarily," he said, "I'd never
+have done a thing like that, but there were some very pressing reasons.
+However, I should have given her an injection of Somnol before we
+started. I'm criminally liable. If anything happens to her--" His voice
+was tight with worry.
+
+"You'd give her an injection?" Brainard said. "I hope you didn't mean
+that."
+
+"But I did, sir. I've given thousands of Lani injections."
+
+"What's a Lani?"
+
+"She is, sir. The impression has been that her race isn't human."
+
+"Nonsense--it's obvious she is."
+
+"A Brotherhood Court of Inquiry didn't think so."
+
+"Hmm. Is that so?"
+
+"Yes, sir.--But before I go on, tell me, how is she?"
+
+"Oh, she'll be fine. A little mental therapy and plenty of rest are all
+she needs. She's a remarkably healthy young woman. But this is beside
+the point. There are a number of unusual features about this case that
+need investigation." Brainard took a standard hospital form from his
+desk. "Mind if I ask you some questions, Doctor?"
+
+"Not at all but you are due for some unpleasant shocks as you go through
+that form."
+
+"I believe I can survive them," Brainard said dryly.
+
+"This is professional confidence--" Kennon began.
+
+"Of course, of course," Brainard said impatiently. "Now let's get on
+with it."
+
+* * *
+
+"This is the most amazing tale I've ever heard," Brainard said slowly.
+"Are you certain you are telling the truth?"
+
+Kennon grinned. "I don't blame you for not believing me--but the
+evidence is conclusive, and there is enough documentary evidence in
+the space ship--and in the fact of the ship itself to prove what I am
+saying. Laboratory tests here will establish the fact that Copper's
+child is also mine. And as for Flora, a Brotherhood Investigation Team
+can prove that part."
+
+"That will be attended to," Brainard said grimly.
+
+"But how did you deduce she wasn't from a Betan colony?" Kennon asked.
+
+Brainard smiled. "That wasn't hard. Her sun tan and the condition of her
+feet proved she was a practicing nudist. No Betan girl ever practices
+nudism to my knowledge. Besides, the I.D. tattoo under her left arm and
+the V on her hip are no marks of our culture. Then there was another
+thing--the serological analysis revealed no gerontal antibodies. She
+had never received an injection of longevity compound in her life. This
+might occur, but it's highly improbable. The evidence indicates that
+she's extra-Betan."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"But this business of her being fifteen years old! That's impossible.
+She has the development of a woman of twenty-five."
+
+"Remember the Alpha V colony?" Kennon said.
+
+
+
+
+"Of course--oh--I see! It could be something like that.
+Certainly--strong yellow G-type sun--an isolated colony serviced at
+twenty-year intervals--there was a marked physical precocity."
+
+"And if this had been continued for several millennia?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Hmm--I see. Yes, it's possible. On Alpha V the colonists grew from
+infancy to maturity in fifteen years."
+
+"And wasn't Heaven one of our early colonies?"
+
+"Yes--it was established after the Great Schism near the end of the
+First Millennium--when science and religion split irrevocably on this
+world. We packed the whole lot of them off to a world of their own where
+they could develop as they pleased. They called it Heaven--odd name for
+a fogworld--but there's no accounting for tastes." Brainard chuckled.
+
+"I thought that was the case, but I couldn't remember. My ancient
+history is pretty weak."
+
+"You should read more," Brainard said. "But as I see it--this girl is of
+Betan ancestry providing your theory and the facts coincide."
+
+"Which could also explain why an outworld species of agerone would be
+toxic. They tried to prolong Lani life and met with failure. Our plants
+are mutant forms."
+
+"Just as we are a mutant race," Brainard said, "or partly mutant." He
+sighed. "You have brought us a great deal of trouble, Kennon. You are
+bringing matters to a head. If our investigations prove your statements,
+we are morally bound to open the Lani question. And if those people are
+of Betan origin--that fellow Alexander will have plenty to answer for."
+
+"I don't believe it is really his fault," Kennon said slowly. "I don't
+think he has ever known the truth."
+
+"Why didn't you tell him?"
+
+"The answer to that should be obvious. Even though I trusted him
+completely, I could never be sure. He has a Free Trader background
+and those people can't he trusted where money's concerned. The whole
+Kardonian culture is an outgrowth of Free Traderism: small business,
+independent corporation, linear trusts, and all the cutthroat
+competition such a culture would naturally have. It's a regular jungle
+of Free Enterprise. I couldn't predict how he would react. He could
+either act in a moral manner and make restitution, or he could quietly
+cut our throats and go on with his business."
+
+"I see. The temptation to cut a throat might be overwhelming."
+
+"They fight commercial wars," Kennon said.
+
+"Disgusting--utterly uncivilized! Under the circumstances you had no
+other course. Still, they have no moral right to enslave human beings."
+
+"There is always the element of doubt. Maybe they didn't know. After
+all, an impartial court declared the Lani alien--and the Betan mutation
+isn't known throughout the Brotherhood."
+
+"One doesn't go around broadcasting data on the variations of one's germ
+plasm," Brainard said. "That's a private affair--a matter of personal
+privacy."
+
+"And public safety?"
+
+Brainard nodded. "We're no more courageous than any other civilization.
+We have no desire to borrow trouble. We are content to leave things
+alone."
+
+"That's the trouble," Kennon said. "We're all content to leave things
+alone. If I hadn't found the spaceship I'd not have been able to lay
+aside my moral conditioning. And if I had not, Copper would not have
+become pregnant and forced me into these drastic actions. It's even
+possible that I would have done nothing." He grimaced. "And when I left
+Alexander's employment mnemonic erasure would have removed all memory of
+the Lani's human origin." He shrugged. "I still am not certain that it
+wouldn't have been the wiser course. Naturally, once I knew, I couldn't
+do anything else than what I did."
+
+"Naturally," Brainard said. "Humanity reaches the heights when it faces
+questions of moral responsibility."
+
+"To mankind," Kennon added heavily. "We have a convenient blind spot
+regarding our moral responsibility to other intelligent races."
+
+"A harsh fact, but true--and who is to judge whether it is right or
+wrong? We achieved dominance of Earth by our moral responsibility to
+family, tribe, and nation--and we nearly exterminated ourselves when
+we forgot that this responsibility went beyond nations and embraced
+all mankind. We learned that after the Exodus. As for the other
+races--perhaps someday we will learn moral responsibility for all
+intelligence--but we are not ready for that yet. That's too big a mental
+hurdle." Brainard sighed. "We are what we are, and we change slowly. But
+we change."
+
+"True enough," Kennon said. "But it's hard to be philosophical about
+it."
+
+"You're young. Live a couple of centuries and you will understand
+patience."
+
+Kennon smiled.
+
+"You know," Brainard said thoughtfully, "you still have plenty of things
+to do."
+
+"I know. I'll have to make a transcript of this discussion, have
+it witnessed, and make a sealed record. I have to arrange for the
+reposition of the evidence inside the Egg, and a complete recording of
+the Egg itself."
+
+"And to be safe you'll need several facsimiles, properly attested. The
+arms of these outworld entrepreneurs are long, and unfortunately not all
+Betans are models of honesty."
+
+"I'd better get started then."
+
+"Let me help you," Brainard said. "I have a little influence in this
+area--and your cause interests me." He picked up the phone on his desk.
+
+Kennon sighed. He had found an ally.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+"What are you going to do with that girl?" Brainard asked.
+
+"Formalize our mating as soon as she is able to get out of bed," Kennon
+replied.
+
+"She is an ignorant, untrained savage!" Brainard protested. "You should
+hear the stories the nurses tell about her!"
+
+Kennon chuckled. "You don't have to tell me about those. I've lived with
+Lani for two years. But she's not stupid."
+
+"What are your plans?"
+
+"After we establish her humanity legally," Kennon said, "I'm going to
+send her to school."
+
+"For twenty years?"
+
+"If necessary. But I don't think it will take that long. She has some
+schooling."
+
+"But no training--and what of the Lani in the meantime?"
+
+"I have plans for that. I'm going back to Kardon and give Alexander a
+chance to make restitution. I think he is an honorable man. Slavery may
+be as revolting to him as it is to any civilized human. He deserves a
+chance to rectify his grandfather's error."
+
+"That is reasonable--and in the best traditions of the Brotherhood."
+
+"Furthermore, it's practical," Kennon said. "Alexander is the only one
+fully qualified to handle the problems of enfranchisement. He's known
+the Lani all his life, and he is an executive type. A Brotherhood
+committee would probably botch the whole affair. What with colonial
+jurisdiction, territorial rights, and all the legal quibbling that
+committees love, the Lani would get a poor deal. And there's no reason
+to wreck the lives of a couple of hundred million Kardonians because
+the rightful owners of Kardon were illegally enslaved. That happened
+too long ago to have any practical meaning. There are other and better
+solutions."
+
+"What?"
+
+"How should I know?" Kennon asked. "But I'm sure Alexander will. That's
+his field."
+
+"All you have to worry about is whether he'll co-operate," Brainard
+said.
+
+"He'll co-operate once he knows the score," Kennon said confidently.
+"And he'll have to make some form of restitution. But it shouldn't
+involve Kardon. Actually the Lani were never in a position to develop
+that world. They'd probably have remained on Flora indefinitely. The old
+court records showed no tendency for their culture to expand. They
+were an inbred group, a static, balanced society in harmony with their
+environment. In nearly thirty-five hundred years their numbers increased
+only to a few thousand. Actually there is a good possibility that the
+race would ultimately have died out if Old Alexander hadn't enslaved
+them and instituted a controlled breeding program. There are more Lani
+alive today than there were at the height of their power. So in a way
+Old Alexander did them a favor. He kept their race alive. All we can
+expect is a fair and just settlement."
+
+"But if Alexander doesn't co-operate?"
+
+"That's where you come in. You'll be a watchdog. If you don't receive
+annual progress reports from me--and see or talk to me personally every
+second year, you are released from our bond and can do what you wish
+with the evidence I've accumulated."
+
+"We'd better get this into Private Record," Brainard said. "We can
+transcribe an agreement and place it in the Public Repository."
+
+"A good idea and we'd better waste no time. Alexander might still be
+looking for me--and if he is, it's merely a question of time before he
+catches up."
+
+"Ten years have passed. It's doubtful. But we could keep you here at the
+Center."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "Too dangerous. And besides it would compromise
+you. No--we'll get everything possible done to make the Lani's case
+airtight, and then I'll return to Kardon. It will put our case in
+a better light if it ever comes to trial, if I go back voluntarily.
+Anyway--I'm morally bound to return. Now let's make this record."
+
+"It's your decision," Brainard said. "And it's your neck--but I must
+admit that I agree with you."
+
+"I'll feel safer when we get the legal details clarified," Kennon said.
+
+"And what of the girl?"
+
+"Can you take care of her if I have to leave quickly?"
+
+"Of course. I'll give her personal attention, and after she has her
+child I'll see that she is sent to you."
+
+"That's decent of you, Doctor."
+
+"It's my moral responsibility," Brainard said as he slipped a new tape
+into the recorder.
+
+* * *
+
+Copper responded quickly to rest and therapy. The space shock cleared up
+quickly. The gerontological treatments put her to bed again, but within
+a month she was completely normal, and her lifespan was now that of a
+normal human. She could look forward to some four hundred years with
+Kennon--and the prospect was not unpleasant. The Center fascinated her.
+Never before had she seen a hospital devoted to the care and
+treatment of humans. It was a far cry, in its polished steel and stone
+magnificence, from the tiny primitive structure over which Kennon had
+presided. Yet both places served the same purpose. Perhaps Kennon was
+right--that there was no difference between man and Lani. The idea was
+not nearly as unbelievable as it was at first.
+
+"I never realized what it meant to be human," Copper said as she held
+Kennon's hand. "It is nice to feel important and to know that our child
+is a member of the race that rules the galaxy."
+
+"So you're convinced?" Kennon chuckled.
+
+"The serological identity--" she began.
+
+"Hmm. You've been getting some education, I see."
+
+"Well," Copper smiled, "I didn't think you wanted a stupid woman. I can
+read--and since you are around so seldom nowadays, there is little else
+to do. I've been reading history, medicine, and novels," she finished
+proudly.
+
+"A fine catholic selection," Kennon said, "Now if you add mathematics,
+sociology, and philosophy you'll have a well-rounded basic education."
+
+"Dr. Brainard has been trying something he calls 'hypno.' He says it
+will help me learn faster. But I can't see that it's done much good."
+
+"You won't until you need the information," Kennon said.
+
+"That technique is only good for implanting basic knowledge, and much of
+that will merely supplement or complete that which you already have. You
+won't be conscious of it."
+
+"Oh--I think I see what you mean."
+
+"Of course, you'll have to continue your formal education. There's a
+great deal for you to learn. It should keep you busy while I'm away."
+
+"Away? Where are you going?"
+
+"Back to Kardon."
+
+"But you can't! Alexander will destroy you."
+
+"I think not. After all, ten years have elapsed since we left there and
+he's had plenty of time to think. Douglas must have told him about us.
+I wouldn't be surprised if he has already done something about your
+people."
+
+She shivered. "He might--but the question is what would he do? He could
+have killed them all!"
+
+Kennon shook his head. "I don't think so. He never struck me as a mass
+murderer."
+
+She shook her head. "You don't know the Alexanders like I do. I was
+raised by them. They're capable of anything. But what is this business
+of ten years? That's silly. I haven't had my child yet--and it doesn't
+take ten years of pregnancy to produce a baby."
+
+"It's the difference between subjective and objective time," Kennon
+said. "We traveled here through hyperspace--low Cth--in an uncompensated
+ship, and there is little temporal flow in the levels below the blue."
+
+"Oh--of course."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "That would have been Greek to you a couple of weeks
+ago. See where that basic data fits?"
+
+"But I've always known that."
+
+"You just think you have. Search your memory and see if I'm not right."
+
+Copper shook her head. "It's very strange," she said. "But that's not
+important. This idea of going back to Kardon, though--that's a different
+thing--that is important."
+
+"I have to do it. Not only because it's a personal moral obligation but
+also because of the Lani. They must have their freedom."
+
+"Providing there are any still alive."
+
+"Stop being a calamity howler. Whatever Alexander may be, he's not a
+butcher. He even loved a Lani once. You told me so yourself. And he
+couldn't kill where he loved."
+
+She nodded. "I suppose you're right, but I've never lost my fear of the
+Man Alexander. He held the power of life and death over me. But if you
+must go then I should go too. My obligation is greater than yours."
+
+"Later," Kennon said. "You're not ready to return. It will be time
+enough after you have learned some civilized habits."
+
+Copper's face lengthened. "You mean like wrapping myself in cloth like
+these people do?"
+
+"That's part of it."
+
+"Why can't they be sensible--or are they so ashamed of what the gods
+gave them that they must hide themselves?"
+
+"No, it's not that. At least not exactly. It's custom. And you must
+learn to conform to customs--outwardly at least--no matter what you may
+really think."
+
+"Isn't that a form of lying?" Copper asked.
+
+"I suppose so."
+
+"Isn't that strange. Your society exalts truth, honor, morality, and
+intelligence--yet you lie about your attitude."
+
+"It's called diplomacy," Kennon said. "It's part of respect for others'
+attitudes and beliefs, a necessary part of human relationships."
+
+"Then you'd be a nudist on Santos?"
+
+"Of course--even though I think it isn't proper, I couldn't inflict my
+ideas and attitudes on the customs of an independent world."
+
+"Oh--you think I'm doing that?"
+
+"Yes--and it is a mark of barbarism."
+
+"Sometimes you're not very nice," Copper said.
+
+Kennon smiled wryly. "I suppose I'm not," he agreed.
+
+"I'll try to be civilized," Copper said. "But if you go to Kardon--I'm
+going with you."
+
+"Perhaps," Kennon said. "We'll see how things turn out."
+
+"You don't want me to go with you?"
+
+"To be honest--no," Kennon said. "You're safe here, and until your
+status is cleared by a Brotherhood court, I wouldn't care to place you
+in Alexander's hands. And clearing your status is going to take time."
+
+"You mean that I am still his property?"
+
+"Yes. But there is a legal doubt that will prevent him from exercising
+his claim as long as you stay on Beta. In the area where he has power,
+that doubt might not hold. So until your status is definitely proven to
+be human, you should not leave."
+
+"And what happens if this court denies my claim?"
+
+"Then we appeal to the Council. However, with the evidence we have, your
+claim cannot reasonably be denied. The only question is one of time. It
+may take years. Still, I don't think there is anything to worry about. I
+don't think Alexander will give us any trouble, but there's no sense in
+taking chances."
+
+"You still think I'm a Lani," she said accusingly.
+
+"I do not."
+
+"Then you think that I'd obey Alexander, after what I did to Douglas."
+
+"I can only repeat that Douglas isn't the Boss-man."
+
+"I wish I knew what you really thought."
+
+"That isn't hard. I think you should stay here until I get this business
+straightened out."
+
+"That's all?" she asked suspiciously. "After all, I know I'm not very
+pretty now. And there's lots of Lani on Flora--"
+
+"Oh, for Ochsner's sake! Do you think that I'm--" He paused, speechless.
+"Just what do you think I am?"
+
+"You're a man. And that's the trouble."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "So that's it! You don't trust me."
+
+"I love you," Copper said.
+
+"Sometimes I wonder why men ever finalize their status with women,"
+Kennon murmured. "It does no good. It doesn't convince the woman. She's
+still fearful, jealous, and suspicious--always belittling her ability
+to hold what she has, always alert for competition, clinging, holding,
+absorbing--when she should be working as part of a team."
+
+"That's not true!"
+
+"Then prove it."
+
+"How--by staying here while you go to the end of the galaxy and play
+noble?"
+
+"I'm only doing what I have to do."
+
+"And so am I--and if you go I'm going with you."
+
+Kennon shrugged. There was no sense arguing. The only thing to do was
+make his plans and leave quietly. If she was faced with an established
+fact, she might be more reasonable. He doubted it, but alone, she could
+do nothing--and Brainard would see that she was comfortable. The salvage
+money from the Egg would keep her from being a public charge. And he had
+more banked in Albertsville which he could send her once he got there.
+He'd start making plans to leave as soon as possible.
+
+Copper looked up at him as he stood above her bed. Slowly she reached
+out and placed one slim hand in his. "I know what you are thinking," she
+said, "and--" her face twisted in a grimace of pain, and the hand in his
+clutched with convulsive strength at his fingers.
+
+"What's the matter?" he said.
+
+"Nothing--it's perfectly normal," she said. "I'm just going to give you
+a son. Now if you'd call for the doctor, perhaps we can get this over.
+That pain was only twenty minutes from the last. I think it's about
+time."
+
+Kennon--who had attended several hundred Lani births and had developed a
+certain callousness about them--was suddenly frightened and helpless
+as he pushed the call button. He could feel the cold sweat form on his
+forehead. He had started this. It was his fault if anything went wrong.
+He wished that it was someone else rather than Copper who was going
+through this trial. He was nervous, unsure, and guilty. In a word, he
+felt like a man whose mate was giving birth to their first child.
+
+* * *
+
+"It's a boy," Dr. Brainard said. He smiled down at Kennon's haggard
+face.
+
+"How is Copper?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Fine--she's healthy as a horse."
+
+Kennon winced at the cliche It was so ancient that it had lost all
+meaning. Most Betans didn't know what a horse was, let alone whether
+it was healthy or not. From what Kennon could remember of veterinary
+history, the horse wasn't too healthy an animal. It was rather delicate,
+in fact.
+
+"How is the child?" Kennon asked. It took a little courage to ask this
+question. The baby could be anything from normal to a monstrosity.
+
+"Perfectly normal," Brainard said. "A true Betan type even down to the
+vestigial tail. We amputated that, of course."
+
+"Thank Ochsner!" Kennon breathed. "I was afraid."
+
+"Of course you were," Brainard said. "Do you want to see them now? When
+I left, Copper was asking for you."
+
+Kennon sighed. Leaving, he realized, wasn't going to be as easy as he
+had thought.
+
+"We'll have to keep them here for a couple of months," Brainard said.
+"We must take exhaustive tests if we expect the court to reverse its
+prior decision."
+
+"I expected that," Kennon said. He shrugged, "It's probably best," he
+said. "Now show me where Copper is."
+
+"She's back in the same room. You don't need a guide."
+
+Kennon didn't. In fact, he behaved quite admirably.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+Longliners, Kennon reflected, didn't make Beta a port of call, and the
+Shortliner connections with other worlds were infrequent. Beta had done
+a good job separating from the rest of the Brotherhood. Too good. The
+spaceline schedules showed only one departure in the next month, a
+Shortliner for Earth, and from Earth the road to Kardon was long and
+tortuous, involving a series of short jumps from world to world and a
+final medium-range hop from Halsey to Kardon. If everything went right
+and he made every connection he would be in Kardon four months after he
+left Beta. Kennon sighed as he left Travelers Aid. Morality was a heavy
+load to carry.
+
+He walked slowly down the road from the spaceport toward the
+Co-operative where he had been staying. He had left Huntersville and
+Copper a week ago, after he had seen his child. His child! The thought
+of being a father was oddly dismaying. It distorted his sense of values.
+But one thing was certain. He was returning to Kardon, and Copper was
+not coming with him. She had a duty to their son--and he had a duty to
+his contract with Alexander, to the Lani on Flora, and to Copper--and
+none of these could be satisfied by further running. He had to return
+and settle the account.
+
+A tall man in a conservative yellow-and-black suit was waiting patiently
+in front of his room. "My name is Richter," he said "--Art Richter. Are
+you Dr. Jac Kennon?"
+
+"I could deny it, but I won't," Kennon said.
+
+"Thank you, Doctor. It was just a formality anyway. You see, I know
+you by sight." He sighed. "One has to observe the formalities in this
+business." He drew a long white envelope from his tunic and handed it to
+Kennon. "Most of my subjects try to deny their identity," he said.
+
+"It's a refreshing change to find an honest man." He bowed formally.
+"I really thought this would be harder, considering the charges against
+you." He bowed again and walked away.
+
+"Now--what was that?" Kennon muttered as he opened the envelope. The
+man Richter was undoubtedly a process server--but who had hired him?
+He unfolded the sheet and scanned the charges--coercion, larceny,
+livestock theft, and breach of contract. He shrugged. This was
+Alexander's work. What was the man thinking of? It was insanity to
+bring the Lani matter into open court. Hadn't Douglas told him what had
+happened? Couldn't Alexander guess that he had fled with Copper for a
+good reason--one that would stand up in court? Didn't he know about the
+spacer? Or had Douglas turned on his cousin? The pup had so many hates
+that it was possible. He was a natural troublemaker. Maybe Alexander
+didn't know. Maybe he was working in the dark. Kennon scanned the sheet
+quickly. Ah! here it was. Complaint--Mr. Alexander X. M. Alexander,
+Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City!
+
+Alexander! Here on Beta! Kennon opened the door of his room, went
+straight to the phone beside the bed. He lifted the handset from its
+cradle and dialed the operator. "Get me Huntersville THU 2-1408. I want
+to speak to Dr. Brainard, Dr. Will Brainard. This is a priority
+call--my name is Kennon. Dr. Jac Kennon D.V.M. I'm in the registry--47M
+26429--yes--of course, and thank you." He waited a moment. "Hello--Dr.
+Brainard?--Kennon here. I've just had some news. Alexander's on Beta!
+Yes--he served me with a summons. Can you get a restraining order to
+prevent him from leaving? You can? Good! Here's his address." Kennon
+rattled off the location. "Yes--I'm taking the next airboat to Beta
+City. This should simplify things considerably.--Of course it should. He
+was a fool to have come here. Yes--I suppose you should tell Copper.
+Oh! She is? I'm sorry to hear that, but there's no reason for her to
+be angry. She should realize that I did this for her--not to make her
+miserable. Hmm.--She--she has? You think she should come with
+me?--Yes, I realize she can be a problem when she wants to be. All right
+then--tell her to pack a toothbrush and a few spare diapers. And see if
+you can get me a couple of tickets on the next flight to Beta City. I'll
+be over in a couple of hours and pick her up." He cradled the phone and
+dialed the operator again.
+
+"I want the phone number of Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City, Mr.
+Alexander. Yes. I'll wait. This number is HUV 2-1278 and my name
+is Kennon, Dr. Jac Kennon 47M 26429. I called you before. No, I'm a
+transient. I can refer you to Dr. James Brainard, Huntersville Medical
+Center. Yes, I'll accept charges. Now will you give me that number? BCA
+7-8941--thank you."
+
+Kennon hung up, dialed the number, and waited.
+
+"Hello," he said. "Mr. Alexander? This is Dr. Kennon.--Yes--I suppose
+you do, but I've been trying to get back to Kardon for the past month.
+You are? Well, that's your privilege, but I'd advise you to go easy
+until I see you. Naturally--I'm coming as soon as I can get there. We'll
+be seeing you tomorrow morning at the latest. We?--I'm bringing Copper,
+of course. I just wanted you to know."
+
+Kennon wiped his forehead. Alexander sounded angry and dangerous. Ten
+years hadn't served to cool him off. What had happened on Kardon after
+he had left? Kennon shook his head. There was something here he didn't
+understand. The entrepreneur should have been covering his tracks, not
+threatening jail and disaccreditation. It was obvious that a personal
+visit was more necessary than he had thought.
+
+Alexander was waiting. His eyebrows rose at the sight of Copper in
+formal Betan dress--and lifted a trifle more at the sight of the baby.
+
+"What is this, Kennon?" he asked.
+
+"Trouble," Kennon said. He took off his hat. "I came here to settle
+things before you took this case to court. You obviously do not
+understand what has happened. I suppose Douglas has double-crossed you.
+It would be characteristic of him. But before we go any further I think
+we should clear the air and let each other know where we stand. I
+don't want to make trouble if it's not necessary. You'll notice I'm not
+wearing a thought screen, so you'll be able to check everything I say,
+and know I'm telling the truth."
+
+"It had better be good," Alexander said grimly. "I've been looking for
+you for ten years. I intend to throw the book at you."
+
+"I don't know whether my reason is good or not. Technically I'm guilty
+of breach of contract and larceny of corporation property, but there are
+extenuating circumstances."
+
+Alexander chuckled mirthlessly. "There are a few other charges. And
+quite probably I can think of more if you beat these. I'm going to make
+an example of you, Kennon. I'm going to drag you down and stamp on you.
+You're going to be a horrible example to all smart operators who think
+they can break contracts. It's taken a million credits and ten years'
+time to hunt you down, but it's going to be worth it."
+
+"Copper's child is a boy," Kennon said mildly. "My son."
+
+Alexander froze. "You can prove that?" he asked in a half-strangled
+voice.
+
+Kennon nodded. "You see the extenuating circumstance?" he asked.
+"Suppression of human slavery!"
+
+Alexander sat down. It was as though some unseen hand had pulled his
+legs from under him. "You believe it," he said. "--No--you've proved
+it! Why--why didn't you tell me? What sort of a man do you think I am?"
+
+"I didn't know. I couldn't take the chance until Copper was protected.
+You see, sir, I love her."
+
+"That isn't hard to do with Lani," Alexander said. He sank back in his
+chair, his face clouded, his expression troubled. It was obvious that
+the realization shocked him.
+
+Kennon felt an odd sympathy for the entrepreneur. It wasn't a nice
+feeling, he suspected, to have the beliefs of a lifetime ripped apart
+and sent to the disposal chute.
+
+"So the Lani are a human variant," Alexander said dully.
+
+"The proof is here," Kennon said, "and the supporting evidence is
+conclusive."
+
+"Which makes me--what? A murderer? A slaver? A tyrant?" Alexander
+clutched his head with lean-fingered hands. "What am I?"
+
+"An innocent victim of circumstances," Kennon said. "You didn't know.
+None of us knew. And we still wouldn't know if the Lani weren't of
+Betan extraction." He grimaced painfully. "I've done some soul-searching
+myself, and it hasn't been a pleasant task."
+
+"But it's nothing like mine," Alexander said in a low voice. "I
+suspected they were human when I was younger, but I denied my suspicions
+and accepted false facts instead of investigating."
+
+"You would have found nothing."
+
+"Unfortunately, that's not true. We discovered quite a bit from the
+experimental station you left us when you disappeared ten years ago. But
+we stopped when we found the age that was being indoctrinated with Lani
+tabus. We could have gone farther, but I didn't think it was necessary."
+
+"Didn't Douglas tell you?" Kennon asked curiously. "I told him when I
+turned him loose."
+
+"Douglas didn't tell anything except that you had somehow gotten a
+spaceship. I assumed it was one of those that were involved in that
+commercial raid a few decades ago, but I see it wasn't. No--I knew
+nothing about this development. And Douglas, I guess, wanted to keep
+it hidden. He gave your co-ordinates and ordered Mullins to launch a
+missile. But he apparently forgot to turn on his IFF. At any rate
+the missile lost you--but found Douglas. Douglas was still talking to
+Alexandria when it struck."
+
+"He might have informed you," Kennon said. "If he had more time."
+
+"I doubt it. He ordered the missile first. He was trying to destroy you
+before you could destroy Outworld Enterprises. His motives were selfish
+as usual." Alexander looked at Kennon with a haggard eye. "I owe you an
+apology," he said. "I've considered you responsible for Douglas's death
+for ten years. I've searched for you on a hundred worlds. My agents in
+every branch office have had standing orders to report any unusual
+arrivals. I have hunted you personally. I wanted to break you--I wanted
+to kill you."
+
+"I couldn't help the delay," Kennon said. "The ship was old."
+
+"I know. You've told me more than you think. I'm a telepath, you know."
+
+"I've never forgotten it," Kennon said. "That was one of the principal
+reasons I came here. I wanted to see how you'd react when you learned
+the whole truth."
+
+"And I suppose you gloat--no--you're not doing that. But you are right.
+I could have checked it further. But I didn't. Outworld Enterprises is
+far bigger than Flora--and I was busy. Galactic trade is a snake-pit.
+And, after all, there was Douglas's death--and the Family with their
+never-ending clamor for money and their threats when it didn't come
+promptly. I like being an entrepreneur, but until I made Outworld
+independent of Family control, I couldn't do anything except run the
+business to their wishes. Actually the island was only a small part of
+the corporation. I tried to run it as humanely as possible under the
+circumstances." He shuddered. "I don't think I was ever needlessly
+cruel."
+
+"No," Kennon said, "you were indifferent."
+
+"Which is just as bad," Alexander said.
+
+"Well--what are you going to do about it?" Copper interjected. "You can
+beat yourself until you're blue, but that won't accomplish anything."
+
+"What are you going to do?" Alexander countered. "You have the upper
+hand."
+
+"Me?" Copper asked. "I have nothing. This is between you men." She
+lapsed into silence.
+
+Alexander turned back to Kennon. "You have undoubtedly made some
+arrangements. You wouldn't come here--oh! I see. Congratulations.
+Handling the evidence that way was a wise course. You have my
+admiration. But then I should have known that I was not dealing with a
+fool." He smiled wryly. "Subconsciously I think I did know--but--"
+
+"That's one consolation," Kennon grinned. "To be thought a rascal is bad
+enough, but to be considered a fool is intolerable."
+
+"But your decision not to use the evidence unless you were forced
+to--that's poor business."
+
+"But good morals," Kennon said. "Neither the Brotherhood nor I could
+settle this affair. It is a matter only you can handle. There is
+no sense in killing Outworld or throwing Kardon into centuries of
+litigation. The Lani never were numerous enough to lay claim to an
+entire world. I'll admit the club is there, but I'll never use it unless
+it's necessary."
+
+"Why not?--it's sound business practice."
+
+"I'm a professional--not a businessman. And besides, I haven't the moral
+right to return evil for good. You have not been a bad boss."
+
+"Thanks," Alexander said glumly. "I've always considered myself
+civilized."
+
+"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Kennon said. "Honorable,
+yes--civilized, no. But none of us are really civilized."
+
+"So?"
+
+"We haven't changed much, despite our development. Perhaps we've varied
+a little physically--and we've learned to use new tools, but our minds
+are still the minds of barbarians--blood brothers against the enemy, and
+everything not of us is enemy. Savages--hiding under a thin veneer
+of superficial culture. Savages with spaceships and the atom." Kennon
+looked down at Copper. Apparently her thoughts were miles away in an
+introspective world that was all her own. She had said her piece and
+having done that was content to let the two men develop it. Kennon
+looked at her with odd respect. Alexander eyed her with a mildly
+startled expression on his lean face. And both men smiled, but the
+smiles were not amused.
+
+"Judging from Copper," Alexander said, "I don't think we'll have to
+worry about how the Lani will turn out." He looked at Kennon with mild
+sympathy. "You are going to have quite a time with her," he said.
+
+"I suppose so. I'll probably never know whether I'm guided or whether
+I'm doing the guiding. I've changed a lot of my opinions about Copper
+since the day I met her."
+
+Copper looked up and smiled at them. It was an odd smile, hinting at
+secrets neither of them would ever know. Alexander chuckled. "It serves
+you right." He crossed his legs and looked up at Kennon standing before
+him. By some uncanny legerdemain he had gotten control of himself
+and the situation at the same time. Being telepathic was an unfair
+advantage, Kennon thought.
+
+"You were equally unfair with your accusation," Alexander said.
+"Sure--humanity makes mistakes, and like this one they're sometimes
+brutal mistakes. But we are capable of atonement. Morally we have come a
+long way from the brutality of the Interregnum. I shouldn't have to use
+examples, but look at that"--he waved at the view wall at the panorama
+of gleaming fairy towers and greenery that made Beta City one of the
+most beautiful in the Brotherhood. "Don't tell me that five thousand
+years of peace and development haven't produced civilization. That's a
+concrete example out there."
+
+"It isn't," Kennon said flatly. "Sure, it's pretty--clean--and
+beautifully designed for art and utility--but it isn't civilization.
+You're confusing technology with culture. You look at this and say,
+'What a great civilization man has built,' when you really mean, 'What
+a great technology mankind has developed.' There's all the difference in
+the world. Technology is of the mind and hands. Civilization is of the
+spirit--and spiritually we are still in the Dark Ages.
+
+"We conquer, kill, loot, and enslave. We establish standards to keep
+humanity a closed corporation, a special club in which men can live but
+aliens can't. We've made the standards for admission so rigid that
+we even enslave our own kind and call them animals. That's not
+civilization--that's savagery!
+
+"For nearly five hundred years your family has run a slave pen. Your
+fortune is based upon it. And you have perpetuated this traffic in flesh
+on the specious reasoning that a court judgment of half a millennium ago
+is as good today as when it was handed down. Never once did anyone have
+the moral courage to re-examine that old decision. Never once did any
+human question the rightness of that decision. None of us are immune.
+We all based our conduct upon an antiquated law and searched no further.
+Everyone was happy with the status quo--or at least not so unhappy that
+they wanted to change it. Even I would have been content had it not been
+for Copper."
+
+"Yet I do not feel that it was bad that I hired you," Alexander said.
+"Even though you have shown me that I am a slaver, and made me see
+faults I never knew I had." His face was drawn--harsh lines reached from
+nose to lips, from eyes to chin. Suddenly he looked old. "I can accept
+censure if censure is just. And this is just. No--I'm not sorry I hired
+you even though the thought of what I have helped do to the Lani makes
+me sick to my stomach."
+
+"Well--" Kennon said. "What are you going to do about it?"
+
+"I don't know," Alexander said. "At the first smell of trouble, the
+Family will turn tail and run. You can break the company, and I won't
+stand in your way. It's only just. You're the one who's carrying the
+ball. Now run with it."
+
+"That damned blind spot," Kennon said. "You realize, of course, that
+you're not legally liable. It was a mistake. All you have to do is admit
+the error and start from there. Naturally--no reasonable intelligence
+would expect that you change the older Lani. They're too old for either
+agerone or change. It would be both cruel and inhuman to turn them
+loose. It's with the youngsters that you can work--those who are
+physically and physiologically young enough to derive benefit from
+agerone and education.
+
+"As I remember, you bought a planet called Phoebe. Now why don't you--"
+
+"Phase out! Of course! But that means that you can't press charges."
+
+"Why should I? I'm not one of these starry-eyed reformers who expect
+to change things overnight. It's the future of the Lani race that's
+important, And Brainard agrees with me. A phase-out is the proper
+solution. Change the education, let males be born--teach the young to
+think instead of to obey. Give them Phoebe for a home--they never owned
+all of Kardon anyway. And within a century or two we will have a new
+group of the human race--and then we can tell the Brotherhood."
+
+Kennon looked inquiringly at Copper. She smiled and nodded. "It would
+cause less trouble that way," she said. "It would be more sure--and
+there are never too many old ones."
+
+Kennon shuddered, thinking of the euthanasia chambers on Otpen One.
+"There will be more from now on," he said.
+
+"Outworld can afford it. It'll bend us a little but we won't break--and
+besides, the Lani will need our help for some time to come." Alexander
+looked at Kennon. "Can we make an agreement that all parties will
+respect?" he asked.
+
+"I think so--providing there are no sleeper clauses in it," Kennon said.
+
+"There won't be," Alexander said.
+
+And there weren't.
+
+* * *
+
+It was a private ceremony. The Family, sulky and unwilling, faced with
+a choice of drastically reduced income or outright confiscation and
+preferring a portion of a loaf to none. Alexander--grim but oddly
+peaceful of expression. Brainard--pink-cheeked and emotionless. Kennon
+and Copper--happily conscious that it was at last finished. It was an
+oddly assorted group of conspirators who planned to restore a segment of
+humanity to the human race.
+
+Kennon signed last, and as he did, Alexander looked at him with a sly
+grin distorting the smooth pallor of his face.
+
+"You forgot something," he said.
+
+"What?" Kennon said--aware suddenly that something was wrong.
+
+"What do you plan to do, now that this is over?"
+
+"Join the Medical Center here and practice veterinary medicine."
+
+"You wouldn't care to work for me--to help rebuild the wreckage you've
+helped create? I'll need a manager on Kardon to phase out the island
+while we phase in Phoebe."
+
+"No, thank you. I've had enough of that."
+
+"You just think you have," Alexander said gleefully. "That's what you
+have forgotten. You've gotten your agreement--now you will satisfy me.
+As I see it you have breached your contract by leaving Flora without
+authorization."
+
+"That is right," Kennon said. A small lump of lead began to grow rapidly
+larger in his stomach. Brainard was grinning and Copper's eyes were
+shining. "You've been jobbed!" his mind told him. He sighed. He knew
+what was coming next.
+
+"The punitive clause for breach of contract," Alexander went on
+inexorably, "is very broad. Discretion is vested in the entrepreneur. I
+can obtain judgment against you in any court on any planet."
+
+"I know," Kennon said glumly.
+
+"But I am going to be civilized," Alexander said. "I am going to be
+merciful. I am going to extend your contract until phase-out has been
+completed. You are going to have control of the entire Kardon phase of
+the operation. It's poetic justice--you made the mess--now you can clean
+it up."
+
+"That's inhuman!"
+
+"Humanity has nothing to do with it. It's justice," Alexander said. He
+smiled at Copper's radiant face. The thought of going home was good to
+her. "Good luck on your new job, Dr. Kennon," he said. "And welcome to
+the brotherhood of the ulcer."
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lani People, by J. F. Bone
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+The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Lani People by J. F. Bone
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+The Lani People
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+by J. F. Bone
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+February, 2001  [Etext #2509]
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+
+
+
+
+
+The Lani People
+
+by J. F. Bone
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+The boxed ad in the opportunities section of the Kardon Journal
+of Allied Medical Sciences stood out like a cut diamond in a
+handful of gravel. "Wanted," it read, "Veterinarian - for
+residency in active livestock operation. Single recent graduate
+preferred. Quarters and service furnished. Well-equipped
+hospital. Five-year contract, renewal option, starting salary
+15,000 cr./annum with periodic increases. State age, school,
+marital status, and enclose recent tri-di with application.
+Address Box V-9, this journal."
+
+Jac Kennon read the box a second time. There must be a catch to
+it. Nothing that paid a salary that large could possibly be on
+the level. Fifteen thousand a year was top pay even on Beta, and
+an offer like this for a new graduate was unheard of - unless
+Kardon was in the middle of an inflation. But Kardon wasn't. The
+planet's financial status was A-1. He knew. He'd checked that
+immediately after landing. Whatever might be wrong with Kardon,
+it wasn't her currency. The rate of exchange was 1.2-1 Betan.
+
+A five-year contract - hmm - that would the seventy-five
+thousand. Figure three thousand a year for living expenses, that
+would leave sixty-plenty of capital to start a clinic. The banks
+couldn't turn him down if he had that much cash collateral.
+
+Kennon chuckled wryly. He'd better get the job before he started
+spending the money he didn't have. He had 231 credits plus a few
+halves, tenths, and hundredths, a diploma in veterinary medicine,
+some textbooks, a few instruments, and a first-class spaceman's
+ticket. By watching his expenses he had enough money to live here
+for a month and if nothing came of his efforts to find a job on
+this planet, there was always his spaceman's ticket and another
+world.
+
+Another world! There were over six thousand planets in the
+Brotherhood of Man. At two months per planet, not figuring
+transit time, it would take more than a thousand Galactic
+Standard years to visit them all, and a man could look forward to
+scarcely more than five hundred at best. The habitat of Man had
+become too large. There wasn't time to explore every possibility.
+
+But a man could have certain standards, and look until he found a
+position that fitted. The trouble was - if the standards were too
+high the jobs were too scarce. Despite the chronic shortage of
+veterinarians throughout the Brotherhood, there was a peculiar
+reluctance on the part of established practitioners to welcome
+recent graduates. Most of the ads in the professional journals
+read "State salary desired," which was nothing more than economic
+blackmail - a bald-faced attempt to get as much for as little as
+possible. Kennon grimaced wryly. He'd be damned if he'd sell his
+training for six thousand a year. Slave labor, that's what it
+was. There were a dozen ads like that in the Journal. Well, he'd
+give them a trial, but he'd ask eight thousand and full GEA
+benefits. Eight years of school and two more as an intern were
+worth at least that.
+
+He pulled the portable voicewrite to a comfortable position in
+front of the view wall and began composing another of the series
+of letters that had begun months ago in time and parsecs away in
+space. His voice was a fluid counterpoint to the soft hum of the
+machine.
+
+And as he dictated, his eyes took in the vista through the view
+wall. Albertsville was a nice town, too young for slums, too new
+for overpopulation. The white buildings were the color of winter
+butter in the warm yellow sunlight as the city drowsed in the
+noonday heat. It nestled snugly in the center of a bowl-shaped
+valley whose surrounding forest clad hills gave mute confirmation
+to the fact that Kardon was still primitive, an unsettled world
+that had not yet reached the explosive stage of population growth
+that presaged maturity. But that was no disadvantage. In fact,
+Kennon liked it. Living could be fun on a planet like this.
+
+It was abysmally crude compared to Beta, but the Brotherhood had
+opened Kardon less than five hundred years ago, and in such a
+short time one couldn't expect all the comforts of civilization.
+
+It required a high population density to supply them, and while
+Kardon was integrated its population was scarcely more than two
+hundred million. It would be some time yet before this world
+would achieve a Class I status. However, a Class II planet had
+some advantages. What it lacked in conveniences it made up in
+opportunities and elbow room.
+
+A normal Betan would have despised this world, but Kennon wasn't
+normal, although to the casual eye he was a typical
+representative of the Medico-Technological Civilization, long
+legged, fair haired, and short bodied with the typical Betan
+squint that left his eyes mere slits behind thick lashes and
+heavy brows. The difference was internal rather than external.
+
+Possibly it was due to the fact that his father was the commander
+of a Shortliner and most of his formative years had been spent in
+space. To Kennon, accustomed to the timeless horror of hyper
+space, all planets were good, broad open places where a man could
+breathe unfiltered air and look for miles across distances
+unbroken by dually bulk heads and safety shields. On a planet
+there were spaciousness and freedom and after the claustrophobic
+confinement of a hyper ship any world was paradise. Kennon
+sighed, finished his letters, and placed them in the mail chute.
+Perhaps, this time, there would be a favorable reply.
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+Kennon was startled by the speed with which his letters were
+answered. Accustomed to the slower pace of Beta he had expected a
+week would elapse before the first reply, but within twenty-four
+hours nine of his twelve inquiries were returned. Five expressed
+the expected "Thank you but I feel that your asking salary is a
+bit high in view of your lack of experience." Three were frankly
+interested and requested a personal interview. And the last was
+the letter, outstanding in its quietly ostentatious folder-the
+reply from Box V-9.
+
+"Would Dr. Kennon call at 10 A.M. tomorrow at the offices of
+Outworld Enterprises Incorporated and bring this letter and
+suitable identifications? Kennon chuckled. Would he? There was no
+question about it. The address, 200 Central Avenue, was only a
+few blocks away. In fact, he could see the building from his
+window, a tall functional block of durilium and plastic, soaring
+above the others on the street, the sunlight gleaming off its
+clean square lines. He eyed it curiously, wondering what he would
+find inside.
+
+* * *
+
+The receptionist took his I.D. and the letter, scanned them
+briefly, and slipped them into one of the message tubes beside
+her desk. "It will only be a moment, Doctor," she said
+impersonally. "Would you care to sit down? '"
+
+Thank you," he said. The minute, reflected, could easily be an
+hour. But she was right. It was only a minute until the message
+tube clicked and popped a capsule onto the girl's desk. She
+opened it, and removed Kennon's I.D. and a small yellow plastic
+rectangle. Her eyes widened at the sight of the plastic card.
+
+"Here you are, Doctor. Take shaft number one. Slip the card into
+the scanner slot and you'll be taken to the correct floor. The
+offices you want will be at the end of the corridor to the left.
+You'll find any other data you may need on the card in case you
+get lost." She looked at him with a curious mixture of surprise
+and respect as she handed him the contents of the message tube.
+
+Kennon murmured an acknowledgment, took the card and his I.D.,
+and entered the grav-shaft. There was the usual moment of
+heaviness as the shaft whisked him upward and deposited him in
+front of a thickly carpeted corridor.
+
+Executive level, Kennon thought as he followed the receptionist's
+directions. No wonder she had looked respectful. But what was he
+doing here? The employment of a veterinarian wasn't important
+enough to demand the attention of a senior executive. The
+personnel section could handle the details of his application as
+well as not. He shrugged. Perhaps veterinarians were more
+important on Kardon. He didn't know a thing about this world's
+customs.
+
+He opened the unmarked door at the end of the corridor, entered a
+small reception room, smiled uncertainly at the woman behind the
+desk, and received an answering smile in return.
+
+Come right in, Dr. Kennon. Mr. Alexander is waiting for you.
+
+Alexander! The entrepreneur himself! Why? Numb with surprise
+Kennon watched the woman open the intercom on her desk.
+
+"Sir, Dr. Kennon is here," she said.
+
+"Bring him in," a smooth voice replied from the speaker.
+Alexander X. M. Alexander, President of Outsold Enterprises - a
+lean, dark, wolfish man in his early sixties - eyed Kennon with a
+flat predatory intentness that was oddly disquieting. His stare
+combined the analytical inspection of the pathologist, the
+probing curiosity of the psychiatrist, and the weighing appraisal
+of the butcher. Kennon's thoughts about Alexander's youth
+vanished that instant. Those eyes belonged to a leader on the
+battlefield of galactic business.
+
+Kennon felt the conditioned respect for authority surge through
+him in a smothering wave. Grimly he fought it down, knowing it
+was a sign of weakness that would do him no good in the interview
+which lay ahead.
+
+"So you're Kennon," Alexander said. His lingua franca was clean
+and accentless. "I expected someone older."
+
+"Frankly, sir, so did I," Kennon replied.
+
+Alexander smiled, an oddly pleasant smile that transformed the
+hard straight lines in his face into friendly curves. "Business,
+Dr. Kennon, is not the sole property of age."
+
+"Nor is a veterinary degree," Kennon replied.
+
+"True. But one thinks of a Betan as someone ancient and sedate."
+
+"Ours is an old planet -- but we still have new generations."
+
+"A fact most of us outsiders find hard to believe," Alexander
+said. "I picture your world as an ironclad society crystallized
+by age and custom into something rigid and in flexible."
+
+"You would be wrong to do so," Kennon said. "Even though we are
+cultural introverts there is plenty of dynamism within our
+society."
+
+"How is it that you happen to be out here on the edge of
+civilization?"
+
+"I never said I was like my society," Kennon grinned. "Actually I
+suppose I'm one of the proverbial bad apples."
+
+"There's more to it than that," Alexander said. "Your early years
+probably influenced you."
+
+Kennon looked sharply at the entrepreneur. How much did the man
+really know about him? "I suppose so," he said indifferently."
+
+Alexander looked pleased. "But even with your childhood
+experiences there must be an atavistic streak in you - a
+throwback to your adventurous Earth forebears who settled your
+world?"
+
+Kennon shrugged. "Perhaps you're right. I really don't know.
+Actually, I've never thought about it. It merely seemed to me
+that an undeveloped world offered more opportunity."
+
+"It does," Alexander said. "But it also offers more work. If
+you're figuring that you can get along on the minimum physical
+effort required on the Central Worlds, you have a shock coming."
+
+"I'm not that innocent," Kennon said. "But I am not so stupid
+that I can't apply modifications of Betan techniques to worlds as
+new as this."
+
+Alexander chuckled. "I like you," he said. suddenly. "Here read
+this and see if you'd care to work for me." He picked a contract
+form from one of the piles of paper on his desk and handed it to
+Kennon. "This is one of our standard work contracts. Take it back
+to your hotel and check it over. I'll expect to see you at this
+time tomorrow."
+
+"Why waste time?" Kennon said. "The rapid-reading technique
+originated on Beta. I can tell you in fifteen minutes."
+
+"Hmm. Certainly. Read it here if you wish. I like to get things
+settled - the sooner the better. Sit down, young man and read.
+You can rouse me when you're finished." He turned his attention
+to the papers on his desk and within seconds was completely
+oblivious of Kennon, his face set in the rapt trancelike
+expression of a trained rapid reader.
+
+Kennon watched for a moment as sheets of paper passed through
+Alexander's hands to be added to the pile at the opposite end of
+the desk. The man would do better, he thought, if he would have
+his staff transcribe the papers to microfilm that could be read
+through an interval-timed scanner. He might suggest that later.
+As for now, he shrugged and seated himself in the chair beside
+the desk. The quiet was broken only by the rustle of paper as the
+two rapt-faced men turned page after page with mechanical
+regularity.
+
+Finally Kennon turned the last page, paused, blinked, and
+performed the necessary mental gymnastics to orient his time
+sense. Alexander, he noticed, was still engrossed, sunk in his
+autohypnotic trance. Kennon waited until he had finished the
+legal folder which he was reading and then gently intruded upon
+Alexander's concentration.
+
+Alexander looked up blankly and then went through the same mental
+gyrations Kennon had performed a few minutes before. His eyes
+focused and became hard and alert.
+
+"Well?" he asked. "What do you think of it?"
+
+"I think it's the damnedest, trickiest, most unilateral piece of
+legalistics I've ever seen," Kennon said bluntly. "If that's the
+best you can offer, I wouldn't touch the job with a pair of
+forceps."
+
+Alexander smiled. "I see you read the fine print," he said. There
+was quiet amusement in his voice. "So you don't like the
+contract?"
+
+"No sensible man would. I'm damned if I'll sign commitment papers
+just to get a job. No wonder you're having trouble getting
+professional help. If your contracts are all like that it's' a
+wonder anyone works for you."
+
+"We have no complaints from our employees," Alexander said
+stiffly.
+
+"How could you? If they signed that contract you'd have a perfect
+right to muzzle them."
+
+"There are other applicants for this post," Alexander said.
+
+"Then get one of them. I wouldn't be interested."
+
+"A spaceman's ticket is a good thing to have," Alexander said
+idly. "It's a useful ace in the hole. Besides, you have had three
+other job offers - all of which are good even though they don't
+pay fifteen Ems a year."
+
+Kennon did a quick double take. Alexander's investigative staff
+was better than good. It was uncanny.
+
+"But seriously, Dr. Kennon, I am pleased that you do not like
+that contract. Frankly, I wouldn't consider employing you if you
+did."
+
+"Sir?"
+
+"That contract is a screen. It weeds out the careless, the fools,
+and the unfit in one operation. A man who would sign a thing like
+that has no place in my organization." Alexander chuckled at
+Kennon's blank expression. "I see you have had no experience with
+screening contracts."
+
+"I haven't," Kennon admitted. "On Beta the tests are formal. The
+Medico-Psych Division supervises them."
+
+"Different worlds, different methods," Alexander observed. "But
+they're all directed toward the same goal. Here we aren't so
+civilized. We depend more on personal judgment." He took another
+contract from one of the drawers of his desk. "Take a look at
+this. I think you'll be more satisfied."
+
+"If you don't mind, I'll read it now," Kennon said.
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+* * *
+
+"It's fair enough," Kennon said, "except for Article Twelve."
+
+"The personal privilege section?
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, that's the contract. You can take it or leave it."
+
+"I'll leave it," Kennon said. "Thank you for your time." He rose
+to his feet, smiled at Alexander, and turned to the door. "Don't
+bother to call your receptionist," he said. "I can find my way
+out."
+
+"Just a minute, Doctor," Alexander said. He was standing behind
+the desk, holding out his hand.
+
+"Another test?" Kennon inquired.
+
+Alexander nodded. "The critical one," he said. "Do you want the
+job?"
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Without knowing more about it?"
+
+"The contract is adequate. It defines my duties."
+
+"And you think you can handle them?"
+
+"I know I can."
+
+"I notice," Alexander observed, "that you didn't object to other
+provisions."
+
+"No, sir. They're pretty rigid, but for the salary you are paying
+I figure you should have some rights. Certainly you have the
+right to protect your interests. But that Article Twelve is a
+direct violation of everything a human being should hold sacred
+besides being a violation of the Peeper Laws. I'd never sign a
+contract that didn't carry a full Peeper rider."
+
+"That's quite a bit."
+
+"That's the minimum," Kennon corrected. "Naturally, I won't
+object to mnemonic erasure of matters pertaining to your business
+once my contract's completed and I leave your employment. But
+until then there will be no conditioning, no erasures, no taps,
+no snoopers, and no checkups other than the regular periodic
+psychans. I'll consult with you on vacation time and will arrange
+it to suit your convenience. I'll even agree to emergency recall,
+but that's the limit." Kennon's voice was flat.
+
+"You realize I'm agreeing to give you a great deal of personal
+liberty," Alexander said. "How can I protect myself?"
+
+"I'll sign a contingency rider," Kennon said, "if you will
+specify precisely what security matters I am not to reveal."
+
+"I accept," Alexander said. "Consider yourself hired." He touched
+a button on his desk. "Prepare a standard 2-A contract for Dr.
+Jac Kennon's signature. And attach two riders, a full P-P-yes, no
+exceptions - and a security-leak contingency, Form 287-C. Yes -
+that's right - that one. And strike out all provisions of Article
+Twelve which conflict with the Peeper Laws. Yes. Now - and finish
+it as soon as you can." He touched another button. "Well, that's
+that," he said. "I hope you'll enjoy being a member of our
+group."
+
+"I think I shall," Kennon said. "You know, sir, I would have
+waived part of that last demand if you had cared to argue."
+
+"I know it," Alexander said. "But what concessions I could have
+wrung from you would be relatively unimportant beside the fact
+that you would be unhappy about them later. What little I could
+have won here, I'd lose elsewhere. And since I want you, I'd
+prefer to have you satisfied."
+
+"I see," Kennon said. Actually he didn't see at all. He looked
+curiously at the entrepreneur. Alexander couldn't be as easy as
+he seemed. Objectivity and dispassionate weighing and balancing
+were nice traits and very helpful ones, but in the bear pit of
+galactic business they wouldn't keep their owner alive for five
+minutes. The interworld trade sharks would have skinned him long
+ago and divided the stripped carcass of his company between them.
+
+But Outworld was a "respected" company. The exchange reports said
+so - which made Alexander a different breed of cat entirely.
+Still, his surface was perfect - polished and impenetrable as a
+duralloy turret on one of the latest Brotherhood battleships.
+Kennon regretted he wasn't a sensitive. It would be nice to know
+what Alexander really was.
+
+"Tell me, sir," Kennon asked. "What are the real reasons that
+make you think I'm the man you want?"
+
+"And you're the young man who's so insistent on a personal
+privacy rider," Alexander chuckled. "However, there's no harm
+telling you. There are several reasons.
+
+"You're from a culture whose name is a byword for moral
+integrity. That makes you a good risk so far as your ethics are
+concerned. In addition you're the product of one of the finest
+educational systems in the galaxy-and you have proven your
+intelligence to my satisfaction. You also showed me that you
+weren't a spineless 'yes man.' And finally, you have a spirit of
+adventure. Not one in a million of your people would do what you
+have done. What more could an entrepreneur ask of a prospective
+employee?"
+
+Kennon sighed and gave up. Alexander wasn't going to reveal a
+thing.
+
+"All I hope," Alexander continued affably, "is that you'll find
+Outworld Enterprises as attractive as did your predecessor Dr.
+Williamson. He was with us until he died last month - better than
+a hundred years."
+
+"Died rather young, didn't he?"
+
+"Not exactly, he was nearly four hundred when he joined us. My
+grandfather was essentially conservative. He liked older men, and
+Old Doc was one of his choices - a good one, too. He was worth
+every credit we paid him."
+
+"I'll try to do as well," Kennon said, "but I'd like to warn you
+that I have no intention of staying as long as he did. I want to
+build a clinic and I figure sixty thousand is about enough to get
+started."
+
+"When will you veterinarians ever learn to be organization men?"
+Alexander asked. "You're as independent as tomcats."
+
+Kennon grinned. "It's a breed characteristic, I guess."
+
+Alexander shrugged. "Perhaps you'll change your mind after you've
+worked for us."
+
+"Possibly, but I doubt it."
+
+"Tell me that five years from now," Alexander said - "Ah - here
+are the contracts." He smiled at the trim secretary who entered
+the room carrying a stack of papers.
+
+"The riders are as you asked, sir," the girl said.
+
+"Good. Now, Doctor, if you please."
+
+"You don't mind if I check them?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Not at all. And when you're through, just leave them on the desk
+- except for your copy, of course." Alexander scrawled his
+signature on the bottom of each contract. "Don't disturb me. I'll
+be in contact with you. Leave your whereabouts with your hotel."
+He turned to the papers in front of him, and then looked up for
+the last time. "Just one more thing," he said. "You impress me as
+a cautious man. It would be just as well if you carried your
+caution with you when you leave this room."
+
+Kennon nodded, and Alexander turned back to his work.
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+"I'd never have guessed yesterday that I'd be here today," Kennon
+said as he looked down at the yellow waters of the Xantline Sea
+flashing to the rear of the airboat at a steady thousand
+kilometers per hour as they sped westward in the middle traffic
+level. The water, some ten thousand meters below, had been
+completely empty for hours as the craft hurtled through the
+equatorial air.
+
+"We have to move fast to stay ahead of our ulcers," Alexander
+said with a wry smile. "Besides, I wanted to get away from the
+Albertsville offices for awhile."
+
+"Three hours' notice," Kennon said. "That's almost too fast."
+
+"You had nothing to keep you in the city, and neither did I - at
+least nothing important. There are plenty of females where we are
+going and I need you on Flora - not in Albertsville. Besides I
+can get you there faster than if you waited for a company
+transport."
+
+"Judging from those empty sea lanes below, Flora must be an
+out-of-the-way place," Kennon said.
+
+"It is. It's out of the trade lanes. Most of the commercial
+traffic is in the southern hemisphere. The northern hemisphere is
+practically all water. Except for Flora and the Otpens there
+isn't a land area for nearly three thousand kilometers in any
+direction, and since the company owns Flora and the surrounding
+island groups there's no reason for shipping to come there. We
+have our own supply vessels, a Discovery Charter, and a desire
+for privacy. - Ah! It won't be long now. There's the Otpens!"
+Alexander pointed at a smudge on the horizon that quickly
+resolved into an irregular chain of tiny islets that slipped
+below them. Kennon got a glimpse of gray concrete on one of the
+larger islands, a smudge of green trees, and white beaches
+against which the yellow waters dashed in smothers of foam.
+
+"Rugged-looking place," be murmured.
+
+"Most of them are deserted. Two support search and warning
+stations and automatic interceptors to protect our property.
+Look! - there's Flora." Alexander gestured at the land mass that
+appeared below.
+
+Flora was a great green oval two hundred kilometers long and
+about a hundred wide.
+
+"Pretty, isn't it?" Alexander said as they sped over the low
+range of hills and the single gaunt volcano filling the eastward
+end of the island and swept over a broad green valley dotted with
+fields and orchards interspersed at intervals by red-roofed
+structures whose purpose was obvious.
+
+"Our farms," Alexander said redundantly. The airboat crossed a
+fair-sized river. "That's the Styx," Alexander said. "Grandfather
+named it. He was a classicist in his way -  spent a lot of his
+time reading books most people never heard of. Things like the
+Iliad and Gone with the Wind. The mountains he called the
+Apennines, and that volcano's Mount Olympus. The marshland to the
+north is called the Pontine Marshes - our main road is the Camino
+Real." Alexander grinned. "There's a lot of Earth on Flora.
+You'll find it in every name. Grandfather was an Earthman and he
+used to get nostalgic for the homeworld. Well - there's
+Alexandria coming up. We've just about reached the end of the
+line."
+
+Kennon stared down at the huge gray-green citadel resting on a
+small hill in the center of an open plain. It was a Class II
+Fortalice built on the efficient star-shaped plan of half a
+millennium ago - an ugly spiky pile of durilium, squat and
+massive with defensive shields and weapons which could still
+withstand hours of assault by the most modern forces.
+
+"Why did he build a thing like that?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Alexandria? - well, we had trouble with the natives when we
+first came, and Grandfather had a synthesizer and tapes for a
+Fortalice in his ship. So he built it. It serves the dual purpose
+of base and house. It's mostly house now, but it's still capable
+of being defended."
+
+"And those outbuildings?"
+
+"They're part of your job."
+
+The airboat braked sharply and settled with a smooth, sickeningly
+swift rush that left Kennon gasping - feeling that his stomach
+was still floating above him in the middle level. He never had
+become accustomed to an arbutus landing characteristics.  Spacers
+were slower and steadier. The ship landed gently on a pitted
+concrete slab near the massive radiation shields of the
+barricaded entranceway to the fortress. Projectors in polished
+dually turrets swivelled to point their ugly noses at them. It
+gave Kennon a queasy feeling. He never liked to trust his future
+to automatic machinery. If the analyzers failed to decode the
+ship's I.D. properly, Kennon, Alexander, the ship, and a fair
+slice of surrounding territory would become an incandescent mass
+of dissociated atoms.
+
+"Grandfather was a good builder," Alexander, said proudly. "Those
+projectors have been mounted nearly four hundred years and
+they're still as good as the day they were installed."
+
+"I can see that," Kennon said uncomfortably. "You ought to
+dismantle them. They're enough to give a man the weebies."
+
+Alexander chuckled. "Oh - they're safe. The firing mechanism's
+safetied. But we keep them in operating condition. You never can
+tell when they'll come in handy."
+
+"I knew Kardon was primitive, but I didn't think it was that bad.
+What's the trouble?"
+
+"None - right now," Alexander said obliquely, "and since we've
+shown we can handle ourselves there probably won't be any more."
+
+"You must raise some pretty valuable stock if the competition
+tried to rustle them in the face of that armament."
+
+"We do." Alexander said. "Now if you'll follow me" - the
+entrepreneur opened the cabin door letting in a blast of heat and
+a flood of yellow sunlight.
+
+"Great Arthur Fleming!" Kennon exploded. "This place is a
+furnace!"
+
+"It's hot out here on the strip," Alexander admitted, "but its
+cool enough inside. Besides, you'll get used to this quickly
+enough - and the nights are wonderful. The evening rains cool
+things off. Well - come along." He began walking toward the
+arched entrance to the great building some hundred meters away.
+Kennon followed looking around curiously. So this was to be his
+home for the next five years? It didn't look particularly
+inviting. There was a forbidding air about the place that was in
+stark contrast to its pleasant surroundings.
+
+They were only a few meters from the archway when a stir of
+movement came from its shadow - the first life Kennon had seen
+since they descended from the ship. In this furnace heat even the
+air was quiet. Two women came out of the darkness, moving with
+quiet graceful steps across the blistering hot concrete. They
+were naked except for a loincloth, halter, and sandals and so
+nearly identical in form and feature that Kennon took them to be
+twins. Their skins were burned a deep brown that glistened in the
+yellow sun light.
+
+Kennon shrugged. It was none of his business how his employer ran
+his household or what his servants wore or didn't wear. Santos
+was a planet of nudists, and certainly this hot sun was fully as
+brilliant as the one which warmed that tropical planet In fact,
+he could see some virtue in wearing as little as possible.
+Already he was perspiring.
+
+The two women walked past them toward the airboat. Kennon turned
+to look at them and noticed with surprise that they weren't
+human. The long tails curled below their spinal bases were
+adequate denials of human ancestry.
+
+"Humanoids!" he gasped. "For a moment I thought-"
+
+"Gave you a start-eh?" Alexander chuckled. "It always does when a
+stranger sees a Lani for the first time. Well - now you've seen
+some of the livestock what do you think of them?"
+
+"I think you should have hired a medic."
+
+Alexander shook his head. "No - it wouldn't be reason able or
+legal. You're the man for the job."
+
+"But I've no experience with humanoid types. We didn't cover that
+phase in our studies - and from their appearance they'd qualify
+as humans anywhere if it weren't for those tails!"
+
+"They're far more similar than you think," Alexander said. "It
+just goes to show what parallel evolution can do. But there are
+differences."
+
+"I never knew that there was indigenous humanoid life on Kardon,"
+Kennon continued. "The manual says nothing about it."
+
+"Naturally. They're indigenous only to this area."
+
+
+
+
+"That's impossible. Species as highly organized as that simply
+don't originate on isolated islands."
+
+"This was a subcontinent once," Alexander said. "Most of it has
+been inundated. Less than a quarter of a million years ago there
+was over a hundred times the land area in this region than exists
+today. Then the ocean rose. Now all that's left is the mid
+continent plateau and a few mountain tops. You noted, I suppose,
+that this is mature topography except for that range of hills to
+the east. The whole land area at the time of flooding was
+virtually a peneplain. A rise of a few hundred feet in the ocean
+level was all that was needed to drown most of the land."
+
+"I see. Yes, it's possible that life could have developed here
+under those conditions. A peneplain topography argues permanence
+for hundreds of millions of years."
+
+"You have studied geology?" Alexander asked curiously. "Only as
+part of my cultural base," Kennon said. "Merely a casual
+acquaintance."
+
+"We think the Lani were survivors of that catastrophe - and with
+their primitive culture they were unable to reach the other land
+masses," Alexander shrugged. "At any rate they never established
+themselves anywhere else."
+
+"How did you happen to come here?"
+
+"I was born here," Alexander said. "My grandfather discovered
+this world better than four hundred years ago. He picked this
+area because it all could be comfortably included in Discovery
+Rights. It wasn't until years afterward that he realized the
+ecological peculiarities of this region."
+
+"He certainly capitalized on them."
+
+"There was plenty of opportunity. The plants and animals here are
+different from others in this world. Like Australia in reverse."
+
+Kennon looked blank, and Alexander chuckled. "Australia was a
+subcontinent on Earth," he explained. "Its ecology, however, was
+exceedingly primitive when compared with the rest of the planet.
+Flora's on the contrary, was - and is - exceedingly advanced when
+compared with other native life forms on Kardon."
+
+"Your grandfather stumbled on a real bonanza," Kennon said.
+
+"For which I'm grateful," Alexander grinned. "It's made me the
+biggest operator in this sector of the galaxy. For practical
+purposes I own an independent nation. There's about a thousand
+humans here, and nearly six thousand Lani. We're increasing the
+Lani now, since we found they have commercial possibilities. Up
+to thirty years ago we merely used them for labor."
+
+Kennon didn't speculate on what Alexander meant. He knew. For
+practical purposes, his employer was a slave trader - or would
+have been if the natives were human. As it was, the analogy was
+so close that it wasn't funny.
+
+They entered the fortress, passed through a decontamination
+chamber that would have done credit to an exploration ship, and
+emerged dressed in tunics and sandals that were far more
+appropriate and comfortable in this tropical climate.
+
+"That's one of Old Doc's ideas," Alexander said, gesturing at the
+door from which they had emerged. "He was a hound for sanitation
+and he infected us with the habit." He turned and led the way
+down an arched corridor that opened into a huge circular room
+studded with iris doors.
+
+Kennon sucked his breath in with a low gasp of amazement. The
+room was a gem of exquisite beauty. The parquet floor was inlaid
+with rare hardwoods from a hundred different worlds. Parthian
+marble veneer covered with lacy Van tapestries from Santos formed
+the walls. Delicate ceramics, sculpture, and bronzes reflected
+the art of a score of different civilizations. A circular pool,
+festooned with lacelike Halsite ferns, stood in the center of the
+room, surrounding a polished black granite pedestal on which
+stood an exquisite bronze of four Lani females industriously and
+eternally pouring golden water from vases held in their shapely
+hands. "Beautiful," Kennon said softly.
+
+"We like it," Alexander said.
+
+"We?"
+
+"Oh yes - I forgot to tell you about the Family," Alexander said
+grimly. "I run Outworld, and own fifty per cent of it. The Family
+owns the other fifty. There are eight of them - the finest
+collection of parasites in the entire galaxy. At the moment they
+can't block me since I also control my cousin Douglas's shares.
+But when Douglas comes of age they will be troublesome. Therefore
+I defer to them. I don't want to build a united opposition.
+Usually I can get one or more of them to vote with me on critical
+deals, but I always have to pay for their support." Alexander's
+voice was bitter as he touched the dilate button on the iris door
+beside him. "You'll have to meet them tonight. There's five of
+them here now."
+
+"That isn't in the contract," Kennon said. He was appalled at
+Alexander. Civilized people didn't speak of others that way, even
+to intimates.
+
+"It can't be helped. You must meet them. It's part of the job."
+Alexander's voice was grim. "Mother, Cousin Anne, Douglas, and
+Eloise like to play lord of the manor. Cousin Harold doesn't care
+- for which you should be grateful."
+
+The door dilated, and Alexander ushered Kennon into the room. The
+Lani sitting on the couch opposite the door leaped to her feet,
+her mouth opening in an 0 of surprise. Her soft snow-white hair,
+creamy skin, and bright china blue eyes were a startling contrast
+to her black loincloth and halter. Kennon stared appreciatively.
+
+Her effect on Alexander, however, was entirely different. His
+face darkened. "You!" he snapped. "What are you doing here?"
+
+"Serving, sir," the Lani said.
+
+"On whose authority?"
+
+"Man Douglas, sir."
+
+Alexander groaned. "You see," he said, turning to Kennon. "We
+need someone here with a little sense. Like I was telling you,
+the Family'd" - he stopped abruptly and turned back to the Lani.
+"Your name and pedigree," he demanded.
+
+"Silver Dawn, sir - out of White Magic - platinum experimental
+type - strain four."
+
+"I thought so. How long have you been inhouse?"
+
+"Almost a month, sir."
+
+"You're terminated. Report to Goldie and tell her that Man
+Alexander wants you sent back to your group."
+
+The Lani's eyes widened. "Man Alexander! - You?"
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+"Gosh!" she breathed. "The big boss!"
+
+"Get moving," Alexander snapped, "and tell Goldie to report to me
+in my quarters."
+
+"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" The Lath ran, disappearing through
+the door they had entered with a flash of shapely white limbs.
+
+"That Douglas!" Alexander growled. "Leave that young fool alone
+here for six months and he'd disrupt the entire operation. The
+nerve of that young pup - requisitioning an experimental type for
+household labor. Just what does he think he's doing?"
+
+The question obviously didn't demand a reply, so Kennon kept
+discreetly silent as Alexander crossed the room to the two doors
+flanking the couch on which the Lani had sat. He opened the
+left-hand one revealing a modern grav-shaft that carried them
+swiftly to the uppermost level. They walked down a short corridor
+and stopped before another door. It opened into a suite furnished
+with stark functional simplicity. It fitted the entrepreneur's
+outward personality so exactly that Kennon had no doubt that this
+was Alexander's quarters.
+
+"Sit down, Kennon. Relax while you can," Alexander said as he
+dropped into a chair and crossed his sandaled feet.
+
+"I'm sure you have many questions, but they can wait."
+
+You might as well get some rest. You'll have little enough later.
+The Family will probably put you through the meat grinder, but
+remember that they don't control this business. You're my man."
+
+Kennon had hardly seated himself in another chair when the door
+opened and a plump pink-skinned Lani entered. She was
+considerably older than the silver-haired one he had seen
+earlier, and her round face was smiling.
+
+"Ah, Goldie," Alexander said. "I understand Man Douglas has been
+giving you quite a time."
+
+"It's high time you came back, sir," she said. "Since Old Doc
+died, Man Douglas has been impossible. He's been culling the
+staff and replacing them with empty-headed fillies whose only
+claim to usefulness is that they can fill out a halter. Pretty
+soon this place will be a pigsty."
+
+"I'll take care of that," Alexander promised. "Now I'd like you
+to meet Old Doc's replacement. This is Dr. Kennon, our new
+veterinarian."
+
+"Pleased, I'm sure," Goldie said. "You look like a nice man."
+
+"He is," Alexander said, "but he's just as hard as Old Doc - and
+he'll have the same powers. Goldie's the head housekeeper,"
+Alexander added. "She's an expert, and you'd do well to take her
+advice on assignments."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"Have a maid bring us a light meal and something to drink,"
+Alexander said. "Have a couple of porters take Dr. Kennon's
+things to Old Doc's house. Find Man Douglas and tell him I want
+to see him at once. Tell the Family that I've arrived and will
+see them in the Main Lounge at eight tonight. Tell Blalok I'll be
+seeing him at nine. That's all."
+
+"Yes, sir," Goldie said and left the room, her tail curling
+buoyantly.
+
+"A good Lani," Alexander commented. "One of the best. Loyal,
+trustworthy, intelligent. She's been running Alexandria for the
+past ten years, and should be good for at least ten more."
+
+"Ten? - how old is she?"
+
+"Thirty."
+
+"Thirty - years?"
+
+Alexander nodded.
+
+"Good Lord Lister! I'd have guessed her at least three hundred!"
+
+"Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long as we
+do. They're mature at twelve and dead at fifty."
+
+Alexander sighed. "That's another difference. Even without
+agerone we'd live to be a hundred."
+
+"Have you tried gerontological injections?"
+
+"Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five Lani
+with them." Alexander's face darkened at an unpleasant memory.
+"So we don't try any more," he said. "There are too many
+differences." He stretched. "I'd tell you more about them but
+it'll be better to hear it from Evald Blalok. He's our
+superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell you a lot, too. He runs the
+Lani Division. But right now let's wait for Cousin Douglas. The
+pup will take his time about coming - but he'll do it in the end.
+He's afraid not to."
+
+"I'd rather not," Kennon said. "It's poor manners to be injected
+into a family affair - especially when I'm just one of the
+employees."
+
+"You're not just one of the employees. You are the Station
+Veterinarian, and as such you hold an authority second only to
+Blalok and myself. You and Blalok are my hands, ears, and eyes on
+Flora. You are responsible to me - and to me alone. While I defer
+at times to the desires of the Family, I do not have to. I run
+Outworld Enterprises and all the extensions of that organization.
+I possess control  - and the Family knows it. My men are
+respected and furthermore they know everything that goes on." He
+smiled icily. "In a way it's quite a healthy situation. It keeps
+my relatives under control. Somehow they dislike being
+disciplined before outsiders. Now think no more about it."
+Alexander stood up and walked over to one of the windows opening
+onto the broad roof gardens, and stood looking at the
+sun-drenched greenery.
+
+"Odd, isn't it," Alexander said, "how beautiful nature is and how
+simple things are in a state of nature. It's only when man
+interjects himself onto a scene that things get complicated. Take
+Flora for instance. Before Grandfather came here, it must have
+been a pleasant place with the simple natives happy in their
+paradise. But that's all changed now. We have taken over - and
+they, like other lesser creatures on other worlds, have been bent
+to our will and uses. I could pity them, but being human I cannot
+afford that luxury."
+
+Kennon understood. He, too, had felt that sensation, that odd
+tightening of the throat when he first saw a Varl on Santos. The
+Varl had been the dominant life form there until men had come.
+Now they were just another animal added to humanity's growing
+list of pets and livestock. The little Varl with their
+soft-furred bodies and clever six-fingered hands made excellent
+pets and precision workmen. The products of those clever hands,
+the tiny instruments, the delicate microminiaturized control
+circuits, the incredibly fine lacework and tapestries, formed the
+bulk of Santos' interstellar trade.
+
+He had owned a Varl once and had delighted in its almost human
+intelligence. But the Varl weren't human and there lay their
+tragedy. Two thousand years of human domination had left them
+completely dependent on their conquerors. They were merely
+intelligent animals - and that was all they would ever be until
+the human race changed its cultural pattern or was overthrown.
+The one alternative was as unlikely as the other. Humanity had
+met some fierce competitors, but none with its explosive
+acquisitive nature, and none with its drive to conquer, colonize,
+and rule. And probably it never would.
+
+The little Varl were one race among hundreds that had fallen
+before the fierceness and the greed of men. But unlike most
+others, the Varl were not combative. Therefore they had survived.
+
+Yet had it been necessary to reduce them to slavery? They would
+never be a threat. Not only were they essentially gentle and
+noncombative, but their delicate bodies could not stand the
+strains of spaceflight. They were trapped on their world. Why
+should they be forced into so subordinate a role? - Why was
+humanity so jealous of its dominance that no other species could
+exist except by sufferance? Why after five thousand years of
+exploration, invasion, and colonization did the human race still
+consider the galaxy as its oyster, and themselves uniquely
+qualified to hold the knife? He hadn't thought this way since he
+had given the Varl to his girl friend of the moment, and had
+blasted off for Beta. Now the questions returned to haunt him. As
+a Betan, the haunting was even more acute, since Beta had a
+related problem that was already troublesome and would become
+more acute as the years passed.
+
+He shrugged and laid the thought aside as a slim, dark-haired
+Lani entered pushing a service cart ahead of her. The two men ate
+silently, each busy with his own thoughts. And behind the view
+wall of Alexander's apartment Kardon's brilliant yellow sun sank
+slowly toward the horizon, filling the sky with flaming colors of
+red and gold, rimmed by the blues and purples of approaching
+night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant, Kennon thought with mild
+distaste, unlike the restful day-end displays of his homeworld.
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+Douglas Alexander was a puffy-faced youngster with small
+intolerant eyes set in folds of fat above a button nose and a
+loose-lipped sensual mouth. There was an odd expression of
+defiance overlaid with fear on his pudgy features. Looking at
+him, Kennon was reminded of a frightened dog, ready either to
+bite or cower.
+
+But it wasn't Douglas who held his eye. It was the two Lani who
+followed him into the room. Every line of their bodies was
+perfection that spoke volumes about generations of breeding for
+physical elegance. They moved with a co-ordinated grace that made
+Douglas look even more clumsy by contrast. And they were
+identical, twin cream-and-gold works of art. They were completely
+nude - and Kennon for the first time in his life fully
+appreciated the beauty of an unclad female. To cover them would
+be sacrilege, and ornaments would only detract from their
+exquisite perfection.
+
+Kennon knew that he was staring like an idiot. Alexander's amused
+smile told him that much. With an effort he composed his startled
+features.
+
+The pair looked at him with soft violet eyes - and it was as
+though some psychic bathhouse attendant had poured ice water down
+his spine. For he had seen that look before, that liquid
+introspective look in the velvet eyes of cattle. He shivered. For
+a moment he had been thinking of them as human. And somehow the
+lack of that indefinable some thing called humanity robbed them
+of much of their glamour. They were still beautiful, but their
+beauty had become impersonal.
+
+
+"Don't take these as representative of the Lani," Alexander said
+suddenly. "They're a special case, a very special case." He
+glared at his cousin. "Damn your impudence," he said without
+beat. "I sent for you - not your toys. Send them away."
+
+Douglas sulkily thrust out his lower lip. "You can't talk to me
+like that, Cousin Alex," he began. "I'm just a"
+
+"You head me, Douglas. Out!" Alexander's voice didn't rise but it
+cut like a whip.
+
+"Oh, very well," Douglas said. "I can't fight you - yet." He
+turned to the humanoids. "You heard the Boss-man. Go home."
+
+The two nodded in unison and departed quickly. Somehow Kennon got
+the impression that they were happy to leave.
+
+"Just wait," Douglas said. "You can't boss me forever. Just wait.
+I'll reach my majority in five years. I can vote my shares then -
+and then I'll fix you. You won't be so high and mighty then, Mr.
+Big. I'll throw in with the rest of the Family. They don't like
+you too much."
+
+"Don't hold your breath waiting for the Family to help you,"
+Alexander said. "They wouldn't have anyone else but me handle the
+finances. They love money too much. And until you get your
+inheritance remember one thing - I'm master here."
+
+"I know it," Douglas said, and then curiously - "Who's the
+oddball?" He gestured at Kennon with a pudgy thumb.
+
+"Our new veterinarian, Dr. Kennon."
+
+"Oh - great! Now you tell me!"
+
+"There's nothing like making a good first impression," Alexander
+said with ironic emphasis. "I hope he cuts you off from the Lani.
+He'll have the authority to do it, since he's taking Old Doc's
+place."
+
+"He can't. I'm an owner. I own-"
+
+"You own nothing. You're a minor. And under the terms of
+Grandfather's will, you'll own nothing except an allowance until
+you reach legal age. And that brings me to the reason I brought
+you here. Just when did you gain the right to reorganize the
+household staff? Just when did you get  the power to interfere
+with the experimental program?"
+
+Douglas flushed dull red and bit his lip. "Do we have to go into
+this in front of strangers?"
+
+"Kennon's my agent," Alexander said coldly, "and he might as well
+learn about you and the others from the start."
+
+"Well - what do you want him to do - watch me crawl?" Douglas
+asked bitterly. "You'll make me do it. You always do. Do you want
+me to beg, to say I was wrong, to promise I won't do it again?"
+
+"You've done that already," Alexander said. "Several times. You
+need a lesson. I won't have you meddling with valuable animals."
+
+"And what are you going to do about it?"
+
+"Put you where you can do no more damage. As of tomorrow you'll
+go to Otpen One."
+
+Douglas paled. His lips quivered, and his eyes flicked uneasily
+as he watched Alexander's granite face. "You don't mean that," he
+said finally. "You're joking."
+
+"I never joke about business."
+
+"But you can't do that! I'll tell the Family. They won't let
+you."
+
+"I already have their consent," Alexander said. "I obtained it
+after your last escapade. You'll be happy out there. You can play
+tin god all you like. Master of life and death on a two-acre
+island. No one will mind. You can also go to work. No one will
+mind that, either. And Mullins won't mind as long as you leave
+the troops alone. Now get out of here and get packed. You're
+leaving tomorrow morning."
+
+"But cousin Alex---"
+
+"Move! I'm tired of the sight of you!" Alexander said.
+
+Douglas turned and shambled out of the room. His ego was
+thoroughly deflated and he seemed more frightened than before.
+Obviously the Otpens weren't the pleasantest place in this world.
+
+"They're a military post," Alexander said. "And Commander Mullins
+doesn't like Douglas. Can't say that I blame him. Douglas is a
+thoroughly unpleasant specimen, and incidentally quite typical of
+the rest of the Family." Alexander sighed and spread his hands in
+a gesture that combined disgust and resignation. "Sometimes I
+wonder why I have been cursed with my relatives."
+
+Kennon nodded. The implications behind the empty eyes of
+Douglas's Lani sickened him. There were several ways to produce
+that expression, all of them unpleasant. Hypnoconditioning, the
+Quiet Treatment, brainburning, transorbital leukotomy, lobectomy
+- -all of the products of that diseased period of humanity's
+thinking when men tampered with the brains of other men in an
+effort to cure psychic states. Psychiatry had passed that period,
+at least on the civilized worlds, where even animal experiments
+were frowned upon as unnecessary cruelty.
+
+"You saw those two Lani," Alexander said. "Grandfather had them
+made that way as a birthday present for Douglas. He was getting
+senile. He died a year later. You'd think a man would be ashamed
+to keep things like that around -- but not Douglas. He likes
+them." Alexander's voice was tinged with contempt. "He knows they
+disgust me -- so he parades them in. I could strangle that pup
+sometimes!"
+
+"I wondered about it. I wouldn't like to work for a man who
+permitted such things."
+
+"That was done before I took over. For the past three years there
+have been no dockings, no mutilations. I can't see treating a
+helpless animal like that."
+
+"I feel better about it," Kennon said. "I didn't think you were
+that sort."
+
+"Understand me," Alexander said. "I'm always opposed to senseless
+cruelty and waste -- particularly when it's dangerous. Docked
+Lani are the height of stupidity. Just because someone wants a
+pet that is an exact duplicate of a human being is no reason to
+risk a court action. Those Lani, and a few others whose tails
+have been docked, could be a legal bombshell if they ever left
+Flora."
+
+Kennon was jolted. He had been thinking of mental mutilation and
+Alexander had been talking physical. Naturally they would be
+dangerous property. Anyone attempting to sell a docked Lani would
+probably be thrown in Detention and charged with slave trading.
+
+"Did you ever figure the cost of taking a legal action through
+our court system?" Alexander asked. "Even the small ones set you
+back four or five thousand, and a first-class action like a
+Humanity Trial could cost over a million. Grandfather found that
+out. Sure, there are differences between Lani and humans, but a
+smart lawyer can make them seem trivial until the final test and
+that would drag on for nearly two years until all the
+requirements were satisfied -- and by that time the unfavorable
+publicity would drop sales to zero. The Family would be on my
+neck for lost dividends, and I'd lose much of the control I hold
+over them.
+
+"Sure, it's possible that prehensile tails could be produced by
+mutation, but so far as we know it hasn't happened in human
+history. As a result, the tail serves as a trade-mark - something
+that can be easily recognized by anyone. So we sell them intact."
+Alexander crossed his legs and settled back in his chair. "Shocks
+you, doesn't it?"
+
+Kennon nodded. "Yes," he admitted. "It does."
+
+"I know. You can't help it. Most of our new employees think the
+Lani are human - at first. They learn better, but adjustment is
+always a strain. They keep confusing external appearances with
+the true article. But remember this -- Lani are not human.
+They're animals. And on this island they're treated as what they
+are -- no more, no less. They are a part of our economics and are
+bred, fed, and managed according to sound livestock principles.
+Despite some of the things you may see here in Alexandria, don't
+forget that. You are a veterinarian. Your job is to handle
+disease problems in animals. Lani are animals. Therefore you will
+be doing your job. I was disappointed in your reaction when you
+first saw them, but I suppose it was natural. At any rate this
+should clear the air."
+
+"It does -- intellectually," Kennon admitted. "But the physical
+resemblance is so close that it is difficult to accept."
+
+Alexander smiled. "Don't worry. You'll accept it in time. Now I
+think it's time that you met the Family."
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+The main salon was crowded. The huge room, glittering with
+mirrors and crystal, floored with thick carpets, and hung with
+rich drapes, had something of the appearance of a Sarkian harem.
+Although there were only five of the Alexander family present,
+there were at least twenty Lani whose costumes ranged from the
+black G string and halter of the household staff to the utter
+nudity of Douglas's playthings. They were all female, and Kennon
+wondered for a moment what a male was like.
+
+Besides Alexander, there were two men and three women: Douglas,
+still with his sulky expression, an older man in his late
+nineties who looked like Douglas's eider brother, two mature
+women who could be any age from fifty to three hundred, and a
+girl. She might have been thirty -- perhaps younger, perhaps
+older, a lean feminine edition of Alexander, with the same
+intriguing face and veiled predatory look. There was a hardness
+about her that was absent in the others. Kennon had the feeling
+that whatever this girl did, she didn't do it half way.
+
+"My sister Eloise," Alexander said in a low voice. "Watch out for
+her. She's as deadly as a puff adder and she collects men. The
+other man is Douglas's father, Henry. The plump redhead beside
+him is his wife, Anne. The other woman is my mother, Clara, even
+though Eloise and I don't look like her. We take after Father."
+
+"Where's he?" Kennon whispered.
+
+"Dead," Alexander replied. "He was killed twenty years ago."
+
+"I'd like to present Dr. Jac Kennon, our new veterinarian,"
+Alexander said into the hush that followed their entrance. The
+introductions that followed were in proper form, and Kennon was
+beginning to feel more at ease until Eloise sent one of her Lani
+with a summons. He looked around for Alexander, but the
+entrepreneur was the center of a three-cornered argument, hemmed
+in by Douglas, Henry, and Anne. Henry's voice was raised in
+bitter protest that Alexander was exceeding his authority. He
+shrugged. There was no help there.
+
+"All right," he said, "tell your mistress I'll be along in a
+moment."
+
+"Yes, Doctor," the Lani said, "but the Woman Eloise says for you
+to come, and she is not accustomed to being disobeyed."
+
+"Tell her what I said," Kennon replied. "I shall be there
+directly." He crossed to the table and examined it, selecting a
+cluster of odd purple fruit which looked more interesting than it
+tasted. When he had finished he walked leisurely over to where
+Eloise sat.
+
+She looked at him angrily. "I am accustomed to being obeyed by my
+employees," she said coldly. Her dark eyes, oddly like her
+brother's, traversed his hard body like twin scanners.
+
+He returned her appraising stare with one of his own. "I'm not
+your employee," he said bluntly. "I was hired by your brother,
+and there's a full peeper rider on my contract." His eyes
+traveled slowly over her carefully arranged hair, her make-up,
+her jewelry at throat and arms, her painted finger-  and
+toenails, and then across the slim small-breasted lines of her
+body half revealed under her thin ankle-length tunic of Lyranian
+silk.
+
+"Satisfied?" she asked.
+
+"On Beta," he said bluntly, "your appearance would qualify you
+for a parasite camp. Six months of hard labor would do you no end
+of good. You're soft, lazy, and undisciplined."
+
+Eloise gasped. "Why, you----"she sputtered.
+
+"And perhaps next time you'll learn to be polite," Kennon
+continued imperturbably. "After all, the superficial attributes
+of good breeding are not too hard to counterfeit."
+
+To his surprise, Eloise giggled. "You bite, don't you?" she
+asked. "Remind me to remember that."
+
+"I shall."
+
+"Of course, your actions weren't good breeding either."
+
+"Admitted -- but I've never pretended to be what I'm not. I'm the
+son of a spaceship skipper, and I'm a veterinarian. That's all."
+
+"That's not all. You are also a man." Her face was sober, "It's
+been some time since I've met one. I'd almost forgotten they
+existed."
+
+"There's your brother."
+
+"Alex? -- he's a money making machine. Come -- sit beside me and
+let's talk."
+
+"About what?"
+
+"You -- me -- your job, your life -- anything you wish?"
+
+"That line isn't exactly new," Kennon grinned.
+
+"I know," she admitted, "but it usually works."
+
+"I'm immune."
+
+"That's what you think." Eloise's eyes were frankly appraising.
+"I think I could become interested in you."
+
+"I have a job here. I don't think I would have time to give you
+the attention you'd demand."
+
+"I get bored easily. It probably wouldn't be long before I would
+be tired of you."
+
+"Perhaps -- and perhaps not, I can't afford to take the chance."
+
+"You seem confident."
+
+"You forget. I was a sailor."
+
+"And spacemen have a reputation, eh?" Eloise chuckled.
+
+"At that, you might be right. I remember the first officer
+of--"she let the thought die. "But I became tired of him," she
+finished.
+
+Kennon smiled. "I've never had that complaint."
+
+"Perhaps you'd like to make the acid test?" she asked.
+
+"Perhaps," he said. "But not tonight."
+
+"Tomorrow then? Alex will be leaving in the morning. He never
+stays more than a few hours." Eloise's eyes were bright, her lips
+moist and red.
+
+"I'll pick the time," Kennon said -- and added to himself, "If
+ever." Despite her wealth Eloise was no different from the
+port-of-call girls. If anything, she was worse since she had
+enough money to implement her desires. They were merely in the
+trade for business reasons. No -- Eloise would be something to
+steer clear of. Alexander was right. She was a mantrap. He stood
+up and bowed Betan fashion. "I see your brother is free now. He
+wants to brief me on my duties here. We were discussing it before
+we entered."
+
+Eloise pouted. "You can always do that."
+
+"You said yourself that Alexander never stays here very long. I
+would be a poor employee if I delayed him." He grinned knowingly
+at her and she smiled back with complete understanding.
+
+"Very well, then. Get your business done. Your pleasure can
+wait."
+
+Kennon steered Alexander over to an open window that led to a
+balcony. "Whew! he said. "I see what you mean."
+
+"She's a tartar," Alexander agreed. "I suspect that she's a
+nymphomaniac."
+
+"You suspect?" Kennon asked. "By this time you should know. Let's
+get out of here. I've had about all of your sister I care to
+take."
+
+"Can't say as I blame you. I'll show you to your quarters. Maybe
+Old Doc left a bottle or two, although I suspect the old sinner
+hung on until the last one was empty."
+
+"If he had to put up with your relatives as a steady diet, I
+can't say that I blame him," Kennon said.
+
+"Careful, Doctor. You're talking about my kinfolk," Alexander
+said wryly. "At that, though, you have a point." The two men
+slipped quietly from the room. Apparently none of the Family was
+conscious of their departure except Eloise, who watched them
+leave with an enigmatic expression on her narrow face.
+
+They left the fortress through the rear gate and walked slowly
+down the winding path that led to the cluster of buildings in the
+valley below. It was a beautiful night, calm and clear with the
+stars shining down from the dark vault of the heavens. The
+constellations were strange, and Kennon missed the moons. Beta
+had three, two of which were always in the sky, but Kardon was
+moonless. Somehow it gave the sky an empty look.
+
+A damp coolness rose from the ground as the evening rain
+evaporated mistily into the still air. Kennon sniffed the odor of
+soil and growing vegetation, clean pleasant odors in contrast to
+what he had left. In the distance a bird called sleepily from one
+of the fortress turrets and was answered by some creature Kennon
+couldn't identify. A murmur of blended sound came from the valley
+below, punctuated by high-pitched laughter. Someone was singing,
+or perhaps chanting would be a better description. The melody was
+strange and the words unrecognizable. The thin whine of an
+atomotor in the fortress's generating plant slowly built up to a
+keening undertone that blended into the pattern of half-perceived
+sound.
+
+"Nice, isn't it?" Alexander remarked as they rounded another turn
+on the switchback path.
+
+"Yes. You can't hear a sound from back there except for that
+generator. It's almost as though we shut those people out of
+existence by merely closing a door."
+
+"I wish it were that simple," Alexander said. "But doors that can
+be closed can also be opened. Well - think you'll like it here?"
+
+"I think so, providing I don't have to entertain your
+relatives.''
+
+"You mean Eloise? Don't worry about her. She's as fickle as the
+wind."
+
+"I've never seen anyone so frankly predatory," Kennon said. "She
+worries me."
+
+"They'll all be gone tomorrow -- except for Eloise," Alexander
+said with mock comfort. "Douglas is on the Otpens for a year, and
+the others are off somewhere."
+
+"You'll be staying, I suppose."
+
+"No -- I'm afraid I can't."
+
+"I hoped you'd help me get organized. This whole thing has been
+something of a shock. I was expecting something entirely
+different."
+
+"Sorry -- someone has to run the business. But Blalok'll brief
+you. Actually he's more qualified than I. He knows everything
+worth knowing about this place. We're going past his house in a
+minute--want to stop in and see him?"
+
+"It's pretty late."
+
+"Not for Blalok. He's a Mystic -- a nocturnal. He's probably
+doing his work now."
+
+"Perhaps we shouldn't disturb him."
+
+"Nonsense. He's used to it. I visit him frequently at night."
+
+"Sure -- but you're the boss."
+
+"Well -- in a sense you are too. At least in the veterinary end
+of this business." Alexander swung sharply to the left and
+climbed a short flight of stairs that led to the nearest house.
+Lights flared on the deep porch, and the old-fashioned  iris door
+dilated to frame the black silhouette of a stocky,
+broad-shouldered man.
+
+"Good evening, sir," he said. "I was expecting you. That the new
+vet with you?"
+
+"Your pipeline's still working, I see," Alexander said. "Yes,
+this is Dr. Kennon -- Evald Blalok -- I wanted you two to meet."
+
+Kennon liked the gray middle-aged man. He looked honest and
+competent, a solid quiet man with a craggy face and the deep-set
+eyes of a Mystic. His skin had the typical thickness and pore
+prominence of the dwellers on that foggy world from which he
+came. But unlike the natives of Myst, his skin was burned a dark
+brown by Kardon's sun. He seemed out of place on this tropic
+world, but Kennon reflected wryly that there was probably more
+than one misplaced human here, himself included.
+
+"I've been going over Station Fourteen's records with Jordan,''
+Blalok said as he ushered them into the house. A tall
+black-haired man rose as they entered.
+
+"Skip the formality, Jordan. Sit down," Alexander said, "and meet
+Dr. Kennon -- Steve Jordan -- Jordan runs the Lani Division."
+
+Kennon nodded acknowledgment as Alexander continued, "What's this
+trouble at Fourteen?"
+
+"I don't know. We've got an epizootic of something. Another
+youngster died this morning, and there's three more that look
+pretty bad, jaundice, no appetite, complaining of muscular pains.
+Same symptoms as took the others. The one this morning makes the
+fourth this month, and we're only half through it."
+
+"Are all your losses in this one station?" Kennon asked.
+
+"No -- but it's worst there."
+
+"I don't like losses like that," Alexander said.
+
+"Neither do I," Jordan replied.
+
+"This isn't Jordan's fault, sir," Blalok said quickly. "As you
+know, we haven't had a vet for three months."
+
+"Two," Alexander corrected.
+
+"Three -- Old Doc wasn't around at all the month before he died,"
+Blalok said. "As a result we've got a problem. We need
+professional help."
+
+"Well here he is -- use him," Alexander said. He looked at
+Kennon, a trace of amusement on his face. "There's nothing like
+getting into things early."
+
+"Particularly when one comes into them stone cold," Kennon added.
+"It's a poor way to start a career."
+
+"We can't afford to wait," Jordan said. "We need help."
+
+"I'll see what can be done," Kennon replied. "Have you saved the
+body?"
+
+"Every one of them," Jordan said. "They're in the hospital in the
+autopsy room."
+
+That was sensible. A post-mortem might give us an answer. Where's
+the hospital?"
+
+"I'll show you," Jordan offered.
+
+"Count me out," Alexander said. "I have a weak stomach."
+
+"I'll go along if it's necessary," Blalok said.
+
+"There's a staff there, Old Doc trained them," Jordan said.
+
+"Then it shouldn't be necessary," Kennon said.
+
+Blalok sighed with relief and turned to Alexander. "We could
+check the records while those two are about their bloody work."
+
+"I'd rather check a long strong drink," Alexander replied. "What
+with the Family and this, it's too much to take for one evening."
+
+Kennon hid a smile. Alexander had a weak spot. He was squeamish.
+That was a good thing to know.
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+Jordan opened the door of the two-story building below Blalok's
+house. "This is it," he said, "just outside your front door.
+Convenient -- no?"
+
+"Too convenient," Kennon said, "also too quiet. Isn't anyone on
+duty?"
+
+"I wouldn't know. Old Doc never kept the place open at night."
+
+There was a stir of movement in the darkness, the lights flashed
+on, and a sleepy-eyed Lani blinked at them in the sudden glare.
+She looked blankly at Kennon and then brightened as she saw
+Jordan. "What's the trouble, sir?" she asked.
+
+"Nothing. We want to look at the Lani I sent down this morning --
+Dr. Kennon would like to inspect the carcass."
+
+"You're the new doctor?" the Lani asked. "Thank goodness you've
+come! I'll get the staff. I'll be back in a moment." She stepped
+quickly over to the switchboard beside the door and punched five
+buttons. Four more humanoids came into the room, followed a
+little later by a fifth.
+
+"Where's the emergency?" one asked.
+
+"He is -- it's our new doctor."
+
+"More females," Kennon muttered to himself. He turned to Jordan.
+"Aren't there any males in this crew?"
+
+Jordan stared at him with mild surprise. "No, sir -- didn't you
+know? There are no male Lani."
+
+"What?"
+
+"Just that," Jordan said. "Only females. There hasn't been a male
+on the island since Old Man Alexander took over. He killed them
+all."
+
+"But that's impossible! How do they reproduce?"
+
+"Ever hear of artificial fertilization?"
+
+"Sure -- but that's a dead end. The offspring are haploids and
+they're sterile. The line would die out in a generation."
+
+"Not the Lani--you can see for yourself. We've been using the
+technique here for better than four centuries, and we're still
+doing all right. Over forty generations so far, and from the
+looks of things we can go on indefinitely."
+
+"But how is it done?"
+
+"I don't know. That's Alexander's secret. The Boss-man doesn't
+tell us everything. All I know is that we get results. Old Doc
+knew how it was done, and I suppose you will too, but don't ask
+me. I'm dumb."
+
+Kennon shrugged. Maybe -- maybe not. At any rate there was no
+sense in belaboring the point. He turned to the staff. Five of
+them were the same big-boned heavy-framed type that apparently
+did most of the manual labor. The sixth, the late arrival, was an
+elegant creature, a bronze-skinned, green-eyed minx with an elfin
+face half hidden under a wavy mass of red-brown hair. Unlike the
+others, she had been docked - and in contrast to their heavy eyes
+and sleep-puffed features she was alert and lively. She flashed
+him an impish grin, revealing clean white teeth.
+
+Kennon smiled back. He couldn't help it. And suddenly the tension
+and strangeness was broken. He felt oddly at ease. "Which of you
+are on duty?" he asked.
+
+"All of us," the redhead replied, "if it's necessary. What do you
+want us to do?"
+
+"He's already told me. He wants that last carcass prepped for a
+post-mortem," the nightcall Lani said.
+
+"Good," the redhead said. "It'll be nice to get to work again."
+She turned to face Kennon. "Now, Doctor -- would you like to see
+your office? Old Doc left a fine collection of notes on Lani
+anatomy and perhaps you could do with a little review."
+
+"I could do with a lot of it," Kennon admitted. "Unless the inner
+structure of a Lani is as similar to human as their outer."
+
+"There are differences," the redhead admitted. "After all, we
+aren't quite alike."
+
+"Perhaps I'd better do some reading," Kennon said.
+
+"You need me any more?" Jordan asked.
+
+"No -- I think not."
+
+"Good. I'll get back. Frankly, I don't like this any better than
+Blalok or the boss, but I'm low man on that pole. See you later."
+
+Kennon chuckled as Jordan left. "Now, let's get ready for that
+cadaver," he said.
+
+"Carcass, doctor," the redhead corrected. "A cadaver is a dead
+human body." She accented the "human."
+
+Even in death there is no equality, Kennon thought. He nodded and
+the Lani led the way to a door which opened into a good-sized
+office, liberally covered with bookshelves. An old-fashioned
+plastic desk, some office cybernetics, a battered voicewriter,
+and a few chairs completed the furnishings. The redhead placed
+several large folio volumes in front of him and stepped back from
+the desk as he leafed rapidly through the color plates. It was an
+excellent atlas. Dr. Williamson had been a careful and competent
+workman.
+
+Half an hour later, well fortified with a positional knowledge of
+Lani viscera, Kennon looked up at the redhead. She was still
+standing patiently, a statue of red-gold and bronze.
+
+"Get a smock and let's go," he said. "No -- wait a minute."
+
+"Yes, sir?"
+
+"What's your name? I don't want to say 'Hey you!'"
+
+She smiled. "It's Copper Glow - want my pedigree too?"
+
+"No -- it wouldn't mean anything to me. Do they call you Copper
+or Glow? or both?"
+
+"Just Copper, sir."
+
+"Very well, Copper - let's get going."
+
+* * *
+
+The body of the dead Lani lay on the steel table, waxy and
+yellowish in the pitiless light of the fluorescents. She had been
+hardly more than a child. Kennon felt a twinge of pity - so young
+- so young to die. And as he looked he was conscious of another
+feeling.
+
+It had been an open secret among his classmates that he had
+refused an offer to study human medicine because of his aversion
+to dissecting cadavers. The sarcoplastic models were all right,
+but when it came to flesh, Kennon didn't have the stomach for it.
+And now, the sight of the dead humanoid brought back the same
+cold sweat and gut-wrenching nausea that had caused him to turn
+to veterinary medicine eight years ago.
+
+He fought the spasms back as he approached the table and made the
+external examination. Icterus and a swollen abdomen - the rest
+was essentially normal. And he knew with cold certainty that he
+could not lay a scalpel edge upon that cold flesh. It was too
+human, too like his own.
+
+"Are you ready, Doctor?" the Lani standing across the table from
+him asked. "Shall I expose the viscera?"
+
+Kennon's stomach froze. Of course! He should have realized! No
+pathologist did his own dissection. He examined. And that he
+could do. It was the tactile, not the visual sensations that
+upset him. He nodded. "The abdominal viscera first," he said.
+
+The Lani laid back the skin and musculature with bold, sure
+strokes. An excellent prosectress, Kennon thought. Kennon pointed
+at the swollen liver and the Lani deftly severed its attachments
+and laid the organ out for inspection. The cause of death was
+obvious. The youngster had succumbed to a massive liver-fluke
+infestation. It was the worst he had ever seen. The bile ducts
+were thick, calcified and choked with literally thousands of the
+gray-green leaf-shaped trematodes.
+
+"Let's look at the others," he said.
+
+Two more post-mortems confirmed the diagnosis. Except for minor
+differences, the lesions were identical. He removed a few of the
+flukes and set them aside for further study.
+
+"Well that's that," he said. "You can clean up now."
+
+He had found the criminal, and now the problem assumed the
+fascinating qualities of a crime hunt. Now he must act to prevent
+further murders, to reconstruct the crime, to find the modus
+operandi, to track the fluke to its source, and to execute it
+before it could do more harm.
+
+Photographs and tri-dis would have to be taken, the parasite
+would have to be identified and its sensitivity to therapy
+determined. Studies would have to be made on its life cycle, and
+the means by which it gained entrance to its host. It wouldn't be
+simple, because this trematode was probably Hepatodirus hominis,
+and it was tricky. It adapted, like the species it parasitized.
+
+Kennon leaned back from the microscope and studied the
+illustrations in the parasitology text. No matter how much
+Hepatodirus changed its life cycle, it could not change its adult
+form. The arrangements of the suckers and genital structures were
+typical. Old Doc's library on parasites was too inadequate for
+more than diagnosis. He would have to wait for his own books to
+be uncrated before he could do more than apply symptomatic
+treatment. He sighed and rose slowly to his feet. Tomorrow was
+going to be a busy day.
+
+The door opened behind Mm and Copper slipped quietly into the
+office. She looked at him curiously, a faint half-shy smile on
+her face.
+
+"What is it?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Are you ready to fill out the autopsy protocol? It's customary."
+
+"It's also customary to knock on a door before entering."
+
+"Is it? Old Doc never mentioned it."
+
+"I'm not Old Doc."
+
+"No, you're not," she admitted. "You're much younger - and far
+more beautiful. Old Doc was a fat, gray old man." She paused and
+eyed Kennon appraisingly with a look on her pointed face that was
+the virtual twin of Eloise's. "I think I'll like working for you
+if you're as nice as you are pretty."
+
+"You don't call a man beautiful or pretty!" Kennon exploded.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"It just isn't done"
+
+"You're a funny human," she said. "I called Old Doc beautiful,
+and he didn't mind."
+
+"That's different. He was an old man."
+
+"What difference does that make?"
+
+"I don't like it," Kennon said, hitting on the perfect answer.
+
+She stiffened. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I won't do it again." She
+looked down at him, head cocked sideways. "I guess I have a lot
+to learn about you. You're much different from Old Doc. He didn't
+snap at me." She paused for a moment, then drew a deep breath.
+
+Kennon blinked.
+
+"About that report," she said. "Regulations require that each
+post-mortem be reported promptly and that a record of the Lani
+concerned be posted in the death book together with all pertinent
+autopsy data. Man Blalok is very fussy about proper records." She
+drew one of the chairs to a spot beside the desk and sat down,
+crossed her long legs, and waited expectantly.
+
+Kennon's mouth was suddenly dry. This situation was impossible.
+How in the name of Sir Arthur Fleming could he dictate a coldly
+precise report with a naked redhead sitting beside him? "Look,"
+he said. "I won't need you. I can operate a voicewriter. You can
+pick up the material later and transcribe it."
+
+Her face fell. "You don't like me," she said, her green eyes
+filling with quick tears. "Old Doc never---"
+
+"Oh, damn Old Doc!" Kennon snapped. "And stop that sniveling --
+or get out. Better yet -- get out and stop sniveling!"
+
+She leaped to her feet and fled.
+
+Kennon swore. There was no reason for him to act that way. He had
+been more brutal than necessary. But the girl -- no, the Lani --
+was disconcerting. He felt ashamed of himself. He had behaved
+like a primitive rather than a member of one of the oldest human
+civilizations in the galaxy. He wouldn't bark at a dog that way.
+He shook his head. Probably he was tired. Certainly he was
+irritable, and unclad females virtually indistinguishable from
+human weren't the most soothing objects to contemplate.
+
+He wondered if his exasperation was real or merely a defense
+mechanism. First Eloise, and then this! Confound it! He was
+surrounded! He felt trapped. And it wasn't because he'd been away
+from women too long. A week was hardly that. He grinned as he
+recalled the blonde from Thule aboard the starship. Now there was
+a woman, even though her ears were pointed and her arms were too
+long. She didn't pressure a man. She let him make the advances.
+
+He grinned. That was it. He was on the defensive. He was the one
+who was being pursued -- and his male ego had revolted. He
+shrugged and turned his attention to the autopsy report, but it
+was hopeless. He couldn't concentrate. He jotted a few notes and
+dropped them on the desk -- tomorrow would be time enough. What
+he needed now was a stiff drink and eight hours' sleep.
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Kennon stopped at Blalok's house long enough to tell the
+superintendent what was causing the trouble. Blalok scowled.
+"We've never had flukes here before," he said. "Why should they
+appear now?"
+
+"They've been introduced," Kennon said. "The thing that bothers
+me is how Dr. Williamson missed them."
+
+"The old man was senile," Blalok said. "He was nearly blind the
+last six months of his life. I wouldn't doubt that he let his
+assistants do most of his work, and they could have missed them."
+
+"Possibly, but the lesions are easy to see. At any rate, the
+culprit is known now."
+
+"Culprit?"
+
+"Hepatodirus hominis -- the human liver fluke. He's a tricky
+little fellow -- travels almost as far as men do."
+
+"I'm glad it's your problem, not mine. All I can remember about
+flukes is that they're hard to eradicate."
+
+"Particularly H. hominis."
+
+"You can tell me about it later. Right now Mr. Alexander's over
+at Old -- your house. Probably he's looking for you."
+
+"Where's Jordan?"
+
+"He went up to Station Fourteen. We'll see him tomorrow."
+
+"I'll say good night then," Kennon said.
+
+"I'm glad you're here. It's a load off my shoulders. See you
+tomorrow." Blalok waved a friendly good night and left the lights
+on long enough for Kennon to make his way to his quarters.
+
+Alexander was seated in a heavily upholstered chair listening to
+a taped symphony in the stereo, his eyes half closed, an
+expression of peace on his face. An elderly Lani stood beside
+him. It was a comfortable picture.
+
+The humanoid saw Kennon and gasped, a tiny indrawn sound of
+surprise. Alexander's eyes snapped open. "Oh -- it's you," he
+said. "Don't worry, Kara -- it's your new doctor."
+
+Kara smiled. "You startled me," she said. "I was dreaming."
+
+"On your feet?" Alexander interjected idly.
+
+"I should have known you at once, Doctor. There's talk about you
+all over the yards, ever since you arrived."
+
+"They know what is going on around here better than any of us,"
+Alexander chuckled. "The grapevine is amazingly efficient. Well
+-- what's the story?"
+
+"Liver fluke."
+
+"Hmm - not good."
+
+"I think it can be stopped. I looked at the records. It doesn't
+seem to have been here too long."
+
+"I hope you're right. How long will it take?"
+
+"Several months, maybe a year, maybe more. I can't say. But I'll
+try to clean it up as quickly as possible. I'm pretty sure of the
+fluke, and it's a hard one to control."
+
+"Hepatodirus?"
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"That's an offworld parasite, isn't it?"
+
+"Yes. It originated on Santos. Parasitized the Varl originally,
+but liked humans better. It's adapted to a hundred different
+planetary environments, and it keeps spreading. It's a real cutie
+- almost intelligent the way it behaves. But it can be licked."
+
+"Good - get on it right away."
+
+"I'm starting tomorrow."
+
+"Fine -- I thought you'd be the right man. Kara! Fix the doctor a
+drink. We might as well have a nightcap -- then I'll go back to
+the house and listen to Henry and Anne's screams about poor
+mistreated Douglas, and then back to Albertsville tomorrow. Duty
+and the credits call."
+
+With mild surprise, Kennon realized that Alexander was drunk. Not
+obnoxiously, but enough to change his character. Intoxicated, he
+was a friendlier person. If there was any truth in the ancient
+cliche about alcohol bringing out a man's true character, then
+Alexander was basically a very nice person indeed.
+
+"Well -- here's your home for the next five years," Alexander
+said. "Eight rooms, two baths, a freshener, and three Lani to
+keep the place running. You've got it made."
+
+"Perhaps -- we'll see when we tackle this fluke infestation.
+Personally, I don't think I'm going to have an easy time.
+Tomorrow I'm going to be up to my neck in trouble trying to save
+your profits."
+
+"You'll do it. I have confidence in you."
+
+"I still think you should have hired a medic."
+
+"This isn't all of your job," Alexander said. "And besides I
+can't afford to do it. Oh - not the money, but it might be
+admitting that the Lani might be human. And we've gone to a great
+deal of trouble to prove they're not." He shifted uncomfortably
+in his chair. "There's a story behind this."
+
+"I wouldn't doubt it."
+
+"Maybe it'd be better if I told it. It goes back over four
+centuries. Grandfather was a clever man. After he had secured
+this island he became worried about the surviving Lani. He didn't
+want to be accused of genocide, since the Lani were so human in
+appearance. So he had his medical officer make a few autopsies.
+The M.D. reported that while there was similarity, the Lani were
+probably not human.
+
+"That was enough for Grandfather. He requested a Court of
+Inquiry. The court was sitting in Halsey and the hearing was
+private. Even so, it leaked and Grandfather was highly unpopular
+for a time until the lab reports came in. It cost him over eight
+hundred Ems and nearly two years' time to finish the case, but
+when it was over the Lani were declared alien, and Grandfather
+had ironclad discovery rights.
+
+"They really put him through the mill. Grandfather furnished the
+bodies and three court-appointed M.O.'s went through them with
+microscopes. They didn't miss a thing. Their reports are so
+detailed that they're classics of their kind. They're almost
+required reading for anyone who wants to learn Lani structure and
+function. The court rendered an interim decision that the Lani
+were nonhuman, and armed with this, Grandfather prepared the
+final tests which were run by a team of court-appointed medics
+and biologists, who made in vitro and live tests on a number of
+Lani female prisoners. The tests ran for over two years and were
+totally negative. So the Alexander family acquired Flora and the
+Otpens, and a legal status." Alexander stood up. "Well -- that's
+a capsule summary. The records are in the library if you'd care
+to check them."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Just to prove we're honest." He moved carefully toward the door,
+opened it, and disappeared into the night.
+
+Silently Kennon watched him descend the porch steps. He seemed
+steady enough. For a moment Kennon debated whether he should see
+him home -- and then decided against it. If Alexander needed help
+he'd have asked for it. As it was, it was better to leave things
+alone. Certainly he didn't know Alexander well enough to act as a
+guardian. He turned back to the living area. The stereo was
+playing something soft and nostalgic as Kennon sank into the
+chair Alexander had vacated. He let his body relax. It had been
+as full a day as he had ever spent filled with changes so abrupt
+that they were exhausting. He felt confused. There were no
+precedents he could apply. Neither his studies nor his travels
+had prepared him for living in a situation like this.
+
+Legally and biologically the Lani weren't human. But they were
+intelligent, upright, bipedal mammals whose morphology was so
+close to man's that it had taken the ultimate test to settle
+their status. And being a Betan, Kennon was suspicious of the
+accuracy of that ultimate test.
+
+But the Brotherhood of Man was based upon it. The feeling of
+unity that pervaded mankind's expanding empire was its product.
+From almost the beginning of mankind's leap to the stars it had
+been recognized that men must help each other or perish. The
+spirit of co-operation against the common enmity of alien worlds
+and cultures transcended the old petty rivalries on Earth. Men --
+all men -- were brothers in arms.
+
+And so the Brotherhood was born -- and the concept born of
+necessity developed its muscles in a thousand battles on a
+thousand hostile worlds. And ultimately it evolved into the only
+form of central authority that men would accept. Yet basically it
+was not a government. It was an attitude  of mind. Men accepted
+its decisions as they would accept the rulings of a family
+council, and for the same reasons.
+
+The Brotherhood laid down certain rules but it did not attempt to
+enforce them. After all, it didn't need to. It also arbitrated
+disputes, admitted new worlds to membership, and organized
+concerted human effort against dangerous enemies. And that was
+all. Yet in its sphere the authority of the Brotherhood was
+absolute.
+
+
+There was only one criterion for membership in the Brotherhood --
+membership in the human race. No matter how decadent or primitive
+a population might be, if it was human it was automatically
+eligible for Brotherhood - a free and equal partner in the
+society of human worlds.
+
+Kennon doubted that any nonhuman race had ever entered the select
+circle of humanity, although individuals might have done so. A
+docked Lani, for instance, would probably pass unquestioned as a
+human, but the Lani race would not. In consequence they and their
+world were fair prey, and had been attacked and subjugated.
+
+Of course, proof of inhumanity was seldom a problem. Most alien
+life forms were obviously alien. But there were a few -- like the
+Lani--where similarities were so close that it was impossible to
+determine their status on the basis of morphology alone. And so
+the Humanity Test had come into being.
+
+Essentially it was based upon species compatibility -- on the
+concept that like can interbreed with like. Tests conducted on
+every inhabited world in the Brotherhood had proven this
+conclusively. Whatever changes had taken place in the somatic
+characteristics of mankind since the Exodus, they had not altered
+the compatibility of human germ plasm. Man could interbreed with
+man - aliens could not. The test was simple. The results were
+observable. And what was more important, everyone could
+understand it. No definition of humanity could be more simple or
+direct.
+
+But was it accurate?
+
+Like other Betans, Kennon wondered. It was -- so far - probably.
+The qualifying phrases were those of the scientist, that strange
+breed that refuses to accept anything as an established fact
+until it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. After all, the
+human race had been spaceborne for only six thousand years --
+scarcely time for any real differences to develop. But physical
+changes had already appeared -- and it would only be a question
+of time before these would probably be followed by genetic
+changes. And in some groups the changes might be extensive enough
+to make them genetic strangers to the rest of humanity.
+
+What would happen then? No one knew. Actually no one bothered to
+think about it except for a few far-seeing men who worried as
+they saw.
+
+Probably.
+
+Might.
+
+Possibly.
+
+If.
+
+Four words. But because of them the Betans were slowly
+withdrawing from the rest of humanity. Already the radiations of
+Beta's variant-G sun had produced changes in the population.
+Little things like tougher epidermis and depilation of body hair
+-- little things that held alarming implications to Beta's
+scientists, and to Beta's people. Not too many generations hence
+a Betan outside his home system would be a rarity, and in a few
+millennia the Betan system itself would be a closed enclave
+peopled by humans who had deviated too far from the basic stock
+to mingle with it in safety.
+
+Of course, the Brotherhood itself might be changed by that time,
+but there was no assurance that this would happen. And mankind
+had a history of dealing harshly with its mutants. So Beta would
+play it safe.
+
+Kennon wondered if there were other worlds in the Brotherhood
+that had come to the same conclusion. Possibly there were. And
+possibly there were worlds where marked deviations had occurred.
+There wasn't a year that passed that didn't bring some new human
+world into the Brotherhood, and many of these had developed from
+that cultural explosion during the First Millennium known as the
+Exodus, where small groups of colonists in inadequate ships set
+out for unannounced goals to homestead new worlds for man. Some
+of these survived, and many were being discovered even at this
+late date. But so far none had any difficulty in proving their
+human origin.
+
+The Lani, conceivably, could have been descendants of one of
+these groups, which probably explained the extreme care the
+Brotherhood courts had taken with their case. But they had failed
+the test, and were declared animals. Yet it was possible that
+they had mutated beyond genetic compatibility. If they had, and
+if it were proved, here was a test case that could rock the
+galaxy -- that could shake the Brotherhood to its very
+foundations -- that could force a re-evaluation of the criteria
+of humanity.
+
+Kennon grinned. He was a fine employee. Here he was, less than a
+full day on the job, dreaming how he could ruin his employer,
+shake the foundation of human civilization, and force ten
+thousand billion humans to change their comfortable habit
+patterns and their belief in the unchangeable sameness of men. He
+was, he reflected wryly, an incurable romantic.
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+"Wake up, Doctor, it's six A.M." A pleasant voice cut through
+Kennon's slumber. He opened one eye and looked at the room. For a
+moment the strange surroundings bothered him, then memory took
+over. He stirred uncomfortably, looking for the owner of the
+voice.
+
+"You have your morning calls at seven, and there's a full day
+ahead," the voice went on. "I'm sorry, sir, but you should get
+up." The voice didn't sound particularly sorry.
+
+It was behind him, Kennon decided. He rolled over with a groan of
+protest and looked at his tormentor. A gasp of dismay left his
+lips, for standing beside the bed, a half smile on her pointed
+face, was Copper -- looking fresh and alert and as disturbing as
+ever.
+
+It wasn't right, Kennon thought bitterly, to be awakened from a
+sound sleep by a naked humanoid who looked too human for comfort.
+"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
+
+"I'm supposed to be here," Copper said. "I'm your secretary.''
+She grinned and flexed a few curves of her torso.
+
+Kennon was silent.
+
+"Is there anything wrong?" she asked.
+
+For a moment Kennon was tempted to tell her what was wrong -- but
+he held his tongue. She probably wouldn't understand. But there
+was one thing he'd better settle right now. "Now look here, young
+lady--" he began.
+
+"I'm not a lady," Copper interrupted before he could continue.
+"Ladies are human. I'm a Lani."
+
+"All right," Kennon growled. "Lani or human, who cares?
+
+But do you have to break into a man's bedroom and wake him in the
+middle of the night?"
+
+"I didn't break in," she said, "and it isn't the middle of the
+night. It's morning."
+
+"All right -- so it's morning and you didn't break in. Then how
+in Halstead's sacred name did you get here?"
+
+
+"I sleep next door," she said jerking a thumb in the direction of
+an open door in the side wall. "I've been there ever since you
+dismissed me last night," she explained.
+
+The explanation left Kennon cold. The old cliche about doing as
+the Santosians do flicked through his mind. Well, perhaps he
+would in time -- but not yet. The habits of a lifetime couldn't
+be overturned overnight. "Now you have awakened me," he said,
+"perhaps you'll get out of here."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"I want to get dressed."
+
+"I'll help you."
+
+"You will not! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
+I've been dressing myself for years. I'm not used to people
+helping me."
+
+"My -- what a strange world you must come from. Haven't you ever
+had a Lani before?"
+
+"No."
+
+"You poor man." Her voice was curiously pitying. "No one to make
+you feel like the gods. No one to serve you. No one to even scrub
+your back."
+
+"That's enough," Kennon said. "I can scrub my own back."
+
+"How? -- you can't reach it."
+
+Kennon groaned.
+
+"Weren't there any Lani on your world?"
+
+"No."
+
+"No wonder you left it. It must be quite primitive."
+
+"Primitive!" Kennon's voice was outraged. "Beta has one of the
+highest civilizations in the Brotherhood!"
+
+"But you don't have Lani," she said patiently. "So you must be
+primitive."
+
+"Halstead, Fleming, and Ochsner!" Kennon swore. "Do you believe
+that?"
+
+"Naturally, isn't it obvious? You can't possibly be civilized
+unless you take responsibility for intelligent life other than
+your own race. Until you face up to your responsibilities you are
+merely a member of a dominant race, not a civilized one."
+
+Kennon's reply caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he
+looked at her, and what he was about to say remained unspoken.
+"Out of the mouths of humanoids--" he muttered oddly.
+
+"What does that mean?" Copper asked.
+
+"Forget it," Kennon said wildly. "Leave me alone. Go put on some
+clothes. You embarrass me."
+
+"I'll go," Copper said, "but you'll have to be embarrassed. Only
+household Lani wear cloth." She frowned, two vertical furrows
+dividing her dark brows. "I've never understood why inhouse Lani
+have to be disfigured that way, but I suppose there's some reason
+for it. Men seldom do anything without a reason."
+
+Kennon shook his head. Either she was grossly ignorant, which he
+doubted, or she was conditioned to the eyeballs.
+
+The latter was more probable. But even that was doubtful. Her
+trenchant remark about civilization wasn't the product of a
+conditioned mind. But why was he worrying about her attitudes?
+They weren't important -- she wasn't even human. He shook his
+head. That was a sophistry. The fact that she wasn't human had
+nothing to do with the importance of her attitude. "I suppose
+there is a reason," he agreed. "But I don't know it. I haven't
+been here long enough to
+
+know anything about such things."
+
+She nodded. "That does make a difference," she admitted. "Many
+new men are bothered at first by the fact that we Lani are naked,
+but they adjust quickly. So will you." She smiled as she turned
+away. "You see," she added over her shoulder as she left the
+room, "we're not human. We're just another of your domestic
+animals."
+
+Was there laughter in her voice? Kennon wasn't sure. His sigh was
+composed of equal parts of relief and exasperation as he slipped
+out of bed and began to dress. He'd forgo the shower this
+morning. He had no desire for Copper to appear and offer to scrub
+his back. In his present state of mind he couldn't take it.
+Possibly he'd get used to it in time. Perhaps he might even like
+it. But right now he wasn't acclimatized.
+
+* * *
+
+"Man Blalok called," Copper said as she removed the breakfast
+dishes. "He said that he'd be right over to pick you up. He wants
+to show you the operation.""When did he call?"
+
+"About ten minutes ago. I told him that you were at breakfast. He
+said he'd wait." She disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
+
+"There's a nightmare quality to this," Kennon muttered as he
+slipped his arms into the sleeves of his tunic and closed the
+seam tabs. "I have the feeling that I'm going to wake up any
+minute." He looked at his reflection in the dresser mirror, and
+his reflection looked worriedly back. "This whole thing has an
+air of plausible unreality: the advertisement, the contract, this
+impossible island that raises humanoids as part of the
+livestock." He shrugged and his mirrored image shrugged back.
+"But it's real, all right. No dream could possibly be this
+detailed. I wonder how I'm going to take it for the next five
+years? Probably not too well," he mused silently. "Already I'm
+talking to myself. Without even trying, that Lani Copper can make
+me feel like a Sarkian." He nodded at his image.
+
+The Sarkian analogy was almost perfect, he decided. For on that
+grimly backward world females were as close to slaves as the
+Brotherhood would permit; raised from birth under an iron regimen
+designed to produce complaisant mates for the dominant males.
+Probably that was the reason Sark was so backward. The men,
+having achieved domestic tranquillity, had no desire to do
+anything that would disturb the status quo. And since no Sarkian
+woman under any conceivable circumstances would annoy her lordly
+master with demands to produce better mousetraps, household
+gadgetry, and more money, the technological development of Sark
+had come to a virtual standstill. It took two sexes to develop a
+civilization.
+
+Kennon shrugged. Worlds developed as they did because people were
+as they were, and while passing judgment was still a major human
+pursuit, no native of one world had a right to force his customs
+down the unwilling throat of another. It would be better to
+accept his present situation and live with it rather than trying
+to impose his Betan conception of morality upon Lani that neither
+understood nor appreciated it. His business was to treat and
+prevent animal disease. What happened to the animals before
+infection or after recovery was none of his affair. That was a
+matter between Alexander and his conscience.
+
+Blalok was waiting for him, sitting behind the wheel of a square
+boxy vehicle that squatted with an air of unpolished efficiency
+on the graveled drive behind his house. He smiled a quick
+greeting as Kennon approached. "It's about time you showed up,"
+he said. "You'll have to get into the habit of rising early on
+this place. We do most of our work early in the morning and late
+in the afternoon. During the day it's too hot to breathe, let
+alone work. Well, let's get going. There's still time to visit
+the outer stations."
+
+Kennon climbed in and Blalok started the vehicle. "I thought we'd
+take a jeep today," he said. "They aren't very pretty, but they
+get around." He turned onto the surfaced road that ran down the
+hill toward the hospital and the complex of red-roofed buildings
+clustered about it. "About those flukes," he said. "You have any
+plans to get rid of them?"
+
+"Not yet. I'll have to look the place over. There's more
+detective work than medicine involved in this."
+
+"Detective work?"
+
+"Sure -- we know the criminal, but to squelch him we have to
+learn his hangouts, study his modus operandi, and learn how to
+make his victims secure from his activities. Unless we do that,
+we can treat individuals from now to infinity and all we'll have
+is more cases. We have to apply modern criminology tactics --
+eliminate the source of crime -- stop up the soft spots. In other
+words, kill the flukes before they enter the Lani."
+
+"Old Doc never said anything about this," Blalok said.
+
+"Probably he never knew about it. I was looking over the herd
+books last night, and I saw nothing about trematodes, or anything
+that looked like a parasite pattern until the last few months."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"My guess is that he was one of the first deaths."
+
+"You mean this thing attacks human beings?"
+
+"Preferentially," Kennon said. "It's strange, too, because it
+originated on Santos so far as we know. In fact, some people
+think that the Varl bred it for a weapon to use against us before
+we conquered them. They could have done it. Their biological
+science was of a high enough order."
+
+"But how did it get here?"
+
+"I wouldn't know--unless you've hired a Santosian or someone else
+who was affected."
+
+"We did have a man from Santos. Fellow called Joe Kryla. We had
+to let him go because he was a nudist. It made a bad impression
+on the Lani. But that was over a year ago."
+
+"That's about the right time to build up a good reservoir of
+infection. The fatal cases usually don't show up before an area
+is pretty well seeded."
+
+"That's not so good."
+
+"Well, there's one thing in our favor. The Lani are pretty well
+concentrated into groups. And so far there doesn't seem to be any
+infestation outside of Hillside Station - except for two deaths
+in Lani recently sent from there. If we quarantine those stations
+and work fast, may be we can stop this before it spreads all over
+the island"
+
+"That's fine, but what are you going to do now?"
+
+"Treat those that show symptoms. There should be some Trematox
+capsules at the hospital. If there aren't we'll get them. We'll
+take the sick ones back to the hospital area and push therapy and
+supportive treatment. Now that we know the cause, we shouldn't
+have any more death losses."
+
+"Old Doc didn't treat at the hospital," Blalok said.
+
+"I'm not Old Doc."
+
+"But it's going to mess up our operations. We're using the ward
+buildings to finish training the Lani scheduled for market."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"It's convenient. Most of the ward space is filled right now."
+Blalok said. There was a touch of disgust in his voice.
+
+"They're well, aren't they?" Kennon demanded.
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Then get them out of there."
+
+"But I told you-"
+
+"You told me nothing. The hospital area is needed for something
+more than a training center. Perhaps Old Doc was trained in
+outcall work, but I'm not. I work from a hospital. The only
+things I do on outcalls are diagnoses, vaccinations, and
+emergencies. The rest of the patients come to the hospital."
+
+"This isn't going to set well with Jordan and the division
+chiefs."
+
+"That's not my concern," Kennon said. "I run my business in the
+best way possible. The patients are of more concern than the
+personal comfort of any straw boss or administrator. You're the
+administrator -- you calm them down."
+
+"You have the authority," Blalok admitted. "But my advice to you
+is to go slow."
+
+"I can't," Kennon said. "Not if we want to prevent any more
+losses. There simply won't be time to run all over the island
+dosing with Trematox and taking temperatures, and while that sort
+of thing is routine, it should be supervised. Besides, you'll see
+the advantages of this method. Soon enough."
+
+"I hope so," Blalok said as he braked the jeep to a stop in front
+of the hospital. "I suppose you'll want to take some things
+along."
+
+"So I will," Kennon said. "I'll be back in a minute." Kennon slid
+from the seat, leaving Blalok looking peculiarly at his departing
+back.
+
+The minute stretched to nearly ten before Kennon returned
+followed by two Lani carrying bags which they loaded into the
+back of the jeep. "I had to reorganize a little," Kennon
+apologized, "some things were unfamiliar."
+
+"Plan on taking them?" Blalok said, jerking a thumb at the two
+Lani.
+
+"Not this time. I'm having them fit up an ambulance. They should
+be busy most of the day."
+
+Blalok grunted and started the turbine. He moved a lever and the
+jeep floated off the ground.
+
+"An airboat too," Kennon remarked. "I wondered why this rig was
+so boxy."
+
+"It's a multipurpose vehicle," Blalok said. "We need them around
+here for fast transport. Most of the roads aren't so good." He
+engaged the drive and the jeep began to move. "We'll go cross
+country," he said. "Hillside's pretty far out -- the farthest
+station since we abandoned Olympus."
+
+The air began whistling past the boxlike body of the jeep as
+Blalok increased the power to the drive and set the machine on
+automatic. "We'll get a pretty good cross-section of our
+operations on this trip," he said over the whine of the turbine.
+"Look down there."
+
+They were passing across a series of fenced pastures and Kennon
+was impressed. The size of this operation was beginning to sink
+in. It hadn't looked so big from the substratosphere in
+Alexander's ship, but down here close to the ground it was
+enormous. Fields of grain, wide orchards, extensive gardens. Once
+they were forced to detour a huge supply boat that rose heavily
+in front of them. Working in the fields were dozens of
+brown-skinned Lani who paused to look up and wave as the jeep
+sped by. Occasional clusters of farm buildings and the low
+barrackslike stations appeared and disappeared behind them.
+
+"There's about twenty Lani at each of these stations," Blalok
+said, "They work the farm area under the direction of the
+stationmaster."
+
+"He's a farmer?"
+
+"Of course. Usually he's a graduate of an agricultural school,
+hut we have a few who are descendants of the crew of the first
+Alexander, and there's one old codger who was actually with him
+during the conquest. Most of our stationmasters are family men.
+We feel that a wife and children add to a man's stability -- and
+incidentally keep him from fooling around with the Lani."
+
+A series of fenced pastures containing hundreds of huge
+grayish-white quadrupeds slipped past.
+
+"Cattle?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Yes - Earth strain. That's why they're so big. We also have
+sheep and swine, but you won't see them on this run."
+
+"Any native animals?"
+
+"A few - and some which are native to other worlds. But they're
+luxury-trade items. The big sale items are beef, pork, and
+mutton." Blalok chuckled. "Did you think that the Lani were our
+principal export?"
+
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"They're only a drop in the bucket. Agriculture -- Earth-style
+agriculture -- is our main source of income. The Lani are
+valuable principally to keep down the cost of overhead. Virtually
+all of them work right here on the island. We don't sell more
+than a hundred a year less than five per cent of our total. And
+those are surplus -- too light or too delicate for farm work."
+
+"Where do you find a market for all this produce?" Kennon asked.
+
+"There's two hundred million people here, and quite a few billion
+more in space-train range. We can produce more cheaply than any
+competitor, and we can undersell any competition, even full
+automation." Blalok chuckled. "There are some things that a
+computer can't do as well as a human being, and one of them is
+farm the foods on which humanity is accustomed to feed. A man'll
+pay two credits for a steak. He could get a Chlorella substitute
+for half a credit, but he'll still buy the steak if he can afford
+it. Same thing goes for fruit, vegetables, grain, and garden
+truck. Man's eating habits have only changed from necessity.
+Those who can pay will still pay well for natural foods." Blalok
+chuckled. "We've put quite a dent in the algae and synthetics
+operations in this sector."
+
+"It's still a luxury trade," Kennon said.
+
+"You've eaten synthetic," Blalok replied. "What do you prefer?"
+
+Kennon had to agree that Blalok was right. He, too, liked the
+real thing far better than its imitations.
+
+"If it's this profitable, then why sell Lani?" Kennon asked.
+
+"It's the Family's idea. Actually -- since the export type is
+surplus it does us no harm. We keep enough for servants -- and
+the others would be inefficient for most farm work. So disposal
+by sale is a logical and profitable way of culling. But now the
+Boss-man is being pressured into breeding an export type. And
+this I don't like. It's too commercial. Smells like slavery."
+
+"You're a Mystic, aren't you?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Sure -- but that doesn't mean I like slavery. Oh, I know some of
+those fatheaded Brotherhood economists call our system economic
+slavery -- and I'll admit that it's pretty hard to crack out of a
+spherical trust. But that doesn't mean that we have to stay where
+we are. Mystics aren't owned by their entrepreneurs. Sure, it's a
+tough haul to beat the boss, but it can be done. I did it, and
+others do it all the time. The situation isn't hopeless."
+
+"But it is with the Lani," Kennon added.
+
+"Of course. That's why they should be protected. What chance does
+a Lani have? Without us they can't even keep going as a race.
+They're technological morons. They don't live long enough to
+understand modern civilization. To turn those poor helpless
+humanoids out into human society would be criminal. It's our duty
+to protect them even while we're using them."
+
+"Man's burden?' Kennon said, repeating the old cliche.
+
+"Exactly." Blalok scowled. "I wish I had guts enough to give the
+Boss-man the facts -- but I can't get nerve enough to try. I've a
+good job here -- a wife and two kids -- and I don't want to
+jeopardize my future." Blalok glanced over the side. "Well, here
+we are," he said, and began descending into the center of a
+spokelike mass of buildings radiating outward from a central hub.
+
+"Hmm -- big place," Kennon murmured.
+
+"It should be," Blalok replied. "It furnishes all of our Lani for
+replacement and export. It can turn out over a thousand a year at
+full capacity. Of course we don't run at that rate, or Flora
+would be overpopulated. But this is a big layout, like you said.
+It can maintain a population of at least forty thousand. Old
+Alexander had big ideas."
+
+"I wonder what he planned to do with them?" Kennon said.
+
+"I wouldn't know. The Old Man never took anyone into his
+confidence."
+
+Jordan came up as the jeep settled to the ground. "Been expecting
+you for the past half hour," he said. "Your office said you were
+on your way. -- Good to see you, too, Doc. I've been going over
+the records with Hank Allworth - the stationmaster here." Jordan
+held out his hand.
+
+"You're an Earthman, eh?" Kennon asked as he grasped the
+outstretched hand. The gesture was as old as man, its ritualistic
+meaning lost in antiquity.
+
+"No -- Marsborn -- a neighbor world," Jordan said. "But our
+customs and Earth's are the same."
+
+"You're a long way from home," Kennon said.
+
+"No farther than you, Doc." Jordan looked uncomfortable. "But we
+can compare origins later. Right now, you'd better come into the
+office. I've run across something peculiar."
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+"There are twelve bays to this station," Jordan said. "Under our
+present setup two are used for breeding and the other ten for
+maturation. We rotate the youngsters around the bay -- a
+different bay each year until they're age eleven. Then they're
+sorted according to type and sent out for a year of further
+specialized training after which they go onto the farms, or to
+inhouse or export.
+
+"Now here's the peculiar part. There's no trouble in Bays One
+through Nine, but Bay Ten has had all our losses except two that
+have occurred at the training stations."
+
+"That's good news," Kennon said. "Our parasite can't have had
+time to migrate too far. We have him pinpointed unless -- say how
+many training centers are there?"
+
+"Three," Jordan said.
+
+"Quarantine them," Kennon replied. "Right now. Nothing goes in or
+out until we've checked them and completed prophylaxis."
+
+Jordan looked at Blalok inquiringly.
+
+"He's the boss," Blalok said. "Do as you're told. This is his
+problem."
+
+"Why the quarantine?" Jordan asked.
+
+"I want to get any carriers. We can check them with antigen, and
+then give Trematox."
+
+"All that concentration in Bay Ten," Jordan said. "Does it mean
+something?"
+
+"Blalok said that there was a Santosian in your division."
+
+"Yeah - Joe Kryla - and come to think of it, he ran Bay Ten!"
+
+"That's a help - now let's see what makes that bay different from
+the others."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"I'll tell you--but you may not understand," Kennon said.
+
+"I'll take a chance."
+
+Kennon grinned. "All right, you asked for it. The parasite that's
+doing the damage is a flatworm, a trematode called Hepatodirus
+hominis. As I've told Blalok, it's a tricky thing. Like all
+trematodes it has a three-stage life cycle, but unlike every
+other fluke, its life cycle is not fixed to definite intermediate
+hosts. Depending upon where it is, the fluke adapts. It still
+must pass through its life cycle, but its intermediate host need
+not be one species of snail, fish, or copepod. Any cold-blooded
+host will do. What you have here is a Kardonian variant which has
+adapted to some particular intermediate host on this world. Until
+now, its final host was either man or Varl. Now we have a third,
+the Lani. And apparently they are the most susceptible of the
+three. It never kills Varl. And humans, while they're more
+susceptible, only occasionally succumb, but the Lani appear to be
+the most susceptible of all. I've never seen an infestation like
+those Lani had. Their livers were literally crawling with
+flukes." Kennon paused and looked at Jordan. "You following me?"
+he asked.
+
+"Slowly and poorly," Jordan said. "You're assuming too much
+knowledge on my part."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "You can't say I didn't warn you."
+
+"Well -- I'm really interested in only one thing - how do you
+break the parasite up in business?"
+
+"There's only one sure way -- and that's to break the life cycle.
+The technique is thousands of years old, but it's just as good
+today as it was then."
+
+"Good -- then let's do it."
+
+"To make a varrit stew," Kennon said, "one must first catch the
+varrit."
+
+"Huh?"
+
+"We have to learn the beastie's life cycle before we can break
+it, and like I said, it adapts. Its intermediate host can be any
+one of a hundred cold-blooded animals."
+
+"Is there no place else where it can be attacked?"
+
+"Sure, in the body of the final host, or on its final encysting
+place. But that won't eliminate the bug."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"It'll still survive in its infective form and enough Lani will
+get subacute dosage to propagate it until the time is right for
+another epizootic. We have to kill its intermediate host -- or
+hosts if it has more than one. That will keep it from growing and
+will ultimately eradicate it."
+
+Judson scratched his head. "It sounds complicated,"
+
+"It is. It's so complicated that once the fluke becomes well
+established it's virtually impossible to eradicate."
+
+"And you think it can be done here?"
+
+"We can give it the old college try. But it's going to take some
+detective work."
+
+"Where do we start?"
+
+"With Bay Ten. We look it over real well. Then we check the diet
+and habits of the Lani. Then we check each individual Lani. Then
+we check the life cycle of the parasite. Somewhere along the line
+if we're lucky we'll find a weak point that can be attacked."
+
+"That's a big order," Blalok said.
+
+"It can't be helped. That's the way it is. Of course, we're lucky
+that we're on an isolated land mass. That gives us an advantage.
+We should be able to clean this up."
+
+"How long do you think it will take?"
+
+"It depends on how well the fluke is established. Six months at
+the minimum -- and I wouldn't care to guess at the maximum.
+However, I hope the minimum will be time enough."
+
+"So do I," Blalok said.
+
+"Well," Kennon said, "let's get on with it."
+
+"I hope it won't interrupt our program," Jordan said.
+
+"Of course it will interrupt it," Kennon replied. "It can't help
+it. Get the idea in your head that you're facing something here
+that can cripple you -- maybe abort your whole operation. You
+have a choice -- interrupt now or abort later. And half measures
+won't work. To eradicate this pest requires an all-out effort."
+
+"But I can't see why we can't merely bypass Bay Ten--" Jordan
+said.
+
+"Take my word for it," Kennon said. "You can't. There's no
+accurate way of telling how far this spreads until the death
+losses occur. Our tests for fluke infestation aren't that good.
+We have to work thoroughly and carefully. We can't be butting
+heads over this -- either we all co-operate or this whole
+operation will blow up in our faces.
+
+"Look at the record. Six months ago you ended a year with no
+deaths from disease. Five months ago Old Doc and two Lani were
+ill. Four months ago one of the two Lani was dead and Old Doc was
+too ill to be effective. Three months ago Old Doc and the other
+Lani were dead, and before the end of the month two more followed
+them. Two months ago six died, last month eight, and so far this
+month you've lost four and you have over two weeks to go. Up to
+now they've all been from here, but two this month were at other
+stations. In six months if nothing is done, we'll be having
+losses there unless we're lucky. And the losses will keep on
+increasing. Apparently you don't know what it is to live with
+parasites - so let me tell you. It isn't pleasant!"
+
+Blalok shrugged. "You needn't get hot about it," he said. "After
+all, you're the Doc -- and we'll co-operate."
+
+Jordan nodded. "We will," he said. "All the way."
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+There is a special providence that looks over recent veterinary
+graduates, Kennon reflected as he checked the monthly reports
+from the Stations. Since the time he had laid down the law to
+Judson and Blalok, he had had no trouble from the production
+staff. And for the past four months there had been no further
+trouble with Hepatodirus. That unwanted visitor had apparently
+been evicted. At that, they had been lucky. The parasite had been
+concentrated at Hillside Station and had failed to establish
+itself in the training area. The intermediate host, it had turned
+out, was a small amphibian that was susceptible to commercial
+insecticide. It had been no trouble to eradicate. Systemic
+treatment and cooking of all food had cleaned up the infective
+cercaria and individual infections, and after six months of
+intensive search, quarantine, and investigation, Kennon was
+morally certain that the disease had been eradicated. The last
+four reports confirmed his belief.
+
+He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Blalok was at last
+convinced that his ideas were right. The hospital was operating
+as a hospital should, with a staff of twelve Lani kept busy
+checking the full wards. Actually, it was working better than it
+should, since stationmasters all over the island were now
+shipping in sick animals rather than treating them or requesting
+outpatient service.
+
+"Hi, Doc," Blalok said as he pushed the door open and looked into
+the office. "You doing anything?"
+
+"Not at the moment," Kennon said. "Something troubling you?"
+
+"No -- just thought I'd drop in for a moment and congratulate
+you."
+
+"For what?"
+
+"For surviving the first year."
+
+"That won't be for two months yet."
+
+Blalok shook his head. "This is Kardon," he said. "There's only
+three hundred and two days in our year, ten thirty-day months and
+two special days at the year's end."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "My contract is Galactic Standard. I still have
+two months to go. But how come the ten-month year? Most other
+planets have twelve, regardless of the number of days."
+
+"Old Alexander liked thirty-day months."
+
+"I've wondered about that."
+
+"You'll find a lot more peculiar things about Flora when you get
+to know her better. This year has just been a breaking-in
+period."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "It's damn near broken me," he admitted. "You
+know, I thought that the Lani'd be my principal practice when I
+came here."
+
+"You didn't figure that right. They're the easiest part. They're
+intelligent and co-operative."
+
+"Which is more than one can say about the others." Kennon wiped
+the sweat from his face. "What with this infernal heat and their
+eternal stubbornness, I've nearly been driven crazy."
+
+"You shouldn't have laid out that vaccination program."
+
+"I had to. Your hog business was living mostly on luck, and the
+sheep and shrakes were almost as bad. You can't get away from
+soil saprophytes no matter how clean you are. Under a pasture
+setup there's always a chance of contamination. And that old
+cliche about an ounce of prevention is truer of livestock raising
+than anything else I can think of."
+
+"I have some more good news for you," Blalok said. "That's why I
+came over. We're going to have another species to treat and
+vaccinate."
+
+Kennon groaned. "Now what?"
+
+"Poultry." Blalok's voice was disgusted. "Personally I think it's
+a mess, but Alexander thinks it's profitable. Someone's told him
+that pound for pound chickens are the most efficient feed
+converters of all the domestic animals. So we're getting a pilot
+plant: eggs, incubator, and a knocked-down broiler battery so we
+can try the idea out. The Boss-man is always hot on new ideas to
+increase efficiency and production. The only trouble is that he
+fails to consider the work involved in setting up another
+operation."
+
+"You're so right. I'll have to brush up on pullorum, ornithosis,
+coccidosis, leukosis, perosis, and Ochsner knows how many other
+-osises and -itises. I was never too strong on fowl practice in
+school, and I'd be happier if I never had anything to do with
+them."
+
+"So would I," Blalok agreed. "I can't see anything in this but
+trouble."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"And he's forgotten something else," Blalok added. "Poultry need
+concentrated feed. We're going to have to install a feed mill."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "I hope he'll appreciate the bill he gets."
+
+"He thinks we can use local labor," Blalok said gloomily. "I wish
+he'd realize that Lani are technological morons."
+
+"They could learn."
+
+"I suppose so -- but it isn't easy. And besides, Allworth is the
+only man with feed-mill experience, and he's up to his ears with
+Hillside Station since that expansion order came in."
+
+"I never did get the reason for that. After we complained about
+the slavery implications and got the Boss-man's okay to hold the
+line, why do we need more Lani?"
+
+"Didn't you know? His sister's finally decided to try marriage.
+Found herself some overmuscled Halsite who looked good to her --
+but she couldn't crack his moral barrier." Blalok grinned. "I
+thought you'd be the first to know. Wasn't she interested in
+you?"
+
+Kennon chuckled. "You could call it that. Interested -- like the
+way a dog's interested in a beefsteak. It's a good thing we had
+that fluke problem or I'd have been chewed up and digested long
+ago. That woman frightens me."
+
+"I could be scared by uglier things," Blalok said. "With the
+Boss-man's sister on my side I wouldn't worry."
+
+"What makes you think she'd be on my side? She's a cannibal."
+
+"Well, you know her better than I do."
+
+He did -- he certainly did. That first month had been one of the
+worst he had ever spent, Kennon reflected. Between Eloise and the
+flukes, he had nearly collapsed -- and when it had come to the
+final showdown, he thought for a while that he'd be looking for
+another job. But Alexander had been more than passably
+understanding and had refused his sister's passionate pleas for a
+Betan scalp. He owed a debt of gratitude to the Boss-man.
+
+"You're lucky you never knew her," Kennon said.
+
+"That all depends on what you mean," Blalok said as he grinned
+and walked to the door. The parting shot missed its mark entirely
+as Kennon looked at him with blank incomprehension. "You should
+have been a Mystic," Blalok said. "A knowledge of the sacred
+books would do you no end of good." And with that cryptic remark
+the superintendent vanished.
+
+"That had all the elements of a snide remark," Kennon murmured to
+himself, "but my education's been neglected somewhere along the
+line. I don't get it." He shrugged and buzzed for Copper. The
+veterinary report would have to be added to the pile already
+before him, and the Boss-man liked to have his reports on time.
+
+Copper watched Kennon as he dictated the covering letter, her
+slim fingers dancing over the stenotype. He had been here a full
+year -- but instead of becoming a familiar object, he had grown
+so gigantic that he filled her world. And it wasn't merely
+because he was young and beautiful. He was kind, too.
+
+Yet she couldn't approach him, and she wanted to so desperately
+that it was a physical pain. Other Lani had told her about men
+and what they could do. Even her old preceptress at Hillside
+Station had given her some advice when Man Allworth had tattooed
+the tiny V on her thigh that meant she had been selected for the
+veterinary staff. And when Old Doc had brought her from the
+Training Station to the hospital and removed her tail, she was
+certain that she was one of the lucky ones who would know love.
+
+But love wasn't a pain in the chest, an ache in the belly and
+thighs, an unfulfilled longing that destroyed sleep and made food
+tasteless. Love was supposed to be pleasant and exciting. She
+could remember every word her preceptress had spoken.
+
+"My little one," the old Lani had said, "you now wear the
+doctor's mark. And soon no one will be able to tell you from a
+human. You will look like our masters. You will share in their
+work. And there may be times when you will find favor in their
+eyes. Then you may learn of love.
+
+"Love," the old voice was soft in Copper's ears. "The word is
+almost a stranger to us now, known only to the few who serve our
+masters. It was not always so. The Old Ones knew love before Man
+Alexander came. And our young were the fruit of love rather than
+the product of our masters' cunning. But you may know the flower
+even though you cannot bear its fruit. You may enter that world
+of pleasure-pain the Old Ones knew, that world which is now
+denied us.
+
+"But remember always that you are a Lani. A man may be kind to
+you. He may treat you gently. He may show you love. Yet you never
+will be his equal. Nor must you become too attached to him, for
+you are not human. You are not his natural mate. You cannot bear
+his young. You cannot completely share. You can only accept.
+
+"So if love should come to you, take it and enjoy it, but do not
+try to possess it. For there lies heartache rather than
+happiness. And it is a world of heartache, my little one, to long
+for something which you cannot have."
+
+To long for something which one cannot have! Copper knew that
+feeling. It had been with her ever since Kennon had come into her
+life that night a year ago. And it had grown until it had become
+gigantic. He was kind -- yes. He was harsh -- occasionally. Yet
+he had shown her no more affection than he would have shown a
+dog. Less -- for he would have petted a dog and he did not touch
+her.
+
+He laughed, but she was not a part of his laughter. He needed
+her, but the need was that of a builder for a tool. He liked her
+and sometimes shared his problems and triumphs with her, and
+sometimes his defeats, but he did not love. There had never been
+for her the bright fierce look he had bent upon the Woman Eloise
+those times when she had come to him, the look men gave to those
+who found favor in their eyes.
+
+Had he looked at her but once with that expression she would have
+come to him though fire barred the way. The Woman Eloise was a
+fool.
+
+Copper looked at him across the corner of the desk, the yellow
+hair, the bronze skin, firm chin, soft lips and long straight
+nose, the narrowed eyes, hooded beneath thick brows, scanning the
+papers in his lean-tendoned hands. His nearness was an ache in
+her body -- yet he was far away.
+
+She thought of how his hands would feel upon her. He had touched
+her once, and that touch had burned like hot iron. For hours she
+had felt it. He looked up. Her heart choked her with its beating.
+She would die for him if he would but once run his fingers over
+her tingling skin, and stroke her hair.
+
+The naked emotion in Copper's face was readable enough, Kennon
+thought. One didn't need Sorovkin techniques to interpret what
+was in her mind. And it would have been amusing if it weren't so
+sad. For what she wanted, he couldn't give. Yet if she were human
+it would be easy. A hundred generations of Betan moral code said
+"never," yet when he looked at her their voices faded. He was a
+man -- a member of the ruling race. She was an animal -- a beast
+-- a humanoid -- near human but not near enough. To like her was
+easy - but to love her was impossible. It would be bestiality.
+Yet his body, less discerning than his mind, responded to her
+nearness.
+
+He sighed. It was a pleasant unpleasantness, a mixed emotion he
+could not analyze. In a way it was poetry -- the fierce, vaguely
+disquieting poetry of the sensual Santosian bards - the lyrics
+that sung of the joys of flesh. He had never really liked them,
+yet they filled him with a vague longing, an odd uneasiness --
+just the sort that filled him now. There was a deadly parallel
+here. He sighed.
+
+"Yes, sir? Do you want something?" Copper asked.
+
+"I could use a cup of coffee," he said. "These reports are
+getting me down." The banality amused him -- sitting here
+thinking of Copper and talking about coffee. Banality was at once
+the curse and the saving grace of mankind. It kept men from the
+emotional peaks and valleys that could destroy them. He chuckled
+shakily. The only alternative would be to get rid of her -- and
+he couldn't (or wouldn't? -- the question intruded slyly) do
+that.
+
+Copper returned with a steaming cup which she set before him.
+Truly, this coffee was a man's drink. She had tried it once but
+the hot bitterness scalded her mouth and flooded her body with
+its heat. And she had felt so lightheaded. Not like herself at
+all. It wasn't a drink for Lani. Of that she was certain.
+
+Yet he enjoyed it. He looked at her and smiled. He was pleased
+with her. Perhaps -- yet -- she might find favor in his eyes. The
+hope was always there within her -- a hope that was at once fear
+and prayer. And if she did -- she would know what to do.
+
+Kennon looked up. Copper's face was convulsed with a bright
+mixture of hope and pain. Never, he swore, had he saw anything
+more beautiful or sad. Involuntarily he placed his hand upon her
+arm. She flinched, her muscles tensing under his finger tips. It
+was though his fingers carried a galvanic current that backlashed
+up his arm even as it stiffened hers.
+
+"What's the matter, Copper?" he asked softly.
+
+"Nothing, Doctor. I'm just upset."
+
+"Why?"
+
+There it was again, the calm friendly curiosity that was worse
+than a bath in ice water. Her heart sank. She shivered. She would
+never find her desire here. He was cold -- cold- cold! He
+wouldn't see. He didn't care. All right -- so that was how it had
+to be. But first she would tell him. Then he could do with her as
+he wished. "I hoped -- for the past year that you would see me.
+That you would think of me not as a Lani, but as a beloved." The
+words came faster now, tumbling over one another. "That you would
+desire me and take me to those worlds we cannot know unless you
+humans show us. I have hoped so much, but I suppose it's wrong -
+for you -- you are so very human, and I -- well, I'm not!" The
+last three words held all the sadness and the longing of mankind
+aspiring to be God.
+
+"My dear -- my poor child," Kennon murmured.
+
+She looked at him, but her eyes could not focus on his face, for
+his hands were on her shoulders and the nearness of him drove the
+breath from her body. From a distance she heard a hard tight
+voice that was her own. "Oh, sir -- oh please, sir!"
+
+The hands withdrew, leaving emptiness -- but her heartbeat slowed
+and the pink haze cleared and she could see his face.
+
+And with a surge of terror and triumph she realized what she saw!
+That hard bright look that encompassed and possessed her! The
+curved lips drawn over white, white teeth! The flared nostrils!
+The hungry demand upon his face that answered the demand in her
+heart! And she knew -- at last - with a knowledge that turned her
+limbs to water, that she had found favor in his eyes!
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Mixed emotion! Ha! The author of that cliche didn't even know its
+meaning! Kennon strode furiously down the dusty road toward
+Station One trying to sublimate his inner conflict into action.
+It was useless, of course, for once he stopped moving the grim
+tug-of-war between training and desire would begin again, and no
+matter how it ended the result would be unsatisfactory. As long
+as he had been able to delude himself that he was fond of Copper
+the way a man is fond of some lesser species, it had been all
+right. But he knew now that he was fond of her as a man is of a
+woman -- and it was hell! For no rationalization in the universe
+would allow him to define her as human. Copper was humanoid --
+something like human. And to live with her and love her would not
+be miscegenation, which was bad enough, but bestiality which was
+a thousand times worse.
+
+Although throughout most of the Brotherhood miscegenation was an
+unknown word, and even bestiality had become a loose definition
+on many worlds with humanoid populations, the words had definite
+meaning and moral force to a Betan. And -- God help him -- he was
+a Betan. A lifetime of training in a moral code that frowned upon
+mixed marriages and shrank appalled from even the thought of
+mixing species was nothing to bring face to face with the fact
+that he loved Copper.
+
+It was odd, Kennon reflected bitterly, that humans could do with
+animals what their customs and codes prohibited them from doing
+to themselves. For thousands of years - back to the very dawn of
+history when men had bred horses and asses to produce mules --
+men had been mixing species to produce useful hybrids. Yet a
+Betan who could hybridize plants or animals with complete
+equanimity shrank with horror from the thought of applying the
+same technique to himself.
+
+What was there about a human being that was so sacrosanct? He
+shook his head angrily. He didn't know. There was no answer. But
+the idea -- the belief -- was there, ingrained into his
+attitudes, a part of his outlook, built carefully block by block
+from infancy until it now towered into a mighty wall that barred
+him from doing what he wished to do.
+
+It would be an easier hurdle if he had been born anywhere except
+on Beta. In the rest of the Brotherhood, the color of a man's
+skin, the shape of his face, the quality and color of his hair
+and eyes made no difference. All men were brothers. But on Beta,
+where a variant-G sun had already caused genetic divergence, the
+brotherhood of man was a term that was merely given lip service.
+Betans were different and from birth they were taught to accept
+the difference and to live with it. Mixing of Betan stock with
+other human species, while not actually forbidden, was so
+encircled with conditioning that it was a rare Betan indeed who
+would risk self-opprobrium and the contempt of his fellows to
+mate with an outsider. And as for humanoids -- Kennon shuddered.
+He couldn't break the attitudes of a lifetime. Yet he loved
+Copper.
+
+And she knew he did!
+
+And that was an even greater horror. He had fled from the office,
+from the glad light in her eyes, as a burned child flees fire. He
+needed time to think, time to plan. Yet his body and his surface
+thoughts wanted no plans or time. Living with a Lani wasn't
+frowned upon on Flora. Many of the staff did, nor did anyone seem
+to think less of them for doing so. Even Alexander himself had
+half-confessed to a more than platonic affection for a Lani
+called Susy.
+
+Yet this was no excuse, nor would it silence the cold still voice
+in his mind that kept repeating sodomite -- sodomite -- sodomite
+with a passionless inflection that was even more terrible than
+anger.
+
+The five kilometers to Station One disappeared unnoticed beneath
+his feet as he walked, and he looked up in surprise to see the
+white walls and red roofs of the station looming before him.
+
+"Good Lord! Doc! What's got into you?" the stationmaster said.
+"You look like you'd seen a ghost. And out in this sun without a
+helmet! Come inside, man, before you get sunstroke!"
+
+Kennon chuckled without humor. "Getting sunstroke is the least of
+my worries, Al," he said, but he allowed Al Crothers to usher him
+inside.
+
+"It's odd that you showed up right now," Al said, his dark face
+showing the curiosity that filled him. "I just had a call from
+Message Center not five minutes ago, telling me to have you call
+in if you showed up."
+
+
+Kennon sighed. "On this island you can't get away from the
+phone," he said wryly. "O.K., where is it?"
+
+"You look pretty bushed, Doc. Maybe you'd better rest awhile."
+
+"And maybe it's an emergency," Kennon interrupted. "And probably
+it is because the staff can handle routine matters -- so maybe
+you'd better show me where you keep the phone."
+
+* * *
+
+"One moment please," the Message Center operator said. There were
+a few clicks in the background. "Here's your party," she
+continued. "Go ahead, Doctor."
+
+"Kennon?" a nervous voice crackled from the receiver.
+
+"Yes?"
+
+"You're needed out on Otpen One."
+
+"Who is calling -- and what's the rush?"
+
+"Douglas -- Douglas Alexander. The Lani are dying! It's an
+emergency! Cousin Alex'll skin us alive if we let these Lani
+die!"
+
+Douglas! Kennon hadn't thought of him since the one time they had
+met in Alexandria. That was a year ago. It seemed much longer.
+Since the Boss-man had exiled his cousin to that bleak rock to
+the east of Flora there had been no word of him. And now -- he
+laughed a sharp bark of humorless annoyance -- Douglas couldn't
+have timed it better if he had tried!
+
+"All right," Kennon said. "I'll come. What seems to be the
+trouble?"
+
+"They're sick."
+
+"That's obvious," Kennon snapped. "Otherwise you wouldn't be
+calling. Can't you tell me any more than that?"
+
+"They're vomiting. They have diarrhea. Several have had fits."
+
+"Thanks," Kennon said. "I'll be right out. Expect me in an hour."
+
+"So you're leaving?" Al asked as he cradled the phone.
+
+"That's a practitioner's life," Kennon said. "Full of
+interruptions. Can I borrow your jeep?"
+
+"I'll drive you. Where do you want to go?"
+
+"To the hospital," Kennon said. "I'll have to pick up my gear.
+It's an emergency all right."
+
+"You're a tough one," Al said admiringly. "I'd hate to walk five
+kilos in this heat without a hat -- and then go out on a call."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "It's not necessarily toughness. I believe in
+doing one job at a time -- and my contract reads veterinary
+service, not personal problems. The job comes first and there's
+work to do."
+
+Copper wasn't in sight when Kennon came back to the hospital -- a
+fact for which he was grateful. He packed quickly, threw his bags
+into the jeep, and took off with almost guilty haste. He'd
+contact the Hospital from the Otpens. Right now all he wanted was
+to put distance between himself and Copper. Absence might make
+the heart grow fonder, but at the moment propinquity was by far
+the more dangerous thing. He pointed the blunt nose of the jeep
+toward Mount Olympus, set the autopilot, opened the throttle, and
+relaxed as best he could as the little vehicle sped at top speed
+for the outer islands. A vague curiosity filled him. He'd never
+been on the Otpens. He wondered what they were like.
+
+* * *
+
+Otpen One was a rocky tree-clad islet crowned with the stellate
+mass of a Class II Fortalice. But this one wasn't like
+Alexandria. It was fully manned and in service condition.
+
+"Airboat!" a voice crackled from the dashboard speaker of the
+jeep, "Identify yourself! You are being tracked."
+
+Kennon quickly flipped the IFF switch. "Dr. Kennon, from Flora,"
+he said.
+
+"Thank you, sir. You are expected and are clear to land. Bring
+your vehicle down in the marked area." A section of the roof
+turned a garish yellow as Kennon circled the building. He brought
+the jeep in lightly, setting it carefully in the center of the
+area.
+
+"Leave your vehicle," the speaker chattered. "If you are armed
+leave your weapon behind."
+
+"It's not my habit to carry a gun," Kennon snapped.
+
+"Sorry, sir -- regulations," the speaker said. '"This is S.O.P."
+
+Kennon left the jeep and instantly felt the probing tingle of a
+search beam. He looked around curiously at the flat roof of the
+fortress with its domed turrets and ugly snouts of the main
+battery projectors pointing skyward. Beside him, the long metal
+doors of a missile launcher made a rectangular trace on the
+smooth surface of the roof. Behind him the central tower poked
+its gaunt ferromorph and durilium outline into the darkening sky
+bearing its crown of spiderweb radar antennae turning steadily on
+their gimbals covering a vast hemisphere from horizon to zenith
+with endless inspection.
+
+From the base of the tower a man emerged. He was tall, taller
+even than Kennon, and the muscles of his body showed through the
+tightness of his battle dress. His face was harsh, and in his
+hands he carried a Burkholtz magnum -- the most powerful portable
+weapon mankind had yet devised.
+
+"You are Dr. Kennon?" the trooper asked.
+
+"I am."
+
+"Your I.D., please."
+
+Kennon handed it over and the big man scanned the card with
+practiced eyes. "Check," he said. "Follow me, sir."
+
+"My bags," Kennon said.
+
+"They'll be taken care of."
+
+Kennon shrugged and followed the man into the tower. A modern
+grav-shaft lowered them to the ground floor. They passed through
+a gloomy caricature of the Great Hall in Alexandria, through an
+iris, and down a long corridor lined with doors.
+
+A bell rang.
+
+"Back!" the trooper said. "Against the wall! Quick! Into the
+doorway!"
+
+"What's up?"
+
+"Another practice alert." The trooper's voice was bored. "It gets
+so that you'd almost wish for a fight to relieve the monotony."
+
+A trooper and several Lani came down the corridor, running in
+disciplined formation. Steel clanged on steel as they turned the
+corner and moments later the whine of servos came faintly to
+their ears. From somewhere deep in the pile a rising crescendo of
+generators under full battle load sent out vibrations that could
+be sensed rather than heard. A klaxon squawked briefly. There was
+another clash of metal, and a harsh voice boomed through the
+corridors. "Fourteen seconds. Well done. Secure stations!"
+
+The trooper grinned. "That ties the record," he said. "We can go
+now."
+
+The corridor ended abruptly at an iris flanked by two sentries.
+They conferred briefly with Kennon's guide, dilated the iris, and
+motioned for Kennon to enter. The pastel interior of the modern
+office was a shocking contrast to the gray ferromorph corridors
+outside.
+
+Douglas Alexander was standing behind the desk. He was much the
+same. His pudgy face was haggard with uncertainty and his eyes
+darted back and forth as his fingers caressed the knobby grip of
+a small Burkholtz jutting from a holster at his waist. There were
+new, unpleasant furrows between his eyes. He looked older and the
+indefinable air of cruelty was more pronounced. He had been
+frightened the last time Kennon had seen him, and he was
+frightened now.
+
+"I'm not sure whether I am glad to see you, Kennon," he said
+uncertainly. "But I suppose I have to be."
+
+Kennon believed him.
+
+"How have you been?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Not too bad until this afternoon. Things have been going pretty
+well." He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. "I
+suppose Cousin Alex will skin me for this, but there's nothing
+else I can do." He licked his lips. "You've been here long enough
+-- and you'll have to know eventually." He fidgeted and finally
+sat down behind the desk. "We have trouble. Half the Lani were
+stricken about four hours ago. It was sudden. No warning at all.
+And if they die----" his voice trailed off.
+
+"Well -- what are we waiting for? Get someone to bring my bags
+down here and we'll look them over."
+
+"Do you have to? -- Can't you prescribe something?"
+
+"How? I haven't examined the patients."
+
+"I can tell you what's wrong."
+
+Kennon smiled. "I hardly think that's the way to do it. Even
+though your description might be accurate, you still might miss
+something of critical importance."
+
+Douglas sighed. "I thought that's what you'd say," he said. "Oh
+-- very well -- you might as well see what we have out here."
+
+"You can't possibly believe that I don't already know," Kennon
+said. "You have male Lani."
+
+Douglas looked at him, his face blank with surprise. "But -- how
+did you know? No one on the main island does except the Family.
+And we never talk about it. Did Eloise tell you? I noticed she
+was struck with you the day you came, and the Lani who have come
+out here since have been talking about you two. Did she do it?"
+
+Kennon shook his head. "She never said a word."
+
+"Then how----"
+
+"I'm not stupid," Kennon said. "That story you've spread about
+artificial fertilization has more holes in it than a sieve. That
+technique has been investigated a thousand times. And it has
+never worked past the first generation. If you had been using it,
+the Lani would long ago have been extinct. Haploids don't
+reproduce, and the only way the diploid number of chromosomes can
+be kept is to replace those lost by maturation division of the
+ovum. You might be able to keep the diploid number by using
+immature ova, but the fertilization technique would be far more
+complex than the simple uterine injections you use at Hillside
+Station."
+
+Douglas looked at him blankly.
+
+"Besides," Kennon added, "I have a microscope. I checked your
+so-called fertilizing solution. I found spermatozoa, and
+spermatozoa only come from males. What's more, the males have to
+be the same species as the females or fertilization will not take
+place. So there must be male Lani. Nothing else fits. You've been
+using artificial insemination on the main-island Lani. And from
+the way this place is guarded, it's obvious that here is your
+stud farm."
+
+Douglas shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of
+resignation. "I suppose," he said, "that's the way Old Doc found
+out too. We never told him, but he knew before he ever came out
+here."
+
+"The only thing that puzzles me," Kennon went on, "is how you
+managed to eliminate the Y-chromosome carriers within the sperm."
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"The male sex-determinant. Half the sperm carry it, but so far as
+I know, there's never been a male born on the main island."
+
+"Oh -- that. It's something that's done in the labs here.
+Probably one of the technicians could tell you. It's called
+electro-- electro freezing or something like that."
+
+"Electrodiaphoresis?"
+
+Douglas nodded. "That sounds like it. I don't know anything about
+it. One of Grandfather's men did the basic work. We just follow
+instructions." He shrugged. "Well - since you know the secret
+there's no sense in hiding the bodies. Come along and tell me
+what's wrong."
+
+It was a peculiar feeling to walk down the row of cubical rooms
+with their barred doors. The whole area reminded him of a
+historical novel, of the prisons of early human history where men
+confined other men for infractions of social customs. The
+grimness of the place was appalling. The male Lani -- impressive
+in their physical development -- were in miserable condition,
+nauseated, green-faced, retching. The sickening odors of vomit
+and diarrhea hung heavily on the air. Douglas coughed and held a
+square of cloth to his face, and even Kennon, strong-stomached as
+he was, could feel his viscera twitch in sympathy with the caged
+sufferers.
+
+"Great Fleming, man!" Kennon exploded. "You can't keep them here.
+Get them out! Give them some fresh air! This place would make a
+well man sick."
+
+Douglas looked at him, "I wouldn't take one of them out unless I
+had him shackled and there was an armed guard to help me. Those
+males are the most vicious, cunning, and dangerous animals on
+Kardon. They exist with but one thought in mind -- to kill!"
+
+Kennon looked curiously through a barred door at one of the Lani.
+He lay on a bare cot, a magnificently muscled figure with a
+ragged black beard hiding his face. There were dozens of scars on
+his body and one angry purple area on his thick right forearm
+where flesh had been torn away not too long ago. Beads of sweat
+stood out on his forehead and soft moaning noises came from his
+tight lips as he pressed his abdomen with thick-fingered hands.
+"He doesn't look so dangerous," Kennon said.
+
+"Watch it!" Douglas warned. "Don't get too close!" But the
+warning was too late. Kennon touched the bars, and as he did, the
+Lani moved with fluid speed, one huge hand clutching Kennon's
+sleeve and pulling him against the bars while the other darted
+for his throat. Fingers bit into Kennon's neck and tightened in a
+viselike grip. Kennon reacted automatically. His arms came up
+inside the Lani's and crashed down, elbows out, tearing the Lani
+loose. He jumped back, rubbing his bruised throat. "That fellow's
+not sick!" he gasped. "He's crazy!"
+
+The Lani glared at him through the bars, disappointment written
+on his scarred and bearded face.
+
+"I warned you," Douglas said. His voice held an undertone of
+malicious laughter. "He must be sick or he would have killed you.
+George is clever in a stupid sort of way."
+
+Kennon looked into the cubicle. The Lani glared back and growled.
+There was a beastlike note in his voice that made the short hairs
+on Kennon's neck prickle.
+
+"That fellow needs a lesson," he said.
+
+"You want to give it to him?" Douglas asked.
+
+"Not particularly."
+
+"Ha! -- man! -- you afraid!" the Lani taunted. His voice was
+thick and harsh. "All men fear me. All Lani, too. I am boss. Come
+close again man and I kill you!"
+
+"Are they all that stupid?" Kennon asked. "He sounds like a
+homicidal moron."
+
+"He's not stupid," Douglas said. "Just uneducated."
+
+"Why is he so murderous?"
+
+"That's his training. All his life he has fought. From childhood
+his life has been based on his ability to survive in an
+environment where every male is his enemy. You see here the
+sublimation of individuality. He cannot co-operate with another
+male. He hates them, and they in turn hate him. George, here, is
+a perfect example of absolute freedom from restraint." Douglas
+smiled unpleasantly.
+
+"His whole history is one of complete lack of control. As an
+infant, being a male, his mother thought she was favored by the
+gods and she denied him nothing. In fact we were quite insistent
+that she gave him everything he wanted. By the time he was able
+to walk and take care of himself, he was completely spoiled,
+selfish, and authoritative.
+
+"Then we took him and a dozen others exactly like him and put
+them together." Douglas grinned. "You should see what happens
+when a dozen spoiled brats are forced to live together. It's more
+fun. The little beasts hate each other on sight. And we stimulate
+them to compete for toys, food, and drink. Never quite enough to
+go around. You can imagine what happens. Instead of sharing, each
+little selfish individualist fights to get everything he can
+grab. Except for one thing we don't punish them no matter what
+they do. If anyone shows signs of co-operating he is disciplined
+severely, the first time. The next time, he is culled. But other
+than that, we leave them alone. They develop their personalities
+and their muscles -- and if one proves to be too much for his
+fellows we transfer him to a more advanced class where the
+competition is keener, and he learns what it is to lose.
+
+"At puberty we add sex drive to the basics, and by the time our
+male reaches maturity we have something like George. Actually,
+George is more mature than either you or I. He has all the
+answers he needs. He's strong, solitary, authoritative, and
+selfish. He has no curiosity and resents encroachment. He's a
+complete individualist. If he proves out he should make an
+excellent sire."
+
+"But isn't he dangerous to handle?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Yes, but we take precautions."
+
+Kennon grimaced with distaste.
+
+"Look at it objectively," Douglas said. "We're trying to select
+the best physical type we can in the hope that he'll pass his
+qualities to his offspring, and there's no better practical way
+to select the strongest and hardiest than by natural selection.
+We control their environment as little as possible and let Nature
+do our educating until they're old enough to be useful.
+
+"Naturally, there are some things which we cannot provide, such
+as exposure to disease, to the elements, and to predators. The
+one isn't selective about whom it infects, while the others would
+tend to produce co-operation as a matter of survival."
+
+"Isn't there a great deal of mortality under such a regimen?''
+Kennon asked.
+
+"Not as much as you might expect. It's about twenty per cent. And
+there is a great deal of compensation from a management
+viewpoint. We get essentially the same physical end product as we
+would from a closely managed operation, plus a great saving in
+labor. Males, you see, are fairly expendable. We only need a few
+a year."
+
+"It's brutal."
+
+"So it is, but life is brutal. Still, it's efficient for our
+purposes. We merely take advantage of natural impulses to produce
+a better product. Grandfather got the idea out of an old book --
+something about the noble savage, natural selection and survival
+of the fittest. He thought it was great - said there was nothing
+like relentless competition to bring out the strongest and
+hardiest types. And he's been right for centuries. Can you
+imagine anything much better than George -- from a physical
+viewpoint?"
+
+"He is a magnificent animal," Kennon admitted as he eyed the
+Lani. "But it seems to me that you could train some obedience
+into him."
+
+Douglas shook his head. "That would introduce a modifying factor,
+something bigger and more powerful than the male himself. And
+that would modify the results. We can control them well enough
+with knockout gas and shackles. And those things, oddly enough,
+don't destroy their pride or self-esteem. They think that we use
+them because we are afraid, and it satisfies their egos."
+
+Kennon eyed the caged Lani dubiously. "This is going to be
+difficult. I must examine them and treat them, but if they're all
+as homicidal as this one--"
+
+"You fight me man," George interrupted, his face twisted into
+lines of transparent guile. "I am boss and others do as I say.
+You beat me, then you are boss."
+
+"Is this true?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Oh, it's true enough," Douglas said. "George is the leader and
+if you beat him you'd be top male until some other one got
+courage enough to challenge you. But he's just trying to get his
+hands on you. He'd like to kill."
+
+Kennon looked at the big humanoid appraisingly. George was huge,
+at least five centimeters taller and fifteen kilograms heavier
+than himself. And he was all muscle. "I don't think I'd care to
+accept that challenge unless I was forced to," Kennon said.
+
+Douglas chuckled. "I don't blame you."
+
+Kennon sighed. "It looks like we are going to need reinforcements
+to get these brutes under control. I'm not going in there with
+them, and I can't examine them from out here."
+
+"Oh, we can hold them all right. Paralysis gas and shackles will
+keep them quiet. There's no need to bother the troopers. We can
+handle this by ourselves."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "It's your baby. You should know what you're
+doing."
+
+"I do," Douglas said confidently. "Wait here until I get the gas
+capsules and the equipment.'' He turned and walked back to the
+entrance to the cell block. At the iris he turned. "Be careful,"
+he said.
+
+"Don't worry, I will." Kennon looked at George through the bars
+and the humanoid glared back, his eyes bright with hatred. Kennon
+felt the short hairs prickle along the back of his neck. George
+roused a primal emotion -- an elemental dislike that was deeper
+than reason -- an antagonism intensely physical, almost
+overpowering -- a purely adrenal response that had no business in
+the make-up of a civilized human.
+
+He had thought the Lani had a number of human traits until he had
+encountered George. But if George was a typical male -- then the
+Lani were alien. He flexed his muscles and stared coldly into the
+burning blue eyes behind the bars. There would be considerable
+satisfaction in beating this monstrosity to a quivering pulp.
+Millennia of human pre-eminence -- of belief that nothing, no
+matter how big or muscular, should fail to recognize that a man's
+person was inviolate -- fed the fuel of his anger. The most
+ferocious beasts on ten thousand worlds had learned this lesson.
+And yet this animal had laid hands on him with intent to kill. A
+cold corner of his mind kept telling him that he wasn't behaving
+rationally, but he disregarded it. George was a walking need for
+a lesson in manners.
+
+"Don't get the idea that I'm afraid of you -- you overmuscled
+oaf," Kennon snapped. "I can handle you or anyone like you. And
+if you put your hands on me again I'll beat you within an inch of
+your worthless life."
+
+The Lani snarled. "Let me out and I kill you. But you are like
+all men. You use gun and iron -- not fair fight."
+
+Douglas returned with a gas capsule and a set of shackles. "All
+right," he said. "We're ready for him." He handed Kennon the
+shackles and a key to the cell door -- and drew his Burkholtz.
+
+"See," the Lani growled. "It is as I say. Men are cowards."
+
+"You know gun?" Douglas asked as he pointed the muzzle of the
+Burkholtz at the Lani.
+
+"I know," George growled. "Gun kill."
+
+"It does indeed," Douglas said. "Now get back -- clear back
+against the wall."
+
+George snarled but didn't move.
+
+"I'll count three," Douglas said, "and if you're not back by then
+I'll burn you down. You'll obey even if you won't do anything
+else. -- one -- two--"
+
+George retreated to the far end of his cell.
+
+"Now face the wall." Douglas tossed the gas capsule into the
+cell. The thin-walled container broke, releasing a cloud of
+vapor. George crumpled to the floor. "Now we wait a couple of
+minutes for the gas to dissipate," Douglas said. "After that he's
+all yours. You can go in and put the irons on him."
+
+"Will he be out long?" Kennon asked.
+
+"About five minutes. After that he'll have muscular control."
+Douglas chuckled. "They're stupid," he said. "They know what gas
+does to them, but they never have sense enough to hold their
+breath. They could be twice as much trouble as they are. All
+right, it's safe to go in now." Douglas let the gun dangle in his
+hand.
+
+Kennon unlocked the door.
+
+And George rolled over, muscles bunched and driving! He hit the
+door with such force that Kennon was slammed against the wall,
+dazed -- half stunned by the speed of the attack. George -- he
+had time to think in one brief flash -- wasn't stupid. He had
+held his breath for the necessary two minutes!
+
+Douglas jerked the blaster up and fired, but his target was too
+quick. George dropped and rolled. The sizzling streak of violet
+flashed inches above his body and tore a six-inch hole through
+the back of the cell. And then George was on him! The huge,
+marvelously fast hands of the humanoid wrenched the blaster out
+of Douglas's hands and jerked him forward. A scream burst from
+Douglas as George's hands closed around his neck. Muscles sprang
+into writhing life in the humanoid's huge forearms. There was a
+soft, brittle crack, and Douglas sagged limp in the iron grip
+that held him dangling.
+
+"Faugh!" George grunted. He dropped Douglas as Kennon pushed the
+door back and came out into the passageway. "Maybe you make
+better fight," George said as he lowered his head into the
+muscular mass of his broad shoulders.
+
+Kennon eyed him appraisingly, swinging the irons in his right
+hand.
+
+This time the Lani didn't charge. He moved slowly, half crouched,
+long arms held slightly forward. Kennon backed away, watching the
+humanoid's eyes for that telltale flicker of the pupils that
+gives warning of attack. The expression on George's face never
+changed. It was satisfied -- smug almost -- reflecting the
+feelings of a brute conditioned to kill and given an opportunity
+to do so. The Lani radiated confidence.
+
+Kennon shivered involuntarily. He wasn't frightened, but he had
+never met an opponent like this. A chill raced up the back of his
+legs and spread over his stomach and chest. His mouth was dry and
+his muscles quivered with tense anticipation. But his
+concentration never wavered. His hard blue eyes never left
+George's, searching with microscopic intentness for the faintest
+sign of the Lani's intentions.
+
+George charged -- hands reaching for Kennon's throat, face
+twisted in a snarl of rage and hate. But even as he charged
+Kennon moved. He ducked beneath the Lani's outstretched hands and
+drove his left fist deep into George's belly just below the
+breastbone.
+
+Air whistled out of the Lani's gaping mouth as he bent double
+from the power of the blow. Kennon clipped him on the chin with a
+driving knee, snapping George's head back and smashed the bearded
+face with the shackles. Blood spurted and George screamed with
+rage. One of the Lani's big hands wrapped around the shackles and
+tugged. Kennon let go and drove another left to George's ribs.
+
+The Lani threw the irons at Kennon, but his aim was poor. One of
+the handcuff rings scraped across Kennon's cheek, but did nothing
+more than break the skin. Half paralyzed by the blows to his
+solar plexus, George's co-ordination was badly impaired. But he
+kept trying. Kennon wrapped lean fingers about one of George's
+outstretched hands, bent, pivoted, and slammed the Lani with
+bone-crushing force against the bars of a nearby cell. But George
+didn't go down. "He's more brute than man," Kennon thought. "No
+man could take a beating like that!" He moved aside from George's
+stumbling rush, feeling a twinge of pity for the battered
+humanoid. It was no contest. Strong as he was, George didn't know
+the rudiments of hand-to-hand fighting. His reactions were those
+of an animal, to close, clutch, bite, and tear. Even if he were
+completely well, the results would have been the same. It would
+merely have taken longer. Kennon drove a vicious judo chop to the
+junction of the Lani's neck and shoulder. Brute strength was no
+match for the highly evolved mayhem that every spaceman learns as
+a necessary part of his trade. George had never been on planet
+leave in a spaceport town. He knew nothing about the dives, the
+crimps, the hostile port police. His idea of fighting was that of
+a beast, but Kennon was a civilized man to whom fighting was an
+art perfected by millennia of warfare. And Kennon knew his trade.
+
+Even so it took longer than Kennon expected because George was
+big, George was strong, and George had courage and pride that
+kept him coming as long as the blazing will behind his blazing
+eyes could drive his battered body. But the end was inevitable.
+
+Kennon looked at his bloody arm where George's teeth had reached
+their mark. It was hardly more than a scratch, but it had been
+close. George had his lesson and Kennon felt oddly degraded. He
+sighed, dragged George back into the cell, and locked the door.
+
+Then he turned to Douglas. The howls of hate from the caged Lani
+died to a sullen silence as Kennon gently examined the limp body.
+
+Douglas wasn't dead. His neck was dislocated, not broken, but he
+was in serious condition. Kennon was still bending over Douglas
+wondering how to call for help when three guards burst through
+the door, faces grim, weapons at the ready.
+
+"What's going on here?" the leader demanded. "The board showed an
+open door down here." He saw the body-- "Mr. Douglas!" he gasped.
+"The commandant will have to know about this!" He took a
+communicator from his waist belt and spoke rapidly into it.
+"Arleson in stud cell block," he said. "Attempted escape. One
+casualty -- Douglas Alexander - yes, that's right. No -- he's not
+dead. Send a litter and bearers. Inform the commandant. I am
+making investigation on the spot. Out." He turned to look coldly
+at Kennon.
+
+"Who are you--and what happened here?" he asked.
+
+Kennon told him.
+
+"You mean you took George!" Arleson said.
+
+"Look in his cell if you don't believe me."
+
+The soldier looked and then turned hack to Kennon. There was awed
+respect in his hard brown eyes. "You did that! -- to him! Man,
+you're a fighter," he said in an unbelieving voice.
+
+A stretcher detail manned by two sober-faced Lani females came
+in, loaded Douglas's body on the stretcher, and silently bore it
+away.
+
+"Douglas was a fool," Arleson said. "He knew we never handle this
+kind without maximum restraint. I wonder why he did it?"
+
+"I couldn't say. He told me that gas and shackles would hold
+him."
+
+"He knew better. These Lani know gas capsules. All George bad to
+do was hold his breath. In that cell George would have killed
+you. You couldn't have stayed away from him."
+
+Kennon shrugged. Maybe that was what Douglas had wanted. Kennon
+sighed. He didn't have the answer. And it could just be that
+Douglas had tried to show off. Well, he would pay for it. He'd
+have a stiff neck for months, and perhaps that was a proper way
+to end it.
+
+* * *
+
+Commander Mullins, a thin gray-faced man with the hard cold eyes
+of a professional soldier, came into the corridor followed by
+another trooper.
+
+His eyes took in the wreckage that had been George, the split
+lips, the smashed nose, the puffed eyes, the cuts and bruises,
+and then raked across Kennon.
+
+"Spaceman -- hey?" he asked. "I've seen work like that before."
+
+Kennon nodded. "I was once. I'm station veterinarian now. Douglas
+called me over -- said it was an emergency."
+
+Mullins nodded.
+
+"Well -- why aren't you tending to it?"
+
+"I have to examine them," Kennon said gesturing at the cells.
+"And I don't want any more trouble like this."
+
+"Don't worry. You won't have it. Now that you've beaten George,
+you'll have no trouble at all. You're top dog." Mullins gestured
+at the cages. "They'll be good for a while. Now you'd better get
+on with your work. There's been enough disruption of routine for
+today. The men will help you."
+
+* * *
+
+Kennon checked in at the commandant's office before he left for
+the main island.
+
+"How is Douglas?" he asked.
+
+"He's alive," Mullins said. "We flew him to Albertsville - and
+good riddance. How are the Lani?"
+
+"They'll be all right," Kennon said. "It's just food poisoning. I
+suggest you check your kitchen and your food handlers. There's a
+break in sanitation that could incapacitate your whole command. I
+found a few things wrong but there are probably more."
+
+"I'll check on it -- and thanks for the advice," Mullins said.
+"Sit down, Doctor. Your airboat won't be serviced for another few
+minutes. Tell me how things are on the main island. How's
+Blalok?"
+
+"You know him?"
+
+"Of course. I used to be a frequent visitor there. But with that
+young pup here, I couldn't leave. I didn't dare to. He'd have
+disrupted routine in a single day. Look what he did in half an
+hour. Frankly, I owe you a debt for getting him off my hands."
+Mullins chuckled dryly.
+
+"That's a fine thing to say," Kennon grinned. "But I can
+sympathize. It took us two months to straighten out Alexandria
+after the Boss-man sent him here."
+
+"I heard about that."
+
+"Well -- we're under control now. Things are going pretty
+smoothly."
+
+"They'll be better here," Mullins said. "Now that Douglas is
+gone." He shrugged. "I hope the Boss doesn't send him back. He's
+hard to handle and he makes discipline a problem."
+
+"Could you tell me--or would it be violating security?" Kennon
+said. "Why do you have a Class II installation on full war
+footing out here?"
+
+Mullins chuckled. It's no secret," he said. "There was a
+commercial raid on this place about fifty years ago. Seems as
+though one of our competitors didn't like us. Alexandria was on a
+war footing then and managed to hold them off. But it scared the
+Old Man. You see, our competitive position is based on Lani
+labor. Our competitors didn't know that. Their intelligence
+wasn't so good. Up until that time, we'd  been keeping the males
+out here in what was hardly more than a stockade. Those people
+could have taken a few dozen  females and a couple of males and
+they'd have been in business. But they didn't know. They tried to
+smash Alexandria instead. Naturally they didn't have a chance.
+And after it was over the Old Man got smart. He still had the
+tapes for Alexandria so he built a duplicate out here and spent a
+few millions on modern armament. The way we're set now it'd take
+a battle group to hurt us.''
+
+"But how about security? Don't the others know about the Lani
+now?"
+
+"It's a moot question. But it won't do them any good. They can't
+crack this place, and without males, all the females on Flora
+wouldn't do them enough long-term good to pay for the force
+they'd need to be successful."
+
+"So that's why the males are isolated."
+
+"There's another reason -- two of them in fact. One is physical.
+Even the best male is a dangerous beast. They have a flair for
+violence that makes them useless as labor and their training
+doesn't help matters. And the other is mental. The females on the
+main island believe that we humans are responsible for the
+continuation of their breed. This tends to keep them in line. We
+have a great deal more trouble with them out here once they know
+the truth. We've had a number of cases of females trying to
+engineer a male's escape. But they're never repeated," Mullins
+said grimly. "Actually, it would be an interesting life out here,
+except for the abattoir." He grimaced. "That's an unpleasant
+chore."
+
+"You mean--" Kennon said.
+
+"Why, certainly. What else could we do with senile animals?"
+
+"But that's murder!"
+
+Mullins shook his head. "No more than killing a cow for beef."
+
+"You know," Kennon said, "I've never thought of what happened to
+aged Lani. Sure, I've never seen one, but -- Lord Lister! -- I'm
+a fool."
+
+"You'll get used to the idea," Mullins said. "They aren't human,
+and except for a few, they aren't as intelligent as a Santosian
+Varl. I know that they look like us except for those tails, but
+that's as far as it goes. I've spent two hundred years with them
+and I know what I'm talking about."
+
+"That's what Alexander says."
+
+"He should know. He's lived with them all his life."
+
+"Well -- perhaps. But I'm not convinced."
+
+"Neither was Old Doc -- not until the day he died."
+
+"Did he change then?"
+
+"I don't know. I wasn't there. But Old Doc was a stubborn cuss."
+
+Kennon stood up. "I've given instructions for treatment to your
+corpsman," he said. "Now I think I'd better be getting back. I
+have some reports to finish."
+
+Mullins smiled grimly. "You know," he said, "I get the feeling
+that you don't approve of this operation."
+
+"Frankly, I don't," Kennon said, "but I signed a contract." He
+turned toward the door and gestured to the two Lani who waited
+outside with his bags. "I can find my way to the roof," he said.
+
+"Well -- good luck," Mullins said. "We'll call you again if we
+need you."
+
+"Do that," Kennon replied. He wanted to leave, to get away from
+this place and back to the main island. He wanted to see Copper.
+He'd be damned if anyone was going to butcher her. If he had to
+stay here until she died of old age, he'd do it. But nobody was
+going to hurt her.
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+Kennon wondered if his colleagues in human medicine felt toward
+their patients as he did toward the Lani, or if they ultimately
+lost their individuality and became mere hosts for diseases,
+parasites, and tumors -- vehicles for the practice of surgical
+and medical skills -- economic units whose well-being meant a
+certain amount of credits. Probably not, he decided. They were
+human and their very humanity made them persons rather than
+things.
+
+But the possession of individuality was not an asset in the
+practice of animal medicine where economics was the main factor
+and the satisfaction of the owner the principal personality
+problem. The normal farm animals, the shrakes, cattle, sheep,
+morks, and swine were no problem. They were merely a job. But the
+Lani were different. They weren't human, but they were
+intelligent and they did have personality even though they didn't
+possess that indefinable quality that separated man from the
+beasts. It was hard to treat them with dispassionate objectivity.
+In fact, it was impossible.
+
+And this lack of objectivity annoyed him. Should he be this way?
+Was he right to identify them as individuals and treat them as
+persons rather than things? The passing months had failed to rob
+them of their personalities: they had not become the faceless
+mass of a herd of cattle or a flock of sheep. They were still not
+essentially different from humans -- and wouldn't men themselves
+lose many of their human characteristics if they were herded into
+barracks and treated as property for forty generations? Wouldn't
+men, too, approach the animal condition if they were bred and
+treated as beasts, their pedigrees recorded, their types winnowed
+and selected? The thought was annoying.
+
+It would be better, Kennon reflected, if he didn't have time to
+think, if he were so busy he could drop to his bed exhausted each
+night and sleep without dreaming, if he could keep on the run so
+fast that he wouldn't have time to sit and reflect. But he had
+done his work too well. He had trained his staff too thoroughly.
+They could handle the petty routines of minor treatment and
+laboratory tests as well as he. He had only the intellectual
+stimulation of atypical cases and these were all too rare. The
+routine inspections were boring, yet he forced himself to make
+them because the filled the time. The hospital wards were
+virtually empty of patients, the work was up to date, the whole
+island was enjoying a carnival of health, and Kennon was still
+impaled upon the horns of his dilemma. It wasn't so bad now that
+the first shock was over, but it was bad enough -- and showed no
+signs of getting better. Now that Copper realized he wanted her,
+she did nothing to make his life easier. Instead she did her best
+to get underfoot, usually in some provocative position. It was
+enough to try the patience of a marble statue Kennon reflected
+grimly. But it did have its humorous side and were it not for the
+fact that Copper wasn't human could have been thoroughly
+enjoyable. That, however, was the real hell of it. He couldn't
+relax and enjoy the contest - his feet were on too slippery
+ground. And Copper with her unerring female instinct knew just
+what to do to make the footing slipperier. Sooner or later, she
+was certain that he would fall. It was only a question of
+applying sufficient pressure at the right spot and the right
+time. Now that she knew he desired her, she was content to wait.
+The only thing that had bothered her was the uncertainty whether
+he cared or not. For Copper the future was a simple thing and she
+was lighthearted about it. But not so Kennon. Even after the
+initial shock had passed there still remained the moral customs,
+the conditioning, and the prohibitions. But Copper - was Copper
+-- and somehow the conditioning lost its force in her presence.
+Perhaps, he thought wryly, it was a symptom of the gradual
+erosion of his moral character in this abnormal environment.
+
+"I'm getting stale," he confided to Copper as he sat in his
+office idly turning the pages of the Kardon Journal of Allied
+Medical Sciences. "There's nothing to do that's interesting."
+
+"You could help me," Copper said as she looked up from the pile
+of cards she was sorting. He had given her the thankless task of
+reorganizing the files, and she was barely half through the
+project.
+
+"There's nothing to do that's interesting," he repeated. He
+cocked his head to one side. From this angle Copper looked
+decidedly intriguing as she bent over the file drawer and
+replaced a stack of cards.
+
+"I could suggest something," Copper said demurely.
+
+"Yes, I know," he said. "You're full of suggestions."
+
+"I was thinking that we could go on a picnic."
+
+"A what?"
+
+"A picnic. Take a lunch and go somewhere in the jeep. Maybe up
+into the hills. I think it might be fun."
+
+"Why not?" Kennon agreed. "At least it would break the monotony.
+Tell you what. You run up to the house and tell Kara to pack a
+lunch and we'll take the day off."
+
+"Good! I hoped you'd say that. I'm getting tired of these dirty
+old cards." She stood up and sidled past the desk. Kennon
+resisted the impulse to slap as she went past, and congratulated
+himself on his self-control as she looked at him with a
+half-disappointed expression on her face. She had expected it, he
+thought gleefully. Score one for morality.
+
+
+
+
+He smiled. Whatever the other Lani might be, Copper was
+different. Quick, volatile, intelligent, she was a constant
+delight, a flashing kaleidoscope of unexpected facets. Perhaps
+the others were the same if he knew them better. But he didn't
+know them -- and avoided learning. In that direction lay ulcers.
+
+"We'll go to Olympus," he said.
+
+Copper looked dubious. "I'd rather not go there. That's forbidden
+ground."
+
+"Oh nonsense. You're merely superstitious."
+
+She smiled. "Perhaps you're right. You usually are."
+
+"That's the virtue of being a man. Even if I'm wrong, I'm right."
+He chuckled at the peculiar expression on her face.
+
+"Now off with you -- and get that lunch basket packed."
+
+She bowed. "Yes, master. Your slave flies on winged feet to
+execute your commands."
+
+Kennon chuckled. Copper had been reading Old Doc's romances
+again. He recognized the florid style.
+
+* * *
+
+Kennon landed the jeep in a mountain meadow halfway up the slope
+of the peacefully slumbering volcano. It was quiet and cool, and
+the light breeze was blowing Olympus's smoky cap away from them
+to the west. Copper unpacked the lunch. She moved slowly. After
+all, there was plenty of time, and she wasn't very hungry.
+Neither was Kennon.
+
+"Let's go for a walk," Copper said. "The woods look cool -- and
+maybe we can work up an appetite."
+
+"Good idea. I could use some exercise. That lunch looks big
+enough to choke a horse and I'd like to do it justice."
+
+They walked through the woods, skirting scant patches of
+underbrush, slowly moving higher on the mountain slopes. The
+trees, unlike those of Beta, did not end abruptly at a snow line,
+but pushed green fingers upward through passages between old lava
+flows, on whose black wrinkled surfaces nothing grew. The faint
+hum of insects and the piping calls of the birdlike mammals added
+to the impression of remoteness. It was hard to believe that
+scarcely twenty kilometers from this primitive microcosm was the
+border of the highly organized and productive farmlands of
+Outworld Enterprises.
+
+"Do you think we can see the hospital if we go high enough?"
+Copper said. She panted a little, unaccustomed to the altitude.
+
+"Possibly," Kennon said. "It is a long distance away. But we
+should be able to see Alexandria," he added. "That's high enough
+and big enough." He looked at her curiously. "How is it that
+you're so breathless?" he asked. "We're not that high. You're
+getting fat with too much soft living."
+
+Copper smiled. "Perhaps I'm getting old."
+
+"Nonsense," Kennon chuckled. "It's just fat. Come to think of it
+you are plumper. Not that I mind, but if you're going to keep
+that sylphlike figure you'd better go on a diet."
+
+"You're too good to me," Copper said.
+
+"You're darn right I am. Well - let's get going. Exercise is
+always good for the waistline, and I'd like to see what's up
+ahead."
+
+Scarcely a kilometer ahead they came to a wall of lava that
+barred their path. "Oh, oh," Kennon said. "We can't go over
+that." He looked at the wrinkled and shattered rock with its
+knifelike edges.
+
+"I don't think my feet could take it," Copper admitted.
+
+"It looks like the end of the trail."
+
+"No -- not quite," Kennon said. "There seems to be a path here."
+He pointed to a narrow cleft in the black rock. "Let's see where
+it goes."
+
+Copper hung back. "I don't think I want to," she said doubtfully.
+"It looks awfully dark and narrow."
+
+"Oh, stop it. Nothing's going to hurt us. Come on." Kennon took
+her hand.
+
+Unwillingly Copper allowed herself to be led forward. "There's
+something about this place that frightens me," she said
+uncomfortably as the high black wails closed in, narrowing until
+only a slit of yellow sky was visible overhead. The path
+underfoot was surprisingly smooth and free from rocks, but the
+narrow corridor, steeped in shadows, was gloomy and depressingly
+silent. It even bothered Kennon, although he wouldn't admit it.
+What forces had sliced this razor-thin cleft in the dense rock
+around them? Earthquake probably. And if it happened once it
+could happen again. He would hate to be trapped here entombed in
+shattered rock.
+
+Gradually the passage widened, then abruptly it ended. A bleak
+vista of volcanic ash dotted with sputter cones opened before
+them. It was a flat tableland, roughly circular, scarcely half a
+kilometer across, a desolation of black rock, stunted trees and
+underbrush, and gray volcanic ash. A crater, somewhat larger than
+the rest, lay with its nearest edge about two hundred meters
+away. The rock edges were fire polished, gleaming in the yellow
+sunshine, and the thin margin of trees and brush surrounding the
+depression were gnarled and shrunken, twisted into fantastic
+shapes.
+
+"Hey! what's this?" Kennon asked curiously. "That crater looks
+peculiar, like a meteor had struck here -- but those stunted
+plants -- hmm -- there must have been some radioactivity too." He
+looked at the crater speculatively. "Now I wonder----"he began.
+
+Copper had turned a sickly white. "No!" she said in a
+half-strangled voice--"oh, no!'
+
+Kennon looked at her. "You know what this is?" he demanded.
+
+"No," Copper said. But her voice was unsteady.
+
+"You're lying."
+
+"But I don't know." Copper wailed. "I'm only guessing. I've never
+seen this place before in my life! Please! -- let's get out of
+here!"
+
+"Then you know about this," Kennon demanded.
+
+"I think it's the Pit," Copper said. 'The redes don't say where
+it is. But the description fits -- the Circle of Death, the
+Twisted Land -- it's all like the redes say."
+
+"Redes? -- what are redes? And what is this business about
+circles of death? There's something here that's peculiar and I
+want to know what it is."
+
+"It's nothing. Truly. Just let's go back. Let's leave this place.
+It's no good. It's tabu."
+
+"Tabu? You've never used that word before."
+
+"Forbidden."
+
+"Who forbids it?"
+
+"The Gods -- the Old Ones. It is not for Lani. Nor for you." Her
+voice was harsh. "Come away before it is too late. Before the
+Silent Death strikes you down."
+
+"I'm going to have a look at this."
+
+"You'll be killed!" Copper said. "And if you die, I die too."
+
+"Don't be foolish. There's nothing here that can hurt me. See
+those trees and plants growing right up to the crater's edge. If
+they can take it permanently, I can stand it for a few moments.
+If there's any radioactivity there, it's not very much."
+
+"But the redes say---"
+
+"Oh, forget those redes. I know what I'm doing. Besides, I'm a
+Betan and can stand more radiation than most men. A brief
+exposure isn't going to hurt me."
+
+"You go and I go too," Copper said desperately.
+
+''You'll stay here where it's safe," Kennon said flatly.
+
+"I'm going with you," Copper repeated. "I don't want to live
+without you."
+
+"I tell you I won't be hurt. And one quick look isn't going to
+bother whatever's down there."
+
+"That's what Roga the Foolish said when he opened Lyssa's tower.
+But he brought men to Flora. And your little look may bring an
+even greater calamity."
+
+Kennon shrugged, and started Walking toward the crater's edge.
+
+Copper followed.
+
+He turned to order her back, but the words died on his tips as he
+saw the terror and determination on her face. Neither commands
+nor pleas would move her. If he went she would follow. The only
+way he could stop her would be with violence, and he didn't want
+to manhandle her. He felt an odd mixture of pride, tenderness,
+and admiration for her. Were their situations reversed, he
+doubted whether he would have the courage she was showing. He
+sighed. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he did need an
+antiradiation suit.
+
+"All right," he said. "You win. I'll get some protective clothing
+and look at it later."
+
+Her knees sagged, but he caught her before she fell, and held her
+erect until her strength returned. Belatedly he understood the
+emotional strain that had been gripping her. "If you come back
+later, sir, you'll take me with you." The words were a statement,
+not a question.
+
+He nodded. "Providing you wear a radiation suit," he said.
+
+She grimaced with distaste and he chuckled. Clothing and Copper
+simply didn't get along together.
+
+"Well?"
+
+"All right," she said unhappily.
+
+"And there's one more condition."
+
+"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
+
+"That you tell me about this place. You obviously know something
+about it, and with all your talking, you've never mentioned it to
+me."
+
+"It is forbidden to talk of these things to men," Copper said --
+and then, perversely, "Do you want me to tell you now?"
+
+"No -- it can wait. We have come a long way and I am hungry. I
+listen poorly on an empty stomach. Let's go back to the jeep and
+you can tell me later."
+
+Copper smiled. "That's good," she said. "I'd feel better away
+from this place."
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+"I was a poor learner of the redes," Copper confessed. "And I'll
+have to skip the Mysteries. I never even tried to learn them.
+Somehow I was sure I'd never be a preceptress." She settled
+herself more comfortably on the tawny grass and watched him as he
+lay on his back beside her.
+
+"Eh?" Kennon said, "Preceptress?"
+
+"The guardians of our traditions. They know the redes and
+mysteries by heart."
+
+"And you have kept your religion alive that way all these years?"
+
+"It isn't exactly religion," Copper said. "It's more like
+history, we learn it to remember that we were once a great race
+-- and that we may be again. Someday there will come a male, a
+leader to bring us out of bondage, and our race will be free of
+dependence on men. There will be pairings again, and freedom to
+live as we please." She looked thoughtfully at Kennon. "You might
+even be the one -- even though you are human. You're different
+from the others."
+
+"You're prejudiced." Kennon smiled. "I'm no different. Well --
+not very different at any rate."
+
+"That is not my thought," Copper said. "You are very different
+indeed. No man has ever resisted a Lani as long as you have."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "Let's not go into that now. What are
+these redes?"
+
+"I do not remember them all," Copper apologized. "I was----"
+
+"You've said that before. Tell me what you do know."
+
+"I remember the beginning fairly well," she said. "It goes back
+to the time before Flora when everything was nothing and the
+Master Himself was lonely."
+
+Without warning her voice changed to a rhythmic, cadenced chant
+that was almost a song. Her face became rapt and introspective as
+she rocked slowly from side to side. The rhythm was familiar and
+then he recognized it -- the unintelligible music he had often
+heard coming from the barracks late at night when no men were
+around -- the voiceless humming that the Lani sang at work.
+
+First there was Darkness -- starless and sunless
+
+Void without form -- darker than night
+
+Then did the Master -- Lord of Creation
+
+Wave His right hand, saying, "Let there be light!"
+
+Verse, Kennon thought. That was logical. People remember poetry
+better than prose. But the form was not what he'd normally
+expect. It was advanced, a style that was past primitive blank
+verse or heroic pentameter. He listened intently as Copper went
+on.
+
+Light filled the heavens, bright golden glowing,
+
+Brought to the Void by His wondrous hand;
+
+Then did the Master -- Lord of Creation --
+
+Nod His great head, saying, "Let there be land!"
+
+Air, land, and water formed into being,
+
+Born in the sight of His all-seeing eyes;
+
+Then did the master -- Lord of Creation --
+
+Smile as He murmured, "Let life arise!"
+
+All of the life conceived by the Master,
+
+Varied in shape as the grasses and birds;
+
+Hunters and hunted, moveless and moving,
+
+Came into form at the sound of His words.
+
+"That's a great deal like Genesis," Kennon said with mild
+astonishment. "Where could you have picked that up?"
+
+"From the beginning of our race," Copper said. "It came to us
+with Ulf and Lyssa -- but what is Genesis?"
+
+"A part of an ancient religion -- one that is still followed on
+some of the Central Worlds. Its followers call themselves
+Christians. They say it came from Earth, the mother-world of
+men."
+
+"Our faith has no name. We are children of Lyssa, who was a
+daughter of the Master."
+
+"It is an odd similarity," Kennon said. "But other races have had
+stories of the Creation. And possibly there may be another
+explanation. Your ancestors could have picked this up from
+Alexander's men. They came from Earth originally and some of them
+could have been Christians."
+
+"No," Cooper said. "This rede is long before Man Alexander. It is
+the origin of our world, even before Ulf and Lyssa. It is the
+first Book -- the Book of the God-spell. Man Alexander came in
+the sixth Book -- the Book of Roga."
+
+"There's no point in arguing about it," Kennon said. "Go on --
+tell me the rest."
+
+"It's going to be a long story," Copper said. "Even though I have
+forgotten some of it, I can chant the redes for hours."
+
+Kennon braced his back against one of the fat tires of the jeep.
+"I'm a good listener," he said.
+
+She chuckled. "You asked for this," she said -- and took up the
+verses where she had left off. And Kennon learned the Lani
+version of creation, of the first man and woman, cast out of
+Heaven for loving each other despite the Master's objection, of
+how they came to Flora and founded the race of the Lani. He
+learned how the Lani grew in numbers and power, how they split
+into two warring groups over the theological point of whether Ulf
+or Lyssa was the principal deity, how Roga the Foolish opened
+Lyssa's tower to find out whether the Ulfians or Lyssans were
+right, and brought the Black Years to Flora.
+
+He heard the trial of Roga and the details of his torture by the
+priests of Ulf and the priests of Lyssa -- united by this
+greatest sacrilege. And he heard the Lani version of the landing
+of Alexander's ship and man's conquest of Flora.
+
+It was a story of savagery and superstition, of blood and
+intolerance, of bravery and cowardice, of love and beauty. Yet
+through it all, even through the redes that described the
+Conquest, there was a curious remoteness, a lack of emotion that
+made the verses more terrible as they flowed in passionless
+rhythm from Copper's lips.
+
+"That's enough!" Kennon said.
+
+"I told you you wouldn't like it."
+
+"It's horrible. How can you remember such things?"
+
+"We begin to learn them as soon as we can talk. We know the redes
+almost our entire lives." Copper was silent for a moment.
+"There's lots more," she said, "but it's all about our lives
+since the Man Alexander -- the old one -- took possession of us.
+And most of the newer redes are pretty dull. Our life hasn't
+changed much since the men came. The Book of Man is boring."
+Copper sighed. "I have dared a great deal by telling you these
+things. If the others knew, they would kill both of us."
+
+"Then why tell me?" he asked.
+
+"I love you," she said simply. "You wanted to know -- and I can
+deny you nothing."
+
+A wave of tenderness swept over him. She would give her life for
+him -- and what would he give? Nothing. Not even his prejudices.
+His face twisted. If she was only human, If she wasn't just an
+animal. If he wasn't a Betan. If, if, if. Resentment gorged his
+throat. It was unfair -- so damned unfair. He had no business
+coming here. He should have stayed on Beta or at least on a human
+world where he would never have met Copper. He loved her, but he
+couldn't have her. It was Tantalus and Sisyphus rolled into one
+unsightly package and fastened to his soul. With a muttered curse
+he rose to his feet, and as he did he stopped -- frozen - staring
+at Copper as though he had never seen her before.
+
+"How did you say that Roga was judged responsible for Alexander
+coming here?" he demanded.
+
+"He went into Lyssa's tower -- where Ulf and Lyssa tried to call
+Heaven -- and with his foolish meddling set the tower alight with
+a glow that all could see. Less than a week later the Man
+Alexander came."
+
+"Where was this tower?"
+
+"Where Alexandria now stands. Man Alexander destroyed it and
+built his house upon its ruins."
+
+"And what was that place of the Pit?"
+
+"The Shrine of Ulf -- where the God-Egg struck Flora. It is
+buried in the pit, but the Silent Death has protected it from
+blasphemy -- and besides Man Alexander never learned about it. We
+feared that he would destroy it as he did Lyssa's tower."
+
+A wild hope stirred in Kennon. "We're going home," he announced.
+
+"Good."
+
+"And we're going to get a pair of radiation suits -- and then
+we're coming back. We'll have a good look at that Pit, and if
+what's in there is what I think it is" -- his face was a mixture
+of grimness and eagerness -- "we'll blow this whole operation off
+this planet!"
+
+Copper blanched. "It is death to meddle with the God-Egg," she
+said.
+
+"Superstition!" Kennon scoffed. "If that Egg is what I think, it
+was made by men, and you are their descendant."
+
+"Perhaps you're right, but I can't help thinking you are wrong,"
+she said soberly. "Look at the trouble that came with Roga's
+meddling. Be careful that you do not bring us a worse fate."
+
+"I'll be very careful. We'll take every precaution."
+
+"We?"
+
+"You're coming, of course. I can't imagine you staying away."
+
+Copper nodded.
+
+"You shouldn't worry so much" Kennon teased. "You know we men
+live forever."
+
+"That is true."
+
+"And if I'm right you're just as human as I. And you're capable
+of living as long as I do."
+
+"Yes, sir," Copper said. Her voice was unconvinced, her
+expression noncommittal.
+
+"You females," Kennon said in quick exasperation. "You drive a
+man crazy. Get an idea in your head and it takes triatomate to
+blast it out. Now let's go."
+
+Two hours brought them back to the volcanic area, and knowing
+what to look for, Kennon located the pockmarked mountain valley.
+From the air it looked completely ordinary. Kennon was amazed at
+the perfection of the natural camouflage. The Pit was merely
+another crater in the pitted ground. He dropped to a lower
+altitude, barely a hundred feet above the sputter cones. "Look!"
+he said.
+
+Below them was the crater of the Pit and in its center a smooth
+bluish-black hemisphere protruded from the crater floor. It would
+have passed unnoticed by the casual eye -- nearly concealed by
+two gigantic blocks of pumice.
+
+"The God-Egg!" Copper exclaimed.
+
+"Egg -- ha! that's a spacer! I thought it would be. I'd recognize
+durilium anywhere. Let's go down and look this over, but first we
+want a couple of pictures." He pointed a camera at the crater and
+snapped the shutter. "There -- now let's have a closer look at
+our baby."
+
+"Do you expect me to get into that thing?" Copper said
+distastefully as she prodded the shapeless green coveralls with a
+bare toe. She eyed the helmet, gloves and boots with equal
+distaste. "I'd suffocate."
+
+"If you want to come with me, you'll wear it," Kennon said.
+"Otherwise you won't come near that pit. Try it and I'll chain
+you to the jeep."
+
+"You wouldn't!"
+
+"Just try me."
+
+"Oh -- all fight. I'll wear the thing -- but I won't be
+comfortable.''
+
+"Who cares about that? You'll be protected."
+
+"All right -- show me how to put it on. I'd rather be with you
+than worry about what you are doing."
+
+The suit was several sizes too large but it covered her
+adequately. Too adequately, Kennon decided. She looked like a
+pile of wrinkles with legs. He chuckled.
+
+She glared. "So I'm funny," she said. "Let me tell you something
+else that's funny. I'm hot. I'm sweating. I itch. Now -- laugh!"
+
+"I don't feel like laughing," Kennon said. "I feel the same way."
+
+They approached the edge of the Pit carefully. Kennon kept
+checking tho radiation counter. The needle slowly rose and
+steadied at one-half roentgen per hour as he thrust the probe
+over the rim of the depression. "It's fine, so far," he said
+encouragingly. "We could take this much for quite a while even
+without suits." He lowered himself over the edge, sliding down
+the gentle slope.
+
+"How is it down there?" Copper called. The intercom crackled in
+his ear.
+
+"Fine -- barely over one roentgen per hour. With these suits we
+could stay here indefinitely." The sigh of relief was music in
+her ears. "This place is barely lukewarm."
+
+"That's what you think," Copper said.
+
+"I mean radiation warm," Kennon said. "Stay up there and watch
+me. I may need some things."
+
+"All right." Copper squirmed inside the hot suit. The thing was
+an oven. She hoped that Kennon didn't plan to work in the
+daytime. It would be impossible.
+
+Kennon gingerly approached the ship. It was half buried in the
+loose debris and ash that had fallen or blown into the pit during
+the centuries it had rested there. It was old -- incredibly old.
+The hull design was ancient -- riveted sheets of millimeter-thick
+durilium. Ships hadn't been built like that in over two thousand
+years. And the ovoid shape was reminiscent of the even more
+ancient spindizzy design. A hyperspace converter like that
+couldn't be less than four millennia old. It was a museum piece,
+but the blue-black hull was as smooth and unblemished as the day
+it had left fabrication.
+
+Space travel would have gotten nowhere without durilium, Kennon
+reflected. For five thousand years men had used the incredibly
+tough synthetic to build their spacecraft. It had given man his
+empire. Kennon gave the hull one quick glance. That part of the
+ship didn't worry him. It was what he would find inside that
+bothered him. How much damage had occurred from two thousand or
+more years of disuse? How much had the original travelers
+cannibalized? How much could be salvaged? What sort of records
+remained? There were a thousand questions that the interior of
+that enigmatic hull might answer.
+
+The upper segment of the airlock was visible. It was closed,
+which was a good sign. A few hours' work with a digger should
+expose it enough to be opened.
+
+"Copper," he said, "we're going to have to dig this out. There's
+a small excavator in the cargo bed of the jeep. Do you think you
+can bring it down here?"
+
+"I think so."
+
+"Good girl!" Kennon turned back to the ship. He was eager to
+enter it. There might be things inside that would settle the
+question of the Lani. The original crew had probably recognized
+the value of the hull as a repository as well as he did. But in
+the meantime there would be work -- lots of it. And every step
+must be recorded.
+
+It was the rest of the day's work to expose the emergency
+airlock. The little excavator toiled over the loose ash for hours
+before it displaced enough to make the port visible, and the ash
+was not yet cleared away sufficiently to open the portal when
+darkness brought a halt to the work.
+
+It would be impossible to unearth the spaceship with their
+low-capacity digger, Kennon decided. It would be difficult enough
+to clear the emergency airlock in the nose. But if the tubes and
+drive were still all right, by careful handling it should be
+possible to use the drive to blast out the loose ash and cinders
+which surrounded the hull.
+
+Kennon reluctantly gave up the idea of entering the spaceship.
+That would have to wait until tomorrow. Now they would have to
+conceal the work and call it a day. A few branches and the big
+blocks of pumice would suffice for temporary camouflage. Later
+they could make something better. Anything in the jeep which
+might be useful was cached along with the radiation suits in the
+passageway through the lava wall -- and in a surprisingly short
+time they were heading homeward.
+
+Kennon was not too displeased. Tomorrow they would be able to
+enter the ship. Tomorrow they would probably have some of the
+answers to his questions. He looked ahead into the gathering
+night. The gray mass of the abandoned Olympus Station slipped
+below them as he lined the jeep along the path indicated by the
+luminous arrow atop the main building, set the controls on
+automatic, and locked the craft on the guide beacon in
+Alexandria's tower. In a little less than an hour they would be
+home.
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+Kennon was morally certain that the Lani were of human stock.
+Evolved, of course. Mutated. Genetic strangers to the rest of
+humanity. But human. The spaceship and the redes proved it as far
+as he was concerned. But moral certainty and legal certainty were
+two different things. What he believed might be good enough to
+hold up in a Brotherhood court, but he doubted it. Ulf and Lyssa
+might be the founders of the Lani race, but they had come to
+Kardon nearly four thousand years ago and no records existed to
+prove that the Lani weren't here before they came. Redes passed
+by word of mouth through hundreds of generations were not
+evidence. Even the spaceship wasn't the absolute proof that would
+be needed to overturn the earlier legal decision. Other and
+better proof was needed -- something that would stand up in any
+court in the Brotherhood. He hoped the spaceship would hold that
+proof.
+
+But Kennon's eagerness to find out what was inside the ancient
+spacer was tempered by hard practicality. Too much depended on
+what he might find inside that hull. Every step of the work must
+be documented beyond any refutation. Some method of establishing
+date, time, and location had to be prepared. There must be a
+record of every action. And that would require equipment and
+planning. There must be no mistake that could be twisted by the
+skillful counsel that Alexander undoubtedly retained.
+
+He had no doubt that the Family would fight. Too much money and
+prestige were involved. To prove the Lani human would destroy
+Outworld Enterprises on Kardon. Yet this thought did not bother
+him. To his surprise he had no qualms of conscience. He was
+perfectly willing to violate his contract, break faith with his
+employers, and plot their ruin. The higher duty came first -- the
+duty to the human race.
+
+He smiled wryly. It wasn't all higher duty. There were some
+personal desires that leavened the nobility. To prove Copper
+human was enough motivation -- actually it was better than his
+sense of duty. Events, Kennon reflected, cause a great deal of
+change in one's attitude. Although not by nature a plotter,
+schemes had been flitting through his mind with machinelike
+regularity, to be examined and discarded, or to be set aside for
+future reference.
+
+He rejected the direct approach. It was too dangerous, depended
+too much on personalities, and had too little chance for success.
+He considered the possibility of letters to the Brotherhood
+Council but ultimately rejected it. Not only was the proof
+legally insufficient to establish humanity in the Lani, but he
+also remembered Alexander's incredible knowledge of his
+activities, and there was no reason to suppose that his present
+didn't receive the same scrutiny as the past. And if he, who
+hadn't written a letter in over a year, suddenly began to write,
+the correspondence would undoubtedly be regarded with suspicion
+and would probably be examined, and Dirac messages would be out
+for the same reason.
+
+He could take a vacation and while he was away from the island he
+could inform the Brotherhood. Leaving Flora wouldn't be
+particularly difficult, but leaving Kardon would be virtually
+impossible. His contract called for vacations, but it expressly
+provided that they would be taken on Kardon. And again, there
+would be no assurance that his activities would not be watched.
+In fact, it was probable that they would be.
+
+There was nothing that could be done immediately. But there were
+certain long-range measures that could be started. He could begin
+preparing a case that could be presented to the Council. And
+Beta, when it knew, would help him. The situation of the Lani was
+so close to Beta's own that its obvious merit as a test case
+simply could not be ignored. If he could get the evidence to
+Beta, it would be easy to enlist the aid of the entire
+Medico-Technological Civilization. It would take time and
+attention to detail; the case, the evidence, everything would
+have to be prepared with every safeguard and contingency
+provided, so that there would not be the slightest chance of a
+slip-up once it came to court.
+
+And perhaps the best method of bringing the evidence would be to
+transport it under its own power. The thought intrigued him.
+Actually it wouldn't be too difficult. Externally the Egg wasn't
+in bad shape. The virtually indestructible durilium hull was
+still intact. The controls and the engines, hermetically sealed
+inside the hull, were probably as good as the day they stopped
+running. The circuitry would undoubtedly be bad but it could be
+repaired and restored, and new fuel slugs could be obtained for
+the engine and the converter. But that was a problem for the
+future.
+
+The immediate problem was to get into the ship in a properly
+documented fashion.
+
+It took nearly two months, but finally, under the impersonal
+lenses of cameras and recorders, the entrance port of the God-Egg
+swung open and revealed the dark interior. Kennon moved
+carefully, recording every step as he entered the black orifice
+in the spaceship's side. His handtorch gave plenty of light for
+the recorders as he moved inside - Copper at his heels, both of
+them physically unrecognizable in antiradiation suits.
+
+"Why are we moving so slowly?" Copper said. "Let's go ahead and
+find out what's beyond this passageway."
+
+"From a superstitious coward you've certainly become a reckless
+explorer," he said.
+
+"The Egg hasn't hurt us, and we've been around it many times,"
+she said. "Either the curse has become too old to hurt us, or
+there never was any in the first place. So let's see what is
+ahead. I'm curious."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "In this business we must hurry slowly --
+very slowly. You know why."
+
+"But I want to see."
+
+"Patience, girl. Simmer down. You'll see soon enough," Kennon
+said. "Now help me set up this camera."
+
+"Oh, all right -- but isn't there any excitement in you?"
+
+"I'm bubbling over with it," Kennon admitted, "but I manage to
+keep it under control."
+
+"You're cold-blooded."
+
+"No -- I'm sensible. We want to nail this down. My future, yours,
+and that of your people depend upon how carefully we work. You
+wouldn't want to let us all down by being too eager, would you?"
+
+She shook her head. "No -- you're right of course. But I still
+would like to see."
+
+They moved cautiously through the airlock and into the control
+room.
+
+"Ah!" Kennon said with satisfaction. "I hoped for this, but I
+didn't dare expect it."
+
+"What?"
+
+"Look around. What do you see?"
+
+"Nothing but an empty room. It's shaped like half an orange, and
+it has a lot of funny instruments and dials on the walls, and a
+video screen overhead. But that's all. Why -- what's so unusual
+about it? It looks just like someone had left it."
+
+"That's the point. There's nothing essential that's missing. They
+didn't cannibalize the instruments -- and they didn't come back."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Maybe because that curse you mentioned a few minutes ago was
+real."
+
+Copper drew back. "But you said it wouldn't hurt us----"
+
+"Not now. The heat's practically gone, but when whoever flew this
+crate came here, the whole shell could have been as hot as a
+Samarian summer."
+
+"But couldn't they have come back when it cooled?"
+
+"Not with this kind of heat. The hull was probably too
+radioactive to approach from the outside. And radioactivity cools
+off slowly. It might take several lifetimes for its level to
+become low enough to approach if there was no decontamination
+equipment available."
+
+"I suppose that's why the early ones thought the Egg was cursed."
+
+Kennon nodded. "Now let's check -- oh! oh! what's this?" He
+pointed to a metal-backed book lying on the control panel.
+
+"It looks like a book," Copper said.
+
+"I'm hoping it's the book."
+
+"The book?"
+
+"Yes -- the ship's log. It's possible. And if it is, we may have
+all the evidence we need -- Copper! -- Don't touch it!"
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because its position has to be recorded first. Wait until we get
+the camera and recorders set up."
+
+* * *
+
+Gingerly Kennon opened the ancient book. The sheets inside were
+brittle -- crumbling with age -- but he could make out the title
+U.N.S.S. Wanderer with the date of launching and a lower line
+which read "Ship's Log." Kennon was thankful for his medical
+training. The four years of Classical English that he had
+despised so much were essential now. Stumbling over unfamiliar
+words and phrases, he moved slowly through the log tracing the
+old ship's history from .pleasure craft to short-haul freight
+tractor to obsolescence m a space dump orbiting around a world
+called Heaven.
+
+There was a gap of nearly ten years indicated by a blank page
+before the entries resumed.
+
+"Ah -- this is it!" Kennon said.
+
+"What is it?" Copper said curiously. "I can't read the writing."
+
+"Of course you can't. It's in English -- a language that became
+obsolete during the Interregnum. I  had to learn it, since most
+medical terminology is based on it."
+
+"What is an Interregnum?" Copper interrupted. I've never heard
+that word before."
+
+"It's a period of confusion when there is no stable government.
+The last one came after the Second Galactic War -- but never mind
+that -- it happened long ago and isn't important now. The
+important thing that did happen was the Exodus."
+
+"What was that?"
+
+"A religious revival and a tremendous desire to see what was
+happening beyond the next star. During that century men traveled
+wider and farther then they ever have before or since. In that
+outward explosion with its mixed motivations of religion and
+practicality, colonists and missionaries went starward to find
+new worlds to tame, and new races to be rescued from the darkness
+of idolatry and hell. Almost any sort of vehicle capable of
+mounting a spindizzy converter was pressed into service. The old
+spindizzies were soundly engineered converters of almost
+childlike simplicity that could and did carry ships enormous
+distances if their passengers didn't care about subjective
+time-lag, and a little radioactivity.
+
+"And that's what happened to this ship. According to this log it
+was bought by Alfred and Melissa Weygand - a missionary couple
+with the idea of spreading the Christian faith to the heathen.
+
+"Alfred and Melissa -- Ulf and Lyssa -- they were a part of this
+ancient explosion that scattered human seed across parsecs of
+interstellar space. It seems that they were a unit in a
+missionary fleet that had gone out to the stars with flame in
+their hearts and Gospel on their lips to bring the Word to the
+benighted heathen on other worlds." Kennon's lips curled with
+mild contempt at their stupid foolhardiness even as his pulse
+quickened to their bravery. They had been fanatics, true enough,
+but theirs was a selfless fanaticism that would risk torture and
+death for what they believed -- a fanaticism that was more
+sublime than the concept of Brotherhood which had evolved from
+it. They knew nothing of the enmity of race, of the incessant
+struggle man had since waged with alien intelligences all too
+willing to destroy intruders who encroached upon their worlds.
+Mankind's early selflessness had long ago been discarded for
+frank expansionism and dominance over the lesser races that stood
+in their way. And in a way it was too bad.
+
+The ship's log, meticulously kept in neat round English script,
+told a story that was more than the bare bones of flight. There
+was passion and tenderness and a spiritual quality that was
+shocking to a modern man steeped in millennia of conquest and
+self-interest. There was a greatness to it, a depth of faith that
+had since been lost. And as Kennon slowly deciphered the ancient
+script he admired the courage even as his mind winced with dismay
+at the unheeding recklessness.
+
+The Weygands had lost contact with the others, and had searched
+for them in hyperspace, doubling and twisting upon their course
+until they had become hopelessly lost, and then, with their fuel
+nearly exhausted, had broken out into the normal three-space
+continuum to find Kardon's sun and the world they called Flora.
+
+How little they had known and how lucky they had been.
+
+It was only by the grace of their God that they had found this
+world before their fuel was exhausted. And it was only by further
+grace that the planet was habitable and not populated with
+intelligent life. They had more luck than people were entitled to
+in a dozen lifetimes. Against odds of a million to one they had
+survived.
+
+It was fascinating reading.
+
+But it was not proof.
+
+The last entry read: "We have circled this world and have seen no
+buildings -- no sign of intelligent life. We are lost, marooned
+on this empty world. Our fuel supplies are too low for us to
+attempt to find the others. Nor could we. The constellations in
+the sky are strange. We do not know which way to go. Therefore we
+shall land upon the great island in the center of the yellow sea.
+And perhaps someday men will come to us since we cannot return to
+them. Melissa thinks that this is an example of Divine
+Providence, that the Lord's mercy has been shown to us that were
+lost in the vastness of the deep -- that we have been chosen,
+like Eve and Adam, to spread the seed of man to yet another
+world. I hope she is right, yet I fear the radiation level of the
+ship has become inordinately high. We may well be Eve and Adam,
+yet an Adam that cannot beget and an Eve that is not fruitful. I
+am trimming the ship for landing, and we shall leave it
+immediately after we have landed, taking with us only what we
+absolutely need. There is too much radiation from the spindizzy
+and the drive to remain here longer -- and God knows how hot the
+outer hull may be."
+
+And that was all. Presumptive evidence -- yes. Reasonable
+certainty -- yes. But not proof. Lawyers could argue that since
+no direct exploration was made there was no valid reason to
+assume that the Lani did not already inhabit Kardon. But Kennon
+knew. His body, more perceptive than his mind, had realized a
+truth that his brain would not accept until he read the log. It
+was at once joy and frustration. Joy that Copper was human,
+frustration that he could not obtain for her and her race the
+rights to which they were entitled. But the immediate problem was
+solved. His conditioning was broken now he was convinced that
+Copper was a member of the human race. It was no violation of his
+code to love her. The greatest barrier was broken, and with it
+gone the lesser ones would yield. Relief that was almost pain
+washed through him and left him weak with reaction.
+
+"What is it?" Copper asked as he turned to her. "What is this
+thing that has turned your face to joy?"
+
+"Can't you guess?"
+
+She shook her head. "I have seen nothing but you reading this
+ancient book, yet you turn to me with the look in your eyes that
+the redes say Ulf had for Lyssa."
+
+"You're human!"
+
+Copper shrugged. "You're mad. I'm a Lani. I was born a Lani --
+and I shall die one."
+
+"Don't you understand? All Lani are human. You all are the
+descendants of two humans who came here thousands of years ago."
+
+"Then there is no reason why you cannot love me."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "No," he said. "There is no reason."
+
+Copper laughed. It was a sound so merry and gay that Kennon
+looked at her in surprise. She looked as happy as she sounded.
+
+Simple and savage, Kennon thought. She cared nothing for the
+future, and probably very little about the injustice of her
+present. The thing that mattered was that what had kept them
+apart was gone. She was probably offering mental sacrifices to
+the Old Ones who had caused this change in the man she loved. She
+didn't really care about what had caused the change. To her it
+was sufficient that it had happened.
+
+For a moment Kennon wished that it could be as simple for him as
+it apparently was for her. The fact that Copper was human posed a
+greater problem than the one it solved. The one had been
+personal. The other was infinitely greater. He could not let it
+lie. The very morality which had kept him from doing what he
+wished when he thought she was a humanoid now forced him to do
+what he did not wish. Every instinct said to leave it alone. The
+problem was too great for one man to solve, the situation too
+complicated, the evidence too inconclusive, the opposition too
+powerful. It would be far better to take his happiness and enjoy
+it. It was not his problem to solve. He could turn the evidence
+over to the Brotherhood once his contract was over, and better
+and more capable people than he could settle the Lani legal
+status. But the inner voice that had called him bestial now
+called him shirker, coward, and slacker. And this, too, could not
+be borne. The case of the Lani would have to be pursued as
+vigorously as he could do it. They were entitled to human rights
+-- whether they wanted them or not.
+
+His first idea of making the spacer operational was a good one,
+Kennon decided as they finished the inspection of the ship. Even
+if it was never used it would make a good means of retreat. He
+grinned wryly. In a guerrilla operation such as the one he was
+considering it would be wise to have a way out if things got too
+hot. The heavy parts, the engines and the controls, were in
+workable condition and would merely require cleaning and oiling.
+Some of the optical equipment would have to be replaced and fuel
+slugs would have to be obtained for the drive -- but none of
+these would be too hard to accomplish. The slugs from any of the
+power reactors on the island would serve nicely. All that would
+have to be done would be to modify the fuel ports on the ship's
+engine. The spindizzy would have to be disassembled and checked,
+and the main leads, embedded in time-resistant plastic, would
+have to be examined. The most serious problem, however, wouldn't
+involve these things. The control board wiring and circuitry was
+where the trouble would lie. Normal insulation and printed
+circuitry wasn't designed to last for thousands of years. Each
+wired circuit would have to be removed, duplicated, and replaced.
+Every printed panel would have to be cleaned and receive a new
+coat of insulating varnish. Working full time, a four-man
+electronics team could do the job in a week. Working part-time
+the two of them might get it done in three months. And the other
+jobs would take at least another. Add a month for errors in
+judgment, lack of materials, and mistakes -- and another for
+unavoidable delays -- it would be at least six months before the
+Egg would be spaceworthy.
+
+Six months.
+
+Not too long if everything went well, but far too long if there
+were any mistakes. He would have to be careful, yet he must not
+give the impression of being careful. He shook his head. Being a
+subversive was going to require a greater amount of acting
+ability than he had ever been called upon to display.
+
+And what of Copper? How would she behave under the double strain
+of knowledge that she was human and knowledge of the spaceship?
+Women weren't noted for their tight-lipped reticence. Would she
+tell the other Lani? Would she crack under the pressure? Did she
+have the qualities of a good conspirator?
+
+As it turned out, he didn't need to worry. As a partner in crime,
+Copper was all that could be wished. Everything was normal. She
+was still obedient, helpful, and gay as ever. To watch her, no
+one would ever think that her bright head was full of knowledge
+that could rock Flora to its foundations. Never by look or word
+did she betray the slightest trace of strain or guilt.
+
+And in her other moments she was ecstatic in her love and helpful
+with the repair work on the Egg whenever Kennon could get time to
+visit the old spaceship.
+
+"You amaze me," Kennon said as they eased the cover of the
+spindizzy in place and spun the bolts on the lugs that held it to
+the outer shielding. He picked up a heavy wrench and began
+methodically to seat the bolts as Copper wiped the white
+extrusion of the cover sealant from the shining case.
+
+"How?"
+
+"The way you hide your knowledge of this ship from the others. I
+know you better than anyone else on this island, and yet you
+would fool me."
+
+"We Lani are used to hiding things. You men have been our masters
+for centuries, yet you do not know our redes. Nor do you know
+what we think, We obey you, but there are parts of us you do not
+own. It is easy to hide a little thing like this."
+
+Kennon nodded. It figured. He seated another bolt. Three more and
+the drive room would be restored and they could start on the
+control circuits. "I wish you were as clever about adopting human
+customs as you are about hiding guilty knowledge," he said.
+
+Copper laughed. "You mean those silly things you have been
+teaching me? Why should I learn them? I'm happy as I am. I love
+you, you love me, and that is all that matters."
+
+"It's not all that matters. Can't you get it through your head
+that civilized customs are necessary in a civilized society?" He
+gave the next-to-last bolt an extra-vicious wrench. "You'll have
+to know them if you expect to get along on Beta."
+
+"But I will never see Beta."
+
+"I am going there when my duty here is over. And you're going
+with me."
+
+"When will that be?"
+
+"Three years."
+
+"So long? Well -- we can think of it then, but I don't think Man
+Alexander will let you take me."
+
+"Then I shall take you without his consent"
+
+She smiled. "It would be easier to stay here. In another fifteen
+years I will be old and you will not want me."
+
+"I'll never do that. I'll always want you."
+
+"You swear too easily," she said gently. "You men live forever.
+We Lani are a short-lived race."
+
+"But you needn't be. It's obviously----"
+
+"It's been tried, my love -- and those who were treated died. Man
+Alexander tried many years ago to make us long-lived like you.
+But he failed. You see, he loved one of us too."
+
+"But----"
+
+"Let us think no more of it. Let us enjoy what we have and be
+grateful to the Gods for the love we enjoy -- or do you have any
+Gods?"
+
+"One."
+
+"Two are better. More, anyway. And besides, Ulf and Lyssa and the
+God-Egg are responsible for our joy."
+
+"They are indeed," Kennon said.
+
+"Then why should you think of leaving the place where they rule?
+You should stay here. There will be other Lani when I am gone.
+You will be happy always."
+
+"Not without you," Kennon said. "Don't you understand that I love
+you?"
+
+"And I you. But I am a Lani. You are a man."
+
+"You're as human as I am," Kennon said abruptly.
+
+"That is what you say," Copper replied. "I am not so sure. I need
+more proof than this." She waved her hand at the ship.
+
+"What proof do you need?"
+
+"The same as the proof you men require. If I should have your
+child, then I would believe that I was human."
+
+"I've told you a thousand times that the radiation on this ship
+must have affected Ulf and Lyssa's germ plasm. Can't you
+understand that?"
+
+"I can understand it all right, but it does not change things.
+Ulf and Lyssa may have been human before they came here, but they
+were not when they landed. They were Lani, and their children
+were Lani."
+
+"But they were of human stock."
+
+"The law that lets men become our masters does not agree with
+you."
+
+"Then the law is wrong. It should be changed."
+
+Copper shrugged. "Two people cannot change a law."
+
+"They can try -- particularly if the law is unjust."
+
+Copper sighed. "Is it not enough for us to love? Must you try to
+run through a wall?"
+
+"When the wall stands in the way of right and justice I must."
+
+Copper looked at him with pity in her green eyes. "This I do not
+understand. I know nothing of right and justice. What are these
+things? Just words. Yet you will endanger our happiness for them.
+If it is my happiness you wish - then leave this foolishness
+alone. I have fifteen years I can live with you before I am old
+and you tire of me. With those years I can be content."
+
+"But I can't," Kennon said. "Call me selfish if you wish, but I
+want you with me as long as I live. I don't want to live my life
+without you."
+
+"You want too much," Copper said softly. "But if it makes you
+happy to try to get it, I shall help. And if we do not succeed
+you will at least be happier for trying. And if you are happy" --
+she shrugged -- "then the rest makes little difference."
+
+That was the crux of the matter, Kennon reflected bitterly. He
+was convinced she was human. She was not. And until her mind
+could be changed on that point she would help him but her heart
+wouldn't be in it. And the only thing that would convince her
+that she was human would be a child - a child of his begetting.
+He could perhaps trick her with an artificial insemination of
+Lani sperm. There were drugs that could suspend consciousness,
+hypnotics that would make her believe anything she was told while
+under their influence.
+
+But in the end it would do no good. All witnesses in Brotherhood
+court actions were examined under psychoprobe, and a hypnotic was
+of no value against a lie detector that could extract the deepest
+buried truth. And he would be examined too. The truth would
+out--and nothing would be gained. In fact -- everything would be
+lost. The attempt at trickery would prejudice any court against
+the honest evidence they had so painfully collected.
+
+He sighed. The only thing to do was to go on as they were -- and
+hope that the evidence would hold. With Betan legal talent at
+their back it might. And, of course, they could try to produce a
+child as nature had intended. They could try -- but Kennon knew
+it would not succeed. It never had.
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Copper had been acting strangely of late, Kennon thought as he
+rolled over in his bed and watched her standing before the
+full-length mirror on the bathroom door. She pivoted slowly
+before the glass, eying herself critically, raising her arms over
+her head, holding them at her sides, flexing her supple spine and
+tightening muscles that moved like silken cords beneath her
+golden skin.
+
+"What are you trying to do -- become a muscle dancer?" Kennon
+asked idly.
+
+She whirled, a crimson blush deepening the tan of her face. "You
+were supposed to be asleep," she said.
+
+"I'm an unregenerate heel," he replied, "and I don't sleep too
+well nowadays unless you're beside me."
+
+"Well -- I suppose you might as well know now as later," she
+said. "You'll know in any event."
+
+"Know what?"
+
+"That you're right. I am human."
+
+"And what brought on this sudden change of--" He stopped
+abruptly, his eyes widening.
+
+"Yes," Copper said. "I am with child. Your child."
+
+"But that's impossible."
+
+She shook her head. "It's a miracle perhaps, but it's not
+impossible. It's happened. Can't you see the difference?"
+
+"See what? You look just as you always do."
+
+"I suppose you can't see it yet," she admitted. "But I am with
+child. I'm two weeks past my time."
+
+Kennon's mind leaped to the obvious conclusion. Pseudo-pregnancy.
+He had seen it before among Lani at Hillside Farm. It was an odd
+syndrome which occasionally occurred in humans and animals. The
+brain, desiring children, made demands upon the body and the body
+responded to its desire by tricking the brain. Lani were fairly
+subject to its probably because they had better imaginations. He
+would run a few tests when they went down to the hospital, and
+once she realized the practical joke her body was playing
+everything would be all right. No wonder she seemed excited.
+
+"We'll find out about that later," he said equably. "We'll settle
+this when we get back to the hospital."
+
+Copper smiled confidently and patted her stomach. "I know what
+you are thinking, but you're wrong. We Lani know about these
+things. In forty generations I am the first to conceive as the
+Master intended."
+
+"I hope you haven't," Kennon said with such bitter sincerity that
+Copper looked at him wide-eyed. "Not now. Because if you have,
+neither your life nor mine is safe."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"The Alexanders. Do you think they'll take it lying down? We're
+not ready for them yet. They'll fight, and the first thing
+they'll do is kill you and erase me so we would never be able to
+talk. You have been declared an animal, and you will not be
+allowed to change."
+
+"What can we do?" Copper asked. She shivered. "I do not want to
+die."
+
+"Nor do I want you to," Kennon said.
+
+"I could tell the others."
+
+"And just what would that accomplish?"
+
+"In a week every Lani on the island would know it. There would be
+revolt. For the Lani would no longer be dependent upon Men to
+survive. Their greatest hold on us would be gone. And we would be
+free again on our island world."
+
+"You would not!" Kennon said. "That sort of thinking is
+foolishness. Alexander would have men here within a week, and a
+week after that you would be smashed. Don't you realize that
+there are thousands of millions of men in the galaxy -- and to
+every one of them you would be animals. You know nothing about
+what you would face. Your puny hundreds couldn't even stand
+against a fraction of the power Alexander could mount against
+you. Have you seen a Burkholtz blaster work? Have you seen
+remote-control antipersonnel missiles? Have you push-pull
+projectors, atomic warheads? All of these weapons Alexander can
+command. Don't you realize he's an entrepreneur? -- one of the
+most powerful men in this sector?"
+
+Copper shook her head. "No," she said in a small voice. "I know
+nothing about these things."
+
+"And do you think forty generations of absolute obedience to men
+can be overcome because one Lani says she is pregnant by a man?"
+
+Copper frowned. "You put that in a different way. You talk as if
+it were my belief rather than the truth."
+
+"What is truth?" Kennon said heavily. "Who would believe you?
+There are hundreds of others with child.
+
+"Sure you're human. You know it. I know it. I've been trying to
+convince you for the past two months. You're just as human as I
+am. But pray that you're not pregnant. We can't get out of here
+in less than four months and by then everybody will know about
+you. Someone will certainly check the records. And after that
+will come the psychoprobes. Everything will come to light. The
+Egg will be destroyed. I will be erased. You will be dead. And
+that will be the end of it." He looked down at her with an odd
+expression of pity on his face. "You see?" he demanded harshly.
+
+Copper nodded. "I didn't understand," she said. "Don't be angry
+with me. I shouldn't have told you. I thought you'd be happy."
+
+"I was never angry with you, but I am with myself. I was stupid.
+I didn't figure on the remote possibility that we might be
+genetically compatible. I should have my head examined for
+putting you in such danger. However there's the possibility --
+the probability -- that your body is playing a trick upon you."
+
+She shook her head. "You are wrong. I am not mistaken. I am with
+child and the child is yours. But the fault is no more yours than
+mine. I wanted you before you looked on me. I still do and I do
+not feel at fault. That I am yours, that my child is yours is a
+thing of wonder and joy. Never could I have expected so much."
+
+Kennon looked down at her smudged face, streaked with the sudden
+rivulets of tears, and bitterness galled his throat. Dear God --
+let her be wrong, he prayed silently. Let it be pseudopregnancy
+this time. Let the tests be negative.
+
+But they weren't. Unequivocally they confirmed Copper's
+diagnosis. Here was the proof he needed. The final test that
+would prove the Lani human. And he had no way of getting it where
+it would do any good. It would take at least four months of
+steady labor before the ship was ready, and he didn't have that
+sort of time. He was needed here and his prolonged absence would
+cause suspicion and investigation. Something would have to be
+done -- but what? He couldn't take Copper off the island in an
+airboat. They were checked with microscopic care by Otpen One's
+IFF. A jeep didn't have enough range to take them to the
+mainland. And even if they got there they couldn't get off the
+planet. Alexander knew everything that happened on Kardon's two
+spaceports. The Egg was the only way, but the Egg was unfinished
+and unspaceworthy.
+
+Frantically Kennon considered concealing Copper. He shook his
+head. It wouldn't work. It would be impossible, to hide a baby on
+a place where every birth was recorded. Nor could one hide
+evidence of pregnancy in a Lani. Childbearing leaves telltale
+marks upon the body, and Copper, even if she could be concealed
+for the duration of her pregnancy, could never survive the
+sharp-eyed scrutiny of her fellows or the other humans. Questions
+would inevitably be asked.
+
+There had to be a solution. He rubbed his forehead wearily. It
+was strange how so little a thing as the union of a spermatozoon
+and an ovum could produce so much trouble. He looked across the
+office at Copper placidly filing case cards. She wasn't worrying.
+With sublime faith, she was sure that he would find the answer,
+the one that would solve everything. He shuddered. The only
+logical solution was abortion -- and that was unthinkable! He
+would not murder his child -- nor would Copper permit it if he
+was capable of doing so.
+
+It was almost a relief when his phone rang and Blalok's voice
+came cheerfully across the wire.
+
+"Tried to get you about an hour ago," the superintendent said,
+"but your girl said you were busy."
+
+"I was."
+
+"You through now?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, get up to the fortress. Alexander just flew in and he's
+calling a meeting. Something important has come up."
+
+Something important! A wave of ice rattled down Kennon's spine,
+and then he grinned feebly. Alexander didn't know. He couldn't
+know. It had to be something else.
+
+"I'll be right up," he said, marveling at the calmness in his
+voice.
+
+Kennon couldn't help comparing this meeting with the one a year
+ago. The location was different -- the conference room in
+Alexandria was more formal than Blalok's parlor but the same
+people were present: Alexander, Blalok, Jordan, and himself.
+Somehow Alexander seemed to have shrunk. He was no longer as
+impressive as he had been. But the man still radiated force, even
+though it didn't seem quite so overpowering. The year, Kennon
+thought, had done much to build his self-confidence. He felt
+assured rather than nervous.
+
+"Good to see you, Kennon," Alexander said. "Reports say you're
+doing a good job."
+
+"I can't claim the credit," Kennon said. "Eighty-five per cent of
+our success is due to co-operation from the operating staff. And
+that's Blalok's doing -- he knocked the heads of the division
+managers together and they took care of their staffs. Otherwise
+we could have had a bad time."
+
+"But you didn't," Alexander said. "And you were the motive
+force."
+
+"I've darn near motivated myself out of a job," Kennon said.
+"They co-operate all too well nowadays."
+
+"Which goes to prove that my theories on preventive medicine are
+right," Alexander said, turning to Blalok.
+
+"It looks that way," Blalok admitted, "but that could be because
+you picked a good man."
+
+"He's good in more ways than one," Alexander said. "Or did he
+tell you he saved Douglas's life out on Otpen One?"
+
+"He's never said a word."
+
+Alexander smiled. "Another point in his favor. He knows how to
+keep his mouth shut."
+
+"Not when he's telling someone what to do about disease," Jordon
+interjected.
+
+"Or telling someone off when they haven't followed directions,''
+Blaiok added.
+
+"Better and better. I was sure that he was the one we needed when
+we first met."
+
+Kennon felt his ears turn flaming red.
+
+"But that's not the reason I brought you here. This isn't a Jac
+Kennon admiration society. I called you because I want to expand
+the Lani breeding program."
+
+"Why?" Jordan asked.
+
+Blalok stiffened. "You know my feeling about that, sir. I've
+never liked the idea of selling them. If that's what's in your
+mind--"
+
+Alexander shook his head. "Simmer down," he said, as he seated
+himself at the head of the table. "There's going to be no
+selling. The Lani are too valuable for that. We'll need them more
+than the money they'd bring on the market. You see -- I've
+acquired a planet out on the periphery. A place called Phoebe.
+One of our ships found it, and I staked a discovery claim on the
+major land mass, and the crew made lesser claims that covered all
+the available land. Last month the Brotherhood allowed the
+claims. Last week the crewmen sold me their land. Phoebe's a
+lovely place -- quite a bit like Flora -- and the ecological
+tests show it's capable of supporting mammalian life. Just before
+I came here I sent three shiploads of exterminators to clean it
+up and make it ready for us. It should be ready in two years."
+
+"What sort of an ecology are you exterminating?" Jordan asked.
+
+"Not that it makes any difference," Alexander said, "but it's
+mainly reptilian. Nothing over Group I. We'll restock with Floran
+animals."
+
+Jordan sighed. "Since that's the way it is, it doesn't make any
+difference," he said.  "But it could have. The Lani are sensitive
+to things like that. If they thought that they were walking in
+over a pile of bodies they'd do badly. It'd be like Olympus all
+over again. And we couldn't keep them from knowing. We talk and
+we forget, but they'd tell each other - and they'd remember."
+
+"I know," Alexander said, "somehow they've never forgotten that
+Grandfather trapped the last of the Lani males on Olympus."
+
+Jordan nodded. "They can't stand the place. That's why we had to
+abandon the station."
+
+"Does this new world have a moon?" Kennon asked abruptly.
+
+"Yes -- in fact it has two."
+
+"Habitable?"
+
+"No -- they're too small to hold air. But men could live there in
+domes -- but why do you? -- oh! I see! I hadn't considered that
+point." Alexander's hand darted to the phone beside him. "Get me
+Albertsville," he snapped. "Yes, my offices -- I want Mr. Oliver
+in purchasing and contracting. Hello -- Ward? Alexander here. Yes
+-- everything's fine. I have a job for you -- use your scrambler
+- pattern two." Alexander dialed the scrambler code on the second
+dial at the base of the phone, effectively preventing
+eavesdropping by beam tappers. "Yes," he went on. "It's Project
+Phoebe. Have you secured title to the moons? You haven't? Well --
+you'd better do it before some of our competitors get bright
+ideas. Sure they know about the project -- do you think they're
+stupid? Warren over at Consolidated practically told me that he
+was onto our scheme. So get title to those moons. Since they're
+uninhabitable and within the planet's primary field they come
+under the Spatial Debris Act and you should be able to get
+Kardonian title without any great amount of trouble. Naturally we
+want them. -- For defense -- what else? We'll have most of our
+eggs in that basket. No -- I don't know how we overlooked that
+point. But if it wasn't for a bright young man out here we'd have
+left ourselves wide open. Now get cracking -- get that leak
+plugged!" Alexander dropped the phone back in its cradle and
+sighed. "Well -- that's buttoned up," he said. "Thanks, Kennon."
+
+Kennon looked at Alexander's grinning face, his own impassive,
+but a shattering certainty exploded in his mind - Alexander was a
+telepath! That was his difference! That was the thing that made
+him feared and respected by his business associates. It wouldn't
+have been enough on the Central Worlds, where men knew of
+sensitives and took precautions against them. But out here on the
+periphery it was a deadly advantage.
+
+"So I gave it away," Alexander said. "I suppose I was careless,
+but your thoughts about the moons shocked me."
+
+"You practically told me once before, when you hired me," Kennon
+said, "but I never realized it."
+
+"You were too excited then."
+
+"I wouldn't know," Kennon said. "At any rate I didn't add the
+facts correctly." From somewhere deep in his memory an old quip
+came floating to the surface: "An executive is a man who picks
+brains -- others' brains." By that definition Alexander was an
+executive of the first class. Alexander  chuckled.
+
+Suddenly Kennon wanted to run. Panic flooded him! What had he
+been thinking about? Had he thought of -- two times two are four,
+four times four are sixteen, sixteen times sixteen are -- let's
+see, six times sixteen is ninety-six, one times sixteen is --
+six, five, carry one -- two -- two hundred fifty-six. Two hundred
+fifty-six times--
+
+"What's eating you?" Alexander demanded.
+
+"I'm angry," Kennon said. "I told you the conditions I'd sign
+that contract, and you wrote a Peeper Clause into it. And then
+you peep in the worst way possible. There's no defense against a
+Telep unless you know about him; you've had my whole mind bare!
+You've violated my personal privacy like no man has done before.
+Sure I'm mad. I expected honesty from you -- and you peep!" The
+anger was stronger now -- a wave of raw emotion based on a
+lifetime of training in mutual respect of a man's privacy -- a
+feeling intensified by his childhood environment of a crowded
+planetary ecology and the cramped crew quarters on a spaceship.
+To Kennon, Alexander had committed the ultimate sin.
+
+"I can see I made a mistake by not telling you," Alexander said.
+His voice was cold. "But you have no right to insult me."
+
+"I'm not saying it, am I?" Kennon snapped. The moonflower on the
+bookcase behind Alexander was a thing of beauty. Alexander liked
+beauty. He had said so, and the Great Hall below them bore it
+out. It was a lovely room. Those four bronze Lani in the fountain
+were works of art. One of them looked remarkably like Copper.
+Copper in bronze. The little witch had probably posed for the
+casting. Maybe it had even been made from her body.
+
+"They're all of Susy," Alexander said. "I can see why you are
+angry, and I don't blame you. But remember I warned you about
+Lani."
+
+Copper -- Kennon wrenched his thoughts back to the moonflower. It
+had twelve petals, limpid white on the borders shading to deep
+blue in the center-from which the cream-colored stamen surrounded
+by transparent pistils sprang to burst into a golden glory of
+pollen that dripped in tiny yellow flecks to the broad petals
+below. It was a magnificent flower. There was nothing like it on
+Beta. That was a marvelous thing about flowers -- wherever one
+went in the universe, plants used the same methods to fertilize
+their seed and spread their germ plasm. It was too bad that --
+Kennon jerked his attention to Alexander's face. He detested the
+thought that his mind was common property. A man should have
+something he can call his own. There had been a clinics
+instructor in Year Six who was a sensitive. The classes had
+protected themselves against his prying with a circlet -- a
+thought screen -- he had done it too. Maybe he had brought the
+circlet with him. If he did, no one was going to catch him
+without it. It was a dirty business, this reading of others'
+thought. Now where had he put that circlet? Was it among his old
+books -- or was it with his instruments?
+
+"Why don't you go back to your house and find it?" Alexander
+snapped. "As you are, you're nothing but a disruption. I want you
+in on this meeting, but not the way you're acting."
+
+"I'm not going to act any other way until I get some protection
+from peeping," Kennon said grimly. "And if you think this is bad
+wait till I start going through comparative anatomy.''
+
+"What's the matter with you two?" Blalok asked.
+
+"Be quiet," Alexander snapped. "This isn't your problem. Kennon
+is behaving like a spoiled child!"
+
+"He's a telepath!" Kennon said. "And he didn't tell me."
+
+"So what? I've known that for years."
+
+"And you stand for it?"
+
+"I'm a Mystic, not a Betan," Blalok said. "I don't have your
+insane desire for privacy."
+
+"Go find that thought screen if you still have if!" Alexander
+said. "I don't want any more of this. You're making me ill!"
+
+Kennon grinned thinly as he rose to his feet. It was a good thing
+he remembered Alexander was squeamish and didn't like anatomy.
+The door was to his left, an iris door with eight leaves --
+terribly old-fashioned. About ten steps away. Count them -- one
+-- two -- three--
+
+Alexander sighed as Kennon left the room. "I certainly pushed the
+panic button on that young man," he said. "He has a pathological
+attitude toward telepathy. Wonder what he has to hide that he
+wants privacy so badly? Even for a Betan this reaction was
+violent."
+
+"Oh, I don't know. He's a pretty emotional sort. Maybe he hates
+to look like a fool. He's gotten himself mixed up with one of the
+Lani. Cute little thing by the name of Copper," Blalok said.
+
+"Oh -- that's it. I thought that was what he was hiding. A
+picture of a girl kept popping up." Alexander chuckled. "I
+suppose that's the trouble. A man hardly likes to look a fool,
+particularly to someone who has warned him. At that, I don't
+blame him. They are beautiful and affectionate. And even with
+their superstitions and tabus they're better than most humans."
+
+"For pets," Blalok said heavily.
+
+"They're not better at anything," Jordan demurred. "They can't be
+-- man is the best and always will be."
+
+"The eternal racial chauvinist," Alexander murmured. He turned
+his attention to Blalok. "But for awhile, Evald, I'd suggest you
+keep an eye on our young man. I still don't like his reaction. It
+was too violent -- too defensive. I don't feel right about it.
+Perhaps Betans are more sensitive than most people but it seems
+to me that he's trying to conceal something. There was an
+undertone of fear -- and something else -- beneath his defenses."
+
+"Couldn't you get any more than that?" Blalok asked. "You're
+pretty good at this mind-reading business."
+
+"His defenses were remarkably good," Alexander said dryly.
+
+* * *
+
+Well he'd done it now, Kennon thought. He found the
+thought-screen circlet sandwiched between two books on
+comparative neuroanatomy which he hadn't bothered to unpack. He
+slipped it on and connected the lead wires to a portable battery
+pack. There was a half-forgotten tingling as the weak field
+heterodyned his thought waves. Kennon sighed. If Alexander wasn't
+suspicious of him now the man was a fool. He'd done as well as he
+could with confusion and outrage, but it was hardly possible to
+hide behind superficialities. Even the most disciplined mind
+couldn't do that without some preparation. Undoubtedly his
+concern about Copper had leaked through. He could only hope that
+other and more important things had not.
+
+Well -- he could go back to the conference now, but he would have
+to be doubly careful from now on. He couldn't make daily trips to
+Olympus. His reaction had killed that plan. Alexander would be
+suspicious now -- and unusual actions would crystallize suspicion
+to certainty. Now he needed a reason to be in that area. And then
+he grinned. He had a reason -- a good one -- one that would fit
+in with Alexander's plans and his own. The only problem would be
+to make Alexander buy it -- and that might be difficult. He'd
+have to work carefully -- but with normal luck he could put the
+idea across. He crossed his fingers as he trudged back up the
+path to Alexandria.
+
+The conference dragged on. Unlike most meetings, this one
+accomplished things -- which was a tribute to Alexander's ability
+to keep the subject in hand. Details of the expansion program
+presented by Alexander were rapidly reduced to workable plans.
+They involved some rearrangement of existlng facilities, and the
+construction of others. But the obvious snags were rapidly
+disposed of, and the whole revamped operation was outlined on
+paper in surprisingly few hours. A deadline date was set,
+construction was authorized, and in the morning the first steps
+in the practical implementation of the new program would be
+taken.
+
+"Well, that's that," Alexander said with a sigh. "I think this
+calls for a drink."
+
+"There's one more thing," Kennon said. "I know it isn't much, but
+Jordan's remark started me thinking."
+
+"What remark?" Jordan asked.
+
+"The one you made at the beginning about Phoebe possibly being
+like the Olympus Station. I've often wondered why that particular
+location has been so difficult to operate. Sure, I know the
+accepted explanation, but I think we should learn why it works
+and how to break a tabu. If we don't, we might be in for
+trouble."
+
+"That's a good thought," Alexander said. "I tried to find out
+once, but all I could discover was that it was tabu. The Lani
+simply didn't like it. And despite the fact that I can read
+minds, I didn't learn any more than that. There's a certain
+sex-linkage to telepathy, as you probably know."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"All I could discover was that their dislike of Olympus was a
+basic emotion rather than reasoned thought. They were nervous,
+irritable, disobedient, and uncooperative while they were there
+-- and even they didn't know why. It was merely tabu. We even
+tried youngsters -- but the attitude was the same. I'd like to
+know more about that basic emotion."
+
+"We should understand it," Kennon agreed. "If we transship a
+large number of Lani to a strange world, we should know their
+deepest motivations. We cannot take the chance that the
+transplant won't take, with all the money you're sinking into
+this project."
+
+"You have a point there. Have you any suggestions about how to
+accomplish this?" Alexander's voice was interested.
+
+"I have. Hire a psychologist. And reopen Olympus."
+
+"It'll be the same story," Jordan said.
+
+"Not if you apply experimental procedure," Kennon said. "Divide
+the place into a number of separate units in which groups of --
+say ten -- Lani of various ages are kept. Let every group know
+where they are, but don't let them come in contact with one
+another. Observe them constantly. Put spy cells in the units.
+Couple them to recorders. Prepare a set of test situations and
+observe how each group performs. Question individuals under
+narcosynthesis. Observe and record any changes in physical
+condition -- give them the works. Maybe we can collect some basic
+data that will indicate the answer."
+
+"Not a bad idea," Alexander said.
+
+"I don't like it," Jordan said. "It sounds cumbersome."
+
+"It is," Kennon agreed. "But it may save a great deal of trouble
+later."
+
+"I think you're right, Kennon," Blalok said. "We should know
+everything we can."
+
+"What would you do first if you were heading this program?"
+Alexander asked. He eyed Kennon critically.
+
+"Nothing," Kennon said promptly. "I'm not qualified to run an
+investigation like this. You need a specialist. I am a
+practitioner."
+
+"Hmm -- but you know experimental procedure."
+
+"Naturally -- but I do not have the training to prepare a program
+or evaluate its results. The only thing I could do would be to
+check the physical condition of the experimental groups."
+
+"Could you set up the physical facilities?" Alexander asked.
+
+"Possibly -- I'd need a set of plans of the station, and I
+couldn't guarantee that the specialist wouldn't want to make
+changes. But the physical arrangements should be simple enough to
+construct."
+
+"How long would it take you to prepare a plan?"
+
+"I could have it by tomorrow, or perhaps a day later."
+
+"If you can do it by then I'll stay over. I'd like to examine
+this proposal more closely. It has merit. That's the second
+constructive suggestion you've made tonight. Despite your
+peculiar desire for privacy, I'm glad you came back." Alexander
+smiled.
+
+Kennon smiled back. Apparently the entrepreneur had taken the
+bait. But it was too early to tell whether he had swallowed it
+without reservation. It all depended upon how much had been given
+away before he had discovered that Alexander was a telepath.
+Perhaps Alexander was merely leading him on. There were too many
+intangibles, and there was no way of predicting how it would turn
+out. But he felt mildly optimistic.
+
+Alexander closed the meeting, and Kennon left promptly. He had a
+good excuse. There was plenty of work to do if he was going to
+prepare an adequate plan for utilizing Olympus Station. Jordan
+went with him, but Blalok stayed behind. It was natural enough.
+Blalok was the administrator, but Kennon felt uneasy. Nor would
+he have felt any better if he could have heard what went on after
+he left.
+
+Alexander looked quizzically at Blalok after the door closed
+behind the two men.
+
+"Well, Evald, what do you think? Does it strike you that Kennon's
+sincere -- or does it sound as though he has something up his
+sleeve?"
+
+"If he does," Blalok said, "I don't know what it could be. I
+wouldn't take a job on Olympus if you gave it to me."
+
+"If he doesn't know about the place," Alexander said
+thoughtfully, "it's probable that his suggestion was honest. I
+think it is but I'm not sure. He worries me now that I can't read
+him. I think I'll send Douglas back here to watch him."
+
+"Why? In my book that'd be a poor choice. After all, you said
+Kennon saved his life. He should be grateful."
+
+"You don't know Douglas," Alexander said. "He hates Kennon's guts
+for what he did."
+
+"What did he do?"
+
+"He made Douglas feel inferior. And there's no surer way to gain
+my cousin's undying enmity." Alexander laughed. "I know," he
+said. "He'd like to kill me, too."
+
+Blalok shrugged.
+
+"But in the meantime I want you to keep an eye on Kennon. If his
+outline is all right, I'm going to authorize him to set up this
+experiment. I want to give him every possible chance. I like him
+-- and he's done good work. I wouldn't want him to feel that I
+distrust him."
+
+"Which you do, of course," Blalok said dryly.
+
+Alexander smiled. "Actually," he said with equal dryness, "I
+distrust everyone."
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+"If you think this job is easy, you have another think coming,"
+Kennon said bitterly. "I hired out as a veterinarian, not as a
+nursemaid for a bunch of psychoneurotic humans and superstitious
+Lani. The place is jinxed, they tell me. -- Ha! Jinxed! Sure it's
+jinxed! What job wouldn't be with a bunch of goofballs like these
+I've got working on it.
+
+"I can't keep a Lani here for two weeks without having her throw
+a catfit, and the superstitious idiots are affecting the men --
+who ought to know better! I wish I'd never have opened my big
+mouth to Alexander! As far as I'm concerned he can take this job
+and--"
+
+"Hey -- take it easy, man!" Blalok said. "You're heading straight
+for a nervous breakdown."
+
+"And why shouldn't I?" Kennon asked. "Nothing goes right. There's
+always trouble. I order materials -- they don't arrive. There's
+worker trouble, equipment trouble, installation trouble.
+Everybody's cutting corners, trying to get done faster and away
+sooner -- and all they do is mess up work that should have been
+done right the first time. We should have been finished last
+week, but we have another week to go, at least unless some
+bumble-fingered beanbrain gets another bright idea that sets us
+back again. I'm sick to death of it!"
+
+"I know, I know," Blalok said soothingly, "and I'm sorry."
+
+"Sorry? What good is that? You and Jordan come up here in relays.
+Just what do you think you'll find? Or has Alexander dragged you
+into keeping an eye on me because I don't like someone snooping
+inside my skull?"
+
+"It's not that," Blalok said. "It's just----"
+
+"Oh, don't make excuses. You know and I know the Boss-man is
+suspicious." Kennon shrugged. "Normally I wouldn't blame him but
+it's a damned nuisance with things the way they are. All we have
+is one more bay and a hall to finish - but if---- "
+
+"Now wait a minute," Blalok said. "Get the kink out of your neck
+and simmer down. Sure -- the Boss-man told us to keep an eye on
+you -- but that's not why I'm here this time."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"Douglas came back this morning."
+
+"What for?"
+
+"I don't know." Blalok's face wore the noncommittal look it
+always wore when he was taking liberties with the truth.
+
+"You're probably the worst liar in the galaxy," Kennon chuckled.
+"He's here to breathe down my neck, isn't he?"
+
+Blalok nodded.
+
+"Keep him off my back for another week and he can breathe all he
+wants to. I'll be done then."
+
+"I can't promise a thing."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "It's too much to ask, I guess."
+
+"But I can try," Blalok added.
+
+"That's enough for me." Kennon grinned. "Has he turned Alexandria
+into a shambles yet?"
+
+"Not yet, but everyone's uneasy."
+
+"I can't blame them. That young fellow's undiluted poison. By the
+way, how does he look?"
+
+"About the same."
+
+"The medics must have done a good job," Kennon said.
+
+"The Boss-man shipped him to Beta for treatment," Blalok said.
+"He didn't trust the docs out here."
+
+"That figures. At any rate Douglas couldn't have gone to a better
+place."
+
+"What happened to him?"
+
+"He stuck his nose where he shouldn't," Kennon said pointedly.
+
+Blalok stiffened.
+
+"I'm sorry, Evald. Even if you knew, I couldn't talk about it.
+What I know about Douglas is classified!"
+
+"Well -- Douglas is doing plenty of talking. Claims his stay in
+the hospital was all your fault."
+
+Kennon shrugged. "That's his opinion. And as long as he stays out
+of my way he's welcome to it."
+
+Blalok looked at Kennon's haggard face with mild concern, "Doc,"
+he said, "you'd better take it easy. You're going to pieces."
+
+"I'll be through here in another week, I'll have this all wrapped
+up."
+
+"Providing you're not wrapped up first."
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"In a shroud. You look like a walking corpse."
+
+Kennon chuckled wearily. "Sometimes I feel like one. But I'd like
+to get this job finished."
+
+"Well, I'll do what I can," Blalok said. "I'll try to keep him
+down at Alexandria for a few days."
+
+"It'll be enough," Kennon said. More than enough -- he added
+mentally. The coils of fuel wire were ready to load, and the
+power slugs for the ship's reactor were already stored in the
+power plant building here at Olympus. Three more days and the old
+spacer would be as ready to fly as she would ever be. And after
+that, it was in the lap of fate.
+
+He ushered Blalok to his jeep and watched until he disappeared.
+
+"I'm getting to be a first-class liar," he remarked wryly to
+himself as he turned back to the temporary quarters he was
+occupying at the station. "And the bad thing about it is that I'm
+actually enjoying it."
+
+A few weeks ago an admission like that would have been
+inconceivable. It was odd, he thought, how one thing led to
+another and produced an end that could not be foreseen. Now he
+could lie and dissemble with the best. He had no compunction
+about falsifying a requisition, or stealing what he could not
+obtain with apparent honesty. His character had sunk to an
+all-time low, he reflected with grim humor as he walked into the
+shadow of the main building. Neither Blalok's nor Jordan's
+frequent visits bothered him. Both men were creatures of habit
+and both were married. They stayed home at night -- and it was
+nighttime that he worked on the spacer. The project afforded him
+a perfect cover and it was only minutes by jeep away from the
+crater.
+
+Even so, the double duty was an appalling task. And it would have
+been impossible if it wasn't for Copper. Her quick fingers, keen
+eyesight, and uncanny memory made the work seem simple, and
+neither the tediousness of repairing miles of circuitry nor the
+depressing environment of Olympus Station seemed to bother her.
+While he worked with the men on the project she restored and
+reassembled circuits in his quarters and at night they replaced
+them in the old ship. And the God-Egg was rapidly becoming
+operational.
+
+Kennon wondered what it was about Copper that made her so
+different from the rest. Olympus didn't bother her at all. In
+fact she seemed to thrive on the depressing atmosphere that
+filled the Station. Perhaps it was because she had violated the
+tabu about the God-Egg so often that ordinary superstition had no
+effect upon her. He shrugged. He had  troubles enough without
+worrying about Copper's motivations, and not the least of these
+was taking the God-Egg into space.
+
+Kennon looked forward to blast-off with distinct misgivings.
+There was too much about the ancient spacer that was strange --
+and too much that was terrifying.
+
+Basically the ship was an ion-jet job with atomic primaries and a
+spindizzy converter that might possibly take her up as high as
+middle yellow Cth -- far enough to give her a good turn of speed,
+but not enough to compensate for timelag. Her screens were
+monstrosities, double polyphase lattices that looked about as
+spacetight as so many sieves. There were no acceleration dampers,
+no temporal compensators, no autopilot, no four-space computer,
+and the primaries operated on nuclear rather than binding energy.
+The control chairs weren't equipped with forcefields, but instead
+had incredibly primitive safety webs that held one in place by
+sheer tensile strength. Taking a ship like that into space was an
+open invitation to suicide. A man needed a combination of
+foolhardy bravery and incredible fatalism to blast off in a can
+like this. He had the stimulus, but the knowledge of what he
+would face troubled him more than he cared to admit. More and
+more, as he understood the ship, he was amazed at the courage of
+the ancients who had blithely leaped into hyperspace in these
+flying coffins with no more motivation than to see what was
+beyond the nearest star. And in ships more primitive than this
+men had swept through the star systems nearest Earth in the
+outward expansion of the First Millennium.
+
+He sighed. The breed of man must have been tough in the old days
+-- and he'd soon be finding out if any of that ancient toughness
+remained.
+
+He opened the door to his quarters.
+
+Copper was sitting in his favorite chair, a pile of completed
+assemblies neatly stacked beside her, and a disorderly file of
+crumpled cloth at her feet. Her face was sullen as she looked up
+at him. "I've had about all of this I'm going to take," she said
+mutinously as she stirred the heap of cloth with a bare foot.
+"Not even you are going to make me wear those -- things!"
+
+Kennon sighed. It was the same old story. For months he had been
+trying patiently to indoctrinate Copper with a minimum of
+civilized habits, but she was quite literally a savage. In her
+entire lifetime she had never worn clothing, and to encase her
+body in hose, kilts, blouse, and sandals was a form of torture.
+She scratched, wiggled, and twisted at the garments until she
+looked as bad as she felt, and would usually finish a session by
+tearing off the offending clothes and sulking. She was doing it
+now.
+
+"You must act like a civilized human being," Kennon said mildly.
+"You're simply going to have to learn to wear these clothes
+properly."
+
+"Why? I'm more comfortable as I am."
+
+"That's not the point. You are going to be living in human
+society and you must act human. The only planet where you could
+get away with nudity is Santos, and we're not going there."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"I've explained it time and again. We'll have to go to Beta.
+That's the only place I know where you'll have a fair hearlng.
+And on Beta people wear clothes. They have to. It's cold, even in
+summer, and in the wintertime, there's snow."
+
+"What's snow?"
+
+"Ice crystals that fall like rain, but I've told you this
+before."
+
+"And I still don't believe it."
+
+"Believe it or not you're going to wear those things. Now put
+them on!"
+
+She looked at him with mutiny on her face. "All right, slave
+driver," she muttered as she picked up the clothing, "but I hope
+you'll itch someday and be unable to scratch."
+
+"And try to wear those garments more gracefully. You make them
+look like a sack."
+
+"They feel like one. I keep thinking that all I need is a tag
+around my neck."
+
+"You haven't much time to get used to them," Kennon said. "We're
+leaving this week."
+
+"So soon?"
+
+"Yes -- and you'll wear those things to the ship, into the ship,
+and all the time we're on the ship. You'll keep wearing clothing
+until it looks right."
+
+"Slave driver!" Copper hissed.
+
+"Slave," Kennon answered equably.
+
+Copper giggled. The sound was utterly unexpected, and completely
+incongruous. That was the wonder of her, Kennon reflected. Her
+mercurial temperament made life something that was continually
+exciting She was a never-ending delight.
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+It was the last trip. Kennon loaded the jeep with the last-minute
+items he would need. The four reactor cores in their lead cases
+went aboard last and were packed inside a pile of lead-block
+shielding.
+
+He helped Copper in and looked back without regret as the bulk of
+Olympus Station vanished below him in the dusk. The last of the
+work crew had left that afternoon. The station was ready for
+occupancy. His assignment had been completed. He felt an odd
+pleasure at having finished the job. Alexander might not be happy
+about his subsequent actions, but he could have no complaint
+about what he did while he was here.
+
+"Well -- say good-bye to Flora," he said to Copper.
+
+"I don't want to," she said. "I don't want to leave."
+
+"You can't stay. You know that."
+
+She nodded. "But that doesn't make me any less regretful."
+
+"Regretful?"
+
+"All right -- scared. We're going to try to make the God-Egg fly
+again. Not only is it sacrilege, but as you've often said, it's
+dangerous. I have no desire to die."
+
+"You have two courses---"
+
+"I know -- you've pointed them out often enough," Copper said.
+"And since you decided to go I'd go with you even though I knew
+the Egg would blow up."
+
+"You're quite a girl," Kennon said admiringly. "Did I ever tell
+you that I love you?"
+
+"Not nearly often enough," Copper said. "You could do it every
+day and I'd never get tired of hearing it."
+
+The jeep settled over the lava wall. "We'll leave it in the
+passageway when we're through," Kennon said. "Maybe it will
+survive blast-off."
+
+"Why worry about it?" Copper asked.
+
+"I hate destroying anything needlessly," Kennon said.
+
+"And since we have plenty of time, we might as well be neat about
+our departure."
+
+He was wrong, of course, but he didn't know that.
+
+* * *
+
+Douglas Alexander checked the radarscope and whistled in surprise
+at the picture it revealed. "So that's where he's going," he said
+softly to himself. "Cousin Alex was right as usual." He grimaced
+unpleasantly. "He's up to something -- that's for sure." His face
+twisted into an expression that was half sneer, half triumph.
+"This is going to be fun." He moved the control, and his airboat,
+hovering silently at five thousand meters, dropped toward the
+ground in free fall as Douglas loosened the Burkholtz in the
+holster at his waist. "But what is he doing?" he muttered. The
+question hung unanswered in the still air of the cabin as the
+airboat dropped downward.
+
+Douglas hadn't been impressed with Blalok's attempt at a delaying
+action. Normally he might have been, but his fear of his cousin
+was greater than his respect for Blalok. The superintendent had
+only succeeded in accomplishing something he had not intended
+when he had tried to dissuade Douglas from visiting Kennon. He
+had made Douglas cautious. The airboat and long-range
+surveillance had been the result. For the past two nights Douglas
+had hung over Olympus Station, checking the place -- to leave at
+dawn when the new day's work began. For two nights Kennon had
+been lucky. He had departed for the Egg shortly before Douglas
+took up his station, and had returned after the watcher had
+called it a night and had returned home. But this last night,
+Kennon left late -- and his departure was noted.
+
+"Wonder who's the girl with him?" Douglas said as the boat
+plunged down. "Well, I'll be finding out in a minute."
+
+Kennon's head jerked upward at the sound of air whistling past
+the airboat's hull, and a wave of icy coldness swept through his
+chest. There was no question that he was discovered. His
+shoulders sagged.
+
+"Well -- it was a good try," he said bitterly as Copper looked at
+him with sudden terror on her face.
+
+"I don't want to die," she wailed.
+
+"You won't -- not if I can help it," Kennon said. "Move away from
+me -- quickly!"
+
+"But--"
+
+"Do as I say!" Kennon's voice was sharp. "And keep that hood over
+your face."
+
+The airboat settled softly on the ash in front of him, the door
+snapped open and Douglas dropped to the ground, Burkholtz jutting
+from his pudgy fist.
+
+"My, my," Douglas said, "what have we here? Dr. Kennon and a
+woman! I thought better of you than that, Doctor. And all dressed
+up in antiradiation suits. This is interesting. Just what are you
+doing up here on the mountain so late at night -- prospecting?"
+
+"You might call it that," Kennon said. His body sagged with
+relief. Douglas thank Ochsner it was Douglas! He was running true
+to form -- talking when he should have been shooting.
+
+Douglas jerked his head toward Copper, standing a few feet to his
+left. "Who is she?"
+
+"None of your business," Kennon snapped, hoping that his outburst
+covered Copper's gasp of surprise and fear, and knowing that it
+didn't.
+
+"I'm making it my business. There's something funny going on
+around here."
+
+Kennon blinked. Could it be that Douglas didn't know? Had he been
+watching them on radar? Durilium was radar-transparent. It
+absorbed and dissipated electromagnetic waves rather than
+reflecting them. For a second he felt a tiny surge of hope.
+
+"Stand where you are," Douglas said as he stepped over to the
+half-paralyzed Copper and jerked the hood back from her face. For
+a moment he looked puzzled. "Just who are you?" he demanded. "I
+don't recall seeing you before." And then recognition dawned.
+"Old Doc's Lani!" he gasped.
+
+"She works for me now," Kennon said.
+
+Douglas laughed. It wasn't a nice sound. "All dressed up?" he
+asked. "Nice work."
+
+"That's my fault," Kennon said.
+
+"You know the rules," Douglas said. "I could blast you both."
+
+"Go ahead," Kennon said, "but if you do, you'll never find out
+what we're doing up here."
+
+Douglas hesitated. Kennon's voice was flat and filled with utter
+conviction.
+
+"There's a reason why Copper's wearing that suit," Kennon
+continued, "and you won't know that either."
+
+The Burkholtz swiveled around to point at Kennon's belly. "I've
+had about enough of this. Let's have it. Tell me what you're
+doing here!"
+
+"I'll do better than that," Kennon said promptly. "I'll show you.
+You'll be surprised at what we've uncovered." He made his muscles
+relax, and forced himself to speak naturally. Copper, he noted,
+was still rigid with terror. The Alexanders -- any of them --
+were everything he had said they were. They were the masters
+here. And despite Copper's boast, she was as susceptible to their
+influence as any other Lani.
+
+"All right," Douglas said, "show me this thing I'd never be able
+to find without your help." He half turned to Copper. "Stay where
+you are, Lani," he said. "Don't move until I come back."
+
+"Yes, Man Douglas," Copper replied. Her voice was flat,
+colorless, and submissive.
+
+Kennon shuddered. He had never heard precisely that tone from her
+before. One word from Douglas and she had become a zombie -- a
+mindless muscle preparation that existed only to obey. Anger
+filled him -- anger that one he loved could be ordered by someone
+who wasn't worth a third of her -- anger that she obeyed -- anger
+at his own impotence and frustration. It wasn't a clean anger. It
+was a dark, red-splashed thing that struggled and writhed inside
+him, a fierce unreasoning rage that seethed and bubbled yet could
+not break free. For an instant, with blinding clarity, Kennon
+understood the feelings of the caged male Lani on Otpen One. And
+he sympathized.
+
+"Follow me," he said and started around the ship.
+
+"Stay -- no -- go ahead," Douglas said, "but remember, I'm right
+behind you."
+
+Kennon walked straight up to the pit and pointed down at the dark
+bulk of the Egg., concealed in the shadows of the bottom.
+
+"That's it" he said.
+
+"What? I don't see anything," Douglas said suspiciously.
+
+"Here -- I'll shine a light." Kennon reached for his belt.
+
+"No you don't! I know that trick. You're not going to blind me.
+Take that torch loose carefully -- that's it -- now hand it to
+me." Douglas' hand closed over the smooth plastic. Cautiously he
+turned on the beam and directed it downward.
+
+"A spacer!" he gasped. "How did that get here?" He leaned forward
+to look into the pit as a dark shadow materialized behind him.
+
+Kennon choked back the involuntary cry of warning that rose in
+his throat. Copper! His muscles tensed as her arm came up and
+down -- a shadow almost invisible in the starlight. The leaning
+figure of Douglas collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been
+suddenly released. The torch dropped from his hand and went
+bouncing and winking down the wall of the pit, followed by
+Douglas -- a limp bundle of arms and legs that rotated
+grotesquely as he disappeared down the slope. Starlight gleamed
+on the Burkholtz lying on the lip of the crater, where it had
+fallen from his hand.
+
+"I told you that not even Man Alexander could order me since I
+gave my love to you," Copper said smugly as she peered over the
+edge of the pit, a chunk of lava gripped in one small capable
+hand. "Maybe this proves it."
+
+"Douglas isn't Alexander," Kennon said slowly as he picked up the
+blaster, "but I believe you."
+
+"Didn't I act convincingly?" she said brightly.
+
+"Very," he said. "You fooled me completely."
+
+"The important thing was that I fooled Douglas."
+
+"You did that all right. Now let's get him out of that pit."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"The jet blast will fry him when we take off."
+
+"What difference would that make?"
+
+"I told you," Kennon said, "that I never destroy things
+unnecessarily -- not even things like Douglas."
+
+"But he would have destroyed you."
+
+"That's no excuse for murder. Now go back to the jeep and fetch a
+rope. I'll go down and get him out."
+
+"Do we have to bother with him?" Copper asked, and then shrugged.
+It was an eloquent gesture expressing disgust, resignation, and
+unwilling compliance in one lift of smoothly muscled shoulders.
+
+"There's no question about it," Kennon said. "You're becoming
+more human every day."
+
+He chuckled as he slid over the edge of the pit following the
+path Douglas had taken a moment before. He found him sitting on a
+pile of ashes, shaking his head.
+
+"What happened?" Douglas asked querulously. There was fear in his
+voice.
+
+"Copper hit you on the head with a rock," Kennon said as he bent
+over and retrieved the torch, still burning near Douglas' feet.
+
+"The Lani?" Douglas' voice was incredulous.
+
+"Not a Lani," Kennon corrected. "She's as human as you or I."
+
+"That's a lie," Douglas said.
+
+"Maybe this spacer's a lie too. Her ancestors came in it -- a
+pair of humans named Alfred and Melissa Weygand. They were
+Christian missionaries from a planet called Heaven out in
+Ophiuchus Sector. Went out to convert aliens and landed here when
+their fuel ran out." Kennon paused. "That was about four
+millennia ago. Their descendants, naturally, reverted to
+barbarism in a few generations, but there's enough evidence in
+the ship to prove that the Lani were their children.''
+
+"But the tails -- the differences -- the failure of the test,"
+Douglas said.
+
+"Mutation," Kennon replied. "Those old spindizzy converters
+weren't too choosy about how they scattered radiation. And they
+had come a long way." He paused, looking down at Douglas, feeling
+a twinge of pity for the man. His world was crumbling. "And there
+was no other human blood available to filter out their
+peculiarities. It might have been done during the first couple of
+generations, but constant inbreeding fixed the genetic pattern."
+
+"How did you discover this?" Douglas asked.
+
+"Accident," Kennon said briefly.
+
+"You'll never be able to prove they're human!" Douglas said.
+
+"The ship's log will do that."
+
+"Not without a humanity test -- they can't pass that."
+
+"Sorry to disappoint you. Your grandfather used the wrong sort of
+sperm. Now if there had been a Betan in the crew--"
+
+"You mean she's pregnant!"
+
+Kennon nodded. "There's been mutation on Beta," he said. "And
+it's apparently a similar one to hers. Betan-Lani matings are
+fertile."
+
+Douglas's shoulders sagged, and then straightened. "I don't
+believe it," he said. "You're just a damned sneaking spy. Somehow
+or other you got a spacer in here after you wormed your way into
+Cousin Alex's confidence -- and now you're going to space out
+with the nucleus of a new farm. Just wait. When Alex learns of
+this the galaxy'll be too small to hold you."
+
+"Don't babble like a fool!" Kennon said with disgust. "How could
+I land a spacer here without being spotted? You sound like a
+two-credit novel. And even if I did -- would it be a can like
+this?" Kennon played the torch over the blue-black durilium
+protruding from the ashes.
+
+Douglas' eyes widened as he took in the details of construction.
+"What an antique!" he blurted. "Where did you get this can?"
+
+"I found it here."
+
+"Tell me another one."
+
+"You won't believe," Kennon said flatly, "because you don't dare
+believe. You have a mental block. You've killed, maimed, tortured
+-- treated them like animals -- and now your mind shrinks from
+admitting they're human. You know what will happen if the old
+court decision is reversed. It will wreck your little empire, dry
+up your money, break you -- and you can't stand the thought of
+that. You don't dare let us leave, yet you can't stop us because
+I have your blaster and I'd just as soon shoot you as look at
+your rotten face. Now get on your feet and start climbing if you
+want to stay alive. We're getting out of here, and you'll fry
+inside this pit."
+
+"Where are you taking me?"
+
+"Back to your airboat. I'm going to tie you up and set you off on
+autopilot. You'll be able to get loose quickly enough but it'll
+be too late to stop us. We'll be gone, and you can think of how
+you'll manage to face the human race."
+
+"I hope you blow yourself and that antique clear out of space."
+
+"We might. But you'll never know for sure. But mark this -- if I
+live I'll be back with the Brotherhood. You can count on it."
+
+They struggled up the side of the pit and halted, panting, on the
+rim. "How much radiation was down there?" Douglas asked
+worriedly.
+
+"Not enough to hurt you."
+
+"That's good." Douglas accepted the statement at face value, a
+fact which failed to surprise Kennon. "You know," he said, "I've
+been around Lani all my life. And I know that they're not human.
+No self-respecting human would take a tenth of what they put up
+with."
+
+"Their ancestors didn't," Kennon said. "They fought to the end.
+But your Grandfather was a smart man even though he was a
+Degrader."
+
+"He wasn't!" Douglas exploded. "No Alexander is a Degrader."
+
+"He realized," Kennon went on, "that he'd never succeed in
+enslaving the Lani unless he separated the sexes. And since women
+are more subjective in their outlook -- and more pliable -- he
+picked them for his slaves. The males he retired to stud.
+Probably the fact that there were more women than men helped him
+make up his mind.
+
+"In every society," Kennon went on inexorably, "there are
+potential freeman and potential slaves. The latter invariably
+outnumber the former. They're cowards: the timid, the
+unsacrificing -- the ones that want peace at any price -- the
+ones who will trade freedom for security. Those were the ones who
+hid rather than risk their lives fighting the aggressor. Those
+were the ones who survived. Old Alexander had a ready-made slave
+cadre when be finished off the last of the warriors. For four
+centuries the survivors have been bred and selected to perpetuate
+slave traits. And the system works. The men don't want freedom --
+they want liberty to kill each other. The women don't want
+freedom -- they want males. And they'd serve them precisely as
+the Sarkian women serve their menfolk. You've killed any chance
+they had to become a civilization. It's going to take generations
+perhaps before they're reoriented. There's plenty you Alexanders
+should answer for."
+
+"If there's any fault, it's yours," Douglas snarled. "We were
+doing all right until you came here. We'd still be doing all
+right if I had shot you both." His shoulders sagged. "I should
+have killed you when I had the chance," he said bitterly.
+
+"But you didn't," Kennon said, "and to show my gratitude I'm
+letting you get away with a whole skin. I don't expect you to be
+grateful, but at least you'll not be on my conscience. I don't
+enjoy killing, not even things like you."
+
+Douglas sneered. "You're soft -- a soft sentimental fool."
+
+"Admitted," Kennon said, "but that's my nature."
+
+"Yet you'd destroy the family, wreck Outworld Enterprises, and
+throw a whole world into chaos over a few thousand animals. I
+don't understand you."
+
+"They're human," Kennon said flatly.
+
+"Admitting they might once have been, they're not now."
+
+"And whose fault is that?"
+
+"Not ours," Douglas said promptly. "If there is any fault it's
+that of the court who decided they were humanoid."
+
+"You didn't help any."
+
+"Why should we? Does one treat a shrake like a brother? ---or a
+varl? ---or a dog? We treat them like the animals they are. And
+we've done no worse with the Lani. Our consciences are clear."
+
+Kennon laughed humorlessly. "Yet this clear conscience makes you
+want to kill me, so you can keep on treating them as animals --
+even though you know they're human."
+
+"I know nothing of the sort. But you're right about the killing,
+I'd kill you cheerfully if I had the chance. It's our necks if
+you get away with this. Of course, you probably won't, but why
+take the chance. I like my neck more than I like yours."
+
+"You're honest at any rate," Kennon admitted. "And in a way I
+don't blame you. To you it's probably better to be a rich slaver
+living off the legacy of a Degrader than a penniless
+humanitarian. But you've lost your chance."
+
+Douglas screamed with rage. He whirled on Kennon, his face a
+distorted mask of hate.
+
+"Hold it!" Kennon barked. "I don't want to kill you, but I'll
+burn a hole clear through your rotten carcass if you make another
+move. I have no love for your kind."
+
+Douglas spat contemptuously. "You haven't got the guts," he
+snarled. But he didn't move.
+
+"Just stand still -- very still," Kennon said softly. The iron in
+his voice was not hidden by the quiet tone.
+
+Douglas shivered. "I'll get you yet," he said, but there was no
+force in the threat.
+
+"Here's the rope you wanted," Copper said as she emerged abruptly
+from the darkness. "I had a hard time finding it."
+
+"You haven't been too long," Kennon said. "Now tie Douglas' hands
+behind him while I keep him covered."
+
+"It's a pleasure," Copper murmured.
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+"I'm frightened," Copper said, twisting uncomfortably in the
+shock chair beside Kennon's.
+
+"After you have been so brave?" Kennon asked. "That's nonsense.
+It's just nervous reaction. Now web in like I showed you. It's
+time for blast-off. We don't dare wait much longer."
+
+"All right -- but I have a feeling that this isn't right.
+Something is going to go wrong."
+
+"I hope you don't have precognition." Kennon smiled. "I've
+checked everything. The ship is as good as she'll ever be.
+There's nothing more that we can do."
+
+"There's one consolation," Copper said wanly. "At we'll die
+together."
+
+"There's a better chance that we'll live together."
+
+"I hope so."
+
+"Ready?" Kennon asked.
+
+She nodded.
+
+He flipped the switches that would send the fuel rods into the
+reactor. Below them a soft, barely audible whine ascended the
+sonic scale to a point of irritating inaudibility. Kennon smiled.
+The spindizzy was functioning properly. He flipped a second bank
+of switches and a dull roar came from the buried stem. Ashes and
+pumice heated to incandescence were blown through the air. Molten
+drops of radioactive lava skittered across the durilium hull as
+Kennon advanced the power. The whole stem of the ship was
+immersed in a seething lake of bolling rock as the Egg lifted
+slowly with ponderous dignity into the night sky.
+
+"Hang on!" Kennon said. "I'm going to hyper." His hand moved a
+red lever and the Egg shimmered and vanished with a peculiar
+wrenching motion into an impossible direction that the mind could
+not grasp. And the interceptor missile from Otpen One nosed
+through the space the Egg had occupied.
+
+* * *
+
+"We made it!" Kennon said, looking across the writhing semifluid
+control board, shifting oddly in the harsh yellow monochromatic
+light that pervaded the cabin. The screens were leaking like
+sieves, but they were holding well enough to keep Cth yellow from
+being anything more than an annoyance. He glanced over at Copper,
+a fantastically elongated Copper who looked like a madman's dream
+of chaos.
+
+And Copper screamed! The sound echoed and re-echoed, dying away
+with a lingering discordant reverberation that made his skin
+tingle.
+
+"Copper! It's all right! It's all fight! Stop it!"
+
+Copper screamed again and her elongated figure suddenly
+foreshortened and collapsed into a small writhing ball from which
+two small pink hands emerged clutching at a gelid mass of air
+that flowed sluggishly around them.
+
+And Kennon knew what he had forgotten! Hyperspace with leaky
+screens was nothing to inflict upon an unprepared mind. It is one
+thing to endure partial exposure after months of training, with
+experienced medics standing by to help you through the shock
+phase, but quite another to be thrust from a safe and sheltered
+existence into the mind shattering distortions of the Cth
+continuum.
+
+The Egg was old. Her screens, never good at best, were hardly
+more than filters. Through the hull, through the drive lattice,
+the viciously distorted Cth environment seeped into the ship
+turning prosaic shapes of controls and instruments into writhing
+masses of obscene horror that sent extensions wiggling off into
+nothingness at eye-aching angles. A spaceman could take this --
+knowing it wasn't real -- but a tyro could not.
+
+Copper collapsed. Her mind, assaulted by sensations no untrained
+person should experience, went into shock. But she wasn't granted
+the mercy of unconsciousness. Terrified by a pseudo reality that
+surpassed her wildest nightmares, she stared wide-eyed at the
+control room and the thing that had been Kennon. She screamed
+until her throat was raw, until the monster beside her touched
+her with Kennon's hands. Then, mercifully, she felt a stinging in
+her arm and all sensation ceased.
+
+Kennon stared glumly at the controls. Fleming alone knew how many
+objective years were passing outside as they hurtled through
+four-space. Subjectively it would only be hours aboard the Egg,
+but a decade -- or maybe a century -- might pass outside this mad
+universe where neither time nor speed had meaning. The old ships
+didn't have temporal compensators, nor could they travel through
+upper bands of Cth where subjective and objective time were more
+nearly equal. They were trapped in a semi-stasis of time as the
+ship fled on through the distorted monochromatic regions that
+bypassed normal space.
+
+The Egg slipped smoothly out of the hyper jump, back into the
+normal universe. Beta floated above them, the blue shield of her
+atmosphere shining softly in the light of Beta's sun.
+
+"Couldn't hit it that good again in a hundred tries," Kennon
+gloated. "Halfway across the galaxy -- and right on the nose." He
+looked at the shock chair beside him. Copper was curled into a
+tight ball inside the confining safety web, knees drawn up, back
+bent, head down -- arms wrapped protectingly around her legs --
+the fetal position of catatonic shock.
+
+He shook her shoulder -- no response. Her pulse was thready and
+irregular. Her breathing was shallow. Her lips were blue. Her
+condition was obvious -- space shock -- extreme grade. She'd need
+medical attention if she was going to live. And she'd need it
+fast!
+
+"Just why, you educated nitwit," he snarled at himself, "didn't
+you have sense enough to give her that injection of Sonmol before
+we hypered! You haven't the sense of a decerebrate Capellan
+grackle!"
+
+He turned on the radio. "Emergency!" he said. "Any station!
+Space-shock case aboard. Extreme urgency."
+
+"Identify yourself -- give your license. Over."
+
+"What port are you?"
+
+"Hunterstown -- will you please identify? Over."
+
+"Your co-ordinates," Kennon snapped. "Over."
+
+"280.45--67.29 plus. Repeat -- request your identification."
+
+"Pilot Kennon, Jac, Beta 47M 26429. I have no I.D. for the ship
+-- and you'll see why when I land. Over."
+
+"Hunterstown Port to Kennon. You are not -- repeat not - cleared
+to land. Go into orbit and report your position. Over."
+
+"Sorry, Hunterstown. You wouldn't have checked in if you didn't
+have room, and a hospital. This is an emergency. I'm setting
+down. Out."
+
+"But--" The words got no farther. Kennon was already spinning the
+ship.
+
+"All right -- we have you on the scope. But this is a class one
+violation. You may come in on Landing Beam One."
+
+"Sorry. I have no GCA."
+
+"What? -- what sort of ship are you flying?" The voice was
+curious.
+
+"I'm matching intrinsics over your port. Talk me in when I break
+through the overcast."
+
+"Talk you in?"
+
+"That's right. My instruments are obsolete."
+
+"Great Halstead! What else?"
+
+"I have an Ion drive. Plus two radioactive."
+
+"Oh no! -- And you still want to come in?"
+
+"I have to. My passenger's in shock. She's going to have a baby."
+
+"All right -- I'll try to get you down in one piece."
+
+"Have an ambulance ready," Kennon said.
+
+Kennon lowered the Egg through the overcast. Ground control
+picked him up smoothly and took him down as though it had been
+rehearsed. The Egg touched down in the radioactive area of the
+port. Decontamination jets hissed, sluicing the ship to remove
+surface contamination.
+
+"Ochsner! what sort of a ship is that?" Ground Control's startled
+voice came over the annunciator.
+
+"It's an old one," Kennon said.
+
+"That's a gross understatement. Stand by for boarders. Ambulance
+coming up."
+
+Kennon opened the airlock and two radiation-suited men entered.
+"At least you had sense enough to wear protective clothing in
+this hotbox," one said as they carefully unwebbed Copper and
+carried her out of the lock. "You wait here. The Port Captain
+wants to see you."
+
+"Where are you taking her? What Center?" Kennon asked.
+
+"What should you care? You've nearly killed her. The idea of
+taking a pregnant woman up in this death trap! What in Fleming's
+name's the matter with your brain?"
+
+"I had to," Kennon said. "I had to. It was a matter of life and
+death." For once, he thought wryly, the cliche was true.
+
+The Betan's face behind the transparent helmet was disgusted and
+unbelieving. "I hear that sort of thing every day," he said. "Am
+I supposed to believe it?"
+
+"You'd believe it if you'd have been where I was," Kennon
+muttered. "Now -- whe're are you taking her?" he demanded.
+
+The man arched blond eyebrows. "To the local Medical Center --
+where else? There's only one in this area."
+
+"Thanks," Kennon said.
+
+He watched the ambulance flit off as he waited for the Spaceport
+Patrol. There was no further need for the protection suit, so he
+peeled it off and hung it in the control-room locker. Copper was
+right, he mused. It did itch.
+
+The Port Captain's men were late as usual  - moving gingerly
+through the radiation area. A noncom gestured for him to enter
+their carryall. "Port Captain wants to see you," he said.
+
+"I know," Kennon replied.
+
+"You should have waited upstairs."
+
+"I couldn't. It was a matter of medicine," Kennon said.
+
+The noncom's face sobered. "Why didn't you say so? All you said
+was that it was an emergency."
+
+"I've been away. I forgot."
+
+"You shouldn't have done that. You're a Betan, aren't you?"
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+They drove to the Port Office, where Kennon expected - and got --
+a bad time from the port officials. He filled out numerous forms,
+signed affidavits, explained his unauthorized landing, showed his
+spaceman's ticket, defended his act of piloting without an
+up-to-date license, signed more forms, entered a claim for
+salvage rights to the Egg, and finally when the Legal Division,
+the Traffic Control Division, the Spaceport Safety Office,
+Customs, Immigration, and Travelers Aid had finished with him, he
+was ushered into the presence of the Port Captain.
+
+The red-faced chunky officer eyed him with a cold stare. "You'll
+be lucky, young man, if you get out of this with a year in
+Correction. Your story doesn't hang together."
+
+It didn't, Kennon thought. But there was no sense telling all of
+it to a Port Captain. Under no circumstances could the man be any
+help to him. He had neither the power nor the prestige to request
+a Brotherhood Board of Inquiry. In rank, he was hardly more than
+a glorified Traffic Control officer. It would do no good to tell
+him an improbable tale of slavery on a distant planet. The only
+thing to do was wait out the storm and hope it would pass. If
+worst came to worst he'd use his rank, but he'd made enough stir
+already. He doubted if the Captain had authority to order him
+into Detention -- but he was certain to get a lecture. These
+minor officials loved to tell someone off. He gritted his teeth.
+He'd endure it for Copper's sake -- and to get out of here
+quietly. Alexander would undoubtedly have agents posted by now,
+and his only chance for temporary freedom of action was to get
+out of here with as little fuss as possible.
+
+He sat quietly, his flushed face and tight jaw muscles betraying
+his impatience as the Captain paced up and down and talked on and
+on. The man sounded like he could go for hours. With increasing
+impatience Kennon listened to the cadenced flow of complaint and
+condemnation, occasionally inserting a "Yes, sir" or "Sorry, sir"
+or "No, sir" as the words flowed around him.
+
+However, there had to be a breaking point somewhere, and the
+monotony was beginning to wear his temper thin. Another five
+minutes, he reflected, was about all he could take.
+
+The door chime rang softly.
+
+"Come in," the Port Captain said, breaking off in mid-tirade. The
+change in his manner was so abrupt that Kennon couldn't help
+smiling.
+
+A young blond man in an interne's gray uniform entered the room.
+
+"Yes, Doctor," the Port Captain said. "What can I do for you?"
+
+"Do you have a Jac Kennon here? Dr. Jac Kennon?"
+
+"Did you say doctor?" the Port Captain said in a half-strangled
+voice.
+
+"You never let me tell you," Kennon said mildly, "that my landing
+here was a matter of medicine. Technically you have contributed
+to a delay in treatment."
+
+The Port Captain's face paled. "Why didn't you say something?" he
+said.
+
+"Against your gale of wind I would be but a faint breeze," Kennon
+said coldly. He turned to the interne. 'Tm Dr. Kennon." They
+bowed formally to each other.
+
+"I'm Smalley, sir, from the medical center. Dr. Brainard sends
+his compliments and requests that you join him for consultation."
+
+"The Port Captain--" Kennon began.
+
+"Don't worry about it, Doctor. I'll relinquish responsibility to
+Dr. Brainard," the Captain said.
+
+"I have placed a formal written request with your office,"
+Smalley said stiffly. "You are relieved of further charge. Dr.
+Kennon is urgently needed. It is a matter of medicine."
+
+The Captain looked relieved. On Beta it was poor policy to
+interfere with the doings of doctors and engineers -- or even
+doctors of philosophy.
+
+"Very well. He's yours -- and I'm glad to be rid of him." The
+Port Captain bowed to Kennon and Smalley and stalked out of the
+office.
+
+"Pompous little man," Kennon observed, "but he certainly can
+talk."
+
+"Oh -- you know these Administrative people," the interne said
+depreciatingly. "One mustn't mind them. They're necessary
+nuisances." He eyed Kennon curiously. "How is it that you didn't
+stand on your professional rights?"
+
+"I have my reasons -- but they have nothing to do with medicine."
+
+"Oh -- I see. Ethical." The interne's voice was faintly
+sarcastic.
+
+"Manners, Doctor -- manners." Kennon's voice was gentle but the
+interne flushed a dull red.
+
+"Sorry, sir."
+
+"Don't mention it. It's normal for a graduate to confuse liberty
+with license." Kennon smiled. "Don't worry. I shan't report you."
+
+"That's good of you, sir." Smalley's face registered relief.
+Demerits were difficult to erase -- particularly ones of
+courtesy.
+
+Kennon wondered if the young man would report himself. He doubted
+it. The interne didn't look the type -- probably he was dated for
+some obscure job, like a general practitioner. He shrugged. It
+took all kinds to make a profession. Even the Smalleys had their
+place.
+
+"That girl you brought in," Smalley said as they entered a white
+car emblazoned with the three crosses, red, blue, and green, that
+represented the three fields of medicine. "She's an interesting
+case. I've never seen space shock before. And the patient herself
+-- one would hardly believe she was a Betan."
+
+"She isn't," Kennon said.
+
+"So?" Blond eyebrows rose in inverted U's of surprise. "But
+that's hardly possible. Our tests indicate-"
+
+"Don't you think that this is a matter for Dr. Brainard?" Kennon
+said icily. "Protocol--"
+
+"Of course. Stupid of me -- but the case is so interesting. Half
+the center staff have seen her already. I wasn't proposing to
+discuss the case. It wouldn't be proper. Even though you are only
+a veterinarian."
+
+"Only?" Kennon's voice was hard. "I shouldn't have to remind you
+of this, Mr. Smalley -- but I have been for the past two years on
+a world of bad manners. I expected better here at home."
+
+Smalley flushed to the roots of his straw-colored hair. "Sorry,
+Doctor," he muttered. "I don't know what's the matter with me."
+
+"I can tell you," Kennon said. "You've just graduated."
+
+"How did you know?" Smalley said.
+
+"I was a graduate once, myself -- not too long ago."
+
+"How long, sir?"
+
+"Class of Eighty-seven."
+
+"That's twelve years ago," Smalley said.
+
+Kennon nodded. Ten years lost. Not bad -- not bad at all. But
+Alexander could have done a lot in ten years.
+
+"I meant no disrespect," Smalley said worriedly.
+
+"I know it. But if you intend to practice on Beta, you'd better
+polish your professional manner. Now where I was, it didn't make
+much difference. Laymen often called me 'Doc.'"
+
+Smalley was properly shocked. "I hope you didn't encourage them,
+sir."
+
+"It was impossible to discourage them," Kennon said. "After all,
+when the man who hires you----"
+
+"Oh -- entrepreneurs," Smalley said in a tone that explained
+everything.
+
+* * *
+
+The car stopped in front of the Medical Center's staff entrance.
+"This way, sir," Smalley said. He led the way down a green-tiled
+corridor to an elevator -- then down another corridor past a pair
+of soft-footed nurses who eyed them curiously -- looking at
+Kennon's tunic and sandals with mild disapproval in their eyes.
+Smalley stopped and knocked softly on a closed door.
+
+"Enter," said a pleasant baritone voice from the annunciator.
+
+"Dr. Brainard -- Dr. Kennon," Smalley said.
+
+Kennon liked the man instantly. A plump, pink-cheeked man of
+middle age, with prematurely white hair, Dr. Will Brainard
+combined a fatherly appearance with an impression of quick
+intelligence. The fat that sheathed his stocky body had obviously
+not touched his mind. Brainard rose from the deep chair near the
+window where he had been sitting, knocked the ashes from his
+pipe, and bowed stiffly. His eyes -- sharp points of blue in the
+smooth pinkness of his face - surveyed Kennon curiously.
+
+"So you're the young man who takes untrained pregnant women for
+rides in old-fashioned spacers," he said. "Didn't you know what
+would happen?"
+
+"I was in a hurry, Doctor," Kennon said.
+
+"Obviously. Now tell me about it." Brainard looked at the
+eager-faced interne standing behind Kennon. "That will be all,
+Smalley," he said.
+
+Kennon waited until the door closed. "Ordinarily," he said, "I'd
+never have done a thing like that, but there were some very
+pressing reasons. However, I should have given her an injection
+of Somnol before we started. I'm criminally liable. If anything
+happens to her----" His voice was tight with worry.
+
+"You'd give her an injection?" Brainard said. "I hope you didn't
+mean that."
+
+"But I did, sir. I've given thousands of Lani injections."
+
+"What's a Lani?"
+
+"She is, sir. The impression has been that her race isn't human."
+
+"Nonsense -- it's obvious she is."
+
+"A Brotherhood Court of Inquiry didn't think so."
+
+"Hmm. Is that so?"
+
+"Yes, sir. -- But before I go on, tell me, how is she?"
+
+"Oh, she'll be fine. A little mental therapy and plenty of rest
+are all she needs. She's a remarkably healthy young woman. But
+this is beside the point. There are a number of unusual features
+about this case that need investigation." Brainard took a
+standard hospital form from his desk. "Mind if I ask you some
+questions, Doctor?"
+
+"Not at all but you are due for some unpleasant shocks as you go
+through that form."
+
+"I believe I can survive them," Brainard said dryly.
+
+"This is professional confidence---" Kennon began.
+
+"Of course, of course," Brainard said impatiently. "Now let's get
+on with it."
+
+* * *
+
+"This is the most amazing tale I've ever heard," Brainard said
+slowly. "Are you certain you are telling the truth?"
+
+Kennon grinned. "I don't blame you for not believing me -- but
+the evidence is conclusive, and there is enough documentary
+evidence in the space ship -- and in the fact of the ship itself
+to prove what I am saying. Laboratory tests here will establish
+the fact that Copper's child is also mine. And as for Flora, a
+Brotherhood Investigation Team can prove that part."
+
+"That will be attended to," Brainard said grimly.
+
+"But how did you deduce she wasn't from a Betan colony?" Kennon
+asked.
+
+Brainard smiled. "That wasn't hard. Her sun tan and the condition
+of her feet proved she was a practicing nudist. No Betan girl
+ever practices nudism to my knowledge. Besides, the I.D. tattoo
+under her left arm and the V on her hip are no marks of our
+culture. Then there was another thing -- the serological analysis
+revealed no gerontal antibodies. She had never received an
+injection of longevity compound in her life. This might occur,
+but it's highly improbable. The evidence indicates that she's
+extra-Betan."
+
+Kennon nodded.
+
+"But this business of her being fifteen years old! That's
+impossible. She has the development of a woman of twenty-five."
+
+"Remember the Alpha V colony?" Kennon said.
+
+
+
+
+"Of course -- oh -- I see! It could be something like that.
+Certainly -- strong yellow G-type sun -- an isolated colony
+serviced at twenty-year intervals -- there was a marked physical
+precocity."
+
+"And if this had been continued for several millennia?" Kennon
+asked.
+
+"Hmm -- I see. Yes, it's possible. On Alpha V the colonists grew
+from infancy to maturity in fifteen years."
+
+"And wasn't Heaven one of our early colonies?"
+
+"Yes -- it was established after the Great Schism near the end of
+the First Millennium -- when science and religion split
+irrevocably on this world. We packed the whole lot of them off to
+a world of their own where they could develop as they pleased.
+They called it Heaven -- odd name for a fogworld - but there's no
+accounting for tastes." Brainard chuckled.
+
+"I thought that was the case, but I couldn't remember. My ancient
+history is pretty weak."
+
+"You should read more," Brainard said. "But as I see it -- this
+girl is of Betan ancestry providing your theory and the facts
+coincide."
+
+"Which could also explain why an outworld species of agerone
+would be toxic. They tried to prolong Lani life and met with
+failure. Our plants are mutant forms."
+
+"Just as we are a mutant race," Brainard said, "or partly
+mutant." He sighed. "You have brought us a great deal of trouble,
+Kennon. You are bringing matters to a head. If our investigations
+prove your statements, we are morally bound to open the Lani
+question. And if those people are of Betan origin -- that fellow
+Alexander will have plenty to answer for."
+
+"I don't believe it is really his fault," Kennon said slowly. "I
+don't think he has ever known the truth."
+
+"Why didn't you tell him?"
+
+"The answer to that should be obvious. Even though I trusted him
+completely, I could never be sure. He has a Free Trader
+background and those people can't he trusted where money's
+concerned. The whole Kardonian culture is an outgrowth of Free
+Traderism: small business, independent corporation, linear
+trusts, and all the cutthroat competition such a culture would
+naturally have. It's a regular jungle of Free Enterprise. I
+couldn't predict how he would react. He could either act in a
+moral manner and make restitution, or he could quietly cut our
+throats and go on with his business."
+
+"I see. The temptation to cut a throat might be overwhelming."
+
+"They fight commercial wars," Kennon said.
+
+"Disgusting -- utterly uncivilized! Under the circumstances you
+had no other course. Still, they have no moral right to enslave
+human beings."
+
+"There is always the element of doubt. Maybe they didn't know.
+After all, an impartial court declared the Lani alien - and the
+Betan mutation isn't known throughout the Brotherhood."
+
+"One doesn't go around broadcasting data on the variations of
+one's germ plasm," Brainard said. "That's a private affair - a
+matter of personal privacy."
+
+"And public safety?"
+
+Brainard nodded. "We're no more courageous than any other
+civilization. We have no desire to borrow trouble. We are content
+to leave things alone."
+
+"That's the trouble," Kennon said. "We're all content to leave
+things alone. If I hadn't found the spaceship I'd not have been
+able to lay aside my moral conditioning. And if I had not, Copper
+would not have become pregnant and forced me into these drastic
+actions. It's even possible that I would have done nothing." He
+grimaced. "And when I left Alexander's employment mnemonic
+erasure would have removed all memory of the Lani's human
+origin." He shrugged. "I still am not certain that it wouldn't
+have been the wiser course. Naturally, once I knew, I couldn't do
+anything else than what I did."
+
+"Naturally," Brainard said. "Humanity reaches the heights when it
+faces questions of moral responsibility."
+
+"To mankind," Kennon added heavily. "We have a convenient blind
+spot regarding our moral responsibility to other intelligent
+races."
+
+"A harsh fact, but true -- and who is to judge whether it is
+right or wrong? We achieved dominance of Earth by our moral
+responsibility to family, tribe, and nation -- and we nearly
+exterminated ourselves when we forgot that this responsibility
+went beyond nations and embraced all mankind. We learned that
+after the Exodus. As for the other races - perhaps someday we
+will learn moral responsibility for all intelligence -- but we
+are not ready for that yet. That's too big a mental hurdle."
+Brainard sighed. "We are what we are, and we change slowly. But
+we change."
+
+"True enough," Kennon said. "But it's hard to be philosophical
+about it."
+
+"You're young. Live a couple of centuries and you will understand
+patience."
+
+Kennon smiled.
+
+"You know," Brainard said thoughtfully,"you still have plenty of
+things to do."
+
+"I know. I'll have to make a transcript of this discussion, have
+it witnessed, and make a sealed record. I have to arrange for the
+reposition of the evidence inside the Egg, and a complete
+recording of the Egg itself."
+
+"And to be safe you'll need several facsimiles, properly
+attested. The arms of these outworld entrepreneurs are long, and
+unfortunately not all Betans are models of honesty."
+
+"I'd better get started then."
+
+"Let me help you,"Brainard said. "I have a little influence in
+this area - and your cause interests me." He picked up the phone
+on his desk.
+
+Kennon sighed. He had found an ally.
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+"What are you going to do with that girl?" Brainard asked.
+
+"Formalize our mating as soon as she is able to get out of bed,"
+Kennon replied.
+
+"She is an ignorant, untrained savage!" Brainard protested. "You
+should hear the stories the nurses tell about her!"
+
+Kennon chuckled. "You don't have to tell me about those. I've
+lived with Lani for two years. But she's not stupid."
+
+"What are your plans?"
+
+"After we establish her humanity legally," Kennon said, "I'm
+going to send her to school."
+
+"For twenty years?"
+
+"If necessary. But I don't think it will take that long. She has
+some schooling."
+
+"But no training -- and what of the Lani in the meantime?"
+
+"I have plans for that. I'm going back to Kardon and give
+Alexander a chance to make restitution. I think he is an
+honorable man. Slavery may be as revolting to him as it is to any
+civilized human. He deserves a chance to rectify his
+grandfather's error."
+
+"That is reasonable -- and in the best traditions of the
+Brotherhood."
+
+"Furthermore, it's practical," Kennon said. "Alexander is the
+only one fully qualified to handle the problems of
+enfranchisement. He's known the Lani all his life, and he is an
+executive type. A Brotherhood committee would probably botch the
+whole affair. What with colonial jurisdiction, territorial
+rights, and all the legal quibbling that committees love, the
+Lani would get a poor deal. And there's no reason to wreck the
+lives of a couple of hundred million Kardonians because the
+rightful owners of Kardon were illegally enslaved. That happened
+too long ago to have any practical meaning. There are other and
+better solutions."
+
+"What?"
+
+"How should I know?" Kennon asked. "But I'm sure Alexander will.
+That's his field."
+
+"All you have to worry about is whether he'll co-operate,"
+Brainard said.
+
+"He'll co-operate once he knows the score," Kennon said
+confidently. "And he'll have to make some form of restitution.
+But it shouldn't involve Kardon. Actually the Lani were never in
+a position to develop that world. They'd probably have remained
+on Flora indefinitely. The old court records showed no tendency
+for their culture to expand. They were an inbred group, a static,
+balanced society in harmony with their environment. In nearly
+thirty-five hundred years their numbers increased only to a few
+thousand. Actually there is a good possibility that the race
+would ultimately have died out if Old Alexander hadn't enslaved
+them and instituted a controlled breeding program. There are more
+Lani alive today than there were at the height of their power. So
+in a way Old Alexander did them a favor. He kept their race
+alive. All we can expect is a fair and just settlement."
+
+"But if Alexander doesn't co-operate?"
+
+"That's where you come in. You'll be a watchdog. If you don't
+receive annual progress reports from me -- and see or talk to me
+personally every second year, you are released from our bond and
+can do what you wish with the evidence I've accumulated."
+
+"We'd better get this into Private Record," Brainard said. "We
+can transcribe an agreement and place it in the Public
+Repository."
+
+"A good idea and we'd better waste no time. Alexander might still
+be looking for me -- and if he is, it's merely a question of time
+before he catches up."
+
+"Ten years have passed. It's doubtful. But we could keep you here
+at the Center."
+
+Kennon shook his head. "Too dangerous. And besides it would
+compromise you. No -- we'll get everything possible done to make
+the Lani's case airtight, and then I'll return to Kardon. It will
+put our case in a better light if it ever comes to trial, if I go
+back voluntarily. Anyway -- I'm morally bound to return. Now
+let's make this record."
+
+"It's your decision," Brainard said. "And it's your neck - but I
+must admit that I agree with you."
+
+"I'll feel safer when we get the legal details clarified," Kennon
+said.
+
+"And what of the girl?"
+
+"Can you take care of her if I have to leave quickly?"
+
+"Of course. I'll give her personal attention, and after she has
+her child I'll see that she is sent to you."
+
+"That's decent of you, Doctor."
+
+"It's my moral responsibility," Brainard said as he slipped a new
+tape into the recorder.
+
+* * *
+
+Copper responded quickly to rest and therapy. The space shock
+cleared up quickly. The gerontological treatments put her to bed
+again, but within a month she was completely normal, and her
+lifespan was now that of a normal human. She could look forward
+to some four hundred years with Kennon -- and the prospect was
+not unpleasant. The Center fascinated her. Never before had she
+seen a hospital devoted to the care and treatment of humans. It
+was a far cry, in its polished steel and stone magnificence, from
+the tiny primitive structure over which Kennon had presided. Yet
+both places served the same purpose. Perhaps Kennon was right --
+that there was no difference between man and Lani. The idea was
+not nearly as unbelievable as it was at first.
+
+"I never realized what it meant to be human," Copper said as she
+held Kennon's hand. "It is nice to feel important and to know
+that our child is a member of the race that rules the galaxy."
+
+"So you're convinced?" Kennon chuckled.
+
+"The serological identity--" she began.
+
+"Hmm. You've been getting some education, I see."
+
+"Well," Copper smiled, "I didn't think you wanted a stupid woman.
+I can read -- and since you are around so seldom nowadays, there
+is little else to do. I've been reading history, medicine, and
+novels," she finished proudly.
+
+"A fine catholic selection," Kennon said, "Now if you add
+mathematics, sociology, and philosophy you'll have a well-rounded
+basic education."
+
+"Dr. Brainard has been trying something he calls 'hypno.' He says
+it will help me learn faster. But I can't see that it's done much
+good."
+
+"You won't until you need the information," Kennon said.
+
+"That technique is only good for implanting basic knowledge, and
+much of that will merely supplement or complete that which you
+already have. You won't be conscious of it."
+
+"Oh -- I think I see what you mean."
+
+"Of course, you'll have to continue your formal education.
+There's a great deal for you to learn. It should keep you busy
+while I'm away."
+
+"Away? Where are you going?"
+
+"Back to Kardon."
+
+"But you can't! Alexander will destroy you."
+
+"I think not. After all, ten years have elapsed since we left
+there and he's had plenty of time to think. Douglas must have
+told him about us. I wouldn't be surprised if he has already done
+something about your people."
+
+She shivered. "He might -- but the question is what would he do?
+He could have killed them all!"
+
+Kennon shook his head. "I don't think so. He never struck me as a
+mass murderer."
+
+She shook her head. "You don't know the Alexanders like I do. I
+was raised by them. They're capable of anything. But what is this
+business of ten years? That's silly. I haven't had my child yet
+-- and it doesn't take ten years of pregnancy to produce a baby."
+
+"It's the difference between subjective and objective time,"
+Kennon said. "We traveled here through hyperspace -- low Cth --
+in an uncompensated ship, and there is little temporal flow in
+the levels below the blue."
+
+"Oh -- of course."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "That would have been Greek to you a couple of
+weeks ago. See where that basic data fits?"
+
+"But I've always known that."
+
+"You just think you have. Search your memory and see if I'm not
+right."
+
+Copper shook her head. "It's very strange," she said. "But that's
+not important. This idea of going back to Kardon, though --
+that's a different thing -- that is important."
+
+"I have to do it. Not only because it's a personal moral
+obligation but also because of the Lani. They must have their
+freedom."
+
+"Providing there are any still alive."
+
+"Stop being a calamity howler. Whatever Alexander may be, he's
+not a butcher. He even loved a Lani once. You told me so
+yourself. And he couldn't kill where he loved."
+
+She nodded. "I suppose you're right, but I've never lost my fear
+of the Man Alexander. He held the power of life and death over
+me. But if you must go then I should go too. My obligation is
+greater than yours."
+
+"Later," Kennon said. "You're not ready to return. It will be
+time enough after you have learned some civilized habits."
+
+Copper's face lengthened. "You mean like wrapping myself in cloth
+like these people do?"
+
+"That's part of it."
+
+"Why can't they be sensible -- or are they so ashamed of what the
+gods gave them that they must hide themselves?"
+
+"No, it's not that. At least not exactly. It's custom. And you
+must learn to conform to customs -- outwardly at least -- no
+matter what you may really think."
+
+"Isn't that a form of lying?" Copper asked.
+
+"I suppose so."
+
+"Isn't that strange. Your society exalts truth, honor, morality,
+and intelligence -- yet you lie about your attitude."
+
+"It's called diplomacy," Kennon said. "It's part of respect for
+others' attitudes and beliefs, a necessary part of human
+relationships."
+
+"Then you'd be a nudist on Santos?"
+
+"Of course -- even though I think it isn't proper, I couldn't
+inflict my ideas and attitudes on the customs of an independent
+world."
+
+"Oh -- you think I'm doing that?"
+
+"Yes -- and it is a mark of barbarism."
+
+"Sometimes you're not very nice," Copper said.
+
+Kennon smiled wryly. "I suppose I'm not," he agreed.
+
+"I'll try to be civilized," Copper said. "But if you go to Kardon
+-- I'm going with you."
+
+"Perhaps," Kennon said. "We'll see how things turn out."
+
+"You don't want me to go with you?"
+
+"To be honest -- no," Kennon said. "You're safe here, and until
+your status is cleared by a Brotherhood court, I wouldn't care to
+place you in Alexander's hands. And clearing your status is going
+to take time."
+
+"You mean that I am still his property?"
+
+"Yes. But there is a legal doubt that will prevent him from
+exercising his claim as long as you stay on Beta. In the area
+where he has power, that doubt might not hold. So until your
+status is definitely proven to be human, you should not leave."
+
+"And what happens if this court denies my claim?"
+
+"Then we appeal to the Council. However, with the evidence we
+have, your claim cannot reasonably be denied. The only question
+is one of time. It may take years. Still, I don't think there is
+anything to worry about. I don't think Alexander will give us any
+trouble, but there's no sense in taking chances."
+
+"You still think I'm a Lani," she said accusingly.
+
+"I do not."
+
+"Then you think that I'd obey Alexander, after what I did to
+Douglas."
+
+"I can only repeat that Douglas isn't the Boss-man."
+
+"I wish I knew what you really thought."
+
+"That isn't hard. I think you should stay here until I get this
+business straightened out."
+
+"That's all?" she asked suspiciously. "After all, I know I'm not
+very pretty now. And there's lots of Lani on Flora----"
+
+Oh, for Ochsner's sake! Do you think that I'm---" He paused,
+speechless. "Just what do you think I am?"
+
+"You're a man. And that's the trouble."
+
+Kennon chuckled. "So that's it! You don't trust me."
+
+"I love you," Copper said.
+
+"Sometimes I wonder why men ever finalize their status with
+women," Kennon murmured. "It does no good. It doesn't convince
+the woman. She's still fearful, jealous, and suspicious -- always
+belittling her ability to hold what she has, always alert for
+competition, clinging, holding, absorbing -- when she should be
+working as part of a team."
+
+"That's not true!"
+
+"Then prove it."
+
+"How -- by staying here while you go to the end of the galaxy and
+play noble?"
+
+"I'm only doing what I have to do."
+
+"And so am I -- and if you go I'm going with you"
+
+Kennon shrugged. There was no sense arguing. The only thing to do
+was make his plans and leave quietly. If she was faced with an
+established fact, she might be more reasonable. He doubted it,
+but alone, she could do nothing -- and Brainard would see that
+she was comfortable. The salvage money from the Egg would keep
+her from being a public charge. And he had more banked in
+Albertsville which he could send her once he got there. He'd
+start making plans to leave as soon as possible.
+
+Copper looked up at him as he stood above her bed. Slowly she
+reached out and placed one slim hand in his. "I know what you are
+thinking," she said, "and--" her face twisted in a grimace of
+pain, and the hand in his clutched with convulsive strength at
+his fingers.
+
+"What's the matter?" he said.
+
+"Nothing -- it's perfectly normal," she said. "I'm just going to
+give you a son. Now if you'd call for the doctor, perhaps we can
+get this over. That pain was only twenty minutes from the last. I
+think it's about time."
+
+Kennon -- who had attended several hundred Lani births and had
+developed a certain callousness about them -- was suddenly
+frightened and helpless as he pushed the call button. He could
+feel the cold sweat form on his forehead. He had started this. It
+was his fault if anything went wrong. He wished that it was
+someone else rather than Copper who was going through this trial.
+He was nervous, unsure, and guilty. In a word, he felt like a man
+whose mate was giving birth to their first child.
+
+* * *
+
+"It's a boy," Dr. Bra!nard said. He smiled down at Kennon's
+haggard face.
+
+"How is Copper?" Kennon asked.
+
+"Fine -- she's healthy as a horse."
+
+Kennon winced at the cliche It was so ancient that it had lost
+all meaning. Most Betans didn't know what a horse was, let alone
+whether it was healthy or not. From what Kennon could remember of
+veterinary history, the horse wasn't too healthy an animal. It
+was rather delicate, in fact.
+
+"How is the child?" Kennon asked. It took a little courage to ask
+this question. The baby could be anything from normal to a
+monstrosity.
+
+"Perfectly normal," Brainard said. "A true Betan type even down
+to the vestigial tail. We amputated that, of course."
+
+"Thank Ochsner!" Kennon breathed. "I was afraid."
+
+"Of course you were," Brainard said. "Do you want to see them
+now? When I left, Copper was asking for you."
+
+Kennon sighed. Leaving, he realized, wasn't going to be as easy
+as he had thought.
+
+"We'll have to keep them here for a couple of months," Brainard
+said. "We must take exhaustive tests if we expect the court to
+reverse its prior decision."
+
+"I expected that," Kennon said. He shrugged, "It's probably
+best," he said. "Now show me where Copper is."
+
+"She's back in the same room. You don't need a guide."
+
+Kennon didn't. In fact, he behaved quite admirably.
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+Longliners, Kennon reflected, didn't make Beta a port of call,
+and the Shortliner connections with other worlds were
+'infrequent. Beta had done a good job separating from the rest of
+the Brotherhood. Too good. The spaceline schedules showed only
+one departure in the next month, a Shortliner for Earth, and from
+Earth the road to Kardon was long and tortuous, involving a
+series of short jumps from world to world and a final
+medium-range hop from Halsey to Kardon. If everything went right
+and he made every connection he would be in Kardon four months
+after he left Beta. Kennon sighed as he left Travelers Aid.
+Morality was a heavy load to carry.
+
+He walked slowly down the road from the spaceport toward the
+Co-operative where he had been staying. He had left Huntersville
+and Copper a week ago, after he had seen his child. His child!
+The thought of being a father was oddly dismaying. It distorted
+his sense of values. But one thing was certain. He was returning
+to Kardon, and Copper was not coming with him. She had a duty to
+their son - and he had a duty to his contract with Alexander, to
+the Lani on Flora, and to Copper -- and none of these could be
+satisfied by further running. He had to return and settle the
+account.
+
+A tall man in a conservative yellow-and-black suit was waiting
+patiently in front of his room. "My name is Richter," he said "
+-- Art Richter. Are you Dr. Jac Kennon?"
+
+"I could deny it, but I won't," Kennon said.
+
+"Thank you, Doctor. It was just a formality anyway. You see, I
+know you by sight." He sighed. "One has to observe the
+formalities in this business." He drew a long white envelope from
+his tunic and handed it to Kennon. "Most of my subjects try to
+deny their identity," he said.
+
+"It's a refreshing change to find an honest man." He bowed
+formally. "I really thought this would be harder, considering the
+charges against you." He bowed again and walked away.
+
+"Now -- what was that?" Kennon muttered as he opened the
+envelope. The man Richter was undoubtedly a process server -- but
+who had hired him? He unfolded the sheet and scanned the charges
+-- coercion, larceny, livestock theft, and breach of contract. He
+shrugged. This was Alexander's work. What was the man thinking
+of? It was insanity to bring the Lani matter into open court.
+Hadn't Douglas told him what had happened? Couldn't Alexander
+guess that he had fled with Copper for a good reason -- one that
+would stand up in court? Didn't he know about the spacer? Or had
+Douglas turned on his cousin? The pup had so many hates that it
+was possible. He was a natural troublemaker. Maybe Alexander
+didn't know. Maybe he was working in the dark. Kennon scanned the
+sheet quickly. Ah! here it was. Complaint - Mr. Alexander X. M.
+Alexander, Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City!
+
+Alexander! Here on Beta! Kennon opened the door of his room, went
+straight to the phone beside the bed. He lifted the handset from
+its cradle and dialed the operator. "Get me Huntersville THU
+2-1408. I want to speak to Dr. Brainard, Dr. Will Brainard. This
+is a priority call -- my name is Kennon. Dr. Jac Kennon D.V.M.
+I'm in the registry -- 47M 26429 -- yes -- of course, and thank
+you." He waited a moment. "Hello -- Dr. Brainard? -- Kennon here.
+I've just had some news. Alexander's on Beta! Yes -- he served me
+with a summons. Can you get a restraining order to prevent him
+from leaving? You can? Good! Here's his address." Kennon rattled
+off the location. "Yes -- I'm taking the next airboat to Beta
+City. This should simplify things considerably. -- Of course it
+should. He was a fool to have come here. Yes -- I suppose you
+should tell Copper. Oh! She is? I'm sorry to hear that, but
+there's no reason for her to be angry. She should realize that I
+did this for her -- not to make her miserable. Hmm.-- She -- she
+has? You think she should come with me? -- Yes, I realize she can
+be a problem when she wants to be. All right then -- tell her to
+pack a toothbrush and a few spare diapers. And see if you can get
+me a couple of tickets on the next flight to Beta City. I'll be
+over in a couple of hours and pick her up." He cradled the phone
+and dialed the operator again.
+
+"I want the phone number of Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City, Mr.
+Alexander. Yes. I'll wait. This number is HUV 2-1278 and my name
+is Kennon, Dr. Jac Kennon 47M 26429. I called you before. No, I'm
+a transient. I can refer you to Dr. James Brainard, Huntersville
+Medical Center. Yes, I'll accept charges. Now will you give me
+that number? BCA 7-8941--thank you."
+
+Kennon hung up, dialed the number, and waited.
+
+"Hello," he said. "Mr. Alexander? This is Dr. Kennon. - Yes -- I
+suppose you do, but I've been trying to get back to Kardon for
+the past month. You are? Well, that's your privilege, but I'd
+advise you to go easy until I see you. Naturally -- I'm coming as
+soon as I can get there. We'll be seeing you tomorrow morning at
+the latest. We? -- I'm bringing Copper, of course. I just wanted
+you to know."
+
+Kennon wiped his forehead. Alexander sounded angry and dangerous.
+Ten years hadn't served to cool him off. What had happened on
+Kardon after he had left? Kennon shook his head. There was
+something here he didn't understand. The entrepreneur should have
+been covering his tracks, not threatening jail and
+disaccreditation. It was obvious that a personal visit was more
+necessary than he had thought.
+
+Alexander was waiting. His eyebrows rose at the sight of Copper
+in formal Betan dress -- and lifted a trifle more at the sight of
+the baby.
+
+"What is this, Kennon?" he asked.
+
+"Trouble," Kennon said. He took off his hat. "I came here to
+settle things before you took this case to court. You obviously
+do not understand what has happened. I suppose Douglas has
+double-crossed you. It would be characteristic of him. But before
+we go any further I think we should clear the air and let each
+other know where we stand. I don't want to make trouble if it's
+not necessary. You'll notice I'm not wearing a thought screen, so
+you'll be able to check everything I say, and know I'm telling
+the truth."
+
+"It had better be good," Alexander said grimly. "I've been
+looking for you for ten years. I intend to throw the book at
+you."
+
+"I don't know whether my reason is good or not. Technically I'm
+guilty of breach of contract and larceny of corporation property,
+but there are extenuating circumstances."
+
+Alexander chuckled mirthlessly. "There are a few other charges.
+And quite probably I can think of more if you beat these. I'm
+going to make an example of you, Kennon. I'm going to drag you
+down and stamp on you. You're going to be a horrible example to
+all smart operators who think they can break contracts. It's
+taken a million credits and ten years' time to hunt you down, but
+it's going to be worth it."
+
+"Copper's child is a boy," Kennon said mildly. "My son."
+
+Alexander froze. "You can prove that?" he asked in a
+half-strangled voice.
+
+Kennon nodded. "You see the extenuating circumstance?" he asked.
+"Suppression of human slavery!"
+
+Alexander sat down. It was as though some unseen hand had pulled
+his legs from under him. "You believe it," he said. "-- No --
+you've proved it! Why -- why didn't you tell me? What sort of a
+man do you think I am?"
+
+"I didn't know. I couldn't take the chance until Copper was
+protected. You see, sir, I love her."
+
+"That isn't hard to do with Lani," Alexander said. He sank back
+in his chair, his face clouded, his expression troubled. It was
+obvious that the realization shocked him.
+
+Kennon felt an odd sympathy for the entrepreneur. It wasn't a
+nice feeling, he suspected, to have the beliefs of a lifetime
+ripped apart and sent to the disposal chute.
+
+"So the Lani are a human variant," Alexander said dully.
+
+"The proof is here," Kennon said, "and the supporting evidence is
+conclusive."
+
+"Which makes me -- what? A murderer? A slaver? A tyrant?"
+Alexander clutched his head with lean-fingered hands. "What am
+I?"
+
+"An innocent victim of circumstances," Kennon said. "You didn't
+know. None of us knew. And we still wouldn't know if the Lani
+weren't of Betan extraction." He grimaced painfully. "I've done
+some soul-searching myself, and it hasn't been a pleasant task."
+
+"But it's nothing like mine," Alexander said in a low voice. "I
+suspected they were human when I was younger, but I denied my
+suspicions and accepted false facts instead of investigating."
+
+"You would have found nothing."
+
+"Unfortunately, that's not true. We discovered quite a bit from
+the experimental station you left us when you disappeared ten
+years ago. But we stopped when we found the age that was being
+indoctrinated with Lani tabus. We could have gone farther, but I
+didn't think it was necessary."
+
+"Didn't Douglas tell you?" Kennon asked curiously. "I told him
+when I turned him loose."
+
+"Douglas didn't tell anything except that you had somehow gotten
+a spaceship. I assumed it was one of those that were involved in
+that commercial raid a few decades ago, but I see it wasn't. No
+-- I knew nothing about this development. And Douglas, I guess,
+wanted to keep it hidden. He gave your co-ordinates and ordered
+Mullins to launch a missile. But he apparently forgot to turn on
+his IFF. At any rate the missile lost you -- but found Douglas.
+Douglas was still talking to Alexandria when it struck."
+
+"He might have informed you," Kennon said. "If he had more time."
+
+"I doubt it. He ordered the missile first. He was trying to
+destroy you before you could destroy Outworld Enterprises.
+
+His motives were selfish as usual." Alexander looked at Kennon
+with a haggard eye. "I owe you an apology," he said. "I've
+considered you responsible for Douglas's death for ten years.
+I've searched for you on a hundred worlds. My agents in every
+branch office have had standing orders to report any unusual
+arrivals. I have hunted you personally. I wanted to break you --
+I wanted to kill you."
+
+"I couldn't help the delay," Kennon said. "The ship was old."
+
+"I know. You've told me more than you think. I'm a telepath, you
+know."
+
+"I've never forgotten it," Kennon said. "That was one of the
+principal reasons I came here. I wanted to see how you'd react
+when you learned the whole truth."
+
+"And I suppose you gloat -- no -- you're not doing that. But you
+are right. I could have checked it further. But I didn't.
+Outworld Enterprises is far bigger than Flora -- and I was busy.
+Galactic trade is a snake-pit. And, after all, there was
+Douglas's death -- and the Family with their never-ending clamor
+for money and their threats when it didn't come promptly. I like
+being an entrepreneur, but until I made Outworld independent of
+Family control, I couldn't do anything except run the business to
+their wishes. Actually the island was only a small part of the
+corporation. I tried to run it as humanely as possible under the
+circumstances.'' He shuddered. "I don't think I was ever
+needlessly cruel."
+
+"No," Kennon said, "you were indifferent."
+
+"Which is just as bad," Alexander said.
+
+"Well -- what are you going to do about it?" Copper interjected.
+"You can beat yourself until you're blue, but that won't
+accomplish anything."
+
+"What are you going to do?" Alexander countered. "You have the
+upper hand."
+
+"Me?" Copper asked. "I have nothing. This is between you men."
+She lapsed into silence.
+
+Alexander turned back to Kennon. "You have undoubtedly made some
+arrangements. You wouldn't come here -- oh! I see.
+Congratulations. Handling the evidence that way was a wise
+course. You have my admiration. But then I should have known that
+I was not dealing with a fool." He smiled wryly. "Subconsciously
+I think I did know -- but----"
+
+"That's one consolation," Kennon grinned. "To be thought a rascal
+is bad enough, but to be considered a fool is intolerable."
+
+"But your decision not to use the evidence unless you were forced
+to -- that's poor business."
+
+"But good morals," Kennon said. "Neither the Brotherhood nor I
+could settle this affair. It is a matter only you can handle.
+There is no sense in killing Outworld or throwing Kardon into
+centuries of litigation. The Lani never were numerous enough to
+lay claim to an entire world. I'll admit the club is there, but
+I'll never use it unless it's necessary."
+
+"Why not? -- it's sound business practice."
+
+"I'm a professional -- not a businessman. And besides, I haven't
+the moral right to return evil for good. You have not been a bad
+boss."
+
+"Thanks," Alexander said glumly. "I've always considered myself
+civilized."
+
+"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Kennon said. "Honorable,
+yes -- civilized, no. But none of us are really civilized."
+
+"So?"
+
+"We haven't changed much, despite our development. Perhaps we've
+varied a little physically -- and we've learned to use new tools,
+but our minds are still the minds of barbarians -- blood brothers
+against the enemy, and everything not of us is enemy. Savages --
+hiding under a thin veneer of superficial culture. Savages with
+spaceships and the atom." Kennon looked down at Copper.
+Apparently her thoughts were miles away in an introspective world
+that was all her own. She had said her piece and having done that
+was content to let the two men develop it. Kennon looked at her
+with odd respect. Alexander eyed her with a mildly startled
+expression on his lean face. And both men smiled, but the smiles
+were not amused.
+
+"Judging from Copper," Alexander said, "I don't think we'll have
+to worry about how the Lani will turn out." He looked at Kennon
+with mild sympathy. "You are going to have quite a time with
+her," he said.
+
+"I suppose so. I'll probably never know whether I'm guided or
+whether I'm doing the guiding. I've changed a lot of my opinions
+about Copper since the day I met her."
+
+Copper looked up and smiled at them. It was an odd smile, hinting
+at secrets neither of them would ever know. Alexander chuckled.
+"It serves you right." He crossed his legs and looked up at
+Kennon standing before him. By some uncanny legerdemain he had
+gotten control of himself and the situation at the same time.
+Being telepathic was an unfair advantage, Kennon thought.
+
+"You were equally unfair with your accusation," Alexander said.
+"Sure -- humanity makes mistakes, and like this one they're
+sometimes brutal mistakes. But we are capable of atonement.
+Morally we have come a long way from the brutality of the
+Interregnum. I shouldn't have to use examples, but look at that"
+-- he waved at the view wall at the panorama of gleaming fairy
+towers and greenery that made Beta City one of the most beautiful
+in the Brotherhood. "Don't tell me that five thousand years of
+peace and development haven't produced civilization. That's a
+concrete example out there."
+
+"It isn't," Kennon said flatly. "Sure, it's pretty -- clean --
+and beautifully designed for art and utility -- but it isn't
+civilization. You're confusing technology with culture. You look
+at this and say, 'What a great civilization man has built,' when
+you really mean, 'What a great technology mankind has developed.'
+There's all the difference in the world. Technology is of the
+mind and hands. Civilization is of the spirit -- and spiritually
+we are still in the Dark Ages.
+
+"We conquer, kill, loot, and enslave. We establish standards to
+keep humanity a closed corporation, a special club in which men
+can live but aliens can't. We've made the standards for admission
+so rigid that we even enslave our own kind and call them animals.
+That's not civilization -- that's savagery!
+
+"For nearly five hundred years your family has run a slave pen.
+Your fortune is based upon it. And you have perpetuated this
+traffic in flesh on the specious reasoning that a court judgment
+of half a millennium ago is as good today as when it was handed
+down. Never once did anyone have the moral courage to re-examine
+that old decision. Never once did any human question the
+rightness of that decision. None of us are immune. We all based
+our conduct upon an antiquated law and searched no further.
+Everyone was happy with the status quo -- or at least not so
+unhappy that they wanted to change it. Even I would have been
+content had it not been for Copper."
+
+"Yet I do not feel that it was bad that I hired you," Alexander
+said. "Even though you have shown me that I am a slaver, and made
+me see faults I never knew I had." His face was drawn -- harsh
+lines reached from nose to lips, from eyes to chin. Suddenly he
+looked old. "I can accept censure if censure is just. And this is
+just. No -- I'm not sorry I hired you even though the thought of
+what I have helped do to the Lani makes me sick to my stomach."
+
+"Well--" Kennon said. "What are you going to do about it?"
+
+"I don't know," Alexander said. "At the first smell of trouble,
+the Family will turn tail and run. You can break the company, and
+I won't stand in your way. It's only just. You're the one who's
+carrying the ball. Now run with it."
+
+"That damned blind spot," Kennon said. "You realize, of course,
+that you're not legally liable. It was a mistake. All you have to
+do is admit the error and start from there. Naturally -- no
+reasonable intelligence would expect that you change the older
+Lani. They're too old for either agerone or change. It would be
+both cruel and inhuman to turn them loose. It's with the
+youngsters that you can work -- those who are physically and
+physiologically young enough to derive benefit from agerone and
+education.
+
+"As I remember, you bought a planet called Phoebe. Now why don't
+you----"
+
+"Phase out! Of course! But that means that you can't press
+charges."
+
+"Why should I? I'm not one of these starry-eyed reformers who
+expect to change things overnight. It's the future of the Lani
+race that's important, And Brainard agrees with me. A phase-out
+is the proper solution. Change the education, let males be born
+-- teach the young to think instead of to obey. Give them Phoebe
+for a home -- they never owned all of Kardon anyway. And within a
+century or two we will have a new group of the human race -- and
+then we can tell the Brotherhood."
+
+Kennon looked inquiringly at Copper. She smiled and nodded. "It
+would cause less trouble that way," she said. "It would be more
+sure -- and there are never too many old ones."
+
+Kennon shuddered, thinking of the euthanasia chambers on Otpen
+One. "There will be more from now on," he said.
+
+"Outworld can afford it. It'll bend us a little but we won't
+break -- and besides, the Lani will need our help for some time
+to come." Alexander looked at Kennon. "Can we make an agreement
+that all parties will respect?" he asked.
+
+"I think so -- providing there are no sleeper clauses in it,"
+Kennon said.
+
+"There won't be," Alexander said.
+
+And there weren't.
+
+* * *
+
+It was a private ceremony. The Family, sulky and unwilling, faced
+with a choice of drastically reduced income or outright
+confiscation and preferring a portion of a loaf to none.
+Alexander -- grim but oddly peaceful of expression. Brainard --
+pink-cheeked and emotionless. Kennon and Copper -- happily
+conscious that it was at last finished. It was an oddly assorted
+group of conspirators who planned to restore a segment of
+humanity to the human race.
+
+Kennon signed last, and as he did, Alexander looked at him with a
+sly grin distorting the smooth pallor of his face.
+
+"You forgot something," he said.
+
+"What?" Kennon said -- aware suddenly that something was wrong.
+
+"What do you plan to do, now that this is over?"
+
+"Join the Medical Center here and practice veterinary medicine."
+
+"You wouldn't care to work for me -- to help rebuild the wreckage
+you've helped create? I'll need a manager on Kardon to phase out
+the island while we phase in Phoebe."
+
+"No, thank you. I've had enough of that."
+
+"You just think you have," Alexander said gleefully. "That's what
+you have forgotten. You've gotten your agreement -- now you will
+satisfy me. As I see it you have breached your contract by
+leaving Flora without authorization."
+
+"That is right," Kennon said. A small lump of lead began to grow
+rapidly larger in his stomach. Brainard was grinning and Copper's
+eyes were shining. "You've been jobbed!" his mind told him. He
+sighed. He knew what was coming next.
+
+"The punitive clause for breach of contract," Alexander went on
+inexorably, "is very broad. Discretion is vested in the
+entrepreneur. I can obtain judgment against you in any court on
+any planet."
+
+"I know," Kennon said glumly.
+
+"But I am going to be civilized," Alexander said. "I am going to
+be merciful. I am going to extend your contract until phase-out
+has been completed. You are going to have control of the entire
+Kardon phase of the operation. It's poetic justice -- you made
+the mess -- now you can clean it up."
+
+"That's inhuman!"
+
+"Humanity has nothing to do with it. It's justice," Alexander
+said. He smiled at Copper's radiant face. The thought of going
+home was good to her. "Good luck on your new job, Dr. Kennon," he
+said. "And welcome to the brotherhood of the ulcer."
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of The Lani People by J. F. Bone
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+The Lani People</p>
+
+<P>by J. F. Bone</p>
+
+<P>February, 2001  [Etext #2509]</p>
+
+<P>
+The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Lani People by J. F. Bone
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+
+
+<h1>The Lani People</h1>
+
+<P>By: J. F. Bone
+
+<P>CHAPTER I
+
+<P>The boxed ad in the opportunities section of the <I>Kardon
+Journal of Allied Medical Sciences</I> stood out like a cut
+diamond in a handful of gravel. &quot;Wanted,&quot; it read,
+&quot;Veterinarian - for residency in active livestock operation.
+Single recent graduate preferred. Quarters and service furnished.
+Well-equipped hospital. Five-year contract, renewal option,
+starting salary 15,000 cr./annum with periodic increases. State
+age, school, marital status, and enclose recent tri-di with
+application. Address Box V-9, this journal.&quot;
+
+<P>Jac Kennon read the box a second time. There must be a catch
+to it. Nothing that paid a salary that large could possibly be on
+the level. Fifteen thousand a year was top pay even on Beta, and
+an offer like this for a new graduate was unheard of - unless
+Kardon was in the middle of an inflation. But Kardon wasn't. The
+planet's financial status was A-1. He knew. He'd checked that
+immediately after landing. Whatever might be wrong with Kardon,
+it wasn't her currency. The rate of exchange was 1.2-1 Betan.
+
+<P>A five-year contract - hmm - that would the seventy-five
+thousand. Figure three thousand a year for living expenses, that
+would leave sixty-plenty of capital to start a clinic. The banks
+couldn't turn him down if he had that much cash collateral.
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled wryly. He'd better get the job before he
+started spending the money he didn't have. He had 231 credits
+plus a few halves, tenths, and hundredths, a diploma in
+veterinary medicine, some textbooks, a few instruments, and a
+first-class spaceman's ticket. By watching his expenses he had
+enough money to live here for a month and if nothing came of his
+efforts to find a job on this planet, there was always his
+spaceman's ticket and another world.
+
+<P>Another world! There were over six thousand planets in the
+Brotherhood of Man. At two months per planet, not figuring
+transit time, it would take more than a thousand Galactic
+Standard years to visit them all, and a man could look forward to
+scarcely more than five hundred at best. The habitat of Man had
+become too large. There wasn't time to explore every possibility.
+
+<P>But a man could have certain standards, and look until he
+found a position that fitted. The trouble was - if the standards
+were too high the jobs were too scarce. Despite the chronic
+shortage of veterinarians throughout the Brotherhood, there was a
+peculiar reluctance on the part of established practitioners to
+welcome recent graduates. Most of the ads in the professional
+journals read &quot;State salary desired,&quot; which was nothing
+more than economic blackmail - a bald-faced attempt to get as
+much for as little as possible. Kennon grimaced wryly. He'd be
+damned if he'd sell his training for six thousand a year. Slave
+labor, that's what it was. There were a dozen ads like that in
+the <I>Journal</I>. Well, he'd give them a trial, but he'd ask
+eight thousand and full GEA benefits. Eight years of school and
+two more as an intern were worth at least that.
+
+<P>He pulled the portable voicewrite to a comfortable position in
+front of the view wall and began composing another of the series
+of letters that had begun months ago in time and parsecs away in
+space. His voice was a fluid counterpoint to the soft hum of the
+machine.
+
+<P>And as he dictated, his eyes took in the vista through the
+view wall. Albertsville was a nice town, too young for slums, too
+new for overpopulation. The white buildings were the color of
+winter butter in the warm yellow sunlight as the city drowsed in
+the noonday heat. It nestled snugly in the center of a
+bowl-shaped valley whose surrounding forest clad hills gave mute
+confirmation to the fact that Kardon was still primitive, an
+unsettled world that had not yet reached the explosive stage of
+population growth that presaged maturity. But that was no
+disadvantage. In fact, Kennon liked it. Living could be fun on a
+planet like this.
+
+<P>It was abysmally crude compared to Beta, but the Brotherhood
+had opened Kardon less than five hundred years ago, and in such a
+short time one couldn't expect all the comforts of civilization.
+
+<P>It required a high population density to supply them, and
+while Kardon was integrated its population was scarcely more than
+two hundred million. It would be some time yet before this world
+would achieve a Class I status. However, a Class II planet had
+some advantages. What it lacked in conveniences it made up in
+opportunities and elbow room.
+
+<P>A normal Betan would have despised this world, but Kennon
+wasn't normal, although to the casual eye he was a typical
+representative of the Medico-Technological Civilization, long
+legged, fair haired, and short bodied with the typical Betan
+squint that left his eyes mere slits behind thick lashes and
+heavy brows. The difference was internal rather than external.
+
+<P>Possibly it was due to the fact that his father was the
+commander of a Shortliner and most of his formative years had
+been spent in space. To Kennon, accustomed to the timeless horror
+of hyper space, all planets were good, broad open places where a
+man could breathe unfiltered air and look for miles across
+distances unbroken by dually bulk heads and safety shields. On a
+planet there were spaciousness and freedom and after the
+claustrophobic confinement of a hyper ship any world was
+paradise. Kennon sighed, finished his letters, and placed them in
+the mail chute. Perhaps, this time, there would be a favorable
+reply.
+
+<P>CHAPTER II
+
+<P>Kennon was startled by the speed with which his letters were
+answered. Accustomed to the slower pace of Beta he had expected a
+week would elapse before the first reply, but within twenty-four
+hours nine of his twelve inquiries were returned. Five expressed
+the expected &quot;Thank you but I feel that your asking salary
+is a bit high in view of your lack of experience.&quot; Three
+were frankly interested and requested a personal interview. And
+the last was <I>the</I> letter, outstanding in its quietly
+ostentatious folder-the reply from Box V-9.
+
+<P>&quot;Would Dr. Kennon call at 10 A.M. tomorrow at the offices
+of Outworld Enterprises Incorporated and bring this letter and
+suitable identifications? Kennon chuckled. Would he? There was no
+question about it. The address, 200 Central Avenue, was only a
+few blocks away. In fact, he could see the building from his
+window, a tall functional block of durilium and plastic, soaring
+above the others on the street, the sunlight gleaming off its
+clean square lines. He eyed it curiously, wondering what he would
+find inside.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>The receptionist took his I.D. and the letter, scanned them
+briefly, and slipped them into one of the message tubes beside
+her desk. &quot;It will only be a moment, Doctor,&quot; she said
+impersonally. &quot;Would you care to sit down? '&quot;
+
+<P>Thank you,&quot; he said. The minute, reflected, could easily
+be an hour. But she was right. It was only a minute until the
+message tube clicked and popped a capsule onto the girl's desk.
+She opened it, and removed Kennon's I.D. and a small yellow
+plastic rectangle. Her eyes widened at the sight of the plastic
+card.
+
+<P>&quot;Here you are, Doctor. Take shaft number one. Slip the
+card into the scanner slot and you'll be taken to the correct
+floor. The offices you want will be at the end of the corridor to
+the left. You'll find any other data you may need on the card in
+case you get lost.&quot; She looked at him with a curious mixture
+of surprise and respect as she handed him the contents of the
+message tube.
+
+<P>Kennon murmured an acknowledgment, took the card and his I.D.,
+and entered the grav-shaft. There was the usual moment of
+heaviness as the shaft whisked him upward and deposited him in
+front of a thickly carpeted corridor.
+
+<P>Executive level, Kennon thought as he followed the
+receptionist's directions. No wonder she had looked respectful.
+But what was he doing here? The employment of a veterinarian
+wasn't important enough to demand the attention of a senior
+executive. The personnel section could handle the details of his
+application as well as not. He shrugged. Perhaps veterinarians
+were more important on Kardon. He didn't know a thing about this
+world's customs.
+
+<P>He opened the unmarked door at the end of the corridor,
+entered a small reception room, smiled uncertainly at the woman
+behind the desk, and received an answering smile in return.
+
+<P>Come right in, Dr. Kennon. Mr. Alexander is waiting for you.
+
+<P>Alexander! The entrepreneur himself! Why? Numb with surprise
+Kennon watched the woman open the intercom on her desk.
+
+<P>&quot;Sir, Dr. Kennon is here,&quot; she said.
+
+<P>&quot;Bring him in,&quot; a smooth voice replied from the
+speaker. Alexander X. M. Alexander, President of Outsold
+Enterprises - a lean, dark, wolfish man in his early sixties -
+eyed Kennon with a flat predatory intentness that was oddly
+disquieting. His stare combined the analytical inspection of the
+pathologist, the probing curiosity of the psychiatrist, and the
+weighing appraisal of the butcher. Kennon's thoughts about
+Alexander's youth vanished that instant. Those eyes belonged to a
+leader on the battlefield of galactic business.
+
+<P>Kennon felt the conditioned respect for authority surge
+through him in a smothering wave. Grimly he fought it down,
+knowing it was a sign of weakness that would do him no good in
+the interview which lay ahead.
+
+<P>&quot;So you're Kennon,&quot; Alexander said. His lingua
+franca was clean and accentless. &quot;I expected someone
+older.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Frankly, sir, so did I,&quot; Kennon replied.
+
+<P>Alexander smiled, an oddly pleasant smile that transformed the
+hard straight lines in his face into friendly curves.
+&quot;Business, Dr. Kennon, is not the sole property of
+age.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Nor is a veterinary degree,&quot; Kennon replied.
+
+<P>&quot;True. But one thinks of a Betan as someone ancient and
+sedate.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ours is an old planet -- but we still have new
+generations.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A fact most of us outsiders find hard to believe,&quot;
+Alexander said. &quot;I picture your world as an ironclad society
+crystallized by age and custom into something rigid and in
+flexible.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You would be wrong to do so,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Even though we are cultural introverts there is plenty of
+dynamism within our society.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How is it that you happen to be out here on the edge of
+civilization?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I never said I was like my society,&quot; Kennon
+grinned. &quot;Actually I suppose I'm one of the proverbial bad
+apples.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's more to it than that,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;Your early years probably influenced you.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked sharply at the entrepreneur. How much did the
+man really know about him? &quot;I suppose so,&quot; he said
+indifferently.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander looked pleased. &quot;But even with your childhood
+experiences there must be an atavistic streak in you - a
+throwback to your adventurous Earth forebears who settled your
+world?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. &quot;Perhaps you're right. I really don't
+know. Actually, I've never thought about it. It merely seemed to
+me that an undeveloped world offered more opportunity.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It does,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;But it also offers
+more work. If you're figuring that you can get along on the
+minimum physical effort required on the Central Worlds, you have
+a shock coming.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not that innocent,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;But I am
+not so stupid that I can't apply modifications of Betan
+techniques to worlds as new as this.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander chuckled. &quot;I like you,&quot; he said. suddenly.
+&quot;Here read this and see if you'd care to work for me.&quot;
+He picked a contract form from one of the piles of paper on his
+desk and handed it to Kennon. &quot;This is one of our standard
+work contracts. Take it back to your hotel and check it over.
+I'll expect to see you at this time tomorrow.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why waste time?&quot; Kennon said. &quot;The
+rapid-reading technique originated on Beta. I can tell you in
+fifteen minutes.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm. Certainly. Read it here if you wish. I like to get
+things settled - the sooner the better. Sit down, young man and
+read. You can rouse me when you're finished.&quot; He turned his
+attention to the papers on his desk and within seconds was
+completely oblivious of Kennon, his face set in the rapt
+trancelike expression of a trained rapid reader.
+
+<P>Kennon watched for a moment as sheets of paper passed through
+Alexander's hands to be added to the pile at the opposite end of
+the desk. The man would do better, he thought, if he would have
+his staff transcribe the papers to microfilm that could be read
+through an interval-timed scanner. He might suggest that later.
+As for now, he shrugged and seated himself in the chair beside
+the desk. The quiet was broken only by the rustle of paper as the
+two rapt-faced men turned page after page with mechanical
+regularity.
+
+<P>Finally Kennon turned the last page, paused, blinked, and
+performed the necessary mental gymnastics to orient his time
+sense. Alexander, he noticed, was still engrossed, sunk in his
+autohypnotic trance. Kennon waited until he had finished the
+legal folder which he was reading and then gently intruded upon
+Alexander's concentration.
+
+<P>Alexander looked up blankly and then went through the same
+mental gyrations Kennon had performed a few minutes before. His
+eyes focused and became hard and alert.
+
+<P>&quot;Well?&quot; he asked. &quot;What do you think of
+it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think it's the damnedest, trickiest, most unilateral
+piece of legalistics I've ever seen,&quot; Kennon said bluntly.
+&quot;If that's the best you can offer, I wouldn't touch the job
+with a pair of forceps.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander smiled. &quot;I see you read the fine print,&quot;
+he said. There was quiet amusement in his voice. &quot;So you
+don't like the contract?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No sensible man would. I'm damned if I'll sign
+commitment papers just to get a job. No wonder you're having
+trouble getting professional help. If your contracts are all like
+that it's' a wonder anyone works for you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We have no complaints from our employees,&quot;
+Alexander said stiffly.
+
+<P>&quot;How could you? If they signed that contract you'd have a
+perfect right to muzzle them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There are other applicants for this post,&quot;
+Alexander said.
+
+<P>&quot;Then get one of them. I wouldn't be interested.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A spaceman's ticket is a good thing to have,&quot;
+Alexander said idly. &quot;It's a useful ace in the hole.
+Besides, you have had three other job offers - all of which are
+good even though they don't pay fifteen Ems a year.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon did a quick double take. Alexander's investigative
+staff was better than good. It was uncanny.
+
+<P>&quot;But seriously, Dr. Kennon, I am pleased that you do not
+like that contract. Frankly, I wouldn't consider employing you if
+you did.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sir?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That contract is a screen. It weeds out the careless,
+the fools, and the unfit in one operation. A man who would sign a
+thing like that has no place in my organization.&quot; Alexander
+chuckled at Kennon's blank expression. &quot;I see you have had
+no experience with screening contracts.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I haven't,&quot; Kennon admitted. &quot;On Beta the
+tests are formal. The Medico-Psych Division supervises
+them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Different worlds, different methods,&quot; Alexander
+observed. &quot;But they're all directed toward the same goal.
+Here we aren't so civilized. We depend more on personal
+judgment.&quot; He took another contract from one of the drawers
+of his desk. &quot;Take a look at this. I think you'll be more
+satisfied.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If you don't mind, I'll read it now,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>Alexander nodded.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>&quot;It's fair enough,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;except for
+Article Twelve.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The personal privilege section?
+
+<P>&quot;Yes.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well, that's the contract. You can take it or leave
+it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll leave it,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Thank you for
+your time.&quot; He rose to his feet, smiled at Alexander, and
+turned to the door. &quot;Don't bother to call your
+receptionist,&quot; he said. &quot;I can find my way out.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Just a minute, Doctor,&quot; Alexander said. He was
+standing behind the desk, holding out his hand.
+
+<P>&quot;Another test?&quot; Kennon inquired.
+
+<P>Alexander nodded. &quot;The critical one,&quot; he said.
+&quot;Do you want the job?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Without knowing more about it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The contract is adequate. It defines my duties.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And you think you can handle them?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know I can.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I notice,&quot; Alexander observed, &quot;that you
+didn't object to other provisions.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No, sir. They're pretty rigid, but for the salary you
+are paying I figure you should have some rights. Certainly you
+have the right to protect your interests. But that Article Twelve
+is a direct violation of everything a human being should hold
+sacred besides being a violation of the Peeper Laws. I'd never
+sign a contract that didn't carry a full Peeper rider.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's quite a bit.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's the minimum,&quot; Kennon corrected.
+&quot;Naturally, I won't object to mnemonic erasure of matters
+pertaining to your business once my contract's completed and I
+leave your employment. But until then there will be no
+conditioning, no erasures, no taps, no snoopers, and no checkups
+other than the regular periodic psychans. I'll consult with you
+on vacation time and will arrange it to suit your convenience.
+I'll even agree to emergency recall, but that's the limit.&quot;
+Kennon's voice was flat.
+
+<P>&quot;You realize I'm agreeing to give you a great deal of
+personal liberty,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;How can I protect
+myself?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll sign a contingency rider,&quot; Kennon said,
+&quot;if you will specify precisely what security matters I am
+not to reveal.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I accept,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;Consider yourself
+hired.&quot; He touched a button on his desk. &quot;Prepare a
+standard 2-A contract for Dr. Jac Kennon's signature. And attach
+two riders, a full P-P-yes, no exceptions - and a security-leak
+contingency, Form 287-C. Yes - that's right - that one. And
+strike out all provisions of Article Twelve which conflict with
+the Peeper Laws. Yes. Now - and finish it as soon as you
+can.&quot; He touched another button. &quot;Well, that's
+that,&quot; he said. &quot;I hope you'll enjoy being a member of
+our group.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think I shall,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You know, sir,
+I would have waived part of that last demand if you had cared to
+argue.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know it,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;But what
+concessions I could have wrung from you would be relatively
+unimportant beside the fact that you would be unhappy about them
+later. What little I could have won here, I'd lose elsewhere. And
+since I want you, I'd prefer to have you satisfied.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I see,&quot; Kennon said. Actually he didn't see at all.
+He looked curiously at the entrepreneur. Alexander
+<I>couldn't</I> be as easy as he seemed. Objectivity and
+dispassionate weighing and balancing were nice traits and very
+helpful ones, but in the bear pit of galactic business they
+wouldn't keep their owner alive for five minutes. The interworld
+trade sharks would have skinned him long ago and divided the
+stripped carcass of his company between them.
+
+<P>But Outworld was a &quot;respected&quot; company. The exchange
+reports said so - which made Alexander a different breed of cat
+entirely. Still, his surface was perfect - polished and
+impenetrable as a duralloy turret on one of the latest
+Brotherhood battleships. Kennon regretted he wasn't a sensitive.
+It would be nice to know what Alexander really was.
+
+<P>&quot;Tell me, sir,&quot; Kennon asked. &quot;What are the
+real reasons that make you think I'm the man you want?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And you're the young man who's so insistent on a
+personal privacy rider,&quot; Alexander chuckled. &quot;However,
+there's no harm telling you. There are several reasons.
+
+<P>&quot;You're from a culture whose name is a byword for moral
+integrity. That makes you a good risk so far as your ethics are
+concerned. In addition you're the product of one of the finest
+educational systems in the galaxy-and you have proven your
+intelligence to my satisfaction. You also showed me that you
+weren't a spineless 'yes man.' And finally, you have a spirit of
+adventure. Not one in a million of your people would do what you
+have done. What more could an entrepreneur ask of a prospective
+employee?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon sighed and gave up. Alexander wasn't going to reveal a
+thing.
+
+<P>&quot;All I hope,&quot; Alexander continued affably, &quot;is
+that you'll find Outworld Enterprises as attractive as did your
+predecessor Dr. Williamson. He was with us until he died last
+month - better than a hundred years.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Died rather young, didn't he?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not exactly, he was nearly four hundred when he joined
+us. My grandfather was essentially conservative. He liked older
+men, and Old Doc was one of his choices - a good one, too. He was
+worth every credit we paid him.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll try to do as well,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;but I'd
+like to warn you that I have no intention of staying as long as
+he did. I want to build a clinic and I figure sixty thousand is
+about enough to get started.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;When will you veterinarians ever learn to be
+organization men?&quot; Alexander asked. &quot;You're as
+independent as tomcats.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon grinned. &quot;It's a breed characteristic, I
+guess.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander shrugged. &quot;Perhaps you'll change your mind
+after you've worked for us.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Possibly, but I doubt it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Tell me that five years from now,&quot; Alexander said -
+&quot;Ah - here are the contracts.&quot; He smiled at the trim
+secretary who entered the room carrying a stack of papers.
+
+<P>&quot;The riders are as you asked, sir,&quot; the girl said.
+
+<P>&quot;Good. Now, Doctor, if you please.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You don't mind if I check them?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Not at all. And when you're through, just leave them on
+the desk - except for your copy, of course.&quot; Alexander
+scrawled his signature on the bottom of each contract.
+&quot;Don't disturb me. I'll be in contact with you. Leave your
+whereabouts with your hotel.&quot; He turned to the papers in
+front of him, and then looked up for the last time. &quot;Just
+one more thing,&quot; he said. &quot;You impress me as a cautious
+man. It would be just as well if you carried your caution with
+you when you leave this room.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded, and Alexander turned back to his work.
+
+<P>CHAPTER III
+
+<P>&quot;I'd never have guessed yesterday that I'd be here
+today,&quot; Kennon said as he looked down at the yellow waters
+of the Xantline Sea flashing to the rear of the airboat at a
+steady thousand kilometers per hour as they sped westward in the
+middle traffic level. The water, some ten thousand meters below,
+had been completely empty for hours as the craft hurtled through
+the equatorial air.
+
+<P>&quot;We have to move fast to stay ahead of our ulcers,&quot;
+Alexander said with a wry smile. &quot;Besides, I wanted to get
+away from the Albertsville offices for awhile.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Three hours' notice,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;That's
+almost too fast.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You had nothing to keep you in the city, and neither did
+I - at least nothing important. There are plenty of females where
+we are going and I need you on Flora - not in Albertsville.
+Besides I can get you there faster than if you waited for a
+company transport.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Judging from those empty sea lanes below, Flora must be
+an out-of-the-way place,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;It is. It's out of the trade lanes. Most of the
+commercial traffic is in the southern hemisphere. The northern
+hemisphere is practically all water. Except for Flora and the
+Otpens there isn't a land area for nearly three thousand
+kilometers in any direction, and since the company owns Flora and
+the surrounding island groups there's no reason for shipping to
+come there. We have our own supply vessels, a Discovery Charter,
+and a desire for privacy. - Ah! It won't be long now. There's the
+Otpens!&quot; Alexander pointed at a smudge on the horizon that
+quickly resolved into an irregular chain of tiny islets that
+slipped below them. Kennon got a glimpse of gray concrete on one
+of the larger islands, a smudge of green trees, and white beaches
+against which the yellow waters dashed in smothers of foam.
+
+<P>&quot;Rugged-looking place,&quot; be murmured.
+
+<P>&quot;Most of them are deserted. Two support search and
+warning stations and automatic interceptors to protect our
+property. Look! - there's Flora.&quot; Alexander gestured at the
+land mass that appeared below.
+
+<P>Flora was a great green oval two hundred kilometers long and
+about a hundred wide.
+
+<P>&quot;Pretty, isn't it?&quot; Alexander said as they sped over
+the low range of hills and the single gaunt volcano filling the
+eastward end of the island and swept over a broad green valley
+dotted with fields and orchards interspersed at intervals by
+red-roofed structures whose purpose was obvious.
+
+<P>&quot;Our farms,&quot; Alexander said redundantly. The airboat
+crossed a fair-sized river. &quot;That's the Styx,&quot;
+Alexander said. &quot;Grandfather named it. He was a classicist
+in his way -  spent a lot of his time reading books most people
+never heard of. Things like the <I>Iliad</I> and <I>Gone with the
+Wind</I>. The mountains he called the Apennines, and that
+volcano's Mount Olympus. The marshland to the north is called the
+Pontine Marshes - our main road is the Camino Real.&quot;
+Alexander grinned. &quot;There's a lot of Earth on Flora. You'll
+find it in every name. Grandfather was an Earthman and he used to
+get nostalgic for the homeworld. Well - there's Alexandria coming
+up. We've just about reached the end of the line.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon stared down at the huge gray-green citadel resting on a
+small hill in the center of an open plain. It was a Class II
+Fortalice built on the efficient star-shaped plan of half a
+millennium ago - an ugly spiky pile of durilium, squat and
+massive with defensive shields and weapons which could still
+withstand hours of assault by the most modern forces.
+
+<P>&quot;Why did he build a thing like that?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Alexandria? - well, we had trouble with the natives when
+we first came, and Grandfather had a synthesizer and tapes for a
+Fortalice in his ship. So he built it. It serves the dual purpose
+of base and house. It's mostly house now, but it's still capable
+of being defended.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And those outbuildings?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They're part of your job.&quot;
+
+<P>The airboat braked sharply and settled with a smooth,
+sickeningly swift rush that left Kennon gasping - feeling that
+his stomach was still floating above him in the middle level. He
+never had become accustomed to an arbutus landing
+characteristics.  Spacers were slower and steadier. The ship
+landed gently on a pitted concrete slab near the massive
+radiation shields of the barricaded entranceway to the fortress.
+Projectors in polished dually turrets swivelled to point their
+ugly noses at them. It gave Kennon a queasy feeling. He never
+liked to trust his future to automatic machinery. If the
+analyzers failed to decode the ship's I.D. properly, Kennon,
+Alexander, the ship, and a fair slice of surrounding territory
+would become an incandescent mass of dissociated atoms.
+
+<P>&quot;Grandfather was a good builder,&quot; Alexander, said
+proudly. &quot;Those projectors have been mounted nearly four
+hundred years and they're still as good as the day they were
+installed.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can see that,&quot; Kennon said uncomfortably.
+&quot;You ought to dismantle them. They're enough to give a man
+the weebies.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander chuckled. &quot;Oh - they're safe. The firing
+mechanism's safetied. But we keep them in operating condition.
+You never can tell when they'll come in handy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I knew Kardon was primitive, but I didn't think it was
+that bad. What's the trouble?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;None - right now,&quot; Alexander said obliquely,
+&quot;and since we've shown we can handle ourselves there
+probably won't be any more.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You must raise some pretty valuable stock if the
+competition tried to rustle them in the face of that
+armament.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We do.&quot; Alexander said. &quot;Now if you'll follow
+me&quot; - the entrepreneur opened the cabin door letting in a
+blast of heat and a flood of yellow sunlight.
+
+<P>&quot;Great Arthur Fleming!&quot; Kennon exploded. &quot;This
+place is a furnace!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's hot out here on the strip,&quot; Alexander
+admitted, &quot;but its cool enough inside. Besides, you'll get
+used to this quickly enough - and the nights are wonderful. The
+evening rains cool things off. Well - come along.&quot; He began
+walking toward the arched entrance to the great building some
+hundred meters away. Kennon followed looking around curiously. So
+this was to be his home for the next five years? It didn't look
+particularly inviting. There was a forbidding air about the place
+that was in stark contrast to its pleasant surroundings.
+
+<P>They were only a few meters from the archway when a stir of
+movement came from its shadow - the first life Kennon had seen
+since they descended from the ship. In this furnace heat even the
+air was quiet. Two women came out of the darkness, moving with
+quiet graceful steps across the blistering hot concrete. They
+were naked except for a loincloth, halter, and sandals and so
+nearly identical in form and feature that Kennon took them to be
+twins. Their skins were burned a deep brown that glistened in the
+yellow sun light.
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. It was none of his business how his employer
+ran his household or what his servants wore or didn't wear.
+Santos was a planet of nudists, and certainly this hot sun was
+fully as brilliant as the one which warmed that tropical planet
+In fact, he could see some virtue in wearing as little as
+possible. Already he was perspiring.
+
+<P>The two women walked past them toward the airboat. Kennon
+turned to look at them and noticed with surprise that they
+weren't human. The long tails curled below their spinal bases
+were adequate denials of human ancestry.
+
+<P>&quot;Humanoids!&quot; he gasped. &quot;For a moment I
+thought-&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Gave you a start-eh?&quot; Alexander chuckled. &quot;It
+always does when a stranger sees a Lani for the first time. Well
+- now you've seen some of the livestock what do you think of
+them?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think you should have hired a medic.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander shook his head. &quot;No - it wouldn't be reason
+able or legal. You're the man for the job.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I've no experience with humanoid types. We didn't
+cover that phase in our studies - and from their appearance
+they'd qualify as humans anywhere if it weren't for those
+tails!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They're far more similar than you think,&quot; Alexander
+said. &quot;It just goes to show what parallel evolution can do.
+But there are differences.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I never knew that there was indigenous humanoid life on
+Kardon,&quot; Kennon continued. &quot;The manual says nothing
+about it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Naturally. They're indigenous only to this area.&quot;
+
+<P>
+
+
+<P>&quot;That's impossible. Species as highly organized as that
+simply don't originate on isolated islands.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;This was a subcontinent once,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;Most of it has been inundated. Less than a quarter of a
+million years ago there was over a hundred times the land area in
+this region than exists today. Then the ocean rose. Now all
+that's left is the mid continent plateau and a few mountain tops.
+You noted, I suppose, that this is mature topography except for
+that range of hills to the east. The whole land area at the time
+of flooding was virtually a peneplain. A rise of a few hundred
+feet in the ocean level was all that was needed to drown most of
+the land.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I see. Yes, it's possible that life could have developed
+here under those conditions. A peneplain topography argues
+permanence for hundreds of millions of years.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You have studied geology?&quot; Alexander asked
+curiously. &quot;Only as part of my cultural base,&quot; Kennon
+said. &quot;Merely a casual acquaintance.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We think the Lani were survivors of that catastrophe -
+and with their primitive culture they were unable to reach the
+other land masses,&quot; Alexander shrugged. &quot;At any rate
+they never established themselves anywhere else.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How did you happen to come here?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I was born here,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;My
+grandfather discovered this world better than four hundred years
+ago. He picked this area because it all could be comfortably
+included in Discovery Rights. It wasn't until years afterward
+that he realized the ecological peculiarities of this
+region.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He certainly capitalized on them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There was plenty of opportunity. The plants and animals
+here are different from others in this world. Like Australia in
+reverse.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked blank, and Alexander chuckled. &quot;Australia
+was a subcontinent on Earth,&quot; he explained. &quot;Its
+ecology, however, was exceedingly primitive when compared with
+the rest of the planet. Flora's on the contrary, was - and is -
+exceedingly advanced when compared with other native life forms
+on Kardon.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Your grandfather stumbled on a real bonanza,&quot;
+Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;For which I'm grateful,&quot; Alexander grinned.
+&quot;It's made me the biggest operator in this sector of the
+galaxy. For practical purposes I own an independent nation.
+There's about a thousand humans here, and nearly six thousand
+Lani. We're increasing the Lani now, since we found they have
+commercial possibilities. Up to thirty years ago we merely used
+them for labor.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon didn't speculate on what Alexander meant. He knew. For
+practical purposes, his employer was a slave trader - or would
+have been if the natives were human. As it was, the analogy was
+so close that it wasn't funny.
+
+<P>They entered the fortress, passed through a decontamination
+chamber that would have done credit to an exploration ship, and
+emerged dressed in tunics and sandals that were far more
+appropriate and comfortable in this tropical climate.
+
+<P>&quot;That's one of Old Doc's ideas,&quot; Alexander said,
+gesturing at the door from which they had emerged. &quot;He was a
+hound for sanitation and he infected us with the habit.&quot; He
+turned and led the way down an arched corridor that opened into a
+huge circular room studded with iris doors.
+
+<P>Kennon sucked his breath in with a low gasp of amazement. The
+room was a gem of exquisite beauty. The parquet floor was inlaid
+with rare hardwoods from a hundred different worlds. Parthian
+marble veneer covered with lacy Van tapestries from Santos formed
+the walls. Delicate ceramics, sculpture, and bronzes reflected
+the art of a score of different civilizations. A circular pool,
+festooned with lacelike Halsite ferns, stood in the center of the
+room, surrounding a polished black granite pedestal on which
+stood an exquisite bronze of four Lani females industriously and
+eternally pouring golden water from vases held in their shapely
+hands. &quot;Beautiful,&quot; Kennon said softly.
+
+<P>&quot;We like it,&quot; Alexander said.
+
+<P>&quot;We?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh yes - I forgot to tell you about the Family,&quot;
+Alexander said grimly. &quot;I run Outworld, and own fifty per
+cent of it. The Family owns the other fifty. There are eight of
+them - the finest collection of parasites in the entire galaxy.
+At the moment they can't block me since I also control my cousin
+Douglas's shares. But when Douglas comes of age they will be
+troublesome. Therefore I defer to them. I don't want to build a
+united opposition. Usually I can get one or more of them to vote
+with me on critical deals, but I always have to pay for their
+support.&quot; Alexander's voice was bitter as he touched the
+dilate button on the iris door beside him. &quot;You'll have to
+meet them tonight. There's five of them here now.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That isn't in the contract,&quot; Kennon said. He was
+appalled at Alexander. Civilized people didn't speak of others
+that way, even to intimates.
+
+<P>&quot;It can't be helped. You must meet them. It's part of the
+job.&quot; Alexander's voice was grim. &quot;Mother, Cousin Anne,
+Douglas, and Eloise like to play lord of the manor. Cousin Harold
+doesn't care - for which you should be grateful.&quot;
+
+<P>The door dilated, and Alexander ushered Kennon into the room.
+The Lani sitting on the couch opposite the door leaped to her
+feet, her mouth opening in an 0 of surprise. Her soft snow-white
+hair, creamy skin, and bright china blue eyes were a startling
+contrast to her black loincloth and halter. Kennon stared
+appreciatively.
+
+<P>Her effect on Alexander, however, was entirely different. His
+face darkened. &quot;You!&quot; he snapped. &quot;What are you
+doing here?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Serving, sir,&quot; the Lani said.
+
+<P>&quot;On whose authority?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Man Douglas, sir.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander groaned. &quot;You see,&quot; he said, turning to
+Kennon. &quot;We need someone here with a little sense. Like I
+was telling you, the Family'd&quot; - he stopped abruptly and
+turned back to the Lani. &quot;Your name and pedigree,&quot; he
+demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;Silver Dawn, sir - out of White Magic - platinum
+experimental type - strain four.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I thought so. How long have you been inhouse?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Almost a month, sir.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're terminated. Report to Goldie and tell her that
+Man Alexander wants you sent back to your group.&quot;
+
+<P>The Lani's eyes widened. &quot;Man Alexander! - You?&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;Gosh!&quot; she breathed. &quot;The big boss!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Get moving,&quot; Alexander snapped, &quot;and tell
+Goldie to report to me in my quarters.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, sir, right away, sir!&quot; The Lath ran,
+disappearing through the door they had entered with a flash of
+shapely white limbs.
+
+<P>&quot;That Douglas!&quot; Alexander growled. &quot;Leave that
+young fool alone here for six months and he'd disrupt the entire
+operation. The nerve of that young pup - requisitioning an
+experimental type for household labor. Just what does he think
+he's doing?&quot;
+
+<P>The question obviously didn't demand a reply, so Kennon kept
+discreetly silent as Alexander crossed the room to the two doors
+flanking the couch on which the Lani had sat. He opened the
+left-hand one revealing a modern grav-shaft that carried them
+swiftly to the uppermost level. They walked down a short corridor
+and stopped before another door. It opened into a suite furnished
+with stark functional simplicity. It fitted the entrepreneur's
+outward personality so exactly that Kennon had no doubt that this
+was Alexander's quarters.
+
+<P>&quot;Sit down, Kennon. Relax while you can,&quot; Alexander
+said as he dropped into a chair and crossed his sandaled feet.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm sure you have many questions, but they can
+wait.&quot;
+
+<P>You might as well get some rest. You'll have little enough
+later. The Family will probably put you through the meat grinder,
+but remember that they don't control this business. You're my
+man.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon had hardly seated himself in another chair when the
+door opened and a plump pink-skinned Lani entered. She was
+considerably older than the silver-haired one he had seen
+earlier, and her round face was smiling.
+
+<P>&quot;Ah, Goldie,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;I understand Man
+Douglas has been giving you quite a time.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's high time you came back, sir,&quot; she said.
+&quot;Since Old Doc died, Man Douglas has been impossible. He's
+been culling the staff and replacing them with empty-headed
+fillies whose only claim to usefulness is that they can fill out
+a halter. Pretty soon this place will be a pigsty.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll take care of that,&quot; Alexander promised.
+&quot;Now I'd like you to meet Old Doc's replacement. This is Dr.
+Kennon, our new veterinarian.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Pleased, I'm sure,&quot; Goldie said. &quot;You look
+like a nice man.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He is,&quot; Alexander said, &quot;but he's just as hard
+as Old Doc - and he'll have the same powers. Goldie's the head
+housekeeper,&quot; Alexander added. &quot;She's an expert, and
+you'd do well to take her advice on assignments.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;Have a maid bring us a light meal and something to
+drink,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;Have a couple of porters take
+Dr. Kennon's things to Old Doc's house. Find Man Douglas and tell
+him I want to see him at once. Tell the Family that I've arrived
+and will see them in the Main Lounge at eight tonight. Tell
+Blalok I'll be seeing him at nine. That's all.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, sir,&quot; Goldie said and left the room, her tail
+curling buoyantly.
+
+<P>&quot;A good Lani,&quot; Alexander commented. &quot;One of the
+best. Loyal, trustworthy, intelligent. She's been running
+Alexandria for the past ten years, and should be good for at
+least ten more.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ten? - how old is she?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Thirty.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Thirty - <I>years</I>?&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;Good Lord Lister! I'd have guessed her at least three
+hundred!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long
+as we do. They're mature at twelve and dead at fifty.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander sighed. &quot;That's another difference. Even
+without agerone we'd live to be a hundred.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Have you tried gerontological injections?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five
+Lani with them.&quot; Alexander's face darkened at an unpleasant
+memory. &quot;So we don't try any more,&quot; he said.
+&quot;There are too many differences.&quot; He stretched.
+&quot;I'd tell you more about them but it'll be better to hear it
+from Evald Blalok. He's our superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell
+you a lot, too. He runs the Lani Division. But right now let's
+wait for Cousin Douglas. The pup will take his time about coming
+- but he'll do it in the end. He's afraid not to.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'd rather not,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;It's poor
+manners to be injected into a family affair - especially when I'm
+just one of the employees.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're <I>not</I> just one of the employees. You are the
+Station Veterinarian, and as such you hold an authority second
+only to Blalok and myself. You and Blalok are my hands, ears, and
+eyes on Flora. You are responsible to me - and to me alone. While
+I defer at times to the desires of the Family, I do not have to.
+I run Outworld Enterprises and all the extensions of that
+organization. I possess control  - and the Family knows it. My
+men are respected and furthermore they know everything that goes
+on.&quot; He smiled icily. &quot;In a way it's quite a healthy
+situation. It keeps my relatives under control. Somehow they
+dislike being disciplined before outsiders. Now think no more
+about it.&quot; Alexander stood up and walked over to one of the
+windows opening onto the broad roof gardens, and stood looking at
+the sun-drenched greenery.
+
+<P>&quot;Odd, isn't it,&quot; Alexander said, &quot;how beautiful
+nature is and how simple things are in a state of nature. It's
+only when man interjects himself onto a scene that things get
+complicated. Take Flora for instance. Before Grandfather came
+here, it must have been a pleasant place with the simple natives
+happy in their paradise. But that's all changed now. We have
+taken over - and they, like other lesser creatures on other
+worlds, have been bent to our will and uses. I could pity them,
+but being human I cannot afford that luxury.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon understood. He, too, had felt that sensation, that odd
+tightening of the throat when he first saw a Varl on Santos. The
+Varl had been the dominant life form there until men had come.
+Now they were just another animal added to humanity's growing
+list of pets and livestock. The little Varl with their
+soft-furred bodies and clever six-fingered hands made excellent
+pets and precision workmen. The products of those clever hands,
+the tiny instruments, the delicate microminiaturized control
+circuits, the incredibly fine lacework and tapestries, formed the
+bulk of Santos' interstellar trade.
+
+<P>He had owned a Varl once and had delighted in its almost human
+intelligence. But the Varl weren't human and there lay their
+tragedy. Two thousand years of human domination had left them
+completely dependent on their conquerors. They were merely
+intelligent animals - and that was all they would ever be until
+the human race changed its cultural pattern or was overthrown.
+The one alternative was as unlikely as the other. Humanity had
+met some fierce competitors, but none with its explosive
+acquisitive nature, and none with its drive to conquer, colonize,
+and rule. And probably it never would.
+
+<P>The little Varl were one race among hundreds that had fallen
+before the fierceness and the greed of men. But unlike most
+others, the Varl were not combative. Therefore they had survived.
+
+<P>Yet had it been necessary to reduce them to slavery? They
+would never be a threat. Not only were they essentially gentle
+and noncombative, but their delicate bodies could not stand the
+strains of spaceflight. They were trapped on their world. Why
+should they be forced into so subordinate a role? - Why was
+humanity so jealous of its dominance that no other species could
+exist except by sufferance? Why after five thousand years of
+exploration, invasion, and colonization did the human race still
+consider the galaxy as its oyster, and themselves uniquely
+qualified to hold the knife? He hadn't thought this way since he
+had given the Varl to his girl friend of the moment, and had
+blasted off for Beta. Now the questions returned to haunt him. As
+a Betan, the haunting was even more acute, since Beta had a
+related problem that was already troublesome and would become
+more acute as the years passed.
+
+<P>He shrugged and laid the thought aside as a slim, dark-haired
+Lani entered pushing a service cart ahead of her. The two men ate
+silently, each busy with his own thoughts. And behind the view
+wall of Alexander's apartment Kardon's brilliant yellow sun sank
+slowly toward the horizon, filling the sky with flaming colors of
+red and gold, rimmed by the blues and purples of approaching
+night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant, Kennon thought with mild
+distaste, unlike the restful day-end displays of his homeworld.
+
+<P>CHAPTER IV
+
+<P>Douglas Alexander was a puffy-faced youngster with small
+intolerant eyes set in folds of fat above a button nose and a
+loose-lipped sensual mouth. There was an odd expression of
+defiance overlaid with fear on his pudgy features. Looking at
+him, Kennon was reminded of a frightened dog, ready either to
+bite or cower.
+
+<P>But it wasn't Douglas who held his eye. It was the two Lani
+who followed him into the room. Every line of their bodies was
+perfection that spoke volumes about generations of breeding for
+physical elegance. They moved with a co-ordinated grace that made
+Douglas look even more clumsy by contrast. And they were
+identical, twin cream-and-gold works of art. They were completely
+nude - and Kennon for the first time in his life fully
+appreciated the beauty of an unclad female. To cover them would
+be sacrilege, and ornaments would only detract from their
+exquisite perfection.
+
+<P>Kennon knew that he was staring like an idiot. Alexander's
+amused smile told him that much. With an effort he composed his
+startled features.
+
+<P>The pair looked at him with soft violet eyes - and it was as
+though some psychic bathhouse attendant had poured ice water down
+his spine. For he had seen that look before, that liquid
+introspective look in the velvet eyes of cattle. He shivered. For
+a moment he had been thinking of them as human. And somehow the
+lack of that indefinable some thing called humanity robbed them
+of much of their glamour. They were still beautiful, but their
+beauty had become impersonal.
+
+
+<P>&quot;Don't take these as representative of the Lani,&quot;
+Alexander said suddenly. &quot;They're a special case, a very
+special case.&quot; He glared at his cousin. &quot;Damn your
+impudence,&quot; he said without beat. &quot;I sent for you - not
+your toys. Send them away.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas sulkily thrust out his lower lip. &quot;You can't talk
+to me like that, Cousin Alex,&quot; he began. &quot;I'm just
+a&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You head me, Douglas. <I>Out!</I>&quot; Alexander's
+voice didn't rise but it cut like a whip.
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, very well,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;I can't fight
+you - yet.&quot; He turned to the humanoids. &quot;You heard the
+Boss-man. Go home.&quot;
+
+<P>The two nodded in unison and departed quickly. Somehow Kennon
+got the impression that they were happy to leave.
+
+<P>&quot;Just wait,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;You can't boss me
+forever. Just wait. I'll reach my majority in five years. I can
+vote my shares then - and then I'll fix you. You won't be so high
+and mighty then, Mr. Big. I'll throw in with the rest of the
+Family. They don't like you too much.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't hold your breath waiting for the Family to help
+you,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;They wouldn't have anyone else
+but me handle the finances. They love money too much. And until
+you get your inheritance remember one thing - I'm master
+here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know it,&quot; Douglas said, and then curiously -
+&quot;Who's the oddball?&quot; He gestured at Kennon with a pudgy
+thumb.
+
+<P>&quot;Our new veterinarian, Dr. Kennon.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh - great! Now you tell me!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's nothing like making a good first
+impression,&quot; Alexander said with ironic emphasis. &quot;I
+hope he cuts you off from the Lani. He'll have the authority to
+do it, since he's taking Old Doc's place.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He can't. I'm an owner. I own-&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You own nothing. You're a minor. And under the terms of
+Grandfather's will, you'll own nothing except an allowance until
+you reach legal age. And that brings me to the reason I brought
+you here. Just when did you gain the right to reorganize the
+household staff? Just when did you get  the power to interfere
+with the experimental program?&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas flushed dull red and bit his lip. &quot;Do we have to
+go into this in front of strangers?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Kennon's my agent,&quot; Alexander said coldly,
+&quot;and he might as well learn about you and the others from
+the start.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well - what do you want him to do - watch me
+crawl?&quot; Douglas asked bitterly. &quot;You'll make me do it.
+You always do. Do you want me to beg, to say I was wrong, to
+promise I won't do it again?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You've done that already,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;Several times. You need a lesson. I won't have you meddling
+with valuable animals.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And what are you going to do about it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Put you where you can do no more damage. As of tomorrow
+you'll go to Otpen One.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas paled. His lips quivered, and his eyes flicked
+uneasily as he watched Alexander's granite face. &quot;You don't
+mean that,&quot; he said finally. &quot;You're joking.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I never joke about business.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But you can't do that! I'll tell the Family. They won't
+let you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I already have their consent,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;I obtained it after your last escapade. You'll be happy out
+there. You can play tin god all you like. Master of life and
+death on a two-acre island. No one will mind. You can also go to
+work. No one will mind that, either. And Mullins won't mind as
+long as you leave the troops alone. Now get out of here and get
+packed. You're leaving tomorrow morning.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But cousin Alex---&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Move! I'm tired of the sight of you!&quot; Alexander
+said.
+
+<P>Douglas turned and shambled out of the room. His ego was
+thoroughly deflated and he seemed more frightened than before.
+Obviously the Otpens weren't the pleasantest place in this world.
+
+<P>&quot;They're a military post,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;And
+Commander Mullins doesn't like Douglas. Can't say that I blame
+him. Douglas is a thoroughly unpleasant specimen, and
+incidentally quite typical of the rest of the Family.&quot;
+Alexander sighed and spread his hands in a gesture that combined
+disgust and resignation. &quot;Sometimes I wonder why I have been
+cursed with my relatives.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. The implications behind the empty eyes of
+Douglas's Lani sickened him. There were several ways to produce
+that expression, all of them unpleasant. Hypnoconditioning, the
+Quiet Treatment, brainburning, transorbital leukotomy, lobectomy
+- -all of the products of that diseased period of humanity's
+thinking when men tampered with the brains of other men in an
+effort to cure psychic states. Psychiatry had passed that period,
+at least on the civilized worlds, where even animal experiments
+were frowned upon as unnecessary cruelty.
+
+<P>&quot;You saw those two Lani,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;Grandfather had them made that way as a birthday present
+for Douglas. He was getting senile. He died a year later. You'd
+think a man would be ashamed to keep things like that around --
+but not Douglas. He <I>likes</I> them.&quot; Alexander's voice
+was tinged with contempt. &quot;He knows they disgust me -- so he
+parades them in. I could strangle that pup sometimes!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wondered about it. I wouldn't like to work for a man
+who permitted such things.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That was done before I took over. For the past three
+years there have been no dockings, no mutilations. I can't see
+treating a helpless animal like that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I feel better about it,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I
+didn't think you were that sort.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Understand me,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;I'm always
+opposed to senseless cruelty and waste -- particularly when it's
+dangerous. Docked Lani are the height of stupidity. Just because
+someone wants a pet that is an exact duplicate of a human being
+is no reason to risk a court action. Those Lani, and a few others
+whose tails have been docked, could be a legal bombshell if they
+ever left Flora.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon was jolted. He had been thinking of mental mutilation
+and Alexander had been talking physical. Naturally they would be
+dangerous property. Anyone attempting to sell a docked Lani would
+probably be thrown in Detention and charged with slave trading.
+
+<P>&quot;Did you ever figure the cost of taking a legal action
+through our court system?&quot; Alexander asked. &quot;Even the
+small ones set you back four or five thousand, and a first-class
+action like a Humanity Trial could cost over a million.
+Grandfather found that out. Sure, there are differences between
+Lani and humans, but a smart lawyer can make them seem trivial
+until the final test and that would drag on for nearly two years
+until all the requirements were satisfied -- and by that time the
+unfavorable publicity would drop sales to zero. The Family would
+be on my neck for lost dividends, and I'd lose much of the
+control I hold over them.
+
+<P>&quot;Sure, it's possible that prehensile tails could be
+produced by mutation, but so far as we know it hasn't happened in
+human history. As a result, the tail serves as a trade-mark -
+something that can be easily recognized by anyone. So we sell
+them intact.&quot; Alexander crossed his legs and settled back in
+his chair. &quot;Shocks you, doesn't it?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. &quot;Yes,&quot; he admitted. &quot;It
+does.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know. You can't help it. Most of our new employees
+think the Lani are human - at first. They learn better, but
+adjustment is always a strain. They keep confusing external
+appearances with the true article. But remember this -- Lani are
+not human. They're animals. And on this island they're treated as
+what they are -- no more, no less. They are a part of our
+economics and are bred, fed, and managed according to sound
+livestock principles. Despite some of the things you may see here
+in Alexandria, don't forget that. You are a veterinarian. Your
+job is to handle disease problems in animals. Lani are animals.
+Therefore you will be doing your job. I was disappointed in your
+reaction when you first saw them, but I suppose it was natural.
+At any rate this should clear the air.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It does -- intellectually,&quot; Kennon admitted.
+&quot;But the physical resemblance is so close that it is
+difficult to accept.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander smiled. &quot;Don't worry. You'll accept it in time.
+Now I think it's time that you met the Family.&quot;
+
+<P>CHAPTER V
+
+<P>The main salon was crowded. The huge room, glittering with
+mirrors and crystal, floored with thick carpets, and hung with
+rich drapes, had something of the appearance of a Sarkian harem.
+Although there were only five of the Alexander family present,
+there were at least twenty Lani whose costumes ranged from the
+black G string and halter of the household staff to the utter
+nudity of Douglas's playthings. They were all female, and Kennon
+wondered for a moment what a male was like.
+
+<P>Besides Alexander, there were two men and three women:
+Douglas, still with his sulky expression, an older man in his
+late nineties who looked like Douglas's eider brother, two mature
+women who could be any age from fifty to three hundred, and a
+girl. She might have been thirty -- perhaps younger, perhaps
+older, a lean feminine edition of Alexander, with the same
+intriguing face and veiled predatory look. There was a hardness
+about her that was absent in the others. Kennon had the feeling
+that whatever this girl did, she didn't do it half way.
+
+<P>&quot;My sister Eloise,&quot; Alexander said in a low voice.
+&quot;Watch out for her. She's as deadly as a puff adder and she
+collects men. The other man is Douglas's father, Henry. The plump
+redhead beside him is his wife, Anne. The other woman is my
+mother, Clara, even though Eloise and I don't look like her. We
+take after Father.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where's he?&quot; Kennon whispered.
+
+<P>&quot;Dead,&quot; Alexander replied. &quot;He was killed
+twenty years ago.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'd like to present Dr. Jac Kennon, our new
+veterinarian,&quot; Alexander said into the hush that followed
+their entrance. The introductions that followed were in proper
+form, and Kennon was beginning to feel more at ease until Eloise
+sent one of her Lani with a summons. He looked around for
+Alexander, but the entrepreneur was the center of a
+three-cornered argument, hemmed in by Douglas, Henry, and Anne.
+Henry's voice was raised in bitter protest that Alexander was
+exceeding his authority. He shrugged. There was no help there.
+
+<P>&quot;All right,&quot; he said, &quot;tell your mistress I'll
+be along in a moment.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, Doctor,&quot; the Lani said, &quot;but the Woman
+Eloise says for you to come, and she is not accustomed to being
+disobeyed.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Tell her what I said,&quot; Kennon replied. &quot;I
+shall be there directly.&quot; He crossed to the table and
+examined it, selecting a cluster of odd purple fruit which looked
+more interesting than it tasted. When he had finished he walked
+leisurely over to where Eloise sat.
+
+<P>She looked at him angrily. &quot;I am accustomed to being
+obeyed by my employees,&quot; she said coldly. Her dark eyes,
+oddly like her brother's, traversed his hard body like twin
+scanners.
+
+<P>He returned her appraising stare with one of his own.
+&quot;I'm not your employee,&quot; he said bluntly. &quot;I was
+hired by your brother, and there's a full peeper rider on my
+contract.&quot; His eyes traveled slowly over her carefully
+arranged hair, her make-up, her jewelry at throat and arms, her
+painted finger-  and toenails, and then across the slim
+small-breasted lines of her body half revealed under her thin
+ankle-length tunic of Lyranian silk.
+
+<P>&quot;Satisfied?&quot; she asked.
+
+<P>&quot;On Beta,&quot; he said bluntly, &quot;your appearance
+would qualify you for a parasite camp. Six months of hard labor
+would do you no end of good. You're soft, lazy, and
+undisciplined.&quot;
+
+<P>Eloise gasped. &quot;Why, you----&quot;she sputtered.
+
+<P>&quot;And perhaps next time you'll learn to be polite,&quot;
+Kennon continued imperturbably. &quot;After all, the superficial
+attributes of good breeding are not too hard to
+counterfeit.&quot;
+
+<P>To his surprise, Eloise giggled. &quot;You bite, don't
+you?&quot; she asked. &quot;Remind me to remember that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I shall.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course, your actions weren't good breeding
+either.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Admitted -- but I've never pretended to be what I'm not.
+I'm the son of a spaceship skipper, and I'm a veterinarian.
+That's all.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's not all. You are also a man.&quot; Her face was
+sober, &quot;It's been some time since I've met one. I'd almost
+forgotten they existed.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's your brother.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Alex? -- he's a money making machine. Come -- sit beside
+me and let's talk.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;About what?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You -- me -- your job, your life -- anything you
+wish?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That line isn't exactly new,&quot; Kennon grinned.
+
+<P>&quot;I know,&quot; she admitted, &quot;but it usually
+works.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm immune.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's what you think.&quot; Eloise's eyes were frankly
+appraising. &quot;I think I could become interested in you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have a job here. I don't think I would have time to
+give you the attention you'd demand.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I get bored easily. It probably wouldn't be long before
+I would be tired of you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps -- and perhaps not, I can't afford to take the
+chance.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You seem confident.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You forget. I was a sailor.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And spacemen have a reputation, eh?&quot; Eloise
+chuckled.
+
+<P>&quot;At that, you might be right. I remember the first
+officer of--&quot;she let the thought die. &quot;But I became
+tired of him,&quot; she finished.
+
+<P>Kennon smiled. &quot;I've never had that complaint.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps you'd like to make the acid test?&quot; she
+asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps,&quot; he said. &quot;But not tonight.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Tomorrow then? Alex will be leaving in the morning. He
+never stays more than a few hours.&quot; Eloise's eyes were
+bright, her lips moist and red.
+
+<P>&quot;I'll pick the time,&quot; Kennon said -- and added to
+himself, &quot;If ever.&quot; Despite her wealth Eloise was no
+different from the port-of-call girls. If anything, she was worse
+since she had enough money to implement her desires. They were
+merely in the trade for business reasons. No -- Eloise would be
+something to steer clear of. Alexander was right. She was a
+mantrap. He stood up and bowed Betan fashion. &quot;I see your
+brother is free now. He wants to brief me on my duties here. We
+were discussing it before we entered.&quot;
+
+<P>Eloise pouted. &quot;You can always do that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You said yourself that Alexander never stays here very
+long. I would be a poor employee if I delayed him.&quot; He
+grinned knowingly at her and she smiled back with complete
+understanding.
+
+<P>&quot;Very well, then. Get your business done. Your pleasure
+can wait.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon steered Alexander over to an open window that led to a
+balcony. &quot;Whew! he said. &quot;I see what you mean.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;She's a tartar,&quot; Alexander agreed. &quot;I suspect
+that she's a nymphomaniac.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You suspect?&quot; Kennon asked. &quot;By this time you
+should know. Let's get out of here. I've had about all of your
+sister I care to take.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Can't say as I blame you. I'll show you to your
+quarters. Maybe Old Doc left a bottle or two, although I suspect
+the old sinner hung on until the last one was empty.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If he had to put up with your relatives as a steady
+diet, I can't say that I blame him,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Careful, Doctor. You're talking about my kinfolk,&quot;
+Alexander said wryly. &quot;At that, though, you have a
+point.&quot; The two men slipped quietly from the room.
+Apparently none of the Family was conscious of their departure
+except Eloise, who watched them leave with an enigmatic
+expression on her narrow face.
+
+<P>They left the fortress through the rear gate and walked slowly
+down the winding path that led to the cluster of buildings in the
+valley below. It was a beautiful night, calm and clear with the
+stars shining down from the dark vault of the heavens. The
+constellations were strange, and Kennon missed the moons. Beta
+had three, two of which were always in the sky, but Kardon was
+moonless. Somehow it gave the sky an empty look.
+
+<P>A damp coolness rose from the ground as the evening rain
+evaporated mistily into the still air. Kennon sniffed the odor of
+soil and growing vegetation, clean pleasant odors in contrast to
+what he had left. In the distance a bird called sleepily from one
+of the fortress turrets and was answered by some creature Kennon
+couldn't identify. A murmur of blended sound came from the valley
+below, punctuated by high-pitched laughter. Someone was singing,
+or perhaps chanting would be a better description. The melody was
+strange and the words unrecognizable. The thin whine of an
+atomotor in the fortress's generating plant slowly built up to a
+keening undertone that blended into the pattern of half-perceived
+sound.
+
+<P>&quot;Nice, isn't it?&quot; Alexander remarked as they rounded
+another turn on the switchback path.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes. You can't hear a sound from back there except for
+that generator. It's almost as though we shut those people out of
+existence by merely closing a door.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wish it were that simple,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;But doors that can be closed can also be opened. Well -
+think you'll like it here?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think so, providing I don't have to entertain your
+relatives.''
+
+<P>&quot;You mean Eloise? Don't worry about her. She's as fickle
+as the wind.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've never seen anyone so frankly predatory,&quot;
+Kennon said. &quot;She worries me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They'll all be gone tomorrow -- except for Eloise,&quot;
+Alexander said with mock comfort. &quot;Douglas is on the Otpens
+for a year, and the others are off somewhere.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You'll be staying, I suppose.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- I'm afraid I can't.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hoped you'd help me get organized. This whole thing
+has been something of a shock. I was expecting something entirely
+different.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry -- someone has to run the business. But Blalok'll
+brief you. Actually he's more qualified than I. He knows
+everything worth knowing about this place. We're going past his
+house in a minute--want to stop in and see him?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's pretty late.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not for Blalok. He's a Mystic -- a nocturnal. He's
+probably doing his work now.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps we shouldn't disturb him.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Nonsense. He's used to it. I visit him frequently at
+night.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sure -- but you're the boss.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- in a sense you are too. At least in the
+veterinary end of this business.&quot; Alexander swung sharply to
+the left and climbed a short flight of stairs that led to the
+nearest house. Lights flared on the deep porch, and the
+old-fashioned  iris door dilated to frame the black silhouette of
+a stocky, broad-shouldered man.
+
+<P>&quot;Good evening, sir,&quot; he said. &quot;I was expecting
+you. That the new vet with you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Your pipeline's still working, I see,&quot; Alexander
+said. &quot;Yes, this is Dr. Kennon -- Evald Blalok -- I wanted
+you two to meet.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon liked the gray middle-aged man. He looked honest and
+competent, a solid quiet man with a craggy face and the deep-set
+eyes of a Mystic. His skin had the typical thickness and pore
+prominence of the dwellers on that foggy world from which he
+came. But unlike the natives of Myst, his skin was burned a dark
+brown by Kardon's sun. He seemed out of place on this tropic
+world, but Kennon reflected wryly that there was probably more
+than one misplaced human here, himself included.
+
+<P>&quot;I've been going over Station Fourteen's records with
+Jordan,'' Blalok said as he ushered them into the house. A tall
+black-haired man rose as they entered.
+
+<P>&quot;Skip the formality, Jordan. Sit down,&quot; Alexander
+said, &quot;and meet Dr. Kennon -- Steve Jordan -- Jordan runs
+the Lani Division.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded acknowledgment as Alexander continued,
+&quot;What's this trouble at Fourteen?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't know. We've got an epizootic of something.
+Another youngster died this morning, and there's three more that
+look pretty bad, jaundice, no appetite, complaining of muscular
+pains. Same symptoms as took the others. The one this morning
+makes the fourth this month, and we're only half through
+it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Are all your losses in this one station?&quot; Kennon
+asked.
+
+<P>&quot;No -- but it's worst there.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't like losses like that,&quot; Alexander said.
+
+<P>&quot;Neither do I,&quot; Jordan replied.
+
+<P>&quot;This isn't Jordan's fault, sir,&quot; Blalok said
+quickly. &quot;As you know, we haven't had a vet for three
+months.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Two,&quot; Alexander corrected.
+
+<P>&quot;Three -- Old Doc wasn't around at all the month before
+he died,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;As a result we've got a
+problem. We need professional help.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well here he is -- use him,&quot; Alexander said. He
+looked at Kennon, a trace of amusement on his face. &quot;There's
+nothing like getting into things early.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Particularly when one comes into them stone cold,&quot;
+Kennon added. &quot;It's a poor way to start a career.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We can't afford to wait,&quot; Jordan said. &quot;We
+need help.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll see what can be done,&quot; Kennon replied.
+&quot;Have you saved the body?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Every one of them,&quot; Jordan said. &quot;They're in
+the hospital in the autopsy room.&quot;
+
+<P>That was sensible. A post-mortem might give us an answer.
+Where's the hospital?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll show you,&quot; Jordan offered.
+
+<P>&quot;Count me out,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;I have a weak
+stomach.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll go along if it's necessary,&quot; Blalok said.
+
+<P>&quot;There's a staff there, Old Doc trained them,&quot;
+Jordan said.
+
+<P>&quot;Then it shouldn't be necessary,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>Blalok sighed with relief and turned to Alexander. &quot;We
+could check the records while those two are about their bloody
+work.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'd rather check a long strong drink,&quot; Alexander
+replied. &quot;What with the Family and this, it's too much to
+take for one evening.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon hid a smile. Alexander had a weak spot. He was
+squeamish. That was a good thing to know.
+
+<P>CHAPTER VI
+
+<P>Jordan opened the door of the two-story building below
+Blalok's house. &quot;This is it,&quot; he said, &quot;just
+outside your front door. Convenient -- no?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Too convenient,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;also too quiet.
+Isn't anyone on duty?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wouldn't know. Old Doc never kept the place open at
+night.&quot;
+
+<P>There was a stir of movement in the darkness, the lights
+flashed on, and a sleepy-eyed Lani blinked at them in the sudden
+glare. She looked blankly at Kennon and then brightened as she
+saw Jordan. &quot;What's the trouble, sir?&quot; she asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Nothing. We want to look at the Lani I sent down this
+morning -- Dr. Kennon would like to inspect the carcass.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're the new doctor?&quot; the Lani asked. &quot;Thank
+goodness you've come! I'll get the staff. I'll be back in a
+moment.&quot; She stepped quickly over to the switchboard beside
+the door and punched five buttons. Four more humanoids came into
+the room, followed a little later by a fifth.
+
+<P>&quot;Where's the emergency?&quot; one asked.
+
+<P>&quot;He is -- it's our new doctor.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;More females,&quot; Kennon muttered to himself. He
+turned to Jordan. &quot;Aren't there any males in this
+crew?&quot;
+
+<P>Jordan stared at him with mild surprise. &quot;No, sir --
+didn't you know? There are no male Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;<I>What?</I>&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Just that,&quot; Jordan said. &quot;Only females. There
+hasn't been a male on the island since Old Man Alexander took
+over. He killed them all.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But that's impossible! How do they reproduce?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ever hear of artificial fertilization?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sure -- but that's a dead end. The offspring are
+haploids and they're sterile. The line would die out in a
+generation.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not the Lani--you can see for yourself. We've been using
+the technique here for better than four centuries, and we're
+still doing all right. Over forty generations so far, and from
+the looks of things we can go on indefinitely.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But how is it done?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't know. That's Alexander's secret. The Boss-man
+doesn't tell us everything. All I know is that we get results.
+Old Doc knew how it was done, and I suppose you will too, but
+don't ask me. I'm dumb.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. Maybe -- maybe not. At any rate there was no
+sense in belaboring the point. He turned to the staff. Five of
+them were the same big-boned heavy-framed type that apparently
+did most of the manual labor. The sixth, the late arrival, was an
+elegant creature, a bronze-skinned, green-eyed minx with an elfin
+face half hidden under a wavy mass of red-brown hair. Unlike the
+others, she had been docked - and in contrast to their heavy eyes
+and sleep-puffed features she was alert and lively. She flashed
+him an impish grin, revealing clean white teeth.
+
+<P>Kennon smiled back. He couldn't help it. And suddenly the
+tension and strangeness was broken. He felt oddly at ease.
+&quot;Which of you are on duty?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>&quot;All of us,&quot; the redhead replied, &quot;if it's
+necessary. What do you want us to do?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He's already told me. He wants that last carcass prepped
+for a post-mortem,&quot; the nightcall Lani said.
+
+<P>&quot;Good,&quot; the redhead said. &quot;It'll be nice to get
+to work again.&quot; She turned to face Kennon. &quot;Now, Doctor
+-- would you like to see your office? Old Doc left a fine
+collection of notes on Lani anatomy and perhaps you could do with
+a little review.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I could do with a lot of it,&quot; Kennon admitted.
+&quot;Unless the inner structure of a Lani is as similar to human
+as their outer.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There are differences,&quot; the redhead admitted.
+&quot;After all, we aren't quite alike.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps I'd better do some reading,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;You need me any more?&quot; Jordan asked.
+
+<P>&quot;No -- I think not.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Good. I'll get back. Frankly, I don't like this any
+better than Blalok or the boss, but I'm low man on that pole. See
+you later.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled as Jordan left. &quot;Now, let's get ready for
+that cadaver,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Carcass, doctor,&quot; the redhead corrected. &quot;A
+cadaver is a dead <I>human</I> body.&quot; She accented the
+&quot;human.&quot;
+
+<P>Even in death there is no equality, Kennon thought. He nodded
+and the Lani led the way to a door which opened into a good-sized
+office, liberally covered with bookshelves. An old-fashioned
+plastic desk, some office cybernetics, a battered voicewriter,
+and a few chairs completed the furnishings. The redhead placed
+several large folio volumes in front of him and stepped back from
+the desk as he leafed rapidly through the color plates. It was an
+excellent atlas. Dr. Williamson had been a careful and competent
+workman.
+
+<P>Half an hour later, well fortified with a positional knowledge
+of Lani viscera, Kennon looked up at the redhead. She was still
+standing patiently, a statue of red-gold and bronze.
+
+<P>&quot;Get a smock and let's go,&quot; he said. &quot;No --
+wait a minute.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, sir?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What's your name? I don't want to say 'Hey you!'&quot;
+
+<P>She smiled. &quot;It's Copper Glow - want my pedigree
+too?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- it wouldn't mean anything to me. Do they call you
+Copper or Glow? or both?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Just Copper, sir.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Very well, Copper - let's get going.&quot;
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>The body of the dead Lani lay on the steel table, waxy and
+yellowish in the pitiless light of the fluorescents. She had been
+hardly more than a child. Kennon felt a twinge of pity - so young
+- so young to die. And as he looked he was conscious of another
+feeling.
+
+<P>It had been an open secret among his classmates that he had
+refused an offer to study human medicine because of his aversion
+to dissecting cadavers. The sarcoplastic models were all right,
+but when it came to flesh, Kennon didn't have the stomach for it.
+And now, the sight of the dead humanoid brought back the same
+cold sweat and gut-wrenching nausea that had caused him to turn
+to veterinary medicine eight years ago.
+
+<P>He fought the spasms back as he approached the table and made
+the external examination. Icterus and a swollen abdomen - the
+rest was essentially normal. And he knew with cold certainty that
+he could not lay a scalpel edge upon that cold flesh. It was too
+human, too like his own.
+
+<P>&quot;Are you ready, Doctor?&quot; the Lani standing across
+the table from him asked. &quot;Shall I expose the viscera?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon's stomach froze. Of course! He should have realized! No
+pathologist did his own dissection. He examined. And that he
+could do. It was the tactile, not the visual sensations that
+upset him. He nodded. &quot;The abdominal viscera first,&quot; he
+said.
+
+<P>The Lani laid back the skin and musculature with bold, sure
+strokes. An excellent prosectress, Kennon thought. Kennon pointed
+at the swollen liver and the Lani deftly severed its attachments
+and laid the organ out for inspection. The cause of death was
+obvious. The youngster had succumbed to a massive liver-fluke
+infestation. It was the worst he had ever seen. The bile ducts
+were thick, calcified and choked with literally thousands of the
+gray-green leaf-shaped trematodes.
+
+<P>&quot;Let's look at the others,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>Two more post-mortems confirmed the diagnosis. Except for
+minor differences, the lesions were identical. He removed a few
+of the flukes and set them aside for further study.
+
+<P>&quot;Well that's that,&quot; he said. &quot;You can clean up
+now.&quot;
+
+<P>He had found the criminal, and now the problem assumed the
+fascinating qualities of a crime hunt. Now he must act to prevent
+further murders, to reconstruct the crime, to find the <I>modus
+operandi</I>, to track the fluke to its source, and to execute it
+before it could do more harm.
+
+<P>Photographs and tri-dis would have to be taken, the parasite
+would have to be identified and its sensitivity to therapy
+determined. Studies would have to be made on its life cycle, and
+the means by which it gained entrance to its host. It wouldn't be
+simple, because this trematode was probably <I>Hepatodirus
+hominis</I>, and it was tricky. It adapted, like the species it
+parasitized.
+
+<P>Kennon leaned back from the microscope and studied the
+illustrations in the parasitology text. No matter how much
+<I>Hepatodirus</I> changed its life cycle, it could not change
+its adult form. The arrangements of the suckers and genital
+structures were typical. Old Doc's library on parasites was too
+inadequate for more than diagnosis. He would have to wait for his
+own books to be uncrated before he could do more than apply
+symptomatic treatment. He sighed and rose slowly to his feet.
+Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
+
+<P>The door opened behind Mm and Copper slipped quietly into the
+office. She looked at him curiously, a faint half-shy smile on
+her face.
+
+<P>&quot;What is it?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Are you ready to fill out the autopsy protocol? It's
+customary.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's also customary to knock on a door before
+entering.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Is it? Old Doc never mentioned it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not Old Doc.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No, you're not,&quot; she admitted. &quot;You're much
+younger - and far more beautiful. Old Doc was a fat, gray old
+man.&quot; She paused and eyed Kennon appraisingly with a look on
+her pointed face that was the virtual twin of Eloise's. &quot;I
+think I'll like working for you if you're as nice as you are
+pretty.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You don't call a <I>man</I> beautiful or pretty!&quot;
+Kennon exploded.
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It just isn't done&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're a funny human,&quot; she said. &quot;I called Old
+Doc beautiful, and he didn't mind.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's different. He was an old man.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What difference does that make?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't like it,&quot; Kennon said, hitting on the
+perfect answer.
+
+<P>She stiffened. &quot;I'm sorry, Doctor. I won't do it
+again.&quot; She looked down at him, head cocked sideways.
+&quot;I guess I have a lot to learn about you. You're much
+different from Old Doc. <I>He</I> didn't snap at me.&quot; She
+paused for a moment, then drew a deep breath.
+
+<P>Kennon blinked.
+
+<P>&quot;About that report,&quot; she said. &quot;Regulations
+require that each post-mortem be reported promptly and that a
+record of the Lani concerned be posted in the death book together
+with all pertinent autopsy data. Man Blalok is very fussy about
+proper records.&quot; She drew one of the chairs to a spot beside
+the desk and sat down, crossed her long legs, and waited
+expectantly.
+
+<P>Kennon's mouth was suddenly dry. This situation was
+impossible. How in the name of Sir Arthur Fleming could he
+dictate a coldly precise report with a naked redhead sitting
+beside him? &quot;Look,&quot; he said. &quot;I won't need you. I
+can operate a voicewriter. You can pick up the material later and
+transcribe it.&quot;
+
+<P>Her face fell. &quot;You don't like me,&quot; she said, her
+green eyes filling with quick tears. &quot;Old Doc never---&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, <I>damn</I> Old Doc!&quot; Kennon snapped. &quot;And
+stop that sniveling -- or get out. Better yet -- get out
+<I>and</I> stop sniveling!&quot;
+
+<P>She leaped to her feet and fled.
+
+<P>Kennon swore. There was no reason for him to act that way. He
+had been more brutal than necessary. But the girl -- no, the Lani
+-- was disconcerting. He felt ashamed of himself. He had behaved
+like a primitive rather than a member of one of the oldest human
+civilizations in the galaxy. He wouldn't bark at a dog that way.
+He shook his head. Probably he was tired. Certainly he was
+irritable, and unclad females virtually indistinguishable from
+human weren't the most soothing objects to contemplate.
+
+<P>He wondered if his exasperation was real or merely a defense
+mechanism. First Eloise, and then this! Confound it! He was
+surrounded! He felt trapped. And it wasn't because he'd been away
+from women too long. A week was hardly that. He grinned as he
+recalled the blonde from Thule aboard the starship. Now
+<I>there</I> was a woman, even though her ears were pointed and
+her arms were too long. She didn't pressure a man. She let him
+make the advances.
+
+<P>He grinned. That was it. He was on the defensive. He was the
+one who was being pursued -- and his male ego had revolted. He
+shrugged and turned his attention to the autopsy report, but it
+was hopeless. He couldn't concentrate. He jotted a few notes and
+dropped them on the desk -- tomorrow would be time enough. What
+he needed now was a stiff drink and eight hours' sleep.
+
+<P>CHAPTER VII
+
+<P>Kennon stopped at Blalok's house long enough to tell the
+superintendent what was causing the trouble. Blalok scowled.
+&quot;We've never had flukes here before,&quot; he said.
+&quot;Why should they appear now?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They've been introduced,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;The
+thing that bothers me is how Dr. Williamson missed them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The old man was senile,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;He was
+nearly blind the last six months of his life. I wouldn't doubt
+that he let his assistants do most of his work, and they could
+have missed them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Possibly, but the lesions are easy to see. At any rate,
+the culprit is known now.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Culprit?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;<I>Hepatodirus hominis</I> -- the human liver fluke.
+He's a tricky little fellow -- travels almost as far as men
+do.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm glad it's your problem, not mine. All I can remember
+about flukes is that they're hard to eradicate.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Particularly <I>H. hominis</I>.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You can tell me about it later. Right now Mr.
+Alexander's over at Old -- your house. Probably he's looking for
+you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where's Jordan?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He went up to Station Fourteen. We'll see him
+tomorrow.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll say good night then,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm glad you're here. It's a load off my shoulders. See
+you tomorrow.&quot; Blalok waved a friendly good night and left
+the lights on long enough for Kennon to make his way to his
+quarters.
+
+<P>Alexander was seated in a heavily upholstered chair listening
+to a taped symphony in the stereo, his eyes half closed, an
+expression of peace on his face. An elderly Lani stood beside
+him. It was a comfortable picture.
+
+<P>The humanoid saw Kennon and gasped, a tiny indrawn sound of
+surprise. Alexander's eyes snapped open. &quot;Oh -- it's
+you,&quot; he said. &quot;Don't worry, Kara -- it's your new
+doctor.&quot;
+
+<P>Kara smiled. &quot;You startled me,&quot; she said. &quot;I
+was dreaming.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;On your feet?&quot; Alexander interjected idly.
+
+<P>&quot;I should have known you at once, Doctor. There's talk
+about you all over the yards, ever since you arrived.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They know what is going on around here better than any
+of us,&quot; Alexander chuckled. &quot;The grapevine is amazingly
+efficient. Well -- what's the story?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Liver fluke.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm - not good.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think it can be stopped. I looked at the records. It
+doesn't seem to have been here too long.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope you're right. How long will it take?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Several months, maybe a year, maybe more. I can't say.
+But I'll try to clean it up as quickly as possible. I'm pretty
+sure of the fluke, and it's a hard one to control.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;<I>Hepatodirus?</I>&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;That's an offworld parasite, isn't it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes. It originated on Santos. Parasitized the Varl
+originally, but liked humans better. It's adapted to a hundred
+different planetary environments, and it keeps spreading. It's a
+real cutie - almost intelligent the way it behaves. But it can be
+licked.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Good - get on it right away.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm starting tomorrow.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Fine -- I thought you'd be the right man. Kara! Fix the
+doctor a drink. We might as well have a nightcap -- then I'll go
+back to the house and listen to Henry and Anne's screams about
+poor mistreated Douglas, and then back to Albertsville tomorrow.
+Duty and the credits call.&quot;
+
+<P>With mild surprise, Kennon realized that Alexander was drunk.
+Not obnoxiously, but enough to change his character. Intoxicated,
+he was a friendlier person. If there was any truth in the ancient
+cliche about alcohol bringing out a man's true character, then
+Alexander was basically a very nice person indeed.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- here's your home for the next five years,&quot;
+Alexander said. &quot;Eight rooms, two baths, a freshener, and
+three Lani to keep the place running. You've got it made.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps -- we'll see when we tackle this fluke
+infestation. Personally, I don't think I'm going to have an easy
+time. Tomorrow I'm going to be up to my neck in trouble trying to
+save your profits.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You'll do it. I have confidence in you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I still think you should have hired a medic.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;This isn't all of your job,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;And besides I can't afford to do it. Oh - not the money,
+but it might be admitting that the Lani might be human. And we've
+gone to a great deal of trouble to prove they're not.&quot; He
+shifted uncomfortably in his chair. &quot;There's a story behind
+this.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wouldn't doubt it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Maybe it'd be better if I told it. It goes back over
+four centuries. Grandfather was a clever man. After he had
+secured this island he became worried about the surviving Lani.
+He didn't want to be accused of genocide, since the Lani were so
+human in appearance. So he had his medical officer make a few
+autopsies. The M.D. reported that while there was similarity, the
+Lani were probably not human.
+
+<P>&quot;That was enough for Grandfather. He requested a Court of
+Inquiry. The court was sitting in Halsey and the hearing was
+private. Even so, it leaked and Grandfather was highly unpopular
+for a time until the lab reports came in. It cost him over eight
+hundred Ems and nearly two years' time to finish the case, but
+when it was over the Lani were declared alien, and Grandfather
+had ironclad discovery rights.
+
+<P>&quot;They really put him through the mill. Grandfather
+furnished the bodies and three court-appointed M.O.'s went
+through them with microscopes. They didn't miss a thing. Their
+reports are so detailed that they're classics of their kind.
+They're almost required reading for anyone who wants to learn
+Lani structure and function. The court rendered an interim
+decision that the Lani were nonhuman, and armed with this,
+Grandfather prepared the final tests which were run by a team of
+court-appointed medics and biologists, who made <I>in vitro</I>
+and live tests on a number of Lani female prisoners. The tests
+ran for over two years and were totally negative. So the
+Alexander family acquired Flora and the Otpens, and a legal
+status.&quot; Alexander stood up. &quot;Well -- that's a capsule
+summary. The records are in the library if you'd care to check
+them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Just to prove we're honest.&quot; He moved carefully
+toward the door, opened it, and disappeared into the night.
+
+<P>Silently Kennon watched him descend the porch steps. He seemed
+steady enough. For a moment Kennon debated whether he should see
+him home -- and then decided against it. If Alexander needed help
+he'd have asked for it. As it was, it was better to leave things
+alone. Certainly he didn't know Alexander well enough to act as a
+guardian. He turned back to the living area. The stereo was
+playing something soft and nostalgic as Kennon sank into the
+chair Alexander had vacated. He let his body relax. It had been
+as full a day as he had ever spent filled with changes so abrupt
+that they were exhausting. He felt confused. There were no
+precedents he could apply. Neither his studies nor his travels
+had prepared him for living in a situation like this.
+
+<P>Legally and biologically the Lani weren't human. But they were
+intelligent, upright, bipedal mammals whose morphology was so
+close to man's that it had taken the ultimate test to settle
+their status. And being a Betan, Kennon was suspicious of the
+accuracy of that ultimate test.
+
+<P>But the Brotherhood of Man was based upon it. The feeling of
+unity that pervaded mankind's expanding empire was its product.
+From almost the beginning of mankind's leap to the stars it had
+been recognized that men must help each other or perish. The
+spirit of co-operation against the common enmity of alien worlds
+and cultures transcended the old petty rivalries on Earth. Men --
+all men -- were brothers in arms.
+
+<P>And so the Brotherhood was born -- and the concept born of
+necessity developed its muscles in a thousand battles on a
+thousand hostile worlds. And ultimately it evolved into the only
+form of central authority that men would accept. Yet basically it
+was not a government. It was an attitude  of mind. Men accepted
+its decisions as they would accept the rulings of a family
+council, and for the same reasons.
+
+<P>The Brotherhood laid down certain rules but it did not attempt
+to enforce them. After all, it didn't need to. It also arbitrated
+disputes, admitted new worlds to membership, and organized
+concerted human effort against dangerous enemies. And that was
+all. Yet in its sphere the authority of the Brotherhood was
+absolute.
+
+
+<P>There was only one criterion for membership in the Brotherhood
+-- membership in the human race. No matter how decadent or
+primitive a population might be, if it was human it was
+automatically eligible for Brotherhood - a free and equal partner
+in the society of human worlds.
+
+<P>Kennon doubted that any nonhuman race had ever entered the
+select circle of humanity, although individuals might have done
+so. A docked Lani, for instance, would probably pass unquestioned
+as a human, but the Lani race would not. In consequence they and
+their world were fair prey, and had been attacked and subjugated.
+
+<P>Of course, proof of inhumanity was seldom a problem. Most
+alien life forms were obviously alien. But there were a few --
+like the Lani--where similarities were so close that it was
+impossible to determine their status on the basis of morphology
+alone. And so the Humanity Test had come into being.
+
+<P>Essentially it was based upon species compatibility -- on the
+concept that like can interbreed with like. Tests conducted on
+every inhabited world in the Brotherhood had proven this
+conclusively. Whatever changes had taken place in the somatic
+characteristics of mankind since the Exodus, they had not altered
+the compatibility of human germ plasm. Man could interbreed with
+man - aliens could not. The test was simple. The results were
+observable. And what was more important, everyone could
+understand it. No definition of humanity could be more simple or
+direct.
+
+<P>But was it accurate?
+
+<P>Like other Betans, Kennon wondered. It was -- so far -
+probably. The qualifying phrases were those of the scientist,
+that strange breed that refuses to accept anything as an
+established fact until it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
+After all, the human race had been spaceborne for only six
+thousand years -- scarcely time for any real differences to
+develop. But physical changes had already appeared -- and it
+would only be a question of time before these would probably be
+followed by genetic changes. And in some groups the changes might
+be extensive enough to make them genetic strangers to the rest of
+humanity.
+
+<P>What would happen then? No one knew. Actually no one bothered
+to think about it except for a few far-seeing men who worried as
+they saw.
+
+<P>Probably.
+
+<P>Might.
+
+<P>Possibly.
+
+<P>If.
+
+<P>Four words. But because of them the Betans were slowly
+withdrawing from the rest of humanity. Already the radiations of
+Beta's variant-G sun had produced changes in the population.
+Little things like tougher epidermis and depilation of body hair
+-- little things that held alarming implications to Beta's
+scientists, and to Beta's people. Not too many generations hence
+a Betan outside his home system would be a rarity, and in a few
+millennia the Betan system itself would be a closed enclave
+peopled by humans who had deviated too far from the basic stock
+to mingle with it in safety.
+
+<P>Of course, the Brotherhood itself might be changed by that
+time, but there was no assurance that this would happen. And
+mankind had a history of dealing harshly with its mutants. So
+Beta would play it safe.
+
+<P>Kennon wondered if there were other worlds in the Brotherhood
+that had come to the same conclusion. Possibly there were. And
+possibly there were worlds where marked deviations had occurred.
+There wasn't a year that passed that didn't bring some new human
+world into the Brotherhood, and many of these had developed from
+that cultural explosion during the First Millennium known as the
+Exodus, where small groups of colonists in inadequate ships set
+out for unannounced goals to homestead new worlds for man. Some
+of these survived, and many were being discovered even at this
+late date. But so far none had any difficulty in proving their
+human origin.
+
+<P>The Lani, conceivably, could have been descendants of one of
+these groups, which probably explained the extreme care the
+Brotherhood courts had taken with their case. But they had failed
+the test, and were declared animals. Yet it was possible that
+they had mutated beyond genetic compatibility. If they had, and
+if it were proved, here was a test case that could rock the
+galaxy -- that could shake the Brotherhood to its very
+foundations -- that could force a re-evaluation of the criteria
+of humanity.
+
+<P>Kennon grinned. He was a fine employee. Here he was, less than
+a full day on the job, dreaming how he could ruin his employer,
+shake the foundation of human civilization, and force ten
+thousand billion humans to change their comfortable habit
+patterns and their belief in the unchangeable sameness of men. He
+was, he reflected wryly, an incurable romantic.
+
+<P>CHAPTER VIII
+
+<P>&quot;Wake up, Doctor, it's six A.M.&quot; A pleasant voice
+cut through Kennon's slumber. He opened one eye and looked at the
+room. For a moment the strange surroundings bothered him, then
+memory took over. He stirred uncomfortably, looking for the owner
+of the voice.
+
+<P>&quot;You have your morning calls at seven, and there's a full
+day ahead,&quot; the voice went on. &quot;I'm sorry, sir, but you
+should get up.&quot; The voice didn't sound particularly sorry.
+
+<P>It was behind him, Kennon decided. He rolled over with a groan
+of protest and looked at his tormentor. A gasp of dismay left his
+lips, for standing beside the bed, a half smile on her pointed
+face, was Copper -- looking fresh and alert and as disturbing as
+ever.
+
+<P>It wasn't right, Kennon thought bitterly, to be awakened from
+a sound sleep by a naked humanoid who looked too human for
+comfort. &quot;What are you doing here?&quot; he demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm supposed to be here,&quot; Copper said. &quot;I'm
+your secretary.'' She grinned and flexed a few curves of her
+torso.
+
+<P>Kennon was silent.
+
+<P>&quot;Is there anything wrong?&quot; she asked.
+
+<P>For a moment Kennon was tempted to tell her what was wrong --
+but he held his tongue. She probably wouldn't understand. But
+there was one thing he'd better settle right now. &quot;Now look
+here, young lady--&quot; he began.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not a lady,&quot; Copper interrupted before he could
+continue. &quot;Ladies are human. I'm a Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right,&quot; Kennon growled. &quot;Lani or human,
+who cares?
+
+<P>But do you have to break into a man's bedroom and wake him in
+the middle of the night?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I didn't break in,&quot; she said, &quot;and it isn't
+the middle of the night. It's morning.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right -- so it's morning and you didn't break in.
+Then how in Halstead's sacred name did you get here?&quot;
+
+
+<P>&quot;I sleep next door,&quot; she said jerking a thumb in the
+direction of an open door in the side wall. &quot;I've been there
+ever since you dismissed me last night,&quot; she explained.
+
+<P>The explanation left Kennon cold. The old cliche about doing
+as the Santosians do flicked through his mind. Well, perhaps he
+would in time -- but not yet. The habits of a lifetime couldn't
+be overturned overnight. &quot;Now you have awakened me,&quot; he
+said, &quot;perhaps you'll get out of here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I want to get dressed.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll help you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You will <I>not!</I> I'm perfectly capable of taking
+care of myself. I've been dressing myself for years. I'm not used
+to people helping me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;My -- what a strange world you must come from. Haven't
+you ever had a Lani before?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You poor man.&quot; Her voice was curiously pitying.
+&quot;No one to make you feel like the gods. No one to serve you.
+No one to even scrub your back.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's enough,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I can scrub my
+own back.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How? -- you can't reach it.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon groaned.
+
+<P>&quot;Weren't there any Lani on your world?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No wonder you left it. It must be quite primitive.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Primitive!&quot; Kennon's voice was outraged. &quot;Beta
+has one of the highest civilizations in the Brotherhood!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But you don't have Lani,&quot; she said patiently.
+&quot;So you must be primitive.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Halstead, Fleming, and Ochsner!&quot; Kennon swore.
+&quot;Do you believe that?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Naturally, isn't it obvious? You can't possibly be
+civilized unless you take responsibility for intelligent life
+other than your own race. Until you face up to your
+responsibilities you are merely a member of a dominant race, not
+a civilized one.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon's reply caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he
+looked at her, and what he was about to say remained unspoken.
+&quot;Out of the mouths of humanoids--&quot; he muttered oddly.
+
+<P>&quot;What does that mean?&quot; Copper asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Forget it,&quot; Kennon said wildly. &quot;Leave me
+alone. Go put on some clothes. You embarrass me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll go,&quot; Copper said, &quot;but you'll have to be
+embarrassed. Only household Lani wear cloth.&quot; She frowned,
+two vertical furrows dividing her dark brows. &quot;I've never
+understood why inhouse Lani have to be disfigured that way, but I
+suppose there's some reason for it. Men seldom do anything
+without a reason.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. Either she was grossly ignorant, which
+he doubted, or she was conditioned to the eyeballs.
+
+<P>The latter was more probable. But even that was doubtful. Her
+trenchant remark about civilization wasn't the product of a
+conditioned mind. But why was he worrying about her attitudes?
+They weren't important -- she wasn't even human. He shook his
+head. That was a sophistry. The fact that she wasn't human had
+nothing to do with the importance of her attitude. &quot;I
+suppose there is a reason,&quot; he agreed. &quot;But I don't
+know it. I haven't been here long enough to
+
+<P>know anything about such things.&quot;
+
+<P>She nodded. &quot;That does make a difference,&quot; she
+admitted. &quot;Many new men are bothered at first by the fact
+that we Lani are naked, but they adjust quickly. So will
+you.&quot; She smiled as she turned away. &quot;You see,&quot;
+she added over her shoulder as she left the room, &quot;we're not
+human. We're just another of your domestic animals.&quot;
+
+<P>Was there laughter in her voice? Kennon wasn't sure. His sigh
+was composed of equal parts of relief and exasperation as he
+slipped out of bed and began to dress. He'd forgo the shower this
+morning. He had no desire for Copper to appear and offer to scrub
+his back. In his present state of mind he couldn't take it.
+Possibly he'd get used to it in time. Perhaps he might even like
+it. But right now he wasn't acclimatized.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>&quot;Man Blalok called,&quot; Copper said as she removed the
+breakfast dishes. &quot;He said that he'd be right over to pick
+you up. He wants to show you the operation.&quot;&quot;When did
+he call?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;About ten minutes ago. I told him that you were at
+breakfast. He said he'd wait.&quot; She disappeared in the
+direction of the kitchen.
+
+<P>&quot;There's a nightmare quality to this,&quot; Kennon
+muttered as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his tunic and
+closed the seam tabs. &quot;I have the feeling that I'm going to
+wake up any minute.&quot; He looked at his reflection in the
+dresser mirror, and his reflection looked worriedly back.
+&quot;This whole thing has an air of plausible unreality: the
+advertisement, the contract, this impossible island that raises
+humanoids as part of the livestock.&quot; He shrugged and his
+mirrored image shrugged back. &quot;But it's real, all right. No
+dream could possibly be this detailed. I wonder how I'm going to
+take it for the next five years? Probably not too well,&quot; he
+mused silently. &quot;Already I'm talking to myself. Without even
+trying, that Lani Copper can make me feel like a Sarkian.&quot;
+He nodded at his image.
+
+<P>The Sarkian analogy was almost perfect, he decided. For on
+that grimly backward world females were as close to slaves as the
+Brotherhood would permit; raised from birth under an iron regimen
+designed to produce complaisant mates for the dominant males.
+Probably that was the reason Sark was so backward. The men,
+having achieved domestic tranquillity, had no desire to do
+anything that would disturb the status quo. And since no Sarkian
+woman under any conceivable circumstances would annoy her lordly
+master with demands to produce better mousetraps, household
+gadgetry, and more money, the technological development of Sark
+had come to a virtual standstill. It took two sexes to develop a
+civilization.
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. Worlds developed as they did because people
+were as they were, and while passing judgment was still a major
+human pursuit, no native of one world had a right to force his
+customs down the unwilling throat of another. It would be better
+to accept his present situation and live with it rather than
+trying to impose his Betan conception of morality upon Lani that
+neither understood nor appreciated it. His business was to treat
+and prevent animal disease. What happened to the animals before
+infection or after recovery was none of his affair. That was a
+matter between Alexander and his conscience.
+
+<P>Blalok was waiting for him, sitting behind the wheel of a
+square boxy vehicle that squatted with an air of unpolished
+efficiency on the graveled drive behind his house. He smiled a
+quick greeting as Kennon approached. &quot;It's about time you
+showed up,&quot; he said. &quot;You'll have to get into the habit
+of rising early on this place. We do most of our work early in
+the morning and late in the afternoon. During the day it's too
+hot to breathe, let alone work. Well, let's get going. There's
+still time to visit the outer stations.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon climbed in and Blalok started the vehicle. &quot;I
+thought we'd take a jeep today,&quot; he said. &quot;They aren't
+very pretty, but they get around.&quot; He turned onto the
+surfaced road that ran down the hill toward the hospital and the
+complex of red-roofed buildings clustered about it. &quot;About
+those flukes,&quot; he said. &quot;You have any plans to get rid
+of them?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not yet. I'll have to look the place over. There's more
+detective work than medicine involved in this.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Detective work?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sure -- we know the criminal, but to squelch him we have
+to learn his hangouts, study his <I>modus operandi</I>, and learn
+how to make his victims secure from his activities. Unless we do
+that, we can treat individuals from now to infinity and all we'll
+have is more cases. We have to apply modern criminology tactics
+-- eliminate the source of crime -- stop up the soft spots. In
+other words, kill the flukes before they enter the Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Old Doc never said anything about this,&quot; Blalok
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;Probably he never knew about it. I was looking over the
+herd books last night, and I saw nothing about trematodes, or
+anything that looked like a parasite pattern until the last few
+months.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;My guess is that he was one of the first deaths.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You mean this thing attacks human beings?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Preferentially,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;It's strange,
+too, because it originated on Santos so far as we know. In fact,
+some people think that the Varl bred it for a weapon to use
+against us before we conquered them. They could have done it.
+Their biological science was of a high enough order.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But how did it get here?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wouldn't know--unless you've hired a Santosian or
+someone else who was affected.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We did have a man from Santos. Fellow called Joe Kryla.
+We had to let him go because he was a nudist. It made a bad
+impression on the Lani. But that was over a year ago.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's about the right time to build up a good reservoir
+of infection. The fatal cases usually don't show up before an
+area is pretty well seeded.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's not so good.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well, there's one thing in our favor. The Lani are
+pretty well concentrated into groups. And so far there doesn't
+seem to be any infestation outside of Hillside Station - except
+for two deaths in Lani recently sent from there. If we quarantine
+those stations and work fast, may be we can stop this before it
+spreads all over the island&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's fine, but what are you going to do now?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Treat those that show symptoms. There should be some
+Trematox capsules at the hospital. If there aren't we'll get
+them. We'll take the sick ones back to the hospital area and push
+therapy and supportive treatment. Now that we know the cause, we
+shouldn't have any more death losses.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Old Doc didn't treat at the hospital,&quot; Blalok said.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not Old Doc.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But it's going to mess up our operations. We're using
+the ward buildings to finish training the Lani scheduled for
+market.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's convenient. Most of the ward space is filled right
+now.&quot; Blalok said. There was a touch of disgust in his
+voice.
+
+<P>&quot;They're well, aren't they?&quot; Kennon demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;Of course.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then get them out of there.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I told you-&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You told me nothing. The hospital area is needed for
+something more than a training center. Perhaps Old Doc was
+trained in outcall work, but I'm not. I work from a hospital. The
+only things I do on outcalls are diagnoses, vaccinations, and
+emergencies. The rest of the patients come to the hospital.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;This isn't going to set well with Jordan and the
+division chiefs.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's not my concern,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I run my
+business in the best way possible. The patients are of more
+concern than the personal comfort of any straw boss or
+administrator. You're the administrator -- you calm them
+down.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You have the authority,&quot; Blalok admitted. &quot;But
+my advice to you is to go slow.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can't,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Not if we want to
+prevent any more losses. There simply won't be time to run all
+over the island dosing with Trematox and taking temperatures, and
+while that sort of thing is routine, it should be supervised.
+Besides, you'll see the advantages of this method. Soon
+enough.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope so,&quot; Blalok said as he braked the jeep to a
+stop in front of the hospital. &quot;I suppose you'll want to
+take some things along.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So I will,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I'll be back in a
+minute.&quot; Kennon slid from the seat, leaving Blalok looking
+peculiarly at his departing back.
+
+<P>The minute stretched to nearly ten before Kennon returned
+followed by two Lani carrying bags which they loaded into the
+back of the jeep. &quot;I had to reorganize a little,&quot;
+Kennon apologized, &quot;some things were unfamiliar.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Plan on taking them?&quot; Blalok said, jerking a thumb
+at the two Lani.
+
+<P>&quot;Not this time. I'm having them fit up an ambulance. They
+should be busy most of the day.&quot;
+
+<P>Blalok grunted and started the turbine. He moved a lever and
+the jeep floated off the ground.
+
+<P>&quot;An airboat too,&quot; Kennon remarked. &quot;I wondered
+why this rig was so boxy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's a multipurpose vehicle,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;We
+need them around here for fast transport. Most of the roads
+aren't so good.&quot; He engaged the drive and the jeep began to
+move. &quot;We'll go cross country,&quot; he said.
+&quot;Hillside's pretty far out -- the farthest station since we
+abandoned Olympus.&quot;
+
+<P>The air began whistling past the boxlike body of the jeep as
+Blalok increased the power to the drive and set the machine on
+automatic. &quot;We'll get a pretty good cross-section of our
+operations on this trip,&quot; he said over the whine of the
+turbine. &quot;Look down there.&quot;
+
+<P>They were passing across a series of fenced pastures and
+Kennon was impressed. The size of this operation was beginning to
+sink in. It hadn't looked so big from the substratosphere in
+Alexander's ship, but down here close to the ground it was
+enormous. Fields of grain, wide orchards, extensive gardens. Once
+they were forced to detour a huge supply boat that rose heavily
+in front of them. Working in the fields were dozens of
+brown-skinned Lani who paused to look up and wave as the jeep
+sped by. Occasional clusters of farm buildings and the low
+barrackslike stations appeared and disappeared behind them.
+
+<P>&quot;There's about twenty Lani at each of these
+stations,&quot; Blalok said, &quot;They work the farm area under
+the direction of the stationmaster.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He's a farmer?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course. Usually he's a graduate of an agricultural
+school, hut we have a few who are descendants of the crew of the
+first Alexander, and there's one old codger who was actually with
+him during the conquest. Most of our stationmasters are family
+men. We feel that a wife and children add to a man's stability --
+and incidentally keep him from fooling around with the
+Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>A series of fenced pastures containing hundreds of huge
+grayish-white quadrupeds slipped past.
+
+<P>&quot;Cattle?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes - Earth strain. That's why they're so big. We also
+have sheep and swine, but you won't see them on this run.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Any native animals?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A few - and some which are native to other worlds. But
+they're luxury-trade items. The big sale items are beef, pork,
+and mutton.&quot; Blalok chuckled. &quot;Did you think that the
+Lani were our principal export?&quot;
+
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;They're only a drop in the bucket. Agriculture --
+Earth-style agriculture -- is our main source of income. The Lani
+are valuable principally to keep down the cost of overhead.
+Virtually all of them work right here on the island. We don't
+sell more than a hundred a year less than five per cent of our
+total. And those are surplus -- too light or too delicate for
+farm work.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where do you find a market for all this produce?&quot;
+Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;There's two hundred million people here, and quite a few
+billion more in space-train range. We can produce more cheaply
+than any competitor, and we can undersell any competition, even
+full automation.&quot; Blalok chuckled. &quot;There are some
+things that a computer can't do as well as a human being, and one
+of them is farm the foods on which humanity is accustomed to
+feed. A man'll pay two credits for a steak. He could get a
+<I>Chlorella</I> substitute for half a credit, but he'll still
+buy the steak if he can afford it. Same thing goes for fruit,
+vegetables, grain, and garden truck. Man's eating habits have
+only changed from necessity. Those who can pay will still pay
+well for natural foods.&quot; Blalok chuckled. &quot;We've put
+quite a dent in the algae and synthetics operations in this
+sector.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's still a luxury trade,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;You've eaten synthetic,&quot; Blalok replied. &quot;What
+do you prefer?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon had to agree that Blalok was right. He, too, liked the
+real thing far better than its imitations.
+
+<P>&quot;If it's this profitable, then why sell Lani?&quot;
+Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;It's the Family's idea. Actually -- since the export
+type is surplus it does us no harm. We keep enough for servants
+-- and the others would be inefficient for most farm work. So
+disposal by sale is a logical and profitable way of culling. But
+now the Boss-man is being pressured into breeding an export type.
+And this I don't like. It's too commercial. Smells like
+slavery.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're a Mystic, aren't you?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Sure -- but that doesn't mean I like slavery. Oh, I know
+some of those fatheaded Brotherhood economists call our system
+economic slavery -- and I'll admit that it's pretty hard to crack
+out of a spherical trust. But that doesn't mean that we have to
+stay where we are. Mystics aren't owned by their entrepreneurs.
+Sure, it's a tough haul to beat the boss, but it can be done. I
+did it, and others do it all the time. The situation isn't
+hopeless.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But it is with the Lani,&quot; Kennon added.
+
+<P>&quot;Of course. That's why they should be protected. What
+chance does a Lani have? Without us they can't even keep going as
+a race. They're technological morons. They don't live long enough
+to understand modern civilization. To turn those poor helpless
+humanoids out into human society would be criminal. It's our duty
+to protect them even while we're using them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Man's burden?' Kennon said, repeating the old cliche.
+
+<P>&quot;Exactly.&quot; Blalok scowled. &quot;I wish I had guts
+enough to give the Boss-man the facts -- but I can't get nerve
+enough to try. I've a good job here -- a wife and two kids -- and
+I don't want to jeopardize my future.&quot; Blalok glanced over
+the side. &quot;Well, here we are,&quot; he said, and began
+descending into the center of a spokelike mass of buildings
+radiating outward from a central hub.
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm -- big place,&quot; Kennon murmured.
+
+<P>&quot;It should be,&quot; Blalok replied. &quot;It furnishes
+all of our Lani for replacement and export. It can turn out over
+a thousand a year at full capacity. Of course we don't run at
+that rate, or Flora would be overpopulated. But this is a big
+layout, like you said. It can maintain a population of at least
+forty thousand. Old Alexander had big ideas.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wonder what he planned to do with them?&quot; Kennon
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;I wouldn't know. The Old Man never took anyone into his
+confidence.&quot;
+
+<P>Jordan came up as the jeep settled to the ground. &quot;Been
+expecting you for the past half hour,&quot; he said. &quot;Your
+office said you were on your way. -- Good to see you, too, Doc.
+I've been going over the records with Hank Allworth - the
+stationmaster here.&quot; Jordan held out his hand.
+
+<P>&quot;You're an Earthman, eh?&quot; Kennon asked as he grasped
+the outstretched hand. The gesture was as old as man, its
+ritualistic meaning lost in antiquity.
+
+<P>&quot;No -- Marsborn -- a neighbor world,&quot; Jordan said.
+&quot;But our customs and Earth's are the same.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're a long way from home,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;No farther than you, Doc.&quot; Jordan looked
+uncomfortable. &quot;But we can compare origins later. Right now,
+you'd better come into the office. I've run across something
+peculiar.&quot;
+
+<P>CHAPTER IX
+
+<P>&quot;There are twelve bays to this station,&quot; Jordan
+said. &quot;Under our present setup two are used for breeding and
+the other ten for maturation. We rotate the youngsters around the
+bay -- a different bay each year until they're age eleven. Then
+they're sorted according to type and sent out for a year of
+further specialized training after which they go onto the farms,
+or to inhouse or export.
+
+<P>&quot;Now here's the peculiar part. There's no trouble in Bays
+One through Nine, but Bay Ten has had all our losses except two
+that have occurred at the training stations.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's good news,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Our parasite
+can't have had time to migrate too far. We have him pinpointed
+unless -- say how many training centers are there?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Three,&quot; Jordan said.
+
+<P>&quot;Quarantine them,&quot; Kennon replied. &quot;Right now.
+Nothing goes in or out until we've checked them and completed
+prophylaxis.&quot;
+
+<P>Jordan looked at Blalok inquiringly.
+
+<P>&quot;He's the boss,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;Do as you're
+told. This is his problem.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why the quarantine?&quot; Jordan asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I want to get any carriers. We can check them with
+antigen, and then give Trematox.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All that concentration in Bay Ten,&quot; Jordan said.
+&quot;Does it mean something?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Blalok said that there was a Santosian in your
+division.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yeah - Joe Kryla - and come to think of it, he ran Bay
+Ten!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's a help - now let's see what makes that bay
+different from the others.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll tell you--but you may not understand,&quot; Kennon
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;I'll take a chance.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon grinned. &quot;All right, you asked for it. The
+parasite that's doing the damage is a flatworm, a trematode
+called <I>Hepatodirus hominis</I>. As I've told Blalok, it's a
+tricky thing. Like all trematodes it has a three-stage life
+cycle, but unlike every other fluke, its life cycle is not fixed
+to definite intermediate hosts. Depending upon where it is, the
+fluke adapts. It still must pass through its life cycle, but its
+intermediate host need not be one species of snail, fish, or
+copepod. Any cold-blooded host will do. What you have here is a
+Kardonian variant which has adapted to some particular
+intermediate host on this world. Until now, its final host was
+either man or Varl. Now we have a third, the Lani. And apparently
+they are the most susceptible of the three. It never kills Varl.
+And humans, while they're more susceptible, only occasionally
+succumb, but the Lani appear to be the most susceptible of all.
+I've never seen an infestation like those Lani had. Their livers
+were literally crawling with flukes.&quot; Kennon paused and
+looked at Jordan. &quot;You following me?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Slowly and poorly,&quot; Jordan said. &quot;You're
+assuming too much knowledge on my part.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;You can't say I didn't warn you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- I'm really interested in only one thing - how do
+you break the parasite up in business?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's only one sure way -- and that's to break the
+life cycle. The technique is thousands of years old, but it's
+just as good today as it was then.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Good -- then let's do it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;To make a varrit stew,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;one must
+first catch the varrit.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Huh?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We have to learn the beastie's life cycle before we can
+break it, and like I said, it adapts. Its intermediate host can
+be any one of a hundred cold-blooded animals.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Is there no place else where it can be attacked?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sure, in the body of the final host, or on its final
+encysting place. But that won't eliminate the bug.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It'll still survive in its infective form and enough
+Lani will get subacute dosage to propagate it until the time is
+right for another epizootic. We have to kill its intermediate
+host -- or hosts if it has more than one. That will keep it from
+growing and will ultimately eradicate it.&quot;
+
+<P>Judson scratched his head. &quot;It sounds complicated,&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It is. It's so complicated that once the fluke becomes
+well established it's virtually impossible to eradicate.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And you think it can be done here?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We can give it the old college try. But it's going to
+take some detective work.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where do we start?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;With Bay Ten. We look it over real well. Then we check
+the diet and habits of the Lani. Then we check each individual
+Lani. Then we check the life cycle of the parasite. Somewhere
+along the line if we're lucky we'll find a weak point that can be
+attacked.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's a big order,&quot; Blalok said.
+
+<P>&quot;It can't be helped. That's the way it is. Of course,
+we're lucky that we're on an isolated land mass. That gives us an
+advantage. We should be able to clean this up.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How long do you think it will take?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It depends on how well the fluke is established. Six
+months at the minimum -- and I wouldn't care to guess at the
+maximum. However, I hope the minimum will be time enough.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So do I,&quot; Blalok said.
+
+<P>&quot;Well,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;let's get on with
+it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope it won't interrupt our program,&quot; Jordan
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;Of course it will interrupt it,&quot; Kennon replied.
+&quot;It can't help it. Get the idea in your head that you're
+facing something here that can cripple you -- maybe abort your
+whole operation. You have a choice -- interrupt now or abort
+later. And half measures won't work. To eradicate this pest
+requires an all-out effort.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I can't see why we can't merely bypass Bay
+Ten--&quot; Jordan said.
+
+<P>&quot;Take my word for it,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You can't.
+There's no accurate way of telling how far this spreads until the
+death losses occur. Our tests for fluke infestation aren't that
+good. We have to work thoroughly and carefully. We can't be
+butting heads over this -- either we all co-operate or this whole
+operation will blow up in our faces.
+
+<P>&quot;Look at the record. Six months ago you ended a year with
+no deaths from disease. Five months ago Old Doc and two Lani were
+ill. Four months ago one of the two Lani was dead and Old Doc was
+too ill to be effective. Three months ago Old Doc and the other
+Lani were dead, and before the end of the month two more followed
+them. Two months ago six died, last month eight, and so far this
+month you've lost four and you have over two weeks to go. Up to
+now they've all been from here, but two this month were at other
+stations. In six months if nothing is done, we'll be having
+losses there unless we're lucky. And the losses will keep on
+increasing. Apparently you don't know what it is to live with
+parasites - so let me tell you. It isn't pleasant!&quot;
+
+<P>Blalok shrugged. &quot;You needn't get hot about it,&quot; he
+said. &quot;After all, you're the Doc -- and we'll
+co-operate.&quot;
+
+<P>Jordan nodded. &quot;We will,&quot; he said. &quot;All the
+way.&quot;
+
+<P>CHAPTER X
+
+<P>There is a special providence that looks over recent
+veterinary graduates, Kennon reflected as he checked the monthly
+reports from the Stations. Since the time he had laid down the
+law to Judson and Blalok, he had had no trouble from the
+production staff. And for the past four months there had been no
+further trouble with <I>Hepatodirus</I>. That unwanted visitor
+had apparently been evicted. At that, they had been lucky. The
+parasite had been concentrated at Hillside Station and had failed
+to establish itself in the training area. The intermediate host,
+it had turned out, was a small amphibian that was susceptible to
+commercial insecticide. It had been no trouble to eradicate.
+Systemic treatment and cooking of all food had cleaned up the
+infective cercaria and individual infections, and after six
+months of intensive search, quarantine, and investigation, Kennon
+was morally certain that the disease had been eradicated. The
+last four reports confirmed his belief.
+
+<P>He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Blalok was at last
+convinced that his ideas were right. The hospital was operating
+as a hospital should, with a staff of twelve Lani kept busy
+checking the full wards. Actually, it was working better than it
+should, since stationmasters all over the island were now
+shipping in sick animals rather than treating them or requesting
+outpatient service.
+
+<P>&quot;Hi, Doc,&quot; Blalok said as he pushed the door open
+and looked into the office. &quot;You doing anything?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not at the moment,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Something
+troubling you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- just thought I'd drop in for a moment and
+congratulate you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;For what?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;For surviving the first year.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That won't be for two months yet.&quot;
+
+<P>Blalok shook his head. &quot;This is Kardon,&quot; he said.
+&quot;There's only three hundred and two days in our year, ten
+thirty-day months and two special days at the year's end.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. &quot;My contract is Galactic Standard. I
+still have two months to go. But how come the ten-month year?
+Most other planets have twelve, regardless of the number of
+days.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Old Alexander liked thirty-day months.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've wondered about that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You'll find a lot more peculiar things about Flora when
+you get to know her better. This year has just been a breaking-in
+period.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;It's damn near broken me,&quot; he
+admitted. &quot;You know, I thought that the Lani'd be my
+principal practice when I came here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You didn't figure that right. They're the easiest part.
+They're intelligent and co-operative.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Which is more than one can say about the others.&quot;
+Kennon wiped the sweat from his face. &quot;What with this
+infernal heat and their eternal stubbornness, I've nearly been
+driven crazy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You shouldn't have laid out that vaccination
+program.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I had to. Your hog business was living mostly on luck,
+and the sheep and shrakes were almost as bad. You can't get away
+from soil saprophytes no matter how clean you are. Under a
+pasture setup there's always a chance of contamination. And that
+old cliche about an ounce of prevention is truer of livestock
+raising than anything else I can think of.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have some more good news for you,&quot; Blalok said.
+&quot;That's why I came over. We're going to have another species
+to treat and vaccinate.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon groaned. &quot;Now what?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Poultry.&quot; Blalok's voice was disgusted.
+&quot;Personally I think it's a mess, but Alexander thinks it's
+profitable. Someone's told him that pound for pound chickens are
+the most efficient feed converters of all the domestic animals.
+So we're getting a pilot plant: eggs, incubator, and a
+knocked-down broiler battery so we can try the idea out. The
+Boss-man is always hot on new ideas to increase efficiency and
+production. The only trouble is that he fails to consider the
+work involved in setting up another operation.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're so right. I'll have to brush up on pullorum,
+ornithosis, coccidosis, leukosis, perosis, and Ochsner knows how
+many other -osises and -itises. I was never too strong on fowl
+practice in school, and I'd be happier if I never had anything to
+do with them.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So would I,&quot; Blalok agreed. &quot;I can't see
+anything in this but trouble.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;And he's forgotten something else,&quot; Blalok added.
+&quot;Poultry need concentrated feed. We're going to have to
+install a feed mill.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;I hope he'll appreciate the bill he
+gets.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He thinks we can use local labor,&quot; Blalok said
+gloomily. &quot;I wish he'd realize that Lani are technological
+morons.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They could learn.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I suppose so -- but it isn't easy. And besides, Allworth
+is the only man with feed-mill experience, and he's up to his
+ears with Hillside Station since that expansion order came
+in.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I never did get the reason for that. After we complained
+about the slavery implications and got the Boss-man's okay to
+hold the line, why do we need more Lani?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Didn't you know? His sister's finally decided to try
+marriage. Found herself some overmuscled Halsite who looked good
+to her -- but she couldn't crack his moral barrier.&quot; Blalok
+grinned. &quot;I thought you'd be the first to know. Wasn't she
+interested in you?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;You could call it that. Interested --
+like the way a dog's interested in a beefsteak. It's a good thing
+we had that fluke problem or I'd have been chewed up and digested
+long ago. That woman frightens me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I could be scared by uglier things,&quot; Blalok said.
+&quot;With the Boss-man's sister on my side I wouldn't
+worry.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What makes you think she'd be on my side? She's a
+cannibal.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well, you know her better than I do.&quot;
+
+<P>He did -- he certainly did. That first month had been one of
+the worst he had ever spent, Kennon reflected. Between Eloise and
+the flukes, he had nearly collapsed -- and when it had come to
+the final showdown, he thought for a while that he'd be looking
+for another job. But Alexander had been more than passably
+understanding and had refused his sister's passionate pleas for a
+Betan scalp. He owed a debt of gratitude to the Boss-man.
+
+<P>&quot;You're lucky you never knew her,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;That all depends on what you mean,&quot; Blalok said as
+he grinned and walked to the door. The parting shot missed its
+mark entirely as Kennon looked at him with blank incomprehension.
+&quot;You should have been a Mystic,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;A
+knowledge of the sacred books would do you no end of good.&quot;
+And with that cryptic remark the superintendent vanished.
+
+<P>&quot;That had all the elements of a snide remark,&quot;
+Kennon murmured to himself, &quot;but my education's been
+neglected somewhere along the line. I don't get it.&quot; He
+shrugged and buzzed for Copper. The veterinary report would have
+to be added to the pile already before him, and the Boss-man
+liked to have his reports on time.
+
+<P>Copper watched Kennon as he dictated the covering letter, her
+slim fingers dancing over the stenotype. He had been here a full
+year -- but instead of becoming a familiar object, he had grown
+so gigantic that he filled her world. And it wasn't merely
+because he was young and beautiful. He was kind, too.
+
+<P>Yet she couldn't approach him, and she wanted to so
+desperately that it was a physical pain. Other Lani had told her
+about men and what they could do. Even her old preceptress at
+Hillside Station had given her some advice when Man Allworth had
+tattooed the tiny V on her thigh that meant she had been selected
+for the veterinary staff. And when Old Doc had brought her from
+the Training Station to the hospital and removed her tail, she
+was certain that she was one of the lucky ones who would know
+love.
+
+<P>But love wasn't a pain in the chest, an ache in the belly and
+thighs, an unfulfilled longing that destroyed sleep and made food
+tasteless. Love was supposed to be pleasant and exciting. She
+could remember every word her preceptress had spoken.
+
+<P>&quot;My little one,&quot; the old Lani had said, &quot;you
+now wear the doctor's mark. And soon no one will be able to tell
+you from a human. You will look like our masters. You will share
+in their work. And there may be times when you will find favor in
+their eyes. Then you may learn of love.
+
+<P>&quot;Love,&quot; the old voice was soft in Copper's ears.
+&quot;The word is almost a stranger to us now, known only to the
+few who serve our masters. It was not always so. The Old Ones
+knew love before Man Alexander came. And our young were the fruit
+of love rather than the product of our masters' cunning. But you
+may know the flower even though you cannot bear its fruit. You
+may enter that world of pleasure-pain the Old Ones knew, that
+world which is now denied us.
+
+<P>&quot;But remember always that you are a Lani. A man may be
+kind to you. He may treat you gently. He may show you love. Yet
+you never will be his equal. Nor must you become too attached to
+him, for you are not human. You are not his natural mate. You
+cannot bear his young. You cannot completely share. You can only
+accept.
+
+<P>&quot;So if love should come to you, take it and enjoy it, but
+do not try to possess it. For there lies heartache rather than
+happiness. And it is a world of heartache, my little one, to long
+for something which you cannot have.&quot;
+
+<P><I>To long for something which one cannot have!</I> Copper
+knew that feeling. It had been with her ever since Kennon had
+come into her life that night a year ago. And it had grown until
+it had become gigantic. He was kind -- yes. He was harsh --
+occasionally. Yet he had shown her no more affection than he
+would have shown a dog. Less -- for he would have petted a dog
+and he did not touch her.
+
+<P>He laughed, but she was not a part of his laughter. He needed
+her, but the need was that of a builder for a tool. He liked her
+and sometimes shared his problems and triumphs with her, and
+sometimes his defeats, but he did not love. There had never been
+for her the bright fierce look he had bent upon the Woman Eloise
+those times when she had come to him, the look men gave to those
+who found favor in their eyes.
+
+<P>Had he looked at her but once with that expression she would
+have come to him though fire barred the way. The Woman Eloise was
+a fool.
+
+<P>Copper looked at him across the corner of the desk, the yellow
+hair, the bronze skin, firm chin, soft lips and long straight
+nose, the narrowed eyes, hooded beneath thick brows, scanning the
+papers in his lean-tendoned hands. His nearness was an ache in
+her body -- yet he was far away.
+
+<P>She thought of how his hands would feel upon her. He had
+touched her once, and that touch had burned like hot iron. For
+hours she had felt it. He looked up. Her heart choked her with
+its beating. She would die for him if he would but once run his
+fingers over her tingling skin, and stroke her hair.
+
+<P>The naked emotion in Copper's face was readable enough, Kennon
+thought. One didn't need Sorovkin techniques to interpret what
+was in her mind. And it would have been amusing if it weren't so
+sad. For what she wanted, he couldn't give. Yet if she were human
+it would be easy. A hundred generations of Betan moral code said
+&quot;never,&quot; yet when he looked at her their voices faded.
+He was a man -- a member of the ruling race. She was an animal --
+a beast -- a humanoid -- near human but not near enough. To like
+her was easy - but to love her was impossible. It would be
+bestiality. Yet his body, less discerning than his mind,
+responded to her nearness.
+
+<P>He sighed. It was a pleasant unpleasantness, a mixed emotion
+he could not analyze. In a way it was poetry -- the fierce,
+vaguely disquieting poetry of the sensual Santosian bards - the
+lyrics that sung of the joys of flesh. He had never really liked
+them, yet they filled him with a vague longing, an odd uneasiness
+-- just the sort that filled him now. There was a deadly parallel
+here. He sighed.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, sir? Do you want something?&quot; Copper asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I could use a cup of coffee,&quot; he said. &quot;These
+reports are getting me down.&quot; The banality amused him --
+sitting here thinking of Copper and talking about coffee.
+Banality was at once the curse and the saving grace of mankind.
+It kept men from the emotional peaks and valleys that could
+destroy them. He chuckled shakily. The only alternative would be
+to get rid of her -- and he couldn't (<I>or wouldn't?</I> -- the
+question intruded slyly) do that.
+
+<P>Copper returned with a steaming cup which she set before him.
+Truly, this coffee was a man's drink. She had tried it once but
+the hot bitterness scalded her mouth and flooded her body with
+its heat. And she had felt so lightheaded. Not like herself at
+all. It wasn't a drink for Lani. Of that she was certain.
+
+<P>Yet he enjoyed it. He looked at her and smiled. He was pleased
+with her. Perhaps -- yet -- she might find favor in his eyes. The
+hope was always there within her -- a hope that was at once fear
+and prayer. And if she did -- she would know what to do.
+
+<P>Kennon looked up. Copper's face was convulsed with a bright
+mixture of hope and pain. Never, he swore, had he saw anything
+more beautiful or sad. Involuntarily he placed his hand upon her
+arm. She flinched, her muscles tensing under his finger tips. It
+was though his fingers carried a galvanic current that backlashed
+up his arm even as it stiffened hers.
+
+<P>&quot;What's the matter, Copper?&quot; he asked softly.
+
+<P>&quot;Nothing, Doctor. I'm just upset.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>There it was again, the calm friendly curiosity that was worse
+than a bath in ice water. Her heart sank. She shivered. She would
+never find her desire here. He was cold -- cold- cold! He
+wouldn't see. He didn't care. All right -- so that was how it had
+to be. But first she would tell him. Then he could do with her as
+he wished. &quot;I hoped -- for the past year that you would see
+me. That you would think of me not as a Lani, but as a
+beloved.&quot; The words came faster now, tumbling over one
+another. &quot;That you would desire me and take me to those
+worlds we cannot know unless you humans show us. I have hoped so
+much, but I suppose it's wrong - for you -- you are so very
+human, and I -- well, I'm not!&quot; The last three words held
+all the sadness and the longing of mankind aspiring to be God.
+
+<P>&quot;My dear -- my poor child,&quot; Kennon murmured.
+
+<P>She looked at him, but her eyes could not focus on his face,
+for his hands were on her shoulders and the nearness of him drove
+the breath from her body. From a distance she heard a hard tight
+voice that was her own. &quot;Oh, sir -- oh <I>please</I>,
+sir!&quot;
+
+<P>The hands withdrew, leaving emptiness -- but her heartbeat
+slowed and the pink haze cleared and she could see his face.
+
+<P>And with a surge of terror and triumph she realized what she
+saw! That hard bright look that encompassed and possessed her!
+The curved lips drawn over white, white teeth! The flared
+nostrils! The hungry demand upon his face that answered the
+demand in her heart! And she knew -- at last - with a knowledge
+that turned her limbs to water, that she had found favor in his
+eyes!
+
+<P>CHAPTER XI
+
+<P>Mixed emotion! Ha! The author of that cliche didn't even know
+its meaning! Kennon strode furiously down the dusty road toward
+Station One trying to sublimate his inner conflict into action.
+It was useless, of course, for once he stopped moving the grim
+tug-of-war between training and desire would begin again, and no
+matter how it ended the result would be unsatisfactory. As long
+as he had been able to delude himself that he was fond of Copper
+the way a man is fond of some lesser species, it had been all
+right. But he knew now that he was fond of her as a man is of a
+woman -- and it was hell! For no rationalization in the universe
+would allow him to define her as human. Copper was humanoid --
+something <I>like</I> human. And to live with her and love her
+would not be miscegenation, which was bad enough, but bestiality
+which was a thousand times worse.
+
+<P>Although throughout most of the Brotherhood miscegenation was
+an unknown word, and even bestiality had become a loose
+definition on many worlds with humanoid populations, the words
+had definite meaning and moral force to a Betan. And -- God help
+him -- he was a Betan. A lifetime of training in a moral code
+that frowned upon mixed marriages and shrank appalled from even
+the thought of mixing species was nothing to bring face to face
+with the fact that he loved Copper.
+
+<P>It was odd, Kennon reflected bitterly, that humans could do
+with animals what their customs and codes prohibited them from
+doing to themselves. For thousands of years - back to the very
+dawn of history when men had bred horses and asses to produce
+mules -- men had been mixing species to produce useful hybrids.
+Yet a Betan who could hybridize plants or animals with complete
+equanimity shrank with horror from the thought of applying the
+same technique to himself.
+
+<P>What was there about a human being that was so sacrosanct? He
+shook his head angrily. He didn't know. There was no answer. But
+the idea -- the belief -- was there, ingrained into his
+attitudes, a part of his outlook, built carefully block by block
+from infancy until it now towered into a mighty wall that barred
+him from doing what he wished to do.
+
+<P>It would be an easier hurdle if he had been born anywhere
+except on Beta. In the rest of the Brotherhood, the color of a
+man's skin, the shape of his face, the quality and color of his
+hair and eyes made no difference. All men were brothers. But on
+Beta, where a variant-G sun had already caused genetic
+divergence, the brotherhood of man was a term that was merely
+given lip service. Betans were different and from birth they were
+taught to accept the difference and to live with it. Mixing of
+Betan stock with other human species, while not actually
+forbidden, was so encircled with conditioning that it was a rare
+Betan indeed who would risk self-opprobrium and the contempt of
+his fellows to mate with an outsider. And as for humanoids --
+Kennon shuddered. He couldn't break the attitudes of a lifetime.
+Yet he loved Copper.
+
+<P>And she knew he did!
+
+<P>And that was an even greater horror. He had fled from the
+office, from the glad light in her eyes, as a burned child flees
+fire. He needed time to think, time to plan. Yet his body and his
+surface thoughts wanted no plans or time. Living with a Lani
+wasn't frowned upon on Flora. Many of the staff did, nor did
+anyone seem to think less of them for doing so. Even Alexander
+himself had half-confessed to a more than platonic affection for
+a Lani called Susy.
+
+<P>Yet this was no excuse, nor would it silence the cold still
+voice in his mind that kept repeating <I>sodomite -- sodomite --
+sodomite</I> with a passionless inflection that was even more
+terrible than anger.
+
+<P>The five kilometers to Station One disappeared unnoticed
+beneath his feet as he walked, and he looked up in surprise to
+see the white walls and red roofs of the station looming before
+him.
+
+<P>&quot;Good Lord! Doc! What's got into you?&quot; the
+stationmaster said. &quot;You look like you'd seen a ghost. And
+out in this sun without a helmet! Come inside, man, before you
+get sunstroke!&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled without humor. &quot;Getting sunstroke is the
+least of my worries, Al,&quot; he said, but he allowed Al
+Crothers to usher him inside.
+
+<P>&quot;It's odd that you showed up right now,&quot; Al said,
+his dark face showing the curiosity that filled him. &quot;I just
+had a call from Message Center not five minutes ago, telling me
+to have you call in if you showed up.&quot;
+
+
+<P>Kennon sighed. &quot;On this island you can't get away from
+the phone,&quot; he said wryly. &quot;O.K., where is it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You look pretty bushed, Doc. Maybe you'd better rest
+awhile.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And maybe it's an emergency,&quot; Kennon interrupted.
+&quot;And probably it is because the staff can handle routine
+matters -- so maybe you'd better show me where you keep the
+phone.&quot;
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>&quot;One moment please,&quot; the Message Center operator
+said. There were a few clicks in the background. &quot;Here's
+your party,&quot; she continued. &quot;Go ahead, Doctor.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Kennon?&quot; a nervous voice crackled from the
+receiver.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're needed out on Otpen One.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Who is calling -- and what's the rush?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Douglas -- Douglas Alexander. The Lani are dying! It's
+an emergency! Cousin Alex'll skin us alive if we let these Lani
+die!&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas! Kennon hadn't thought of him since the one time they
+had met in Alexandria. That was a year ago. It seemed much
+longer. Since the Boss-man had exiled his cousin to that bleak
+rock to the east of Flora there had been no word of him. And now
+-- he laughed a sharp bark of humorless annoyance -- Douglas
+couldn't have timed it better if he had tried!
+
+<P>&quot;All right,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I'll come. What
+seems to be the trouble?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They're sick.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's obvious,&quot; Kennon snapped. &quot;Otherwise
+you wouldn't be calling. Can't you tell me any more than
+that?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They're vomiting. They have diarrhea. Several have had
+fits.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Thanks,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I'll be right out.
+Expect me in an hour.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So you're leaving?&quot; Al asked as he cradled the
+phone.
+
+<P>&quot;That's a practitioner's life,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Full of interruptions. Can I borrow your jeep?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll drive you. Where do you want to go?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;To the hospital,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I'll have to
+pick up my gear. It's an emergency all right.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're a tough one,&quot; Al said admiringly. &quot;I'd
+hate to walk five kilos in this heat without a hat -- and then go
+out on a call.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. &quot;It's not necessarily toughness. I
+believe in doing one job at a time -- and my contract reads
+veterinary service, not personal problems. The job comes first
+and there's work to do.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper wasn't in sight when Kennon came back to the hospital
+-- a fact for which he was grateful. He packed quickly, threw his
+bags into the jeep, and took off with almost guilty haste. He'd
+contact the Hospital from the Otpens. Right now all he wanted was
+to put distance between himself and Copper. Absence might make
+the heart grow fonder, but at the moment propinquity was by far
+the more dangerous thing. He pointed the blunt nose of the jeep
+toward Mount Olympus, set the autopilot, opened the throttle, and
+relaxed as best he could as the little vehicle sped at top speed
+for the outer islands. A vague curiosity filled him. He'd never
+been on the Otpens. He wondered what they were like.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Otpen One was a rocky tree-clad islet crowned with the
+stellate mass of a Class II Fortalice. But this one wasn't like
+Alexandria. It was fully manned and in service condition.
+
+<P>&quot;Airboat!&quot; a voice crackled from the dashboard
+speaker of the jeep, &quot;Identify yourself! You are being
+tracked.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon quickly flipped the IFF switch. &quot;Dr. Kennon, from
+Flora,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Thank you, sir. You are expected and are clear to land.
+Bring your vehicle down in the marked area.&quot; A section of
+the roof turned a garish yellow as Kennon circled the building.
+He brought the jeep in lightly, setting it carefully in the
+center of the area.
+
+<P>&quot;Leave your vehicle,&quot; the speaker chattered.
+&quot;If you are armed leave your weapon behind.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's not my habit to carry a gun,&quot; Kennon snapped.
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry, sir -- regulations,&quot; the speaker said.
+'&quot;This is S.O.P.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon left the jeep and instantly felt the probing tingle of
+a search beam. He looked around curiously at the flat roof of the
+fortress with its domed turrets and ugly snouts of the main
+battery projectors pointing skyward. Beside him, the long metal
+doors of a missile launcher made a rectangular trace on the
+smooth surface of the roof. Behind him the central tower poked
+its gaunt ferromorph and durilium outline into the darkening sky
+bearing its crown of spiderweb radar antennae turning steadily on
+their gimbals covering a vast hemisphere from horizon to zenith
+with endless inspection.
+
+<P>From the base of the tower a man emerged. He was tall, taller
+even than Kennon, and the muscles of his body showed through the
+tightness of his battle dress. His face was harsh, and in his
+hands he carried a Burkholtz magnum -- the most powerful portable
+weapon mankind had yet devised.
+
+<P>&quot;You are Dr. Kennon?&quot; the trooper asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I am.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Your I.D., please.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon handed it over and the big man scanned the card with
+practiced eyes. &quot;Check,&quot; he said. &quot;Follow me,
+sir.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;My bags,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;They'll be taken care of.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged and followed the man into the tower. A modern
+grav-shaft lowered them to the ground floor. They passed through
+a gloomy caricature of the Great Hall in Alexandria, through an
+iris, and down a long corridor lined with doors.
+
+<P>A bell rang.
+
+<P>&quot;Back!&quot; the trooper said. &quot;Against the wall!
+Quick! Into the doorway!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What's up?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Another practice alert.&quot; The trooper's voice was
+bored. &quot;It gets so that you'd almost wish for a fight to
+relieve the monotony.&quot;
+
+<P>A trooper and several Lani came down the corridor, running in
+disciplined formation. Steel clanged on steel as they turned the
+corner and moments later the whine of servos came faintly to
+their ears. From somewhere deep in the pile a rising crescendo of
+generators under full battle load sent out vibrations that could
+be sensed rather than heard. A klaxon squawked briefly. There was
+another clash of metal, and a harsh voice boomed through the
+corridors. &quot;Fourteen seconds. Well done. Secure
+stations!&quot;
+
+<P>The trooper grinned. &quot;That ties the record,&quot; he
+said. &quot;We can go now.&quot;
+
+<P>The corridor ended abruptly at an iris flanked by two
+sentries. They conferred briefly with Kennon's guide, dilated the
+iris, and motioned for Kennon to enter. The pastel interior of
+the modern office was a shocking contrast to the gray ferromorph
+corridors outside.
+
+<P>Douglas Alexander was standing behind the desk. He was much
+the same. His pudgy face was haggard with uncertainty and his
+eyes darted back and forth as his fingers caressed the knobby
+grip of a small Burkholtz jutting from a holster at his waist.
+There were new, unpleasant furrows between his eyes. He looked
+older and the indefinable air of cruelty was more pronounced. He
+had been frightened the last time Kennon had seen him, and he was
+frightened now.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not sure whether I am glad to see you, Kennon,&quot;
+he said uncertainly. &quot;But I suppose I have to be.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon believed him.
+
+<P>&quot;How have you been?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Not too bad until this afternoon. Things have been going
+pretty well.&quot; He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to
+another. &quot;I suppose Cousin Alex will skin me for this, but
+there's nothing else I can do.&quot; He licked his lips.
+&quot;You've been here long enough -- and you'll have to know
+eventually.&quot; He fidgeted and finally sat down behind the
+desk. &quot;We have trouble. Half the Lani were stricken about
+four hours ago. It was sudden. No warning at all. And if they
+die----&quot; his voice trailed off.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- what are we waiting for? Get someone to bring my
+bags down here and we'll look them over.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Do you have to? -- Can't you prescribe something?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How? I haven't examined the patients.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can tell you what's wrong.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon smiled. &quot;I hardly think that's the way to do it.
+Even though your description might be accurate, you still might
+miss something of critical importance.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas sighed. &quot;I thought that's what you'd say,&quot;
+he said. &quot;Oh -- very well -- you might as well see what we
+have out here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You can't possibly believe that I don't already
+know,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You have male Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas looked at him, his face blank with surprise. &quot;But
+-- how did you know? No one on the main island does except the
+Family. And we never talk about it. Did Eloise tell you? I
+noticed she was struck with you the day you came, and the Lani
+who have come out here since have been talking about you two. Did
+she do it?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. &quot;She never said a word.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then how----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not stupid,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;That story
+you've spread about artificial fertilization has more holes in it
+than a sieve. That technique has been investigated a thousand
+times. And it has never worked past the first generation. If you
+had been using it, the Lani would long ago have been extinct.
+Haploids don't reproduce, and the only way the diploid number of
+chromosomes can be kept is to replace those lost by maturation
+division of the ovum. You might be able to keep the diploid
+number by using immature ova, but the fertilization technique
+would be far more complex than the simple uterine injections you
+use at Hillside Station.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas looked at him blankly.
+
+<P>&quot;Besides,&quot; Kennon added, &quot;I have a microscope.
+I checked your so-called fertilizing solution. I found
+spermatozoa, and spermatozoa only come from males. What's more,
+the males have to be the same species as the females or
+fertilization will not take place. So there must be male Lani.
+Nothing else fits. You've been using artificial insemination on
+the main-island Lani. And from the way this place is guarded,
+it's obvious that here is your stud farm.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of
+resignation. &quot;I suppose,&quot; he said, &quot;that's the way
+Old Doc found out too. We never told him, but he knew before he
+ever came out here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The only thing that puzzles me,&quot; Kennon went on,
+&quot;is how you managed to eliminate the Y-chromosome carriers
+within the sperm.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Eh?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The male sex-determinant. Half the sperm carry it, but
+so far as I know, there's never been a male born on the main
+island.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- that. It's something that's done in the labs here.
+Probably one of the technicians could tell you. It's called
+electro-- electro freezing or something like that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Electrodiaphoresis?&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas nodded. &quot;That sounds like it. I don't know
+anything about it. One of Grandfather's men did the basic work.
+We just follow instructions.&quot; He shrugged. &quot;Well -
+since you know the secret there's no sense in hiding the bodies.
+Come along and tell me what's wrong.&quot;
+
+<P>It was a peculiar feeling to walk down the row of cubical
+rooms with their barred doors. The whole area reminded him of a
+historical novel, of the prisons of early human history where men
+confined other men for infractions of social customs. The
+grimness of the place was appalling. The male Lani -- impressive
+in their physical development -- were in miserable condition,
+nauseated, green-faced, retching. The sickening odors of vomit
+and diarrhea hung heavily on the air. Douglas coughed and held a
+square of cloth to his face, and even Kennon, strong-stomached as
+he was, could feel his viscera twitch in sympathy with the caged
+sufferers.
+
+<P>&quot;Great Fleming, man!&quot; Kennon exploded. &quot;You
+can't keep them here. Get them out! Give them some fresh air!
+This place would make a well man sick.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas looked at him, &quot;I wouldn't take one of them out
+unless I had him shackled and there was an armed guard to help
+me. Those males are the most vicious, cunning, and dangerous
+animals on Kardon. They exist with but one thought in mind -- to
+kill!&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked curiously through a barred door at one of the
+Lani. He lay on a bare cot, a magnificently muscled figure with a
+ragged black beard hiding his face. There were dozens of scars on
+his body and one angry purple area on his thick right forearm
+where flesh had been torn away not too long ago. Beads of sweat
+stood out on his forehead and soft moaning noises came from his
+tight lips as he pressed his abdomen with thick-fingered hands.
+&quot;He doesn't look so dangerous,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Watch it!&quot; Douglas warned. &quot;Don't get too
+close!&quot; But the warning was too late. Kennon touched the
+bars, and as he did, the Lani moved with fluid speed, one huge
+hand clutching Kennon's sleeve and pulling him against the bars
+while the other darted for his throat. Fingers bit into Kennon's
+neck and tightened in a viselike grip. Kennon reacted
+automatically. His arms came up inside the Lani's and crashed
+down, elbows out, tearing the Lani loose. He jumped back, rubbing
+his bruised throat. &quot;That fellow's not sick!&quot; he
+gasped. &quot;He's crazy!&quot;
+
+<P>The Lani glared at him through the bars, disappointment
+written on his scarred and bearded face.
+
+<P>&quot;I warned you,&quot; Douglas said. His voice held an
+undertone of malicious laughter. &quot;He must be sick or he
+would have killed you. George is clever in a stupid sort of
+way.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked into the cubicle. The Lani glared back and
+growled. There was a beastlike note in his voice that made the
+short hairs on Kennon's neck prickle.
+
+<P>&quot;That fellow needs a lesson,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;You want to give it to him?&quot; Douglas asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Not particularly.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ha! -- man! -- you afraid!&quot; the Lani taunted. His
+voice was thick and harsh. &quot;All men fear me. All Lani, too.
+I am boss. Come close again man and I kill you!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Are they all that stupid?&quot; Kennon asked. &quot;He
+sounds like a homicidal moron.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He's not stupid,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;Just
+uneducated.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why is he so murderous?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's his training. All his life he has fought. From
+childhood his life has been based on his ability to survive in an
+environment where every male is his enemy. You see here the
+sublimation of individuality. He cannot co-operate with another
+male. He hates them, and they in turn hate him. George, here, is
+a perfect example of absolute freedom from restraint.&quot;
+Douglas smiled unpleasantly.
+
+<P>&quot;His whole history is one of complete lack of control. As
+an infant, being a male, his mother thought she was favored by
+the gods and she denied him nothing. In fact we were quite
+insistent that she gave him everything he wanted. By the time he
+was able to walk and take care of himself, he was completely
+spoiled, selfish, and authoritative.
+
+<P>&quot;Then we took him and a dozen others exactly like him and
+put them together.&quot; Douglas grinned. &quot;You should see
+what happens when a dozen spoiled brats are forced to live
+together. It's more fun. The little beasts hate each other on
+sight. And we stimulate them to compete for toys, food, and
+drink. Never quite enough to go around. You can imagine what
+happens. Instead of sharing, each little selfish individualist
+fights to get everything he can grab. Except for one thing we
+don't punish them no matter what they do. If anyone shows signs
+of co-operating he is disciplined severely, the first time. The
+next time, he is culled. But other than that, we leave them
+alone. They develop their personalities and their muscles -- and
+if one proves to be too much for his fellows we transfer him to a
+more advanced class where the competition is keener, and he
+learns what it is to lose.
+
+<P>&quot;At puberty we add sex drive to the basics, and by the
+time our male reaches maturity we have something like George.
+Actually, George is more mature than either you or I. He has all
+the answers he needs. He's strong, solitary, authoritative, and
+selfish. He has no curiosity and resents encroachment. He's a
+complete individualist. If he proves out he should make an
+excellent sire.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But isn't he dangerous to handle?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, but we take precautions.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon grimaced with distaste.
+
+<P>&quot;Look at it objectively,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;We're
+trying to select the best physical type we can in the hope that
+he'll pass his qualities to his offspring, and there's no better
+practical way to select the strongest and hardiest than by
+natural selection. We control their environment as little as
+possible and let Nature do our educating until they're old enough
+to be useful.
+
+<P>&quot;Naturally, there are some things which we cannot
+provide, such as exposure to disease, to the elements, and to
+predators. The one isn't selective about whom it infects, while
+the others would tend to produce co-operation as a matter of
+survival.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Isn't there a great deal of mortality under such a
+regimen?'' Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Not as much as you might expect. It's about twenty per
+cent. And there is a great deal of compensation from a management
+viewpoint. We get essentially the same physical end product as we
+would from a closely managed operation, plus a great saving in
+labor. Males, you see, are fairly expendable. We only need a few
+a year.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's brutal.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So it is, but life is brutal. Still, it's efficient for
+our purposes. We merely take advantage of natural impulses to
+produce a better product. Grandfather got the idea out of an old
+book -- something about the noble savage, natural selection and
+survival of the fittest. He thought it was great - said there was
+nothing like relentless competition to bring out the strongest
+and hardiest types. And he's been right for centuries. Can you
+imagine anything much better than George -- from a physical
+viewpoint?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He is a magnificent animal,&quot; Kennon admitted as he
+eyed the Lani. &quot;But it seems to me that you could train some
+obedience into him.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas shook his head. &quot;That would introduce a modifying
+factor, something bigger and more powerful than the male himself.
+And that would modify the results. We can control them well
+enough with knockout gas and shackles. And those things, oddly
+enough, don't destroy their pride or self-esteem. They think that
+we use them because we are afraid, and it satisfies their
+egos.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon eyed the caged Lani dubiously. &quot;This is going to
+be difficult. I must examine them and treat them, but if they're
+all as homicidal as this one--&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You fight me man,&quot; George interrupted, his face
+twisted into lines of transparent guile. &quot;I am boss and
+others do as I say. You beat me, then you are boss.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Is this true?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, it's true enough,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;George
+is the leader and if you beat him you'd be top male until some
+other one got courage enough to challenge you. But he's just
+trying to get his hands on you. He'd like to kill.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked at the big humanoid appraisingly. George was
+huge, at least five centimeters taller and fifteen kilograms
+heavier than himself. And he was all muscle. &quot;I don't think
+I'd care to accept that challenge unless I was forced to,&quot;
+Kennon said.
+
+<P>Douglas chuckled. &quot;I don't blame you.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon sighed. &quot;It looks like we are going to need
+reinforcements to get these brutes under control. I'm not going
+in there with them, and I can't examine them from out here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, we can hold them all right. Paralysis gas and
+shackles will keep them quiet. There's no need to bother the
+troopers. We can handle this by ourselves.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. &quot;It's your baby. You should know what
+you're doing.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I do,&quot; Douglas said confidently. &quot;Wait here
+until I get the gas capsules and the equipment.'' He turned and
+walked back to the entrance to the cell block. At the iris he
+turned. &quot;Be careful,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Don't worry, I will.&quot; Kennon looked at George
+through the bars and the humanoid glared back, his eyes bright
+with hatred. Kennon felt the short hairs prickle along the back
+of his neck. George roused a primal emotion -- an elemental
+dislike that was deeper than reason -- an antagonism intensely
+physical, almost overpowering -- a purely adrenal response that
+had no business in the make-up of a civilized human.
+
+<P>He had thought the Lani had a number of human traits until he
+had encountered George. But if George was a typical male -- then
+the Lani were alien. He flexed his muscles and stared coldly into
+the burning blue eyes behind the bars. There would be
+considerable satisfaction in beating this monstrosity to a
+quivering pulp. Millennia of human pre-eminence -- of belief that
+nothing, no matter how big or muscular, should fail to recognize
+that a man's person was inviolate -- fed the fuel of his anger.
+The most ferocious beasts on ten thousand worlds had learned this
+lesson. And yet this animal had laid hands on him with intent to
+kill. A cold corner of his mind kept telling him that he wasn't
+behaving rationally, but he disregarded it. George was a walking
+need for a lesson in manners.
+
+<P>&quot;Don't get the idea that I'm afraid of you -- you
+overmuscled oaf,&quot; Kennon snapped. &quot;I can handle you or
+anyone like you. And if you put your hands on me again I'll beat
+you within an inch of your worthless life.&quot;
+
+<P>The Lani snarled. &quot;Let me out and I kill you. But you are
+like all men. You use gun and iron -- not fair fight.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas returned with a gas capsule and a set of shackles.
+&quot;All right,&quot; he said. &quot;We're ready for him.&quot;
+He handed Kennon the shackles and a key to the cell door -- and
+drew his Burkholtz.
+
+<P>&quot;See,&quot; the Lani growled. &quot;It is as I say. Men
+are cowards.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You know gun?&quot; Douglas asked as he pointed the
+muzzle of the Burkholtz at the Lani.
+
+<P>&quot;I know,&quot; George growled. &quot;Gun kill.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It does indeed,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;Now get back
+-- clear back against the wall.&quot;
+
+<P>George snarled but didn't move.
+
+<P>&quot;I'll count three,&quot; Douglas said, &quot;and if
+you're not back by then I'll burn you down. You'll obey even if
+you won't do anything else. -- one -- two--&quot;
+
+<P>George retreated to the far end of his cell.
+
+<P>&quot;Now face the wall.&quot; Douglas tossed the gas capsule
+into the cell. The thin-walled container broke, releasing a cloud
+of vapor. George crumpled to the floor. &quot;Now we wait a
+couple of minutes for the gas to dissipate,&quot; Douglas said.
+&quot;After that he's all yours. You can go in and put the irons
+on him.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Will he be out long?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;About five minutes. After that he'll have muscular
+control.&quot; Douglas chuckled. &quot;They're stupid,&quot; he
+said. &quot;They know what gas does to them, but they never have
+sense enough to hold their breath. They could be twice as much
+trouble as they are. All right, it's safe to go in now.&quot;
+Douglas let the gun dangle in his hand.
+
+<P>Kennon unlocked the door.
+
+<P>And George rolled over, muscles bunched and driving! He hit
+the door with such force that Kennon was slammed against the
+wall, dazed -- half stunned by the speed of the attack. George --
+he had time to think in one brief flash -- wasn't stupid. He had
+held his breath for the necessary two minutes!
+
+<P>Douglas jerked the blaster up and fired, but his target was
+too quick. George dropped and rolled. The sizzling streak of
+violet flashed inches above his body and tore a six-inch hole
+through the back of the cell. And then George was on him! The
+huge, marvelously fast hands of the humanoid wrenched the blaster
+out of Douglas's hands and jerked him forward. A scream burst
+from Douglas as George's hands closed around his neck. Muscles
+sprang into writhing life in the humanoid's huge forearms. There
+was a soft, brittle crack, and Douglas sagged limp in the iron
+grip that held him dangling.
+
+<P>&quot;Faugh!&quot; George grunted. He dropped Douglas as
+Kennon pushed the door back and came out into the passageway.
+&quot;Maybe you make better fight,&quot; George said as he
+lowered his head into the muscular mass of his broad shoulders.
+
+<P>Kennon eyed him appraisingly, swinging the irons in his right
+hand.
+
+<P>This time the Lani didn't charge. He moved slowly, half
+crouched, long arms held slightly forward. Kennon backed away,
+watching the humanoid's eyes for that telltale flicker of the
+pupils that gives warning of attack. The expression on George's
+face never changed. It was satisfied -- smug almost -- reflecting
+the feelings of a brute conditioned to kill and given an
+opportunity to do so. The Lani radiated confidence.
+
+<P>Kennon shivered involuntarily. He wasn't frightened, but he
+had never met an opponent like this. A chill raced up the back of
+his legs and spread over his stomach and chest. His mouth was dry
+and his muscles quivered with tense anticipation. But his
+concentration never wavered. His hard blue eyes never left
+George's, searching with microscopic intentness for the faintest
+sign of the Lani's intentions.
+
+<P>George charged -- hands reaching for Kennon's throat, face
+twisted in a snarl of rage and hate. But even as he charged
+Kennon moved. He ducked beneath the Lani's outstretched hands and
+drove his left fist deep into George's belly just below the
+breastbone.
+
+<P>Air whistled out of the Lani's gaping mouth as he bent double
+from the power of the blow. Kennon clipped him on the chin with a
+driving knee, snapping George's head back and smashed the bearded
+face with the shackles. Blood spurted and George screamed with
+rage. One of the Lani's big hands wrapped around the shackles and
+tugged. Kennon let go and drove another left to George's ribs.
+
+<P>The Lani threw the irons at Kennon, but his aim was poor. One
+of the handcuff rings scraped across Kennon's cheek, but did
+nothing more than break the skin. Half paralyzed by the blows to
+his solar plexus, George's co-ordination was badly impaired. But
+he kept trying. Kennon wrapped lean fingers about one of George's
+outstretched hands, bent, pivoted, and slammed the Lani with
+bone-crushing force against the bars of a nearby cell. But George
+didn't go down. &quot;He's more brute than man,&quot; Kennon
+thought. &quot;No man could take a beating like that!&quot; He
+moved aside from George's stumbling rush, feeling a twinge of
+pity for the battered humanoid. It was no contest. Strong as he
+was, George didn't know the rudiments of hand-to-hand fighting.
+His reactions were those of an animal, to close, clutch, bite,
+and tear. Even if he were completely well, the results would have
+been the same. It would merely have taken longer. Kennon drove a
+vicious judo chop to the junction of the Lani's neck and
+shoulder. Brute strength was no match for the highly evolved
+mayhem that every spaceman learns as a necessary part of his
+trade. George had never been on planet leave in a spaceport town.
+He knew nothing about the dives, the crimps, the hostile port
+police. His idea of fighting was that of a beast, but Kennon was
+a civilized man to whom fighting was an art perfected by
+millennia of warfare. And Kennon knew his trade.
+
+<P>Even so it took longer than Kennon expected because George was
+big, George was strong, and George had courage and pride that
+kept him coming as long as the blazing will behind his blazing
+eyes could drive his battered body. But the end was inevitable.
+
+<P>Kennon looked at his bloody arm where George's teeth had
+reached their mark. It was hardly more than a scratch, but it had
+been close. George had his lesson and Kennon felt oddly degraded.
+He sighed, dragged George back into the cell, and locked the
+door.
+
+<P>Then he turned to Douglas. The howls of hate from the caged
+Lani died to a sullen silence as Kennon gently examined the limp
+body.
+
+<P>Douglas wasn't dead. His neck was dislocated, not broken, but
+he was in serious condition. Kennon was still bending over
+Douglas wondering how to call for help when three guards burst
+through the door, faces grim, weapons at the ready.
+
+<P>&quot;What's going on here?&quot; the leader demanded.
+&quot;The board showed an open door down here.&quot; He saw the
+body-- &quot;Mr. Douglas!&quot; he gasped. &quot;The commandant
+will have to know about this!&quot; He took a communicator from
+his waist belt and spoke rapidly into it. &quot;Arleson in stud
+cell block,&quot; he said. &quot;Attempted escape. One casualty
+-- Douglas Alexander - yes, that's right. No -- he's not dead.
+Send a litter and bearers. Inform the commandant. I am making
+investigation on the spot. Out.&quot; He turned to look coldly at
+Kennon.
+
+<P>&quot;Who are you--and what happened here?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>Kennon told him.
+
+<P>&quot;You mean you took <I>George!</I>&quot; Arleson said.
+
+<P>&quot;Look in his cell if you don't believe me.&quot;
+
+<P>The soldier looked and then turned hack to Kennon. There was
+awed respect in his hard brown eyes. &quot;You did <I>that!</I>
+-- to <I>him!</I> Man, you're a fighter,&quot; he said in an
+unbelieving voice.
+
+<P>A stretcher detail manned by two sober-faced Lani females came
+in, loaded Douglas's body on the stretcher, and silently bore it
+away.
+
+<P>&quot;Douglas was a fool,&quot; Arleson said. &quot;He knew we
+never handle this kind without maximum restraint. I wonder why he
+did it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I couldn't say. He told me that gas and shackles would
+hold him.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He knew better. These Lani know gas capsules. All George
+bad to do was hold his breath. In that cell George would have
+killed you. You couldn't have stayed away from him.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. Maybe that was what Douglas had wanted.
+Kennon sighed. He didn't have the answer. And it could just be
+that Douglas had tried to show off. Well, he would pay for it.
+He'd have a stiff neck for months, and perhaps that was a proper
+way to end it.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Commander Mullins, a thin gray-faced man with the hard cold
+eyes of a professional soldier, came into the corridor followed
+by another trooper.
+
+<P>His eyes took in the wreckage that had been George, the split
+lips, the smashed nose, the puffed eyes, the cuts and bruises,
+and then raked across Kennon.
+
+<P>&quot;Spaceman -- hey?&quot; he asked. &quot;I've seen work
+like that before.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. &quot;I was once. I'm station veterinarian now.
+Douglas called me over -- said it was an emergency.&quot;
+
+<P>Mullins nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- why aren't you tending to it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have to examine them,&quot; Kennon said gesturing at
+the cells. &quot;And I don't want any more trouble like
+this.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't worry. You won't have it. Now that you've beaten
+George, you'll have no trouble at all. You're top dog.&quot;
+Mullins gestured at the cages. &quot;They'll be good for a while.
+Now you'd better get on with your work. There's been enough
+disruption of routine for today. The men will help you.&quot;
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Kennon checked in at the commandant's office before he left
+for the main island.
+
+<P>&quot;How is Douglas?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>&quot;He's alive,&quot; Mullins said. &quot;We flew him to
+Albertsville - and good riddance. How are the Lani?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They'll be all right,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;It's just
+food poisoning. I suggest you check your kitchen and your food
+handlers. There's a break in sanitation that could incapacitate
+your whole command. I found a few things wrong but there are
+probably more.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll check on it -- and thanks for the advice,&quot;
+Mullins said. &quot;Sit down, Doctor. Your airboat won't be
+serviced for another few minutes. Tell me how things are on the
+main island. How's Blalok?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You know him?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course. I used to be a frequent visitor there. But
+with that young pup here, I couldn't leave. I didn't dare to.
+He'd have disrupted routine in a single day. Look what he did in
+half an hour. Frankly, I owe you a debt for getting him off my
+hands.&quot; Mullins chuckled dryly.
+
+<P>&quot;That's a fine thing to say,&quot; Kennon grinned.
+&quot;But I can sympathize. It took us two months to straighten
+out Alexandria after the Boss-man sent him here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I heard about that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- we're under control now. Things are going pretty
+smoothly.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They'll be better here,&quot; Mullins said. &quot;Now
+that Douglas is gone.&quot; He shrugged. &quot;I hope the Boss
+doesn't send him back. He's hard to handle and he makes
+discipline a problem.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Could you tell me--or would it be violating
+security?&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Why do you have a Class II
+installation on full war footing out here?&quot;
+
+<P>Mullins chuckled. It's no secret,&quot; he said. &quot;There
+was a  commercial raid on this place about fifty years ago. Seems
+as though one of our competitors didn't like us. Alexandria was
+on a war footing then and managed to hold them off. But it scared
+the Old Man. You see, our competitive position is based on Lani
+labor. Our competitors didn't know that. Their intelligence
+wasn't so good. Up until that time, we'd  been keeping the males
+out here in what was hardly more than a stockade. Those people
+could have taken a few dozen  females and a couple of males and
+they'd have been in business. But they didn't know. They tried to
+smash Alexandria instead. Naturally they didn't have a chance.
+And after it was over the Old Man got smart. He still had the
+tapes for Alexandria so he built a duplicate out here and spent a
+few millions on modern armament. The way we're set now it'd take
+a battle group to hurt us.''
+
+<P>&quot;But how about security? Don't the others know about the
+Lani now?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's a moot question. But it won't do them any good.
+They can't crack this place, and without males, all the females
+on Flora wouldn't do them enough long-term good to pay for the
+force they'd need to be successful.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So that's why the males are isolated.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's another reason -- two of them in fact. One is
+physical. Even the best male is a dangerous beast. They have a
+flair for violence that makes them useless as labor and their
+training doesn't help matters. And the other is mental. The
+females on the main island believe that we humans are responsible
+for the continuation of their breed. This tends to keep them in
+line. We have a great deal more trouble with them out here once
+they know the truth. We've had a number of cases of females
+trying to engineer a male's escape. But they're never
+repeated,&quot; Mullins said grimly. &quot;Actually, it would be
+an interesting life out here, except for the abattoir.&quot; He
+grimaced. &quot;That's an unpleasant chore.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You mean--&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Why, certainly. What else could we do with senile
+animals?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But that's murder!&quot;
+
+<P>Mullins shook his head. &quot;No more than killing a cow for
+beef.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You know,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;I've never thought of
+what happened to aged Lani. Sure, I've never seen one, but --
+Lord Lister! -- I'm a fool.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You'll get used to the idea,&quot; Mullins said.
+&quot;They aren't human, and except for a few, they aren't as
+intelligent as a Santosian Varl. I know that they look like us
+except for those tails, but that's as far as it goes. I've spent
+two hundred years with them and I know what I'm talking
+about.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's what Alexander says.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He should know. He's lived with them all his life.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- perhaps. But I'm not convinced.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Neither was Old Doc -- not until the day he died.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Did he change then?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't know. I wasn't there. But Old Doc was a stubborn
+cuss.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon stood up. &quot;I've given instructions for treatment
+to your corpsman,&quot; he said. &quot;Now I think I'd better be
+getting back. I have some reports to finish.&quot;
+
+<P>Mullins smiled grimly. &quot;You know,&quot; he said, &quot;I
+get the feeling that you don't approve of this operation.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Frankly, I don't,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;but I signed
+a contract.&quot; He turned toward the door and gestured to the
+two Lani who waited outside with his bags. &quot;I can find my
+way to the roof,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- good luck,&quot; Mullins said. &quot;We'll call
+you again if we need you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Do that,&quot; Kennon replied. He wanted to leave, to
+get away from this place and back to the main island. He wanted
+to see Copper. He'd be damned if anyone was going to butcher her.
+If he had to stay here until she died of old age, he'd do it. But
+nobody was going to hurt her.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XII
+
+<P>Kennon wondered if his colleagues in human medicine felt
+toward their patients as he did toward the Lani, or if they
+ultimately lost their individuality and became mere hosts for
+diseases, parasites, and tumors -- vehicles for the practice of
+surgical and medical skills -- economic units whose well-being
+meant a certain amount of credits. Probably not, he decided. They
+were human and their very humanity made them persons rather than
+things.
+
+<P>But the possession of individuality was not an asset in the
+practice of animal medicine where economics was the main factor
+and the satisfaction of the owner the principal personality
+problem. The normal farm animals, the shrakes, cattle, sheep,
+morks, and swine were no problem. They were merely a job. But the
+Lani were different. They weren't human, but they were
+intelligent and they did have personality even though they didn't
+possess that indefinable quality that separated man from the
+beasts. It was hard to treat them with dispassionate objectivity.
+In fact, it was impossible.
+
+<P>And this lack of objectivity annoyed him. Should he be this
+way? Was he right to identify them as individuals and treat them
+as persons rather than things? The passing months had failed to
+rob them of their personalities: they had not become the faceless
+mass of a herd of cattle or a flock of sheep. They were still not
+essentially different from humans -- and wouldn't men themselves
+lose many of their human characteristics if they were herded into
+barracks and treated as property for forty generations? Wouldn't
+men, too, approach the animal condition if they were bred and
+treated as beasts, their pedigrees recorded, their types winnowed
+and selected? The thought was annoying.
+
+<P>It would be better, Kennon reflected, if he didn't have time
+to think, if he were so busy he could drop to his bed exhausted
+each night and sleep without dreaming, if he could keep on the
+run so fast that he wouldn't have time to sit and reflect. But he
+had done his work too well. He had trained his staff too
+thoroughly. They could handle the petty routines of minor
+treatment and laboratory tests as well as he. He had only the
+intellectual stimulation of atypical cases and these were all too
+rare. The routine inspections were boring, yet he forced himself
+to make them because the filled the time. The hospital wards were
+virtually empty of patients, the work was up to date, the whole
+island was enjoying a carnival of health, and Kennon was still
+impaled upon the horns of his dilemma. It wasn't so bad now that
+the first shock was over, but it was bad enough -- and showed no
+signs of getting better. Now that Copper realized he wanted her,
+she did nothing to make his life easier. Instead she did her best
+to get underfoot, usually in some provocative position. It was
+enough to try the patience of a marble statue Kennon reflected
+grimly. But it did have its humorous side and were it not for the
+fact that Copper wasn't human could have been thoroughly
+enjoyable. That, however, was the real hell of it. He couldn't
+relax and enjoy the contest - his feet were on too slippery
+ground. And Copper with her unerring female instinct knew just
+what to do to make the footing slipperier. Sooner or later, she
+was certain that he would fall. It was only a question of
+applying sufficient pressure at the right spot and the right
+time. Now that she knew he desired her, she was content to wait.
+The only thing that had bothered her was the uncertainty whether
+he cared or not. For Copper the future was a simple thing and she
+was lighthearted about it. But not so Kennon. Even after the
+initial shock had passed there still remained the moral customs,
+the conditioning, and the prohibitions. But Copper - was Copper
+-- and somehow the conditioning lost its force in her presence.
+Perhaps, he thought wryly, it was a symptom of the gradual
+erosion of his moral character in this abnormal environment.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm getting stale,&quot; he confided to Copper as he sat
+in his office idly turning the pages of the <I>Kardon Journal of
+Allied Medical Sciences</I>. &quot;There's nothing to do that's
+interesting.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You could help me,&quot; Copper said as she looked up
+from the pile of cards she was sorting. He had given her the
+thankless task of reorganizing the files, and she was barely half
+through the project.
+
+<P>&quot;There's nothing to do that's interesting,&quot; he
+repeated. He cocked his head to one side. From this angle Copper
+looked decidedly intriguing as she bent over the file drawer and
+replaced a stack of cards.
+
+<P>&quot;I could suggest something,&quot; Copper said demurely.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, I know,&quot; he said. &quot;You're full of
+suggestions.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I was thinking that we could go on a picnic.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A what?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A picnic. Take a lunch and go somewhere in the jeep.
+Maybe up into the hills. I think it might be fun.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot; Kennon agreed. &quot;At least it would
+break the monotony. Tell you what. You run up to the house and
+tell Kara to pack a lunch and we'll take the day off.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Good! I hoped you'd say that. I'm getting tired of these
+dirty old cards.&quot; She stood up and sidled past the desk.
+Kennon resisted the impulse to slap as she went past, and
+congratulated himself on his self-control as she looked at him
+with a half-disappointed expression on her face. She had expected
+it, he thought gleefully. Score one for morality.
+
+<P>
+
+
+<P>He smiled. Whatever the other Lani might be, Copper was
+different. Quick, volatile, intelligent, she was a constant
+delight, a flashing kaleidoscope of unexpected facets. Perhaps
+the others were the same if he knew them better. But he didn't
+know them -- and avoided learning. In that direction lay ulcers.
+
+<P>&quot;We'll go to Olympus,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>Copper looked dubious. &quot;I'd rather not go there. That's
+forbidden ground.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh nonsense. You're merely superstitious.&quot;
+
+<P>She smiled. &quot;Perhaps you're right. You usually are.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's the virtue of being a man. Even if I'm wrong, I'm
+right.&quot; He chuckled at the peculiar expression on her face.
+
+<P>&quot;Now off with you -- and get that lunch basket
+packed.&quot;
+
+<P>She bowed. &quot;Yes, master. Your slave flies on winged feet
+to execute your commands.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. Copper had been reading Old Doc's romances
+again. He recognized the florid style.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Kennon landed the jeep in a mountain meadow halfway up the
+slope of the peacefully slumbering volcano. It was quiet and
+cool, and the light breeze was blowing Olympus's smoky cap away
+from them to the west. Copper unpacked the lunch. She moved
+slowly. After all, there was plenty of time, and she wasn't very
+hungry. Neither was Kennon.
+
+<P>&quot;Let's go for a walk,&quot; Copper said. &quot;The woods
+look cool -- and maybe we can work up an appetite.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Good idea. I could use some exercise. That lunch looks
+big enough to choke a horse and I'd like to do it justice.&quot;
+
+<P>They walked through the woods, skirting scant patches of
+underbrush, slowly moving higher on the mountain slopes. The
+trees, unlike those of Beta, did not end abruptly at a snow line,
+but pushed green fingers upward through passages between old lava
+flows, on whose black wrinkled surfaces nothing grew. The faint
+hum of insects and the piping calls of the birdlike mammals added
+to the impression of remoteness. It was hard to believe that
+scarcely twenty kilometers from this primitive microcosm was the
+border of the highly organized and productive farmlands of
+Outworld Enterprises.
+
+<P>&quot;Do you think we can see the hospital if we go high
+enough?&quot; Copper said. She panted a little, unaccustomed to
+the altitude.
+
+<P>&quot;Possibly,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;It is a long distance
+away. But we should be able to see Alexandria,&quot; he added.
+&quot;That's high enough and big enough.&quot; He looked at her
+curiously. &quot;How is it that you're so breathless?&quot; he
+asked. &quot;We're not that high. You're getting fat with too
+much soft living.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper smiled. &quot;Perhaps I'm getting old.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Nonsense,&quot; Kennon chuckled. &quot;It's just fat.
+Come to think of it you <I>are</I> plumper. Not that I mind, but
+if you're going to keep that sylphlike figure you'd better go on
+a diet.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're too good to me,&quot; Copper said.
+
+<P>&quot;You're darn right I am. Well - let's get going. Exercise
+is always good for the waistline, and I'd like to see what's up
+ahead.&quot;
+
+<P>Scarcely a kilometer ahead they came to a wall of lava that
+barred their path. &quot;Oh, oh,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;We
+can't go over<I> that</I>.&quot; He looked at the wrinkled and
+shattered rock with its knifelike edges.
+
+<P>&quot;I don't think my feet could take it,&quot; Copper
+admitted.
+
+<P>&quot;It looks like the end of the trail.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- not quite,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;There seems to
+be a path here.&quot; He pointed to a narrow cleft in the black
+rock. &quot;Let's see where it goes.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper hung back. &quot;I don't think I want to,&quot; she
+said doubtfully. &quot;It looks awfully dark and narrow.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, stop it. Nothing's going to hurt us. Come on.&quot;
+Kennon took her hand.
+
+<P>Unwillingly Copper allowed herself to be led forward.
+&quot;There's something about this place that frightens me,&quot;
+she said uncomfortably as the high black wails closed in,
+narrowing until only a slit of yellow sky was visible overhead.
+The path underfoot was surprisingly smooth and free from rocks,
+but the narrow corridor, steeped in shadows, was gloomy and
+depressingly silent. It even bothered Kennon, although he
+wouldn't admit it. What forces had sliced this razor-thin cleft
+in the dense rock around them? Earthquake probably. And if it
+happened once it could happen again. He would hate to be trapped
+here entombed in shattered rock.
+
+<P>Gradually the passage widened, then abruptly it ended. A bleak
+vista of volcanic ash dotted with sputter cones opened before
+them. It was a flat tableland, roughly circular, scarcely half a
+kilometer across, a desolation of black rock, stunted trees and
+underbrush, and gray volcanic ash. A crater, somewhat larger than
+the rest, lay with its nearest edge about two hundred meters
+away. The rock edges were fire polished, gleaming in the yellow
+sunshine, and the thin margin of trees and brush surrounding the
+depression were gnarled and shrunken, twisted into fantastic
+shapes.
+
+<P>&quot;Hey! what's this?&quot; Kennon asked curiously.
+&quot;That crater looks peculiar, like a meteor had struck here
+-- but those stunted plants -- hmm -- there must have been some
+radioactivity too.&quot; He looked at the crater speculatively.
+&quot;Now I wonder----&quot;he began.
+
+<P>Copper had turned a sickly white. &quot;No!&quot; she said in
+a half-strangled voice--&quot;oh, <I>no</I>!'
+
+<P>Kennon looked at her. &quot;You know what this is?&quot; he
+demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;No,&quot; Copper said. But her voice was unsteady.
+
+<P>&quot;You're lying.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I <I>don't</I> know.&quot; Copper wailed. &quot;I'm
+only guessing. I've never seen this place before in my life!
+Please! -- let's get out of here!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then you know <I>about</I> this,&quot; Kennon demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;I think it's the Pit,&quot; Copper said. 'The redes
+don't say where it is. But the description fits -- the Circle of
+Death, the Twisted Land -- it's all like the redes say.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Redes? -- what are redes? And what is this business
+about circles of death? There's something here that's peculiar
+and I want to know what it is.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's nothing. Truly. Just let's go back. Let's leave
+this place. It's no good. It's tabu.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Tabu? You've never used that word before.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Forbidden.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Who forbids it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The Gods -- the Old Ones. It is not for Lani. Nor for
+you.&quot; Her voice was harsh. &quot;Come away before it is too
+late. Before the Silent Death strikes you down.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm going to have a look at this.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You'll be killed!&quot; Copper said. &quot;And if you
+die, I die too.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't be foolish. There's nothing here that can hurt me.
+See those trees and plants growing right up to the crater's edge.
+If they can take it permanently, I can stand it for a few
+moments. If there's any radioactivity there, it's not very
+much.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But the redes say---&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, forget those redes. I know what I'm doing. Besides,
+I'm a Betan and can stand more radiation than most men. A brief
+exposure isn't going to hurt me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You go and I go too,&quot; Copper said desperately.
+
+<P>''You'll stay here where it's safe,&quot; Kennon said flatly.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm going with you,&quot; Copper repeated. &quot;I don't
+want to live without you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I tell you I won't be hurt. And one quick look isn't
+going to bother whatever's down there.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's what Roga the Foolish said when he opened Lyssa's
+tower. But he brought men to Flora. And your little look may
+bring an even greater calamity.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged, and started Walking toward the crater's edge.
+
+<P>Copper followed.
+
+<P>He turned to order her back, but the words died on his tips as
+he saw the terror and determination on her face. Neither commands
+nor pleas would move her. If he went she would follow. The only
+way he could stop her would be with violence, and he didn't want
+to manhandle her. He felt an odd mixture of pride, tenderness,
+and admiration for her. Were their situations reversed, he
+doubted whether he would have the courage she was showing. He
+sighed. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he did need an
+antiradiation suit.
+
+<P>&quot;All right,&quot; he said. &quot;You win. I'll get some
+protective clothing and look at it later.&quot;
+
+<P>Her knees sagged, but he caught her before she fell, and held
+her erect until her strength returned. Belatedly he understood
+the emotional strain that had been gripping her. &quot;If you
+come back later, sir, you'll take me with you.&quot; The words
+were a statement, not a question.
+
+<P>He nodded. &quot;Providing you wear a radiation suit,&quot; he
+said.
+
+<P>She grimaced with distaste and he chuckled. Clothing and
+Copper simply didn't get along together.
+
+<P>&quot;Well?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right,&quot; she said unhappily.
+
+<P>&quot;And there's one more condition.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What's that?&quot; she asked suspiciously.
+
+<P>&quot;That you tell me about this place. You obviously know
+something about it, and with all your talking, you've never
+mentioned it to me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It is forbidden to talk of these things to men,&quot;
+Copper said -- and then, perversely, &quot;Do you want me to tell
+you now?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- it can wait. We have come a long way and I am
+hungry. I listen poorly on an empty stomach. Let's go back to the
+jeep and you can tell me later.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper smiled. &quot;That's good,&quot; she said. &quot;I'd
+feel better away from this place.&quot;
+
+<P>CHAPTER XIII
+
+<P>&quot;I was a poor learner of the redes,&quot; Copper
+confessed. &quot;And I'll have to skip the Mysteries. I never
+even tried to learn them. Somehow I was sure I'd never be a
+preceptress.&quot; She settled herself more comfortably on the
+tawny grass and watched him as he lay on his back beside her.
+
+<P>&quot;Eh?&quot; Kennon said, &quot;Preceptress?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The guardians of our traditions. They know the redes and
+mysteries by heart.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And you have kept your religion alive that way all these
+years?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It isn't exactly religion,&quot; Copper said. &quot;It's
+more like history, we learn it to remember that we were once a
+great race -- and that we may be again. Someday there will come a
+male, a leader to bring us out of bondage, and our race will be
+free of dependence on men. There will be pairings again, and
+freedom to live as we please.&quot; She looked thoughtfully at
+Kennon. &quot;You might even be the one -- even though you are
+human. You're different from the others.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're prejudiced.&quot; Kennon smiled. &quot;I'm no
+different. Well -- not very different at any rate.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That is not my thought,&quot; Copper said. &quot;You are
+very different indeed. No man has ever resisted a Lani as long as
+you have.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. &quot;Let's not go into that now. What
+are these redes?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I do not remember them all,&quot; Copper apologized.
+&quot;I was----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You've said that before. Tell me what you <I>do</I>
+know.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I remember the beginning fairly well,&quot; she said.
+&quot;It goes back to the time before Flora when everything was
+nothing and the Master Himself was lonely.&quot;
+
+<P>Without warning her voice changed to a rhythmic, cadenced
+chant that was almost a song. Her face became rapt and
+introspective as she rocked slowly from side to side. The rhythm
+was familiar and then he recognized it -- the unintelligible
+music he had often heard coming from the barracks late at night
+when no men were around -- the voiceless humming that the Lani
+sang at work.
+
+<P>First there was Darkness -- starless and sunless
+
+<P>Void without form -- darker than night
+
+<P>Then did the Master -- Lord of Creation
+
+<P>Wave His right hand, saying, &quot;Let there be light!&quot;
+
+<P>Verse, Kennon thought. That was logical. People remember
+poetry better than prose. But the form was not what he'd normally
+expect. It was advanced, a style that was past primitive blank
+verse or heroic pentameter. He listened intently as Copper went
+on.
+
+<P>Light filled the heavens, bright golden glowing,
+
+<P>Brought to the Void by His wondrous hand;
+
+<P>Then did the Master -- Lord of Creation --
+
+<P>Nod His great head, saying, &quot;Let there be land!&quot;
+
+<P>Air, land, and water formed into being,
+
+<P>Born in the sight of His all-seeing eyes;
+
+<P>Then did the master -- Lord of Creation --
+
+<P>Smile as He murmured, &quot;Let life arise!&quot;
+
+<P>All of the life conceived by the Master,
+
+<P>Varied in shape as the grasses and birds;
+
+<P>Hunters and hunted, moveless and moving,
+
+<P>Came into form at the sound of His words.
+
+<P>&quot;That's a great deal like Genesis,&quot; Kennon said with
+mild astonishment. &quot;Where could you have picked that
+up?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;From the beginning of our race,&quot; Copper said.
+&quot;It came to us with Ulf and Lyssa -- but what is
+Genesis?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A part of an ancient religion -- one that is still
+followed on some of the Central Worlds. Its followers call
+themselves Christians. They say it came from Earth, the
+mother-world of men.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Our faith has no name. We are children of Lyssa, who was
+a daughter of the Master.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It is an odd similarity,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;But
+other races have had stories of the Creation. And possibly there
+may be another explanation. Your ancestors could have picked this
+up from Alexander's men. They came from Earth originally and some
+of them could have been Christians.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No,&quot; Cooper said. &quot;This rede is long before
+Man Alexander. It is the origin of our world, even before Ulf and
+Lyssa. It is the first Book -- the Book of the God-spell. Man
+Alexander came in the sixth Book -- the Book of Roga.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's no point in arguing about it,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Go on -- tell me the rest.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's going to be a long story,&quot; Copper said.
+&quot;Even though I have forgotten some of it, I can chant the
+redes for hours.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon braced his back against one of the fat tires of the
+jeep. &quot;I'm a good listener,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>She chuckled. &quot;You asked for this,&quot; she said -- and
+took up the verses where she had left off. And Kennon learned the
+Lani version of creation, of the first man and woman, cast out of
+Heaven for loving each other despite the Master's objection, of
+how they came to Flora and founded the race of the Lani. He
+learned how the Lani grew in numbers and power, how they split
+into two warring groups over the theological point of whether Ulf
+or Lyssa was the principal deity, how Roga the Foolish opened
+Lyssa's tower to find out whether the Ulfians or Lyssans were
+right, and brought the Black Years to Flora.
+
+<P>He heard the trial of Roga and the details of his torture by
+the priests of Ulf and the priests of Lyssa -- united by this
+greatest sacrilege. And he heard the Lani version of the landing
+of Alexander's ship and man's conquest of Flora.
+
+<P>It was a story of savagery and superstition, of blood and
+intolerance, of bravery and cowardice, of love and beauty. Yet
+through it all, even through the redes that described the
+Conquest, there was a curious remoteness, a lack of emotion that
+made the verses more terrible as they flowed in passionless
+rhythm from Copper's lips.
+
+<P>&quot;That's enough!&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;I told you you wouldn't like it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's horrible. How can you remember such things?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We begin to learn them as soon as we can talk. We know
+the redes almost our entire lives.&quot; Copper was silent for a
+moment. &quot;There's lots more,&quot; she said, &quot;but it's
+all about our lives since the Man Alexander -- the old one --
+took possession of us. And most of the newer redes are pretty
+dull. Our life hasn't changed much since the men came. The Book
+of Man is boring.&quot; Copper sighed. &quot;I have dared a great
+deal by telling you these things. If the others knew, they would
+kill both of us.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then why tell me?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I love you,&quot; she said simply. &quot;You wanted to
+know -- and I can deny you nothing.&quot;
+
+<P>A wave of tenderness swept over him. She would give her life
+for him -- and what would he give? Nothing. Not even his
+prejudices. His face twisted. If she was only human, If she
+wasn't just an animal. If he wasn't a Betan. If, if, if.
+Resentment gorged his throat. It was unfair -- so damned unfair.
+He had no business coming here. He should have stayed on Beta or
+at least on a human world where he would never have met Copper.
+He loved her, but he couldn't have her. It was Tantalus and
+Sisyphus rolled into one unsightly package and fastened to his
+soul. With a muttered curse he rose to his feet, and as he did he
+stopped -- frozen - staring at Copper as though he had never seen
+her before.
+
+<P>&quot;<I>How</I> did you say that Roga was judged responsible
+for Alexander coming here?&quot; he demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;He went into Lyssa's tower -- where Ulf and Lyssa tried
+to call Heaven -- and with his foolish meddling set the tower
+alight with a glow that all could see. Less than a week later the
+Man Alexander came.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where was this tower?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where Alexandria now stands. Man Alexander destroyed it
+and built his house upon its ruins.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And what was that place of the Pit?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The Shrine of Ulf -- where the God-Egg struck Flora. It
+is buried in the pit, but the Silent Death has protected it from
+blasphemy -- and besides Man Alexander never learned about it. We
+feared that he would destroy it as he did Lyssa's tower.&quot;
+
+<P>A wild hope stirred in Kennon. &quot;We're going home,&quot;
+he announced.
+
+<P>&quot;Good.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And we're going to get a pair of radiation suits -- and
+then we're coming back. We'll have a good look at that Pit, and
+if what's in there is what I think it is&quot; -- his face was a
+mixture of grimness and eagerness -- &quot;we'll blow this whole
+operation off this planet!&quot;
+
+<P>Copper blanched. &quot;It is death to meddle with the
+God-Egg,&quot; she said.
+
+<P>&quot;Superstition!&quot; Kennon scoffed. &quot;If that Egg is
+what I think, it was made by men, and you are their
+descendant.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps you're right, but I can't help thinking you are
+wrong,&quot; she said soberly. &quot;Look at the trouble that
+came with Roga's meddling. Be careful that you do not bring us a
+worse fate.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll be very careful. We'll take every precaution.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're coming, of course. I can't imagine you staying
+away.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;You shouldn't worry so much&quot; Kennon teased.
+&quot;You know we men live forever.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That is true.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And if I'm right you're just as human as I. And you're
+capable of living as long as I do.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, sir,&quot; Copper said. Her voice was unconvinced,
+her expression noncommittal.
+
+<P>&quot;You females,&quot; Kennon said in quick exasperation.
+&quot;You drive a man crazy. Get an idea in your head and it
+takes triatomate to blast it out. Now let's go.&quot;
+
+<P>Two hours brought them back to the volcanic area, and knowing
+what to look for, Kennon located the pockmarked mountain valley.
+From the air it looked completely ordinary. Kennon was amazed at
+the perfection of the natural camouflage. The Pit was merely
+another crater in the pitted ground. He dropped to a lower
+altitude, barely a hundred feet above the sputter cones.
+&quot;Look!&quot; he said.
+
+<P>Below them was the crater of the Pit and in its center a
+smooth bluish-black hemisphere protruded from the crater floor.
+It would have passed unnoticed by the casual eye -- nearly
+concealed by two gigantic blocks of pumice.
+
+<P>&quot;The God-Egg!&quot; Copper exclaimed.
+
+<P>&quot;Egg -- ha! that's a spacer! I thought it would be. I'd
+recognize durilium anywhere. Let's go down and look this over,
+but first we want a couple of pictures.&quot; He pointed a camera
+at the crater and snapped the shutter. &quot;There -- now let's
+have a closer look at our baby.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Do you expect me to get into that thing?&quot; Copper
+said distastefully as she prodded the shapeless green coveralls
+with a bare toe. She eyed the helmet, gloves and boots with equal
+distaste. &quot;I'd suffocate.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If you want to come with me, you'll wear it,&quot;
+Kennon said. &quot;Otherwise you won't come near that pit. Try it
+and I'll chain you to the jeep.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You wouldn't!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Just try me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- all fight. I'll wear the thing -- but I won't be
+comfortable.''
+
+<P>&quot;Who cares about that? You'll be protected.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right -- show me how to put it on. I'd rather be
+with you than worry about what you are doing.&quot;
+
+<P>The suit was several sizes too large but it covered her
+adequately. Too adequately, Kennon decided. She looked like a
+pile of wrinkles with legs. He chuckled.
+
+<P>She glared. &quot;So I'm funny,&quot; she said. &quot;Let me
+tell you something else that's funny. I'm hot. I'm sweating. I
+itch. Now -- laugh!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't feel like laughing,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I
+feel the same way.&quot;
+
+<P>They approached the edge of the Pit carefully. Kennon kept
+checking tho radiation counter. The needle slowly rose and
+steadied at one-half roentgen per hour as he thrust the probe
+over the rim of the depression. &quot;It's fine, so far,&quot; he
+said encouragingly. &quot;We could take this much for quite a
+while even without suits.&quot; He lowered himself over the edge,
+sliding down the gentle slope.
+
+<P>&quot;How is it down there?&quot; Copper called. The intercom
+crackled in his ear.
+
+<P>&quot;Fine -- barely over one roentgen per hour. With these
+suits we could stay here indefinitely.&quot; The sigh of relief
+was music in her ears. &quot;This place is barely lukewarm.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's what you think,&quot; Copper said.
+
+<P>&quot;I mean radiation warm,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Stay up
+there and watch me. I may need some things.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right.&quot; Copper squirmed inside the hot suit.
+The thing was an oven. She hoped that Kennon didn't plan to work
+in the daytime. It would be impossible.
+
+<P>Kennon gingerly approached the ship. It was half buried in the
+loose debris and ash that had fallen or blown into the pit during
+the centuries it had rested there. It was old -- incredibly old.
+The hull design was ancient -- riveted sheets of millimeter-thick
+durilium. Ships hadn't been built like that in over two thousand
+years. And the ovoid shape was reminiscent of the even more
+ancient spindizzy design. A hyperspace converter like that
+couldn't be less than four millennia old. It was a museum piece,
+but the blue-black hull was as smooth and unblemished as the day
+it had left fabrication.
+
+<P>Space travel would have gotten nowhere without durilium,
+Kennon reflected. For five thousand years men had used the
+incredibly tough synthetic to build their spacecraft. It had
+given man his empire. Kennon gave the hull one quick glance. That
+part of the ship didn't worry him. It was what he would find
+inside that bothered him. How much damage had occurred from two
+thousand or more years of disuse? How much had the original
+travelers cannibalized? How much could be salvaged? What sort of
+records remained? There were a thousand questions that the
+interior of that enigmatic hull might answer.
+
+<P>The upper segment of the airlock was visible. It was closed,
+which was a good sign. A few hours' work with a digger should
+expose it enough to be opened.
+
+<P>&quot;Copper,&quot; he said, &quot;we're going to have to dig
+this out. There's a small excavator in the cargo bed of the jeep.
+Do you think you can bring it down here?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think so.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Good girl!&quot; Kennon turned back to the ship. He was
+eager to enter it. There might be things inside that would settle
+the question of the Lani. The original crew had probably
+recognized the value of the hull as a repository as well as he
+did. But in the meantime there would be work -- lots of it. And
+every step must be recorded.
+
+<P>It was the rest of the day's work to expose the emergency
+airlock. The little excavator toiled over the loose ash for hours
+before it displaced enough to make the port visible, and the ash
+was not yet cleared away sufficiently to open the portal when
+darkness brought a halt to the work.
+
+<P>It would be impossible to unearth the spaceship with their
+low-capacity digger, Kennon decided. It would be difficult enough
+to clear the emergency airlock in the nose. But if the tubes and
+drive were still all right, by careful handling it should be
+possible to use the drive to blast out the loose ash and cinders
+which surrounded the hull.
+
+<P>Kennon reluctantly gave up the idea of entering the spaceship.
+That would have to wait until tomorrow. Now they would have to
+conceal the work and call it a day. A few branches and the big
+blocks of pumice would suffice for temporary camouflage. Later
+they could make something better. Anything in the jeep which
+might be useful was cached along with the radiation suits in the
+passageway through the lava wall -- and in a surprisingly short
+time they were heading homeward.
+
+<P>Kennon was not too displeased. Tomorrow they would be able to
+enter the ship. Tomorrow they would probably have some of the
+answers to his questions. He looked ahead into the gathering
+night. The gray mass of the abandoned Olympus Station slipped
+below them as he lined the jeep along the path indicated by the
+luminous arrow atop the main building, set the controls on
+automatic, and locked the craft on the guide beacon in
+Alexandria's tower. In a little less than an hour they would be
+home.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XIV
+
+<P>Kennon was morally certain that the Lani were of human stock.
+Evolved, of course. Mutated. Genetic strangers to the rest of
+humanity. But human. The spaceship and the redes proved it as far
+as he was concerned. But moral certainty and legal certainty were
+two different things. What he believed might be good enough to
+hold up in a Brotherhood court, but he doubted it. Ulf and Lyssa
+might be the founders of the Lani race, but they had come to
+Kardon nearly four thousand years ago and no records existed to
+prove that the Lani weren't here before they came. Redes passed
+by word of mouth through hundreds of generations were not
+evidence. Even the spaceship wasn't the absolute proof that would
+be needed to overturn the earlier legal decision. Other and
+better proof was needed -- something that would stand up in any
+court in the Brotherhood. He hoped the spaceship would hold that
+proof.
+
+<P>But Kennon's eagerness to find out what was inside the ancient
+spacer was tempered by hard practicality. Too much depended on
+what he might find inside that hull. Every step of the work must
+be documented beyond any refutation. Some method of establishing
+date, time, and location had to be prepared. There must be a
+record of every action. And that would require equipment and
+planning. There must be no mistake that could be twisted by the
+skillful counsel that Alexander undoubtedly retained.
+
+<P>He had no doubt that the Family would fight. Too much money
+and prestige were involved. To prove the Lani human would destroy
+Outworld Enterprises on Kardon. Yet this thought did not bother
+him. To his surprise he had no qualms of conscience. He was
+perfectly willing to violate his contract, break faith with his
+employers, and plot their ruin. The higher duty came first -- the
+duty to the human race.
+
+<P>He smiled wryly. It wasn't all higher duty. There were some
+personal desires that leavened the nobility. To prove Copper
+human was enough motivation -- actually it was better than his
+sense of duty. Events, Kennon reflected, cause a great deal of
+change in one's attitude. Although not by nature a plotter,
+schemes had been flitting through his mind with machinelike
+regularity, to be examined and discarded, or to be set aside for
+future reference.
+
+<P>He rejected the direct approach. It was too dangerous,
+depended too much on personalities, and had too little chance for
+success. He considered the possibility of letters to the
+Brotherhood Council but ultimately rejected it. Not only was the
+proof legally insufficient to establish humanity in the Lani, but
+he also remembered Alexander's incredible knowledge of his
+activities, and there was no reason to suppose that his present
+didn't receive the same scrutiny as the past. And if he, who
+hadn't written a letter in over a year, suddenly began to write,
+the correspondence would undoubtedly be regarded with suspicion
+and would probably be examined, and Dirac messages would be out
+for the same reason.
+
+<P>He could take a vacation and while he was away from the island
+he could inform the Brotherhood. Leaving Flora wouldn't be
+particularly difficult, but leaving Kardon would be virtually
+impossible. His contract called for vacations, but it expressly
+provided that they would be taken on Kardon. And again, there
+would be no assurance that his activities would not be watched.
+In fact, it was probable that they would be.
+
+<P>There was nothing that could be done immediately. But there
+were certain long-range measures that could be started. He could
+begin preparing a case that could be presented to the Council.
+And Beta, when it knew, would help him. The situation of the Lani
+was so close to Beta's own that its obvious merit as a test case
+simply could not be ignored. If he could get the evidence to
+Beta, it would be easy to enlist the aid of the entire
+Medico-Technological Civilization. It would take time and
+attention to detail; the case, the evidence, everything would
+have to be prepared with every safeguard and contingency
+provided, so that there would not be the slightest chance of a
+slip-up once it came to court.
+
+<P>And perhaps the best method of bringing the evidence would be
+to transport it under its own power. The thought intrigued him.
+Actually it wouldn't be too difficult. Externally the Egg wasn't
+in bad shape. The virtually indestructible durilium hull was
+still intact. The controls and the engines, hermetically sealed
+inside the hull, were probably as good as the day they stopped
+running. The circuitry would undoubtedly be bad but it could be
+repaired and restored, and new fuel slugs could be obtained for
+the engine and the converter. But that was a problem for the
+future.
+
+<P>The immediate problem was to get into the ship in a properly
+documented fashion.
+
+<P>It took nearly two months, but finally, under the impersonal
+lenses of cameras and recorders, the entrance port of the God-Egg
+swung open and revealed the dark interior. Kennon moved
+carefully, recording every step as he entered the black orifice
+in the spaceship's side. His handtorch gave plenty of light for
+the recorders as he moved inside - Copper at his heels, both of
+them physically unrecognizable in antiradiation suits.
+
+<P>&quot;Why are we moving so slowly?&quot; Copper said.
+&quot;Let's go ahead and find out what's beyond this
+passageway.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;From a superstitious coward you've certainly become a
+reckless explorer,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;The Egg hasn't hurt us, and we've been around it many
+times,&quot; she said. &quot;Either the curse has become too old
+to hurt us, or there never was any in the first place. So let's
+see what is ahead. I'm curious.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. &quot;In this business we must hurry
+slowly -- very slowly. You know why.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I want to see.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Patience, girl. Simmer down. You'll see soon
+enough,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Now help me set up this
+camera.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, all right -- but isn't there any excitement in
+you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm bubbling over with it,&quot; Kennon admitted,
+&quot;but I manage to keep it under control.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're cold-blooded.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- I'm sensible. We want to nail this down. My
+future, yours, and that of your people depend upon how carefully
+we work. You wouldn't want to let us all down by being too eager,
+would you?&quot;
+
+<P>She shook her head. &quot;No -- you're right of course. But I
+still would like to see.&quot;
+
+<P>They moved cautiously through the airlock and into the control
+room.
+
+<P>&quot;Ah!&quot; Kennon said with satisfaction. &quot;I hoped
+for this, but I didn't dare expect it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Look around. What do you see?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Nothing but an empty room. It's shaped like half an
+orange, and it has a lot of funny instruments and dials on the
+walls, and a video screen overhead. But that's all. Why -- what's
+so unusual about it? It looks just like someone had left
+it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's the point. There's nothing essential that's
+missing. They didn't cannibalize the instruments -- and they
+didn't come back.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Maybe because that curse you mentioned a few minutes ago
+was real.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper drew back. &quot;But you said it wouldn't hurt
+us----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not now. The heat's practically gone, but when whoever
+flew this crate came here, the whole shell could have been as hot
+as a Samarian summer.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But couldn't they have come back when it cooled?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not with this kind of heat. The hull was probably too
+radioactive to approach from the outside. And radioactivity cools
+off slowly. It might take several lifetimes for its level to
+become low enough to approach if there was no decontamination
+equipment available.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I suppose that's why the early ones thought the Egg was
+cursed.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. &quot;Now let's check -- oh! oh! what's
+this?&quot; He pointed to a metal-backed book lying on the
+control panel.
+
+<P>&quot;It looks like a book,&quot; Copper said.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm hoping it's <I>the</I> book.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The book?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes -- the ship's log. It's possible. And if it is, we
+may have all the evidence we need -- Copper! -- <I>Don't touch
+it!</I>&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Because its position has to be recorded first. Wait
+until we get the camera and recorders set up.&quot;
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Gingerly Kennon opened the ancient book. The sheets inside
+were brittle -- crumbling with age -- but he could make out the
+title <I>U.N.S.S. Wanderer</I> with the date of launching and a
+lower line which read &quot;Ship's Log.&quot; Kennon was thankful
+for his medical training. The four years of Classical English
+that he had despised so much were essential now. Stumbling over
+unfamiliar words and phrases, he moved slowly through the log
+tracing the old ship's history from .pleasure craft to short-haul
+freight tractor to obsolescence m a space dump orbiting around a
+world called Heaven.
+
+<P>There was a gap of nearly ten years indicated by a blank page
+before the entries resumed.
+
+<P>&quot;Ah -- this is it!&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;What is it?&quot; Copper said curiously. &quot;I can't
+read the writing.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course you can't. It's in English -- a language that
+became obsolete during the Interregnum. I  had to learn it, since
+most medical terminology is based on it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What is an Interregnum?&quot; Copper interrupted. I've
+never heard that word before.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's a period of confusion when there is no stable
+government. The last one came after the Second Galactic War --
+but never mind that -- it happened long ago and isn't important
+now. The important thing that did happen was the Exodus.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What was that?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A religious revival and a tremendous desire to see what
+was happening beyond the next star. During that century men
+traveled wider and farther then they ever have before or since.
+In that outward explosion with its mixed motivations of religion
+and practicality, colonists and missionaries went starward to
+find new worlds to tame, and new races to be rescued from the
+darkness of idolatry and hell. Almost any sort of vehicle capable
+of mounting a spindizzy converter was pressed into service. The
+old spindizzies were soundly engineered converters of almost
+childlike simplicity that could and did carry ships enormous
+distances if their passengers didn't care about subjective
+time-lag, and a little radioactivity.
+
+<P>&quot;And that's what happened to this ship. According to this
+log it was bought by Alfred and Melissa Weygand - a missionary
+couple with the idea of spreading the Christian faith to the
+heathen.
+
+<P>&quot;Alfred and Melissa -- Ulf and Lyssa -- they were a part
+of this ancient explosion that scattered human seed across
+parsecs of interstellar space. It seems that they were a unit in
+a missionary fleet that had gone out to the stars with flame in
+their hearts and Gospel on their lips to bring the Word to the
+benighted heathen on other worlds.&quot; Kennon's lips curled
+with mild contempt at their stupid foolhardiness even as his
+pulse quickened to their bravery. They had been fanatics, true
+enough, but theirs was a selfless fanaticism that would risk
+torture and death for what they believed -- a fanaticism that was
+more sublime than the concept of Brotherhood which had evolved
+from it. They knew nothing of the enmity of race, of the
+incessant struggle man had since waged with alien intelligences
+all too willing to destroy intruders who encroached upon their
+worlds. Mankind's early selflessness had long ago been discarded
+for frank expansionism and dominance over the lesser races that
+stood in their way. And in a way it was too bad.
+
+<P>The ship's log, meticulously kept in neat round English
+script, told a story that was more than the bare bones of flight.
+There was passion and tenderness and a spiritual quality that was
+shocking to a modern man steeped in millennia of conquest and
+self-interest. There was a greatness to it, a depth of faith that
+had since been lost. And as Kennon slowly deciphered the ancient
+script he admired the courage even as his mind winced with dismay
+at the unheeding recklessness.
+
+<P>The Weygands had lost contact with the others, and had
+searched for them in hyperspace, doubling and twisting upon their
+course until they had become hopelessly lost, and then, with
+their fuel nearly exhausted, had broken out into the normal
+three-space continuum to find Kardon's sun and the world they
+called Flora.
+
+<P>How little they had known and how lucky they had been.
+
+<P>It was only by the grace of their God that they had found this
+world before their fuel was exhausted. And it was only by further
+grace that the planet was habitable and not populated with
+intelligent life. They had more luck than people were entitled to
+in a dozen lifetimes. Against odds of a million to one they had
+survived.
+
+<P>It was fascinating reading.
+
+<P>But it was not proof.
+
+<P>The last entry read: &quot;We have circled this world and have
+seen no buildings -- no sign of intelligent life. We are lost,
+marooned on this empty world. Our fuel supplies are too low for
+us to attempt to find the others. Nor could we. The
+constellations in the sky are strange. We do not know which way
+to go. Therefore we shall land upon the great island in the
+center of the yellow sea. And perhaps someday men will come to us
+since we cannot return to them. Melissa thinks that this is an
+example of Divine Providence, that the Lord's mercy has been
+shown to us that were lost in the vastness of the deep -- that we
+have been chosen, like Eve and Adam, to spread the seed of man to
+yet another world. I hope she is right, yet I fear the radiation
+level of the ship has become inordinately high. We may well be
+Eve and Adam, yet an Adam that cannot beget and an Eve that is
+not fruitful. I am trimming the ship for landing, and we shall
+leave it immediately after we have landed, taking with us only
+what we absolutely need. There is too much radiation from the
+spindizzy and the drive to remain here longer -- and God knows
+how hot the outer hull may be.&quot;
+
+<P>And that was all. Presumptive evidence -- yes. Reasonable
+certainty -- yes. But not proof. Lawyers could argue that since
+no direct exploration was made there was no valid reason to
+assume that the Lani did not already inhabit Kardon. But Kennon
+knew. His body, more perceptive than his mind, had realized a
+truth that his brain would not accept until he read the log. It
+was at once joy and frustration. Joy that Copper was human,
+frustration that he could not obtain for her and her race the
+rights to which they were entitled. But the immediate problem was
+solved. His conditioning was broken now he was convinced that
+Copper was a member of the human race. It was no violation of his
+code to love her. The greatest barrier was broken, and with it
+gone the lesser ones would yield. Relief that was almost pain
+washed through him and left him weak with reaction.
+
+<P>&quot;What is it?&quot; Copper asked as he turned to her.
+&quot;What is this thing that has turned your face to joy?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Can't you guess?&quot;
+
+<P>She shook her head. &quot;I have seen nothing but you reading
+this ancient book, yet you turn to me with the look in your eyes
+that the redes say Ulf had for Lyssa.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're human!&quot;
+
+<P>Copper shrugged. &quot;You're mad. I'm a Lani. I was born a
+Lani -- and I shall die one.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't you understand? All Lani are human. You all are
+the descendants of two humans who came here thousands of years
+ago.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then there is no reason why you cannot love me.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. &quot;No,&quot; he said. &quot;There is
+no reason.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper laughed. It was a sound so merry and gay that Kennon
+looked at her in surprise. She looked as happy as she sounded.
+
+<P>Simple and savage, Kennon thought. She cared nothing for the
+future, and probably very little about the injustice of her
+present. The thing that mattered was that what had kept them
+apart was gone. She was probably offering mental sacrifices to
+the Old Ones who had caused this change in the man she loved. She
+didn't really care about what had caused the change. To her it
+was sufficient that it had happened.
+
+<P>For a moment Kennon wished that it could be as simple for him
+as it apparently was for her. The fact that Copper was human
+posed a greater problem than the one it solved. The one had been
+personal. The other was infinitely greater. He could not let it
+lie. The very morality which had kept him from doing what he
+wished when he thought she was a humanoid now forced him to do
+what he did not wish. Every instinct said to leave it alone. The
+problem was too great for one man to solve, the situation too
+complicated, the evidence too inconclusive, the opposition too
+powerful. It would be far better to take his happiness and enjoy
+it. It was not his problem to solve. He could turn the evidence
+over to the Brotherhood once his contract was over, and better
+and more capable people than he could settle the Lani legal
+status. But the inner voice that had called him bestial now
+called him shirker, coward, and slacker. And this, too, could not
+be borne. The case of the Lani would have to be pursued as
+vigorously as he could do it. They were entitled to human rights
+-- whether they wanted them or not.
+
+<P>His first idea of making the spacer operational was a good
+one, Kennon decided as they finished the inspection of the ship.
+Even if it was never used it would make a good means of retreat.
+He grinned wryly. In a guerrilla operation such as the one he was
+considering it would be wise to have a way out if things got too
+hot. The heavy parts, the engines and the controls, were in
+workable condition and would merely require cleaning and oiling.
+Some of the optical equipment would have to be replaced and fuel
+slugs would have to be obtained for the drive -- but none of
+these would be too hard to accomplish. The slugs from any of the
+power reactors on the island would serve nicely. All that would
+have to be done would be to modify the fuel ports on the ship's
+engine. The spindizzy would have to be disassembled and checked,
+and the main leads, embedded in time-resistant plastic, would
+have to be examined. The most serious problem, however, wouldn't
+involve these things. The control board wiring and circuitry was
+where the trouble would lie. Normal insulation and printed
+circuitry wasn't designed to last for thousands of years. Each
+wired circuit would have to be removed, duplicated, and replaced.
+Every printed panel would have to be cleaned and receive a new
+coat of insulating varnish. Working full time, a four-man
+electronics team could do the job in a week. Working part-time
+the two of them might get it done in three months. And the other
+jobs would take at least another. Add a month for errors in
+judgment, lack of materials, and mistakes -- and another for
+unavoidable delays -- it would be at least six months before the
+Egg would be spaceworthy.
+
+<P>Six months.
+
+<P>Not too long if everything went well, but far too long if
+there were any mistakes. He would have to be careful, yet he must
+not give the impression of being careful. He shook his head.
+Being a subversive was going to require a greater amount of
+acting ability than he had ever been called upon to display.
+
+<P>And what of Copper? How would she behave under the double
+strain of knowledge that she was human and knowledge of the
+spaceship? Women weren't noted for their tight-lipped reticence.
+Would she tell the other Lani? Would she crack under the
+pressure? Did she have the qualities of a good conspirator?
+
+<P>As it turned out, he didn't need to worry. As a partner in
+crime, Copper was all that could be wished. Everything was
+normal. She was still obedient, helpful, and gay as ever. To
+watch her, no one would ever think that her bright head was full
+of knowledge that could rock Flora to its foundations. Never by
+look or word did she betray the slightest trace of strain or
+guilt.
+
+<P>And in her other moments she was ecstatic in her love and
+helpful with the repair work on the Egg whenever Kennon could get
+time to visit the old spaceship.
+
+<P>&quot;You amaze me,&quot; Kennon said as they eased the cover
+of the spindizzy in place and spun the bolts on the lugs that
+held it to the outer shielding. He picked up a heavy wrench and
+began methodically to seat the bolts as Copper wiped the white
+extrusion of the cover sealant from the shining case.
+
+<P>&quot;How?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The way you hide your knowledge of this ship from the
+others. I know you better than anyone else on this island, and
+yet you would fool me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We Lani are used to hiding things. You men have been our
+masters for centuries, yet you do not know our redes. Nor do you
+know what we think, We obey you, but there are parts of us you do
+not own. It is easy to hide a little thing like this.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. It figured. He seated another bolt. Three more
+and the drive room would be restored and they could start on the
+control circuits. &quot;I wish you were as clever about adopting
+human customs as you are about hiding guilty knowledge,&quot; he
+said.
+
+<P>Copper laughed. &quot;You mean those silly things you have
+been teaching me? Why should I learn them? I'm happy as I am. I
+love you, you love me, and that is all that matters.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's not all that matters. Can't you get it through your
+head that civilized customs are necessary in a civilized
+society?&quot; He gave the next-to-last bolt an extra-vicious
+wrench. &quot;You'll have to know them if you expect to get along
+on Beta.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I will never see Beta.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I am going there when my duty here is over. And you're
+going with me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;When will that be?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Three years.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So long? Well -- we can think of it then, but I don't
+think Man Alexander will let you take me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then I shall take you without his consent&quot;
+
+<P>She smiled. &quot;It would be easier to stay here. In another
+fifteen years I will be old and you will not want me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll never do that. I'll always want you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You swear too easily,&quot; she said gently. &quot;You
+men live forever. We Lani are a short-lived race.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But you needn't be. It's obviously----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's been tried, my love -- and those who were treated
+died. Man Alexander tried many years ago to make us long-lived
+like you. But he failed. You see, he loved one of us too.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Let us think no more of it. Let us enjoy what we have
+and be grateful to the Gods for the love we enjoy -- or do you
+have any Gods?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;One.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Two are better. More, anyway. And besides, Ulf and Lyssa
+and the God-Egg are responsible for our joy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They are indeed,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Then why should you think of leaving the place where
+they rule? You should stay here. There will be other Lani when I
+am gone. You will be happy always.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not without you,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Don't you
+understand that I love you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And I you. But I am a Lani. You are a man.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're as human as I am,&quot; Kennon said abruptly.
+
+<P>&quot;That is what you say,&quot; Copper replied. &quot;I am
+not so sure. I need more proof than this.&quot; She waved her
+hand at the ship.
+
+<P>&quot;What proof do you need?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The same as the proof you men require. If I should have
+your child, then I would believe that I was human.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've told you a thousand times that the radiation on
+this ship must have affected Ulf and Lyssa's germ plasm. Can't
+you understand that?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can understand it all right, but it does not change
+things. Ulf and Lyssa may have been human before they came here,
+but they were not when they landed. They were Lani, and their
+children were Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But they were of human stock.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The law that lets men become our masters does not agree
+with you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then the law is wrong. It should be changed.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper shrugged. &quot;Two people cannot change a law.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They can try -- particularly if the law is unjust.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper sighed. &quot;Is it not enough for us to love? Must you
+try to run through a wall?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;When the wall stands in the way of right and justice I
+must.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper looked at him with pity in her green eyes. &quot;This I
+do not understand. I know nothing of right and justice. What are
+these things? Just words. Yet you will endanger our happiness for
+them. If it is my happiness you wish - then leave this
+foolishness alone. I have fifteen years I can live with you
+before I am old and you tire of me. With those years I can be
+content.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I can't,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Call me selfish if
+you wish, but I want you with me as long as I live. I don't want
+to live my life without you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You want too much,&quot; Copper said softly. &quot;But
+if it makes you happy to try to get it, I shall help. And if we
+do not succeed you will at least be happier for trying. And if
+you are happy&quot; -- she shrugged -- &quot;then the rest makes
+little difference.&quot;
+
+<P>That was the crux of the matter, Kennon reflected bitterly. He
+was convinced she was human. She was not. And until her mind
+could be changed on that point she would help him but her heart
+wouldn't be in it. And the only thing that would convince her
+that she was human would be a child - a child of his begetting.
+He could perhaps trick her with an artificial insemination of
+Lani sperm. There were drugs that could suspend consciousness,
+hypnotics that would make her believe anything she was told while
+under their influence.
+
+<P>But in the end it would do no good. All witnesses in
+Brotherhood court actions were examined under psychoprobe, and a
+hypnotic was of no value against a lie detector that could
+extract the deepest buried truth. And he would be examined too.
+The truth would out--and nothing would be gained. In fact --
+everything would be lost. The attempt at trickery would prejudice
+any court against the honest evidence they had so painfully
+collected.
+
+<P>He sighed. The only thing to do was to go on as they were --
+and hope that the evidence would hold. With Betan legal talent at
+their back it might. And, of course, they could try to produce a
+child as nature had intended. They could try -- but Kennon knew
+it would not succeed. It never had.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XV
+
+<P>Copper had been acting strangely of late, Kennon thought as he
+rolled over in his bed and watched her standing before the
+full-length mirror on the bathroom door. She pivoted slowly
+before the glass, eying herself critically, raising her arms over
+her head, holding them at her sides, flexing her supple spine and
+tightening muscles that moved like silken cords beneath her
+golden skin.
+
+<P>&quot;What are you trying to do -- become a muscle
+dancer?&quot; Kennon asked idly.
+
+<P>She whirled, a crimson blush deepening the tan of her face.
+&quot;You were supposed to be asleep,&quot; she said.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm an unregenerate heel,&quot; he replied, &quot;and I
+don't sleep too well nowadays unless you're beside me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- I suppose you might as well know now as
+later,&quot; she said. &quot;You'll know in any event.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Know what?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That you're right. I am human.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And what brought on this sudden change of--&quot; He
+stopped abruptly, his eyes widening.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes,&quot; Copper said. &quot;I am with child. Your
+child.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But that's impossible.&quot;
+
+<P>She shook her head. &quot;It's a miracle perhaps, but it's not
+impossible. It's happened. Can't you see the difference?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;See what? You look just as you always do.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I suppose you can't see it yet,&quot; she admitted.
+&quot;But I am with child. I'm two weeks past my time.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon's mind leaped to the obvious conclusion.
+Pseudo-pregnancy. He had seen it before among Lani at Hillside
+Farm. It was an odd syndrome which occasionally occurred in
+humans and animals. The brain, desiring children, made demands
+upon the body and the body responded to its desire by tricking
+the brain. Lani were fairly subject to its probably because they
+had better imaginations. He would run a few tests when they went
+down to the hospital, and once she realized the practical joke
+her body was playing everything would be all right. No wonder she
+seemed excited.
+
+<P>&quot;We'll find out about that later,&quot; he said equably.
+&quot;We'll settle this when we get back to the hospital.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper smiled confidently and patted her stomach. &quot;I know
+what you are thinking, but you're wrong. We Lani know about these
+things. In forty generations I am the first to conceive as the
+Master intended.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope you haven't,&quot; Kennon said with such bitter
+sincerity that Copper looked at him wide-eyed. &quot;Not now.
+Because if you have, neither your life nor mine is safe.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The Alexanders. Do you think they'll take it lying down?
+We're not ready for them yet. They'll fight, and the first thing
+they'll do is kill you and erase me so we would never be able to
+talk. You have been declared an animal, and you will not be
+allowed to change.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What can we do?&quot; Copper asked. She shivered.
+&quot;I do not want to die.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Nor do I want you to,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;I could tell the others.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And just what would that accomplish?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;In a week every Lani on the island would know it. There
+would be revolt. For the Lani would no longer be dependent upon
+Men to survive. Their greatest hold on us would be gone. And we
+would be free again on our island world.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You would <I>not!</I>&quot; Kennon said. &quot;That sort
+of thinking is foolishness. Alexander would have men here within
+a week, and a week after that you would be smashed. Don't you
+realize that there are thousands of millions of men in the galaxy
+-- and to every one of them you would be animals. You know
+nothing about what you would face. Your puny hundreds couldn't
+even stand against a fraction of the power Alexander could mount
+against you. Have you seen a Burkholtz blaster work? Have you
+seen remote-control antipersonnel missiles? Have you push-pull
+projectors, atomic warheads? All of these weapons Alexander can
+command. Don't you realize he's an entrepreneur? -- one of the
+most powerful men in this sector?&quot;
+
+<P>Copper shook her head. &quot;No,&quot; she said in a small
+voice. &quot;I know nothing about these things.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And do you think forty generations of absolute obedience
+to men can be overcome because one Lani says she is pregnant by a
+man?&quot;
+
+<P>Copper frowned. &quot;You put that in a different way. You
+talk as if it were my belief rather than the truth.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What is truth?&quot; Kennon said heavily. &quot;Who
+would believe you? There are hundreds of others with child.
+
+<P>&quot;Sure you're human. You know it. I know it. I've been
+trying to convince you for the past two months. You're just as
+human as I am. But pray that you're not pregnant. We can't get
+out of here in less than four months and by then everybody will
+know about you. Someone will certainly check the records. And
+after that will come the psychoprobes. Everything will come to
+light. The Egg will be destroyed. I will be erased. You will be
+dead. And that will be the end of it.&quot; He looked down at her
+with an odd expression of pity on his face. &quot;You see?&quot;
+he demanded harshly.
+
+<P>Copper nodded. &quot;I didn't understand,&quot; she said.
+&quot;Don't be angry with me. I shouldn't have told you. I
+thought you'd be happy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I was never angry with you, but I am with myself. I was
+stupid. I didn't figure on the remote possibility that we might
+be genetically compatible. I should have my head examined for
+putting you in such danger. However there's the possibility --
+the probability -- that your body is playing a trick upon
+you.&quot;
+
+<P>She shook her head. &quot;You are wrong. I am not mistaken. I
+am with child and the child is yours. But the fault is no more
+yours than mine. I wanted you before you looked on me. I still do
+and I do not feel at fault. That I am yours, that my child is
+yours is a thing of wonder and joy. Never could I have expected
+so much.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked down at her smudged face, streaked with the
+sudden rivulets of tears, and bitterness galled his throat. Dear
+God -- let her be wrong, he prayed silently. Let it be
+pseudopregnancy this time. Let the tests be negative.
+
+<P>But they weren't. Unequivocally they confirmed Copper's
+diagnosis. Here was the proof he needed. The final test that
+would prove the Lani human. And he had no way of getting it where
+it would do any good. It would take at least four months of
+steady labor before the ship was ready, and he didn't have that
+sort of time. He was needed here and his prolonged absence would
+cause suspicion and investigation. Something would have to be
+done -- but what? He couldn't take Copper off the island in an
+airboat. They were checked with microscopic care by Otpen One's
+IFF. A jeep didn't have enough range to take them to the
+mainland. And even if they got there they couldn't get off the
+planet. Alexander knew everything that happened on Kardon's two
+spaceports. The Egg was the only way, but the Egg was unfinished
+and unspaceworthy.
+
+<P>Frantically Kennon considered concealing Copper. He shook his
+head. It wouldn't work. It would be impossible, to hide a baby on
+a place where every birth was recorded. Nor could one hide
+evidence of pregnancy in a Lani. Childbearing leaves telltale
+marks upon the body, and Copper, even if she could be concealed
+for the duration of her pregnancy, could never survive the
+sharp-eyed scrutiny of her fellows or the other humans. Questions
+would inevitably be asked.
+
+<P>There had to be a solution. He rubbed his forehead wearily. It
+was strange how so little a thing as the union of a spermatozoon
+and an ovum could produce so much trouble. He looked across the
+office at Copper placidly filing case cards. She wasn't worrying.
+With sublime faith, she was sure that he would find the answer,
+the one that would solve everything. He shuddered. The only
+logical solution was abortion -- and that was unthinkable! He
+would not murder his child -- nor would Copper permit it if he
+was capable of doing so.
+
+<P>It was almost a relief when his phone rang and Blalok's voice
+came cheerfully across the wire.
+
+<P>&quot;Tried to get you about an hour ago,&quot; the
+superintendent said, &quot;but your girl said you were
+busy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I was.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You through now?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well, get up to the fortress. Alexander just flew in and
+he's calling a meeting. Something important has come up.&quot;
+
+<P>Something important! A wave of ice rattled down Kennon's
+spine, and then he grinned feebly. Alexander didn't know. He
+couldn't know. It had to be something else.
+
+<P>&quot;I'll be right up,&quot; he said, marveling at the
+calmness in his voice.
+
+<P>Kennon couldn't help comparing this meeting with the one a
+year ago. The location was different -- the conference room in
+Alexandria was more formal than Blalok's parlor but the same
+people were present: Alexander, Blalok, Jordan, and himself.
+Somehow Alexander seemed to have shrunk. He was no longer as
+impressive as he had been. But the man still radiated force, even
+though it didn't seem quite so overpowering. The year, Kennon
+thought, had done much to build his self-confidence. He felt
+assured rather than nervous.
+
+<P>&quot;Good to see you, Kennon,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;Reports say you're doing a good job.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can't claim the credit,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Eighty-five per cent of our success is due to co-operation
+from the operating staff. And that's Blalok's doing -- he knocked
+the heads of the division managers together and they took care of
+their staffs. Otherwise we could have had a bad time.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But you didn't,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;And you were
+the motive force.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've darn near motivated myself out of a job,&quot;
+Kennon said. &quot;They co-operate all too well nowadays.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Which goes to prove that my theories on preventive
+medicine are right,&quot; Alexander said, turning to Blalok.
+
+<P>&quot;It looks that way,&quot; Blalok admitted, &quot;but that
+could be because you picked a good man.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He's good in more ways than one,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;Or did he tell you he saved Douglas's life out on Otpen
+One?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He's never said a word.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander smiled. &quot;Another point in his favor. He knows
+how to keep his mouth shut.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not when he's telling someone what to do about
+disease,&quot; Jordon interjected.
+
+<P>&quot;Or telling someone off when they haven't followed
+directions,'' Blaiok added.
+
+<P>&quot;Better and better. I was sure that he was the one we
+needed when we first met.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon felt his ears turn flaming red.
+
+<P>&quot;But that's not the reason I brought you here. This isn't
+a Jac Kennon admiration society. I called you because I want to
+expand the Lani breeding program.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot; Jordan asked.
+
+<P>Blalok stiffened. &quot;You know my feeling about that, sir.
+I've never liked the idea of selling them. If that's what's in
+your mind--&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander shook his head. &quot;Simmer down,&quot; he said, as
+he seated himself at the head of the table. &quot;There's going
+to be no selling. The Lani are too valuable for that. We'll need
+them more than the money they'd bring on the market. You see --
+I've acquired a planet out on the periphery. A place called
+Phoebe. One of our ships found it, and I staked a discovery claim
+on the major land mass, and the crew made lesser claims that
+covered all the available land. Last month the Brotherhood
+allowed the claims. Last week the crewmen sold me their land.
+Phoebe's a lovely place -- quite a bit like Flora -- and the
+ecological tests show it's capable of supporting mammalian life.
+Just before I came here I sent three shiploads of exterminators
+to clean it up and make it ready for us. It should be ready in
+two years.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What sort of an ecology are you exterminating?&quot;
+Jordan asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Not that it makes any difference,&quot; Alexander said,
+&quot;but it's mainly reptilian. Nothing over Group I. We'll
+restock with Floran animals.&quot;
+
+<P>Jordan sighed. &quot;Since that's the way it is, it doesn't
+make any difference,&quot; he said.  &quot;But it could have. The
+Lani are sensitive to things like that. If they thought that they
+were walking in over a pile of bodies they'd do badly. It'd be
+like Olympus all over again. And we couldn't keep them from
+knowing. We talk and we forget, but they'd tell each other - and
+they'd remember.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know,&quot; Alexander said, &quot;somehow they've
+never forgotten that Grandfather trapped the last of the Lani
+males on Olympus.&quot;
+
+<P>Jordan nodded. &quot;They can't stand the place. That's why we
+had to abandon the station.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Does this new world have a moon?&quot; Kennon asked
+abruptly.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes -- in fact it has two.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Habitable?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No -- they're too small to hold air. But men could live
+there in domes -- but why do you? -- oh! I see! I hadn't
+considered that point.&quot; Alexander's hand darted to the phone
+beside him. &quot;Get me Albertsville,&quot; he snapped.
+&quot;Yes, my offices -- I want Mr. Oliver in purchasing and
+contracting. Hello -- Ward? Alexander here. Yes -- everything's
+fine. I have a job for you -- use your scrambler - pattern
+two.&quot; Alexander dialed the scrambler code on the second dial
+at the base of the phone, effectively preventing eavesdropping by
+beam tappers. &quot;Yes,&quot; he went on. &quot;It's Project
+Phoebe. Have you secured title to the moons? You haven't? Well --
+you'd better do it before some of our competitors get bright
+ideas. Sure they know about the project -- do you think they're
+stupid? Warren over at Consolidated practically told me that he
+was onto our scheme. So get title to those moons. Since they're
+uninhabitable and within the planet's primary field they come
+under the Spatial Debris Act and you should be able to get
+Kardonian title without any great amount of trouble. Naturally we
+want them. -- For defense -- what else? We'll have most of our
+eggs in that basket. No -- I don't know how we overlooked that
+point. But if it wasn't for a bright young man out here we'd have
+left ourselves wide open. Now get cracking -- get that leak
+plugged!&quot; Alexander dropped the phone back in its cradle and
+sighed. &quot;Well -- that's buttoned up,&quot; he said.
+&quot;Thanks, Kennon.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked at Alexander's grinning face, his own impassive,
+but a shattering certainty exploded in his mind - <I>Alexander
+was a telepath!</I> That was his difference! That was the thing
+that made him feared and respected by his business associates. It
+wouldn't have been enough on the Central Worlds, where men knew
+of sensitives and took precautions against them. But out here on
+the periphery it was a deadly advantage.
+
+<P>&quot;So I gave it away,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;I suppose
+I was careless, but your thoughts about the moons shocked
+me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You practically told me once before, when you hired
+me,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;but I never realized it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You were too excited then.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wouldn't know,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;At any rate I
+didn't add the facts correctly.&quot; From somewhere deep in his
+memory an old quip came floating to the surface: &quot;An
+executive is a man who picks brains -- others' brains.&quot; By
+that definition Alexander was an executive of the first class.
+Alexander  chuckled.
+
+<P>Suddenly Kennon wanted to run. Panic flooded him! What had he
+been thinking about? Had he thought of -- two times two are four,
+four times four are sixteen, sixteen times sixteen are -- let's
+see, six times sixteen is ninety-six, one times sixteen is --
+six, five, carry one -- two -- two hundred fifty-six. Two hundred
+fifty-six times--
+
+<P>&quot;What's eating you?&quot; Alexander demanded.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm angry,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I told you the
+conditions I'd sign that contract, and you wrote a Peeper Clause
+into it. And then you peep in the worst way possible. There's no
+defense against a Telep unless you know about him; you've had my
+whole mind bare! You've violated my personal privacy like no man
+has done before. Sure I'm mad. I expected honesty from you -- and
+you peep!&quot; The anger was stronger now -- a wave of raw
+emotion based on a lifetime of training in mutual respect of a
+man's privacy -- a feeling intensified by his childhood
+environment of a crowded planetary ecology and the cramped crew
+quarters on a spaceship. To Kennon, Alexander had committed the
+ultimate sin.
+
+<P>&quot;I can see I made a mistake by not telling you,&quot;
+Alexander said. His voice was cold. &quot;But you have no right
+to insult me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not saying it, am I?&quot; Kennon snapped. The
+moonflower on the bookcase behind Alexander was a thing of
+beauty. Alexander liked beauty. He had said so, and the Great
+Hall below them bore it out. It was a lovely room. Those four
+bronze Lani in the fountain were works of art. One of them looked
+remarkably like Copper. Copper in bronze. The little witch had
+probably posed for the casting. Maybe it had even been made from
+her body.
+
+<P>&quot;They're all of Susy,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;I can
+see why you are angry, and I don't blame you. But remember I
+warned you about Lani.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper -- Kennon wrenched his thoughts back to the moonflower.
+It had twelve petals, limpid white on the borders shading to deep
+blue in the center-from which the cream-colored stamen surrounded
+by transparent pistils sprang to burst into a golden glory of
+pollen that dripped in tiny yellow flecks to the broad petals
+below. It was a magnificent flower. There was nothing like it on
+Beta. That was a marvelous thing about flowers -- wherever one
+went in the universe, plants used the same methods to fertilize
+their seed and spread their germ plasm. It was too bad that --
+Kennon jerked his attention to Alexander's face. He detested the
+thought that his mind was common property. A man should have
+something he can call his own. There had been a clinics
+instructor in Year Six who was a sensitive. The classes had
+protected themselves against his prying with a circlet -- a
+thought screen -- he had done it too. Maybe he had brought the
+circlet with him. If he did, no one was going to catch him
+without it. It was a dirty business, this reading of others'
+thought. Now where had he put that circlet? Was it among his old
+books -- or was it with his instruments?
+
+<P>&quot;Why don't you go back to your house and find it?&quot;
+Alexander snapped. &quot;As you are, you're nothing but a
+disruption. I want you in on this meeting, but not the way you're
+acting.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm not going to act any other way until I get some
+protection from peeping,&quot; Kennon said grimly. &quot;And if
+you think this is bad wait till I start going through comparative
+anatomy.''
+
+<P>&quot;What's the matter with you two?&quot; Blalok asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Be quiet,&quot; Alexander snapped. &quot;This isn't your
+problem. Kennon is behaving like a spoiled child!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He's a telepath!&quot; Kennon said. &quot;And he didn't
+tell me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So what? I've known that for years.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And you stand for it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm a Mystic, not a Betan,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;I
+don't have your insane desire for privacy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Go find that thought screen if you still have if!&quot;
+Alexander said. &quot;I don't want any more of this. You're
+making me ill!&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon grinned thinly as he rose to his feet. It was a good
+thing he remembered Alexander was squeamish and didn't like
+anatomy. The door was to his left, an iris door with eight leaves
+-- terribly old-fashioned. About ten steps away. Count them --
+one -- two -- three--
+
+<P>Alexander sighed as Kennon left the room. &quot;I certainly
+pushed the panic button on that young man,&quot; he said.
+&quot;He has a pathological attitude toward telepathy. Wonder
+what he has to hide that he wants privacy so badly? Even for a
+Betan this reaction was violent.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, I don't know. He's a pretty emotional sort. Maybe he
+hates to look like a fool. He's gotten himself mixed up with one
+of the Lani. Cute little thing by the name of Copper,&quot;
+Blalok said.
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- that's it. I thought that was what he was hiding.
+A picture of a girl kept popping up.&quot; Alexander chuckled.
+&quot;I suppose that's the trouble. A man hardly likes to look a
+fool, particularly to someone who has warned him. At that, I
+don't blame him. They are beautiful and affectionate. And even
+with their superstitions and tabus they're better than most
+humans.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;For pets,&quot; Blalok said heavily.
+
+<P>&quot;They're not better at anything,&quot; Jordan demurred.
+&quot;They can't be -- man is the best and always will be.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The eternal racial chauvinist,&quot; Alexander murmured.
+He turned his attention to Blalok. &quot;But for awhile, Evald,
+I'd suggest you keep an eye on our young man. I still don't like
+his reaction. It was too violent -- too defensive. I don't feel
+right about it. Perhaps Betans are more sensitive than most
+people but it seems to me that he's trying to conceal something.
+There was an undertone of fear -- and something else -- beneath
+his defenses.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Couldn't you get any more than that?&quot; Blalok asked.
+&quot;You're pretty good at this mind-reading business.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;His defenses were remarkably good,&quot; Alexander said
+dryly.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Well he'd done it now, Kennon thought. He found the
+thought-screen circlet sandwiched between two books on
+comparative neuroanatomy which he hadn't bothered to unpack. He
+slipped it on and connected the lead wires to a portable battery
+pack. There was a half-forgotten tingling as the weak field
+heterodyned his thought waves. Kennon sighed. If Alexander wasn't
+suspicious of him now the man was a fool. He'd done as well as he
+could with confusion and outrage, but it was hardly possible to
+hide behind superficialities. Even the most disciplined mind
+couldn't do that without some preparation. Undoubtedly his
+concern about Copper had leaked through. He could only hope that
+other and more important things had not.
+
+<P>Well -- he could go back to the conference now, but he would
+have to be doubly careful from now on. He couldn't make daily
+trips to Olympus. His reaction had killed that plan. Alexander
+would be suspicious now -- and unusual actions would crystallize
+suspicion to certainty. Now he needed a reason to be in that
+area. And then he grinned. He had a reason -- a good one -- one
+that would fit in with Alexander's plans and his own. The only
+problem would be to make Alexander buy it -- and that might be
+difficult. He'd have to work carefully -- but with normal luck he
+could put the idea across. He crossed his fingers as he trudged
+back up the path to Alexandria.
+
+<P>The conference dragged on. Unlike most meetings, this one
+accomplished things -- which was a tribute to Alexander's ability
+to keep the subject in hand. Details of the expansion program
+presented by Alexander were rapidly reduced to workable plans.
+They involved some rearrangement of existlng facilities, and the
+construction of others. But the obvious snags were rapidly
+disposed of, and the whole revamped operation was outlined on
+paper in surprisingly few hours. A deadline date was set,
+construction was authorized, and in the morning the first steps
+in the practical implementation of the new program would be
+taken.
+
+<P>&quot;Well, that's that,&quot; Alexander said with a sigh.
+&quot;I think this calls for a drink.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's one more thing,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I know
+it isn't much, but Jordan's remark started me thinking.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What remark?&quot; Jordan asked.
+
+<P>&quot;The one you made at the beginning about Phoebe possibly
+being like the Olympus Station. I've often wondered why that
+particular location has been so difficult to operate. Sure, I
+know the accepted explanation, but I think we should learn why it
+works and how to break a tabu. If we don't, we might be in for
+trouble.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's a good thought,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;I
+tried to find out once, but all I could discover was that it was
+tabu. The Lani simply didn't like it. And despite the fact that I
+can read minds, I didn't learn any more than that. There's a
+certain sex-linkage to telepathy, as you probably know.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;All I could discover was that their dislike of Olympus
+was a basic emotion rather than reasoned thought. They were
+nervous, irritable, disobedient, and uncooperative while they
+were there -- and even they didn't know why. It was merely tabu.
+We even tried youngsters -- but the attitude was the same. I'd
+like to know more about that basic emotion.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We should understand it,&quot; Kennon agreed. &quot;If
+we transship a large number of Lani to a strange world, we should
+know their deepest motivations. We cannot take the chance that
+the transplant won't take, with all the money you're sinking into
+this project.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You have a point there. Have you any suggestions about
+how to accomplish this?&quot; Alexander's voice was interested.
+
+<P>&quot;I have. Hire a psychologist. And reopen Olympus.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It'll be the same story,&quot; Jordan said.
+
+<P>&quot;Not if you apply experimental procedure,&quot; Kennon
+said. &quot;Divide the place into a number of separate units in
+which groups of -- say ten -- Lani of various ages are kept. Let
+every group know where they are, but don't let them come in
+contact with one another. Observe them constantly. Put spy cells
+in the units. Couple them to recorders. Prepare a set of test
+situations and observe how each group performs. Question
+individuals under narcosynthesis. Observe and record any changes
+in physical condition -- give them the works. Maybe we can
+collect some basic data that will indicate the answer.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not a bad idea,&quot; Alexander said.
+
+<P>&quot;I don't like it,&quot; Jordan said. &quot;It sounds
+cumbersome.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It is,&quot; Kennon agreed. &quot;But it may save a
+great deal of trouble later.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think you're right, Kennon,&quot; Blalok said.
+&quot;We should know everything we can.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What would you do first if you were heading this
+program?&quot; Alexander asked. He eyed Kennon critically.
+
+<P>&quot;Nothing,&quot; Kennon said promptly. &quot;I'm not
+qualified to run an investigation like this. You need a
+specialist. I am a practitioner.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm -- but you know experimental procedure.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Naturally -- but I do not have the training to prepare a
+program or evaluate its results. The only thing I could do would
+be to check the physical condition of the experimental
+groups.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Could you set up the physical facilities?&quot;
+Alexander asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Possibly -- I'd need a set of plans of the station, and
+I couldn't guarantee that the specialist wouldn't want to make
+changes. But the physical arrangements should be simple enough to
+construct.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How long would it take you to prepare a plan?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I could have it by tomorrow, or perhaps a day
+later.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If you can do it by then I'll stay over. I'd like to
+examine this proposal more closely. It has merit. That's the
+second constructive suggestion you've made tonight. Despite your
+peculiar desire for privacy, I'm glad you came back.&quot;
+Alexander smiled.
+
+<P>Kennon smiled back. Apparently the entrepreneur had taken the
+bait. But it was too early to tell whether he had swallowed it
+without reservation. It all depended upon how much had been given
+away before he had discovered that Alexander was a telepath.
+Perhaps Alexander was merely leading him on. There were too many
+intangibles, and there was no way of predicting how it would turn
+out. But he felt mildly optimistic.
+
+<P>Alexander closed the meeting, and Kennon left promptly. He had
+a good excuse. There was plenty of work to do if he was going to
+prepare an adequate plan for utilizing Olympus Station. Jordan
+went with him, but Blalok stayed behind. It was natural enough.
+Blalok was the administrator, but Kennon felt uneasy. Nor would
+he have felt any better if he could have heard what went on after
+he left.
+
+<P>Alexander looked quizzically at Blalok after the door closed
+behind the two men.
+
+<P>&quot;Well, Evald, what do you think? Does it strike you that
+Kennon's sincere -- or does it sound as though he has something
+up his sleeve?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If he does,&quot; Blalok said, &quot;I don't know what
+it could be. I wouldn't take a job on Olympus if you gave it to
+me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If he doesn't know about the place,&quot; Alexander said
+thoughtfully, &quot;it's probable that his suggestion was honest.
+I think it is but I'm not sure. He worries me now that I can't
+read him. I think I'll send Douglas back here to watch him.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why? In my book that'd be a poor choice. After all, you
+said Kennon saved his life. He should be grateful.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You don't know Douglas,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;He
+hates Kennon's guts for what he did.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What did he do?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He made Douglas feel inferior. And there's no surer way
+to gain my cousin's undying enmity.&quot; Alexander laughed.
+&quot;I know,&quot; he said. &quot;He'd like to kill me,
+too.&quot;
+
+<P>Blalok shrugged.
+
+<P>&quot;But in the meantime I want you to keep an eye on Kennon.
+If his outline is all right, I'm going to authorize him to set up
+this experiment. I want to give him every possible chance. I like
+him -- and he's done good work. I wouldn't want him to feel that
+I distrust him.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Which you do, of course,&quot; Blalok said dryly.
+
+<P>Alexander smiled. &quot;Actually,&quot; he said with equal
+dryness, &quot;I distrust everyone.&quot;
+
+<P>CHAPTER XVI
+
+<P>&quot;If you think this job is easy, you have another think
+coming,&quot; Kennon said bitterly. &quot;I hired out as a
+veterinarian, not as a nursemaid for a bunch of psychoneurotic
+humans and superstitious Lani. The place is jinxed, they tell me.
+-- Ha! Jinxed! Sure it's jinxed! What job wouldn't be with a
+bunch of goofballs like these I've got working on it.
+
+<P>&quot;I can't keep a Lani here for two weeks without having
+her throw a catfit, and the superstitious idiots are affecting
+the men -- who ought to know better! I wish I'd never have opened
+my big mouth to Alexander! As far as I'm concerned he can take
+this job and--&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hey -- take it easy, man!&quot; Blalok said.
+&quot;You're heading straight for a nervous breakdown.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And why shouldn't I?&quot; Kennon asked. &quot;Nothing
+goes right. There's always trouble. I order materials -- they
+don't arrive. There's worker trouble, equipment trouble,
+installation trouble. Everybody's cutting corners, trying to get
+done faster and away sooner -- and all they do is mess up work
+that should have been done right the first time. We should have
+been finished last week, but we have another week to go, at least
+unless some bumble-fingered beanbrain gets another bright idea
+that sets us back again. I'm sick to death of it!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know, I know,&quot; Blalok said soothingly, &quot;and
+I'm sorry.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry? What good is that? You and Jordan come up here in
+relays. Just what do you think you'll find? Or has Alexander
+dragged you into keeping an eye on me because I don't like
+someone snooping inside my skull?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's not that,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;It's
+just----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, don't make excuses. You know and I know the Boss-man
+is suspicious.&quot; Kennon shrugged. &quot;Normally I wouldn't
+blame him but it's a damned nuisance with things the way they
+are. All we have is one more bay and a hall to finish - but
+if---- &quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Now wait a minute,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;Get the kink
+out of your neck and simmer down. Sure -- the Boss-man told us to
+keep an eye on you -- but that's not why I'm here this
+time.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Douglas came back this morning.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What for?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't know.&quot; Blalok's face wore the noncommittal
+look it always wore when he was taking liberties with the truth.
+
+<P>&quot;You're probably the worst liar in the galaxy,&quot;
+Kennon chuckled. &quot;He's here to breathe down my neck, isn't
+he?&quot;
+
+<P>Blalok nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;Keep him off my back for another week and he can breathe
+all he wants to. I'll be done then.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can't promise a thing.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. &quot;It's too much to ask, I guess.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I can try,&quot; Blalok added.
+
+<P>&quot;That's enough for me.&quot; Kennon grinned. &quot;Has he
+turned Alexandria into a shambles yet?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not yet, but everyone's uneasy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can't blame them. That young fellow's undiluted
+poison. By the way, how does he look?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;About the same.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The medics must have done a good job,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;The Boss-man shipped him to Beta for treatment,&quot;
+Blalok said. &quot;He didn't trust the docs out here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That figures. At any rate Douglas couldn't have gone to
+a better place.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What happened to him?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He stuck his nose where he shouldn't,&quot; Kennon said
+pointedly.
+
+<P>Blalok stiffened.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm sorry, Evald. Even if you knew, I couldn't talk
+about it. What I know about Douglas is classified!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- Douglas is doing plenty of talking. Claims his
+stay in the hospital was all your fault.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. &quot;That's his opinion. And as long as he
+stays out of my way he's welcome to it.&quot;
+
+<P>Blalok looked at Kennon's haggard face with mild concern,
+&quot;Doc,&quot; he said, &quot;you'd better take it easy. You're
+going to pieces.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll be through here in another week, I'll have this all
+wrapped up.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Providing you're not wrapped up first.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Eh?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;In a shroud. You look like a walking corpse.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled wearily. &quot;Sometimes I feel like one. But
+I'd like to get this job finished.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well, I'll do what I can,&quot; Blalok said. &quot;I'll
+try to keep him down at Alexandria for a few days.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It'll be enough,&quot; Kennon said. More than enough --
+he added mentally. The coils of fuel wire were ready to load, and
+the power slugs for the ship's reactor were already stored in the
+power plant building here at Olympus. Three more days and the old
+spacer would be as ready to fly as she would ever be. And after
+that, it was in the lap of fate.
+
+<P>He ushered Blalok to his jeep and watched until he
+disappeared.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm getting to be a first-class liar,&quot; he remarked
+wryly to himself as he turned back to the temporary quarters he
+was occupying at the station. &quot;And the bad thing about it is
+that I'm actually enjoying it.&quot;
+
+<P>A few weeks ago an admission like that would have been
+inconceivable. It was odd, he thought, how one thing led to
+another and produced an end that could not be foreseen. Now he
+could lie and dissemble with the best. He had no compunction
+about falsifying a requisition, or stealing what he could not
+obtain with apparent honesty. His character had sunk to an
+all-time low, he reflected with grim humor as he walked into the
+shadow of the main building. Neither Blalok's nor Jordan's
+frequent visits bothered him. Both men were creatures of habit
+and both were married. They stayed home at night -- and it was
+nighttime that he worked on the spacer. The project afforded him
+a perfect cover and it was only minutes by jeep away from the
+crater.
+
+<P>Even so, the double duty was an appalling task. And it would
+have been impossible if it wasn't for Copper. Her quick fingers,
+keen eyesight, and uncanny memory made the work seem simple, and
+neither the tediousness of repairing miles of circuitry nor the
+depressing environment of Olympus Station seemed to bother her.
+While he worked with the men on the project she restored and
+reassembled circuits in his quarters and at night they replaced
+them in the old ship. And the God-Egg was rapidly becoming
+operational.
+
+<P>Kennon wondered what it was about Copper that made her so
+different from the rest. Olympus didn't bother her at all. In
+fact she seemed to thrive on the depressing atmosphere that
+filled the Station. Perhaps it was because she had violated the
+tabu about the God-Egg so often that ordinary superstition had no
+effect upon her. He shrugged. He had  troubles enough without
+worrying about Copper's motivations, and not the least of these
+was taking the God-Egg into space.
+
+<P>Kennon looked forward to blast-off with distinct misgivings.
+There was too much about the ancient spacer that was strange --
+and too much that was terrifying.
+
+<P>Basically the ship was an ion-jet job with atomic primaries
+and a spindizzy converter that might possibly take her up as high
+as middle yellow Cth -- far enough to give her a good turn of
+speed, but not enough to compensate for timelag. Her screens were
+monstrosities, double polyphase lattices that looked about as
+spacetight as so many sieves. There were no acceleration dampers,
+no temporal compensators, no autopilot, no four-space computer,
+and the primaries operated on nuclear rather than binding energy.
+The control chairs weren't equipped with forcefields, but instead
+had incredibly primitive safety webs that held one in place by
+sheer tensile strength. Taking a ship like that into space was an
+open invitation to suicide. A man needed a combination of
+foolhardy bravery and incredible fatalism to blast off in a can
+like this. He had the stimulus, but the knowledge of what he
+would face troubled him more than he cared to admit. More and
+more, as he understood the ship, he was amazed at the courage of
+the ancients who had blithely leaped into hyperspace in these
+flying coffins with no more motivation than to see what was
+beyond the nearest star. And in ships more primitive than this
+men had swept through the star systems nearest Earth in the
+outward expansion of the First Millennium.
+
+<P>He sighed. The breed of man must have been tough in the old
+days -- and he'd soon be finding out if any of that ancient
+toughness remained.
+
+<P>He opened the door to his quarters.
+
+<P>Copper was sitting in his favorite chair, a pile of completed
+assemblies neatly stacked beside her, and a disorderly file of
+crumpled cloth at her feet. Her face was sullen as she looked up
+at him. &quot;I've had about all of this I'm going to take,&quot;
+she said mutinously as she stirred the heap of cloth with a bare
+foot. &quot;Not even you are going to make me wear those --
+<I>things!</I>&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon sighed. It was the same old story. For months he had
+been trying patiently to indoctrinate Copper with a minimum of
+civilized habits, but she was quite literally a savage. In her
+entire lifetime she had never worn clothing, and to encase her
+body in hose, kilts, blouse, and sandals was a form of torture.
+She scratched, wiggled, and twisted at the garments until she
+looked as bad as she felt, and would usually finish a session by
+tearing off the offending clothes and sulking. She was doing it
+now.
+
+<P>&quot;You must act like a civilized human being,&quot; Kennon
+said mildly. &quot;You're simply going to have to learn to wear
+these clothes properly.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why? I'm more comfortable as I am.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's not the point. You are going to be living in
+human society and you must act human. The only planet where you
+could get away with nudity is Santos, and we're not going
+there.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've explained it time and again. We'll have to go to
+Beta. That's the only place I know where you'll have a fair
+hearlng. And on Beta people wear clothes. They have to. It's
+cold, even in summer, and in the wintertime, there's snow.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What's snow?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ice crystals that fall like rain, but I've told you this
+before.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And I still don't believe it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Believe it or not you're going to wear those things. Now
+put them on!&quot;
+
+<P>She looked at him with mutiny on her face. &quot;All right,
+slave driver,&quot; she muttered as she picked up the clothing,
+&quot;but I hope you'll itch someday and be unable to
+scratch.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And try to wear those garments more gracefully. You make
+them look like a sack.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They feel like one. I keep thinking that all I need is a
+tag around my neck.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You haven't much time to get used to them,&quot; Kennon
+said. &quot;We're leaving this week.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So soon?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes -- and you'll wear those things to the ship, into
+the ship, and all the time we're on the ship. You'll keep wearing
+clothing until it looks right.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Slave driver!&quot; Copper hissed.
+
+<P>&quot;Slave,&quot; Kennon answered equably.
+
+<P>Copper giggled. The sound was utterly unexpected, and
+completely incongruous. That was the wonder of her, Kennon
+reflected. Her mercurial temperament made life something that was
+continually exciting She was a never-ending delight.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XVII
+
+<P>It was the last trip. Kennon loaded the jeep with the
+last-minute items he would need. The four reactor cores in their
+lead cases went aboard last and were packed inside a pile of
+lead-block shielding.
+
+<P>He helped Copper in and looked back without regret as the bulk
+of Olympus Station vanished below him in the dusk. The last of
+the work crew had left that afternoon. The station was ready for
+occupancy. His assignment had been completed. He felt an odd
+pleasure at having finished the job. Alexander might not be happy
+about his subsequent actions, but he could have no complaint
+about what he did while he was here.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- say good-bye to Flora,&quot; he said to Copper.
+
+<P>&quot;I don't want to,&quot; she said. &quot;I don't want to
+leave.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You can't stay. You know that.&quot;
+
+<P>She nodded. &quot;But that doesn't make me any less
+regretful.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Regretful?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right -- scared. We're going to try to make the
+God-Egg fly again. Not only is it sacrilege, but as you've often
+said, it's dangerous. I have no desire to die.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You have two courses---&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know -- you've pointed them out often enough,&quot;
+Copper said. &quot;And since you decided to go I'd go with you
+even though I knew the Egg would blow up.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're quite a girl,&quot; Kennon said admiringly.
+&quot;Did I ever tell you that I love you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not nearly often enough,&quot; Copper said. &quot;You
+could do it every day and I'd never get tired of hearing
+it.&quot;
+
+<P>The jeep settled over the lava wall. &quot;We'll leave it in
+the passageway when we're through,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Maybe
+it will survive blast-off.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why worry about it?&quot; Copper asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I hate destroying anything needlessly,&quot; Kennon
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;And since we have plenty of time, we might as well be
+neat about our departure.&quot;
+
+<P>He was wrong, of course, but he didn't know that.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Douglas Alexander checked the radarscope and whistled in
+surprise at the picture it revealed. &quot;So that's where he's
+going,&quot; he said softly to himself. &quot;Cousin Alex was
+right as usual.&quot; He grimaced unpleasantly. &quot;He's up to
+something -- that's for sure.&quot; His face twisted into an
+expression that was half sneer, half triumph. &quot;This is going
+to be fun.&quot; He moved the control, and his airboat, hovering
+silently at five thousand meters, dropped toward the ground in
+free fall as Douglas loosened the Burkholtz in the holster at his
+waist. &quot;But what is he doing?&quot; he muttered. The
+question hung unanswered in the still air of the cabin as the
+airboat dropped downward.
+
+<P>Douglas hadn't been impressed with Blalok's attempt at a
+delaying action. Normally he might have been, but his fear of his
+cousin was greater than his respect for Blalok. The
+superintendent had only succeeded in accomplishing something he
+had not intended when he had tried to dissuade Douglas from
+visiting Kennon. He had made Douglas cautious. The airboat and
+long-range surveillance had been the result. For the past two
+nights Douglas had hung over Olympus Station, checking the place
+-- to leave at dawn when the new day's work began. For two nights
+Kennon had been lucky. He had departed for the Egg shortly before
+Douglas took up his station, and had returned after the watcher
+had called it a night and had returned home. But this last night,
+Kennon left late -- and his departure was noted.
+
+<P>&quot;Wonder who's the girl with him?&quot; Douglas said as
+the boat plunged down. &quot;Well, I'll be finding out in a
+minute.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon's head jerked upward at the sound of air whistling past
+the airboat's hull, and a wave of icy coldness swept through his
+chest. There was no question that he was discovered. His
+shoulders sagged.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- it was a good try,&quot; he said bitterly as
+Copper looked at him with sudden terror on her face.
+
+<P>&quot;I don't <I>want</I> to die,&quot; she wailed.
+
+<P>&quot;You won't -- not if I can help it,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Move away from me -- quickly!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But--&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Do as I say!&quot; Kennon's voice was sharp. &quot;And
+keep that hood over your face.&quot;
+
+<P>The airboat settled softly on the ash in front of him, the
+door snapped open and Douglas dropped to the ground, Burkholtz
+jutting from his pudgy fist.
+
+<P>&quot;My, my,&quot; Douglas said, &quot;what have we here? Dr.
+Kennon and a woman! I thought better of you than that, Doctor.
+And all dressed up in antiradiation suits. This is interesting.
+Just what are you doing up here on the mountain so late at night
+-- prospecting?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You might call it that,&quot; Kennon said. His body
+sagged with relief. Douglas thank Ochsner it was Douglas! He was
+running true to form -- talking when he should have been
+shooting.
+
+<P>Douglas jerked his head toward Copper, standing a few feet to
+his left. &quot;Who is she?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;None of your business,&quot; Kennon snapped, hoping that
+his outburst covered Copper's gasp of surprise and fear, and
+knowing that it didn't.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm making it my business. There's something funny going
+on around here.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon blinked. Could it be that Douglas didn't <I>know?</I>
+Had he been watching them on <I>radar? </I>Durilium was
+radar-transparent. It absorbed and dissipated electromagnetic
+waves rather than reflecting them. For a second he felt a tiny
+surge of hope.
+
+<P>&quot;Stand where you are,&quot; Douglas said as he stepped
+over to the half-paralyzed Copper and jerked the hood back from
+her face. For a moment he looked puzzled. &quot;Just who are
+you?&quot; he demanded. &quot;I don't recall seeing you
+before.&quot; And then recognition dawned. &quot;Old Doc's
+Lani!&quot; he gasped.
+
+<P>&quot;She works for me now,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>Douglas laughed. It wasn't a nice sound. &quot;All dressed
+up?&quot; he asked. &quot;Nice work.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's my fault,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;You know the rules,&quot; Douglas said. &quot;I could
+blast you both.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Go ahead,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;but if you do, you'll
+never find out what we're doing up here.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas hesitated. Kennon's voice was flat and filled with
+utter conviction.
+
+<P>&quot;There's a reason why Copper's wearing that suit,&quot;
+Kennon continued, &quot;and you won't know that either.&quot;
+
+<P>The Burkholtz swiveled around to point at Kennon's belly.
+&quot;I've had about enough of this. Let's have it. Tell me what
+you're doing here!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll do better than that,&quot; Kennon said promptly.
+&quot;I'll show you. You'll be surprised at what we've
+uncovered.&quot; He made his muscles relax, and forced himself to
+speak naturally. Copper, he noted, was still rigid with terror.
+The Alexanders -- any of them -- were everything he had said they
+were. They were the masters here. And despite Copper's boast, she
+was as susceptible to their influence as any other Lani.
+
+<P>&quot;All right,&quot; Douglas said, &quot;show me this thing
+I'd never be able to find without your help.&quot; He half turned
+to Copper. &quot;Stay where you are, Lani,&quot; he said.
+&quot;Don't move until I come back.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, Man Douglas,&quot; Copper replied. Her voice was
+flat, colorless, and submissive.
+
+<P>Kennon shuddered. He had never heard precisely that tone from
+her before. One word from Douglas and she had become a zombie --
+a mindless muscle preparation that existed only to obey. Anger
+filled him -- anger that one he loved could be ordered by someone
+who wasn't worth a third of her -- anger that she obeyed -- anger
+at his own impotence and frustration. It wasn't a clean anger. It
+was a dark, red-splashed thing that struggled and writhed inside
+him, a fierce unreasoning rage that seethed and bubbled yet could
+not break free. For an instant, with blinding clarity, Kennon
+understood the feelings of the caged male Lani on Otpen One. And
+he sympathized.
+
+<P>&quot;Follow me,&quot; he said and started around the ship.
+
+<P>&quot;Stay -- no -- go ahead,&quot; Douglas said, &quot;but
+remember, I'm right behind you.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon walked straight up to the pit and pointed down at the
+dark bulk of the Egg., concealed in the shadows of the bottom.
+
+<P>&quot;That's it&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;What? I don't see anything,&quot; Douglas said
+suspiciously.
+
+<P>&quot;Here -- I'll shine a light.&quot; Kennon reached for his
+belt.
+
+<P>&quot;No you don't! I know that trick. You're not going to
+blind me. Take that torch loose carefully -- that's it -- now
+hand it to me.&quot; Douglas' hand closed over the smooth
+plastic. Cautiously he turned on the beam and directed it
+downward.
+
+<P>&quot;A spacer!&quot; he gasped. &quot;How did that get
+here?&quot; He leaned forward to look into the pit as a dark
+shadow materialized behind him.
+
+<P>Kennon choked back the involuntary cry of warning that rose in
+his throat. Copper! His muscles tensed as her arm came up and
+down -- a shadow almost invisible in the starlight. The leaning
+figure of Douglas collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been
+suddenly released. The torch dropped from his hand and went
+bouncing and winking down the wall of the pit, followed by
+Douglas -- a limp bundle of arms and legs that rotated
+grotesquely as he disappeared down the slope. Starlight gleamed
+on the Burkholtz lying on the lip of the crater, where it had
+fallen from his hand.
+
+<P>&quot;I told you that not even Man Alexander could order me
+since I gave my love to you,&quot; Copper said smugly as she
+peered over the edge of the pit, a chunk of lava gripped in one
+small capable hand. &quot;Maybe this proves it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Douglas isn't Alexander,&quot; Kennon said slowly as he
+picked up the blaster, &quot;but I believe you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Didn't I act convincingly?&quot; she said brightly.
+
+<P>&quot;Very,&quot; he said. &quot;You fooled me
+completely.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The important thing was that I fooled Douglas.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You did that all right. Now let's get him out of that
+pit.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The jet blast will fry him when we take off.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What difference would that make?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I told you,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;that I never
+destroy things unnecessarily -- not even things like
+Douglas.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But he would have destroyed you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's no excuse for murder. Now go back to the jeep and
+fetch a rope. I'll go down and get him out.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Do we have to bother with him?&quot; Copper asked, and
+then shrugged. It was an eloquent gesture expressing disgust,
+resignation, and unwilling compliance in one lift of smoothly
+muscled shoulders.
+
+<P>&quot;There's no question about it,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;You're becoming more human every day.&quot;
+
+<P>He chuckled as he slid over the edge of the pit following the
+path Douglas had taken a moment before. He found him sitting on a
+pile of ashes, shaking his head.
+
+<P>&quot;What happened?&quot; Douglas asked querulously. There
+was fear in his voice.
+
+<P>&quot;Copper hit you on the head with a rock,&quot; Kennon
+said as he bent over and retrieved the torch, still burning near
+Douglas' feet.
+
+<P>&quot;The Lani?&quot; Douglas' voice was incredulous.
+
+<P>&quot;Not a Lani,&quot; Kennon corrected. &quot;She's as human
+as you or I.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's a lie,&quot; Douglas said.
+
+<P>&quot;Maybe this spacer's a lie too. Her ancestors came in it
+-- a pair of humans named Alfred and Melissa Weygand. They were
+Christian missionaries from a planet called Heaven out in
+Ophiuchus Sector. Went out to convert aliens and landed here when
+their fuel ran out.&quot; Kennon paused. &quot;That was about
+four millennia ago. Their descendants, naturally, reverted to
+barbarism in a few generations, but there's enough evidence in
+the ship to prove that the Lani were their children.''
+
+<P>&quot;But the tails -- the differences -- the failure of the
+test,&quot; Douglas said.
+
+<P>&quot;Mutation,&quot; Kennon replied. &quot;Those old
+spindizzy converters weren't too choosy about how they scattered
+radiation. And they had come a long way.&quot; He paused, looking
+down at Douglas, feeling a twinge of pity for the man. His world
+was crumbling. &quot;And there was no other human blood available
+to filter out their peculiarities. It might have been done during
+the first couple of generations, but constant inbreeding fixed
+the genetic pattern.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How did you discover this?&quot; Douglas asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Accident,&quot; Kennon said briefly.
+
+<P>&quot;You'll never be able to prove they're human!&quot;
+Douglas said.
+
+<P>&quot;The ship's log will do that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not without a humanity test -- they can't pass
+that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry to disappoint you. Your grandfather used the wrong
+sort of sperm. Now if there had been a Betan in the crew--&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You mean she's <I>pregnant!</I>&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. &quot;There's been mutation on Beta,&quot; he
+said. &quot;And it's apparently a similar one to hers. Betan-Lani
+matings are fertile.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas's shoulders sagged, and then straightened. &quot;I
+don't believe it,&quot; he said. &quot;You're just a damned
+sneaking spy. Somehow or other you got a spacer in here after you
+wormed your way into Cousin Alex's confidence -- and now you're
+going to space out with the nucleus of a new farm. Just wait.
+When Alex learns of this the galaxy'll be too small to hold
+you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't babble like a fool!&quot; Kennon said with
+disgust. &quot;How could I land a spacer here without being
+spotted? You sound like a two-credit novel. And even if I did --
+would it be a can like this?&quot; Kennon played the torch over
+the blue-black durilium protruding from the ashes.
+
+<P>Douglas' eyes widened as he took in the details of
+construction. &quot;What an antique!&quot; he blurted.
+&quot;Where did you get this can?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I found it here.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Tell me another one.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You won't believe,&quot; Kennon said flatly,
+&quot;because you don't dare believe. You have a mental block.
+You've killed, maimed, tortured -- treated them like animals --
+and now your mind shrinks from admitting they're human. You know
+what will happen if the old court decision is reversed. It will
+wreck your little empire, dry up your money, break you -- and you
+can't stand the thought of that. You don't dare let us leave, yet
+you can't stop us because I have your blaster and I'd just as
+soon shoot you as look at your rotten face. Now get on your feet
+and start climbing if you want to stay alive. We're getting out
+of here, and you'll fry inside this pit.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where are you taking me?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Back to your airboat. I'm going to tie you up and set
+you off on autopilot. You'll be able to get loose quickly enough
+but it'll be too late to stop us. We'll be gone, and you can
+think of how you'll manage to face the human race.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope you blow yourself and that antique clear out of
+space.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We might. But you'll never know for sure. But mark this
+-- if I live I'll be back with the Brotherhood. You can count on
+it.&quot;
+
+<P>They struggled up the side of the pit and halted, panting, on
+the rim. &quot;How much radiation was down there?&quot; Douglas
+asked worriedly.
+
+<P>&quot;Not enough to hurt you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's good.&quot; Douglas accepted the statement at
+face value, a fact which failed to surprise Kennon. &quot;You
+know,&quot; he said, &quot;I've been around Lani all my life. And
+I know that they're not human. No self-respecting human would
+take a tenth of what they put up with.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Their ancestors didn't,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;They
+fought to the end. But your Grandfather was a smart man even
+though he was a Degrader.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He <I>wasn't!</I>&quot; Douglas exploded. &quot;No
+Alexander is a Degrader.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He realized,&quot; Kennon went on, &quot;that he'd never
+succeed in enslaving the Lani unless he separated the sexes. And
+since women are more subjective in their outlook -- and more
+pliable -- he picked them for his slaves. The males he retired to
+stud. Probably the fact that there were more women than men
+helped him make up his mind.
+
+<P>&quot;In every society,&quot; Kennon went on inexorably,
+&quot;there are potential freeman and potential slaves. The
+latter invariably outnumber the former. They're cowards: the
+timid, the unsacrificing -- the ones that want peace at any price
+-- the ones who will trade freedom for security. Those were the
+ones who hid rather than risk their lives fighting the aggressor.
+Those were the ones who survived. Old Alexander had a ready-made
+slave cadre when be finished off the last of the warriors. For
+four centuries the survivors have been bred and selected to
+perpetuate slave traits. And the system works. The men don't want
+freedom -- they want liberty to kill each other. The women don't
+want freedom -- they want males. And they'd serve them precisely
+as the Sarkian women serve their menfolk. You've killed any
+chance they had to become a civilization. It's going to take
+generations perhaps before they're reoriented. There's plenty you
+Alexanders should answer for.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If there's any fault, it's yours,&quot; Douglas snarled.
+&quot;We were doing all right until you came here. We'd still be
+doing all right if I had shot you both.&quot; His shoulders
+sagged. &quot;I should have killed you when I had the
+chance,&quot; he said bitterly.
+
+<P>&quot;But you didn't,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;and to show my
+gratitude I'm letting you get away with a whole skin. I don't
+expect you to be grateful, but at least you'll not be on my
+conscience. I don't enjoy killing, not even things like
+you.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas sneered. &quot;You're soft -- a soft sentimental
+fool.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Admitted,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;but that's my
+nature.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yet you'd destroy the family, wreck Outworld
+Enterprises, and throw a whole world into chaos over a few
+thousand animals. I don't understand you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They're human,&quot; Kennon said flatly.
+
+<P>&quot;Admitting they might once have been, they're not
+now.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And whose fault is that?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not ours,&quot; Douglas said promptly. &quot;If there is
+any fault it's that of the court who decided they were
+humanoid.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You didn't help any.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why should we? Does one treat a shrake like a brother?
+---or a varl? ---or a dog? We treat them like the animals they
+are. And we've done no worse with the Lani. Our consciences are
+clear.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon laughed humorlessly. &quot;Yet this clear conscience
+makes you want to kill me, so you can keep on treating them as
+animals -- even though you know they're human.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know nothing of the sort. But you're right about the
+killing, I'd kill you cheerfully if I had the chance. It's our
+necks if you get away with this. Of course, you probably won't,
+but why take the chance. I like my neck more than I like
+yours.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're honest at any rate,&quot; Kennon admitted.
+&quot;And in a way I don't blame you. To you it's probably better
+to be a rich slaver living off the legacy of a Degrader than a
+penniless humanitarian. But you've lost your chance.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas screamed with rage. He whirled on Kennon, his face a
+distorted mask of hate.
+
+<P>&quot;Hold it!&quot; Kennon barked. &quot;I don't want to kill
+you, but I'll burn a hole clear through your rotten carcass if
+you make another move. I have no love for your kind.&quot;
+
+<P>Douglas spat contemptuously. &quot;You haven't got the
+guts,&quot; he snarled. But he didn't move.
+
+<P>&quot;Just stand still -- very still,&quot; Kennon said
+softly. The iron in his voice was not hidden by the quiet tone.
+
+<P>Douglas shivered. &quot;I'll get you yet,&quot; he said, but
+there was no force in the threat.
+
+<P>&quot;Here's the rope you wanted,&quot; Copper said as she
+emerged abruptly from the darkness. &quot;I had a hard time
+finding it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You haven't been too long,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Now
+tie Douglas' hands behind him while I keep him covered.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's a pleasure,&quot; Copper murmured.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XVIII
+
+<P>&quot;I'm frightened,&quot; Copper said, twisting
+uncomfortably in the shock chair beside Kennon's.
+
+<P>&quot;After you have been so brave?&quot; Kennon asked.
+&quot;That's nonsense. It's just nervous reaction. Now web in
+like I showed you. It's time for blast-off. We don't dare wait
+much longer.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right -- but I have a feeling that this isn't right.
+Something is going to go wrong.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope you don't have precognition.&quot; Kennon smiled.
+&quot;I've checked everything. The ship is as good as she'll ever
+be. There's nothing more that we can do.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's one consolation,&quot; Copper said wanly.
+&quot;At we'll die together.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There's a better chance that we'll live together.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I hope so.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ready?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>She nodded.
+
+<P>He flipped the switches that would send the fuel rods into the
+reactor. Below them a soft, barely audible whine ascended the
+sonic scale to a point of irritating inaudibility. Kennon smiled.
+The spindizzy was functioning properly. He flipped a second bank
+of switches and a dull roar came from the buried stem. Ashes and
+pumice heated to incandescence were blown through the air. Molten
+drops of radioactive lava skittered across the durilium hull as
+Kennon advanced the power. The whole stem of the ship was
+immersed in a seething lake of bolling rock as the Egg lifted
+slowly with ponderous dignity into the night sky.
+
+<P>&quot;Hang on!&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I'm going to
+hyper.&quot; His hand moved a red lever and the Egg shimmered and
+vanished with a peculiar wrenching motion into an impossible
+direction that the mind could not grasp. And the interceptor
+missile from Otpen One nosed through the space the Egg had
+occupied.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>&quot;We made it!&quot; Kennon said, looking across the
+writhing semifluid control board, shifting oddly in the harsh
+yellow monochromatic light that pervaded the cabin. The screens
+were leaking like sieves, but they were holding well enough to
+keep Cth yellow from being anything more than an annoyance. He
+glanced over at Copper, a fantastically elongated Copper who
+looked like a madman's dream of chaos.
+
+<P>And Copper screamed! The sound echoed and re-echoed, dying
+away with a lingering discordant reverberation that made his skin
+tingle.
+
+<P>&quot;Copper! It's all right! It's all fight! Stop it!&quot;
+
+<P>Copper screamed again and her elongated figure suddenly
+foreshortened and collapsed into a small writhing ball from which
+two small pink hands emerged clutching at a gelid mass of air
+that flowed sluggishly around them.
+
+<P>And Kennon knew what he had forgotten! Hyperspace with leaky
+screens was nothing to inflict upon an unprepared mind. It is one
+thing to endure partial exposure after months of training, with
+experienced medics standing by to help you through the shock
+phase, but quite another to be thrust from a safe and sheltered
+existence into the mind shattering distortions of the Cth
+continuum.
+
+<P>The Egg was old. Her screens, never good at best, were hardly
+more than filters. Through the hull, through the drive lattice,
+the viciously distorted Cth environment seeped into the ship
+turning prosaic shapes of controls and instruments into writhing
+masses of obscene horror that sent extensions wiggling off into
+nothingness at eye-aching angles. A spaceman could take this --
+knowing it wasn't real -- but a tyro could not.
+
+<P>Copper collapsed. Her mind, assaulted by sensations no
+untrained person should experience, went into shock. But she
+wasn't granted the mercy of unconsciousness. Terrified by a
+pseudo reality that surpassed her wildest nightmares, she stared
+wide-eyed at the control room and the thing that had been Kennon.
+She screamed until her throat was raw, until the monster beside
+her touched her with Kennon's hands. Then, mercifully, she felt a
+stinging in her arm and all sensation ceased.
+
+<P>Kennon stared glumly at the controls. Fleming alone knew how
+many objective years were passing outside as they hurtled through
+four-space. Subjectively it would only be hours aboard the Egg,
+but a decade -- or maybe a century -- might pass outside this mad
+universe where neither time nor speed had meaning. The old ships
+didn't have temporal compensators, nor could they travel through
+upper bands of Cth where subjective and objective time were more
+nearly equal. They were trapped in a semi-stasis of time as the
+ship fled on through the distorted monochromatic regions that
+bypassed normal space.
+
+<P>The Egg slipped smoothly out of the hyper jump, back into the
+normal universe. Beta floated above them, the blue shield of her
+atmosphere shining softly in the light of Beta's sun.
+
+<P>&quot;Couldn't hit it that good again in a hundred
+tries,&quot; Kennon gloated. &quot;Halfway across the galaxy --
+and right on the nose.&quot; He looked at the shock chair beside
+him. Copper was curled into a tight ball inside the confining
+safety web, knees drawn up, back bent, head down -- arms wrapped
+protectingly around her legs -- the fetal position of catatonic
+shock.
+
+<P>He shook her shoulder -- no response. Her pulse was thready
+and irregular. Her breathing was shallow. Her lips were blue. Her
+condition was obvious -- space shock -- extreme grade. She'd need
+medical attention if she was going to live. And she'd need it
+fast!
+
+<P>&quot;Just why, you educated nitwit,&quot; he snarled at
+himself, &quot;didn't you have sense enough to give her that
+injection of Sonmol before we hypered! You haven't the sense of a
+decerebrate Capellan grackle!&quot;
+
+<P>He turned on the radio. &quot;Emergency!&quot; he said.
+&quot;Any station! Space-shock case aboard. Extreme
+urgency.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Identify yourself -- give your license. Over.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What port are you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hunterstown -- will you please identify? Over.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Your co-ordinates,&quot; Kennon snapped.
+&quot;Over.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;280.45--67.29 plus. Repeat -- request your
+identification.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Pilot Kennon, Jac, Beta 47M 26429. I have no I.D. for
+the ship -- and you'll see why when I land. Over.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hunterstown Port to Kennon. You are not -- repeat not -
+cleared to land. Go into orbit and report your position.
+Over.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry, Hunterstown. You wouldn't have checked in if you
+didn't have room, and a hospital. This is an emergency. I'm
+setting down. Out.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But--&quot; The words got no farther. Kennon was already
+spinning the ship.
+
+<P>&quot;All right -- we have you on the scope. But this is a
+class one violation. You may come in on Landing Beam One.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry. I have no GCA.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What? -- what sort of ship are you flying?&quot; The
+voice was curious.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm matching intrinsics over your port. Talk me in when
+I break through the overcast.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Talk you in?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's right. My instruments are obsolete.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Great Halstead! What else?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have an Ion drive. Plus two radioactive.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh no! -- And you still want to come in?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have to. My passenger's in shock. She's going to have
+a baby.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All right -- I'll try to get you down in one
+piece.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Have an ambulance ready,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>Kennon lowered the Egg through the overcast. Ground control
+picked him up smoothly and took him down as though it had been
+rehearsed. The Egg touched down in the radioactive area of the
+port. Decontamination jets hissed, sluicing the ship to remove
+surface contamination.
+
+<P>&quot;Ochsner! what sort of a ship is that?&quot; Ground
+Control's startled voice came over the annunciator.
+
+<P>&quot;It's an old one,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;That's a gross understatement. Stand by for boarders.
+Ambulance coming up.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon opened the airlock and two radiation-suited men
+entered. &quot;At least you had sense enough to wear protective
+clothing in this hotbox,&quot; one said as they carefully
+unwebbed Copper and carried her out of the lock. &quot;You wait
+here. The Port Captain wants to see you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Where are you taking her? What Center?&quot; Kennon
+asked.
+
+<P>&quot;What should you care? You've nearly killed her. The idea
+of taking a pregnant woman up in this death trap! What in
+Fleming's name's the matter with your brain?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I had to,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;I had to. It was a
+matter of life and death.&quot; For once, he thought wryly, the
+cliche was true.
+
+<P>The Betan's face behind the transparent helmet was disgusted
+and unbelieving. &quot;I hear that sort of thing every day,&quot;
+he said. &quot;Am I supposed to believe it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You'd believe it if you'd have been where I was,&quot;
+Kennon muttered. &quot;Now -- whe're are you taking her?&quot; he
+demanded.
+
+<P>The man arched blond eyebrows. &quot;To the local Medical
+Center -- where else? There's only one in this area.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Thanks,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>He watched the ambulance flit off as he waited for the
+Spaceport Patrol. There was no further need for the protection
+suit, so he peeled it off and hung it in the control-room locker.
+Copper was right, he mused. It did itch.
+
+<P>The Port Captain's men were late as usual  - moving gingerly
+through the radiation area. A noncom gestured for him to enter
+their carryall. &quot;Port Captain wants to see you,&quot; he
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;I know,&quot; Kennon replied.
+
+<P>&quot;You should have waited upstairs.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I couldn't. It was a matter of medicine,&quot; Kennon
+said.
+
+<P>The noncom's face sobered. &quot;Why didn't you say so? All
+you said was that it was an emergency.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've been away. I forgot.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You shouldn't have done that. You're a Betan, aren't
+you?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>They drove to the Port Office, where Kennon expected - and got
+-- a bad time from the port officials. He filled out numerous
+forms, signed affidavits, explained his unauthorized landing,
+showed his spaceman's ticket, defended his act of piloting
+without an up-to-date license, signed more forms, entered a claim
+for salvage rights to the Egg, and finally when the Legal
+Division, the Traffic Control Division, the Spaceport Safety
+Office, Customs, Immigration, and Travelers Aid had finished with
+him, he was ushered into the presence of the Port Captain.
+
+<P>The red-faced chunky officer eyed him with a cold stare.
+&quot;You'll be lucky, young man, if you get out of this with a
+year in Correction. Your story doesn't hang together.&quot;
+
+<P>It didn't, Kennon thought. But there was no sense telling all
+of it to a Port Captain. Under no circumstances could the man be
+any help to him. He had neither the power nor the prestige to
+request a Brotherhood Board of Inquiry. In rank, he was hardly
+more than a glorified Traffic Control officer. It would do no
+good to tell him an improbable tale of slavery on a distant
+planet. The only thing to do was wait out the storm and hope it
+would pass. If worst came to worst he'd use his rank, but he'd
+made enough stir already. He doubted if the Captain had authority
+to order him into Detention -- but he was certain to get a
+lecture. These minor officials loved to tell someone off. He
+gritted his teeth. He'd endure it for Copper's sake -- and to get
+out of here quietly. Alexander would undoubtedly have agents
+posted by now, and his only chance for temporary freedom of
+action was to get out of here with as little fuss as possible.
+
+<P>He sat quietly, his flushed face and tight jaw muscles
+betraying his impatience as the Captain paced up and down and
+talked on and on. The man sounded like he could go for hours.
+With increasing impatience Kennon listened to the cadenced flow
+of complaint and condemnation, occasionally inserting a
+&quot;Yes, sir&quot; or &quot;Sorry, sir&quot; or &quot;No,
+sir&quot; as the words flowed around him.
+
+<P>However, there had to be a breaking point somewhere, and the
+monotony was beginning to wear his temper thin. Another five
+minutes, he reflected, was about all he could take.
+
+<P>The door chime rang softly.
+
+<P>&quot;Come in,&quot; the Port Captain said, breaking off in
+mid-tirade. The change in his manner was so abrupt that Kennon
+couldn't help smiling.
+
+<P>A young blond man in an interne's gray uniform entered the
+room.
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, Doctor,&quot; the Port Captain said. &quot;What can
+I do for you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Do you have a Jac Kennon here? Dr. Jac Kennon?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Did you say <I>doctor?</I>&quot; the Port Captain said
+in a half-strangled voice.
+
+<P>&quot;You never let me tell you,&quot; Kennon said mildly,
+&quot;that my landing here was a matter of medicine. Technically
+you have contributed to a delay in treatment.&quot;
+
+<P>The Port Captain's face paled. &quot;Why didn't you say
+something?&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Against your gale of wind I would be but a faint
+breeze,&quot; Kennon said coldly. He turned to the interne. 'Tm
+Dr. Kennon.&quot; They bowed formally to each other.
+
+<P>&quot;I'm Smalley, sir, from the medical center. Dr. Brainard
+sends his compliments and requests that you join him for
+consultation.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The Port Captain--&quot; Kennon began.
+
+<P>&quot;Don't worry about it, Doctor. I'll relinquish
+responsibility to Dr. Brainard,&quot; the Captain said.
+
+<P>&quot;I have placed a formal written request with your
+office,&quot; Smalley said stiffly. &quot;You are relieved of
+further charge. Dr. Kennon is urgently needed. It is a matter of
+medicine.&quot;
+
+<P>The Captain looked relieved. On Beta it was poor policy to
+interfere with the doings of doctors and engineers -- or even
+doctors of philosophy.
+
+<P>&quot;Very well. He's yours -- and I'm glad to be rid of
+him.&quot; The Port Captain bowed to Kennon and Smalley and
+stalked out of the office.
+
+<P>&quot;Pompous little man,&quot; Kennon observed, &quot;but he
+certainly can talk.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- you know these Administrative people,&quot; the
+interne said depreciatingly. &quot;One mustn't mind them. They're
+necessary nuisances.&quot; He eyed Kennon curiously. &quot;How is
+it that you didn't stand on your professional rights?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have my reasons -- but they have nothing to do with
+medicine.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- I see. Ethical.&quot; The interne's voice was
+faintly sarcastic.
+
+<P>&quot;Manners, Doctor -- manners.&quot; Kennon's voice was
+gentle but the interne flushed a dull red.
+
+<P>&quot;Sorry, sir.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't mention it. It's normal for a graduate to confuse
+liberty with license.&quot; Kennon smiled. &quot;Don't worry. I
+shan't report you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's good of you, sir.&quot; Smalley's face registered
+relief. Demerits were difficult to erase -- particularly ones of
+courtesy.
+
+<P>Kennon wondered if the young man would report himself. He
+doubted it. The interne didn't look the type -- probably he was
+dated for some obscure job, like a general practitioner. He
+shrugged. It took all kinds to make a profession. Even the
+Smalleys had their place.
+
+<P>&quot;That girl you brought in,&quot; Smalley said as they
+entered a white car emblazoned with the three crosses, red, blue,
+and green, that represented the three fields of medicine.
+&quot;She's an interesting case. I've never seen space shock
+before. And the patient herself -- one would hardly believe she
+was a Betan.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;She isn't,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;So?&quot; Blond eyebrows rose in inverted U's of
+surprise. &quot;But that's hardly possible. Our tests
+indicate-&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Don't you think that this is a matter for Dr.
+Brainard?&quot; Kennon said icily. &quot;Protocol--&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course. Stupid of me -- but the case is so
+interesting. Half the center staff have seen her already. I
+wasn't proposing to discuss the case. It wouldn't be proper. Even
+though you are only a veterinarian.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Only?&quot; Kennon's voice was hard. &quot;I shouldn't
+have to remind you of this, <I>Mr.</I> Smalley -- but I have been
+for the past two years on a world of bad manners. I expected
+better here at home.&quot;
+
+<P>Smalley flushed to the roots of his straw-colored hair.
+&quot;Sorry, Doctor,&quot; he muttered. &quot;I don't know what's
+the matter with me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can tell you,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You've just
+graduated.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How did you know?&quot; Smalley said.
+
+<P>&quot;I was a graduate once, myself -- not too long ago.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How long, sir?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Class of Eighty-seven.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's twelve years ago,&quot; Smalley said.
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. Ten years lost. Not bad -- not bad at all. But
+Alexander could have done a lot in ten years.
+
+<P>&quot;I meant no disrespect,&quot; Smalley said worriedly.
+
+<P>&quot;I know it. But if you intend to practice on Beta, you'd
+better polish your professional manner. Now where I was, it
+didn't make much difference. Laymen often called me 'Doc.'&quot;
+
+<P>Smalley was properly shocked. &quot;I hope you didn't
+encourage them, sir.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It was impossible to discourage them,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;After all, when the man who hires you----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- entrepreneurs,&quot; Smalley said in a tone that
+explained everything.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>The car stopped in front of the Medical Center's staff
+entrance. &quot;This way, sir,&quot; Smalley said. He led the way
+down a green-tiled corridor to an elevator -- then down another
+corridor past a pair of soft-footed nurses who eyed them
+curiously -- looking at Kennon's tunic and sandals with mild
+disapproval in their eyes. Smalley stopped and knocked softly on
+a closed door.
+
+<P>&quot;Enter,&quot; said a pleasant baritone voice from the
+annunciator.
+
+<P>&quot;Dr. Brainard -- Dr. Kennon,&quot; Smalley said.
+
+<P>Kennon liked the man instantly. A plump, pink-cheeked man of
+middle age, with prematurely white hair, Dr. Will Brainard
+combined a fatherly appearance with an impression of quick
+intelligence. The fat that sheathed his stocky body had obviously
+not touched his mind. Brainard rose from the deep chair near the
+window where he had been sitting, knocked the ashes from his
+pipe, and bowed stiffly. His eyes -- sharp points of blue in the
+smooth pinkness of his face - surveyed Kennon curiously.
+
+<P>&quot;So you're the young man who takes untrained pregnant
+women for rides in old-fashioned spacers,&quot; he said.
+&quot;Didn't you know what would happen?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I was in a hurry, Doctor,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Obviously. Now tell me about it.&quot; Brainard looked
+at the eager-faced interne standing behind Kennon. &quot;That
+will be all, Smalley,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>Kennon waited until the door closed. &quot;Ordinarily,&quot;
+he said, &quot;I'd never have done a thing like that, but there
+were some very pressing reasons. However, I should have given her
+an injection of Somnol before we started. I'm criminally liable.
+If anything happens to her----&quot; His voice was tight with
+worry.
+
+<P>&quot;You'd give <I>her</I> an injection?&quot; Brainard said.
+&quot;I hope you didn't mean that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I did, sir. I've given thousands of Lani
+injections.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What's a Lani?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;She is, sir. The impression has been that her race isn't
+human.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Nonsense -- it's obvious she is.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A Brotherhood Court of Inquiry didn't think so.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm. Is that so?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes, sir. -- But before I go on, tell me, how is
+she?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh, she'll be fine. A little mental therapy and plenty
+of rest are all she needs. She's a remarkably healthy young
+woman. But this is beside the point. There are a number of
+unusual features about this case that need investigation.&quot;
+Brainard took a standard hospital form from his desk. &quot;Mind
+if I ask you some questions, Doctor?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Not at all but you are due for some unpleasant shocks as
+you go through that form.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I believe I can survive them,&quot; Brainard said dryly.
+
+<P>&quot;This is professional confidence---&quot; Kennon began.
+
+<P>&quot;Of course, of course,&quot; Brainard said impatiently.
+&quot;Now let's get on with it.&quot;
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>&quot;This is the most amazing tale I've ever heard,&quot;
+Brainard said slowly. &quot;Are you certain you are telling the
+truth?&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon grinned. &quot;I don't blame you for not believing me
+-- but the evidence is conclusive, and there is enough
+documentary evidence in the space ship -- and in the fact of the
+ship itself to prove what I am saying. Laboratory tests here will
+establish the fact that Copper's child is also mine. And as for
+Flora, a Brotherhood Investigation Team can prove that
+part.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That will be attended to,&quot; Brainard said grimly.
+
+<P>&quot;But how did you deduce she wasn't from a Betan
+colony?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>Brainard smiled. &quot;That wasn't hard. Her sun tan and the
+condition of her feet proved she was a practicing nudist. No
+Betan girl ever practices nudism to my knowledge. Besides, the
+I.D. tattoo under her left arm and the V on her hip are no marks
+of our culture. Then there was another thing -- the serological
+analysis revealed no gerontal antibodies. She had never received
+an injection of longevity compound in her life. This might occur,
+but it's highly improbable. The evidence indicates that she's
+extra-Betan.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon nodded.
+
+<P>&quot;But this business of her being fifteen years old! That's
+impossible. She has the development of a woman of
+twenty-five.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Remember the Alpha V colony?&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>
+
+
+<P>&quot;Of course -- oh -- I see! It could be something like
+that. Certainly -- strong yellow G-type sun -- an isolated colony
+serviced at twenty-year intervals -- there was a marked physical
+precocity.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And if this had been continued for several
+millennia?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm -- I see. Yes, it's possible. On Alpha V the
+colonists grew from infancy to maturity in fifteen years.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And wasn't Heaven one of our early colonies?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes -- it was established after the Great Schism near
+the end of the First Millennium -- when science and religion
+split irrevocably on this world. We packed the whole lot of them
+off to a world of their own where they could develop as they
+pleased. They called it Heaven -- odd name for a fogworld - but
+there's no accounting for tastes.&quot; Brainard chuckled.
+
+<P>&quot;I thought that was the case, but I couldn't remember. My
+ancient history is pretty weak.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You should read more,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;But as
+I see it -- this girl is of Betan ancestry providing your theory
+and the facts coincide.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Which could also explain why an outworld species of
+agerone would be toxic. They tried to prolong Lani life and met
+with failure. Our plants are mutant forms.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Just as we are a mutant race,&quot; Brainard said,
+&quot;or partly mutant.&quot; He sighed. &quot;You have brought
+us a great deal of trouble, Kennon. You are bringing matters to a
+head. If our investigations prove your statements, we are morally
+bound to open the Lani question. And if those people are of Betan
+origin -- that fellow Alexander will have plenty to answer
+for.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't believe it is really his fault,&quot; Kennon
+said slowly. &quot;I don't think he has ever known the
+truth.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why didn't you tell him?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;The answer to that should be obvious. Even though I
+trusted him completely, I could never be sure. He has a Free
+Trader background and those people can't he trusted where money's
+concerned. The whole Kardonian culture is an outgrowth of Free
+Traderism: small business, independent corporation, linear
+trusts, and all the cutthroat competition such a culture would
+naturally have. It's a regular jungle of Free Enterprise. I
+couldn't predict how he would react. He could either act in a
+moral manner and make restitution, or he could quietly cut our
+throats and go on with his business.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I see. The temptation to cut a throat might be
+overwhelming.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;They fight commercial wars,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Disgusting -- utterly uncivilized! Under the
+circumstances you had no other course. Still, they have no moral
+right to enslave human beings.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;There is always the element of doubt. Maybe they didn't
+know. After all, an impartial court declared the Lani alien - and
+the Betan mutation isn't known throughout the Brotherhood.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;One doesn't go around broadcasting data on the
+variations of one's germ plasm,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;That's
+a private affair - a matter of personal privacy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And public safety?&quot;
+
+<P>Brainard nodded. &quot;We're no more courageous than any other
+civilization. We have no desire to borrow trouble. We are content
+to leave things alone.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's the trouble,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;We're all
+content to leave things alone. If I hadn't found the spaceship
+I'd not have been able to lay aside my moral conditioning. And if
+I had not, Copper would not have become pregnant and forced me
+into these drastic actions. It's even possible that I would have
+done nothing.&quot; He grimaced. &quot;And when I left
+Alexander's employment mnemonic erasure would have removed all
+memory of the Lani's human origin.&quot; He shrugged. &quot;I
+still am not certain that it wouldn't have been the wiser course.
+Naturally, once I knew, I couldn't do anything else than what I
+did.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Naturally,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;Humanity reaches
+the heights when it faces questions of moral
+responsibility.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;To mankind,&quot; Kennon added heavily. &quot;We have a
+convenient blind spot regarding our moral responsibility to other
+intelligent races.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A harsh fact, but true -- and who is to judge whether it
+is right or wrong? We achieved dominance of Earth by our moral
+responsibility to family, tribe, and nation -- and we nearly
+exterminated ourselves when we forgot that this responsibility
+went beyond nations and embraced all mankind. We learned that
+after the Exodus. As for the other races - perhaps someday we
+will learn moral responsibility for all intelligence -- but we
+are not ready for that yet. That's too big a mental hurdle.&quot;
+Brainard sighed. &quot;We are what we are, and we change slowly.
+But we change.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;True enough,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;But it's hard to
+be philosophical about it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're young. Live a couple of centuries and you will
+understand patience.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon smiled.
+
+<P>&quot;You know,&quot; Brainard said thoughtfully,&quot;you
+still have plenty of things to do.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know. I'll have to make a transcript of this
+discussion, have it witnessed, and make a sealed record. I have
+to arrange for the reposition of the evidence inside the Egg, and
+a complete recording of the Egg itself.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And to be safe you'll need several facsimiles, properly
+attested. The arms of these outworld entrepreneurs are long, and
+unfortunately not all Betans are models of honesty.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'd better get started then.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Let me help you,&quot;Brainard said. &quot;I have a
+little influence in this area - and your cause interests
+me.&quot; He picked up the phone on his desk.
+
+<P>Kennon sighed. He had found an ally.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XIX
+
+<P>&quot;What are you going to do with that girl?&quot; Brainard
+asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Formalize our mating as soon as she is able to get out
+of bed,&quot; Kennon replied.
+
+<P>&quot;She is an ignorant, untrained savage!&quot; Brainard
+protested. &quot;You should hear the stories the nurses tell
+about her!&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;You don't have to tell me about those.
+I've lived with Lani for two years. But she's not stupid.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What are your plans?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;After we establish her humanity legally,&quot; Kennon
+said, &quot;I'm going to send her to school.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;For twenty years?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;If necessary. But I don't think it will take that long.
+She has some schooling.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But no training -- and what of the Lani in the
+meantime?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have plans for that. I'm going back to Kardon and give
+Alexander a chance to make restitution. I think he is an
+honorable man. Slavery may be as revolting to him as it is to any
+civilized human. He deserves a chance to rectify his
+grandfather's error.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That is reasonable -- and in the best traditions of the
+Brotherhood.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Furthermore, it's practical,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Alexander is the only one fully qualified to handle the
+problems of enfranchisement. He's known the Lani all his life,
+and he is an executive type. A Brotherhood committee would
+probably botch the whole affair. What with colonial jurisdiction,
+territorial rights, and all the legal quibbling that committees
+love, the Lani would get a poor deal. And there's no reason to
+wreck the lives of a couple of hundred million Kardonians because
+the rightful owners of Kardon were illegally enslaved. That
+happened too long ago to have any practical meaning. There are
+other and better solutions.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How should I know?&quot; Kennon asked. &quot;But I'm
+sure Alexander will. That's his field.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;All you have to worry about is whether he'll
+co-operate,&quot; Brainard said.
+
+<P>&quot;He'll co-operate once he knows the score,&quot; Kennon
+said confidently. &quot;And he'll have to make some form of
+restitution. But it shouldn't involve Kardon. Actually the Lani
+were never in a position to develop that world. They'd probably
+have remained on Flora indefinitely. The old court records showed
+no tendency for their culture to expand. They were an inbred
+group, a static, balanced society in harmony with their
+environment. In nearly thirty-five hundred years their numbers
+increased only to a few thousand. Actually there is a good
+possibility that the race would ultimately have died out if Old
+Alexander hadn't enslaved them and instituted a controlled
+breeding program. There are more Lani alive today than there were
+at the height of their power. So in a way Old Alexander did them
+a favor. He kept their race alive. All we can expect is a fair
+and just settlement.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But if Alexander doesn't co-operate?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's where you come in. You'll be a watchdog. If you
+don't receive annual progress reports from me -- and see or talk
+to me personally every second year, you are released from our
+bond and can do what you wish with the evidence I've
+accumulated.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We'd better get this into Private Record,&quot; Brainard
+said. &quot;We can transcribe an agreement and place it in the
+Public Repository.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;A good idea and we'd better waste no time. Alexander
+might still be looking for me -- and if he is, it's merely a
+question of time before he catches up.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Ten years have passed. It's doubtful. But we could keep
+you here at the Center.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. &quot;Too dangerous. And besides it
+would compromise you. No -- we'll get everything possible done to
+make the Lani's case airtight, and then I'll return to Kardon. It
+will put our case in a better light if it ever comes to trial, if
+I go back voluntarily. Anyway -- I'm morally bound to return. Now
+let's make this record.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's your decision,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;And it's
+your neck - but I must admit that I agree with you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'll feel safer when we get the legal details
+clarified,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;And what of the girl?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Can you take care of her if I have to leave
+quickly?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course. I'll give her personal attention, and after
+she has her child I'll see that she is sent to you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's decent of you, Doctor.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's my moral responsibility,&quot; Brainard said as he
+slipped a new tape into the recorder.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>Copper responded quickly to rest and therapy. The space shock
+cleared up quickly. The gerontological treatments put her to bed
+again, but within a month she was completely normal, and her
+lifespan was now that of a normal human. She could look forward
+to some four hundred years with Kennon -- and the prospect was
+not unpleasant. The Center fascinated her. Never before had she
+seen a hospital devoted to the care and treatment of humans. It
+was a far cry, in its polished steel and stone magnificence, from
+the tiny primitive structure over which Kennon had presided. Yet
+both places served the same purpose. Perhaps Kennon was right --
+that there was no difference between man and Lani. The idea was
+not nearly as unbelievable as it was at first.
+
+<P>&quot;I never realized what it meant to be human,&quot; Copper
+said as she held Kennon's hand. &quot;It is nice to feel
+important and to know that our child is a member of the race that
+rules the galaxy.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So you're convinced?&quot; Kennon chuckled.
+
+<P>&quot;The serological identity--&quot; she began.
+
+<P>&quot;Hmm. You've been getting some education, I see.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well,&quot; Copper smiled, &quot;I didn't think you
+wanted a stupid woman. I can read -- and since you are around so
+seldom nowadays, there is little else to do. I've been reading
+history, medicine, and novels,&quot; she finished proudly.
+
+<P>&quot;A fine catholic selection,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;Now
+if you add mathematics, sociology, and philosophy you'll have a
+well-rounded basic education.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Dr. Brainard has been trying something he calls 'hypno.'
+He says it will help me learn faster. But I can't see that it's
+done much good.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You won't until you need the information,&quot; Kennon
+said.
+
+<P>&quot;That technique is only good for implanting basic
+knowledge, and much of that will merely supplement or complete
+that which you already have. You won't be conscious of it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- I think I see what you mean.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course, you'll have to continue your formal
+education. There's a great deal for you to learn. It should keep
+you busy while I'm away.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Away? Where are you going?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Back to Kardon.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But you can't! Alexander will destroy you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I think not. After all, ten years have elapsed since we
+left there and he's had plenty of time to think. Douglas must
+have told him about us. I wouldn't be surprised if he has already
+done something about your people.&quot;
+
+<P>She shivered. &quot;He might -- but the question is what would
+he do? He could have killed them all!&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shook his head. &quot;I don't think so. He never struck
+me as a mass murderer.&quot;
+
+<P>She shook her head. &quot;You don't know the Alexanders like I
+do. I was raised by them. They're capable of anything. But what
+is this business of ten years? That's silly. I haven't had my
+child yet -- and it doesn't take ten years of pregnancy to
+produce a baby.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's the difference between subjective and objective
+time,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;We traveled here through
+hyperspace -- low Cth -- in an uncompensated ship, and there is
+little temporal flow in the levels below the blue.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- of course.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;That would have been Greek to you a
+couple of weeks ago. See where that basic data fits?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But I've always known that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You just think you have. Search your memory and see if
+I'm not right.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper shook her head. &quot;It's very strange,&quot; she
+said. &quot;But that's not important. This idea of going back to
+Kardon, though -- that's a different thing -- that is
+important.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I have to do it. Not only because it's a personal moral
+obligation but also because of the Lani. They must have their
+freedom.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Providing there are any still alive.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Stop being a calamity howler. Whatever Alexander may be,
+he's not a butcher. He even loved a Lani once. You told me so
+yourself. And he couldn't kill where he loved.&quot;
+
+<P>She nodded. &quot;I suppose you're right, but I've never lost
+my fear of the Man Alexander. He held the power of life and death
+over me. But if you must go then I should go too. My obligation
+is greater than yours.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Later,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You're not ready to
+return. It will be time enough after you have learned some
+civilized habits.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper's face lengthened. &quot;You mean like wrapping myself
+in cloth like these people do?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's part of it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why can't they be sensible -- or are they so ashamed of
+what the gods gave them that they must hide themselves?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No, it's not that. At least not exactly. It's custom.
+And you must learn to conform to customs -- outwardly at least --
+no matter what you may really think.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Isn't that a form of lying?&quot; Copper asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I suppose so.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Isn't that strange. Your society exalts truth, honor,
+morality, and intelligence -- yet you lie about your
+attitude.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It's called diplomacy,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;It's
+part of respect for others' attitudes and beliefs, a necessary
+part of human relationships.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then you'd be a nudist on Santos?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course -- even though I think it isn't proper, I
+couldn't inflict my ideas and attitudes on the customs of an
+independent world.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Oh -- you think I'm doing that?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes -- and it is a mark of barbarism.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Sometimes you're not very nice,&quot; Copper said.
+
+<P>Kennon smiled wryly. &quot;I suppose I'm not,&quot; he agreed.
+
+<P>&quot;I'll try to be civilized,&quot; Copper said. &quot;But
+if you go to Kardon -- I'm going with you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Perhaps,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;We'll see how things
+turn out.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You don't want me to go with you?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;To be honest -- no,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You're safe
+here, and until your status is cleared by a Brotherhood court, I
+wouldn't care to place you in Alexander's hands. And clearing
+your status is going to take time.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You mean that I am still his property?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yes. But there is a legal doubt that will prevent him
+from exercising his claim as long as you stay on Beta. In the
+area where he has power, that doubt might not hold. So until your
+status is definitely proven to be human, you should not
+leave.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And what happens if this court denies my claim?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then we appeal to the Council. However, with the
+evidence we have, your claim cannot reasonably be denied. The
+only question is one of time. It may take years. Still, I don't
+think there is anything to worry about. I don't think Alexander
+will give us any trouble, but there's no sense in taking
+chances.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You still think I'm a Lani,&quot; she said accusingly.
+
+<P>&quot;I do not.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then you think that I'd obey Alexander, after what I did
+to Douglas.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I can only repeat that Douglas isn't the Boss-man.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wish I knew what you really thought.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That isn't hard. I think you should stay here until I
+get this business straightened out.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's all?&quot; she asked suspiciously. &quot;After
+all, I know I'm not very pretty now. And there's lots of Lani on
+Flora----&quot;
+
+<P>Oh, for Ochsner's sake! Do you think that I'm---&quot; He
+paused, speechless. &quot;Just what do you think I am?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You're a man. And that's the trouble.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon chuckled. &quot;So that's it! You don't trust me.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I love you,&quot; Copper said.
+
+<P>&quot;Sometimes I wonder why men ever finalize their status
+with women,&quot; Kennon murmured. &quot;It does no good. It
+doesn't convince the woman. She's still fearful, jealous, and
+suspicious -- always belittling her ability to hold what she has,
+always alert for competition, clinging, holding, absorbing --
+when she should be working as part of a team.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's not true!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Then prove it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;How -- by staying here while you go to the end of the
+galaxy and play noble?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm only doing what I have to do.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And so am I -- and if you go I'm going with you&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shrugged. There was no sense arguing. The only thing to
+do was make his plans and leave quietly. If she was faced with an
+established fact, she might be more reasonable. He doubted it,
+but alone, she could do nothing -- and Brainard would see that
+she was comfortable. The salvage money from the Egg would keep
+her from being a public charge. And he had more banked in
+Albertsville which he could send her once he got there. He'd
+start making plans to leave as soon as possible.
+
+<P>Copper looked up at him as he stood above her bed. Slowly she
+reached out and placed one slim hand in his. &quot;I know what
+you are thinking,&quot; she said, &quot;and--&quot; her face
+twisted in a grimace of pain, and the hand in his clutched with
+convulsive strength at his fingers.
+
+<P>&quot;What's the matter?&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Nothing -- it's perfectly normal,&quot; she said.
+&quot;I'm just going to give you a son. Now if you'd call for the
+doctor, perhaps we can get this over. That pain was only twenty
+minutes from the last. I think it's about time.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon -- who had attended several hundred Lani births and had
+developed a certain callousness about them -- was suddenly
+frightened and helpless as he pushed the call button. He could
+feel the cold sweat form on his forehead. He had started this. It
+was his fault if anything went wrong. He wished that it was
+someone else rather than Copper who was going through this trial.
+He was nervous, unsure, and guilty. In a word, he felt like a man
+whose mate was giving birth to their first child.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>&quot;It's a boy,&quot; Dr. Bra!nard said. He smiled down at
+Kennon's haggard face.
+
+<P>&quot;How is Copper?&quot; Kennon asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Fine -- she's healthy as a horse.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon winced at the cliche It was so ancient that it had lost
+all meaning. Most Betans didn't know what a horse was, let alone
+whether it was healthy or not. From what Kennon could remember of
+veterinary history, the horse wasn't too healthy an animal. It
+was rather delicate, in fact.
+
+<P>&quot;How is the child?&quot; Kennon asked. It took a little
+courage to ask this question. The baby could be anything from
+normal to a monstrosity.
+
+<P>&quot;Perfectly normal,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;A true
+Betan type even down to the vestigial tail. We amputated that, of
+course.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Thank Ochsner!&quot; Kennon breathed. &quot;I was
+afraid.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Of course you were,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;Do you
+want to see them now? When I left, Copper was asking for
+you.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon sighed. Leaving, he realized, wasn't going to be as
+easy as he had thought.
+
+<P>&quot;We'll have to keep them here for a couple of
+months,&quot; Brainard said. &quot;We must take exhaustive tests
+if we expect the court to reverse its prior decision.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I expected that,&quot; Kennon said. He shrugged,
+&quot;It's probably best,&quot; he said. &quot;Now show me where
+Copper is.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;She's back in the same room. You don't need a
+guide.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon didn't. In fact, he behaved quite admirably.
+
+<P>CHAPTER XX
+
+<P>Longliners, Kennon reflected, didn't make Beta a port of call,
+and the Shortliner connections with other worlds were
+'infrequent. Beta had done a good job separating from the rest of
+the Brotherhood. Too good. The spaceline schedules showed only
+one departure in the next month, a Shortliner for Earth, and from
+Earth the road to Kardon was long and tortuous, involving a
+series of short jumps from world to world and a final
+medium-range hop from Halsey to Kardon. If everything went right
+and he made every connection he would be in Kardon four months
+after he left Beta. Kennon sighed as he left Travelers Aid.
+Morality was a heavy load to carry.
+
+<P>He walked slowly down the road from the spaceport toward the
+Co-operative where he had been staying. He had left Huntersville
+and Copper a week ago, after he had seen his child. His child!
+The thought of being a father was oddly dismaying. It distorted
+his sense of values. But one thing was certain. He was returning
+to Kardon, and Copper was not coming with him. She had a duty to
+their son - and he had a duty to his contract with Alexander, to
+the Lani on Flora, and to Copper -- and none of these could be
+satisfied by further running. He had to return and settle the
+account.
+
+<P>A tall man in a conservative yellow-and-black suit was waiting
+patiently in front of his room. &quot;My name is Richter,&quot;
+he said &quot; -- Art Richter. Are you Dr. Jac Kennon?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I could deny it, but I won't,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;Thank you, Doctor. It was just a formality anyway. You
+see, I know you by sight.&quot; He sighed. &quot;One has to
+observe the formalities in this business.&quot; He drew a long
+white envelope from his tunic and handed it to Kennon. &quot;Most
+of my subjects try to deny their identity,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;It's a refreshing change to find an honest man.&quot; He
+bowed formally. &quot;I really thought this would be harder,
+considering the charges against you.&quot; He bowed again and
+walked away.
+
+<P>&quot;Now -- what was that?&quot; Kennon muttered as he opened
+the envelope. The man Richter was undoubtedly a process server --
+but who had hired him? He unfolded the sheet and scanned the
+charges -- coercion, larceny, livestock theft, and breach of
+contract. He shrugged. This was Alexander's work. What was the
+man thinking of? It was insanity to bring the Lani matter into
+open court. Hadn't Douglas told him what had happened? Couldn't
+Alexander guess that he had fled with Copper for a good reason --
+one that would stand up in court? Didn't he know about the
+spacer? Or had Douglas turned on his cousin? The pup had so many
+hates that it was possible. He was a natural troublemaker. Maybe
+Alexander didn't know. Maybe he was working in the dark. Kennon
+scanned the sheet quickly. Ah! here it was. Complaint - Mr.
+Alexander X. M. Alexander, Skyline Tower 1024, Beta City!
+
+<P>Alexander! Here on Beta! Kennon opened the door of his room,
+went straight to the phone beside the bed. He lifted the handset
+from its cradle and dialed the operator. &quot;Get me
+Huntersville THU 2-1408. I want to speak to Dr. Brainard, Dr.
+Will Brainard. This is a priority call -- my name is Kennon. Dr.
+Jac Kennon D.V.M. I'm in the registry -- 47M 26429 -- yes -- of
+course, and thank you.&quot; He waited a moment. &quot;Hello --
+Dr. Brainard? -- Kennon here. I've just had some news.
+Alexander's on Beta! Yes -- he served me with a summons. Can you
+get a restraining order to prevent him from leaving? You can?
+Good! Here's his address.&quot; Kennon rattled off the location.
+&quot;Yes -- I'm taking the next airboat to Beta City. This
+should simplify things considerably. -- Of course it should. He
+was a fool to have come here. Yes -- I suppose you should tell
+Copper. Oh! She is? I'm sorry to hear that, but there's no reason
+for her to be angry. She should realize that I did this for her
+-- not to make her miserable. Hmm.-- She -- she has? You think
+she should come with me? -- Yes, I realize she can be a problem
+when she wants to be. All right then -- tell her to pack a
+toothbrush and a few spare diapers. And see if you can get me a
+couple of tickets on the next flight to Beta City. I'll be over
+in a couple of hours and pick her up.&quot; He cradled the phone
+and dialed the operator again.
+
+<P>&quot;I want the phone number of Skyline Tower 1024, Beta
+City, Mr. Alexander. Yes. I'll wait. This number is HUV 2-1278
+and my name is Kennon, Dr. Jac Kennon 47M 26429. I called you
+before. No, I'm a transient. I can refer you to Dr. James
+Brainard, Huntersville Medical Center. Yes, I'll accept charges.
+Now will you give me that number? BCA 7-8941--thank you.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon hung up, dialed the number, and waited.
+
+<P>&quot;Hello,&quot; he said. &quot;Mr. Alexander? This is Dr.
+Kennon. - Yes -- I suppose you do, but I've been trying to get
+back to Kardon for the past month. You are? Well, that's your
+privilege, but I'd advise you to go easy until I see you.
+Naturally -- I'm coming as soon as I can get there. We'll be
+seeing you tomorrow morning at the latest. We? -- I'm bringing
+Copper, of course. I just wanted you to know.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon wiped his forehead. Alexander sounded angry and
+dangerous. Ten years hadn't served to cool him off. What had
+happened on Kardon after he had left? Kennon shook his head.
+There was something here he didn't understand. The entrepreneur
+should have been covering his tracks, not threatening jail and
+disaccreditation. It was obvious that a personal visit was more
+necessary than he had thought.
+
+<P>Alexander was waiting. His eyebrows rose at the sight of
+Copper in formal Betan dress -- and lifted a trifle more at the
+sight of the baby.
+
+<P>&quot;What is this, Kennon?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>&quot;Trouble,&quot; Kennon said. He took off his hat. &quot;I
+came here to settle things before you took this case to court.
+You obviously do not understand what has happened. I suppose
+Douglas has double-crossed you. It would be characteristic of
+him. But before we go any further I think we should clear the air
+and let each other know where we stand. I don't want to make
+trouble if it's not necessary. You'll notice I'm not wearing a
+thought screen, so you'll be able to check everything I say, and
+know I'm telling the truth.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It had better be good,&quot; Alexander said grimly.
+&quot;I've been looking for you for ten years. I intend to throw
+the book at you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't know whether my reason is good or not.
+Technically I'm guilty of breach of contract and larceny of
+corporation property, but there are extenuating
+circumstances.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander chuckled mirthlessly. &quot;There are a few other
+charges. And quite probably I can think of more if you beat
+these. I'm going to make an example of you, Kennon. I'm going to
+drag you down and stamp on you. You're going to be a horrible
+example to all smart operators who think they can break
+contracts. It's taken a million credits and ten years' time to
+hunt you down, but it's going to be worth it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Copper's child is a boy,&quot; Kennon said mildly.
+&quot;My son.&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander froze. &quot;You can prove that?&quot; he asked in a
+half-strangled voice.
+
+<P>Kennon nodded. &quot;You see the extenuating
+circumstance?&quot; he asked. &quot;Suppression of human
+slavery!&quot;
+
+<P>Alexander sat down. It was as though some unseen hand had
+pulled his legs from under him. &quot;You believe it,&quot; he
+said. &quot;-- No -- you've proved it! Why -- why didn't you tell
+me? What sort of a man do you think I am?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I didn't know. I couldn't take the chance until Copper
+was protected. You see, sir, I love her.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That isn't hard to do with Lani,&quot; Alexander said.
+He sank back in his chair, his face clouded, his expression
+troubled. It was obvious that the realization shocked him.
+
+<P>Kennon felt an odd sympathy for the entrepreneur. It wasn't a
+nice feeling, he suspected, to have the beliefs of a lifetime
+ripped apart and sent to the disposal chute.
+
+<P>&quot;So the Lani are a human variant,&quot; Alexander said
+dully.
+
+<P>&quot;The proof is here,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;and the
+supporting evidence is conclusive.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Which makes me -- what? A murderer? A slaver? A
+tyrant?&quot; Alexander clutched his head with lean-fingered
+hands. &quot;What am I?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;An innocent victim of circumstances,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;You didn't know. None of us knew. And we still wouldn't
+know if the Lani weren't of Betan extraction.&quot; He grimaced
+painfully. &quot;I've done some soul-searching myself, and it
+hasn't been a pleasant task.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But it's nothing like mine,&quot; Alexander said in a
+low voice. &quot;I suspected they were human when I was younger,
+but I denied my suspicions and accepted false facts instead of
+investigating.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You would have found nothing.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Unfortunately, that's not true. We discovered quite a
+bit from the experimental station you left us when you
+disappeared ten years ago. But we stopped when we found the age
+that was being indoctrinated with Lani tabus. We could have gone
+farther, but I didn't think it was necessary.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Didn't Douglas tell you?&quot; Kennon asked curiously.
+&quot;I told him when I turned him loose.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Douglas didn't tell anything except that you had somehow
+gotten a spaceship. I assumed it was one of those that were
+involved in that commercial raid a few decades ago, but I see it
+wasn't. No -- I knew nothing about this development. And Douglas,
+I guess, wanted to keep it hidden. He gave your co-ordinates and
+ordered Mullins to launch a missile. But he apparently forgot to
+turn on his IFF. At any rate the missile lost you -- but found
+Douglas. Douglas was still talking to Alexandria when it
+struck.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;He might have informed you,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;If
+he had more time.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I doubt it. He ordered the missile first. He was trying
+to destroy you before you could destroy Outworld Enterprises.
+
+<P>His motives were selfish as usual.&quot; Alexander looked at
+Kennon with a haggard eye. &quot;I owe you an apology,&quot; he
+said. &quot;I've considered you responsible for Douglas's death
+for ten years. I've searched for you on a hundred worlds. My
+agents in every branch office have had standing orders to report
+any unusual arrivals. I have hunted you personally. I wanted to
+break you -- I wanted to kill you.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I couldn't help the delay,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;The
+ship was old.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know. You've told me more than you think. I'm a
+telepath, you know.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I've never forgotten it,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;That
+was one of the principal reasons I came here. I wanted to see how
+you'd react when you learned the whole truth.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;And I suppose you gloat -- no -- you're not doing that.
+But you are right. I could have checked it further. But I didn't.
+Outworld Enterprises is far bigger than Flora -- and I was busy.
+Galactic trade is a snake-pit. And, after all, there was
+Douglas's death -- and the Family with their never-ending clamor
+for money and their threats when it didn't come promptly. I like
+being an entrepreneur, but until I made Outworld independent of
+Family control, I couldn't do anything except run the business to
+their wishes. Actually the island was only a small part of the
+corporation. I tried to run it as humanely as possible under the
+circumstances.'' He shuddered. &quot;I don't think I was ever
+needlessly cruel.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No,&quot; Kennon said, &quot;you were indifferent.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Which is just as bad,&quot; Alexander said.
+
+<P>&quot;Well -- what are you going to do about it?&quot; Copper
+interjected. &quot;You can beat yourself until you're blue, but
+that won't accomplish anything.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;What are you going to do?&quot; Alexander countered.
+&quot;You have the upper hand.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Me?&quot; Copper asked. &quot;I have nothing. This is
+between you men.&quot; She lapsed into silence.
+
+<P>Alexander turned back to Kennon. &quot;You have undoubtedly
+made some arrangements. You wouldn't come here -- oh! I see.
+Congratulations. Handling the evidence that way was a wise
+course. You have my admiration. But then I should have known that
+I was not dealing with a fool.&quot; He smiled wryly.
+&quot;Subconsciously I think I did know -- but----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's one consolation,&quot; Kennon grinned. &quot;To
+be thought a rascal is bad enough, but to be considered a fool is
+intolerable.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But your decision not to use the evidence unless you
+were forced to -- that's poor business.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;But good morals,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;Neither the
+Brotherhood nor I could settle this affair. It is a matter only
+you can handle. There is no sense in killing Outworld or throwing
+Kardon into centuries of litigation. The Lani never were numerous
+enough to lay claim to an entire world. I'll admit the club is
+there, but I'll never use it unless it's necessary.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why not? -- it's sound business practice.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I'm a professional -- not a businessman. And besides, I
+haven't the moral right to return evil for good. You have not
+been a bad boss.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Thanks,&quot; Alexander said glumly. &quot;I've always
+considered myself civilized.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I wouldn't go so far as to say that,&quot; Kennon said.
+&quot;Honorable, yes -- civilized, no. But none of us are really
+civilized.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;So?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;We haven't changed much, despite our development.
+Perhaps we've varied a little physically -- and we've learned to
+use new tools, but our minds are still the minds of barbarians --
+blood brothers against the enemy, and everything not of us is
+enemy. Savages -- hiding under a thin veneer of superficial
+culture. Savages with spaceships and the atom.&quot; Kennon
+looked down at Copper. Apparently her thoughts were miles away in
+an introspective world that was all her own. She had said her
+piece and having done that was content to let the two men develop
+it. Kennon looked at her with odd respect. Alexander eyed her
+with a mildly startled expression on his lean face. And both men
+smiled, but the smiles were not amused.
+
+<P>&quot;Judging from Copper,&quot; Alexander said, &quot;I don't
+think we'll have to worry about how the Lani will turn out.&quot;
+He looked at Kennon with mild sympathy. &quot;You are going to
+have quite a time with her,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;I suppose so. I'll probably never know whether I'm
+guided or whether I'm doing the guiding. I've changed a lot of my
+opinions about Copper since the day I met her.&quot;
+
+<P>Copper looked up and smiled at them. It was an odd smile,
+hinting at secrets neither of them would ever know. Alexander
+chuckled. &quot;It serves you right.&quot; He crossed his legs
+and looked up at Kennon standing before him. By some uncanny
+legerdemain he had gotten control of himself and the situation at
+the same time. Being telepathic was an unfair advantage, Kennon
+thought.
+
+<P>&quot;You were equally unfair with your accusation,&quot;
+Alexander said. &quot;Sure -- humanity makes mistakes, and like
+this one they're sometimes brutal mistakes. But we are capable of
+atonement. Morally we have come a long way from the brutality of
+the Interregnum. I shouldn't have to use examples, but look at
+that&quot; -- he waved at the view wall at the panorama of
+gleaming fairy towers and greenery that made Beta City one of the
+most beautiful in the Brotherhood. &quot;Don't tell me that five
+thousand years of peace and development haven't produced
+civilization. That's a concrete example out there.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;It isn't,&quot; Kennon said flatly. &quot;Sure, it's
+pretty -- clean -- and beautifully designed for art and utility
+-- but it isn't civilization. You're confusing technology with
+culture. You look at this and say, 'What a great civilization man
+has built,' when you really mean, 'What a great technology
+mankind has developed.' There's all the difference in the world.
+Technology is of the mind and hands. Civilization is of the
+spirit -- and spiritually we are still in the Dark Ages.
+
+<P>&quot;We conquer, kill, loot, and enslave. We establish
+standards to keep humanity a closed corporation, a special club
+in which men can live but aliens can't. We've made the standards
+for admission so rigid that we even enslave our own kind and call
+them animals. That's not civilization -- that's savagery!
+
+<P>&quot;For nearly five hundred years your family has run a
+slave pen. Your fortune is based upon it. And you have
+perpetuated this traffic in flesh on the specious reasoning that
+a court judgment of half a millennium ago is as good today as
+when it was handed down. Never once did anyone have the moral
+courage to re-examine that old decision. Never once did any human
+question the rightness of that decision. None of us are immune.
+We all based our conduct upon an antiquated law and searched no
+further. Everyone was happy with the status quo -- or at least
+not so unhappy that they wanted to change it. Even I would have
+been content had it not been for Copper.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Yet I do not feel that it was bad that I hired
+you,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;Even though you have shown me
+that I am a slaver, and made me see faults I never knew I
+had.&quot; His face was drawn -- harsh lines reached from nose to
+lips, from eyes to chin. Suddenly he looked old. &quot;I can
+accept censure if censure is just. And this is just. No -- I'm
+not sorry I hired you even though the thought of what I have
+helped do to the Lani makes me sick to my stomach.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Well--&quot; Kennon said. &quot;What are you going to do
+about it?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I don't know,&quot; Alexander said. &quot;At the first
+smell of trouble, the Family will turn tail and run. You can
+break the company, and I won't stand in your way. It's only just.
+You're the one who's carrying the ball. Now run with it.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That damned blind spot,&quot; Kennon said. &quot;You
+realize, of course, that you're not legally liable. It was a
+mistake. All you have to do is admit the error and start from
+there. Naturally -- no reasonable intelligence would expect that
+you change the older Lani. They're too old for either agerone or
+change. It would be both cruel and inhuman to turn them loose.
+It's with the youngsters that you can work -- those who are
+physically and physiologically young enough to derive benefit
+from agerone and education.
+
+<P>&quot;As I remember, you bought a planet called Phoebe. Now
+why don't you----&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Phase out! Of course! But that means that you can't
+press charges.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Why should I? I'm not one of these starry-eyed reformers
+who expect to change things overnight. It's the future of the
+Lani race that's important, And Brainard agrees with me. A
+phase-out is the proper solution. Change the education, let males
+be born -- teach the young to think instead of to obey. Give them
+Phoebe for a home -- they never owned all of Kardon anyway. And
+within a century or two we will have a new group of the human
+race -- and then we can tell the Brotherhood.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon looked inquiringly at Copper. She smiled and nodded.
+&quot;It would cause less trouble that way,&quot; she said.
+&quot;It would be more sure -- and there are never too many old
+ones.&quot;
+
+<P>Kennon shuddered, thinking of the euthanasia chambers on Otpen
+One. &quot;There will be more from now on,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;Outworld can afford it. It'll bend us a little but we
+won't break -- and besides, the Lani will need our help for some
+time to come.&quot; Alexander looked at Kennon. &quot;Can we make
+an agreement that all parties will respect?&quot; he asked.
+
+<P>&quot;I think so -- providing there are no sleeper clauses in
+it,&quot; Kennon said.
+
+<P>&quot;There won't be,&quot; Alexander said.
+
+<P>And there weren't.
+
+<P>* * *
+
+<P>It was a private ceremony. The Family, sulky and unwilling,
+faced with a choice of drastically reduced income or outright
+confiscation and preferring a portion of a loaf to none.
+Alexander -- grim but oddly peaceful of expression. Brainard --
+pink-cheeked and emotionless. Kennon and Copper -- happily
+conscious that it was at last finished. It was an oddly assorted
+group of conspirators who planned to restore a segment of
+humanity to the human race.
+
+<P>Kennon signed last, and as he did, Alexander looked at him
+with a sly grin distorting the smooth pallor of his face.
+
+<P>&quot;You forgot something,&quot; he said.
+
+<P>&quot;What?&quot; Kennon said -- aware suddenly that something
+was wrong.
+
+<P>&quot;What do you plan to do, now that this is over?&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Join the Medical Center here and practice veterinary
+medicine.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You wouldn't care to work for me -- to help rebuild the
+wreckage you've helped create? I'll need a manager on Kardon to
+phase out the island while we phase in Phoebe.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;No, thank you. I've had enough of that.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;You just think you have,&quot; Alexander said gleefully.
+&quot;That's what you have forgotten. You've gotten your
+agreement -- now you will satisfy me. As I see it you have
+breached your contract by leaving Flora without
+authorization.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That is right,&quot; Kennon said. A small lump of lead
+began to grow rapidly larger in his stomach. Brainard was
+grinning and Copper's eyes were shining. &quot;You've been
+jobbed!&quot; his mind told him. He sighed. He knew what was
+coming next.
+
+<P>&quot;The punitive clause for breach of contract,&quot;
+Alexander went on inexorably, &quot;is very broad. Discretion is
+vested in the entrepreneur. I can obtain judgment against you in
+any court on any planet.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;I know,&quot; Kennon said glumly.
+
+<P>&quot;But I am going to be civilized,&quot; Alexander said.
+&quot;I am going to be merciful. I am going to extend your
+contract until phase-out has been completed. You are going to
+have control of the entire Kardon phase of the operation. It's
+poetic justice -- you made the mess -- now you can clean it
+up.&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;That's inhuman!&quot;
+
+<P>&quot;Humanity has nothing to do with it. It's justice,&quot;
+Alexander said. He smiled at Copper's radiant face. The thought
+of going home was good to her. &quot;Good luck on your new job,
+Dr. Kennon,&quot; he said. &quot;And welcome to the brotherhood
+of the ulcer.&quot;
+
+
+<p>
+End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of The Lani People by J. F. Bone
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