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"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.
"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.
"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.
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."
"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.
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.
In a little less than an hour they would be home. 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.
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."
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.
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.
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