harm.
You simply scold him for being young. You, with your views!"

He said to Slim, "Come here, lad."

Slim advanced slowly.

"How do you like the country, eh?"

"Very much, sir, thank you."

"My son has been showing you about the place, has he?"

"Yes, sir. Red--I mean--"

"No, no. Call him Red. I call him that myself. Now tell me, what are you
two up to, eh?"

Slim looked away. "Why--just exploring, sir."

The Industrialist turned to the Astronomer. "There you are, youthful
curiosity and adventure-lust. The race has not yet lost it."

Slim said, "Sir?"

"Yes, lad."

The youngster took a long time in getting on with it. He said, "Red sent
me in for something good to eat, but I don't exactly know what he meant.
I didn't like to say so."

"Why, just ask cook. She'll have something good for young'uns to eat."

"Oh, no, sir. I mean for animals."

"For animals?"

"Yes, sir. What do animals eat?"

The Astronomer said, "I am afraid my son is city-bred."

"Well," said the Industrialist, "there's no harm in that. What kind of
an animal, lad?"

"A small one, sir."

"Then try grass or leaves, and if they don't want that, nuts or berries
would probably do the trick."

"Thank you, sir." Slim ran out again, closing the door gently behind
him.

The Astronomer said, "Do you suppose they've trapped an animal alive?"
He was obviously perturbed.

"That's common enough. There's no shooting on my estate and it's tame
country, full of rodents and small creatures. Red is always coming home
with pets of one sort or another. They rarely maintain his interest for
long."

He looked at the wall clock. "Your friends should have been here by now,
shouldn't they?"

III

The swaying had come to a halt and it was dark. The Explorer was not
comfortable in the alien air. It felt as thick as soup and he had to
breathe shallowly. Even so--

He reached out in a sudden need for company. The Merchant was warm to
the touch. His breathing was rough, he moved in an occasional spasm, and
was obviously asleep. The Explorer hesitated and decided not to wake
him. It would serve no real purpose.

There would be no rescue, of course. That was the penalty paid for the
high profits which unrestrained competition could lead to. The Merchant
who opened a new planet could have a ten year monopoly of its trade,
which he might hug to himself or, more likely, rent out to all comers at
a stiff price. It followed that planets were s