tandards." And she
burst into tears again. "A fine thing to go through that miserable
five-month trip only to find out a tree has alienated my husband's
affections."

"Oh, come on, Phyl!" He still was trying for a smile. "What would a tree
see in me?"

"I'm beginning to wonder what I saw in you. You never loved me; you just
wanted a wife to come out and colonize with you and b-b-breed."

What could he say? It was almost true. Phyllis was a beautiful girl and
he loved her, but, if he had planned to remain as an instructor with the
Romance Languages Department instead of joining the scout mission, he
knew he would never have asked her to be his wife ... for her sake, of
course, as well as his own. He should say something to reassure her, but
the words wouldn't come.

"I don't like it here," Phyllis sobbed. "I don't like blue leaves. I
don't like blue grass. I like them green, the way they're supposed to
be. I hate this nasty planet. It's all wrong. I want to go home."

She was very young--less than eight years younger than he, true, but he
was mature for his age. They didn't know each other very well. And,
finally, there were more men than women on the planet and he had noticed
that the bachelors had seemed readily disposed, upon her arrival the day
before, to overlook the fact that she had no college degree. So he must
be patient with her.

"There's nothing wrong about it, dear. The plants here synthesize
cyanophyll instead of chlorophyll; that's why the leaves are blue
instead of green. And, of course, there are different mineral
constituents of the soil--more aluminum and copper, for instance, than
on Earth, and some elements we haven't quite isolated yet. So, you see,
they're bound to be a little different from Terrestrial trees."

"A little different I wouldn't mind," she said sulkily, "but they're a
lot different without being nearly alien enough."

"Look, Phyllis--_dear_--those trees have been very hospitable, very
kind. We owe them a lot. They themselves suggested that we come here and
live with them in, so to speak, symbiosis."

"That's a fine idea!"

* * * * *

He beamed. "I knew you'd understand after I had explained it to you."

"We provide the brains and they provide the furniture."

"Phyllis! What a thing to say!"

"I've heard of man-eating trees before. I suppose there could be
man-loving ones, too."

"Phyllis, these trees are as gentle and sweet as--as--" H