Phyllis doesn't have too many rings
of intellect, she is a female, so she knew all along." Magnolia's leaves
rustled diffidently. "I feel toward you the way I never felt toward any
intelligent life-form, but only toward the sun, the soil, the rain. I
sense a tropism that seems to incline me toward you. In fact, I'm
afraid, Jim, in your own terms, I love you."

"But you're a tree! You can't love me in my own terms, because trees
can't love in the way people can, and, of course, people can't love like
trees. We belong to two entirely different species, Maggie. You can't
have listened to that zoology book very attentively."

"Our race is a singularly adaptable one or we wouldn't have survived so
long, Jim, or gone so far in our particular direction. It's lack of
fertility, not lack of enterprise, that's responsible for our decline.
And I think your species must be an adaptable one, too; you just haven't
really tried. Oh, James, let us reverse the classical roles--let me be
the Apollo to your Daphne! Don't let Phyllis stand in our way. The Greek
gods never let a little thing like marriage interfere with their plans."

* * * * *

"But I love Phyllis," he said in confusion. "I love you, too," he added,
"but in a different way."

"Yes, I know. More like a sister. However, I have plenty of sisters and
I don't need a brother."

"We're starting a conservation program," he tried to comfort her. "We
have every hope of getting some pollen from the other side of the planet
once we have explained to the trees there how far we can make a little
go, and you've got to accept it; you mustn't be silly about it."

"It isn't the same thing, Jim, and you know it. One of the penalties of
intelligence is a diffusiveness of the natural instincts. I would
rather not fruit at all than--"

[Illustration]

"Magnolia, you just don't understand. No matter how much you--well,
pursue me, I can never turn into a laurel tree."

"I didn't--"

"Or any kind of tree! Look, some more books were just sent over from
Base."

Magnolia gave a rueful rustle. "Just were sent? Didn't they come over a
month ago?"

James flushed. "I know I haven't had a chance to do much reading to you
in the last few weeks, Maggie--or any at all, in fact--but I've been so
busy. After the baby's born, things will be much less hectic and we'll
be able to catch up."

"Of course, James. I understand. Naturally your family comes first."

"