k that land back of the center, we should plough it up and put in
some potatoes."

"On our own time?" Sam exclaimed.

Laurent chuckled. "Well, Sam, you got no kids--you just a young boy
eighteen years old. By gar, I think you have gray hair when you
twenty-one."

The others joined the laughter. Sam's lie about his age had
boomeranged--he had been kept in school and denied permission to marry
until he was officially eighteen, a few months ago.

Laurent fingered his chin thoughtfully. "I think we look over that
land. Maybe we get some time out from our regular work, we do some
farming."

Before the blowup on Earth, the galactics had made occasional landings
to gather animals and seeds of food plants. Certain centers were put
under government control to grow food for the slaves. The people at
Jarth Rolan's center saw that this arrangement was breaking down
because of the increasing slave population and the diversion of labor
to child raising. They looked over the piece of land and Laurent
okayed it. They went back to Jarth Rolan. He approved at once.

"Oh, indeed. I can obtain all the equipment you'll need. Get started
right away. We can grow a good part of our own food. Yes. I am sure it
will work out."

"We goin' need some time for work the farm," Laurent pointed out.

"Oh? I thought maybe in your spare time--"

"You want to kill us?" Sam demanded. "Put us on an extra job after
working us hard twelve hours a day?"

"But--there's so little coming in. Still, maybe you're right. Worth
the extra trouble and expense now. Building for the future--that's the
idea."

* * * * *

Jarth Rolan notified his group leader of the arrangement and it
percolated swiftly up through the hierarchy to the council of the
highest group heads, who directed policy for the entire Galaxy. There
were nine of them and they talked over this development.

"I approve. We should have done it this way from the beginning."

"Of course. But certain advocates of government control insisted on
public ownership of the food farms--"

"What do you mean, certain advocates? If you mean me, be galactic
enough to say so."

"I intend no personal offense to anybody. But there is bound to be
inefficiency in any government project--"

The chairman pounded the table. "Stay with the subject. It has been
suggested that each center grow part of its food. I am in favor."

"But it cuts down the available labor force. We're