s will need time to work their land. Since their work day is down
to nine hours, we'll have to arrange something."

* * * * *

Jean had been complaining about the lumps in the mattress. When
Laurent took them out, there was enough in galactic currency to buy a
piece of land in his name and hers, plus a plot for each of the
children, and a new mattress as well. Sam was suspicious.

"They're out to get what little we've been able to save, Laurent. They
can take the land anytime--for what they call a fair price. Fair! Fine
chance they'll be fair about it."

But Laurent kept the land and was even able to buy a piece for each
grandchild, although they arrived faster and faster as his own large
family grew up and married. One day Jean called him to a new house at
the edge of the widely expanded center to see the latest arrival.

Laurent poked a finger at the squalling creature. "So I'm another
grandpa. Which one this?"

"This time you're a great-grandpa, Frenchy. This is Laurent 4th."

"You mean we gettin' that old? By damn! Well, I'm buy him a piece of
land, too. So much new building, this land be worth plenty when he
grows up."

The 512th amendment permitted slaves to retire at 65. Laurent was a
leading real estate dealer by that time. He had twenty-three children
and more grandchildren than he could count. The center was grown to a
city, its main street running through what had been his first farm.
Sometimes Laurent relaxed in his rocking chair and needled Sam.

"By gar, Sam, if you not the oldest-looking man of fifty-five I ever
see. I think you a hundred years old when you retire. When you havin'
that revolution?"

"The day will come if we keep after the young ones. But damn it,
Laurent, it's hard to talk any sense into them. Some of them can't
even understand me."

"Well, they all talk galactic, Sam. My grandson, he call himself Loran
Kotay. But these young people, they have to live their own lives. Hey,
look at old Jarth Rolan up there, washing his windows. Old guy should
retire, Sam. I'm goin' see a couple of my boys give him a hand."

* * * * *

But Jarth Rolan died before he could afford to retire and was replaced
by his only grandson, Jarro Kogar. Laurent and Jean passed on shortly
after, leaving nearly four hundred descendants.

Jarro Kogar was a newly married galactic in his early thirties. He
moved into the mansion and talked things o