tempt, because she had never, she had never.... But you didn't have
to have first hand experience to know. She had authoritative knowledge
gleaned from reading between the lines of the very best text books on
abnormal psychology. She hadn't had to read between the lines of sundry
surveys and reports. And if there had been no organized study at all,
the movies, the TV, the published better fiction--all of it centered
around that one theme--that one, alone, romanticize it or obscure it
though they might.

It was all men ever thought about. And many women pandered to it--those
sultry, shameless, undulating....

But Sam and Lt. Harper? It had been almost two months now since they had
left Earth and those vile blondes. How had they restrained themselves
during all this time!

Her fuming anger was suddenly overwhelmed by a warm rush of gratitude, a
sympathy which brought a gush of tears into her eyes to stream down her
cheeks. How blind she had been. Of course! They were still bound by
their gentleman's Word of Honor, given to her on that first night in the
lifeship.

What splendid men! All right, so they had their faults; a little
impractical, dreamers all, but with such nobility of character, truly
they were fit to be the fathers of a proud and noble race. And, in time,
with herself to shape and guide them....

She straightened her aching back from bending over the rice reeds,
thrust out her scrawny chest, and breathed deeply. She lifted her chin
resolutely.

"Katheryn Kittredge," she said firmly. "A woman's place is more than
merely cooking and cleaning and mending!"

* * * * *

Supper, that evening, was a dinner, a special dinner. She set before the
two men a whole roast young tom turkey, with a touch of frosted
persimmons mixed with wild honey to enliven the light meat. There was a
dressing of boiled maise and wild rice, seasoned with wild onion and
thyme. There were little red tomatoes, tough but tasty. There were baked
yams. There was a custard of goat milk and turkey eggs sweetened with
honey.

Instead of the usual sassafras tea to which their digestion had finally
adjusted, there was grape wine in their cups. It wasn't a very good
wine, still green and sharp, but the occasion called for it.

Both of them looked at her with wonder, when they came in at her call
and saw the table. But they didn't ask any questions. They just started
eating and, for once, they forgot to talk a