"Natural aptitudes? I am surprised
to hear you use such an expression. I thought you furnished your
students with aptitudes through environmental conditioning."

Stiffly, Possy retorted, "Sometime we will have a full, objective
discussion of the matter. It is not pertinent at this moment. Of course
I believe in natural, or instinctive aptitudes. But I do not believe
that they are inherited from parents or even from remote ancestors."

"Cosmic rays, perhaps," needled Smithy, and became instantly sorry when
his friend's face began to redden. Possy didn't believe in cosmic rays,
obviously. Smithy apologized.

Possy sighed deeply and made a fresh start. "My friend," he said, "in
your work, as I understand it, you learn everything you can about a
student's past--and about his progenitors. By so doing you hope to be
able to predict his future abilities, his likes and dislikes. But what
course do you pursue when you find a boy who just doesn't prove out
according to the prognostications?"

Smithy mumbled a few evasive words in reply, but refused to be drawn
into giving a positive answer.

"Never mind," Possy said. "What would you say if you asked a boy what he
liked, or what he wanted to do and his answer concerned something that
never existed, or had never been dreamed of? Something horrible."

Smithy's eyebrows perked up. He made no attempt to conceal the fact that
his interest had been aroused.

"What, precisely, do you mean?" he demanded.

"Just this," Possy said, leaning forward to give emphasis to his words.
"We have a boy who is being trained as a space navigator. He is very
bright. He is of medium build, as a spaceman must be, and he learns
easily and willingly. We are sure now that he will be ready for
pre-space school two years before he reaches the minimum age. Yet,
whenever this boy is asked what he wants to do, he replies, 'I want to
be a Destructor.'"

Smithy's lips parted. But for a moment he remained completely silent
while his mind stumbled over the strange term.

"Destructor?" he repeated, at last.

"Wait," said Possy, "and listen carefully. This boy is now ten years
old. He first gave me that answer three days ago. He repeated it two
days ago, then yesterday and again today. I had never interviewed him
before. I never interview a student personally until the tenth year--so
I quite naturally had his files double-checked. Smithy, he's been giving
the same answer ever since he was five years old. T