lled Phoebe. One of our ships found it, and I staked a discovery
claim on the major land mass, and the crew made lesser claims that
covered all the available land. Last month the Brotherhood allowed the
claims. Last week the crewmen sold me their land. Phoebe's a lovely
place--quite a bit like Flora--and the ecological tests show it's
capable of supporting mammalian life. Just before I came here I sent
three shiploads of exterminators to clean it up and make it ready for
us. It should be ready in two years."

"What sort of an ecology are you exterminating?" Jordan asked.

"Not that it makes any difference," Alexander said, "but it's mainly
reptilian. Nothing over Group I. We'll restock with Floran animals."

Jordan sighed. "Since that's the way it is, it doesn't make any
difference," he said. "But it could have. The Lani are sensitive to
things like that. If they thought that they were walking in over a pile
of bodies they'd do badly. It'd be like Olympus all over again. And we
couldn't keep them from knowing. We talk and we forget, but they'd tell
each other--and they'd remember."

"I know," Alexander said, "somehow they've never forgotten that
Grandfather trapped the last of the Lani males on Olympus."

Jordan nodded. "They can't stand the place. That's why we had to abandon
the station."

"Does this new world have a moon?" Kennon asked abruptly.

"Yes--in fact it has two."

"Habitable?"

"No--they're too small to hold air. But men could live there in
domes--but why do you?--oh! I see! I hadn't considered that point."
Alexander's hand darted to the phone beside him. "Get me Albertsville,"
he snapped. "Yes, my offices--I want Mr. Oliver in purchasing and
contracting. Hello--Ward? Alexander here. Yes--everything's fine. I
have a job for you--use your scrambler-pattern two." Alexander
dialed the scrambler code on the second dial at the base of the phone,
effectively preventing eavesdropping by beam tappers. "Yes," he went on.
"It's Project Phoebe. Have you secured title to the moons? You haven't?
Well--you'd better do it before some of our competitors get bright
ideas. Sure they know about the project--do you think they're stupid?
Warren over at Consolidated practically told me that he was onto our
scheme. So get title to those moons. Since they're uninhabitable and
within the planet's primary field they come under the Spatial Debris Act
and you should be able to get Kardonian title without any great amount
of