st of the colonists were awake
now. Executive Hafner turned to them. "If you haven't any suitable
clothing in the ship, the commissary will issue you some. Explanations
will be given later."

The colonists scattered. There was no compulsive modesty among them,
for it couldn't have survived a year and a half in crowded spaceships.
Nevertheless, it was a shock to awaken with no clothing on and not
know who or what had removed it during the night. It was surprise more
than anything else that disconcerted them.

On his way back to the spaceship, Executive Hafner paused. "Any ideas
about it?"

Dano Marin shrugged. "How could I have? The planet is as new to me as
it is to you."

"Sure. But you're the biologist."

As the only scientist in a crew of rough-and-ready colonists and
builders, Marin was going to be called on to answer a lot of questions
that weren't in his field.

"Nocturnal insects, most likely," he suggested. That was pretty weak,
though he knew that in ancient times locusts had stripped fields in a
matter of hours. Could they do the same with the clothing of humans
and not awaken them? "I'll look into the matter. As soon as I find
anything, I'll let you know."

"Good." Hafner nodded and went into the spaceship.

* * * * *

Dano Marin walked to the grove in which the colonists had been
sleeping. It had been a mistake to let them bed down there, but at the
time the request had been made, there had seemed no reason not to
grant it. After eighteen months in crowded ships everyone naturally
wanted fresh air and the rustle of leaves overhead.

Marin looked out through the grove. It was empty now; the colonists,
both men and women, had disappeared inside the ship, dressing,
probably.

The trees were not tall and the leaves were dark bottle-green.
Occasional huge white flowers caught sunlight that made them seem
larger than they were. It wasn't Earth and therefore the trees
couldn't be magnolias. But they reminded Marin of magnolia trees and
thereafter he always thought of them as that.

The problem of the missing clothing was ironic. Biological Survey
never made a mistake--yet obviously they had. They listed the planet
as the most suitable for Man of any so far discovered. Few insects, no
dangerous animals, a most equitable climate. They had named it Glade
because that was the word which fitted best. The whole land mass
seemed to be one vast and pleasant meadow.

Evident