"That's impossible. Species as highly organized as that simply don'toriginate on isolated islands."
"This was a subcontinent once," Alexander said. "Most of it has beeninundated. Less than a quarter of a million years ago there was over ahundred times the land area in this region than exists today. Then theocean rose. Now all that's left is the mid continent plateau and a fewmountain tops. You noted, I suppose, that this is mature topographyexcept for that range of hills to the east. The whole land area at thetime of flooding was virtually a peneplain. A rise of a few hundred feetin the ocean level was all that was needed to drown most of the land."
"I see. Yes, it's possible that life could have developed here underthose conditions. A peneplain topography argues permanence for hundredsof millions of years."
"You have studied geology?" Alexander asked curiously. "Only as part ofmy cultural base," Kennon said. "Merely a casual acquaintance."
"We think the Lani were survivors of that catastrophe--and with theirprimitive culture they were unable to reach the other land masses,"Alexander shrugged. "At any rate they never established themselvesanywhere else."
"How did you happen to come here?"
"I was born here," Alexander said. "My grandfather discovered this worldbetter than four hundred years ago. He picked this area because it allcould be comfortably included in Discovery Rights. It wasn't until yearsafterward that he realized the ecological peculiarities of this region."
"He certainly capitalized on them."
"There was plenty of opportunity. The plants and animals here aredifferent from others in this world. Like Australia in reverse."
Kennon looked blank, and Alexander chuckled. "Australia was asubcontinent on Earth," he explained. "Its ecology, however, wasexceedingly primitive when compared with the rest of the planet. Flora'son the contrary, was--and is--exceedingly advanced when compared withother native life forms on Kardon."
"Your grandfather stumbled on a real bonanza," Kennon said.
"For which I'm grateful," Alexander grinned. "It's made me the biggestoperator in this sector of the galaxy. For practical purposes I own anindependent nation. There's about a thousand humans here, and nearly sixthousand Lani. We're increasing the Lani now, since we found they havecommercial possibilities. Up to thirty years ago we merely used them forlabor."
Kennon didn't speculate on what Alexander meant. He knew. For practicalpurposes, his employer was a slave trader--or would have been if thenatives were human. As it was, the analogy was so close that it wasn'tfunny.
They entered the fortress, passed through a decontamination chamber thatwould have done credit to an exploration ship, and emerged dressed intunics and sandals that were far more appropriate and comfortable inthis tropical climate.
"That's one of Old Doc's ideas," Alexander said, gesturing at the doorfrom which they had emerged. "He was a hound for sanitation and heinfected us with the habit." He turned and led the way down an archedcorridor that opened into a huge circular room studded with iris doors.
Kennon sucked his breath in with a low gasp of amazement. The room wasa gem of exquisite beauty. The parquet floor was inlaid with rarehardwoods from a hundred different worlds. Parthian marble veneercovered with lacy Van tapestries from Santos formed the walls. Delicateceramics, sculpture, and bronzes reflected the art of a score ofdifferent civilizations. A circular pool, festooned with lacelikeHalsite ferns, stood in the center of the room, surrounding a polishedblack granite pedestal on which stood an exquisite bronze of four Lanifemales industriously and eternally pouring golden water from vases heldin their shapely hands. "Beautiful," Kennon said softly.
"We like it," Alexander said.
"We?"
"Oh yes--I forgot to tell you about the Family," Alexander said grimly."I run Outworld, and own fifty per cent of it. The Family owns the otherfifty. There are eight of them--the finest collection of parasitesin the entire galaxy. At the moment they can't block me since I alsocontrol my cousin Douglas's shares. But when Douglas comes of age theywill be troublesome. Therefore I defer to them. I don't want to build aunited opposition. Usually I can get one or more of them to vote withme on critical deals, but I always have to pay for their support."Alexander's voice was bitter as he touched the dilate button on the irisdoor beside him. "You'll have to meet them tonight. There's five of themhere now."
"That isn't in the contract," Kennon said. He was appalled at Alexander.Civilized people didn't speak of others that way, even to intimates.
"It can't be helped. You must meet them. It's part of the job."Alexander's voice was grim. "Mother, Cousin Anne, Douglas, and Eloiselike to play lord of the manor. Cousin Harold doesn't care--for whichyou should be grateful."
The door dilated, and Alexander ushered Kennon into the room. The Lanisitting on the couch opposite the door leaped to her feet, her mouthopening in an O of surprise. Her soft snow-white hair, creamy skin, andbright china blue eyes were a startling contrast to her black loinclothand halter. Kennon stared appreciatively.
Her effect on Alexander, however, was entirely different. His facedarkened. "You!" he snapped. "What are you doing here?"
"Serving, sir," the Lani said.
"On whose authority?"
"Man Douglas, sir."
Alexander groaned. "You see," he said, turning to Kennon. "Weneed someone here with a little sense. Like I was telling you, theFamily'd"--he stopped abruptly and turned back to the Lani. "Your nameand pedigree," he demanded.
"Silver Dawn, sir--out of White Magic--platinum experimentaltype--strain four."
"I thought so. How long have you been inhouse?"
"Almost a month, sir."
"You're terminated. Report to Goldie and tell her that Man Alexanderwants you sent back to your group."
The Lani's eyes widened. "Man Alexander!--You?"
Alexander nodded.
"Gosh!" she breathed. "The big boss!"
"Get moving," Alexander snapped, "and tell Goldie to report to me in myquarters."
"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" The Lath ran, disappearing through the doorthey had entered with a flash of shapely white limbs.
"That Douglas!" Alexander growled. "Leave that young fool alone herefor six months and he'd disrupt the entire operation. The nerve of thatyoung pup--requisitioning an experimental type for household labor. Justwhat does he think he's doing?"
The question obviously didn't demand a reply, so Kennon kept discreetlysilent as Alexander crossed the room to the two doors flanking thecouch on which the Lani had sat. He opened the left-hand one revealing amodern grav-shaft that carried them swiftly to the uppermost level. Theywalked down a short corridor and stopped before another door. It openedinto a suite furnished with stark functional simplicity. It fitted theentrepreneur's outward personality so exactly that Kennon had no doubtthat this was Alexander's quarters.
"Sit down, Kennon. Relax while you can," Alexander said as he droppedinto a chair and crossed his sandaled feet.
"I'm sure you have many questions, but they can wait."
"You might as well get some rest. You'll have little enough later. TheFamily will probably put you through the meat grinder, but remember thatthey don't control this business. You're my man."
Kennon had hardly seated himself in another chair when the door openedand a plump pink-skinned Lani entered. She was considerably olderthan the silver-haired one he had seen earlier, and her round face wassmiling.
"Ah, Goldie," Alexander said. "I understand Man Douglas has been givingyou quite a time."
"It's high time you came back, sir," she said. "Since Old Doc died, ManDouglas has been impossible. He's been culling the staff and replacingthem with empty-headed fillies whose only claim to usefulness is thatthey can fill out a halter. Pretty soon this place will be a pigsty."
"I'll take care of that," Alexander promised. "Now I'd like you to meetOld Doc's replacement. This is Dr. Kennon, our new veterinarian."
"Pleased, I'm sure," Goldie said. "You look like a nice man."
"He is," Alexander said, "but he's just as hard as Old Doc--and he'llhave the same powers. Goldie's the head housekeeper," Alexander added."She's an expert, and you'd do well to take her advice on assignments."
Kennon nodded.
"Have a maid bring us a light meal and something to drink," Alexandersaid. "Have a couple of porters take Dr. Kennon's things to Old Doc'shouse. Find Man Douglas and tell him I want to see him at once. Tell theFamily that I've arrived and will see them in the Main Lounge at eighttonight. Tell Blalok I'll be seeing him at nine. That's all."
"Yes, sir," Goldie said and left the room, her tail curling buoyantly.
"A good Lani," Alexander commented. "One of the best. Loyal,trustworthy, intelligent. She's been running Alexandria for the past tenyears, and should be good for at least ten more."
"Ten?--how old is she?"
"Thirty."
"Thirty--years?"
Alexander nodded.
"Good Lord Lister! I'd have guessed her at least three hundred!"
"Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long as we do.They're mature at twelve and dead at fifty."
Alexander sighed. "That's another difference. Even without agerone we'dlive to be a hundred."
"Have you tried gerontological injections?"
"Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five Lani withthem." Alexander's face darkened at an unpleasant memory. "So we don'ttry any more," he said. "There are too many differences." He stretched."I'd tell you more about them but it'll be better to hear it from EvaldBlalok. He's our superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell you a lot, too.He runs the Lani Division. But right now let's wait for Cousin Douglas.The pup will take his time about coming--but he'll do it in the end.He's afraid not to."
"I'd rather not," Kennon said. "It's poor manners to be injected into afamily affair--especially when I'm just one of the employees."
"You're not just one of the employees. You are the Station Veterinarian,and as such you hold an authority second only to Blalok and myself. Youand Blalok are my hands, ears, and eyes on Flora. You are responsibleto me--and to me alone. While I defer at times to the desires ofthe Family, I do not have to. I run Outworld Enterprises and all theextensions of that organization. I possess control--and the Family knowsit. My men are respected and furthermore they know everything that goeson." He smiled icily. "In a way it's quite a healthy situation. Itkeeps my relatives under control. Somehow they dislike being disciplinedbefore outsiders. Now think no more about it." Alexander stood up andwalked over to one of the windows opening onto the broad roof gardens,and stood looking at the sun-drenched greenery.
"Odd, isn't it," Alexander said, "how beautiful nature is and how simplethings are in a state of nature. It's only when man interjects himselfonto a scene that things get complicated. Take Flora for instance.Before Grandfather came here, it must have been a pleasant place withthe simple natives happy in their paradise. But that's all changednow. We have taken over--and they, like other lesser creatures on otherworlds, have been bent to our will and uses. I could pity them, butbeing human I cannot afford that luxury."
Kennon understood. He, too, had felt that sensation, that odd tighteningof the throat when he first saw a Varl on Santos. The Varl had been thedominant life form there until men had come. Now they were just anotheranimal added to humanity's growing list of pets and livestock. Thelittle Varl with their soft-furred bodies and clever six-fingered handsmade excellent pets and precision workmen. The products of those cleverhands, the tiny instruments, the delicate microminiaturized controlcircuits, the incredibly fine lacework and tapestries, formed the bulkof Santos' interstellar trade.
He had owned a Varl once and had delighted in its almost humanintelligence. But the Varl weren't human and there lay their tragedy.Two thousand years of human domination had left them completelydependent on their conquerors. They were merely intelligent animals--andthat was all they would ever be until the human race changed itscultural pattern or was overthrown. The one alternative was as unlikelyas the other. Humanity had met some fierce competitors, but none withits explosive acquisitive nature, and none with its drive to conquer,colonize, and rule. And probably it never would.
The little Varl were one race among hundreds that had fallen before thefierceness and the greed of men. But unlike most others, the Varl werenot combative. Therefore they had survived.
Yet had it been necessary to reduce them to slavery? They would neverbe a threat. Not only were they essentially gentle and noncombative, buttheir delicate bodies could not stand the strains of spaceflight.They were trapped on their world. Why should they be forced into sosubordinate a role?--Why was humanity so jealous of its dominancethat no other species could exist except by sufferance? Why after fivethousand years of exploration, invasion, and colonization did the humanrace still consider the galaxy as its oyster, and themselves uniquelyqualified to hold the knife? He hadn't thought this way since he hadgiven the Varl to his girl friend of the moment, and had blasted off forBeta. Now the questions returned to haunt him. As a Betan, the hauntingwas even more acute, since Beta had a related problem that was alreadytroublesome and would become more acute as the years passed.
He shrugged and laid the thought aside as a slim, dark-haired Lanientered pushing a service cart ahead of her. The two men ate silently,each busy with his own thoughts. And behind the view wall of Alexander'sapartment Kardon's brilliant yellow sun sank slowly toward the horizon,filling the sky with flaming colors of red and gold, rimmed by the bluesand purples of approaching night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant,Kennon thought with mild distaste, unlike the restful day-end displaysof his homeworld.