have explained your medium of
exchange, and have helped us with the prices of raw materials. It was
they who recommended your firm as a likely distributor."

"Have you figured how much one of these Soths should sell for?"

"We think we can show a modest profit if we sell them to you for $1200,"
he said. "Perhaps we can bring down our costs, if you find a wide enough
demand for them."

I had expected ten or twenty times that figure. I'm afraid I got a
little eager. "I--uh--shall we see if we can't just work out a little
contract right now? Save you another trip back this afternoon."

"If you will forgive our boorish presumption," Ollie said, fumbling
self-consciously in his baggy clothing, "I have already prepared such a
document with the help of the Attorney General. A very kindly
gentleman."

It was simple and concise. It allowed us to resell the Soths at a price
of $2000, Fair Traded, giving us a gross margin of $800 to work with. He
assured me that upkeep and repairs on the robot units were negligible,
and we could extend a very generous warranty which the Ollies would make
good in the event of failure. He gave me a quick rundown on the care and
feeding of a Sirian Soth, and then jolted me with:

"There is just a single other favor I beg of you. Would you do my little
colony the exquisite honor of accepting this Soth as your personal
servant, Mr. Collins?"

"Servant?"

* * * * *

He bobbed his head. "Yes, sir. We have trained him in the rudiments of
the household duties and conventions of your culture. He learns rapidly
and never forgets an instruction. Your wife would find Soth most useful,
I am quite certain."

"A magnificent specimen like this doing _housework_?" I marveled at the
little creature's empty-headedness.

"Again I must beg your pardon, sir. I overlooked mentioning a suggestion
by the Secretary of Labor that the Soths be sold only for use in
domestic service. It was also the consensus of the President's whole
cabinet that the economy of any nation could not cope with the problem
of unemployment were our Soths to be made available for all the types of
work for which they are fitted."

My dream of empire collapsed. The little green fellow was undoubtedly
telling the truth. The unions would strike any plant or facility in the
world where a Soth put foot on the job. It would ruin our retail
consumer business, too--Soths wouldn't consume automobiles, copters,
t