m
tonight, shortly before your arrival."

Maya shivered.

"Somehow, it seems horrible to me, experimenting with human lives this
way," she said.

"It's being done for a good cause, Maya," said Nuwell. "Dr. Hennessey's
objective is to help man live better on Mars. After all, there is
nothing nobler than the individual's sacrifice of himself for his
fellows, whether it's voluntary or involuntary."

"But what about the mothers of these children?" asked Maya.

"The big problem is to reach them as soon as possible after conception,"
said Goat, misinterpreting her question. "We do this by magnetic
detectors, which report instantly the conjunction of the positive and
negative. The surgery is performed, as quickly as possible, utilizing
the suspended animation technique which is being developed toward
interstellar travel."

"I wasn't asking about the technical aspects," said Maya. "What I want
to know is, what sort of mothers will permit you to experiment this way
on their unborn children, especially seeing the results you've already
obtained?"

Goat started to answer, but Nuwell forestalled him.

"There are some things that are none of your business, darling," he
said. "The terrestrial government sent you here on a specific
assignment, and I don't think you should inquire into matters which are
classified as secret by the local government, which don't have anything
to do with that assignment. Now, Dr. Hennessey, just what sort of
survival qualities have you been able to develop in these experiments?"

"There's no witchcraft involved," retorted Goat, with a sardonic
grimace.

"I haven't accused you," said Nuwell quickly.

"No, but I keep up with events, even out here, well enough to know that
you're the Mars City government's chief nemesis where there's any
suspicion of extrasensory perception. I doubt that you chose to make
this trip yourself without reason, Mr. Eli."

"It's merely a routine inspection," murmured Nuwell.

Goat indicated one of his charts, showing a diagram of genes and
chromosomes in different colors.

"This is my original chart," he said. "I copied it from one belonging to
the Martians many years ago, and my genetic alteration of Brute and Adam
were based on it. But I must have miscopied it, or else the Martians
didn't have the objective I thought they did in it, because I could find
no alteration of genes affecting lung capacity or oxygen utilization. My
own subsequent charts, on which lat