diet.

A few men could be seen, scratching at small garden plots or idly
repairing tools. Others squatted near their huts, their attention
occupied by fishing gear. Still others merely leaned against convenient
trees, looking at each other, their mouths moving in the grotesque way
of the pseudoman when he could find an excuse to idle away time.

Barra listened to the meaningless chatter of grunts and hisses, then
disregarded the sounds. They formed, he had been told, a sort of
elementary code of communication. He coughed disparagingly. Only some
subhuman could bring himself to study such things.

Of course, he knew that some lacklanders could make vocal converse with
the pseudomen and caravan masters seemed to do it as a regular thing,
but he could see no point in such effort. He could make his demands
known without lowering himself by making idiotic noises.

His communicator crystals would drive simple thoughts into even the
thick skulls of his slaves. And he could--and did--thus get obedience
and performance from those slaves by using normal, sensible means as
befitted one of the race of true men.

And what would one want of the pseudomen other than obedience? Would one
perhaps wish to discuss matters of abstract interest with these beast
men? He regarded the scene with growing irritation.

Now, he remembered. It was one of those days of rest which some idiot in
the Council had once sponsored. And a group of soft-headed fools had
concurred, so that one now had to tolerate periodic days of idleness.

Times had changed, he thought. There had been a time when slaves were
slaves and a man could expect to get work from them in return for his
protection and support.

But even with these new, soft laws, herds must be guarded--especially
with that null expanding as it was. Even some lackland idiot should be
able to understand that much.

He turned his attention to the headman's hut.

The man was there. Surrounded by a few villagers, he squatted before his
flimsy, frond-roofed hut, his mouth in grotesque motion. Now, he stopped
his noisemaking and poised his head. Then he nodded, looking about the
village.

Obviously, he was taking his ease and allowing his people to do as they
would, without supervision.

Barra started to concentrate on the surrogate, to make his wishes and
his displeasure known. Then he turned impatiently from the crystal,
seizing his staff. Efficient as the surrogates were, there were some
t