rl who was waiting when we came in?" he yelped
in outrage. "What have you done to her?"

Dr. Kalmar gave the sedative to him instead of Mr. Emery, who was
shocked, but had known in advance what to expect. Miss Dupont prepared
another sedative quickly, gave Mrs. Emery a celebration drink and moved
the family toward the door.

"She looks fine, Doctor," the mother said happily. "Avis ought to be a
big help around the house and farm from now on."

"I'm sure she will," he said.

"But she was so lovely!" wept Mr. Emery, though in a rapidly becalming
voice as the sedative took effect.

The door closed behind them.

"You ought to be reported to the Medical Association back on Earth!" Dr.
Hoyt said angrily. "Ruining a girl's looks like that!"

Dr. Kalmar sighed. He had hoped to be able to put off this orientation
lecture until the following day, when there wouldn't be so many patients
jamming his appointment book.

"All right, let's get it over with. First, I was also trained on Earth
and know how Ego Alter and Rephysical are used there: Ego Alter to
remove psychic blocks so people can compete better, and Rephysical so
they'll be more attractive. Second, we're not under the jurisdiction of
Earth's Medical Association. Third, we'd damn well better not be,
because our problems and solutions aren't the same at all."

"You'd have been jailed for spoiling that girl's chances of a good
marriage!"

"I didn't," Dr. Kalmar said quietly. "I improved them."

"You did nothing of the--" Dr. Hoyt stopped. "Improved? How?"

"I keep telling you this is a frontier world and you keep acting as if
you understand, but you don't. Look, a family is an economic liability
on Earth; it consumes without producing. That's why girls have so much
trouble finding husbands there. Out here it's different. A family is an
asset--if every member in it is willing to work."

"But a pretty girl like that can always get by."

"No Denebian can afford to marry a pretty girl. It's too risky. She
can't work as hard as we do and still take care of her looks. And he'd
worry about her constantly, which would cut into his efficiency. By
having me make her a merely attractive girl in a wholesome, hearty way,
Social Control guarantees more than just a marriage for her--it
guarantees a contented married life."

"Sweating away on a farm," Dr. Hoyt said.

"Now that her anti-social strivings are gone, she'll realize that Deneb
needs farmers instead of nightclub