The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lani People, by J. F. Bone

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Title: The Lani People

Author: J. F. Bone

Posting Date: December 23, 2008 [EBook #2509]
Release Date: February, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LANI PEOPLE ***

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THE LANI PEOPLE

By J. F. Bone

CHAPTER I

The boxed ad in the opportunities section of the Kardon Journal of
Allied Medical Sciences stood out like a cut diamond in a handful
of gravel. "Wanted," it read, "Veterinarian--for residency in active
livestock operation. Single recent graduate preferred. Quarters and
service furnished. Well-equipped hospital. Five-year contract, renewal
option, starting salary 15,000 cr./annum with periodic increases. State
age, school, marital status, and enclose recent tri-di with application.
Address Box V-9, this journal."

Jac Kennon read the box a second time. There must be a catch to it.
Nothing that paid a salary that large could possibly be on the level.
Fifteen thousand a year was top pay even on Beta, and an offer like this
for a new graduate was unheard of--unless Kardon was in the middle of an
inflation. But Kardon wasn't. The planet's financial status was A-1.
He knew. He'd checked that immediately after landing. Whatever might
be wrong with Kardon, it wasn't her currency. The rate of exchange was
1.2-1 Betan.

A five-year contract--hmm--that would the seventy-five thousand. Figure
three thousand a year for living expenses, that would leave sixty-plenty
of capital to start a clinic. The banks couldn't turn him down if he had
that much cash collateral.

Kennon chuckled wryly. He'd better get the job before he started
spending the money he didn't have. He had 231 credits plus a few
halves, tenths, and hundredths, a diploma in veterinary medicine, some
textbooks, a few instruments, and a first-class spaceman's ticket. By
watching his expenses he had enough money to live here for a month and
if nothing came of his efforts to find a job on this planet, there was
always his spaceman's ticket and another world.

Another world! There were over six thousand planets in the