him no good in the interview which lay ahead.

"So you're Kennon," Alexander said. His lingua franca was clean and
accentless. "I expected someone older."

"Frankly, sir, so did I," Kennon replied.

Alexander smiled, an oddly pleasant smile that transformed the hard
straight lines in his face into friendly curves. "Business, Dr. Kennon,
is not the sole property of age."

"Nor is a veterinary degree," Kennon replied.

"True. But one thinks of a Betan as someone ancient and sedate."

"Ours is an old planet--but we still have new generations."

"A fact most of us outsiders find hard to believe," Alexander said. "I
picture your world as an ironclad society crystallized by age and custom
into something rigid and in flexible."

"You would be wrong to do so," Kennon said. "Even though we are cultural
introverts there is plenty of dynamism within our society."

"How is it that you happen to be out here on the edge of civilization?"

"I never said I was like my society," Kennon grinned. "Actually I
suppose I'm one of the proverbial bad apples."

"There's more to it than that," Alexander said. "Your early years
probably influenced you."

Kennon looked sharply at the entrepreneur. How much did the man really
know about him? "I suppose so," he said indifferently.

Alexander looked pleased. "But even with your childhood experiences
there must be an atavistic streak in you--a throwback to your
adventurous Earth forebears who settled your world?"

Kennon shrugged. "Perhaps you're right. I really don't know. Actually,
I've never thought about it. It merely seemed to me that an undeveloped
world offered more opportunity."

"It does," Alexander said. "But it also offers more work. If you're
figuring that you can get along on the minimum physical effort required
on the Central Worlds, you have a shock coming."

"I'm not that innocent," Kennon said. "But I am not so stupid that I
can't apply modifications of Betan techniques to worlds as new as this."

Alexander chuckled. "I like you," he said suddenly. "Here read this and
see if you'd care to work for me." He picked a contract form from one of
the piles of paper on his desk and handed it to Kennon. "This is one
of our standard work contracts. Take it back to your hotel and check it
over. I'll expect to see you at this time tomorrow."

"Why waste time?" Kennon said. "The rapid-reading technique originated
on Beta. I can tell you in fifteen minutes."

"Hmm. Certainly.