ects, while the others would tend to produce
co-operation as a matter of survival."

"Isn't there a great deal of mortality under such a regimen?'' Kennon
asked.

"Not as much as you might expect. It's about twenty per cent. And there
is a great deal of compensation from a management viewpoint. We get
essentially the same physical end product as we would from a closely
managed operation, plus a great saving in labor. Males, you see, are
fairly expendable. We only need a few a year."

"It's brutal."

"So it is, but life is brutal. Still, it's efficient for our purposes.
We merely take advantage of natural impulses to produce a better
product. Grandfather got the idea out of an old book--something about
the noble savage, natural selection and survival of the fittest. He
thought it was great--said there was nothing like relentless competition
to bring out the strongest and hardiest types. And he's been right for
centuries. Can you imagine anything much better than George--from a
physical viewpoint?"

"He is a magnificent animal," Kennon admitted as he eyed the Lani. "But
it seems to me that you could train some obedience into him."

Douglas shook his head. "That would introduce a modifying factor,
something bigger and more powerful than the male himself. And that would
modify the results. We can control them well enough with knockout gas
and shackles. And those things, oddly enough, don't destroy their pride
or self-esteem. They think that we use them because we are afraid, and
it satisfies their egos."

Kennon eyed the caged Lani dubiously. "This is going to be difficult.
I must examine them and treat them, but if they're all as homicidal as
this one--"

"You fight me man," George interrupted, his face twisted into lines of
transparent guile. "I am boss and others do as I say. You beat me, then
you are boss."

"Is this true?" Kennon asked.

"Oh, it's true enough," Douglas said. "George is the leader and if you
beat him you'd be top male until some other one got courage enough to
challenge you. But he's just trying to get his hands on you. He'd like
to kill."

Kennon looked at the big humanoid appraisingly. George was huge,
at least five centimeters taller and fifteen kilograms heavier than
himself. And he was all muscle. "I don't think I'd care to accept that
challenge unless I was forced to," Kennon said.

Douglas chuckled. "I don't blame you."

Kennon sighed. "It looks like we are going to need reinfor