.'"

Smalley was properly shocked. "I hope you didn't encourage them, sir."

"It was impossible to discourage them," Kennon said. "After all, when
the man who hires you--"

"Oh--entrepreneurs," Smalley said in a tone that explained everything.

* * *

The car stopped in front of the Medical Center's staff entrance. "This
way, sir," Smalley said. He led the way down a green-tiled corridor
to an elevator--then down another corridor past a pair of soft-footed
nurses who eyed them curiously--looking at Kennon's tunic and sandals
with mild disapproval in their eyes. Smalley stopped and knocked softly
on a closed door.

"Enter," said a pleasant baritone voice from the annunciator.

"Dr. Brainard--Dr. Kennon," Smalley said.

Kennon liked the man instantly. A plump, pink-cheeked man of middle
age, with prematurely white hair, Dr. Will Brainard combined a fatherly
appearance with an impression of quick intelligence. The fat that
sheathed his stocky body had obviously not touched his mind. Brainard
rose from the deep chair near the window where he had been sitting,
knocked the ashes from his pipe, and bowed stiffly. His eyes--sharp
points of blue in the smooth pinkness of his face--surveyed Kennon
curiously.

"So you're the young man who takes untrained pregnant women for rides in
old-fashioned spacers," he said. "Didn't you know what would happen?"

"I was in a hurry, Doctor," Kennon said.

"Obviously. Now tell me about it." Brainard looked at the eager-faced
interne standing behind Kennon. "That will be all, Smalley," he said.

Kennon waited until the door closed. "Ordinarily," he said, "I'd never
have done a thing like that, but there were some very pressing reasons.
However, I should have given her an injection of Somnol before we
started. I'm criminally liable. If anything happens to her--" His voice
was tight with worry.

"You'd give her an injection?" Brainard said. "I hope you didn't mean
that."

"But I did, sir. I've given thousands of Lani injections."

"What's a Lani?"

"She is, sir. The impression has been that her race isn't human."

"Nonsense--it's obvious she is."

"A Brotherhood Court of Inquiry didn't think so."

"Hmm. Is that so?"

"Yes, sir.--But before I go on, tell me, how is she?"

"Oh, she'll be fine. A little mental therapy and plenty of rest are all
she needs. She's a remarkably healthy young woman. But this is beside
the point. There are a number of unusual features about this