years, and should be good for at least ten more."

"Ten?--how old is she?"

"Thirty."

"Thirty--years?"

Alexander nodded.

"Good Lord Lister! I'd have guessed her at least three hundred!"

"Wrong life scale. Lani only live about one tenth as long as we do.
They're mature at twelve and dead at fifty."

Alexander sighed. "That's another difference. Even without agerone we'd
live to be a hundred."

"Have you tried gerontological injections?"

"Once. They produced death in about two days. Killed five Lani with
them." Alexander's face darkened at an unpleasant memory. "So we don't
try any more," he said. "There are too many differences." He stretched.
"I'd tell you more about them but it'll be better to hear it from Evald
Blalok. He's our superintendent. Steve Jordan can tell you a lot, too.
He runs the Lani Division. But right now let's wait for Cousin Douglas.
The pup will take his time about coming--but he'll do it in the end.
He's afraid not to."

"I'd rather not," Kennon said. "It's poor manners to be injected into a
family affair--especially when I'm just one of the employees."

"You're not just one of the employees. You are the Station Veterinarian,
and as such you hold an authority second only to Blalok and myself. You
and Blalok are my hands, ears, and eyes on Flora. You are responsible
to me--and to me alone. While I defer at times to the desires of
the Family, I do not have to. I run Outworld Enterprises and all the
extensions of that organization. I possess control--and the Family knows
it. My men are respected and furthermore they know everything that goes
on." He smiled icily. "In a way it's quite a healthy situation. It
keeps my relatives under control. Somehow they dislike being disciplined
before outsiders. Now think no more about it." Alexander stood up and
walked over to one of the windows opening onto the broad roof gardens,
and stood looking at the sun-drenched greenery.

"Odd, isn't it," Alexander said, "how beautiful nature is and how simple
things are in a state of nature. It's only when man interjects himself
onto a scene that things get complicated. Take Flora for instance.
Before Grandfather came here, it must have been a pleasant place with
the simple natives happy in their paradise. But that's all changed
now. We have taken over--and they, like other lesser creatures on other
worlds, have been bent to our will and uses. I could pity them, but
being human I cannot afford that luxu