ghts. And behind the view wall of Alexander's
apartment Kardon's brilliant yellow sun sank slowly toward the horizon,
filling the sky with flaming colors of red and gold, rimmed by the blues
and purples of approaching night. The sunset was gaudy and blatant,
Kennon thought with mild distaste, unlike the restful day-end displays
of his homeworld.

CHAPTER IV

Douglas Alexander was a puffy-faced youngster with small intolerant
eyes set in folds of fat above a button nose and a loose-lipped sensual
mouth. There was an odd expression of defiance overlaid with fear on his
pudgy features. Looking at him, Kennon was reminded of a frightened dog,
ready either to bite or cower.

But it wasn't Douglas who held his eye. It was the two Lani who followed
him into the room. Every line of their bodies was perfection that spoke
volumes about generations of breeding for physical elegance. They moved
with a co-ordinated grace that made Douglas look even more clumsy by
contrast. And they were identical, twin cream-and-gold works of art.
They were completely nude--and Kennon for the first time in his life
fully appreciated the beauty of an unclad female. To cover them would
be sacrilege, and ornaments would only detract from their exquisite
perfection.

Kennon knew that he was staring like an idiot. Alexander's amused smile
told him that much. With an effort he composed his startled features.

The pair looked at him with soft violet eyes--and it was as though some
psychic bathhouse attendant had poured ice water down his spine. For he
had seen that look before, that liquid introspective look in the velvet
eyes of cattle. He shivered. For a moment he had been thinking of them
as human. And somehow the lack of that indefinable some thing called
humanity robbed them of much of their glamour. They were still
beautiful, but their beauty had become impersonal.

"Don't take these as representative of the Lani," Alexander said
suddenly. "They're a special case, a very special case." He glared at
his cousin. "Damn your impudence," he said without beat. "I sent for
you--not your toys. Send them away."

Douglas sulkily thrust out his lower lip. "You can't talk to me like
that, Cousin Alex," he began. "I'm just a--"

"You head me, Douglas. Out!" Alexander's voice didn't rise but it cut
like a whip.

"Oh, very well," Douglas said. "I can't fight you--yet." He turned to
the humanoids. "You heard the Boss-man. Go home."

The two nodded