The Project Gutenberg EBook of Cum Grano Salis, by Gordon Randall Garrett

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Title: Cum Grano Salis

Author: Gordon Randall Garrett

Release Date: April 29, 2008 [EBook #25234]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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CUM GRANO SALIS.

BY DAVID GORDON

Illustrated by Emsh

_Just because a man can do something others can't does not,
unfortunately, mean he knows how to do it. One man could eat the
native fruit and live ... but how?_

"And that," said Colonel Fennister glumly, "appears to be that."

The pile of glowing coals that had been Storage Shed Number One was
still sending up tongues of flame, but they were nothing compared with
what they'd been half an hour before.

"The smoke smells good, anyway," said Major Grodski, sniffing
appreciatively.

The colonel turned his head and glowered at his adjutant.

"There are times, Grodski, when your sense of humor is out of place."

"Yes, sir," said the major, still sniffing. "Funny thing for lightning
to do, though. Sort of a dirty trick, you might say."

"_You_ might," growled the colonel. He was a short, rather roundish man,
who was forever thankful that the Twentieth Century predictions of
skin-tight uniforms for the Space Service had never come true. He had
round, pleasant, blue eyes, a rather largish nose, and a rumbling basso
voice that was a little surprising the first time you heard it, but
which seemed to fit perfectly after you knew him better.

Right at the moment, he was filing data and recommendations in his
memory, where they would be instantly available for use when he needed
them. Not in a physical file, but in his own mind.

_All right, Colonel Fennister_, he thought to himself, _just what does
this mean--to me? And to the rest?_

The Space Service was not old. Unlike the Air Service, the Land Service,
or the Sea Service, it did not have centuries or tradition behind it.
But it had something else. It had something that none of the other
Services had--_Po