"And, without transportation, you can understand why we have not been
able to develop a technology," he added. "We hope transport will be
included in the first assistance you will give us."

Tardo asked about the fields.

"I see there is no one working them," he said. "Is that done by the
villagers?"

"Our labor supply is transient," answered Saranta after a moment's
hesitation. "The laborers who will work our fields--for a wage, of
course--are probably in the next town or the one beyond it now."

Alpha Persei was sinking in the western sky when Tardo and Peo took
their leave of Saranta and made their way down the road toward their
planetary landing craft.

"It looks like a good world to me," said Peo. "If tomorrow's inspection
is as satisfactory, I suppose you will recommend the beginning of
technical aid?"

"There will be no inspection tour tomorrow, and I shall recommend
against aid at this time," replied Tardo. "I've seen enough."

"Why?" asked Peo, surprised.

"There are two classes of people on this planet, and we've seen only
one," said Tardo. "Those we have seen are freemen. The others are no
better than animals. We give no aid that helps men tighten their hold
over their fellows."

"If you haven't seen them, how do you know there is another class?"
demanded Peo. "There is no evidence of any such situation."

"The evidence is well hidden. But if you think your stomach can take it
now, I'll tell you. If you remember your history, colonizing ships 1000
years ago had no space to carry animals along. They had to depend on
native animal life of the planet, and this planet had none."

"Saranta said that. But I don't see ..."

"Those were delicious steaks, weren't they?" remarked Tardo quietly.

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _If Worlds of Science Fiction_
September 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling
and typographical errors have been corrected without note.

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