Ken noticed that Hrrula was watching him intently, the green eyes of the Hrruban brilliant, the body unnaturally tense. Hrrestan on the other hand was relaxed and now smiled encouragingly at Pat.

“Ken, that would be the most terrible imposition,” Pat temporized, but there was an incredulous hope in her eyes.

McKee broke the impasse by slapping his thigh and letting out a muted crow.

“Sorry, Ken,” he apologized absently, “but it's an ideal solution. Honestly, I've got nothing against Toddy but . . .”

Pat grimaced. “There's always a 'but' when discussing Todd. Oh, I'm his mother but I'll be honest. I'm the first one to agree with you. After all, I've had to put up with him longer than anyone else.”

“Now wait a minute,” Ken said, feeling control slipping from his paternal hands.

“Hey, man,” McKee protested, “don't refuse. They offered, remember, so it's their idea. And just think of it from the standpoint of colony relations.”

“What colony?” snapped Ken. “He's my son. It's his good I'm thinking of.”

“Then remember he's a natural at their kind of life,” McKee said. “Furthermore, when Alreldep gets here your Todd'll be an Hrruban expert compared to the rest of us. Man, your son might be your passport into improved status. Think of it from that aspect.”

“Bargain my own son?” Ken exclaimed.

“You'd better,” Pat said, her lips thin, her eyes anxious, “if you don't want to go back to Aisle 45 and Proctor Edgar with Todd!”

Inwardly Ken shuddered and looked across the table at Todd. The child had fallen asleep, his head resting against Hrrula's velvety arm, his dirty, scratched hands limp on Hrrula s encircling tail. Todd back in Aisle life?

“Please consider Hrriss.” A soft purr fluttered behind him, and Ken turned to see Mrrva, her deep green eyes pleading.

"It is extra work for you – " his voice trailed off as Mrrva made an impatient gesture at that protest.

“Mrrva made the suggestion,” Hrrula spoke up. “Hrriss will come with us in the morning to meet Zodd at the bridge. That way Zodd will continue to keep his promise to me.”

“How do you say thank you, Ken?” Pat whispered urgently, trying to smile at Mrrva at the same time.

Shortly afterward, Ezra Moody appeared to reassure everyone that Maria's arm was appreciably better, so Ken and Pat excused themselves and left, Todd sound asleep in Ken's arms.

“I have to admit it'll be a relief to come home without worrying about what colony-shaking crisis Todd has precipitated during the day,” Ken remarked

“You don't think we should have discussed this with Shih, do you?” Pat asked anxiously.

“He's got enough to plague him and it isn't as if we were giving Toddy away or anything.”

The moonlight touched her face, pensive and withdrawn.

Pat rebelled against putting Todd to bed without washing off some of the surface dirt. However, once he was tucked in for the night, Pat was, to Ken's delight, anything but pensive and withdrawn.

THE NEWS of Todd's invitation was all over the camp by morning. Pat remarked acidly to Ken that she thought the general relief was almost indecent. After all, Todd wasn't a monster and he certainly was the only one of the children who got along on Doona. She felt as if she were paroling him to the custody of the Hrrubans instead of sending him as an honored guest.

“The Hrrubans wouldn't have any of their mealy-mouthed kids,” she said, loftily maternal.

“Honey,” Ken drawled warningly.

“Well, he is my child,” and she glowered at Ken.

“And be honest, hon, you're the gladdest of all to get rid of him.”

“It just isn't natural,” she wailed, abruptly contrite.

He pulled her into his arm, kissing the end of her nose affectionately.

“I'll get you an appointment with the colony head-shrinker for those guilt complexes,” he said. She gave a little sigh and leaned against him.

Once Ken reached the lumber team, he took so much teasing that he began to understand Pat's irritation. Before he reached the end of his patience a minor emergency diverted everyone's thoughts from Todd.

That night Todd returned from the village, relatively clean, two new cuts neatly bandaged. Proudly he handed over to his mother four brace of the small ground fowl the Hrrubans relished. He had trapped them all single-handed.

“You should have seen his little face when he presented them to me, Ken,” Pat murmured, her eyes misting.

“You should see yours,” Ken retorted.

“Oh, you! Yipe!” because Ken had pinched her after the fashion of husbands who wish to prevent their females from waxing oversentimental.

“We'll be barn raising day after tomorrow right enough,” Ken announced at the dinner table. “Todd, do you think you and Hrriss can catch a whole mess of these whacha-callums?”

“Brrnas? Sure!” Todd replied, his eyes snapping with pleasure at the challenge.

Ilsa regarded him with an expression akin to awe.

“How do you catch them?” Pat asked.

Todd launched into a blow-by-blow description of the process that made Ken's eyes widen. Pat's face took on an expression of horrified fascination.

“I think it's cruel, cruel,” Ilsa cried out in anguish jumping up from the table and running from the room in tears. Pat, with an angry glare at Todd, rushed from the room to comfort her daughter.

Todd gave his father a what-have-I-done-now look. Ken shrugged his shoulders and, for a few moments, a bond existed between the two males of the house drawn together against the vapors of their women.

When the children were in bed, Pat settled down on the wall couch, and curled up against Ken. There was a pungent aroma emanating from her hair and Ken sniffed experimentally.

“Oh, dear, that rlban sap stink just won't go away,” she apologized. “Did you know, they use it as a coating on their pottery before they fire it. That's why their pots have that high glaze we couldn't identify.”

“Hmmm,” Ken mumbled contentedly, settling his cheek against her soft hair. God, it was good to have your arms around a woman.

«You know, I'd very much like to – well, do something for Mrrva.»

“Hmmm.”

«She had him all day and it's just – oh, you know.»

“Huh?”

“But I can't think what to give her that she doesn't already have. I mean, she's got so much more than I have.”

“What on earth are you nattering about, hon?”

“Nattering about? I like that!” And she struggled up and out of the comfortable position he had arranged.

“I like it too,” he grinned at her. “It's so damned good to have you . . .”

“Just a moment, Ken Reeve. I'm talking about something important.”

“I know, giving Mrrva something. Well, hon, we're kind of out of our element here. Seems to me the giving's all from them.”

“That's exactly what I mean. Really, it goes against my pride to take all the time. But what can I give her?” Pat's voice ended on a mournful note.

Ken ran his finger down the side of her throat to the hollow of her collarbone, across her smooth skin to the top of her tunic.

«I tell you one thing you do Mrrva doesn't – you do fancy sewing. There's not a female in either village that doesn't like something pretty to wear.»

“Of course!” Pat sat up, delighted. “Just the thing.” But when she tried to rise, heading toward her small chest of treasures brought from Earth, Ken pulled her roughly back into his arms and silenced her protests with deliberately passionate kisses.

The next evening, when Ken got home from laying the barn's foundations and flooring, his house seemed to have sprouted wings. Small fowl carcasses hung in garlands from the branches of the sheltering trees. Todd, Hrriss and two other cubs who had helped transport this plenty, were squatting in the front yard, consuming berry tarts with great gusto. They looked exceedingly pleased with themselves.