"But you've seen broken old men teaching. Men who had brains and who didn't have a cent in their savings account. You know you'll starve all your life and get very little thanks for discovering genius. You know and you want to get away from it. That's why you even considered going with Fader in the first place. If you'd really been contented you'd have turned him down right off." Homer realized she spoke the truth. "But any job has its drawbacks. I've either got to teach chemistry or become a research chemist. From what I've seen, Fader and Faderfield Junior College are my only choices. And Chemistry is all I know." "You know about ethics and customs of your planet. You know what people are supposed to do and rarely do." "It doesn't make a living for me." "Not on earth. But on Planet 12, you'd be an authority on the planet Earth. The only authority because you know all about the earth's unkept laws of social conduct and you're one of the few that ever kept those laws." One thing held Homer back. "Is your planet really communistic? Don't you have private property?" "Do you own this house?" "Well I rent it, but some people do own their houses." "Are you sure?" "Well, they have mortgages and taxes and so on." "Actually very few people own what they think they have, excepting their bodies." "But men move in with women and women move in with men--" "This thing you call marriage corresponds with a custom we have," said Qalith. "I was going to marry you." "I don't know you and you don't know me!" "How do you think I found you without telepathy? And you've seen me now--is there anything wrong about me that--well, that--" "Nothing!" Homer said fervently. He thought of people who had courted many years and still didn't know each other. Then he glanced down at Fader, still staring hypnotically. "What a tale he's going to spread about town tomorrow!" Homer said. "He won't believe it," said Qalith. "I'll be gone," said Homer. "Then we'd better get going. You can work on the earth file on the trip to the Pleiades." "Says you," said Homer. He got her bag from the broom closet and as an afterthought, he picked up his rod and tackle. Maybe he'd get some fishing done on Planet 12, among other things--