"Which can't be too soon to suit me," he said. "I spend every spare moment collecting tin for you. Edie doesn't. She _wants_ Ven to stay." "They seem to be happy with each other. Edith comes up here regularly." "I know," he said bitterly. "She's here more often than she's home. I can't see what fun she gets out of running around these hills stripped to the skin carrying your mate on her shoulders." "I wouldn't know," I said. "Certainly you never seem to enjoy performing that service for me." "I don't even like the thought of it. I'm not an animal, after all." "But you are," I said. "So am I. The only difference is that I am a superior animal and you, being inferior, conform to my wishes. It is a law of nature that the superior type will inevitably rule. The inferior either conforms or dies. And you have no desire to die." He shook his head. "But I can still object," he said. "At that?" I asked pointing across the meadow with a primary digit. Edith was running, her long yellow hair floating free behind her. Ven, high on her shoulders in a seat the two of them had contrived, waved gaily at us as they came up. Edith was flushed and laughing. Her eyes sparkled and her smooth bronze body gleamed in the sunlight. She lowered Ven to the ground, slipped the harness off her smooth shoulders and stood behind my mate, breathing deeply but not at all distressed. * * * * * "Oh, Donald!" she said. "We had a wonderful climb--clear up to the top of the ridge! And coming down was almost like flying! I'll tell you all about it in a minute, right after I take a dip in the pool. Ven doesn't like it when I sweat." She turned and ran down to the little pool in the meadow. "See what I mean!" Donald gritted. "She seems happy. She's not hurt. And Ven's little weight doesn't seem to bother her. What are you complaining about?" Donald growled something unintelligible, turned on his heel and walked away. I let him go. There was no sense in making him angrier than he was. After a moment the snarl of his car's engine rose to a crescendo then faded away into the distance. A few minutes later Edith came back to the ship. "Why did Don leave?" she asked. "Perhaps he had something to do," Ven said. She pouted. "He's always so busy nowadays," she said sulkily. "He isn't nice like he used to be. Do you think he's tired of me?" "No, I don't think so. He just doesn't like you spending so much time up here," I said. "But it's fun--and Ven likes it," she said. "I like it too. And since he isn't home much any more, it's the only place where I can relax and be myself." She brushed the drops of water from her body and shook out her damp hair. "It's wonderful up here--so quiet and peaceful--and Ven's so nice."