Garrity's Annuities By DAVID MASON Illustrated by RAY [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction April 1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] Every planet is badly in need of family men, naturally--but the same one on all of them? You might say Garrity brought it on himself. The way I put it, Garrity was the architect of his own disasters. It's a nicely put phrase, I think. Anyway, a lot of people tried to tell him what might happen. I did, for one, though I'd never have thought it would happen in just that way. What I would have predicted for Garrity would be trouble, but just ordinary trouble: jail, or getting his Space Engineer's ticket suspended, or something like that. Not the kind of trouble he's got. I remember distinctly the first time I heard Garrity explaining his theory. It wasn't a new theory, but the way Garrity talked about it, you'd think he'd invented it personally. We were sitting in the messroom in the _Aloha_--that was the old _Aloha_, the one that belonged to the Muller Space Lines. Talking about women--trip like that. Neither Garrity nor I had ever touched down on Seranis, which was where we'd be in another week or so. The other off-watch man, Gloster, had been there several times and liked the place. "A lot of Earthside Oriental in 'em," Gloster said. "They're little brown characters, real obliging. The girls especially. You just treat 'em polite and they'll treat you right back." "Uh-huh," I said, considering the idea. * * * * * Garrity curled his long lip. "It'll cost you just as much in the end. Women are always looking for something." "Not this kind on Seranis," Gloster said. "Best port I've ever been in. I'm staying on the _Aloha_ till I get to putting curtains on my cabin port." Garrity shook his head. He looked as cynical as he could, for his age, which was twenty-four. We were all of us fresh out of Lunar, with the ink hardly dry on our Engineer tickets. "I'll tell you," said Garrity. "I haven't seen a woman yet that wouldn't cost you more than she was worth in the long run." "Long run?" I asked him. "We don't spend more than a few days down on Seranis. Isn't going to _be_ any long run. If she runs, let her to catch her before takeoff time." Gloster chuckled, but Garrity just looked righteous. "You'll see what I mean," he told us.