Alsint went along the aisles. Dials and gauges everywhere--a continuous record was kept of every stage. Each record was important, but nothing that could be reduced to a formula. The plant was not in bad shape, considering. At his instructions, Larienne made certain adjustments. "Why reduce the light?" she asked. "I thought this unit grew better with stronger light." "It does, within limits." "I was within those limits." "You were, but consider this. The plant from which these cells came grow fastest in early summer, but it isn't edible at that time. In late summer, it is. The light change merely corresponds to original conditions." Partly convinced, she nodded. "What kind of plant was it?" He smiled. "I don't know. It's the nth cellular descendant of some plant that once grew on Earth." She touched a dial she had adjusted. "And on this one you reduced the fluid flow into it, and switched the output to another unit I've never seen it connected to." "Same thing. The input corresponds to the difference between the dry and rainy seasons." "But things grow faster with more water." "They do, unless it happens to be a cactus." She shook her head. "I give up. Cactus yet." "I didn't say it was cactus. It might be, and, if so, could be very efficient in preparing water and soil minerals for use by the leaves. There aren't any leaves, of course, but that doesn't change the principle." "Don't think I'll ever understand it," she said. "Enough to get by, but not the way you do." She stood at his side. It was pleasant to have her there. Other things were pleasant to imagine too, but he refrained. There were married couples on the ship, just as there were unattached men and women. But when the men outnumbered the women three to one, certain conclusions were inevitable, and he had made them the first few days aboard. Unlike many of the others, he didn't expect to stay on the ship forever. In a year and a half he would either prove his point or fail. Then he would leave. Would Larienne come with him? Maybe, but it wasn't a good bet. A liaison, no matter how easy it was to enter into, was not always easy to break. There would be time to decide about that later. "Is everything all right?" she asked. He glanced over the dials and mentally added them up. "Reasonably so. Yes." "Good," she said. "Unless you need me sooner, I'll be back in about ten hours." He nodded and she left. It was unnecessary to ask where she was going. He could tell that from her manner. They had raised a hitherto unmarked solar system and she was helping tag it. His injured hands were aching with the effort, though Larienne had done most of the actual work. He started toward his room, and then, on another thought, turned into the dispensary. Franklan he knew better than anyone except Larienne, and he might get a fresh viewpoint from him. * * * * *