Cosmo repressed a shiver. "Ingenious gadget." "Gadget?" The red-faced planter threw back his head, laughed uproariously. "You're a droll rogue, you are. I like a man with a sense of humor." He rubbed his nose, then pointed to a picture above the sofa. "Recognize her, don't you?" Cosmo saw a three dimensional photograph of a nude. Her skin was pale blue, flushed with healthy rose, her hair like molten gold. "Sofi," Cosmo said with distaste. "The Blue Venus. I should think, Bemmelman, you'd have to wait rather long for your profits." "So I do. So I do. But it's possible to harvest a yearly crop from a forest. Trees grow even slower than people. I'll show you the slave pens tomorrow. I've only the one Blue Venus, though. Unfortunately the rest have been males." Cosmo wondered why the planter had called attention to the Blue Venus. He suspected that Bemmelman was subtly trying to find out if he had learned anything from Sofi. "What do you do with the males?" he asked, prompted by something in Bemmelman's voice. "They're interesting, but they've no market value. I have them destroyed." Cosmo bit his lip. Bemmelman was a monster. He wondered what the sealed chambers held, the chambers where his spy Penang-ihtok had never been able to penetrate. "I suppose," said the planter unexpectedly; "you're curious about what I wanted with you?" Cosmo nodded. "Well sir, I could have had you killed back in the caves of the Cloud Mountains. I've had a spy among your men for some time." He paused as the Mercurian returned, deposited a tray between them. It held a silver pitcher of krudo juice, thin sandwiches, a bottle of food concentrates. "Go ahead," said Cosmo when the Mercurian had departed. He popped two of the pills into his mouth. "Where was I? Oh yes. I could have had you assassinated several times, but you've some information I want?" Cosmo's green eyes narrowed warily. "What information?" The planter leaned forward, tapped him on the knee. "That bird. The Giant Ormoo. Oh yes, I know how you escaped from the roof last night. Yes sir, and very neat, too." He beamed amiably. "I want to know where the Ormoos feed." Cosmo sat back in surprise. "Why?" "That's my secret," said the beefy planter. "Yes sir, that's my secret. But I'm a business man, Cosmo. Show me where the Ormoo feeds, and I'll make it worth your while." "Five thousand monad," Cosmo hazarded. Bemmelman didn't blink an eye. "Five thousand monad," he agreed. * * * * * Cosmo sat back, his face blank. The planter, he realized, had no more idea of paying him five thousand monad than he had of adopting him. He'd agreed to the preposterous sum too readily. Cosmo's green eyes hardened. "And suppose I refuse." "But you won't. You can't. No sir. If you refused, I'll be forced to kill you and trace the bird myself."