“All right,” Kennon growled. “Lani or human, who cares? But do you have to break into a man’s bedroom and wake him in the middle of the night?” “I didn’t break in,” she said, “and it isn’t the middle of the night. It’s morning.” “All right--so it’s morning and you didn’t break in. Then how in Halstead’s sacred name did you get here?” “I sleep next door,” she said jerking a thumb in the direction of an open door in the side wall. “I’ve been there ever since you dismissed me last night,” she explained. The explanation left Kennon cold. The old cliche about doing as the Santosians do flicked through his mind. Well, perhaps he would in time--but not yet. The habits of a lifetime couldn’t be overturned overnight. “Now you have awakened me,” he said, “perhaps you’ll get out of here.” “Why?” “I want to get dressed.” “I’ll help you.” “You will not! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’ve been dressing myself for years. I’m not used to people helping me.” “My--what a strange world you must come from. Haven’t you ever had a Lani before?” “No.” “You poor man.” Her voice was curiously pitying. “No one to make you feel like the gods. No one to serve you. No one to even scrub your back.” “That’s enough,” Kennon said. “I can scrub my own back.” “How?--you can’t reach it.” Kennon groaned. “Weren’t there any Lani on your world?” “No.” “No wonder you left it. It must be quite primitive.” “Primitive!” Kennon’s voice was outraged. “Beta has one of the highest civilizations in the Brotherhood!” “But you don’t have Lani,” she said patiently. “So you must be primitive.” “Halstead, Fleming, and Ochsner!” Kennon swore. “Do you believe that?” “Naturally, isn’t it obvious? You can’t possibly be civilized unless you take responsibility for intelligent life other than your own race. Until you face up to your responsibilities you are merely a member of a dominant race, not a civilized one.” Kennon’s reply caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at her, and what he was about to say remained unspoken. “Out of the mouths of humanoids--” he muttered oddly. “What does that mean?” Copper asked. “Forget it,” Kennon said wildly. “Leave me alone. Go put on some clothes. You embarrass me.” “I’ll go,” Copper said, “but you’ll have to be embarrassed. Only household Lani wear cloth.” She frowned, two vertical furrows dividing her dark brows. “I’ve never understood why inhouse Lani have to be disfigured that way, but I suppose there’s some reason for it. Men seldom do anything without a reason.” Kennon shook his head. Either she was grossly ignorant, which he doubted, or she was conditioned to the eyeballs.