Brill looked pleased. This nice old boy realized the confidence of The Powers in The Company. "It hasn't been settled yet--may take months more the way they're wrangling. The Chinese don't want it to be the Dutch and the Dutch don't want the Brazilians. You know how it is. Myself, I think the government bit off more than it could chew, offering the first American built ship to whatever group the Assembly decided to send." * * * * * Dr. Farrar winced inwardly. A political discussion with Tim Daneshaw would certainly antagonize Brill if not exhaust him. "Who would you like to see go, Tim?" he veered the talk away from the errors of the present regime. "I suppose farmers would be the first choice--big scale men with experience in hydroponics, from what I know of conditions on Venus." "But the Assembly seems to be set against any group now economically favored," Brill offered the objection condescendingly, "and small farmers as a class have some sort of prejudice against any type of farming or scenery except what they grew up with." "Well, speaking purely academically, Mr. Brill, I think the Assembly could do worse than send us." "Us?" "Us old duffers. Economically speaking, we're nobodies, our local ties are the weakest, we are of no particular value to anybody except Dr. Farrar here," he waved a hand, "and we're obviously of no political danger to the Chinese or the commists or the insulars either. We're not even a bloc. But of course we wouldn't please anybody especially as colonists, either. It's only an academic suggestion, you understand." He grinned first at Brill, and at Farrar. "We couldn't put the good Jules out of a job, of course." The intercom light flashed at the same moment that the door was flung open. Dr. Warner was half-way to the desk before he noticed the other visitors. He stopped abruptly. "What is it, Doctor?" Dr. Farrar's voice was mildly reproachful. "Do you need me?" "Excuse me, Doctor. The fleet is ready for the picnic and I thought you might have some last minute ... that is ... I didn't know what plans...." Dr. Warner mumbled, confused at finding a stranger in the office. "This is Mr. Brill--Dr. Warner. Doctor, Mr. Brill's great-aunt is on our waiting list for Block Nineteen and he is concerned with our program and facilities here. Do you suppose you could take him with you on the picnic this morning?" Jeremy Brill was startled. "I don't want to be any trouble, Doctor," he said apologetically to both doctors at once. "No trouble at all, Mr. Brill," reassured Dr. Farrar. "You go with Dr. Warner here. He'll find a place in one of the limousines and you'll have a chance to talk to lots of the people your aunt would have to live with--make some judgment for yourself about all the items we were discussing. You can have Mr. Daneshaw's lunch on the picnic. He's staying here with me today." Brill bowed his thanks to Daneshaw and Dr. Farrar and rose.