"The answer is very simple," Baker said. "This is a young planet, as planets go. The conditions here are just about what they were on Earth eons ago. The carbon dioxide exhaled from the interior of the planet and saturating the atmosphere is gradually being converted by the plant life--broken down, I should say, releasing free oxygen. At the present time, our oxygen content is about seven percent. Eventually, the oxygen will probably reach the level you find on the surface of the Earth--about twenty-one percent. But that should take a long time; I'm afraid none of us will be around when that point is reached. Meanwhile, our plants luxuriate in an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide. Plants, as you know, use carbon dioxide for their most essential life process--photosynthesis. But I'm sure Professor Lurie can tell you much more about that than I can." Lurie blinked embarrassedly, and looked aside at his wife, and smiled shyly. "Mr. Baker!" another voice broke in. This speaker, Baker recognized, was Harvey Flanders, definitely a dangerous type. He was a brooder; he had a slow, relentless fire in his eyes. Baker had been doubtful about him from the start; he'd had half a mind to reject his application. But as things happened, the passenger list was one couple short and so, at the last moment, he had taken Flanders and his wife. Was he going to have reason to regret what he'd done? "How do you propose to make up for this fraud you've put over on us?" Flanders was saying. "I'm sorry," Baker said. "Did you say fraud?" "Fraud," Harvey repeated bitterly. "That's a harsh word, my friend. What are you referring to?" "Dammit, those glowing talks you gave us--" "And isn't everything I told you true? Go out, I beg of you, and point out to me a single instance where I've exaggerated." "But the oxygen--" "I made no statement about oxygen," Baker said firmly. "I'm sure everyone here will corroborate that. Did I make any false claims about the atmosphere? Did I, now? No, my friend, if you will think back you will find that I said nothing about the atmosphere." "But that's what I mean," Harvey said, his voice rising in exasperation. "My good friend," Baker said gently, "if you were describing a beautiful woman, would you bother to mention that she had a mole on the sole of her foot?" "But this is something basic." "What seems basic to one person may seem merely incidental to another. Every man to his own opinion--and I assure you, my friend, you have a perfect right to yours. If you feel you were misled, then I am deeply and humbly sorry. If you don't like it here, if you think you can find something better--" "You goddamned phony, you know once you've got us here, we're at your mercy!"