ll "I'm willing to make the effort," said Milo.

"I am too," said Wayness.

"Although I'm far from easy in my mind. What if the burner gets hungry along the way and decides to eat its lunch?"

"Then you must blow its head off. Everyone carries a gun."

"I wish I weren't such a coward," said Wayness.

"But I'll be nice to my bunter and maybe it will be nice to me."

"That's how I'd feel if I were a bunter," said Glawen.

"In fact, I might carry you far off over the hills, and keep you for a pet."

Julian frowned in displeasure, clearly deeming the remark inappropriate or even presumptuous. He surveyed Glawen through narrowed eyes.

"Small chance of that. I'd catch you up before you had trotted half a mile." He spoke with a thin smile although his voice lacked any trace of humor.

"Your escapade would earn you no applause; to the contrary."

Glawen, somewhat taken aback, made a rueful response.

"Even if I weren't a bunter, I'd like her for a pet."

Julian spoke to Wayness: "Please ignore my over gallant assistant;

his pleasantries are a trifle overfamiliar, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances are these?" asked Glawen.

"It is not particularly your affair, but I may say that Wayness and I have an understanding of long duration."

Wayness gave an uneasy laugh.

"Flux, Julian! Everything moves, everything shifts. As for Glawen, despite his grim practicality, he has a poet's soul, and you must tolerate his flights of fancy."

"I am, after all, a Clattuc," said Glawen.

"We are famous for our romantic excesses."

"I can cite a case in point," said Milo.

"I refer to the legendary Reynold Clattuc. He risked his life to save a beautiful maiden from a blizzard out on the Kaskovy Waste.

He carried her through the storm to a way station; he built fires to warm her, rubbed her hands and feet and patiently fed her hot soup and morsels of buttered toast. She ate as much as she could, then, relaxing in her chair, found herself compelled to belch, which so outraged Reynold Clattuc's sensibilities that he put her out in the snow again."

"Milo, that story is not altogether credible," said Wayness.

"She must have done something else as well," said Glawen.

"I

don't think I'd put her out for such a transitory offense."

"What do you think she did?" asked Milo.

"It's hard to say. She might have scolded him for burning the toast."

"Clearly the tradition persists," said Milo.

"It's wise to mind one's manners while dining with a Clattuc!"

"I'll be careful," said Wayness.

"I would not want Glawen to think me vulgar."

Glawen rose to his feet.

"Right now I think that I had better order the bunters made ready for tomorrow. Julian, will you be inspecting the battlefield or do you care to try your luck at Lake Dimple?"

Julian wrestled with himself. In a subdued voice he said:

"I've seen enough for the present. I'll go out to Lake Dimple."

Glawen and Milo went off to the stables. Julian watched the two cross the terrace, and gave his head a disparaging shake. He turned to Wayness.

"Romantic or not, I find that Clattuc fellow definitely objectionable. I quite resent the way he looks at you. He seems to forget that you're a Naturalist and a goodly cut above Station personnel, no matter what airs they put on. For a fact, you should put him right and quite sharply."

"Julian, I'm surprised! I thought that LPFers endorsed the classless society, with everyone marching arm in arm into the dawn of a new era."

"Up to a point. In my personal life I make very definite distinctions, which I consider to be my prerogative. I represent the highest level of the Gaean race, and I refuse to tolerate or associate with anything other than the very best--in which category I am pleased to include you."

"I also have a high opinion of myself," said Wayness.

"I too don't care to associate with lesser folk, by which I mean fools and hypocrites."

"Exactly so!" declared Julian.

"We share the same point of view!"

"There is one small difference," said Wayness.

"Our categories do not include the same people."

Julian frowned.

"Well--perhaps not. After all, we each have our own circle of acquaintances."