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The directorship of Rhodia is not ancient, when compared with Earth, as a habitat for Homo sapiens It is not ancient even when compared with the Centaurian or Sirian worlds The planets of Arcturus, for instance, had been settled for two hundred years when the first space ships circled the Horsehead Nebula to find the nest of hundreds of oxygen-water planets behind They clustered thickly and it was a real find, for although planets infest space, few can satisfy the cheanism

There are between one and two hundred billion radiant stars in the Galaxy A theravities more than 120 per cent that of Earth, or less than 60 per cent, and are therefore unbearable in the long run Some are too hot, some too cold Some have poisonous ately or entirely of neon, methane, ammonia, chlorine-even silicon tetrafluoride-have been recorded Some planets lack water, one with oceans of al been described Others lack carbon

Any one of these failings is sufficient, so that not one world in a hundred thousand can be lived on Yet this still leaves an estimated four million habitable worlds

The exact number of these which are actually occupied is disputable According to the Galactic Almanac, admittedly dependent on imperfect records, Rhodia was the l098th world settled by h, Tyrann, eventually Rhodia&039;s conqueror, was the 1099th

The pattern of history in the Trans-Nebular Region was distressingly si the period of development and expansion Planet republics were set up in rapid succession, each governhboring planets were colonized and integrated with the home society Small "empires" were established and these inevitably clashed

Hegeions was established by first one, then another of these govern upon the fluctuations of the fortunes of war and of leadership

Only Rhodia thy stability, under the able dynasty of the Hinriads It was perhaps well on the road to establishing finally a universal Trans-Nebular Empire in a stolid century or then the Tyranni came and did the job in ten years

Ironical that it should be thethe seven hundred years of its existence, Tyrann had done little better than ely to the undesirability of its barren landscape, which, because of a planetary water dearth, was largely desert

But even after the Tyranni carown The Hinriads were popular with the people, so their existence served as a ot the cheers as long as they themselves received the taxes

To be sure, the Directors were no longer the Hinriads of old The Directorship had always been elective within the faht be chosen Adoptions into the faed for the same purpose

But now the Tyranni could influence the elections for other reasons, and twenty years earlier, for instance, Hinrik (fifth of that name) had been chosen Director To the Tyranni, it had seemed a useful choice

Hinrik had been a handsome man at the time of his election, and he still made an impressive appearance when he addressed the Rhodian Council His hair had grayed sh, as black as his daughter&039;s eyes

At the hter, and she was furious She lacked only two inches of his height, and the Director lacked less than an inch of six feet She was a sirl, dark of hair and of eyes, and, at the ly dark of coain, "I can&039;t do it! I won&039;t do it!"

Hinrik said, "But, Arta, Arta, this is unreasonable What am I to do? What can I do? In my position, what choice have I?"

"If Mother were alive, she would find a way out" And she stamped her foot Her full name was Artemisia, a royal name that had been borne by at least one feeneration

"Yes, yes, no doubt Bless my soul! What a way your mother had with her! There are times when you seem all of her and none of iven him a chance Have you observed his-ah-better points?"

"Which are those?"

"The ones which" He gestured vaguely, thought a while and gave it up He approached her and would have put a consoling hand upon her shoulder, but she squir in the air

"I have spent an evening with hiusting!"

"But everyone kisses, dear It&039;s not as though this were your grand-less than nothing Young blood, Arta, young blood!"

"Young blood,blood in him these fifteen years has been immediately after a transfusion He&039;s four inches shorter than I amy?"

"He&039;s an important man Very ile inch to his height He is bowlegged, as they all are, and his breath smells"

"His breath smells?" Arteht; it smells It has an unpleasant odor I didn&039;t like it and I let him know it"

Hinrikdropped his jaordlessly for a moment, then said in a hoarse half whisper, "You let hih official of the Royal Court of Tyrann could have an unpleasant personal characteristic?"

"He did! I have a nose, you know! So when he got too close, I just held it and pushed A figure of man to ads sticking up" She gestured with her fingers in illustration, but it was lost on Hinrik, ith a moan, hunched his shoulders and put his hands over his face

He peered ers "What will happen no can you act so?"

"It didn&039;t do ood Do you knohat he said? Do you knohat he said? It was the last straw It was absolutely the limit I made up my mind then that I couldn&039;t stand that man if he were ten feet taIl"

"But-but-what did he say?"

"He said-straight out of a video, Father-he said, &039;Ha! A spirited wench! I like her all the better for that!&039; and two servants helped hier to his feet But he didn&039;t try to breathe in ain"

Hinrik doubled into a chair, leaned forward and regarded Arte him, couldn&039;t you? You needn&039;t be in earnest Why not merely, for the sake of political expediency-"

"How do you ers of ht?"

Hinrik looked confused "No, of course not What good would that do? Hoould crossing fingers alter the validity of the contract? Really, Arta, I&039;hed "What do you mean, then?"

"Mean by what? You see, you&039;ve disrupted things I can&039;t keep ue with ?"

"I wasRemember?"

"Oh yes I mean, you needn&039;t take it too seriously, you see"

"I can have lovers, I suppose"

Hinrik stiffened and frowned "Arta! I brought you up to be a irl So did your s? It&039;s shameful"

"But isn&039;t that what you mean? "

"I can say it I aht not to repeat it"