never seen anyone so frankly predatory,” Kennon said. “She worries me.”
“They’ll all be gone tomorrow—except for Eloise,” Alexander said with mock comfort. “Douglas is on the Otpens for a year, and the others are off somewhere.”
“You’ll be staying, I suppose.”
“No—I’m afraid I can’t.”
“I hoped you’d help me get organized. This whole thing has been something of a shock. I was expecting something entirely different.”
“Sorry—someone has to run the business. But Blalok’ll brief you. Actually he’s more qualified than I. He knows everything worth knowing about this place. We’re going past his house in a minute—want to stop in and see him?”
“It’s pretty late.”
“Not for Blalok. He’s a Mystic—a nocturnal. He’s probably doing his work now.”
“Perhaps we shouldn’t disturb him.”
“Nonsense. He’s used to it. I visit him frequently at night.”
“Sure—but you’re the boss.”
“Well—in a sense you are too. At least in the veterinary end of this business.” Alexander swung sharply to the left and climbed a short flight of stairs that led to the nearest house. Lights flared on the deep porch, and the old-fashioned iris door dilated to frame the black silhouette of a stocky, broad-shouldered man.
“Good evening, sir,” he said. “I was expecting you. That the new vet with you?”
“Your pipeline’s still working, I see,” Alexander said. “Yes, this is Dr. Kennon—Evald Blalok—I wanted you two to meet.”
Kennon liked the gray middle-aged man. He looked honest and competent, a solid quiet man with a craggy face and the deep-set eyes of a Mystic. His skin had the typical thickness and pore prominence of the dwellers on that foggy world from which he came. But unlike the natives of Myst, his skin was burned a dark brown by Kardon’s sun. He seemed out of place on this tropic world, but Kennon reflected wryly that there was probably more than one misplaced human here, himself
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