We touched down a few hundred yards from my prospecting camp which was located at the edge of the two-hundred-mile plain. Daphne stowed the girls in their rooms like so many playthings, and the faceless captain announced that the ramp was down.

At the first smell of the hot, humid, over-rich air, the Major rared back his head and said, "I like it!"

I had forgotten the rather exhilarating effect of the high-oxygen content. Coupled with the low-gravity, Tigursh II induced a mild euphoria on its human visitors. My planet was small and dense, and the rapid rotation—once every seven and a half hours—made for violent, capricious air currents and weather.

"I'll hike over to the compound and check on my crew," I told Daphne as the three of us bounced down the ramp.

"Don't bother," he said imperiously. "We passed them on the way in. Meant to tell you. I've been checking on them. You've got a nice thorium deposit, but it's a mile under that mud down there in the jungle." He waved carelessly to the south.

"You what?" I said incredulously.

"They were dissatisfied," Daphne said. "I gave them a furlough with pay. Like to have a place to myself, y'know."

"What goddam right did you have to—"

"Right?" He rolled the word around in his mouth as if it were a brand new concept. Then he chuckled. "Quit crying. They wanted off. I sent my ship after them. Saved you a hunk of cash. Hauled their samples back, too."

When I failed to respond he continued, "Let's not spoil the trip over it. Tell you what. I'll buy the mineral rights from you. How's that?"

"For a cold billion dollars," I said without thinking. He didn't bat a lash.

"Throw in the exclusive hunting rights and it's a deal," he said.

"She's yours to the core," I said quickly, "minerals, animals and vegetables." The cost of mining the thorium was completely beyond my means and my previous efforts to sell the whole planet had met with offers of less than a tenth of this amount.

He tilted his head back to glance at Annellica. "Get that? Easy to remember. A round billy for the parcel." She nodded, and he turned back to me. "Congratulations, Frost. Now you're a billionaire. Let's eat. I'm hungry."

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