Shassa to the rest of the village—fitted in well, better than any Terran had until his coming. Grady had spent most of his life living in odd places and with strange people; and had come to the conclusion that it was always a good idea to be a conservative by local standards. He could recall, quite clearly, the day he had found what was left of Steynert, who had tried to change the dietary habits of the inhabitants of Kree.

By comparison with the Kree, the Kya were an easy people to get along with. Their lives were not hard, since Pru'ut was a fertile world, and full of food sources. The Kya farmed their garden patches, fished, and hunted, and spent the remaining time gathering plants for Grady and reciting endless and complex genealogies. Grady paid for the plants with goods from the trade warehouse, and listened gravely to the genealogies, making mental notes whenever anything was mentioned that might be of practical use. He did not consider himself as a collector of scientific information; he was a practical man, and he selected information for practical ends.

Shallra was the best wife he had ever had, and Grady had lived on several worlds. She spoke little, and when she did, it was direct and to the point. She was affectionate, but, like most Kya, undemonstrative. She had been brought up to consider that males were equals, but that certain male privileges, such as the lodge magics and the use of horn pipes, were inviolable. Grady had lived on one world where men were considered very much superior to women, and had found that the attitudes which result are not as pleasant as they might seem. And lastly, Shallra was probably the best cook on Pru'ut, if not the best on several worlds.

The Kya generally liked and trusted Grady, and, after two years, he was almost one of them. Standing on the agency porch, in the weak sunlight, he seemed to have acquired the same yellowish skin and lean face, and he was dressed in the same loose kilt. Shallra came out to stand beside him, and they looked like any other Kya.

"The sun," she said gravely. "There will be a dance tonight."

Grady nodded. "Like to see it," he said. "The dance, I mean."

"It is for men," Shallra said. "Koor," she pointed at the sun, "is a god belonging to men. The women dance when the sky clears in the night."

"Men's dance, eh?" Grady said, sucking on his pipe. "You're probably right about it being all right for me to go. But I'd better check with the Chief 

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