Part 16 (2/2)

The kerit sprang at him.

Las.h.i.+ng its front claws to the mesh, it clung to the metal, glaring viciously at him from the level of his waist. Balancing on huge, muscular back legs, it was suddenly twice its height. Its mouth opened soundlessly, showing two rows of small, sharp, even teeth. Seizing his shoulder, Rhani dragged Dana back from the fence. A man in a white hooded jumpsuit came racing down the lane toward them, brandis.h.i.+ng a stun gun. Rhani said, ”Stay still. If they care to, kerits have been known to climb the fence.”

But this kerit was smart, or else it had been stunned before. It dropped to all fours, and sped, with a curious rocking waddle, back to the mouth of its tunnel. It popped in. Rhani, Erith Allogonga, and the slave relaxed. Rhani said, ”Now the breedery.”

On the way to the other building, she touched Dana's arm. ”I did the same thing,” she said, ”the first time I saw one.”

At the entrance to the breedery, Erith Allogonga dismissed both the a.s.sistant manager and the section manager. ”I'm running _this_ tour.” She smiled as she walked in. She said to Rhani, ”I have to be very careful; I'm always reminding myself I'm not the manager of only this section any more.”

They walked through a pair of automatic sliding doors. Floor-to-ceiling, wire-mesh cages lined the walls of a big room. It was hot. All the other buildings had been cool. Erith Allogonga remarked, ”The breedery is kept to approximately the temperature of the inside of the kerit burrows.” The room smelled like the kerit runs. In a corner of the nearest cage lay a huge, white- furred kerit, sleeping. On top of, around, and possibly under her lay small, furry bundles, gray and white, teeth and claws glinting through their fur. Dana counted thirteen of them. Erith Allogonga said, ”After birth, we have to drug them. During birth, they're undrugged; drugged females birth dead kits. But if we leave them undrugged, they turn on the handlers. They do anyway.” She held her arms out. Dana stared at the crossed weals patterning her arms.

Involuntarily, he glanced again at the peacefully sleeping kits.

”What happens to them all?” he asked.

”The non-breeding males are put in separate runs until they reach p.u.b.erty. Their skins are perfect then. They're killed and skinned. Males kept for breeding go in with the packs. The imperfect females are culled out right away and killed. They can't be kept anywhere that they can smell the packs, or they tunnel to reach them. The males' claws are small; they rarely tunnel. As the females come into heat, they grow aggressive. Eventually they kill the males. We bring the pregnant females here a week before their time. These kits were born eight days ago. In another five, the mother and the female kits can rejoin the pack. Other females don't attack nursing females or the kits. We control the breeding cycle; the kerits' hormone balance is dependent upon diet.

Fertility and aggression are controlled by the amount of meat they eat. When breeding, they fight for s.p.a.ce, or food, or just for temper. They're born fighting.”

Rhani said, ”They're vicious little beasts.”

”Horrible,” said Erith Allogonga.

They entered the office through a back door. In a small room, Erith Allogonga produced a pitcher from a cooler, and two gla.s.ses. She poured wine for Rhani and for herself. Rhani gestured to Dana. He found a third gla.s.s, and filled it from the pitcher. The manager would serve Rhani Yago but not her slave; it was a perfect and impersonal example of the automatic Chabadese hierarchy.

Voices mingled in the outer office, where the secretary sat. Erith Allogonga said, ”Domna, that's the tour.”

Rhani c.o.c.ked her head to listen. ”They sound angry.”

”They probably are. Since the litter deaths we've been keeping the tours out of the breedery, fearing some kind of contamination. The report from Enchanter came yesterday. I forgot to change the rule.” She opened the inner office door.

”We were told we could see everything!” said an irate male voice. ”What kind of a cheap place is this?”

The secretary answered in measured tones. ”This isn't a tourist attraction. This is a factory. We produce a product. We reserve the right to limit access to parts of the plant when we feel that outsiders might interfere with the manufacturing process.”

Dana saw Rhani nod in admiration. ”Perfect,” she said.

There was a moment's confused babble. The man muttered about a runaround.

”That's right,” a woman shrilled aggressively, ”When my sister was here last year, she saw the babies. They were all in cages. She said they looked darling.

I want to see them.”

A rising clamor of voices supported her. ”Tourists,” said the manager.

She rolled her eyes upwards. ”I'd better go out there.” She slid open the door.

Rhani beckoned to Dana. They followed her. The outer office was crowded with people dressed in bright, flimsy gowns, holding sunshades, and parasols. They looked hot and tired; a few looked green from the bubble flight, or perhaps from the smell. Calmly, Erith Allogonga said, ”I'm sorry. The breedery section of the farm is not open to visitors at the moment.”

A thin, sallow woman with a taut mouth said, ”Who are you?” She glared with suspicion at the manager. It was she who had spoken before.

”My name is Erith Allogonga. I am the manager of the Yago Kerit Farm.”

”And who are they?” The woman transferred her gaze to Rhani and Dana.

”_Important people_, that's for sure. If _you're_ the manager, how come you aren't out here, greeting your guests, instead of leaving us to talk to -- to some ex-criminal!”

Someone gasped. The room fell silent as Marisa started to rise, her face bloodless with fury. Erith Allogonga put a hand on her arm.

The woman looked at Rhani. ”I bet _you_ saw the babies!” she said.

Rhani said, ”That's right.”

”How come you can go where we can't?”

Rhani said, unsmiling, ”Abanat Production Quality Control Inspection Bureau. We can go anywhere.”

The sallow woman opened her mouth and shut it again. She said, ”But my sister -- ”

”One time has nothing to do with another,” said Rhani. ”The manager is perfectly correct in refusing you entrance.” ”But why?”

”I'm afraid she doesn't have to tell you that. Neither do I. However, you may rest a.s.sured, the original reports of contamination are definitely false.”

The tourists all took one step backward toward the door. ”Contamination?”

quavered one. ”What reports?”

The original speaker said, ”I can live without seeing the babies.”

”I can live without seeing anything.”

”I want to leave. This is my holiday, I didn't come here to get sick.”

The sallow woman said, furiously, to Rhani, ”We should have been warned!

I'm going to report this! What's your name?”

Rhani said, ”Irene Sokol.”

The office emptied. As they streamed toward the hangar, Dana could hear the shrill voice in the midst of the other tourists, talking about her sister.

Marisa broke the awed silence. ”Thank you, Domna.” She was smiling, her face its normal color. Erith Allogonga began to laugh resoundingly. Dana remembered the woman's incredulous expression. He grinned. The grin became a chuckle. Rhani smiled. Finally they all broke up, leaning on the desk and shelves and on the computer, sweating, howling.

They stayed at the kerit farm for lunch.

Erith Allogonga pointed out: ”Domna, it's near noon, and the flight back to Abanat is a two-hour flight. Wait till the heat has pa.s.sed.” Rhani agreed.

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