F. L. Wallace

“ Marin conferred with the executive, outlined the problem as he saw it and his ideas on what could be done to combat the nuisance.
"But we can't build another warehouse," argued Hafner. "Not until the atomic generator is set up, at any rate. And then we'll have other uses for the power." The executive rested his head in his hands. "I like the other solution better. Build one and see how it works."
"I was thinking of three," said the biologist.
"One," Hafner insisted. "We can't spare the equipment until we know how it works." ”

“ It had been a difficult job, yet Marin had done it well, for the dogs had lost none of their skill and speed in growing to the size of a great dane.
The rats moved in on the fields of fast crops. Fast crops were made to order for a colonial world. They could be planted, grown, and harvested in a matter of weeks. After four such plantings, the fertility of the soil was destroyed, but that meant nothing in the early years of a colonial planet, for land was plentiful.
The rat tide grew in the fast crops, and the dogs were loosed on the rats. They ranged through the fields, hunting. ”

“ Maybe we are, thought the biologist. He said, "The point is that survival was difficult. Birds could and did fly to more suitable climates; quite a few of them survived. Only one species of mammals managed to come through."
"Your facts are not straight," observed Hafner. "There are four species, ranging in size from a squirrel to a water buffalo."
"One species," Marin repeated doggedly. "They're the same. If the food supply for the largest animal increases, some of the smaller so-called species grow up. ”

“ Marin suggested.
The executive smiled nastily. "You weren't here when we opened the doors. The warehouse was swarming with rats. How many robot cats would we need—five, fifteen? I don't know. Anyway the engineer tells me we have enough parts to build three more cats. The one lying there can't be salvaged."
It didn't take an engineer to see that, thought Marin.
Hafner continued, "If we need more, we'll have to rob the computer in the spaceship. I refuse to permit that."
Obviously he would. The spaceship was the only link with Earth until the next expedition brought more colonists. ”

“ The rats won't disappear merely because tigers have showed up."
The head drooped limply over his arm and blood seeped into his clothing as Hafner followed him up the hill.
"We've been here three months," the exec said suddenly. "The dogs have been in the fields only two. And yet the tiger was mature. How do you account for something like that?"
Marin bent under the weight of the dog. Hafner never would understand his bewilderment. As a biologist, all his categories were upset. What did evolution explain? It was a history of organic life on a particular world. ”

“ What was poisonous to an animal he had never seen and knew nothing about? According to Biological Survey, the animal didn't exist.
It was unexpectedly serious. The colony could live off the land, and was expected to. But another group of colonists was due in three years. The colony was supposed to accumulate a surplus of food to feed the increased numbers. If they couldn't store the food they grew any better than the concentrates, that surplus was going to be scanty.
Marin went over the warehouse thoroughly. It was the usual early construction on a colonial world. ”

“ We'll post a guard armed with decharged rifles until we can move the food into the new warehouse. That'll take about ten days. Meanwhile, our fast crops are ripening. It's my guess the rats will turn to them for food. In order to protect our future food supply, you'll have to activate your animals."
The biologist started. "But it's against regulations to loose any animal on a planet until a complete investigation of the possible ill effects is made." ”

“ Birth was simple; it occurred on countless planets. Meek grazing creatures, fierce carnivores—the most unlikely animals gave birth to their young. It happened all the time. And the young grew up, became mature and mated. ”

“ He explained it carefully to Hafner. "If the survival factor is high and there's a great disparity in size, the young need not ever be young. They may be born as fully functioning adults!"
lthough not at the rate it had initially set, the colony progressed. The fast crops were slowed down and a more diversified selection was planted. New buildings were constructed and the supplies that were stored in them were spread out thin, for easy inspection.
The pups survived and within a year shot up to maturity. After proper training, they were released to the fields where they joined the older dogs. ”

“ The executive was a man who regarded a schedule as something to be exceeded.
"The omnivore—" began Marin.
Hafner nodded impatiently. "Work on it," he said, and walked away.
The biologist sighed. The omnivore really was a queer little creature, but it was by no means the most important thing on Glade. For instance, why were there so few species of land animals on the planet? No reptiles, numerous birds, and only four kinds of mammals.
Every comparable planet teemed with a wild variety of life. Glade, in spite of seemingly ideal conditions, hadn't developed. Why? ”

“ They stood over the animal Hafner had killed. Except for the lack of markings, it was a good imitation of a tiger. The exec prodded it with his toe.
"We chase the rats out of the warehouse and they go to the fields," he muttered. "We hunt them down in the fields with dogs and they breed tigers."
"Easier than rats," said Marin. "We can shoot tigers." ”

“ The biologist nodded. "Not bad, except there shouldn't be any mice here. Biological Survey—"
"Forget it," said the exec. "Everybody makes mistakes, even B. S." He leaned back and looked seriously at the biologist. "I have a job I need done. Just now I'm short of men. If you have no objections...."
The exec was always short of men, would be until the planet was overcrowded, and he would try to find someone to do the work his own men should have done. Dano Marin was not directly responsible to Hafner ”

“ They have to in order to correlate the pattern with the actual animal, otherwise the neural pattern would be merely a meaningless squiggle on a microfilm.
"The survey shows that this animal is one of only four species of mammals on the planet. It is also the most numerous."
Hafner grunted. "So if we kill them off here, others will swarm in from surrounding areas?" ”

“ The biologist was effectively countermanded. Another rabbit-infested Australia or the planet that the snails took over might be in the making, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"I hardly think they'll be of any use against rats this size," he protested.
"You've got hormones. Apply them." The executive turned and began discussing construction with the engineer. ”