Adaptation, page 49 by Dallas McCord Reynolds
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stage we are producing our own."
"I'll bet," Kennedy said. "Look, any of you fellows want a real Earthside whisky? When we were crewing this expedition, why didn't we bring someone with a knowledge of distilling, brewing and such?"
Mayer snapped at him, "Jerry, you drink too much."
"The hell I do," the other said cheerfully. "Not near enough."
Barry Watson said easily, "A drink wouldn't hurt. Why're we so stiff? This is the first get-together for ten years. Jerry, you're putting on weight."
Kennedy looked down at his admittedly rounded stomach. "Don't get enough exercise," he said, then reversed the attack. "You look older. Are your taking your rejuvenation treatments?"
Barry Watson grimaced. "Sure, but I'm working under pressure. It's been one long campaign."
Kennedy passed around the drinks.
Dick Hawkins laughed. "It's been one long campaign, all right. Barry has a house as big as a castle and six or eight women in his harem."
Watson flushed, but obviously without displeasure.
Martin Gunther, of the Genoese team, cocked his head. "Harem?"
Joe Chessman said impatiently, "Man adapts to circumstances, Gunther. The wars have lost us a lot of men. Women are consequently in a surplus. If the population curve is to continue upward, it's necessary that a man serve more than one woman. Polygamy is the obvious answer."
Gunther cleared his throat smoothly, "So a man in Barry's position will have as many as eight wives, eh? You must have lost a good many men."
Watson grinned modestly. "Everybody doesn't have that many. It's according to your ability to support them, and, also, rank has its privileges. Besides, we figure it's a good idea to spread the best seed around. By mixing our blood with the Texcocan we improve the breed."
Behind him, Taller, the Tulan boy, stirred, without notice.
* * * * *
Kennedy finished off his highball and began to build another immediately. "Here we go again. The big potatoes