Sprague de Camp's New Anthology

This time Lawrence had not gotten very far in his campaign, however, when the doorbell rang again. Licia bounced out of her chair to answer it. Lawrence heard:

"But surely, come in, Mr. Koskelainen; we've been expecting you. Oh, Pai!"

Ferreira's goatee swam into view to meet the new arrival, and the voice of the chairman of the Finance Committee said: "A great pleasure, Sir Erik. This is my wife, and my youngest daughter Licia. And this is Dr. Lawrence, who works with Dr. Schmidt on his ecological survey project at the Institute."

The conquerer of far planets shot out a hand of long fingers taut with latent strength to seize Lawrence's hand and wring it—not quite hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to suggest that they could crush if they wanted to.

He was really a most impressive figure, Lawrence admitted to himself with a pang of envy; tall, broad-shouldered and slim-waisted, with light hair combined with wide cheek-bones and flattish features that gave him a slightly Mongoloid look, but still handsome by conventional standards. The man seemed to be at that delightfully indeterminate age when one is old enough to have had a past and still young enough to have a future. His clothes were the height of something or other, beginning with a red-lined Hollywood cape thrown back over one shoulder.

Jeepers, thought Lawrence, my worst fears are realised.

Here. Lawrence was, a perfectly ordinary-looking young man, forced to compete with this exhibitionistic hero. Maybe he ought to cultivate some deliberate eccentricity of appearance or behaviour, such as growing a beard or keeping a pet ostrich, to lift the curse of his commonplaceness.

Piercing eyes bored into his, and Koskelainen boomed: "Why, I know you by reputation, Dr. Lawrence!"

"Me?" Greg Lawrence had hardly thought of himself as yet having a reputation he could be known by.

"Certainly. Didn't you do that excellent report on the balance between earthworms and soil bacteria in the Philippine Islands?"

"Y-yes, I suppose so."

"Well, then?" Koskelainen clapped Lawrence lightly on the shoulder. "Of course I know all you fellows are geniuses or you couldn't get in here in the first place. Don't look cross; I'm not being sarcastic. I know a sound grasp of a subject when I see it, and why shouldn't you recognise your own worth? I envy you, you know; I'm no genius. I've just had a run of luck and the knack of handling men in tight places. How'd you like to go with me some time?" The visitor emphasised his points with graceful movements of his finger-tips.

A little overwhelmed by this flow of talk, Lawrence could only say: "Huh?"

"Sure. You know that project of mine? The thing I'm really here about? It's to persuade Dr. Ferreira and his colleagues to set up a complete biological survey of Ganesha. Never been done. We'd go in three or four teams, each of which would need at least one good ecologist. Sounds' to me as if you'd be the kind I'd want; young, healthy, good reflexes, devoted to the job, and with a solid grasp of his speciality. The pay would be right, too. Of course, there'd be some risk in a wild world like Ganesha, but I know a man of your type wouldn't let that deter him."