Page:Fantastic Volume 08 Number 01.djvu/95

 quately schooled in our history at our Martian convent—provided, of course, that you decide to join us. There are, however, two important details which I must call to your attention.

"The first is our caste system. The convents, which the various corporations have set up on Mars, have a common standard, based upon aptitude, personality and technique-achievement, that each prospective lady of the stars must attain in order to graduate. The degree to which she excels in these qualities, together with her physical qualifications, determines her classification, which in turn determines the rates she is allowed to charge for her future services.

"The second is pregnancy. Upon leaving Earth, you will be given a Farbes and Donniger contraceptor-field, guaranteed for life by its manufacturers. Keep it with you at all times. There is no excuse for any lady of the stars to suffer the ignominy of giving birth to a monster. The Earth Council has granted us, and the other corporations, the right to banish all our pregnant personnel, together with their lovers, to Polaris 2, and also has permitted us to give the planet the much more appropiate name of 'Gomorrah'.

"As soon as you leave Earth, you will be required to take bi-monthly physicals. Don't try to avoid them; I assure you that you'll be apprehended immediately. However, you'll have nothing to worry about—provided you keep your field with you at all times. Do you have any questions?"

Berenice shook her head. "No. No questions."

"Then I assume that you still wish to become a lady of the stars."

She wanted to run away, and then she remembered that she was running away. She nodded. Numbly. Miserably. "Yes," she said.

The interviewer beamed. "Splendid!" he said. "Your rating on the aptitude test was very high, and Camellias, Inc., will be delighted to welcome you into its fold"

"So you want to be a spaceman," the captain of the Perseus said. "What makes you think that stowing away on board my ship is going to help you?"

"Well," Cross said, "you can't very well take me back to Earth, so you'll have to do something with me, and I understand that most ships are short-handed." PASSAGE TO GOMORRAH