when half the men had been taken, charlie stedman reached for teejay and dragged her forward. "this," he said, "is the female of the species. you will notice the long hair atop her head and the twin out-thrust developments of the upper ventral region; these are the marks of distinction. and for two reasons we will demand a special price for the female.

"first, we are primarily interested in these humans for emotion. stronger garments we have, and garments which live longer. but none attain to the human emotional level. and, among the humans, the female is capable of stronger surges of emotion, perhaps because in general she is physically weaker and must compensate for it, although, from what i've seen, this particular specimen is a physical match for the others.

"second, one specific high degree of emotion is possible only when a male and a female are in one another's presence. therefore, whichever one of you owns the female can be certain of that added stimulus, and, as a consequence, certain of a more satisfactory garment from the emotional point of view. now, what am i offered?"