afner seemed to guess his thoughts. "At night we'll floodlight the supplies we remove from the warehouse. 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."
"That takes ten or twenty years. This is an emergency and I'll be responsible—in writing, if you want."
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.
