Cosmo's face hardened. "Slaves aren't cattle. After Bemmelman started his slave farm he couldn't expect profits for eighteen years. He needed money, lots of money to carry on certain experiments. He was an organic chemist. He believed it possible to force humans the same way a gardener forces plants. An aging process isn't a new idea, but it took Bemmelman to find a commercial use for it."
"It fits like a glove," said the Commissioner, "but how do you know about the experiment?"
"I can tell you about the experiments," interposed Llana suddenly.
Everyone stared at her.
She bit her lip. "I'm a Terran. He—he kidnapped me, mated me with a Dawn Man as an experiment. Sofi is my daughter."
"Not a bad experiment," said the Commissioner admiringly. His eyes ran over the Blue Venus.
"That was only the beginning!" said Llana. "I found out he's got a laboratory below stairs where he's constantly experimenting with the slave children. He's obsessed with the scheme of maturing the children quicker so that he can reap faster profits. Bemmelman is a monster."
"Go on," said the Commissioner eagerly.
"He—he succeeded at last."