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Frazier cut him off with a laugh. "By force? Why should we have to use force, Orgeil? Your company is
famous for its conservatism. First they lose contact with their staff here, then they don't hear from the
`specialist' they sent in to find out what's wrong. I don't think they'll chance a third check. No, if your
Board follows true to form, they'll simply vote not to throw good money after bad. They'll roll up this
project and forget about it for a year or two, at least. By that time we'll be well established here."
"I wouldn't help you find your way to the toilet," Martine assured him.
The tall woman was smoking something that smelled like old roses. It tickled Evan's nostrils. "You'll
cooperate-what's left of you. We have our own specialists, you know. Easier to pry information out of a
person than a planet. I think enough of you is still human to respond to the right probes." She turned to
look right through Evan. "I know that enough of your friend is."
"There isn't anything you or anyone else can do that would possibly induce me to tell you the least little
thing about Prism," Martine said.
"Well, maybe you're right and I'm wrong. In that case I'm sure there's much to be learned from taking
you apart."
"You're forgetting something," Evan put in. "It doesn't matter what you do to us. You can't build anything
more elaborate than a research station on this world because Prism qualifies as Class A."
The woman's companion spoke for the first time. "What's that?" He looked anxiously over at Frazier.
"He's lying. There's nothing in the station files about a sentient native lifeform."
"There are several." Evan was thoroughly enjoying their discomfiture. "Apparently you didn't pay close
enough attention to Martine's story. She and I were repaired by natives acting from intelligence, not
instinct. They're smart, smart enough to qualify as Class A inhab-itants. You know what that means.
Class A worlds are off limits for development."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Frazier sounded bemused. "Since we've been here we've
encoun-tered nothing but the expected primitive lifeforms. Nice try, Orgell, but it won't work."
"You need proof? Who do you think did this surgery on us? Trees?"
"Maybe. Nothing about this world surprises me."
"If there are any `intelligent' lifeforms here, they'll just have to keep out of our way," the tall woman
added. "We've got a lot invested in this. Too much to be stopped by a story. For all we know you did
the repair work on each other, or it was done by your surgeons before Humula got to them. If that's the
case it'll turn up in the files when we've had time to run them all. I'll believe that a lot sooner than I'll
believe you were rebuilt by some native life-forms."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"You can't hide the existence of a new world forever. When the authorities find out what you're doing
here that'll be the end of your whole Board of Directors."
"Maybe, but that might be a hundred years down the line," Frazier responded. "Our people can deal
with it then. We won't have to worry about it. We'll have made and spent our fortunes by then and been
laid to rest."
"There's some terrific stuff in here." The tall woman's companion had turned back to the computer and
was staring at the screen. "Nothing about them yet, though."
"It'll turn up, you'll see," the woman said confidently. "They're trying to buy a little independence with a
story too crazy to be checked."
"What'll we do with them until then?" her companion asked.
Frazier leaned to his left, looked around Evan as he spoke to Winona. "Put these two up in the
observation tower. They can't cause any trouble from up there. Tomorrow we'll run 'em up to the
Sudaria. Nodaway and his people can get to work on them and we can get back to business down
here." He looked back at his prisoners. "I'd advise you not to try anything. My people are very efficient.
You can be more valuable, to us alive, and it's better than being dead. You'll be well looked after. The
smile that had greeted them earlier returned. "Nothing personal. This is just business."
"Yes." The tall woman moved closer. "We're just doing our jobs, just like you were doing yours. I'm
sure our own people will make you a very handsome offer to ensure your cooperation. It doesn't make
any difference in this lifetime who you work for, does it?"
Marline spat in her face. "No. But it does make a difference who I have to work with."
The woman slowly wiped the spittle from her cheek. "Maybe I'll get lucky. Maybe you'll keep refusing
to cooperate. Wait till you meet Nodaway. Humula was a child compared to him."
Winona stepped forward, started to herd them out. Marline called back over a shoulder.
"I won't stand for any mistreatment of the natives."
"Natives?" Frazier looked amused. "You're really going to stick to that story, aren't you?" He looked up
at the woman. "You seen any natives?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]