“I very much doubt that,” Matthew Luzon said, smiling unctuously. “When I arrived, all of the Shepherd’s flock were exclaiming about the monster they had found and were preparing to burn it over an open fire. I didn’t see the beast myself, but I was naturally trying to prevail upon the Shepherd to allow me to study it rather than destroy it, to take it back to the laboratory and run some tests. Since Dr. Shongili’s wound corresponds with that of the beast, I’d say he has some explaining to do.”
“I’d say you had more, Dr. Luzon,” Yana said in a voice so cold it made Johnny shiver, “for I’m reasonably certain you would know the paragraphs in Collective Interplanetary Societies’ regulationswhich apply to Intergal as well as the rest of inhabited spaceabout forced or child marriages.”
“But, Major Maddock, all during her return trip to her home here in the Vale of Tears, Goat-dung”
“Phah!” Sean exploded.
“The child,” Matthew went on, “told me how happy she was to be coming home to such an auspicious marriage.”
“How many wives have you at the moment, Shepherd Howling?” Yana demanded.
“‘Cita mentioned five,” Sean said icily. “Also against the customs of this planet which do not, to the best of my knowledge, sanction polygamy.”
“Now now, Dr. Shongili. We mustn’t be ethnocentric,” Matthew said with his smile still in place. “We must allow religious communities their own mores and folk ways and rites, however strange they may seem to us.”
“Not with my niece,” Sean said.
“And how can you prove that you are her uncle?” Matthew demanded.
“Hell, man, that’s so obvious, it’s the stupidest question you’ve asked so far,” Diego Metaxos said, sputtering in his rage and turning the LD-404 in the Shepherd’sand Matthew Luzon’sdirection.
“Young man,” Matthew began, “you are in grave danger of”
“Let’s save the talk for a more appropriate time,” Yana said, noticing Sean beginning to sway with fatigue and pain. “Captain Greene came to collect you, Dr. Luzon, so we’ll do just that and leave these people to sort their sordid little folk ways by themselves in what ever way they care to, so long as it doesn’t involve Dr. Shongili or his niece or any of the rest of us, for that matter.”
Matthew Luzon turned his back on her to appeal to the Shepherd, who was swelling with righteous indignation and anger. “Shepherd, you can see what the investigation is up against. These people all justify each other’s views, and no dissenting voice is allowed to be heard. If only you would appoint an apostle to lead your people while you come with me and speak to the commission on your views of the effects this planet has on people, justice would be far better served.”
The Shepherd’s eyes widened with interest, and he nodded as Matthew spoke.
Johnny Greene cut them off short. “If you think I’m bringing that one back in the same plane with that little girl, Dr. Luzon, I’d think again very carefully,” Johnny said. “Not to mention the fact that we’d be grossly overloaded for the fuel I have on board.”
“You can refuel at Bogota, man.” Matthew snapped back, “and you know it as well as I do.”
“I have a wounded man, Dr. Luzon, which requires me to take the straightest route back north.” Johnny jerked his head at Yana and Diego to help Sean back to the copter. “So this captain limits his passengers to those in jeopardy and those he originally ferried over. You, of course, are one, sir, but I can’t authorize another passenger. So if you don’t care to join this flight, Dr. Luzon, I’ll be happy to request that other transport collect you, and your guest, ASAP!”
“Why, you …” Luzon’s eyes sparked with suppressed anger.
“Captain Greene, sir, yes, sir, attached to the exclusive service of Dr. Whittaker Fiske, sir.” Johnny held the eye contact.
Suddenly, suspiciously, Luzon capitulated, saying in a deceptively pleasant tone of voice, “Then, as soon as you are airborne, you will contact SpaceBase and request the immediate departure of a copter to collect myself, my assistant, and my guest. Is that plain? Any delay in the dispatch of that request will be a matter of record and dealt with appropriately. Do I make myself clear to you, Captain Greene, in the servicefor the time being, that isof Dr. Fiske?”