Matthew Luzon excised that section from the report. In fact, if the medical procedures hadn’t also been intended to demoralize the renegades, he would have stopped the examinations as a waste of time. The “splendid physical health” was not at issue and was not to last long in the conditions to which he intended to send them allif what Maddock had told Torkel was true: and Shepherd Howling’s unexpected demise upheld his theory. He was rubbing his hands together in pleasure when he felt the rumbling under his feet. That gave him a moment’s pause. But only a moment. Seismic activity was no proof of sentience, as Whittaker and some others claimed. It only proved that the Terraform B program had developed unforeseen problems. On the other hand, he now had plenty of proof of subversion and sabotage among the inhabitants and a premeditated homicide in the deaths of the four shanachies. He also had proof that the belief in the sentience of this rock was not at all universal.
“Braddock,” he called. The young man appeared immediately. “Find out how widespread this seismic activity is and how long it will last. I don’t want it affecting the conference time slot.”
Braddock gave him a startled look, then said an obedient “Yes, sir” and ducked away.
Matthew then turned to some of the other reports his minions had been organizing. The demographics were not what he had anticipated. The first settlers had been from mixed Eskimo-Irish, Scandinavians, Sherpans, Andean Indians, Slavs, Somalis, Afghans, and a handful or two of other inconvenient people who had had to be removed. Most of those he considered “renegades” were Eskirish, a really absurd combination in terms of melding violence and resourcefulness. Whatever had the original Intergal committee been thinking of to allow such interbreeding!
The most recent colonists, whom he had hoped would be untouched by the local superstitions, so resented their resettlement that they had been remarkably uncooperative. They would prove hostile witnesses even if they hadn’t fallen under the mass hallucination that the planet was self-aware. They were not interested in working in mines, even at the wages Matthew, in the name of Intergal, had offered: they were interested in either getting off Petaybee or, failing that, in surviving the next year. He must find out why George, Ivan, and Hans had completely ignored the possibilities in that wish. Not like them to miss an opportunity. If he’d had a little more time, he might have used the wedge to his advantage. He did have a Scotsman on hand, antagonistic or not, and Ascencionnow that she had been thoroughly bathed and properly clothedas witnesses that not all settlements believed as the people of Kilcoole did. But the time spent gathering most of these reports had been wasted. He tossed them aside and picked up the files dealing with the four recently deceased shanachies.
This was more like it. Each of them, Satok, Reilly, Soyuk, Clancy, and Shepherd Howling, had been leaders of their communities and actively trying to find the ores that Intergal knew lay below the surface of the planet. Torkel could verify that Satok had showed him rich samples. Satok had also found an ingenious way to neutralize the “mesmeritic” effect of the caves by the use of Petraseal, before his work had been sabotaged by what Matthew suspected was the deliberate planting of coo-brambles, which had not only broken through the Petraseal, but had murdered Satok as well. Clearly an attempt to discredit the technique, as well as silence its innovator.
Not that that murder had worked! Matthew grinned. That woman would be punished. And it had only proved that the metals were there, in these so-called “communion” caves. Of course, it was entirely typical of primitive peoples, or regressed ones, to designate valuable areas as somehow “taboo” to scientific study and use. But such thinking was backward and counter productive on a company facility such as this planet. Part of Matthew’s mission was to expose such cultural backwardness’ for what they were and suggest reform programs to re-educate the natives while helping the company make maximum use of the resources.
Usually he felt no personal involvement whatsoever, merely a sense of satisfaction at a mission well done. But PetaybeeTerraform Birritated him. If he had any influence at all, and he did havea nephew captaining the CISS Prometheus specificallyno matter what any one of these primitives said or did or claimed that the planet said or did, it would be mined of every ounce worth even a half credit.