“How big an increase do you expect?” Kenton looked thoughtful. “Maybe I should start increasing the size of the farm.” #251 | | |
“And warn the Denebians what we are up to?” Ransom shook his head. “You know how these things work, Kenton. Once they get wind of a big population increase they are going to start thinking. In a race neither of us would win. As yet Lubridgida is an open planet, no one up to now has wanted the trouble of developing it. Let the Denebians know of the copper and we’d have a cold war on our hands. The planet would be flooded with immigrants and no one would be any better off.” #252 | | |
Kenton nodded. There had been population races before as each power tried to build up their own people in order to claim a new world. Normally, there were so many planets that no one bothered about ownership. It was only when the world proved rich in essential minerals that rivalry stepped in. #253 | | |
“I suppose that I’ll receive enough warning so as to take care of the increase?” #254 | | |
“Yes. I can’t permit you to extend your buildings yet, but there’s nothing to prevent you stepping up production of sugar for the basic yeast plant. Also, the immigrants will bring some stores with them.” Ransom smiled as he thought of the intricate planning necessary to bring off the coup. To succeed close timing would be essential. The immigrants must arrive just prior to the case being taken to the Council and they must show enough development to satisfy the Arbitrators that the terrestrial claim was justified. He lost his smile as he thought of something. #255 | | |
“This sabotage at the farm,” he said. “Is it possible that it was caused by the Denebians?” #256 | | |
“I don’t know.” Kenton frowned as he thought about it. “I hadn’t considered it because there was no reason for them to do such a thing. But if they had news of the copper?” He stared at Ransom. “Could they have?” #257 | | |
“It fits in,” said the Commander. “First they sabotage the tobacco crop and then, perhaps later, they ruin our sugar.” He nodded, his military-trained mind already accepting as a fact that the two races were at war. “You need guards, Kenton. Above all nothing must happen to the farm. Unless you can keep in production we’ll have to postpone our claim for this planet. I’ll send to Base for a company of militia.” #258 | | |
“No.” Kenton smiled at the expression on the Commander’s thin features. “If you do that you will give the game away. No guards, Ransom, we can take care of the farm ourselves.” He hesitated. “There’s one other thing. If they wanted to sabotage our production, then why pick on tobacco? The loss of that crop can’t really hurt us. We can do without smoking if we have to. It doesn’t make sense.” #259 | | |
“The Denebians are alien,” reminded Ransom curtly. “How do we know just how they think? To them tobacco could appear as an essential to the human race. After all, almost everyone smokes and, to a non-smoking race, it could appear as if we depended on tobacco more than food.” He shrugged. “To the Devil with the reason, they did it and that’s good enough.” #260 | | |
“I won’t argue,” said Kenton. “Now about that crop. I’ll be needing a fresh supply of seed and I can’t afford to wait for it to come from Home Office. What ships are due in?” #261 | | |
“Cormack might arrive tomorrow, he’s on the Holwen-Rachi-Lubridgida circuit. The Seven Star ship should come in sometime this week and the Immishti Transportation Co. are about due. Why?” #262 | | |
“I’ll have to go begging,” explained Kenton. “I’ll catch the first ship out and do some planet-hopping until I locate some seed. When I do I’ll charter a ship and come straight back. It’ll be expensive but it will save maybe six years wait for fresh seed from Earth. You agree?” #263 | | |
“Can’t someone else go?” Ransom looked dubious. “I don’t like the idea of your leaving the farm at this time.” #264 | | |
“I’m the obvious one to go,” argued Kenton. “I can authorize the expenditure, providing you countersign it, and no one else can really be spared” #265 | | |
Ransom hesitated. As Port Authority he was legally Kenton’s superior and his permission was needed before the Controller could leave his post. Unless he had that permission Kenton would be classed as a grade one criminal guilty of sabotage by neglect. #266 | | |
“I’ll be back within a few weeks,” urged Kenton, quite aware of what was passing through the other’s mind. “It’s either that or we do without tobacco for the next few years. With the population increase you expect that isn’t going to be good. You know how important it is to keep up the morale of new immigrants, without tobacco they’re going to feel pretty low.” #267 | | |
“Maybe that’s what the Denebians did it for?” mused Ransom. He nodded. “All right, Kenton, you have my permission to leave. I’ll hold the next ship due in and save you a berth. Good enough?” #268 | | |
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Doctor Thorpe stood at the entrance to his dispensary and looked thoughtfully at the buildings before him. The farms were built on rectangular lines, the tank buildings separated by concrete paths, the whole structure clean and white with anti-spore chemicals sprayed on both paths and the concrete walls of the buildings. A man walked slowly past the little doctor, a tank on his back and a nozzle in his gloved hands. Carefully he sprayed every inch of the path before him. #271 | | |
“Respraying?” Thorpe stepped back as the mist of dissolved chemicals approached his feet. “I didn’t think it was due so soon.” #272 | | |
“Jelkson’s orders.” The man straightened and eased his back. “The whole farm has to be gone over.” #273 | | |
“Don’t let me stop you.” Thorpe sucked at his pipe as the man moved on. He smiled as Susan came towards him. “Susan! It’s good to see you. I wondered if you were going to join me for coffee.” #274 | | |
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “We’ve just finished sterilising number seven. I thought that I’d never get away.” #275 | | |
“A long job, isn’t it?” Thorpe led the way into the dispensary and, loading a percolator, switched on the heating element. “Coffee won’t take long. Sit down and rest a while, you look tired.” #276 | | |
“I feel tired.” Gratefully Susan slumped into a chair. “You know, Doc, sometimes I love this work and sometimes I hate it. I think that this must be one of those times.” She sighed, automatically patting a long strand of blonde hair back into place, and her lips pursed a little as if she were a spoiled young child getting ready to cry. #277 | | |
“You don't really mean that.” Thorpe turned as the percolator began to boil and busied himself with cups, milk and sugar. “You’re just tired from overwork. Here,” he handed her a steaming cup. “Drink this and you’ll feel better.” #278 | | |
“Thank you.” Susan reached out for the cup, smiling, then lost her smile as she saw his expression. “What’s the matter?” #279 | | |
“Your hands.” Thorpe set down the cup and took one of her long, slender hands between his own. The delicate skin was spotted with angry flecks of red. “Are they both like this?” #280 | | |
“Yes.” Disinterestedly she held them both up for inspection. #281 | | |
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“They itch a little,” she confessed. “I noticed it a little while ago.” She stared at her hands and shrugged. “It’s probably a rash of some kind from the chemicals. Jim is always telling me to wear gloves, but I keep forgetting.” #283 | | |
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“Mr. Jelkson.” Susan really did blush this time. Thorpe smiled. #285 | | |
“You were right the first time. Jim it is. I had forgotten that Jelkson had a first name.” He passed Susan her coffee and stared thoughtfully at her as he stirred his own. “You like Jelkson, don’t you?” he asked abruptly. #286 | | |
“Yes.” Susan stared defiantly at the old doctor. “I know that he isn’t very popular with the others but I think that he is a fine man. They just don’t understand him, that’s all.” #287 | | |
“And you do, of course.” Thorpe finished his coffee and reached for his pipe. “Nothing wrong in that, Susan. Jelkson is a fine man but he is too introverted. Marriage could do a lot for him.” #288 | | |
“I never said anything about that.” #289 | | |
“When an introverted man like Jelkson meets an attractive girl who takes an interest in him, then there is only one thing he can think about,” said Thorpe. “Has he asked you yet?” #290 | | |
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“He will,” promised Thorpe. “And you?” #292 | | |
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I like Jim a lot but…” #293 | | |
“Not enough to many him?” #294 | | |
“I don’t know,” she said again. “You’ve got no right to ask me.” #295 | | |
“Put it down to an old man’s curiosity,” smiled Thorpe. “After all you’re a big girl now and it’s natural for you to think of marriage. Your only trouble is deciding whom to choose. How about Perchon?” #296 | | |
“Not Perchon.” Susan shivered a little. “I don’t like him at all.” #297 | | |
“He is rather a hell-bender,” admitted Thorpe. “Most of his money goes on the girls in town and the rest in trying to win back what he’s spent at the casino. King is a married man so you can’t waste time on him. Kenton? How about Dan?” #298 | | |
“He never notices me,” said Susan. “For him I don’t exist.” #299 | | |
“No?” Thorpe shrugged. He knew better. He had seen the way the Controller stared at the young botanist when she walked past him and. he knew human nature too well to be fooled. Susan, though she denied it, must have known too. No woman could be close to a man for long without having a pretty shrewd idea of how he felt about her. #300 | | |
