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m and watched it brighten。 There was； he noticed； a boastful ring to his voice…not the suave； unemphatic tone considered proper on a message…tape。 Well； if anybody wondered why； when they played that tape off six months from now in Johannesburg on Terra； they could look in the cargo holds of the ship that had brought it across five hundred light…years of space。 Ingots of gold and platinum and gadolinium。 Furs and biochemicals and brandy。 Perfumes that defied synthetic imitation； hardwoods no plastic could copy。 Spices。 And the steel coffer full of sunstones。 Almost all luxury goods； the only really dependable modities in interstellar trade。
And he had spoken of other things。 Veldbeest meat； up seven percent from last month； twenty percent from the last year； still in demand on a dozen planets unable to produce Terran…type foodstuffs。 Grain； leather； lumber。 And he had added a dozen more items to the lengthening list of what Zarathustra could now produce in adequate quantities and no longer needed to import。 Not fishhooks and boot buckles； either…blasting explosives and propellants； contragravity…field generator parts； power tools； pharmaceuticals； synthetic textiles。 The pany didn't need to carry Zarathustra any more； Zarathustra could carry the pany； and itself。
Fifteen years ago； when the Zarathustra pany had sent him here； there had been a cluster of log and prefab huts beside an improvised landing field； almost exactly where this skyscraper now stood。 Today； Mallorysport was a city of seventy thousand； in all； the planet had a population of nearly a million； and it was still growing。 There were steel mills and chemical plants and reaction plants and machine works。 They produced all their fissionables； and had recently begun to export a little refined plutonium； they had even started producing collapsium shielding。
The recorded voice stopped。 He ran back the spool； set for sixty…speed； and transmitted it to the radio office。 In twenty minutes； a copy would be aboard the ship that would hyper out for Terra that night。 While he was finishing； his munication screen buzzed。
〃Dr。 Kellogg's screening you； Mr。 Grego；〃 the girl in the outside office told him。
He nodded。 Her hands moved； and she vanished in a polychromatic explosion； when it cleared； the chief of the Division of Scientific Study and Research was looking out of the screen instead。 Looking slightly upward at the show； back over his own screen； Victor was getting his warm； sympathetic； sincere and slightly too toothy smile on straight。
〃Hello； Leonard。 Everything going all right？〃
It either was and Leonard Kellogg wanted more credit than he deserved or it wasn't and he was trying to get somebody else blamed for it before anybody could blame him。
〃Good afternoon； Victor。〃 Just the right shade of deference about using the first name…big wheel to bigger wheel。 〃Has Nick Emmert been talking to you about the Big Blackwater project today？〃
Nick was the Federation's resident…general； on Zarathustra he was； to all intents and purposes； the Terran Federation Government。 He was also a large stockholder in the Chartered Zarathustra pany。
〃No。 Is he likely to？〃
〃Well； I wondered； Victor。 He was on my screen just now。 He says there's some adverse talk about the effect on the rainfall in the Piedmont area of Beta Continent。 He was worried about it。〃
〃Well； it would affect the rainfall。 After all； we drained half a million square miles of swamp； and the prevailing winds are from the west。 There'd be less atmospheric moisture to the east of it。 Who's talking adversely about it； and what worries Nick？〃
〃Well； Nick's afraid of the effect on public opinion on Terra。 You know how strong conservation sentiment is； everybody's very much opposed to any sort of destructive exploitation。〃
〃Good Lord！ The man doesn't call the creation of five hundred thousand square miles of new farmland destructive exploitation； does he？〃
〃Well； no； Nick doesn't call it that； of course not。 But he's concerned about some garbled story getting to Terra about our upsetting the ecological balance and causing droughts。 Fact is； I'm rather concerned myself。〃
He knew what was worrying both of them。 Emmert was afraid the Federation Colonial Office would blame him for drawing fire on them from the conservationists。 Kellogg was afraid he'd be blamed for not predicting the effects before his division endorsed the project。 As a division chief； he had advanced as far as he would in the pany hierarchy； now he was on a Red Queen's racetrack； running like hell to stay in the same place。
〃The rainfall's dropped ten percent from last year； and fifteen percent from the year before that；〃 Kellogg was saying。 〃And some non…pany people have gotten hold of it； and so have Interworld News。 Why； even some of my people are talking about ecological side…effects。 You know what will happen when a story like that gets back to Terra。 The conservation fanatics will get hold of it； and the pany'll be criticized。〃
That would hurt Leonard。 He identified himself with the pany。 It was something bigger and more powerful than he was； like God。
Victor Grego identified the pany with himself。 It was something big and powerful； like a vehicle； and he was at the controls。
〃Leonard； a little criticism won't hurt the pany；〃 he said。 〃Not where it matters； on the dividends。 I'm afraid you're too sensitive to criticism。 Where did Emmert get this story anyhow？ From your people？〃
〃No； absolutely not； Victor。 That's what worries him。 It was this man Rainsford who started it。〃
〃Rainsford？〃
〃Dr。 Bennett Rainsford； the naturalist。 Institute of Xeno…Sciences。 I never trusted any of those people； they always poke their noses into things； and the Institute always reports their findings to the Colonial Office。〃
〃I know who you mean now； little fellow with red whiskers； always looks as though he'd been sleeping in his clothes。 Why； of course the Xeno…Sciences people poke their noses into things； and of course they report their findings to the government。〃 He was beginning to lose patience。 〃I don't see what all this is about； Leonard。 This man Rainsford just made a routine observation of meteorological effects。 I suggest you have your meteorologists check it； and if it's correct pass it on to the news services along with your other scientific findings。〃
〃Nick Emmert thinks Rainsford is a Federation undercover agent。〃
That made him laugh。 Of course there were undercover agents on Zarathustra； hundreds of them。 The pany had people here checking on him； he knew and accepted that。 So did the big stockholders； like Interstellar Explorations and the Banking Cartel and Terra…Baldur…Marduk Spacelines。 Nick Emmert had his corps of spies and stool pigeons； and the Terran Federation had people here watching both him and Emmert。 Rainsford could be a Federation agent…a roving naturalist would have a wonderful cover occupation。 But this Big Blackwater business was so utterly silly。 Nick Emmert had too much graft on his conscience； it was too bad that overloaded consciences couldn't blow fuses。
〃Suppose he is； Leonard。 What cou