Birthright

“The hell you could,” said Landon. “I didn't bring you here to join my staff. You're here for an

assignment, nothing more.”

“Then why did you show me all this?” asked Nelson. “So what I ask you to do won't seem quite so unpalatable to you,” Landon replied. “At least you'll know that when Cartography makes an assignment, we've got a pretty dammed good reason.” “Well, let's have it,” said Nelson. “How many deities do I have to slaughter?” Landon responded by pressing the button on the railing, picking up the microphone, and saying: “Landon here. Spin the whole damned thing around so the Gamma Leporis system is right in front of me.” The pseudo-galaxy tilted on its axis and began spinning so quickly that Nelson felt himself being drawn hypnotically into the vortex. Millions of stars swung by almost too fast for his eyes to follow them; and then, as suddenly as it began, the movement stopped. “Very good,” said Landon. “Now put its planets on flashing blue.” A medium-sized binary just in front of the balcony was suddenly alight, surrounded by sixteen tiny flashing blue dots. “Fine,” said Landon. “Let me have every aquatic world within ten parsecs, and also the home world of the Lemm.” More tiny blue lights flashed on, blinking wildly, and Nelson saw a pattern developing. There was a ten-parsec line of worlds, a dozen in all—not counting the Gamma Leporis system—plus another that lay still five more parsecs distant. “Good,” said Landon. “Now change the home world of the Lemm to green, and let me see every aquatic world they possess.” The farthest planet became a tiny dot of unbelievably bright green, and the other twelve worlds, plus three more worlds in the Gamma Leporis system, turned red. “One last thing,” said Landon. “Show me the five closest worlds under our control.” Five white lights flashed on, all of them more than a dozen parsecs distant. “Well, Pioneer,” said Landon. “That's our problem.” “Yourproblem,” said Nelson. “It doesn't become mine until I know what you're talking about.” “It's very simple,” said the Director. “The fourth, fifth, and sixth planets in the Gamma Leporis system are entirely aquatic. Which is to say that they consist of nothing but ocean. No continents, not even an island. Same with the other twelve worlds that are flashing red.” “So?”

“The ninth and tenth planets of Gamma Leporis are quite rich in numerous natural elements that the Republic needs: iron, lead, gold, even a little uranium.” “What has one got to do with the other?” asked Nelson. “Not much, except for the Lemm,” answered Landon. “We don't know much about them, except that they're quite similar to us in one respect at least.” “And what is that?”

“They seek after Empire,” said Landon. “They've established bases, artificial islands, on the fifteen aquatic worlds in question.”