Birthright

“And if they're not?”

“Well,” said Landon with the trace of a grim smile about his lips, “if it comes down to cases, I would imagine Man can make a depth charge every bit as powerful as the Lemm's, wouldn't you?” Nelson nodded vigorously.

3: THE MINERS

...It was during the period of 370-390 G.E., that the Federation of Miners made its first tentative steps toward a position of fiscal and political power under the bold and visionary leadership of Jerim Coleman, a young legal student who took the cause of the miners as his own. Coleman, a deeply moral and religious man, was responsible for the heroic stands taken by the downtrodden miners of five major outworlds, including...

—Man: Twelve Millennia of Achievement ...Coleman, who reached the pinnacle of his power around the turn of the fifth century (G.E.), demonstrated all that was most distasteful in Man during the period of his greatest galactic expansion. Unyielding, uncompromising, he single-handedly accounted for the deaths of more than five thousand members of his own species, as well as... —Origin and History of the Sentient Races , Vol. 7

Coleman was met at the door by a Butterball. This was not totally unexpected. He knew that the miners usually made alliances with the native life forms, occasionally because of mutual need, more often from sheer loneliness and boredom. And he also knew enough to remain where he was until one of the miners showed up. Any species that could call Gamma Leporis IX—with its bitter cold, raging winds, dust storms, and oppressive gravity—homehad to be pretty tough customers if aroused. The Butterball emitted an ear-piercing hoot, and a moment later one of the miners opened the door. “What's up, Ferdinand?” asked the grizzled man. Then his eyes fell on Coleman. “You the man from the Federation?”

Coleman nodded.

“Well, come on in,” said the miner. “Don't mind Ferdy here. He's pretty docile, all things considered.” Coleman followed the man into the large auditorium. Most of the seats were filled. He estimated the crowd at 350, which was not a bad turnout, given a world population of 422. He walked immediately to the dais, laid his briefcase out on the podium, withdrew a sheaf of papers, and gratefully noted a cup of hot coffee on the shelf directly beneath the slanted board that was meant to hold his papers, but would doubtless end up supporting his elbows instead. He considered taking his coat off, but decided to wait until he felt just a bit warmer.

He took a sip of the coffee, checked the microphone, and faced his audience. “Gentlemen,” he said, and waited for the various conversations to subside. “I'm pleased to see such a good turnout. I'm glad you felt this meeting was important enough to leave your videos.” He had hoped