The newcomers, when sorted, turned out to be representatives of two rival pharmaceutical firms whose requests for interviews were allegedly somewhere in the stack of paperwork, three more hunters, four members of what seemed to be a newly formed religious cult wishing, sight unseen, to worship Petaybee, and eleven other people who claimed to believe they had long-lost family members living on the planet somewhere.
Sean sent Cita after Sinead, who came and took the hunters in tow to put them with the others she had previously captured. He told the drug representatives firmly that they would have to go through company channels for any patents on medicines. As Intergal had first terraformed and settled Petaybee, it had prior claim to any economic windfalls the planet might generate. Any credits, that is, left over from what Intergal might decide to charge the planet for what had already been done to 'improve' it up to Intergal standards - whatever they were. The religious cult and the so-called relatives required different handling.
‘There are Monaghans living over at Shannon-mouth,' Sean told the lady who had asked. 'I can send word to them that you're here and maybe they'll come to see you in a couple of weeks.’
‘Two weeks! But I only have two weeks!' she said. 'I've already taken a week of my vacation getting here.’
Sean just told her he'd do what he could, and privately decided to have a word with Whit about having Johnny Greene stop off to leave word with the Monaghans the next time he was over Shannonmouth. But with the other relative seekers listening, he didn't want to make a promise aloud.
‘Just show us the way to the hotel and we'll find our own transportation tomorrow,' said the man who was looking for the Valdez family.
‘There's no hotel,' Sean said.
‘Well, then, where are we supposed to stay?' the drug representative, Portia Porter-Pendergrass, demanded.
He took two deep breaths before answering. 'Don't you think you should have taken that up with the people who provided you transportation to the surface?’
She shrugged off what he considered a very pertinent question and answered with what he recognized as a bald-faced lie of convenience. 'They indicated there should be no problem. It's not as if we can't pay.’
‘That's not the issue,' he told her and gestured grandly around the paper-engulfed cabin. 'This,' he said, 'is the governor's mansion, if you will. The other houses are no bigger. SpaceBase is still out of commission from the quake, or I'd send you there. I'm afraid no house in Kilcoole can accommodate more than two of you at a time, and even that's going to crowd folks. It's not too cold yet though, so there're probably extra blankets enough to go round and floor space by the fire.’
‘Very well,' Portia said. Til stay with Clodagh.’
‘Not so fast,' said Bill Guthrie, from the rival drug company. 'If you stay with her, so do I.’
‘You will both stay where I tell you to,' Sean said severely. 'My niece, Buneka, isn't using her shack right now. You, Mr Guthrie, and you, Mr Valdez, can stay there. Seamus, if you wouldn't mind staying over at the Maloneys', I'll bunk Miss Porter-Pendergrass in with Moira and the kids.’
The male Rourke cousins looked very cheered at that.
‘You gentlemen', he nodded to the five men who claimed to be looking for relatives named Tsering, Romancita, Menendez, Furey and O'Dare respectively, 'can stay with Steve Margolies and Frank Metaxos. There's only the two of them with Diego gone and they've got more floor space than most because they haven't been here long enough to fill it up yet. As for you ladies,' he looked rather hopelessly into the apprehensive faces of the women who introduced themselves as Una Monaghan, Ilyana Salvatore, Dolma Chang, Susan Tsering and Furey's wife, Wild Star, 'I'll have to see.’
‘Excuse me, Governor Shongili.' Una Monaghan stuck up her hand like a schoolchild.
‘Dama?’
‘Well, it seems to me we're causing you a lot of trouble. I never meant to actually. It was just when that man suggested that I might find some of my people… Well, I'm an orphan, you see, and my family line on Terra D died out and, well, what I mean to say is, it looks like you could use help here and I am a file clerk and if it's going to be an awfully long wait well’
‘Me too,' Susan Tsering said. 'I can file too. You look like you need help with this office.’
‘I don't suppose any of you people are teachers?' Sean asked hopefully.
‘I am,' Wild Star Furey said. 'I've been company librarian on Minnehoma Station for the last nine years and I've helped Petaybean and other colonial recruits learn the basics when they come on active duty.’
Sean smiled for the first time. 'Then, ladies, I will find a place to stay myself and you may take over the gubernatorial mansion.’
There was a meow from the top of a stack of papers. 'With the help of the resident paperweight. This is Marduk. He lives here.’
‘What a nice kitty!' Una Monaghan said.
‘But Governor Shongili, what of us? When shall we, how shall we, where shall we meet with the Beneficence?' asked Sister Igneous Rock. Sean had to hand it to the white robes. They had been very patient and quiet throughout the proceedings.
‘You're the ones who should stay with Clodagh,' he decided, knowing that he was probably going to regret it.
6
Brother Granite did not have to go far to find the believers he sought. Many people were already searching for something better, something they didn't have, something to lift them out of the ordinariness of their lives, to put them in touch with greatness.
What could be greater than an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-embracing planet? Even Dr Luzon, who had been very difficult for Petaybee to convince, recognized that precept now. That was why Dr Luzon had sent him forth, to spread the news to those in need of hope.
‘Braddock, my boy, I was in error,' Dr Luzon had said from his hospital bed. 'That planet is indeed sentient. I mocked it and it rose up against me.’
‘Oh, Doctor, I'm so glad you agree,' Braddock had said with considerable relief. 'I - er - came to the same conclusion.’
‘Well, of course you did. You're a very perceptive fellow. That's why you have my trust. And you do have it, son. In fact, now that we know the truth about Petaybee, hallowed be its name, it occurs to me that our doubts may have been for a very special reason, that we may have been where we were, when we were, for a very special purpose.’
‘Protecting the Company's interests…’
A look of annoyance momentarily crossed the doctor's high brow and ascetic mouth. His expression changed so quickly that Braddock felt that the doctor had probably suffered a twinge of pain. After all, he had been severely injured in the earthquake. 'No, my boy, I mean an even higher purpose. We were doubters and we were made to believe in the positive force of Petaybee. I see now that we were put on the spot as witnesses. It is our duty now to go forth among other worlds and spread this news to others. Indeed, it is up to us to make sure that others are able to contact Petaybee and Petaybee can expand its influence beyond those few insular settlers we met.’
‘But, sir, I didn't get the impression that any more people were wanted.’
‘Not by the settlers, perhaps. They wish to keep the wonder to themselves, to have Petaybee serve them alone. As for the planet, because its people are selfish, it has had little opportunity to expand its influence to others. That is our purpose.’
‘Ours, sir?’