Free The Winds of Altair by Ben Bova Page B

send Foy and the entire staff of scientists and students back to Earth in penniless disgrace.
    "Intelligent or not," Jeff insisted, "the animal was dead meat."
    She recoiled in horror.
    "It could not have been intelligent," Bishop Foy said, suddenly on Jeff's side. "We've scanned the planet thoroughly. There is no sign of artificial habitats, no villages, no artifacts of any sort."
    "It's a big world down there," Dr. Peterson murmured. "Plenty of room for surprises."
    Foy shook his head stubbornly.
    "I wonder," Peterson added, "if a ship like this had orbited Earth a hundred thousand years ago, if it would have detected any sign at all of the human race. Yet human beings lived on Earth then—without villages or artificial habitats."
    The Bishop grimaced at him, then turned back to Jeff. "Don't you fall into the error, young man, of thinking that you are indispensable to this project."
    The thought had never occurred to Jeff. But now that Bishop Foy mentioned it, Jeff realized that no one else had been able to establish contact with any of the animals down there and perhaps he was important.
    "Jeff may not be indispensable," Dr. Carbo said, his voice even softer than normal with weariness, "but that wolfcat is."
    "Eh? What?"
    "It's the only living animal we have with a probe in its skull. If we lose it, we have to start all over again from the beginning."
    "Or give up," Amanda whispered.
    Foy ignored her.
    Dr. Ferris, somewhat more calmly, leaned forward slightly in her chair and said in an almost pleading tone, "Now, I know it must be very difficult to handle this wolfcat . . ."
    Jeff was tempted to tell her, No it isn't; it's fun. But he held his tongue as the ethicist continued.
    "If there is an intelligent species on Altair VI, we must know about it as soon as possible. It would mean that we are not allowed to colonize the planet. It would be a violation of one of the Bureau's most fundamental laws if we despoiled such a world and extinguished an intelligent species."
    "They are not intelligent!" Bishop Foy repeated, his voice harsh with impatience.
    "But they might be trainable," said Dr. Peterson, with an easy smile on his weather-beaten face. "They might be more valuable to us as . . ." he hesitated, glancing at the ethicist, ". . . as helpers, than the wolfcats. We've got to find out more about them."
    Carbo, Amanda, and Dr. Ferris nodded as one.
    "We will," Foy snapped. To Jeff, he said, "And I want you to remember, young man, that you are a member of this Village—not a wild beast of prey. You are valuable to this community only insofar as you can control that animal and make it do as we wish. If you cannot control it, or if you refuse to control it, we will find someone else who can and will. Is that clear?"
    "Yessir," Jeff said, suddenly afraid that they would take Crown away from him.
    "Very well then," Foy sank back in his chair. Its high back dwarfed his tiny form. "Continue your work. And may God grant you success."
    Jeff murmured an Amen, and he thought he saw Dr. Ferris' lips move also. If she's a Believer, Jeff wondered, would she ever be able to take the government's side against the Church?
    Once they were back in the curving corridor outside Bishop Foy's office, Jeff stammered to Amanda, "It's, uh, kind of late. I . . . I guess I'd better get back to my dorm."
    She looked relieved. "Okay, Jeff. I understand. Make sure you get a good meal into you, though."
    "The best the cafeteria can whip up," he promised.
    Dr. Carbo came up beside her and said to Jeff, "I want you at the lab a half-hour before local dawn, down there on the beach. Check the central computer and set your alarm accordingly."
    "Right," said Jeff.
    As he started off toward the students' cluster of domes, reluctantly leaving Amanda behind, he heard her say to Carbo, "I've got a couple of real steaks in the cooker. You hungry?"
    Jeff hurried away before he could hear Dr. Carbo's answer.

CHAPTER 7

    Pain!
    Pain so strong, so shocking, like