“Do you think he’s gotten any report off to the Institute of Xeno-Sciences yet?”

Kellogg shook his head.  “I think he wants to trick some of our people into supporting his sapience claims; at least, corroborating his and Holloway’s alleged observations.  That’s why I’ll have to get over to Beta as soon as possible.”

By now, Kellogg had managed to convince himself that going over to Beta had been his idea all along.  Probably also convincing himself that Rainsford’s report was nothing but a pack of lies.  Well, if he could work better that way, that was his business.

“He will, before long, if he isn’t stopped.  And a year from now, there’ll be a small army of investigators here from Terra.  By that time, you should have both Rainsford and Holloway thoroughly discredited.  Leonard, you get those Fuzzies away from Holloway and I’ll personally guarantee they won’t be available for investigation by then.  Fuzzies,” he said reflectively.  “Fur-bearing animals, I take it?”

“Holloway spoke, on the tape, of their soft and silky fur.”

“Good.  Emphasize that in your report.  As soon as it’s published, the Company will offer two thousand sols apiece for Fuzzy pelts.  By the time Rainsford’s report brings anybody here from Terra, we may have them all trapped out.”

Kellogg began to look worried.

“But, Victor, that’s genocide!”

“Nonsense!  Genocide is defined as the extermination of a race of sapient beings.  These are fur-bearing animals.  It’s up to you and Ernst Mallin to prove that.”

* * * * *

The Fuzzies, playing on the lawn in front of the camp, froze into immobility, their faces turned to the west.  Then they all ran to the bench by the kitchen door and scrambled up onto it.

“Now what?” Jack Holloway wondered.

“They hear the airboat,” Rainsford told him.  “That’s the way they acted yesterday when you were coming in with your machine.”  He looked at the picnic table they had been spreading under the featherleaf trees.  “Everything ready?”

“Everything but lunch; that won’t be cooked for an hour yet.  I see them now.”

“You have better eyes than I do, Jack.  Oh, I see it.  I hope the kids put on a good show for them,” he said anxiously.

He’d been jittery ever since he arrived, shortly after breakfast.  It wasn’t that these people from Mallorysport were so important themselves; Ben had a bigger name in scientific circles than any of this Company crowd.  He was just excited about the Fuzzies.

The airboat grew from a barely visible speck, and came spiraling down to land in the clearing.  When it was grounded and off contragravity, they started across the grass toward it, and the Fuzzies all jumped down from the bench and ran along with them.