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And he just might start a serious analysis and publish it. He grimaced. It wasn't time for that, he knew. Many years must pass before it would be time. He placed a hand on the back of Andorra's chair, remembering the words of one of the teachers. "Remember, Elwar," he had been told, "your objective is clear, but your methods must be most indirect even unclear.
130-263 From: Explorations Officer, Sector Nine To: Ecological Officer Subject: Incident Report Enclosed is the file on that recent occurrence on Planet 3-G3-9/4871, consisting of the certificates and statements of the various officers and guardsmen concerned, together with a digest of the interrogation of Elwar Forell, a young planetary native, who appears to have been the instigator.
If Elwar is a typical "son of a simple peasant," and if the planet from which he comes has any considerable number of "simple peasants" with sons like him, I can foresee some strangely interesting problems in connection with further dealings on that planet. FONZEC 1 enclosure Interrogation of Elwar Forell, native of Planet 3-G3-9/4871. "My Masters, I did mean no harm, but only good.
"Long time since I checked that tape," he said. "Pretty rugged stuff, and highly speculative. Always gives me a headache." He shook his head as he looked at Elwar. "And this makes it even worse. It was bad enough as pure speculation, but we've got something real here. Something rough. For one thing, we have got a planet where no one but native operatives stand a chance of working.
Danaeo Melran Eq Tech 3/c I, Franz Jaeger, am Resident Guardsman at Station Fourteen, Planet 3-G3-9/4871. I have been assigned to my station for eight planetary years for survey and observation duty. During the past five years, I have employed Elwar Forell, the son of a local peasant, to keep the living quarters clean and to do general work about the station.
I then turned on my viewsphere to keep watch on the village from the communications room. Since Elwar had been in the room on several previous occasions, I saw no reason for excluding him. On the contrary, I thought it would be advisable to keep him with me, since I felt that he would be seriously injured if he were turned loose in the village.
"'All these things, that youngster is going to have to do." He sipped again from his glass, keeping a searching gaze on his friend. "And on the other hand, if your story here should be true, you just might be asking me to read it, for one reason or another." He raised his glass, examining the bright liquid within it. Elwar tensed, his hand coming part way out of his pocket.
Jaeger looked again at the boy, who was sitting tensely, his hands gripping the arms of his chair, his eyes fastened fearfully on the officer before him. As Jaeger watched, Elwar half rose from his chair, then sank back, his face appearing to mirror Kweiros' efforts. At last, Kweiros sat up. Shakily, he removed his headband and snapped the playback off.
"Or, they could do something else. I was watching Elwar while I was checking that tape. Did you notice anything peculiar?" "He seemed disturbed." "As though he were sensing my thoughts?" "Something like that. But " Kweiros nodded. "But I had a shield up. You could detect no trace of mental action. Right?" "Yes, sir." "That's what I thought." Kweiros shook his head and looked closely at Jaeger.
From: Evaluations Officer To: Explorations Officer Subject: Interrogation Enclosed is a digest of the interrogation of one, Elwar Forell, who was evacuated from forty-eight seventy-one, in company with Guardsman Jaeger. This boy was abjectly terrified and had to be calmed several times during questioning.
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