d back from the
ceiling and walls. "I'm telling _you_. I'll tell you once and that will
be the end of it. You're not wanted on Pyrrus, Jason dinAlt, neither you
nor your precious off-world schemes are wanted here. I let you convince
me once with your twisted tongue. Helped you at the expense of more
important work. I should have known what the result of your 'logic'
would be. Now I've seen. Welf died so you could live. He was twice the
man you will ever be."

"Welf? Was that his name?" Jason asked stumblingly. "I didn't know--"

"You didn't even know." Kerk's lips pulled back from his teeth in a
grimace of disgust. "You didn't even know his name--yet he died that
you might continue your miserable existence." Kerk spat, as if the words
gave a vile flavor to his speech, and stamped towards the exit lock.
Almost as an afterthought he turned back to Jason.

"You'll stay here in the sealed buildings until the ship returns in two
weeks. Then you will leave this planet and never come back. If you do,
I'll kill you instantly. With pleasure." He started through the lock.

"Wait," Jason shouted. "You can't decide like that. You haven't even
seen the evidence I've uncovered. Ask Meta--" The lock thumped shut and
Kerk was gone.

* * * * *

The whole thing was just too stupid. Anger began to replace the futile
despair of a moment before. He was being treated like an irresponsible
child, the importance of his discovery of the log completely ignored.

Jason turned and saw for the first time that Brucco was standing there.
"Did you hear that?" Jason asked him.

"Yes. And I quite agree. You can consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky!" Jason was the angry one now. "Lucky to be treated like a
moronic child, with contempt for everything I do--"

"I said lucky," Brucco snapped. "Welf was Kerk's only surviving son.
Kerk had high hopes for him, was training him to take his place
eventually." He turned to leave but Jason called after him.

"Wait. I'm sorry about Welf. I can't be any sorrier knowing that he was
Kerk's son. But at least it explains why Kerk is so quick to throw me
out--as well as the evidence I have uncovered. The log of the ship--"

"I know, I've seen it," Brucco said. "Meta brought it in. Very
interesting historical document."

"That's all you can see it as--an historical document? The significance
of the planetary change escapes you?"

"It doesn't escape me," Brucco answered briefly,