as a video star. What does he care how he upsets my plans? He thinks he has the upper hand over me.
Chang forced a smile. “There is great excitement Earthside over your discovery,” he began.
“Yes,” said Carleton, his own smile broadening. “I’ve received several dozen messages from all over the world. Even China.”
Chang closed his eyes slowly, a tactic he used when he did not want to reveal his inner thoughts. He felt a surge of anger at this upstart who was wrecking his schedules, who was threatening to wrest control of this operation from his hands.
Carleton thought of a lizard basking on a sunny rock as he waited for Chang to open his eyes again. And his mouth.
“Waterman urges me to provide you with all the assistance you may require,” Chang said at last, his eyes still closed.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Snapping his eyes open, Chang added, “He also tells me that the United States government is canceling all its funding for our operation. We may be forced to abandon our work here and return to Earth.”
Carleton’s head flicked back as if he’d been slapped. Good! Chang thought. Let him understand the consequences.
“We can’t stop the work here!” the anthropologist said. “Hell, we’ve just started.”
“I agree with your sentiment,” said Chang. “But if the Foundation cannot raise enough money to replace funds that the American government is withdrawing, we will be forced to go home.”
“Waterman won’t let that happen. He’ll figure out a way.”
“Let us hope so. In meantime, there is the question of how to adequately assist you in your work.”
“I’ve got plenty of volunteers.”
Chang shook his head slowly. “I cannot allow staff personnel to work for you on a volunteer basis. They are already working eight to twelve hours a day on their assigned duties. More, in many cases.”
“But if they want to — “
“Their eagerness to help you outweighs their common sense. They cannot help you with your digging for several hours each day and still work effectively at their regular tasks. Productivity will decline. People will fall asleep on their jobs. There will be accidents, dangerous accidents.”
Carleton started to reply, hesitated, then offered, “What about the team coming back from Hellas Base? They’re supposed to be shipped back to Earth. What if some of them volunteered to work with me full time?”
“Highly trained geologists and biologists, slaving like coolies in that pit of yours?”
His smile turning almost into a smirk, Carleton replied, “Dr. Chang, may I remind you that I’m a highly trained anthropologist and I’ve been slaving like a coolie for months. By myself. Now I need help, and your superiors Earthside agree that you should provide it to me.”
Chang’s self-discipline snapped. “May I remind you that you are a fugitive from very serious criminal charges on Earth!”
Carleton’s smile evaporated. “Those charges are baseless and you know it.”
“I know that the charges have never been settled. We took you into our program and allowed you to come to Mars despite them.”
Grimly, Carleton said, “That’s got nothing to do with the question at hand. Will you allow me to use some of the people returning from the Hellas base?”
Chang closed his eyes again, thinking, It is a good stratagem. People returning from Hellas are due to be shipped home. A few of them can stay here at Tithonium and work with him. Waterman is urging me to help him. This is how to do that without wrecking all our other work.
“Well?” Carleton demanded.
Opening his eyes, Chang said mildly, “You may ask personnel returning from Hellas. If any of them volunteer to remain here instead of returning to Earth, let it be so.”
Carleton took in a deep breath, as if he’d just accomplished an incredibly difficult feat. “Thank you, Dr. Chang,” he said, his voice low.
“How many hands will you need?” Chang asked.
“Six, for now. More than
Chang forced a smile. “There is great excitement Earthside over your discovery,” he began.
“Yes,” said Carleton, his own smile broadening. “I’ve received several dozen messages from all over the world. Even China.”
Chang closed his eyes slowly, a tactic he used when he did not want to reveal his inner thoughts. He felt a surge of anger at this upstart who was wrecking his schedules, who was threatening to wrest control of this operation from his hands.
Carleton thought of a lizard basking on a sunny rock as he waited for Chang to open his eyes again. And his mouth.
“Waterman urges me to provide you with all the assistance you may require,” Chang said at last, his eyes still closed.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Snapping his eyes open, Chang added, “He also tells me that the United States government is canceling all its funding for our operation. We may be forced to abandon our work here and return to Earth.”
Carleton’s head flicked back as if he’d been slapped. Good! Chang thought. Let him understand the consequences.
“We can’t stop the work here!” the anthropologist said. “Hell, we’ve just started.”
“I agree with your sentiment,” said Chang. “But if the Foundation cannot raise enough money to replace funds that the American government is withdrawing, we will be forced to go home.”
“Waterman won’t let that happen. He’ll figure out a way.”
“Let us hope so. In meantime, there is the question of how to adequately assist you in your work.”
“I’ve got plenty of volunteers.”
Chang shook his head slowly. “I cannot allow staff personnel to work for you on a volunteer basis. They are already working eight to twelve hours a day on their assigned duties. More, in many cases.”
“But if they want to — “
“Their eagerness to help you outweighs their common sense. They cannot help you with your digging for several hours each day and still work effectively at their regular tasks. Productivity will decline. People will fall asleep on their jobs. There will be accidents, dangerous accidents.”
Carleton started to reply, hesitated, then offered, “What about the team coming back from Hellas Base? They’re supposed to be shipped back to Earth. What if some of them volunteered to work with me full time?”
“Highly trained geologists and biologists, slaving like coolies in that pit of yours?”
His smile turning almost into a smirk, Carleton replied, “Dr. Chang, may I remind you that I’m a highly trained anthropologist and I’ve been slaving like a coolie for months. By myself. Now I need help, and your superiors Earthside agree that you should provide it to me.”
Chang’s self-discipline snapped. “May I remind you that you are a fugitive from very serious criminal charges on Earth!”
Carleton’s smile evaporated. “Those charges are baseless and you know it.”
“I know that the charges have never been settled. We took you into our program and allowed you to come to Mars despite them.”
Grimly, Carleton said, “That’s got nothing to do with the question at hand. Will you allow me to use some of the people returning from the Hellas base?”
Chang closed his eyes again, thinking, It is a good stratagem. People returning from Hellas are due to be shipped home. A few of them can stay here at Tithonium and work with him. Waterman is urging me to help him. This is how to do that without wrecking all our other work.
“Well?” Carleton demanded.
Opening his eyes, Chang said mildly, “You may ask personnel returning from Hellas. If any of them volunteer to remain here instead of returning to Earth, let it be so.”
Carleton took in a deep breath, as if he’d just accomplished an incredibly difficult feat. “Thank you, Dr. Chang,” he said, his voice low.
“How many hands will you need?” Chang asked.
“Six, for now. More than
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