“I will take it up, Rachel.” Very soft and reasonable. “Your petition was a needed and useful instrument. I agree that we should have better procedures for work assignments. Calling this deficiency to my attention strengthens us. Anything which strengthens us meets my immediate approval. I thank you for it.”

She got her wand under control.

“You imply that the ’lectrokelp is the most dangerous . . .”

“Rachel, I already have started a project which will try to determine if there is something useful to us about the kelp. The director of that project and one of his assistants are sitting right down there.”

Oakes pointed down at Thomas and Waela, saw heads turned, people craning to see.

“Despite the dangers,” he said, “very potent and obvious dangers, as anyone will agree who has studied the data from these oceans, I have started this project. Your petition comes after the fact.”

“Then why couldn’t we have learned this when . . .”

“You want more open communication from those of us making the decisions?”

“We want to know whether we’re succeeding or failing!” Again, she had her amplifier turned too high.

“Reasonable,” Oakes said. “That is one of the reasons I have moved myself and my staff permanently groundside. In my head . . .” He tapped his skull. “. . . is the complete plan to make Pandora into a garden planet for . . .”

“We should have Council members on . . .”

“Rachel! You propose having your people at key positions? Why your people? What record of success do they have?”

“They’ve survived down here!”

Oakes fought to conceal anger. That had been a low blow. She implied that he had remained safely ensconced shipside while she and her friends risked Pandora’s perils. A reasonable tone was the only way to meet that challenge.

“I’m down here now,” he said. “I intend to stay. I will submit to your questions at any mutually acceptable time, despite the fact which we all know—time taken to debate our problems could be used to better advantage for Colony as a whole.”

“Will you answer our questions today?”

“That’s why I called this meeting.”

“Then what’s your objection to having an elected Council which . . .”

“Debating time, just that. We don’t have the time for such a luxury. I agreed with those who objected that this meeting took us away from more important work, from food. But you insisted, Rachel.”

“What’re you doing over on Black Dragon?” That was the objectionable perimeter guard down in the audience, taking a new tack now.

“We are attempting to build another foothold for Colony over on Dragon.”

Reasonable . . . reasonable, he reminded himself. Keep your voice reasonable.

“Dividing your energies?” Rachel Demarest demanded.

“We are using new clones provided by the ship’s facilities,” he said. “Jesus Lewis is out there now directing the effort. I assure you that we are risking only new clones who fully understand the nature of their involvement.”