“The biota—all the living matter . . . The mud-dwelling creatures and those on the surface, all appear to be in a profound symbiotic relationship with the kelp. The grazers, for example, stir the toxic products cast off by the kelp into a layer of highly absorbent sediment where other creatures restore these substances to the food chain. They . . .”

“You mean the kelp shits and this is processed by animals on the bottom?”

“That would be one way of stating it, but the total implication of the sea system is disturbing. There are leaf grazers, for instance, whose only function is to keep the kelp’s leaves clean. The few predators all have large fins, much larger than you’d expect for their size, and . . .”

“What does that have to do with . . .”

“They stir the water around the kelp.”

“Huh?” For a moment, Oakes had found his interest aroused, but Thomas had all the earmarks of a specialist blowing his own private horn—even to the esoteric language of the specialty. This was supposed to be a communications expert?

Just to keep things moving, Oakes asked the expected question: “What disturbing implications?”

“The kelp is influencing the sea far more than simple evolutionary processes can explain. Perhaps it supports the marine community. The only historical comparisons we can make lead us to believe that a sentient force is at work here.”

“Sentient!” Oakes put as much disdain as he could muster into the word. That damned report on kelp-hylighter relationships! Lewis was supposed to have made it inaccessible. Was the ship interfering?

“A conscious design,” Thomas said.

“Or an extremely long-lived adaptation and evolution.”

Thomas shook his head. There was another possibility, but he did not care to discuss it with Oakes. What if Ship had created this planet precisely the way they found it? Why would Ship do such a thing?

Oakes had absorbed enough from this encounter. He had made the gesture. Everyone would see that he was concerned. His guards were waiting back there at the hatch. They would talk. Losses were too high and the Ceepee had to look into it himself. Time to end it.

Oakes relaxed visibly. How nicely things were working.

And Thomas thought: He’s going to let us go without a struggle. All right, Ship. I’m going to pry into one of Your secret places. If You made this planet to teach us Your WorShip, there have to be clues in the sea.

“Well, I’ll want a complete report when you return,” Oakes said. “Some of your data may help us begin a useful aquaculture project.”

He left then, muttering loud enough to be heard: “Sentient kelp!”

As he walked back across the hangar, Oakes thought it had been one of his best performances, and all of it caught by the sensors, all of it recorded and stored. When . . . whatever Lewis had arranged happened, they would be able to edit excerpts from the record.

See how concerned I was?