scientific
curiosity; it was and is still the only planet of a binary system with a
native population of sapient beings. The first people who came here were
scientists, mostly sociographers and para-anthropologists. And most of
them came from the University of Adelaide."

Travis nodded. Adelaide had a Federation-wide reputation for left-wing
neo-Marxist "liberalism."

"Well, that established the political and social orientation of the
Colonial Government, right at the start, when study of the natives was
the only business of the Colony. You know how these ideological cliques
form in a government--or any other organization. Subordinates are always
chosen for their agreement with the views of their superiors, and the
extremists always get to the top and shove the moderates under or out.
Well, the Native Affairs Administration became the tail that wagged the
Government dog, and the Native Welfare Commission is the big muscle in
the tail."

His parents hadn't been of the left-wing Adelaide clique. His mother
had been a biochemist; his father a roving news correspondent who had
drifted into trading with the natives and made a fortune in keffa-gum
before the chemists on Terra had found out how to synthesize hopkinsine.

"When the biocrystals were discovered and the plantations started, the
Government attitude was set. Biocrystal culture is just sordid money
grubbing. The real business of the Colony is to promote the betterment
of the natives, as defined in University of Adelaide terms. That's to
say, convert them into ersatz Terrans. You know why General Maith
ordered these shoonoon rounded up?"

Travis made a face. "Governor general Kovac insisted on it; General
Maith thought that a few minor concessions would help him on his main
objective, which was keeping a swarming from starting out here."

"Yes. The Commissioner of Native Welfare wanted that done, mainly at the
urging of the Director of Economic, Educational and Technical
Assistance. The EETA crowd don't like shoonoon. They have been trying,
ever since their agency was set up, to undermine and destroy their
influence with the natives. This looked like a good chance to get rid of
some of them."

Travis nodded. "Yes. And as soon as the disturbances in Bluelake
started, the Constabulary started rounding them up there, too, and at
the evacuee cantonments. They got about fifty of them, mostly from the
cantonments east of the city--the natives brought in from the fl