into fashion a couple of months ago, and I bought one, but I didn't like it.' He bent over to fasten it around his boot. 'There. Now he'll hear me coming, in case I forget to stamp.' The bell was not a loud one, but it was definitely producing an audible sound.
'Good idea, ah, here's the Man himself. Alex, he's going to need some help.'
Alex hurried down to the lift area and gave Doctor Aspen a hand with his luggage. There wasn't much of it, but Doctor Aspen was not capable of carrying much for long. Tia wondered what could have possessed the Institute to permit this man to go out into the field again.
She found out, once he was aboard. His staff immediately clustered around him, fired with enthusiasm, as soon as he was settled in his cabin. He asked permission of Tia and Alex to move the convocation into the main cabin and use one of her screens.
'Certainly,' Tia answered, when Alex deferred to her. She was quite charmed by Doctor Aspen, who called her 'my lady', and accorded to her all the attention and politeness he gave his students and underlings.
As they moved into main room, Doctor Aspen turned toward her column. 'I am told that you have some interest and education in archeology, my lady Tia,' he said, as he settled into a seat near one of the side screens. 'And you, too, Alex. Please, since you'll be on-site with us, feel free to participate. And if you know something we should, or notice something we miss, feel free to contribute.'
Alex was obviously surprised; Tia wasn't She had gleaned some of this from the records. Aspen's students stayed with him, went to enormous lengths to go on-site with him, went on to careers of their own full of warm praise for their mentor. Aspen was evidently that rarest of birds, the exceptional, inspirational teacher who was also a solid researcher and scientist
Within moments, Aspen had drawn them all into his charmed circle, calling up the first team's records, drawing his students, and even Alex, into making observations. Tia kept a sharp eye out for the missing member of the party, however, for she had the feeling that Haakon-Fritz had deliberately timed his entrance to coincide with the gathering of Aspen's students. Tia figured that he wanted an excuse to feel slighted. She wasn't going to give it to him.
She could, and did, hook herself into the spaceport surveillance system, and she spotted Haakon-Fritz coming long before he was in range of her own sensors. Plenty of time to interrupt the animated discussion with a subtle, 'Gentlebeings, Doctar Haakon-Fritz is crossing the tarmac.'
Treel and Les exchanged a wordless look, but said nothing. Aspen simply smiled, and rose from his chair, as Tia froze the recording they had been watching. Alex hurried down the stairs to intercept Haakon-Fritz at the lift.
So instead of being greeted by the backs of those deep in discussion, the man found himself greeted by the Courier Service brawn, met at the top of the lift by the rest of his party, and given an especially hearty greeting by his superior.
His expression did not change so much as a hair, but Tia had the distinct feeling that he was disgruntled. 'Welcome aboard, Doctor Haakon-Fritz,' Tia said, as he shook hands briefly with the other members of his party. 'We have a choice of five cabins for you, if you'd...'
'If you have more than one cabin available,' Haakon-Fritz interrupted rudely, speaking not to Tia, who he ignored, but to Alex, 'I would like to see them all before I make a choice.'
Tia knew Alex well enough by now to know that he was angry, but he covered it beautifully. 'Certainty; Professor,' he said, giving Haakon-Fritz the lesser of his titles. 'If you'll follow me.' He led the way back into the cabin section, leaving Haakon-Fritz to carry his own bags.
Treel made a little growl that sounded like disgust; Fred rolled his eyes, which was the closest he could come to a facial expression. 'My word,' Fred said, his voice ripe with surprise. 'That was certainly rude!'
'He ees a Practical Darweeneest,' Treel replied, with a curl to her lip. 'Your pardon, seer,' she said to Aspen. I know that you feel he ees a good scienteest, but I am glad he ees not the one in charge.'
Fred was still baffled. 'Practical Darwinist?' he said. 'Does someone want to explain to a baffled young veggie just what that might be and why he was so rude to Lady Tia?'
Les took up the gauntlet with a sigh. 'A Practical Darwinist is one who believes that Darwin's Law applies to everything. If someone is in an accident, they shouldn't be helped, if an earthquake levels a city, no aid should be sent, if a plague breaks out, only the currently healthy should be inoculated; the victims should be isolated and live or die as the case may be.'
Fred's uneasy glance toward her column made Tia decide to spare Les the embarrassment of stating the obvious. 'And as you have doubtless surmised, the fanatical Practical Darwinists find the existence of shell-persons to be horribly offensive. They won't even acknowledge that we exist, given the option.'
Professor Aspen shook his head sadly. 'A brilliant scientist, but tragically flawed by fanaticism,' he said, as he took his seat again. 'Which is why he has gotten as far as he will ever go. He had a chance, was given a solo Exploration dig, and refused to consider any evidence that did not support his own peculiar partyline. Now he is left to be the chief clerk of digs like ours.' He looked soberly into the faces of his four students. 'Let this be a lesson to you, gentlebeings. Never let fanatic devotion blind you to truth.'
