Harpies of Planet Sutherland Page 11

  Chapter 9 - A Name on a Toe Tag

  Emissary Stevens’ heart felt like heavy stone as he looked upon the body the team had delivered to the morgue. The man's face remained locked in the grimace that had greeted death.

  "It's tragic."

  Operative Sheridan solemnly nodded. "Tragic but necessary. Think of the waste that would occur if we simply allowed the followers of Zeb who colonize this planet to squander those water fields however they please. Instead, those settlers of Zeb will protect those water baskets and that water resource, thinking that they're the only ones standing between the basins and alien monsters. The United Systems will invest so little in time, blood and gold to see those alien artifacts are protected. Zeb Griffin's children will secure the fields for us."

  Emissary Stevens knew the truth of Operative Sheridan's words. He recognized that Operative Sheridan had in a sense performed the miraculous in recruiting the settlers to perform a duty so vital to the United Systems. Still, Emissary Stevens' heart remained heavy. Still, Emissary Stevens' eyes drifted to that black, cauterized wound where the laser rifle's beam had burned through the body's chest, where the beam had vaporized the man's heart.

  "Seems we should at least give the body back to the man's family. Give them the ability to provide a proper funeral to the man."

  Operative Sheridan shook his head. "We cannot give back the body. We can't take the risk that any settler will doubt an alien, a harpie, was killed last night in the water fields. We cannot do anything to feed any suspicion in a group of people so distrustful of us. All our hopes would be jeopardized if that man's family learned how he was killed."

  "He had a name. 'Colt Beeman' was his name."

  Operative Sheridan merely shrugged before he ripped the identifying name tag off of the corpse's stiff toe before leaving the morgue, and Emissary Stevens, without another word.

  Emissary Stevens never admired those water baskets as much as he did at that moment. The water baskets must have been crafted by a far wiser and gentler race. For the water baskets were such delicate creations, and they had survived and completed their purpose for such a long time.

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