 Who wanted to mine Lovenbroy’s minerals?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] "The Bogans have launched no less than four military campaigns in the last two decades. That's an industrial world of the poor but honest variety." "Our function is merely to bring them together. A tall broad man with bronze skin and gray hair, wearing tight trousers of heavy cloth, a loose shirt open at the neck and a short jacket, stepped into the room. "That's nice knuckle work, mister," the stranger said, massaging his hand. "Well, out on Lovenbroy we've got a serious problem. Now I don't know if you're familiar with the Bacchus vines we grow...?" In between, the vines don't need a lot of attention, so our time's mostly our own. We've turned all the land area we've got into parks and farms. Lovenbroy's a nice place, Mr. Retief." "It sounds like it, Mr. Arapoulous. Five of 'em. Blue-black sky, stars visible all day. Lots of skiing, bob-sledding, ice skating; and it's the season for woodworkers. Our furniture—" "I've seen some of your furniture," Retief said. Lots of metals in our soil and those sulphates give the woods some color, I'll tell you. Lots of beach on Lovenbroy; we're mostly islands. The theatres are set up on the sand, or anchored off-shore. Fruit, grain, that kind of thing; getting it in doesn't take long. Arapoulous puffed on his cigar, looked worriedly at Retief. Course, I'm only twenty-eight; I can't remember but two other harvests. "It sounds like I've been missing something," said Retief. Arapoulous put his bundle on the desk, pulled off the wrappings. Arapoulous pulled the wire retainer loose, thumbed the cork. "It's Bacchus wine, that's all. Retief put aside his cigar, pulled the wires loose, nudged the cork, caught it as it popped up. "We've got plenty of minerals on Lovenbroy," Arapoulous said, swallowing wine. "But we don't plan to wreck the landscape mining 'em. They figured they knew better what to do with our minerals than we did. Wanted to strip-mine, smelt ore.
 Boge
 Croanie  MUDDEL  Boge  Lovenbroy neighbors