Silence for a moment, then a bedlam of cheering.
"Well, let's get organized," Gatworth said. "What will we call this company?"
A number of voices shouted suggestions. Rodney Maxwell managed to get recognition and partial silence.
"It is of the first importance," he said, "that we keep our real objective—Merlin—as close a secret as possible. The Planetary Government would like to get hold of it—and I leave you to ask yourselves how far Jake Vyckhoven and his cronies are to be trusted with anything like that—and I have no doubt the Federation might try to take it away from us."
"Couldn't do it, Rodney," Judge Ledue objected. "Everything the Federation abandoned in the Trisystem is public domain now. We have a Federation Supreme Court ruling—"
"What's legality to the Federation?" Klem Zareff demanded. "They fought a criminally illegal war of aggression against my people."
Down the table, somebody started singing "Rally Round the Banner, the Banner Black and Green."
"Well, I think it's a good idea to keep quiet about it, myself," Kurt Fawzi said.
"All right," Rodney Maxwell said. "Then we don't want this company to sound like anything but another salvage company. I suggest we call it Litchfield Exploration & Salvage."
"Good name, Rodney," Dawes approved. "That a motion? I second it."