Morrison blinked. "I haven't given you the what?"
"The Deed of Search. That is a government document showing that the claim you are filing on is free, as per government order, of fissionable material in excess of fifty per cent of the total mass to a depth of sixty feet. It's a mere formality, but a necessary one."
"I never heard of it," Morrison said.
"It became a requirement last week," explained the surveyor. "You don't have the Deed? Then I'm afraid your standard unrestricted claim is invalid."
"Isn't there anything I can do?"
"Well," the robot said, "you could change your standard unrestricted claim to a special restricted claim. That requires no Deed of Search."
"What does the special restricted part mean?"
"It means that in five hundred years all rights revert to the Government of Venus."
"All right!" Morrison shouted. "Fine! Good! Is that all?"
"Absolutely all," the surveyor said. "I shall bring this sample back and have it assayed and evaluated immediately. From it and the depth-photographs we can extrapolate the value and extent of your claim."