"If it did have a soil surface," Harvey said.
The lawyer looked at him whimsically. "It couldn't," he said, in what was meant as a kindly tone. "These odd-sized bodies that wander through space have invariably been discovered to be crystallized, meteoric, inorganic materials from top to bottom."
"But if it did have soil, natural, original surface soil."
The lawyer spread his hands, shrugging. "It can't be. But if it were, naturally, the company would—"
"Change the Hermes' trajectory?" Harvey said.
Gramenger glared. "Gramenger & Lewis has changed neither a schedule nor a trajectory in its career as the oldest shipping concern in the Solar System," he snapped.
"Well," said Harvey, "what would you do if it were proved that Plymouth has a natural soil surface?" He took a flat paper bag out of his pocket and emptied a pile of dirt onto Gramenger's desk.
The lawyer and Gramenger looked at the pile of dirt. Both men grew a little pale.
The lawyer licked his lips. "If you show that that dirt comes from Plymouth," he said, "Gramenger & Lewis will stand the expense of transforming the planetoid into a free-mover."
"This means," said Harvey, "that you would be forced to install gravitic machinery under Plymouth's surface, including plus and minus grids and controls that would make it possible to move the planetoid out of the Hermes' way."