Read the following passage and questions, then choose the right answer from options, the answer should be one of A, B, C, D.

<passage>:
Death was Jaro Moynahan's stock in trade, and every planet had known his touch. But now, on Mercury, he was selling his guns into the weirdest of all his exploits—gambling his life ." The song was a rollicking, ribald ditty, a favorite of the planters and miners, the space pilots She bent her head in acknowledgment so that her bronze red hair fell down about her face. There was perspiration on her upper lip and temples. Her crimson mouth wore a fixed smile. Her eyes were frightened. newest, the wildest, the hottest of Earth's frontiers. Fans spaced about the garden's walls sluggishly stirred the night air, while the men and women sitting at the tables drank heavily of Latonka, the pale green wine of Mercury. Only the native waiters, the enigmatic, yellow-eyed Mercurians, seemed unaffected by the heat. They didn't I don't trust you, but since...." the pale green wine. The man, Jaro Moynahan, raised his glass. "Here's to the revolution," he said. His low voice carried an odd, compelling note. His eyes, light blue and amused, were pale against his brown face. The girl drew in her breath. "No! Mercury is not ready for freedom. Only a handful of fanatics are engineering the revolution. The real Mercurian patriots are against it, but they are afraid to protest. You've got to believe me. The revolution is scheduled to break during the Festival of the Rains. If it does, the Terrestrials here will be massacred. The Mercurians hate them. We haven't but a handful of troops." The girl ignored the interruption. "There is one man he is the leader, the very soul of the revolution. The Mercurians worship him. They will do whatever he says. Without him they would be lost. He is the rebel, The lights had gone out. It was as unexpected as a shot in the back. One moment the garden was glowing in light, the next the hot black night swooped down on the revelers, pressing against their eyes like dark wool. The fans about There was no answer. "Red!" he repeated, louder. "It's all right. The master fuse blew out. The lights will be on in a moment." On the heels of his speech the lights flashed on, driving the night upward. The fans recommenced their monotonous whirring. Latonka. The pale green wine had a delicate yet exhilarating taste. teeming planet of Mercury it was as refreshing as a cold plunge. He wondered who was putting up the ten thousand Earth notes? Who stood to lose most in case of a revolution? The answer seemed obvious enough. Who, but Albert Peet. Peet controlled the Latonka trade for which there was a tremendous demand throughout the Universe. And what had happened to the girl. Had the rebels abducted her. If in the dark as any alley-prowling cat. For centuries they had lived most their lives beneath ground to escape the terrible rays of the sun. Only at night did they emerge to work their fields and ply their engineered it in the dark and the Mercurians were a clannish lot. revolutionist, and the girl. At infrequent intervals green globes cut a hole in the night, casting a faint illumination. He had just passed one of these futile street lamps But as soon as he emerged he was conscious again of the followers. In the dense, humid night, he was like a blind man trying to elude the cat-eyed Mercurians. In the East a sullen red glow stained the heavens like the reflection of a fire. The Mercurian dawn was about to break. With an oath, he set out again for his hostelry. He made no further effort to elude the He had, he supposed, killed rather a lot of men. He had fought in the deadly little wars of the Moons of Jupiter for years, then the Universal Debacle of 3368, after that the Martian Revolution as well as dozens of skirmishes between the Federated Venusian States. No, there was little doubt but that he had killed quite a number of men. But this of his line. Furthermore, there was something phony about the entire set up. The Mercurians, he knew, had been agitating for freedom for years. Why, at this time when the Earth Congress was about to grant them self-government, should they stage a revolution? A loud, authoritative rapping at the door interrupted further speculation. He swung his bare feet over the edge of the bed, stood "Why, no. As it happened she was abducted before I had the chance." Mr. Peet licked his lips. "But you will, surely you will. Unless Karfial Hodes is stopped immediately there will be a bloody uprising all over the planet during the Festival of the Rains. Earth doesn't realize the seriousness of the situation." "Then I was right "Not entirely," said Peet uncomfortably. "There are many of us here, Mercurians as well as Earthmen, who recognize the danger. We have—ah—pooled our resources." "But you stand to lose most in case of a successful revolution?" "Perhaps. I have a large interest in the Latonka trade. It is—ah—lucrative." gained control of the Latonka trade. Other Earthmen are in control of the mines and the northern plantations. Together you form perhaps the strongest combine the Universe has ever seen. You actually run Mercury, and you've squeezed out every possible penny. Every time self-government has come before the Earth Congress you've succeeded in blocking it. You are, perhaps, the most cordially-hated group anywhere. I don't wonder that you are afraid of a revolution." Mr. Peet took out a handkerchief and mopped his forehead. "Fifteen Earth Congress suspends negotiations on Mercurian freedom pending Latonka. The burrows were but poorly lit, the natives preferring the of the city, bright radoxide lights took the place of the green globes, and there was a sprinkling of Colonial guards among the throng. "LATONKA TRUST" youth. "Let's get this straight," he said mildly. "I've known your kind before. Frankly, ever since I saw you I've had to repress a desire to "What's happened?" cried Albert Peet in distress. "What's wrong with "Oh," said Miss Webb, "the offices of the Latonka Trust." " said Joan, choking on the Latonka. "But the police!" she cried, as she caught her breath. "There'll never be an investigation. Albert Peet will see to that. I was called here on what I supposed was a legitimate revolution. Instead I was offered ten thousand Earth notes to assassinate the leader of the revolution." "What revolution? I'm going around in circles." "The Mercurians, of course." "I don't believe it," said the girl. "The Mercurians are the most peaceable people in the Universe. They've been agitating for freedom, yes. But they believe in passive resistance. I don't believe you could induce a Mercurian to kill, even in self-protection. That's why Albert Peet and the rest of the combine had such an easy time gaining control of the Latonka trade." "A gal's gotta eat. But the truth is, I was quitting. The Latonka Trust is almost on the rocks. Their stock has been dropping like a meteor." "Albert Peet," she continued, "has been trying to sell out but nobody first thing the Mercurians will do, will be to boot out the Latonka inciting the Mercurians to rebellion. The newscaster had a line about the revolution too. The government has advised all Terrestrials to return to Earth." "It's not true," Joan flared. "It's all a pack of lies invented by the Latonka Trust. I know." "But I should think rumors like that would run down the Latonka stock."

<question>:
Why did the Latonka Trust stock start dropping?

<options>:
A Alternatives to Latonka flooded the market.
B Demand for Latonka was decreasing.
C There were rumors that the Earth Congress would grant Mercurians independence.
D People suspected the revolution would be successful.

<answer>:

C