"Nobody promised you oxides..."

Well, that's a relief.

Actually, Oyama's hypothesis pretty much guarantees oxides and superoxides, if it is correct.

The alkaline soil has been found, but not the rest of the suite of substances that he says must be there to account for the Viking results.

At the Phoenix location, that may be due to the fact that water ice actually does melt before sublimating, and the brief reaction of liquid water with the soil may destroy any of Oyama's oxide/superoxide suite. Or it may be something else.

It's a stretch to say that Viking results were validated by Phoenix. Phoenix is actually putting a very different gloss on the whole question.

Mars just doesn't play nice.