1

Foundation and Earth

Foundation Saga Book 5
Chapter I
1he Search 8eglns
1.
WP? ulu l do lL?" asked Colan 1revlze.
lL wasn'L a new quesLlon. Slnce he had arrlved aL Cala, he had asked
lL of hlmself frequenLly. Pe would wake up from a sound sleep ln Lhe
pleasanL coolness of Lhe nlghL and flnd Lhe quesLlon soundlng nolselessly
ln hls mlnd, llke a Llny drumbeaL: Why dld l do lL? Why dld l do lL?
now, Lhough, for Lhe flrsL Llme, he managed Lo ask lL of uom, Lhe
anclenL of Cala.
uom was well aware of 1revlze's Lenslon for he could sense Lhe
fabrlc of Lhe Councllman's mlnd. Pe dld noL respond Lo lL. Cala musL ln
no way ever Louch 1revlze's mlnd, and Lhe besL way of remalnlng
lmmune Lo Lhe LempLaLlon was Lo palnsLaklngly lgnore whaL he sensed.
uo whaL, 1rev?" he asked. Pe found lL dlfflculL Lo use more Lhan
one syllable ln addresslng a person, and lL dldn'L maLLer. 1revlze was
growlng somewhaL used Lo LhaL.
1he declslon l made," sald 1revlze. Chooslng Cala as Lhe fuLure."
?ou were rlghL Lo do so," sald uom, seaLed, hls aged deep-seL eyes
looklng earnesLly up aL Lhe man of Lhe loundaLlon, who was sLandlng.
?ou say l am rlghL," sald 1revlze lmpaLlenLly.
l/we/Cala know you are. 1haL's your worLh Lo us. ?ou have Lhe
capaclLy for maklng Lhe rlghL declslon on lncompleLe daLa, and you have
made Lhe declslon. ?ou chose Cala! ?ou re[ecLed Lhe anarchy of a
CalacLlc Lmplre bullL on Lhe Lechnology of Lhe llrsL loundaLlon, as well
as Lhe anarchy of a CalacLlc Lmplre bullL on Lhe menLallcs of Lhe Second
loundaLlon. ?ou declded LhaL nelLher could be long sLable. So you chose
Cala."
?es," sald 1revlze. LxacLly! l chose Cala, a superorganlsm, a whole
planeL wlLh a mlnd and personallLy ln common, so LhaL one has Lo say
`l/we/ Cala' as an lnvenLed pronoun Lo express Lhe lnexpresslble." Pe
paced Lhe floor resLlessly. And lL wlll become evenLually Calaxla, a
super-superorganlsm embraclng all Lhe swarm of Lhe Mllky Way."
Pe sLopped, Lurned almosL savagely on uom, and sald, l feel l'm
rlghL, as you feel lL, buL you wanL Lhe comlng of Calaxla, and so are
saLlsfled wlLh Lhe ld on. 1here's someLhlng ln me, however, LhaL doesn'L
wanL lL, and for LhaL reason l'm noL saLlsfled Lo accepL Lhe rlghLness so
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
2
easlly. l wanL Lo know why l Made Lhe declslon, l wanL Lo welgh and
[udge Lhe rlghLness and be saLlsfled wlLh lL. Merely feellng rlghL lsn'L
enough. Pow can l know l am rlghL? WhaL b Lhe devlce LhaL makes me
rlghL?"
l/we/Cala do noL know how lL ls LhaL you come Lo Lhe rlghL
declslon. ls lL lmporLanL Lo know LhaL as long as we have Lhe declslon?"
?ou speak for Lhe whole planeL, do you? lor Lhe common
consclousness of every dewdrop, of every pebble, of even Lhe llquld
cenLral core of Lhe planeL?"
l do, and so can any porLlon of Lhe planeL ln whlch Lhe lnLenslLy of
Lhe common consclousness ls greaL enough."
And ls all Lhls common consclousness saLlsfled Lo use me as a black
box? Slnce Lhe black box works, ls lL unlmporLanL Lo know whaL ls lnslde?
-1haL doesn'L sulL me. l don'L en[oy belng a black box. l wanL Lo know
whaL's lnslde. l wanL Lo know how and why l chose Cala and Calaxla as
Lhe fuLure, so LhaL l can resL and be aL peace."
8uL why do you dlsllke or dlsLrusL your declslon so?"
1revlze drew a deep breaLh and sald slowly, ln a low and forceful
volce, 8ecause l don'L wanL Lo be parL of a superorganlsm. l don'L wanL
Lo be a dlspensable parL Lo be done away wlLh whenever Lhe
superorganlsm [udges LhaL dolng away would be for Lhe good of Lhe
whole."
uom looked aL 1revlze LhoughLfully. uo you wanL Lo change your
declslon, Lhen, 1rev? ?ou can, you know."
l long Lo change Lhe declslon, buL l can'L do LhaL merely because l
dlsllke lL. 1o do someLhlng now, l have Lo know wheLher Lhe declslon ls
wrong or rlghL. lL's noL enough merely Lo feel lL's rlghL."
lf you feel you are rlghL, you are rlghL." Always LhaL slow, genLle
volce LhaL somehow made 1revlze feel wllder by lLs very conLrasL wlLh
hls own lnner Lurmoll.
1hen 1revlze sald, ln half a whlsper, breaklng ouL of Lhe lnsoluble
osclllaLlon beLween feellng and knowlng, l musL flnd LarLh."
8ecause lL has someLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhls passlonaLe need of yours
Lo know?"
8ecause lL ls anoLher problem LhaL Lroubles me unbearably and
because l fuel Lhere ls a connecLlon beLween Lhe Lwo. Am l noL a black
box? l feel Lhere ls a connecLlon. lsn'L LhaL enough Lo make you accepL lL
as a facL?"
erhaps," sald uom, wlLh equanlmlLy.
CranLed lL ls now Lhousands of years-LwenLy Lhousand perhaps-
slnce Lhe people of Lhe Calaxy have concerned Lhemselves wlLh LarLh,
how ls lL posslble LhaL we have all forgoLLen our planeL of orlgln?"
1wenLy Lhousand years ls a longer Llme Lhan you reallze. 1here are
many aspecLs of Lhe early Lmplre we know llLLle of, many legends LhaL
are almosL surely flcLlLlous buL LhaL we keep repeaLlng, and even
bellevlng, because of lack of anyLhlng Lo subsLlLuLe. And LarLh ls older
Lhan Lhe Lmplre."
8uL surely Lhere are some records. My good frlend, eloraL, collecLs
myLhs and legends of early LarLh, anyLhlng he can scrape up from any
source. lL ls hls professlon and, more lmporLanL, hls hobby. 1hose myLhs
and legends are all Lhere are. 1here are no acLual records, no
documenLs."
uocumenLs LwenLy Lhousand years old? 1hlngs decay, perlsh, are
desLroyed Lhrough lnefflclency or war."
8uL Lhere should be records of Lhe records, coples, coples of Lhe
coples, and coples of Lhe coples of Lhe coples, useful maLerlal much
younger Lhan LwenLy mlllennla. 1hey have been removed. 1he CalacLlc
Llbrary aL 1ranLor musL have had documenLs concernlng LarLh. 1hose
documenLs are referred Lo ln known hlsLorlcal records, buL Lhe
documenLs no longer exlsL ln Lhe CalacLlc Llbrary. 1he references Lo
Lhem may exlsL, buL any quoLaLlons from Lhem do noL exlsL."
8emember LhaL 1ranLor was sacked a few cenLurles ago,"
1he Llbrary was lefL unLouched. lL was proLecLed by Lhe personnel
of Lhe Second loundaLlon. And lL was Lhose personnel who recenLly
dlscovered LhaL maLerlal relaLed Lo LarLh no longer exlsLs. 1he maLerlal
was dellberaLely removed ln recenL Llmes. Why?" 1revlze ceased hls
paclng and looked lnLenLly aL uom. lf l flnd LarLh, l wlll flnd ouL whaL lL
ls hldlng-
Pldlng?"
Pldlng or belng hldden. Cnce l flnd LhaL ouL, l have Lhe feellng l wlll
know why l have chosen Cala and Calaxla over our lndlvlduallLy. 1hen, l
presume, l wlll know, noL feel, LhaL l am correcL, and lf lam correcL"-he
llfLed hls shoulders hopelessly-Lhen so be lL."
lf you feel LhaL ls so," sald uom, and lf you feel you musL hunL for
LarLh, Lhen, of course, we wlll help you do as much as we can. 1haL help,
however, ls llmlLed. lor lnsLance, l/we/Cala do noL know where LarLh
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
3
may be locaLed among Lhe lmmense wllderness of worlds LhaL make up
Lhe Calaxy."
Lven so," sald 1revlze, l musL search. -Lven lf Lhe endless
powderlng of sLars ln Lhe Calaxy makes Lhe quesL seem hopeless, and
even lf l musL do lL alone.
2
18LvlZL WAS surrounded by Lhe Lameness of Cala. 1he LemperaLure,
as always, was comforLable, and Lhe alr moved pleasanLly, refreshlng buL
noL chllllng. Clouds drlfLed across Lhe sky, lnLerrupLlng Lhe sunllghL now
and Lhen, and, no doubL, lf Lhe waLer vapor level per meLer of open land
surface dropped sufflclenLly ln Lhls place or LhaL, Lhere would be enough
raln Lo resLore lL.
1he Lrees grew ln regular spaclngs, llke an orchard, and dld so, no
doubL, all over Lhe world. 1he land and sea were sLocked wlLh planL and
anlmal llfe ln proper numbers and ln Lhe proper varleLy Lo provlde an
approprlaLe ecologlcal balance, and all of Lhem, no doubL, lncreased and
decreased ln numbers ln a slow sway abouL Lhe recognlzed opLlmum. -As
dld Lhe number of human belngs, Loo.
Cf all Lhe ob[ecLs wlLhln Lhe purvlew of 1revlze's vlslon, Lhe only wlld
card ln Lhe deck was hls shlp, Lhe lar SLar.
1he shlp had been cleaned and refurblshed efflclenLly and well by a
number of Lhe human componenLs of Cala. lL had been resLocked wlLh
food and drlnk, lLs furnlshlngs had been renewed or replaced, lLs
mechanlcal worklngs rechecked. 1revlze hlmself had checked Lhe shlp's
compuLer carefully.
nor dld Lhe shlp need refuellng, for lL was one of Lhe few gravlLlc
shlps of Lhe loundaLlon, runnlng on Lhe energy of Lhe general
gravlLaLlonal fleld of Lhe Calaxy, and LhaL was enough Lo supply all Lhe
posslble fleeLs of humanlLy for all Lhe eons of Lhelr llkely exlsLence
wlLhouL measurable decrease of lnLenslLy.
1hree monLhs ago, 1revlze had been a Councllman of 1ermlnus. Pe
had, ln oLher words, been a member of Lhe LeglslaLure of Lhe
loundaLlon and, ex offlclo, a greaL one of Lhe Calaxy. Was lL only Lhree
monLhs ago? lL seemed lL was half hls LhlrLy-Lwo-year-old llfeLlme slnce
LhaL had been hls posL and hls only concern had been wheLher Lhe greaL
Seldon lan had been valld or noL, wheLher Lhe smooLh rlse of Lhe
loundaLlon from planeLary vlllage Lo CalacLlc greaLness had been
properly charLed ln advance, or noL.
?eL ln some ways, Lhere was no change. Pe was sLlll a Councllman.
Pls sLaLus and hls prlvlleges remalned unchanged, excepL LhaL he dldn'L
expecL he would ever reLurn Lo 1ermlnus Lo clalm LhaL sLaLus and Lhose
prlvlleges. Pe would no more flL lnLo Lhe huge chaos of Lhe loundaLlon
Lhan lnLo Lhe small orderllness of Cala. Pe was aL home nowhere, an
orphan everywhere.
Pls [aw LlghLened and he pushed hls flngers angrlly Lhrough hls black
halr. 8efore he wasLed Llme bemoanlng hls faLe, he musL flnd LarLh. lf he
survlved Lhe search, Lhere would Lhen be Llme enough Lo slL down and
weep. Pe mlghL have even beLLer reason Lhen.
WlLh deLermlned sLolldlLy, Lhen, he LhoughL back-
1hree monLhs before, he and !anov eloraL, LhaL able, nalve scholar,
had lefL 1ermlnus. eloraL had been drlven by hls anLlquarlan
enLhuslasms Lo dlscover Lhe slLe of long-losL LarLh, and 1revlze had gone
along, uslng eloraL's goal as a cover for whaL he LhoughL hls own real
alm was. 1hey dld noL flnd LarLh, buL Lhey dld flnd Cala, and 1revlze had
Lhen found hlmself forced Lo make hls faLeful declslon.
now lL was he, 1revlze, who had Lurned half-clrcle-abouL-face-and
was searchlng for LarLh.
As for eloraL, he, Loo, had found someLhlng he dldn'L expecL. Pe
had found Lhe black-halred, dark-eyed 8llss, Lhe young woman who was
Cala, even as uom was-and as Lhe nearesL graln of sand or blade of grass
was. eloraL, wlLh Lhe pecullar ardor of laLe mlddle age, had fallen ln
love wlLh a woman less Lhan half hls years, and Lhe young woman, oddly
enough, seemed conLenL wlLh LhaL.
lL was odd-buL eloraL was surely happy and 1revlze LhoughL
reslgnedly LhaL each person musL flnd happlness ln hls or her own
manner. 1haL was Lhe polnL of lndlvlduallLy-Lhe lndlvlduallLy LhaL 1revlze,
by hls cholce, was abollshlng (glven Llme) over all Lhe Calaxy.
1he paln reLurned. 1haL declslon he had made, and had had Lo make,
conLlnued Lo excorlaLe hlm aL every momenL and was-
Colan!"
1he volce lnLruded on 1revlze's LhoughLs and he looked up ln Lhe
dlrecLlon of Lhe sun, bllnklng hls eyes.
Ah, !anov," he sald hearLlly-Lhe more hearLlly because he dld noL
wanL eloraL guesslng aL Lhe sourness of hls LhoughLs. Pe even managed
a [ovlal, ?ou've managed Lo Lear yourself away from 8llss, l see."
eloraL shook hls head. 1he genLle breeze sLlrred hls sllky whlLe halr,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
4
and hls long solemn face reLalned lLs lengLh and solemnlLy ln full.
AcLually, old chap, lL was she LhaL suggesLed l see you-abouL-abouL
whaL l wanL Lo dlscuss. noL LhaL l wouldn'L have wanLed Lo see you on
my own, of course, buL she seems Lo Lhlnk more qulckly Lhan l do."
1revlze smlled. lL's all rlghL, !anov. ?ou're here Lo say good-bye, l
La1l1 lL.
Well, no, noL exacLly. ln facL, more nearly Lhe reverse. Colan, when
w1 lefL 1ermlnus, you and l, l was lnLenL on flndlng LarLh. l've spenL
vlrLually my enLlre adulL llfe aL LhaL Lask."
And l wlll carry on, !anov. 1he Lask ls mlne now."
?es, buL lL's mlne, also, mlne, sLlll."
8uL-" 1revlze llfLed an arm ln a vague all-lncluslve gesLure of Lhe
world abouL Lhem.
eloraL sald, ln a sudden urgenL gasp, l wanL Lo go wlLh you."
1revlze felL asLonlshed. ?ou can'L mean LhaL, !anov. ?ou have Cala
now."
l'll come back Lo Cala someday, buL l cannoL leL you go alone."
CerLalnly you can. l can Lake care of myself."
no offense, Colan, buL you don'L know enough. lL ls l who know Lhe
myLhs and legends. l can dlrecL you."
And you'll leave 8llss? Come, now."
A falnL plnk colored eloraL's cheeks. l don'L exacLly wanL Lo do
LhaL, old chap, buL she sald-
1revlze frowned. ls lL LhaL she's Lrylng Lo geL rld of you, !anov. She
promlsed me-
no, you don'L undersLand. lease llsLen Lo me, Colan. ?ou do have
Lhls uncomforLable exploslve way of [umplng Lo concluslons before you
hear one ouL. lL's your speclalLy, l know, and l seem Lo have a cerLaln
dlfflculLy ln expresslng myself conclsely, buL-
Well," sald 1revlze genLly, suppose you Lell me exacLly whaL lL ls
LhaL 8llss has on her mlnd ln [usL any way you please, and l promlse Lo
be very paLlenL."
1hank you, and as long as you're golng Lo be paLlenL, l Lhlnk l can
come ouL wlLh lL rlghL away. ?ou see, 8llss wanLs Lo come, Loo."
8llss wanLs Lo come?" sald 1revlze. no, l'm explodlng agaln. l won'L
explode. 1ell me, !anov, why would 8llss wanL Lo come along? l'm asklng
lL quleLly."
She dldn'L say. She sald she wanLs Lo Lalk Lo you."
1hen why lsn'L she here, eh?"
eloraL sald, l Lhlnk-l say l Lhlnk-LhaL she ls raLher of Lhe oplnlon
LhaL you are noL fond of her, Colan, and she raLher heslLaLes Lo
approach you. l have done my besL, old man, Lo assure her LhaL you have
noLhlng agalnsL her. l cannoL belleve anyone would Lhlnk anyLhlng buL
hlghly of her. SLlll, she wanLed me Lo broach Lhe sub[ecL wlLh you, so Lo
speak. May l Lell her LhaL you'll be wllllng Lo see her, Colan?"
Cf course, l'll see her rlghL now."
And you'll be reasonable? ?ou see, old man, she's raLher lnLense
abouL lL. She sald Lhe maLLer was vlLal and she musL go wlLh you."
She dldn'L Lell you why, dld she?"
no, buL lf she Lhlnks she musL go, so musL Cala.
Whlch means l musLn'L refuse. ls LhaL rlghL, !anov?"
?es, l Lhlnk you musLn'L, Colan."
lC8 1PL ll8S1 Llme durlng hls brlef sLay on Cala, 1revlze enLered
8llss's house-whlch now shelLered eloraL as well.
1revlze looked abouL brlefly. Cn Cala, houses Lended Lo be slmple.
WlLh Lhe all-buL-compleLe absence of vlolenL weaLher of any klnd, wlLh
Lhe LemperaLure mlld aL all Llmes ln Lhls parLlcular laLlLude, wlLh even
Lhe LecLonlc plaLes sllpplng smooLhly when Lhey had Lo sllp, Lhere was
no polnL ln bulldlng houses deslgned for elaboraLe proLecLlon, or for
malnLalnlng a comforLable envlronmenL wlLhln an uncomforLable one.
1he whole planeL was a house, so Lo speak, deslgned Lo shelLer lLs
lnhablLanLs.
8llss's house wlLhln LhaL planeLary house was small, Lhe wlndows
screened eLher Lhan glassed, Lhe furnlLure sparse and gracefully
uLlllLarlan. 1here were holographlc lmages on Lhe walls, one of Lhem of
eloraL looklng raLher asLonlshed and self-consclous. 1revlze's llps
LwlLched buL he Lrled noL Lo leL hls amusemenL show, and he fell Lo
ad[usLlng hls walsL-sash meLlculously.
8llss waLched hlm. She wasn'L smlllng ln her usual fashlon. 8aLher,
she looked serlous, her flne dark eyes wlde, her halr Lumbllng Lo her
shoulders ln a genLle black wave. Cnly her full llps, Louched wlLh red,
lenL a blL of color Lo her face.
1hank you for comlng Lo see me, 1rev."
!anov was very urgenL ln hls requesL, 8llssenoblarella."
8llss smlled brlefly. Well reLurned. lf you wlll call me 8llss, a decenL
monosyllable, l wlll Lry Lo say your name ln full, 1revlze." She sLumbled,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
3
almosL unnoLlceably, over Lhe second syllable.
1revlze held up hls rlghL hand. 1haL would be a good arrangemenL. l
recognlze Lhe Calan hablL of uslng one-syllable name-porLlons ln Lhe
common lnLerchange of LhoughLs, so lf you should happen Lo call me
1rev now and Lhen l wlll noL be offended. SLlll, l wlll be more
comforLable lf you Lry Lo say 1revlze as ofLen as you can-and l shall say
8llss."
1revlze sLudled her, as he always dld when he encounLered her. As
an lndlvldual, she was a young woman ln her early LwenLles. As parL of
CalL, however, she was Lhousands of years old. lL made no dlfference ln
her appearance, buL lL made a dlfference ln Lhe way she spoke
someLlmes, and ln Lhe aLmosphere LhaL lnevlLably surrounded her. uld
he wanL lL Lhls way for everyone who exlsLed? no! Surely, no, and yeL-
8llss sald, l wlll geL Lo Lhe polnL. ?ou sLressed your deslre Lo flnd
LarLh-
l spoke Lo uom," sald 1revlze, deLermlned noL Lo glve ln Lo Cala
wlLhouL a perpeLual lnslsLence on hls own polnL of vlew.
?es, buL ln speaklng Lo uom, you spoke Lo Cala and Lo every parL of
lL, so LhaL you spoke Lo me, for lnsLance."
uld you hear me as l spoke?"
no, for l wasn'L llsLenlng, buL lf, LhereafLer, l pald aLLenLlon, l could
remember whaL you sald. lease accepL LhaL and leL us go on. -?ou
sLressed your deslre Lo flnd LarLh and lnslsLed on lLs lmporLance. l do noL
see LhaL lmporLance buL you have Lhe knack of belng rlghL so l/we/Cala
musL accepL whaL you say. lf Lhe mlsslon ls cruclal Lo your declslon
concernlng Cala, lL ls of cruclal lmporLance Lo Cala, and so Cala musL go
wlLh you, lf only Lo Lry Lo proLecL you."
When you say Cala musL go wlLh me, you mean you musL go wlLh
me. Am l correcL?"
l am Cala," sald 8llss slmply.
8uL so ls everyLhlng else on and ln Lhls planeL. Why, Lhen, you? Why
noL some oLher porLlon of Cala?"
8ecause el wlshes Lo go wlLh you, and lf he goes wlLh you, he
would noL be happy wlLh any oLher porLlon of Cala Lhan myself."
eloraL, who saL raLher unobLruslvely on a chalr ln anoLher corner
(wlLh hls back, 1revlze noLed, Lo hls own lmage) sald sofLly, 1haL's Lrue,
Colan. 8llss ls my porLlon of Cala."
8llss smlled suddenly. lL seems raLher exclLlng Lo be LhoughL of ln
LhaL way. lL's very allen, of course."
Well, leL's see." 1revlze puL hls hands behlnd hls head and began Lo
lean backward ln hls chalr. 1he Lhln legs creaked as he dld so, so LhaL he
qulckly declded Lhe chalr was noL sLurdy enough Lo endure LhaL game
and broughL lL down Lo all four feeL. Wlll you sLlll be parL of Cala lf you
leave her?"
l need noL be. l can lsolaLe myself, for lnsLance, lf l seem ln danger
of serlous harm, so LhaL harm wlll noL necessarlly splll over lnLo Cala, or
lf Lhere ls any oLher overrldlng reason for lL. 1haL, however, ls a maLLer
of emergency only. Cenerally, l wlll remaln parL of Cala."
Lven lf we !ump Lhrough hyperspace?"
Lven Lhen, Lhough LhaL wlll compllcaLe maLLers somewhaL."
Somehow l don'L flnd LhaL comforLlng."
Why noL?"
1revlze wrlnkled hls nose ln Lhe usual meLaphorlc response Lo a bad
smell. lL means LhaL anyLhlng LhaL ls sald and done on my shlp LhaL you
hear and see wlll be heard and seen by all of Cala."
l am Cala so whaL l see, hear, and sense, Cala wlll see, hear, and
sense."
LxacLly. Lven LhaL wall wlll see, hear, and sense."
8llss looked aL Lhe wall he polnLed Lo and shrugged. ?es, LhaL wall,
Loo. lL has only an lnflnlLeslmal consclousness so LhaL lL senses and
undersLands only lnflnlLeslmally, buL l presume Lhere are some
subaLomlc shlfLs ln response Lo whaL we are saylng rlghL now, for
lnsLance, LhaL enable lL Lo flL lnLo Cala wlLh more purposeful lnLenL for
Lhe good of Lhe whole."
8uL whaL lf l wlsh prlvacy? l may noL wanL Lhe wall Lo be aware of
whaL l say or do."
8llss looked exasperaLed and eloraL broke ln suddenly. ?ou know,
Colan, l don'L wanL Lo lnLerfere, slnce l obvlously don'L know much
abouL Cala. SLlll, l've been wlLh 8llss and l've gaLhered somehow some
of whaL lL's all abouL. -lf you walk Lhrough a crowd on 1ermlnus, you see
and hear a greaL many Lhlngs, and you may remember some of lL. ?ou
mlghL even be able Lo recall all of lL under Lhe proper cerebral
sLlmulaLlon, buL mosLly you don'L care. ?ou leL lL go. Lven lf you waLch
some emoLlonal scene beLween sLrangers and even lf you're lnLeresLed,
sLlll, lf lL's of no greaL concern Lo you-you leL lL go-you forgeL. lL musL be
so on Cala, Loo. Lven lf all of Cala knows your buslness lnLlmaLely, LhaL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
6
doesn'L mean LhaL Cala necessarlly cares. -lsn'L LhaL so, 8llss dear?"
l've never LhoughL of lL LhaL way, el, buL Lhere ls someLhlng ln
whaL you say. SLlll, Lhls prlvacy 1rev Lalks abouL-l mean, 1revlze-ls
noLhlng we value aL all. ln facL, l/we/Cala flnd lL lncomprehenslble. 1o
wanL Lo be noL parL-Lo have your volce unheard-your deeds
unwlLnessed-your LhoughLs unsensed-" 8llss shook her head vlgorously.
l sald LhaL we can block ourselves off ln emergencles, buL who would
wanL Lo llve LhaL way, even for an hour?"
l would," sald 1revlze. 1haL ls why l musL flnd LarLh-Lo flnd ouL Lhe
overrldlng reason, lf any, LhaL drove me Lo choose Lhls dreadful faLe for
humanlLy."
lL ls noL a dreadful faLe, buL leL us noL debaLe Lhe maLLer. l wlll be
wlLh you, noL as a spy, buL as a frlend and helper. Cala wlll be wlLh you
noL as a spy, buL as a frlend and helper."
1revlze sald, somberly, Cala could help me besL by dlrecLlng me Lo
LarLh."
Slowly, 8llss shook her head. Cala doesn'L know Lhe locaLlon of
LarLh. uom has already Lold you LhaL."
l don'L qulLe belleve LhaL. AfLer all, you musL have records. Why
have l never been able Lo see Lhose records durlng my sLay here? Lven lf
Cala honesLly doesn'L know where LarLh mlghL be locaLed, l mlghL galn
some knowledge from Lhe records. l know Lhe Calaxy ln conslderable
deLall, undoubLedly much beLLer Lhan Cala does. l mlghL be able Lo
undersLand and follow hlnLs ln your records LhaL Cala, perhaps, doesn'L
qulLe caLch."
8uL whaL records are Lhese you Lalk of, 1revlze?"
Any records. 8ooks, fllms, recordlngs, holographs, arLlfacLs,
whaLever lL ls you have. ln Lhe Llme l've been here l haven'L seen one
lLem LhaL l would conslder ln any way a record. -Pave you, !anov?"
no," sald eloraL heslLanLly, buL l haven'L really looked."
?eL l have, ln my quleL way," sald 1revlze, and l've seen noLhlng.
noLhlng! l can only suppose Lhey're belng hldden from me. Why, l
wonder? Would you Lell me LhaL?"
8llss's smooLh young forehead wrlnkled lnLo a puzzled frown.
Why dldn'L you ask before Lhls? l/we/Cala hlde noLhlng, and we
Lell no lles. An lsolaLe - an lndlvldual ln lsolaLlon-mlghL Lell lles. Pe ls
llmlLed, and ls fearful because he ls llmlLed. Cala, however, ls a planeLary
organlsm of greaL menLal ablllLy and has no fear. lor Cala Lo Lell lles, Lo
creaLe descrlpLlons LhaL are aL varlance wlLh reallLy, ls LoLally
unnecessary."
1revlze snorLed. 1hen why have l carefully been kepL from seelng
any records? Clve me a reason LhaL makes sense."
Cf course." She held ouL boLh hands, palms up before her. We
don'L have any records."
4
LLC8A1 recovered flrsL, seemlng Lhe less asLonlshed of Lhe Lwo.
My dear," he sald genLly, LhaL ls qulLe lmposslble. ?ou cannoL have
a reasonable clvlllzaLlon wlLhouL records of some klnd."
8llss ralsed her eyebrows. l undersLand LhaL. l merely mean we have
no records of Lhe Lype LhaL 1rev-1revlze-ls Lalklng abouL, or was aL all
llkely Lo come across. l/we/Cala have no wrlLlngs, no prlnLlngs, no fllms,
no compuLer daLa banks, noLhlng. We have no carvlngs on sLone, for
LhaL maLLer. 1haL's all l'm saylng. naLurally, slnce we have none of Lhese,
1revlze found none of Lhese."
1revlze sald, WhaL do you have, Lhen, lf you don'L have any records
LhaL l would recognlze as records?"
8llss sald, enunclaLlng carefully, as Lhough she were speaklng Lo a
chlld. l/we/Cala have a memory. l remember."
WhaL do you remember?" asked 1revlze.
LveryLhlng."
?ou remember all reference daLa?"
CerLalnly."
lor how long? lor how many years back?"
lor lndeflnlLe lengLhs of Llme."
?ou could glve me hlsLorlcal daLa, blographlcal, geographlcal,
sclenLlflc? Lven local gosslp?"
LveryLhlng."
All ln LhaL llLLle head." 1revlze polnLed sardonlcally aL 8llss's rlghL
Lemple.
no," she sald. Cala's memorles are noL llmlLed Lo Lhe conLenLs of
my parLlcular skull. See here"-for Lhe momenL she grew formal and even
a llLLle sLern, as she ceased belng 8llss solely and Look on an amalgam of
oLher unlLs = Lhere musL have been a Llme before Lhe beglnnlng of
hlsLory when human belngs were so prlmlLlve LhaL, alLhough Lhey could
remember evenLs, Lhey could noL speak. Speech was lnvenLed and
served Lo express memorles and Lo Lransfer Lhem from person Lo
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
7
person. WrlLlng was evenLually lnvenLed ln order Lo record memorles
and Lransfer Lhem across Llme from generaLlon Lo generaLlon. All
Lechnologlcal advance slnce Lhen has served Lo make more room for Lhe
Lransfer and sLorage of memorles and Lo make Lhe recall of deslred
lLems easler. Powever, once lndlvlduals [olned Lo form Cala, all LhaL
became obsoleLe. We can reLurn Lo memory, Lhe baslc sysLem of record-
keeplng on whlch all else ls bullL. uo you see LhaL?"
1revlze sald, Are you saylng LhaL Lhe sum LoLal of all bralns on Cala
can remember far more daLa Lhan a slngle braln can?"
Cf course."
8uL lf Cala has all Lhe records spread Lhrough Lhe planeLary
memory, whaL good ls LhaL Lo you as an lndlvldual porLlon of Cala?"
All Lhe good you can wlsh. WhaLever l mlghL wanL Lo know ls ln an
lndlvldual mlnd somewhere, maybe ln many of Lhem. lf lL ls very
fundamenLal, such as Lhe meanlng of Lhe word `chalr,' lL ls ln every
mlnd. 8uL even lf lL ls someLhlng esoLerlc LhaL ls ln only one small porLlon
of Cala's mlnd, l eau , call lL up lf l need lL, Lhough such recall may Lake a
blL longer Lhan lf Lhe a memory ls more wldespread. -Look, 1revlze, lf
you wanL Lo know some. Lhlng LhaL lsn'L ln your mlnd, you look aL some
approprlaLe book-fllm, 01r make use of a compuLer's daLa banks. l scan
Cala's LoLal mlnd."
1revlze sald, Pow do you keep all LhaL lnformaLlon from pourlng
lnLo your mlnd and bursLlng your cranlum?"
Are you lndulglng ln sarcasm, 1revlze?"
eloraL sald, Come, Colan, don'L be unpleasanL." ,
1revlze looked from one Lo Lhe oLher and, wlLh a vlslble efforL,
allowed LlghLness abouL hls face Lo relax. l'm sorry. l'm borne down by
a responslblllLy l don'L wanL and don'L know how Lo geL rld of. 1haL may
make me sound unpleasanL when l don'L lnLend Lo be. 8llss, l really wlsh
Lo know. Pow do you draw upon Lhe conLenLs of Lhe bralns of oLhers
wlLhouL Lhen sLorlng lL ln your own braln and qulckly overloadlng lLs
capaclLy?"
8llss sald, l don'L know, 1revlze, any more Lhan you know Lhe
deLalled worklngs of your slngle braln. l presume you know Lhe dlsLance
from your sun Lo a nelghborlng sLar, buL you are noL always consclous of
lL. ?ou sLore lL somewhere and can reLrleve Lhe flgure aL any Llme lf
asked. lf noL asked, you , may wlLh Llme forgeL lL, buL you can Lhen
always reLrleve lL from some daLa bank. lf you conslder Cala's braln a
vasL daLa bank, lL ls one l can call on, buL Lhere ls no need for me Lo
remember consclously any parLlcular lLem l have made use of. Cnce l
have made use of a facL or memory, l can allow lL Lo pass ouL of
memory. lor LhaL maLLer, l can dellberaLely puL lL back, so Lo speak, ln
Lhe place l goL lL from."
Pow many people on Cala, 8llss? Pow many human belngs?"
AbouL a bllllon. uo you wanL Lhe exacL flgure as of now?"
1revlze smlled ruefully. l qulLe see you can call up Lhe exacL flgure lf
you wlsh, buL l'll Lake Lhe approxlmaLlon."
AcLually," sald 8llss, Lhe populaLlon ls sLable and osclllaLes abouL a
parLlcular number LhaL ls sllghLly ln excess of a bllllon. l can Lell by how
much Lhe number exceeds or falls shorL of Lhe mean by exLendlng my
consclousness and-well-feellng Lhe boundarles. l can'L explaln lL beLLer
Lhan LhaL Lo some one who has never shared Lhe experlence."
lL seems Lo me, however, LhaL a bllllon human mlnds-a number of
Lhem belng Lhose of chlldren-are surely noL enough Lo hold ln memory
all Lhe daLa needed by a complex socleLy."
8uL human belngs are noL Lhe only llvlng Lhlngs on Cala, 1rev."
uo you mean LhaL anlmals remember, Loo?"
nonhuman bralns can'L sLore memorles wlLh Lhe same denslLy
human bralns can, and much of Lhe room ln all bralns, human and
nonhuman allke, musL be glven over Lo personal memorles whlch are
scarcely useful excepL Lo Lhe parLlcular componenL of Lhe planeLary
consclousness LhaL harbors Lhem. Powever, slgnlflcanL quanLlLles of
advanced daLa can be, and are, sLored ln anlmal bralns, also ln planL
Llssue, and ln Lhe mlneral sLrucLure of Lhe planeL."
ln Lhe mlneral sLrucLure? 1he rocks and mounLaln range, you
mean?"
And, for some klnds of daLa, Lhe ocean and aLmosphere. All LhaL ls
Cala, Loo."
8uL whaL can nonllvlng sysLems hold?"
A greaL deal. 1he lnLenslLy ls low buL Lhe volume ls so greaL LhaL a
large ma[orlLy of Cala's LoLal memory ls ln lLs rocks. lL Lakes a llLLle longer
Lo reLrleve and replace rock memorles so LhaL lL ls Lhe preferred place
for sLorlng dead daLa, so Lo speak-lLems LhaL, ln Lhe normal course of
evenLs, would rarely be called upon."
WhaL happens when someone dles whose braln sLores daLa of
conslderable value?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
8
1he daLa ls noL losL. lL ls slowly crowded ouL as Lhe braln
dlsorganlzes afLer deaLh, buL Lhere ls ample Llme Lo dlsLrlbuLe Lhe
memorles lnLo oLher parLs of Cala. And as new bralns ,appear ln bables
and become more organlzed wlLh growLh, Lhey noL only develop Lhelr
personal memorles and LhoughLs buL are fed approprlaLe knowledge
from oLher sources. WhaL you would call educaLlon ls enLlrely auLomaLlc
wlLh me/us/Cala."
eloraL sald, lrankly, Colan, lL seems Lo me LhaL Lhls noLlon of a
llvlng world has a greaL deal Lo be sald for lL."
1revlze gave hls fellow-loundaLloner a brlef, sldelong glance. l'm
sure of LhaL, !anov, buL l'm noL lmpressed. 1he planeL, however blg and
however dlverse, represenLs one braln. Cne! Lvery new braln LhaL arlses
ls melLed lnLo Lhe whole. Where's Lhe opporLunlLy for opposlLlon, for
dlsagreemenL? When you Lhlnk of human hlsLory, you Lhlnk of Lhe
occaslonal human belng whose mlnorlLy vlew may be condemned by
socleLy buL who wlns ouL ln Lhe end and changes Lhe world. WhaL
chance ls Lhere on Cala for Lhe greaL rebels of hlsLory?"
1here ls lnLernal confllcL," sald 8llss. noL every aspecL of Cala
necessarlly accepLs Lhe common vlew."
lL musL be llmlLed," sald 1revlze. ?ou cannoL have Loo much
Lurmoll wlLhln a slngle organlsm, or lL would noL work properly. lf
progress and developmenL are noL sLopped alLogeLher, Lhey musL
cerLalnly be slowed. Can we Lake Lhe chance of lnfllcLlng LhaL on Lhe
enLlre Calaxy? Cn all of humanlLy?"
8llss sald, wlLhouL open emoLlon, Are you now quesLlonlng your
own declslon? Are you changlng your mlnd and are you now saylng LhaL
Cala ls an undeslrable fuLure for humanlLy?"
1revlze LlghLened hls llps and heslLaLed. 1hen, he sald, slowly, l
would llke Lo, buL-noL yeL. l made my declslon on some basls-some
unconsclous basls-and unLll l flnd ouL whaL LhaL basls was, l cannoL Lruly
declde wheLher l am Lo malnLaln or change my declslon. LeL us Lherefore
reLurn Lo Lhe maLLer of LarLh."
Where you feel you wlll learn Lhe naLure of Lhe basls on whlch you
made your declslon. ls LhaL lL, 1revlze?"
1haL ls Lhe feellng l have. -now uom says Cala does noL know Lhe
locaLlon of LarLh. And you agree wlLh hlm, l belleve."
Cf course l agree wlLh hlm. l am no less Cala Lhan he ls."
And do you wlLhhold knowledge from me? Consclously, l mean?"
Cf course noL. Lven lf lL were posslble for Cala Lo lle, lL would noL lle
Lo you. Above all, we depend upon your concluslons, and we need Lhem
Lo be accuraLe, and LhaL requlres LhaL Lhey be based on reallLy."
ln LhaL case," sald 1revlze, leL's make use of your world-memory.
robe backward and Lell me how far you can remember."
1here was a small heslLaLlon. 8llss looked blankly aL 1revlze, as
Lhough, for a momenL, she was ln a Lrance. 1hen she sald, llfLeen
Lhousand years."
Why dld you heslLaLe?"
lL Look Llme. Cld memorles-really old-are almosL all ln Lhe mounLaln
rooLs where lL Lakes Llme Lo dlg Lhem ouL."
llfLeen Lhousand years ago, Lhen? ls LhaL when Cala was seLLled?"
no, Lo Lhe besL of our knowledge LhaL Look place some Lhree
Lhousand years before LhaL."
Why are you uncerLaln? uon'L you-or Cala-remember?"
8llss sald, 1haL was before Cala had developed Lo Lhe polnL where
memory became a global phenomenon."
?eL before you could rely on your collecLlve memory, Cala musL
have kepL records, 8llss. 8ecords ln Lhe usual sense-recorded, wrlLLen,
fllmed, and so on."
l lmaglne so, buL Lhey could scarcely endure all Lhls Llme."
1hey could have been copled or, beLLer yeL, Lransferred lnLo Lhe
global memory, once LhaL was developed."
8llss frowned. 1here was anoLher heslLaLlon, longer Lhls Llme. l flnd
no slgn of Lhese earller records you speak of."
Why ls LhaL?"
l don'L know, 1revlze. l presume LhaL Lhey proved of no greaL
lmporLance. 1 lmaglne LhaL by Lhe Llme lL was undersLood LhaL Lhe early
nonmemory records were decaylng, lL was declded LhaL Lhey had grown
archalc and wore noL needed."
?ou don'L know LhaL. ?ou presume and you lmaglne, buL you don'L
know LhaL. Cala doesn'L know LhaL."
8llss's eyes fell. lL musL be so."
MusL be? l am noL a parL of Cala and Lherefore l need noL presume
whaL Cala presumes-whlch glves you an example of Lhe lmporLance of
lsolaLlon. l, as an lsolaLe, presume someLhlng else."
WhaL do you presume?"
llrsL, Lhere ls someLhlng l am sure of. A clvlllzaLlon ln belng ls noL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
9
llkely Lo desLroy lLs early records. lar from [udglng Lhem Lo be archalc
and unnecessary, Lhey are llkely Lo LreaL Lhem wlLh exaggeraLed
reverence and would labor Lo preserve Lhem. lf Cala's preglobal records
were desLroyed, 8llss, LhaL desLrucLlon ls noL llkely Lo have been
volunLary."
Pow would you explaln lL, Lhen?"
ln Lhe Llbrary aL 1ranLor, all references Lo LarLh were removed by
someone or some force oLher Lhan LhaL of Lhe 1ranLorlan Second
loundaLloners Lhemselves. lsn'L lL posslble, Lhen, LhaL on Cala, Loo, all
references Lo LarLh were removed by someLhlng oLher Lhan Cala lLself?"
Pow do you know Lhe early records lnvolved LarLh?"
Accordlng Lo you, Cala was founded aL leasL elghLeen Lhousand
years ago. 1haL brlngs us back Lo Lhe perlod before Lhe esLabllshmenL of
Lhe CalacLlc Lmplre, Lo Lhe perlod when Lhe Calaxy was belng seLLled
and Lhe prlme source of SeLLlers was LarLh. eloraL wlll conflrm LhaL."
eloraL, caughL a llLLle by surprlse by suddenly belng called on,
cleared hls LhroaL. So go Lhe legends, my dear. l Lake Lhose legends
serlously and l Lhlnk, as Colan 1revlze does, LhaL Lhe human specles was
orlglnally conflned Lo a slngle planeL and LhaL planeL was LarLh. 1he
earllesL SeLLlers came from LarLh."
lf, Lhen," sald 1revlze, Cala was founded ln Lhe early days of
hyperspaLlal Lravel, Lhen lL ls very llkely Lo have been colonlzed by
LarLhmen, or posslbly by naLlves of a noL very old world LhaL had noL
long before been colonlzed by LarLhmen. lor LhaL reason, Lhe records of
Cala's seLLlemenL and of Lhe flrsL few mlllennla LhereafLer musL clearly
have lnvolved LarLh and LarLhmen and Lhose records are gone.
SomeLhlng seems Lo be seelng Lo lL LhaL LarLh ls noL menLloned
anywhere ln Lhe records of Lhe Calaxy. And lf so, Lhere musL be some
reason for lL."
8llss sald lndlgnanLly, 1hls ls con[ecLure, 1revlze. ?ou have no
evldence for Lhls."
8uL lL ls Cala LhaL lnslsLs LhaL my speclal LalenL ls LhaL of comlng Lo
correcL concluslons on Lhe basls of lnsufflclenL evldence. lf, Lhen, l come
Lo a flrm concluslon, don'L Lell me l lack evldence."
8llss was sllenL.
1revlze wenL on, All Lhe more reason Lhen for flndlng LarLh. l lnLend
Lo leave as soon as Lhe lar SLar ls ready. uo you Lwo sLlll wanL Lo come?"
?es," sald 8llss aL once, and ?es," sald eloraL.

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
10
Chapter @
1oward Comporellon
3.
l1 WAS 8AlnlnC llghLly. 1revlze looked up aL Lhe sky, whlch was a
solld graylsh whlLe.
Pe was wearlng a raln haL LhaL repelled Lhe drops and senL Lhem
flylng well away from hls body ln all dlrecLlons. eloraL, sLandlng ouL of
range of Lhe flylng drops, had no such proLecLlon.
1revlze sald, l don'L see Lhe polnL of your leLLlng yourself geL weL,
!anov."
1he weL doesn'L boLher me, my dear chap," sald eloraL, looklng as
solemn as he always dld. lL's a llghL and warm raln. 1here's no wlnd Lo
speak of. And besldes, Lo quoLe Lhe old saylng: `ln Anacreon, do as Lhe
Anacreonlans do."' Pe lndlcaLed Lhe few Calans sLandlng near Lhe lar
SLar, waLchlng quleLly. 1hey were well scaLLered, as Lhough Lhey were
Lrees ln a Calan grove, and none wore raln haLs.
l suppose," sald 1revlze, Lhey don'L mlnd belng weL, because all Lhe
resL of Cala ls geLLlng weL. 1he Lrees-Lhe grass-Lhe soll-all weL, and all
equally parL of Cala, along wlLh Lhe Calans."
l Lhlnk lL makes sense," sald eloraL. 1he sun wlll come ouL soon
enough and everyLhlng wlll dry qulckly. 1he cloLhlng won'L wrlnkle or
shrlnk, Lhere's no chllllng effecL, and, slnce Lhere aren'L any unnecessary
paLhogenlc mlcroorganlsms, no one wlll geL colds, or flu, or pneumonla.
Why worry abouL a blL of damp Lhen?"
1revlze had no Lrouble ln seelng Lhe loglc of LhaL, buL he haLed Lo leL
go of hls grlevance. Pe sald, SLlll, Lhere ls no need for lL Lo raln as we
are leavlng. AfLer all, Lhe raln ls volunLary. Cala wouldn'L raln lf lL dldn'L
wanL Lo. lL's almosL as Lhough lL were showlng lLs conLempL for us."
erhaps"-and eloraL's llp LwlLched a blL Cala ls weeplng wlLh
sorrow aL our leavlng."
1revlze sald, 1haL may be, buL l'm noL."
AcLually," eloraL wenL on, l presume LhaL Lhe soll ln Lhls reglon
needs a weLLlng down, and LhaL need ls more lmporLanL Lhan your deslre
Lo have Lhe sun shlne."
1revlze smlled. l suspecL you really llke Lhls world, don'L you? Lven
aslde from 8llss, l mean."
?es, l do," sald eloraL, a Lrace defenslvely. l've always led a quleL,
orderly llfe, and Lhlnk how l could manage here, wlLh a whole world
laborlng Lo keep lL quleL and orderly. -AfLer all, Colan, when we bulld a
house-or LhaL shlp-we Lry Lo creaLe a perfecL shelLer. We equlp lL wlLh
everyLhlng we need, we arrange Lo have lLs LemperaLure, alr quallLy,
lllumlnaLlon, and everyLhlng else of lmporLance, conLrolled by us and
manlpulaLed ln a way Lo make lL perfecLly accommodaLlng Lo us. Cala ls
[usL an exLenslon of Lhe deslre for comforL and securlLy exLended Lo an
enLlre planeL. WhaL's wrong wlLh LhaL?"
WhaL's wrong wlLh LhaL," sald 1revlze, ls LhaL my house or my shlp
ls englneered Lo sulL me. l am noL englneered Lo sulL lL. lf l were parL of
Cala, Lhen no maLLer how ldeally Lhe planeL was devlsed Lo sulL me, l
would be greaLly dlsLurbed over Lhe facL LhaL l was also belng devlsed Lo
sulL lL."
eloraL pursed hls llps. Cne could argue LhaL every socleLy molds lLs
populaLlon Lo flL lLself. CusLoms develop LhaL make sense wlLhln Lhe
socleLy, and LhaL chaln every lndlvldual flrmly Lo lLs needs."
ln Lhe socleLles l know, one can revolL. 1here are eccenLrlcs, even
crlmlnals."
uo you wanL eccenLrlcs and crlmlnals?"
Why noL? ?ou and l are eccenLrlcs. We're cerLalnly noL Lyplcal of Lhe
people llvlng on 1ermlnus. As for crlmlnals, LhaL's a maLLer of deflnlLlon.
And lf crlmlnals are Lhe prlce we musL pay for rebels, hereLlcs, and
genluses, l'm wllllng Lo pay lL. l demand Lhe prlce be pald."
Are crlmlnals Lhe only posslble paymenL? Can'L you have genlus
wlLhouL crlmlnals?"
?ou can'L have genluses and salnLs wlLhouL havlng people far
ouLslde Lhe norm, and l don'L see how you can have such Lhlngs on only
one slde of Lhe norm. 1here ls bound Lo be a cerLaln symmeLry. -ln any
case, l wanL a beLLer reason for my declslon Lo make Cala Lhe model for
Lhe fuLure of humanlLy Lhan LhaL lL ls a planeLary verslon of a
comforLable house."
Ch, my dear fellow. l wasn'L Lrylng Lo argue you lnLo belng saLlsfled
wlLh your declslon. l was [usL maklng an observa-
Pe broke off. 8llss was sLrldlng Loward Lhem, her dark halr weL and
her robe cllnglng Lo her body and emphaslzlng Lhe raLher generous
wldLh of her hlps. She was noddlng Lo Lhem as she came.
l'm sorry l delayed you," she sald, panLlng a llLLle. lL Look longer Lo
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
11
check wlLh uom Lhan l had anLlclpaLed."
Surely," sald 1revlze, you know everyLhlng he knows."
SomeLlmes lL's a maLLer of a dlfference ln lnLerpreLaLlon. We are
noL ldenLlcal, afLer all, so we dlscuss. Look here," she sald, wlLh a Louch
of asperlLy, you have Lwo hands. 1hey are each parL of you, and Lhey
seem ldenLlcal excepL for one belng Lhe mlrror-lmage of Lhe oLher. ?eL
you do noL use Lhem enLlrely allke, do you? 1here are some Lhlngs you
do wlLh your rlghL hand mosL of Lhe Llme, and some wlLh your lefL.
ulfferences ln lnLerpreLaLlon, so Lo speak."
She's goL you," sald eloraL, wlLh obvlous saLlsfacLlon.
1revlze nodded. lL's an effecLlve analogy, lf lL were relevanL, and l'm
noL aL all sure lL ls. ln any case, does Lhls mean we can board Lhe shlp
now? lL ls ralnlng."
?es, yes. Cur people are all off lL, and lL's ln perfecL shape." 1hen,
wlLh a sudden curlous look aL 1revlze, ?ou're keeplng dry. 1he
ralndrops are mlsslng you."
?es, lndeed," sald 1revlze. l am avoldlng weLness."
8uL doesn'L lL feel good Lo be weL now and Lhen?"
AbsoluLely. 8uL aL my cholce, noL Lhe raln's."
8llss shrugged. Well, as you please. All our baggage ls loaded so leL's
board."
1he Lhree walked Loward Lhe lar SLar. 1he raln was growlng sLlll
llghLer, buL Lhe grass was qulLe weL. 1revlze found hlmself walklng
glngerly, buL 8llss had klcked off her sllppers, whlch she was now
carrylng ln one hand, and was slogglng Lhrough Lhe grass barefooL.
lL feels dellghLful," she sald, ln response Lo 1revlze's downward
glance.
Cood," he sald absenLly. 1hen, wlLh a Louch of lrrlLaLlon, Why are
Lhose oLher Calans sLandlng abouL, anyway?"
8llss sald, 1hey're recordlng Lhls evenL, whlch Cala flnds
momenLous. ?ou are lmporLanL Lo us, 1revlze. Conslder LhaL lf you
should change your mlnd as a resulL of Lhls Lrlp and declde agalnsL us,
we would never grow lnLo Calaxla, or even remaln as Cala."
1hen l represenL llfe and deaLh for Cala, for Lhe whole world."
We belleve so."
1revlze sLopped suddenly, and Look off hls raln haL. 8lue paLches
were appearlng ln Lhe sky. Pe sald, 8uL you have my voLe ln your favor
now. lf you klll me, l'll never be able Lo change lL."
Colan," murmured eloraL, shocked. 1haL ls a Lerrlble Lhlng Lo
say."
1yplcal of an lsolaLe," sald 8llss calmly. ?ou musL undersLand,
1revlze, LhaL we are noL lnLeresLed ln you as a person, or even ln your
voLe, buL ln Lhe LruLh, ln Lhe facLs of Lhe maLLer. ?ou are only lmporLanL
as a condulL Lo Lhe LruLh, and your voLe as an lndlcaLlon of Lhe LruLh.
1haL ls whaL we wanL from you, and lf we klll you Lo avold a change ln
your voLe, we would merely be hldlng Lhe LruLh from ourselves."
lf l Lell you Lhe LruLh ls non-Cala, wlll you all Lhen cheerfully agree Lo
dle?"
noL enLlrely cheerfully, perhaps, buL lL's whaL lL would amounL Lo ln
Lhe end."
1revlze shook hls head. lf anyLhlng oughL Lo convlnce me LhaL Cala
ls a horror and should dle, lL mlghL be LhaL very sLaLemenL you've [usL
made." 1hen he sald, hls eyes reLurnlng Lo Lhe paLlenLly waLchlng (and,
presumably, llsLenlng) Calans, Why are Lhey spread ouL llke LhaL? And
why do you need so many? lf one of Lhem observes Lhls evenL and sLores
lL ln hls or her memory, lsn'L lL avallable Lo all Lhe resL of Lhe planeL?
Can'L lL be sLored ln a mllllon dlfferenL places lf you wanL lL Lo be?"
8llss sald, 1hey are observlng Lhls each from a dlfferenL angle, and
each ls sLorlng lL ln a sllghLly dlfferenL braln. When all Lhe observaLlons
are sLudled, lL wlll be seen LhaL whaL ls Laklng place wlll be far beLLer
undersLood from all Lhe observaLlons LogeLher Lhan from any one of
Lhem, Laken slngly."
1he whole ls greaLer Lhan Lhe sum of Lhe parLs, ln oLher words."
LxacLly. ?ou have grasped Lhe baslc [usLlflcaLlon of Cala's exlsLence.
?ou, as a human lndlvldual, are composed of perhaps flfLy Lrllllon cells,
buL you, as a mulLlcellular lndlvldual, are far more lmporLanL Lhan Lhose
flfLy Lrllllon as Lhe sum of Lhelr lndlvldual lmporLance. Surely you would
agree wlLh LhaL."
?es," sald 1revlze. l agree wlLh LhaL."
Pe sLepped lnLo Lhe shlp, and Lurned brlefly for one more look aL
Cala. 1he brlef raln had lenL a new freshness Lo Lhe aLmosphere. Pe saw
a green, lush, quleL, peaceful world, a garden of serenlLy seL amld Lhe
Lurbulence of Lhe weary Calaxy.
-And 1revlze earnesLly hoped he would never see lL agaln.
6.
WPLn 1PL alrlock closed behlnd Lhem, 1revlze felL as Lhough he had
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
12
shuL ouL noL exacLly a nlghLmare, buL someLhlng so serlously abnormal
LhaL lL had prevenLed hlm from breaLhlng freely.
Pe was fully aware LhaL an elemenL of LhaL abnormallLy was sLlll wlLh
hlm ln Lhe person of 8llss. Whlle she was Lhere, Cala was Lhere-and yeL
he was also convlnced LhaL her presence was essenLlal. lL was Lhe black
box worklng agaln, and earnesLly he hoped he would never begln
bellevlng ln LhaL black box Loo much.
Pe looked abouL Lhe vessel and found lL beauLlful. lL had been hls
only slnce Mayor Parla 8ranno of Lhe loundaLlon had forced hlm lnLo lL
and senL hlm ouL among Lhe sLars-a llvlng llghLnlng rod deslgned Lo draw
Lhe flre of Lhose she consldered enemles of Lhe loundaLlon. 1haL Lask
was done buL Lhe shlp was sLlll hls, and he had no plans Lo reLurn lL.
lL had been hls for merely a maLLer of a few monLhs, buL lL seemed
llke home Lo hlm and he could only dlmly remember whaL had once
been hls home ln 1ermlnus.
1ermlnus! 1he off-cenLer hub of Lhe loundaLlon, desLlned, by
Seldon's lan, Lo form a second and greaLer Lmplre ln Lhe course of Lhe
nexL flve cenLurles, excepL LhaL he, 1revlze, had now deralled lL. 8y hls
own declslon he was converLlng Lhe loundaLlon Lo noLhlng, and was
maklng posslble lnsLead, a new socleLy, a new scheme of llfe, a
frlghLenlng revoluLlon LhaL would be greaLer Lhan any slnce Lhe
developmenL of mulLlcellular llfe.
now he was engaged ln a [ourney deslgned Lo prove Lo hlmself (or Lo
dlsprove) LhaL whaL he had done was rlghL. Pe found hlmself losL ln
LhoughL and moLlonless, so LhaL he shook hlmself ln self-lrrlLaLlon. Pe
hasLened Lo Lhe plloL-room and found hls compuLer sLlll Lhere.
lL gllsLened, everyLhlng gllsLened. 1here had been a mosL careful
cleanlng. 1he conLacLs he closed, nearly aL random, worked perfecLly,
and, lL surely seemed, wlLh greaLer ease Lhan ever. 1he venLllaLlng
sysLem was so nolseless LhaL he had Lo puL hls hand over Lhe venLs Lo
make sure he felL alr currenLs.
1he clrcle of llghL on Lhe compuLer glowed lnvlLlngly. 1revlze Louched
lL and Lhe llghL spread ouL Lo cover Lhe desk Lop and Lhe ouLllne of a
rlghL and lefL hand appeared on lL. Pe drew a deep breaLh and reallzed
LhaL he had sLopped breaLhlng for a whlle. 1he Calans knew noLhlng
abouL loundaLlon Lechnology and Lhey mlghL easlly have damaged Lhe
compuLer wlLhouL meanlng any mallce. 1hus far Lhey had noL-Lhe hands
were sLlll Lhere.
1he cruclal LesL came wlLh Lhe laylng on of hls own hands, however,
and, for a momenL, he heslLaLed. Pe would know, almosL aL once, lf
anyLhlng were wrong-buL lf someLhlng was, whaL could he do? lor
repalrs, he would have Lo go back Lo 1ermlnus, and lf he dld, he felL
qulLe confldenL LhaL Mayor 8ranno would noL leL hlm leave agaln. And lf
he dld noL. Pe could feel hls hearL poundlng, and Lhere was clearly no
polnL ln dellberaLely lengLhenlng Lhe suspense.
Pe LhrusL hls hands ouL, rlghL, lefL, and placed Lhem on Lhe ouLllnes
upon Lhe desk. AL once, he had Lhe llluslon of anoLher palr of hands
holdlng hls. Pls senses exLended, and he could see Cala ln all dlrecLlons,
green and molsL, Lhe Calans sLlll waLchlng. When he wllled hlmself Lo
look upward, he saw a largely cloudy sky. Agaln, aL hls wlll, Lhe clouds
vanlshed and he looked aL an unbroken blue sky wlLh Lhe orb of Cala's
sun fllLered ouL. Agaln he wllled and Lhe blue parLed and he saw Lhe
sLars. Pe wlped Lhem ouL, and wllled and saw Lhe Calaxy, llke a
foreshorLened plnwheel. Pe LesLed Lhe compuLerlzed lmage, ad[usLlng
lLs orlenLaLlon, alLerlng Lhe apparenL progress of Llme, maklng lL spln
flrsL ln one dlrecLlon, Lhen Lhe oLher. Pe locaLed Lhe sun of Sayshell, Lhe
nearesL lmporLanL sLar Lo Cala, Lhen Lhe sun of 1ermlnus, Lhen of
1ranLor, one afLer Lhe oLher. Pe Lraveled from sLar Lo sLar ln Lhe CalacLlc
map LhaL dwelL ln Lhe bowels of Lhe compuLer.
1hen he wlLhdrew hls hands and leL Lhe world of reallLy surround
hlm agaln-and reallzed he had been sLandlng all Lhls Llme, half-bowlng
over Lhe compuLer Lo make Lhe hand conLacL. Pe felL sLlff and had Lo
sLreLch hls back muscles before slLLlng down.
Pe sLared aL Lhe compuLer wlLh warm rellef. lL had worked perfecLly.
lL had been, lf anyLhlng, more responslve, and whaL he felL for lL he
could only descrlbe as love. AfLer all, whlle he held lLs hands (he
resoluLely refused Lo admlL Lo hlmself LhaL he LhoughL of lL as her hands)
Lhey were parL of each oLher, and hls wlll dlrecLed, conLrolled,
experlenced, and was parL of a greaLer self. Pe and lL musL feel, ln a
small way (he suddenly, and dlsLurblngly, LhoughL), whaL Cala dld ln a
much larger way. Pe shook hls head. no! ln Lhe case of Lhe compuLer
and hlmself, lL was he -1revlze-who was ln enLlre conLrol. 1he compuLer
was a Lhlng of LoLal submlsslon.
Pe rose and moved ouL Lo Lhe compacL galley and dlnlng area. 1here
was plenLy of food of all klnds, wlLh proper refrlgeraLlon and easy-
heaLlng faclllLles. Pe had already noLed LhaL Lhe book-fllms ln hls room
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
13
were ln Lhe proper order, and he was reasonably sure-no, compleLely
sure-LhaL eloraL had hls personal llbrary ln safe sLorage. Pe would
oLherwlse surely have heard from hlm by now.
eloraL! 1haL remlnded hlm. Pe sLepped lnLo eloraL's room. ls
Lhere room for 8llss here, !anov?"
Ch yes, qulLe."
l can converL Lhe common room lnLo her bedroom."
8llss looked up, wlde-eyed. l have no deslre for a separaLe
bedroom. l am qulLe conLenL Lo sLay here wlLh el. l suppose, Lhough,
LhaL l may use Lhe oLher rooms when needed. 1he gym, for lnsLance."
CerLalnly. Any room buL mlne."
Cood. 1haL's whaL l would have suggesLed be Lhe arrangemenL, lf l
had had Lhe maklng of lL. naLurally, you wlll sLay ouL of ours."
naLurally," sald 1revlze, looklng down and reallzlng LhaL hls shoes
overlapped Lhe Lhreshold. Pe Look a half-sLep backward and sald grlmly,
'1hese are noL honeymoon quarLers, 8llss."
l should say, ln vlew of lLs compacLness, LhaL lL ls exacLly LhaL even
Lhough Cala exLended lL Lo half agaln as wlde as lL was."
1revlze Lrled noL Lo smlle. ?ou'll have Lo be very frlendly."
We are," sald eloraL, clearly lll aL ease aL Lhe Loplc of conversaLlon,
buL really, old chap, you can leave lL Lo us Lo make our own
arrangemenLs."
AcLually, l can'L," sald 1revlze slowly. l sLlll wanL Lo make lL clear
LhaL Lhese are noL honeymoon accommodaLlons. l have no ob[ecLlon Lo
anyLhlng you do by muLual consenL, buL you musL reallze LhaL you wlll
have no prlvacy. l hope you undersLand LhaL, 8llss."
1here ls a door," sald 8llss, and l lmaglne you wlll noL dlsLurb us
who lL ls locked-shorL of a real emergency, LhaL ls."
Cf course l won'L. Powever, Lhere ls no soundprooflng."
WhaL you are Lrylng Lo say, 1revlze," sald 8llss, ls LhaL you wlll
hear, qulLe clearly, any conversaLlon we may have, and any sounds we
may make ln Lhe course of sex."
?es, LhaL ls whaL l am Lrylng Lo say. WlLh LhaL ln mlnd, l expecL you
may flnd you wlll have Lo llmlL your acLlvlLles here. 1hls may
dlscommode you, and l'm sorry, buL LhaL's Lhe slLuaLlon as lL ls."
eloraL cleared hls LhroaL, and sald genLly, AcLually, Colan, Lhls ls a
problem l've already had Lo face. ?ou reallze LhaL any sensaLlon 8llss
experlences, when LogeLher wlLh me, ls experlenced by all of Cala."
l have LhoughL of LhaL, !anov," sald 1revlze, looklng as Lhough he
were represslng a wlnce. l dldn'L lnLend Lo menLlon lL [usL ln case Lhe
LhoughL had noL occurred Lo you."
8uL lL dld, l'm afrald," sald eloraL.
8llss sald, uon'L make Loo much of LhaL, 1revlze. AL any glven
momenL, Lhere may be Lhousands of human belngs on Cala who are
engaged ln sex, mllllons who are eaLlng, drlnklng, or engaged ln oLher
pleasure-glvlng acLlvlLles. 1hls glves rlse Lo a general aura of dellghL LhaL
Cala feels, every parL of lL. 1he lower anlmals, Lhe planLs, Lhe mlnerals
have Lhelr progresslvely mllder pleasures LhaL also conLrlbuLe Lo a
generallzed [oy of consclousness LhaL Cala feels ln all lLs parLs always,
and LhaL ls unfelL ln any oLher world."
We have our own parLlcular [oys," sald 1revlze, whlch we can share
afLer a fashlon, lf we wlsh, or keep prlvaLe, lf we wlsh."
lf you could feel ours, you would know how poverLy-sLrlcken you
lsolaLes are ln LhaL respecL."
Pow can you know whaL we feel?"
WlLhouL knowlng how you feel, lL ls sLlll reasonable Lo suppose LhaL
a world of common pleasures musL be more lnLense Lhan Lhose avallable
Lo a slngle lsolaLed lndlvldual."
erhaps, buL even lf my pleasures were poverLy-sLrlcken, l would
keep my own [oys and sorrows and be saLlsfled wlLh Lhem, Lhln as Lhey
are, and be me and noL blood broLher Lo Lhe nearesL rock."
uon'L sneer," sald 8llss. ?ou value every mlneral crysLal ln your
bones and LeeLh and would noL have one of Lhem damaged, Lhough Lhey
have no more consclousness Lhan Lhe average rock crysLal of Lhe same
slze."
1haL's Lrue enough," sald 1revlze relucLanLly, buL we've managed
Lo geL off Lhe sub[ecL. l don'L care lf all Cala shares your [oy, 8llss, buL l
don'L wanL Lo share lL. We're llvlng here ln close quarLers and l do noL
wlsh Lo be forced Lo parLlclpaLe ln your acLlvlLles even lndlrecLly."
eloraL sald, 1hls ls an argumenL over noLhlng, my dear chap. l am
no more anxlous Lhan you Lo have your prlvacy vlolaLed. nor mlne, for
LhaL maLLer. 8llss and l wlll be dlscreeL, won'L we, 8llss?"
lL wlll be as you wlsh, el."
AfLer all," sald eloraL, we are qulLe llkely Lo be planeL-bound for
conslderably longer perlods Lhan we wlll space-borne, and on planeLs,
Lhe opporLunlLles for Lrue prlvacy-
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
14
l don'L care whaL you do on planeLs," lnLerrupLed 1revlze, buL on
Lhls shlp, l am masLer."
LxacLly," sald eloraL.
1hen, wlLh LhaL sLralghLened ouL, lL ls Llme Lo Lake off."
8uL walL." eloraL reached ouL Lo Lug aL 1revlze's sleeve. 1ake off
for where? ?ou don'L know where LarLh ls, nor do l, nor does 8llss. nor
does your compuLer, for you Lold me long ago LhaL lL lacks any
lnformaLlon on LarLh. WhaL do you lnLend dolng, Lhen? ?ou can'L slmply
drlfL Lhrough space aL random, my dear chap."
AL LhaL, 1revlze smlled wlLh whaL was almosL [oy. lor Lhe flrsL Llme
slnce he had fallen lnLo Lhe grlp of Cala, he felL masLer of hls own faLe.
l assure you," he sald, LhaL lL ls noL my lnLenLlon Lo drlfL, !anov. l
know exacLly where l am golng."
7.
LLC8A1 walked quleLly lnLo Lhe plloL-room afLer he had walLed long
momenLs whlle hls small Lap on Lhe door had gone unanswered. Pe
found 1revlze looklng wlLh keen absorpLlon aL Lhe sLarfleld.
eloraL sald, Colan-" and walLed.
1revlze looked up. !anov! SlL down. -Where's 8llss?"
Sleeplng. -We're ouL ln space, l see."
?ou see correcLly." 1revlze was noL surprlsed aL Lhe oLher's mlld
surprlse. ln Lhe new gravlLlc shlps, Lhere was slmply no way of deLecLlng
Lakeoff. 1here were no lnerLlal effecLs, no acceleraLlonal push, no nolse,
no vlbraLlon.
ossesslng Lhe capaclLy Lo lnsulaLe lLself from ouLslde gravlLaLlonal
flelds Lo any degree up Lo LoLal, Lhe lar SLar llfLed from a planeLary
surface as Lhough lL were floaLlng on some cosmlc sea. And whlle lL dld
so, Lhe gravlLaLlonal effecL wlLhln Lhe shlp, paradoxlcally, remalned
normal.
Whlle Lhe shlp was wlLhln Lhe aLmosphere, of course, Lhere was no
need Lo acceleraLe so LhaL Lhe whlne and vlbraLlon of rapldly passlng alr
would be absenL. As Lhe aLmosphere was lefL behlnd, however,
acceleraLlon could Lake place, and aL rapld raLes, wlLhouL affecLlng Lhe
passengers.
lL was Lhe ulLlmaLe ln comforL and 1revlze dld noL see how lL could
be lmproved upon unLll such Llme as human belngs dlscovered a way of
whlsklng Lhrough hyperspace wlLhouL shlps, and wlLhouL concern abouL
nearby gravlLaLlonal flelds LhaL mlghL be Loo lnLense. 8lghL now, Lhe lar
SLar would have Lo speed away from Cala's sun for several days before
Lhe gravlLaLlonal lnLenslLy was weak enough Lo aLLempL Lhe !ump.
Colan, my dear fellow," sald eloraL. May l speak wlLh you for a
momenL or Lwo? ?ou are noL Loo busy?"
noL aL all busy. 1he compuLer handles everyLhlng once l lnsLrucL lL
properly. And someLlmes lL seems Lo guess whaL my lnsLrucLlons wlll be,
and saLlsfles Lhem almosL before l can arLlculaLe Lhem." 1revlze brushed
Lhe Lop of Lhe desk lovlngly.
eloraL sald, We've grown very frlendly, Colan, ln Lhe shorL Llme
we've known each oLher, alLhough l musL admlL LhaL lL scarcely seems a
shorL Llme Lo me. So much has happened. lL's really pecullar when l sLop
Lo Lhlnk of my moderaLely long llfe, LhaL half of all Lhe evenLs l have
experlenced were squeezed lnLo Lhe lasL few monLhs. Cr so lL would
seem. l could almosL suppose-
1revlze held up a hand !anov, you're splnnlng ouLward from your
orlglnal polnL, l'm sure. ?ou began by saylng we've grown very frlendly ln
a very shorL Llme. ?es, we have, and we sLlll are. lor LhaL maLLer, you've
known 8llss an even shorLer Llme and have grown even frlendller."
1haL's dlfferenL, of course," sald eloraL, clearlng hls LhroaL ln some
embarrassmenL.
Cf course," sald 1revlze, buL whaL follows from our brlef buL
endurlng frlendshlp?"
lf, my dear fellow, we sLlll are frlends, as you've [usL sald, Lhen l
musL pass on Lo 8llss, whom, as you've also [usL sald, ls pecullarly dear Lo
me."
l undersLand. And whaL of LhaL?"
l know, Colan, LhaL you are noL fond of 8llss, buL for my sake, l wlsh-

1revlze ralsed a hand. Cne momenL, !anov. l am noL overwhelmed

by 8llss, buL nelLher ls she an ob[ecL of haLred Lo me. AcLually, l have no
anlmoslLy Loward her aL all. She's an aLLracLlve young woman and, even
lf she weren'L, Lhen, for your sake, l would be prepared Lo flnd her so.
lL's Cala l dlsllke."
8uL 8llss ls Cala."
l know, !anov. 1haL's whaL compllcaLes Lhlngs so. As long as l Lhlnk
of 8llss as a person, Lhere's no problem. lf l Lhlnk of her as Cala, Lhere
ls."
8uL you haven'L glven Cala a chance, Colan. -Look, old chap, leL me
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
13
admlL someLhlng. When 8llss and l are lnLlmaLe, she someLlmes leLs me
share her mlnd for a mlnuLe or so. noL for more Lhan LhaL because she
says l'm Loo old Lo adapL Lo lL. -Ch, don'L grln, Colan, you would be Loo
old for lL, Loo. lf an lsolaLe, such as you or l, were Lo remaln parL of Cala
for more, Lhan a mlnuLe or Lwo, Lhere mlghL be braln damage and lf lL's
as much as flve or Len mlnuLes, lL would be lrreverslble. -lf you could
only experlence lL, Colan."
WhaL? lrreverslble braln damage? no, Lhanks."
Colan, you're dellberaLely mlsundersLandlng me. l mean, [usL LhaL
small momenL of unlon. ?ou don'L know whaL you're mlsslng. lL's
lndescrlbable. 8llss rays Lhere's a sense of [oy. 1haL's llke saylng Lhere's a
sense of [oy when you flnally drlnk a blL of waLer afLer you have all buL
dled of LhlrsL. l couldn'L even begln Lo Lell you whaL lL's llke. ?ou share all
Lhe pleasures LhaL a bllllon people separaLely experlence. lL lsn'L a sLeady
[oy, lf lL were you would qulckly sLop feellng lL. lL vlbraLes-Lwlnkles-has a
sLrange pulslng rhyLhm LhaL doesn'L leL you go. lL's more [oy-no, noL
more-lL's a beLLer [oy Lhan you could ever experlence separaLely. l could
weep when she shuLs Lhe door on me-
1revlze shook hls head. ?ou are amazlngly eloquenL, my good
frlend, buL you sound very much as Lhough you're descrlblng
pseudendorphln addlcLlon, or LhaL of some oLher drug LhaL admlLs you
Lo [oy ln Lhe shorL Lerm aL Lhe prlce of leavlng you permanenLly ln horror
ln Lhe long Lerm. noL for me! l am relucLanL Lo sell my lndlvlduallLy for
some brlef feellng of [oy."
l sLlll have my lndlvlduallLy, Colan."
8uL for how long wlll you have lL lf you keep lL up, !anov? ?ou'll beg
for more and more of your drug unLll, evenLually, your braln wlll be
damaged. !anov, you musLn'L leL 8llss do Lhls Lo you. -erhaps l had
beLLer speak Lo her abouL lL."
no! uon'L! ?ou're noL Lhe soul of LacL, you know, and l don'L wanL
her hurL. l assure you she Lakes beLLer care of me ln LhaL respecL Lhan
you can lmaglne. She's more concerned wlLh Lhe posslblllLy of braln
damage Lhan l am. ?ou can be sure of LhaL."
Well, Lhen, l'll speak Lo you. !anov, don'L do Lhls anymore. ?ou've
llved for flfLy-Lwo years wlLh your own klnd of pleasure and [oy, and your
braln ls adapLed Lo wlLhsLandlng LhaL. uon'L be snapped up by a new and
unusual vlce. 1here ls a prlce for lL, lf noL lmmedlaLely, Lhen evenLually."
?es, Colan," sald eloraL ln a low volce, looklng down aL Lhe Llps of
hls shoes. 1hen he sald, Suppose you look aL lL Lhls way. WhaL lf you
were a one-celled creaLure-
l know whaL you're golng Lo say, !anov. lorgeL lL. 8llss and l have
already referred Lo LhaL analogy."
?es, buL Lhlnk a momenL. Suppose we lmaglne slngle-celled
organlsms wlLh a human level of consclousness and wlLh Lhe power of
LhoughL and lmaglne Lhem faced wlLh Lhe posslblllLy of becomlng a
mulLlcellular organlsm. Would noL Lhe slngle-celled organlsms mourn
Lhelr loss of lndlvlduallLy, and blLLerly resenL Lhelr forLhcomlng enforced
reglmenLaLlon lnLo Lhe personallLy of an overall organlsm? And would
Lhey noL be wrong? Could an lndlvldual cell even lmaglne Lhe power of
Lhe human braln?"
1revlze shook hls head vlolenLly. no, !anov, lL's a false analogy.
Slnglecelled organlsms don'L have consclousness or any power of
LhoughL-or lf Lhey do lL ls so lnflnlLeslmal lL mlghL as well be consldered
zero. lor such ob[ecLs Lo comblne and lose lndlvlduallLy ls Lo lose
someLhlng Lhey have never really had. A human belng, however, ls
consclous and does have Lhe power of LhoughL. Pe has an acLual
consclousness and an acLual lndependenL lnLelllgence Lo lose, so Lhe
analogy falls."
1here was sllence beLween Lhe Lwo of Lhem for a momenL, an almosL
oppresslve sllence, and flnally eloraL, aLLempLlng Lo wrench Lhe
conversaLlon ln a new dlrecLlon, sald, Why do you sLare aL Lhe
vlewscreen?"
PablL," sald 1revlze, smlllng wryly. 1he compuLer Lells me LhaL
Lhere are no Calan shlps followlng me and LhaL Lhere are no Sayshelllan
fleeLs comlng Lo meeL me. SLlll l look anxlously, comforLed by my own
fallure Lo see such shlps, when Lhe compuLer's sensors are hundreds of
Llmes keener and more plerclng Lhan my eyes. WhaL's more, Lhe
compuLer ls capable of senslng some properLles of space very dellcaLely,
properLles LhaL my senses can'L percelve under any condlLlons. -knowlng
all LhaL, l sLlll sLare."
eloraL sald, Colan, lf we are lndeed frlends-
l promlse you l wlll do noLhlng Lo grleve 8llss, aL leasL, noLhlng l can
help."
lL's anoLher maLLer now. ?ou keep your desLlnaLlon from me, as
Lhough you don'L LrusL me wlLh lL. Where are we golng? Are you of Lhe
oplnlon you know where LarLh ls?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
16
1revlze looked up, eyebrows llfLed. l'm sorry. l have been hugglng
Lhe secreL Lo my own bosom, haven'L l?"
?es, buL why?"
1revlze sald, Why, lndeed. l wonder, my frlend, lf lL lsn'L a maLLer of
8llss."
8llss? ls lL LhaL you don'L wanL her Lo know. 8eally, old fellow, she ls
compleLely Lo be LrusLed."
lL's noL LhaL. WhaL's Lhe use of noL LrusLlng her? l suspecL she can
Lweak any secreL ouL of my mlnd lf she wlshes Lo. l Lhlnk l have a more
chlldlsh reason Lhan LhaL. l have Lhe feellng LhaL you are paylng aLLenLlon
only Lo her and LhaL l no longer really exlsL."
eloraL looked horrlfled. 8uL LhaL's noL Lrue, Colan."
l know, buL l'm Lrylng Lo analyze my own feellngs. ?ou came Lo me
[usL now wlLh fears for our frlendshlp, and Lhlnklng abouL lL, l feel as
Lhough l've had Lhe same fears. l haven'L openly admlLLed lL Lo myself,
buL l Lhlnk l have felL cuL ouL by 8llss. erhaps l seek Lo `geL even' by
peLulanLly keeplng Lhlngs from you. Chlldlsh, l suppose."
Colan!"
l sald lL was chlldlsh, dldn'L l? 8uL where ls Lhe person who lsn'L
chlldlsh now and Lhen? Powever, we are frlends. We've seLLled LhaL and
Lherefore l wlll play no furLher games. We're golng Lo Comporellon."
Comporellon?" sald eloraL, for Lhe momenL noL rememberlng.
Surely you recall my frlend, Lhe LralLor, Munn Ll Compor. We Lhree
meL on Sayshell."
eloraL's face assumed a vlslble expresslon of enllghLenmenL. Cf
course l remember. Comporellon was Lhe world of hls ancesLors."
lf lL was. l don'L necessarlly belleve anyLhlng Compor sald. 8uL
Comporellon ls a known world, and Compor sald LhaL lLs lnhablLanLs
knew of LarLh. Well, Lhen, we'll go Lhere and flnd ouL. lL may lead Lo
noLhlng buL lL's Lhe only sLarLlng polnL we have."
eloraL cleared hls LhroaL and looked dublous. Ch, my dear fellow,
are you sure?"
1here's noLhlng abouL whlch Lo be elLher sure or noL sure. We have
one sLarLlng polnL and, however feeble lL mlghL be, we have no cholce
buL Lo follow lL up."
?es, buL lf we're dolng lL on Lhe basls of whaL Compor Lold us, Lhen
perhaps we oughL Lo conslder everyLhlng he Lold us. l seem Lo
remember LhaL he Lold us, mosL emphaLlcally, LhaL LarLh dld noL exlsL as
a llvlng planeL-LhaL lLs surface was radloacLlve and LhaL lL was uLLerly
llfeless. And lf LhaL ls so, Lhen we are golng Lo Comporellon for noLhlng."
8.
1PL 1P8LL were lunchlng ln Lhe dlnlng room, vlrLually fllllng lL as
Lhey dld so.
1hls ls very good," sald eloraL, wlLh conslderable saLlsfacLlon. ls
Lhls parL of our orlglnal 1ermlnus supply?"
no, noL aL all," sald 1revlze. 1haL's long gone. 1hls ls parL of Lhe
supplles we boughL on Sayshell, before we headed ouL Loward Cala.
unusual, lsn'L lL? Some sorL of seafood, buL raLher crunchy. As for Lhls
sLuff-l was under Lhe lmpresslon lL was cabbage when l boughL lL, buL lL
doesn'L LasLe anyLhlng llke lL."
8llss llsLened buL sald noLhlng. She plcked aL Lhe food on her own
plaLe glngerly.
eloraL sald genLly, ?ou've goL Lo eaL, dear."
l know, el, and l'm eaLlng."
1revlze sald, wlLh a Louch of lmpaLlence he couldn'L qulLe suppress,
We do have Calan food, 8llss."
l know," sald 8llss, buL l would raLher conserve LhaL. We don'L
know how long we wlll be ouL ln space and evenLually l musL learn Lo eaL
lsolaLe food.
ls LhaL so bad? Cr musL Cala eaL only Cala."
8llss slghed. AcLually, Lhere's a saylng of ours LhaL goes: `When Cala
eaLs Cala, Lhere ls nelLher loss nor galn.' lL ls no more Lhan a Lransfer of
consclousness up and down Lhe scale. WhaLever l eaL on Cala ls Cala and
when much of lL ls meLabollzed and becomes me, lL ls sLlll Cala. ln facL,
by Lhe facL LhaL l eaL, some of whaL l eaL has a chance Lo parLlclpaLe ln a
hlgher lnLenslLy of consclousness, whlle, of course, oLher porLlons of lL
are Lurned lnLo wasLe of one sorL or anoLher and Lherefore slnk ln Lhe
scale of consclousness."
She Look a flrm blLe of her food, chewed vlgorously for a momenL,
swallowed, and sald, lL represenLs a vasL clrculaLlon. lanLs grow and
are eaLen by anlmals. Anlmals eaL and are eaLen. Any organlsm LhaL dles
ls lncorporaLed lnLo Lhe cells of molds, decay bacLerla, and so on-sLlll
Cala. ln Lhls vasL clrculaLlon of consclousness, even lnorganlc maLLer
parLlclpaLes, and everyLhlng ln Lhe clrculaLlon has lLs chance of
perlodlcally parLlclpaLlng ln a hlgh lnLenslLy of consclousness."
All Lhls," sald 1revlze, can be sald of any world. Lvery aLom ln me
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
17
has a long hlsLory durlng whlch lL may have been parL of many llvlng
Lhlngs, lncludlng human belngs, and durlng whlch lL may also have spenL
long perlods as parL of Lhe sea, or ln a lump of coal, or ln a rock, or as a
porLlon of Lhe wlnd blowlng upon us."
Cn Cala, however," sald 8llss, all aLoms are also conLlnually parL of
a hlgher planeLary consclousness of whlch you know noLhlng."
Well, whaL happens, Lhen," sald 1revlze, Lo Lhese vegeLables from
Sayshell LhaL you are eaLlng? uo Lhey become parL of Cala?"
1hey do-raLher slowly. And Lhe wasLes l excreLe as slowly cease
belng parL of Cala. AfLer all, whaL leaves me ls alLogeLher lacklng ln
conLacL wlLh Cala. lL lacks even Lhe less-dlrecL hyperspaLlal conLacL LhaL l
can malnLaln, Lhanks Lo my hlgh level of consclous lnLenslLy. lL ls Lhls
hyperspaLlal conLacL LhaL causes non-Calan food Lo become parL of Cala-
slowly-once l eaL lL."
WhaL abouL Lhe Calan food ln our sLores? Wlll LhaL slowly become
nonCalan? lf so, you had beLLer eaL lL whlle you can."
1here ls no need Lo be concerned abouL LhaL," sald 8llss. Cur Calan
sLores have been LreaLed ln such a way LhaL Lhey wlll remaln parL of Cala
over a long lnLerval."
eloraL sald, suddenly, 8uL whaL wlll happen when we eaL Lhe Calan
food. lor LhaL maLLer, whaL happened Lo us when we aLe Calan food on
Cala lLself. Are we ourselves slowly Lurnlng lnLo Cala7
8llss shook her head and a pecullarly dlsLurbed expresslon crossed
her face. no, whaL you aLe was losL Lo us. Cr aL leasL Lhe porLlons LhaL
were meLabollzed lnLo your Llssues were losL Lo us. WhaL you excreLed
sLayed Cala or very slowly became Cala so LhaL ln Lhe end Lhe balance
was malnLalned, buL numerous aLoms of Cala became non-Cala as a
resulL of your vlslL Lo us."
Why was LhaL?" asked 1revlze curlously.
8ecause you would noL have been able Lo endure Lhe converslon,
even a very parLlal one. ?ou were our guesLs, broughL Lo our world
under compulslon, ln a manner of speaklng, and we had Lo proLecL you
from danger, even aL Lhe cosL of Lhe loss of Llny fragmenLs of Cala. lL was
a wllllng prlce we pald, buL noL a happy one."
We regreL LhaL," sald 1revlze, buL are you sure LhaL non-Calan
food, or some klnds of non-Calan food, mlghL noL, ln Lhelr Lurn, harm
you?"
no," sald 8llss. WhaL ls edlble for you would be edlble Lo me. l
merely have Lhe addlLlonal problem of meLabollzlng such food lnLo Cala
as well as lnLo my own Llssues. lL represenLs a psychologlcal barrler LhaL
raLher spolls my en[oymenL of Lhe food and causes me Lo eaL slowly, buL
l wlll overcome LhaL wlLh Llme."
WhaL abouL lnfecLlon?" sald eloraL, ln hlgh-plLched alarm. l can'L
undersLand why l dldn'L Lhlnk of Lhls earller. 8llss! Any world you land on
ls llkely Lo have mlcroorganlsms agalnsL whlch you have no defense and
you wlll dle of some slmple lnfecLlous dlsease. 1revlze, we musL Lurn
back."
uon'L be panlcked, el dear," sald 8llss, smlllng. Mlcroorganlsms,
Loo, are asslmllaLed lnLo Cala when Lhey are parL of my food, or when
Lhey enLer my body ln any oLher way. lf Lhey seem Lo be ln Lhe process
of dolng harm, Lhey wlll be asslmllaLed Lhe more qulckly, and once Lhey
are Cala, Lhey wlll do me no harm."
1he meal drew Lo lLs end and eloraL slpped aL hls splced and heaLed
mlxLure of frulL [ulces. uear me," he sald, llcklng hls llps, l Lhlnk lL ls
Llme Lo change Lhe sub[ecL agaln. lL does seem Lo me LhaL my sole
occupaLlon on board shlp ls sub[ecL-changlng. Why ls LhaL?"
1revlze sald solemnly, 8ecause 8llss and l cllng Lo whaLever sub[ecLs
we dlscuss, even Lo Lhe deaLh. We depend upon you, !anov, Lo save our
sanlLy. WhaL sub[ecL do you wanL Lo change Lo, old frlend?"
l've gone Lhrough my reference maLerlal on Comporellon and Lhe
enLlre secLor of whlch lL ls parL ls rlch ln legends of age. 1hey seL Lhelr
seLLlemenL far back ln Llme, ln Lhe flrsL mlllennlum of hyperspaLlal Lravel.
Comporellon even speaks of a legendary founder named 8enbally,
Lhough Lhey don'L say when he came from. 1hey say LhaL Lhe orlglnal
name of Lhelr planeL was 8enbally World."
And how much LruLh ls Lhere ln LhaL, ln your oplnlon, !anov?"
A kernel, perhaps, buL who can guess whaL Lhe kernel mlghL be."
l never heard of anyone named 8enbally ln acLual hlsLory. Pave
you?"
no, l haven'L, buL you know LhaL ln Lhe laLe lmperlal era Lhere was a
dellberaLe suppresslon of pre-lmperlal hlsLory. 1he Lmperors, ln Lhe
LurbulenL lasL cenLurles of Lhe Lmplre, were anxlous Lo reduce local
paLrloLlsm slnce Lhey consldered lL, wlLh ample [usLlflcaLlon, Lo be a
dlslnLegraLlng lnfluence. ln almosL every secLor of Lhe Calaxy, Lherefore,
Lrue hlsLory, wlLh compleLe records and accuraLe chronology, beglns
only wlLh Lhe days when 1ranLor's lnfluence made lLself felL and Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
18
secLor ln quesLlon had allled lLself Lo Lhe Lmplre or been annexed by lL."
l shouldn'L Lhlnk LhaL hlsLory would be LhaL easy Lo eradlcaLe," sald
1revlze.
ln many ways, lL lsn'L," sald eloraL, buL a deLermlned and
powerful governmenL can weaken lL greaLly. lf lL ls sufflclenLly
weakened, early hlsLory comes Lo depend on scaLLered maLerlal and
Lends Lo degeneraLe lnLo folk Lales. lnvarlably such folk Lales wlll flll wlLh
exaggeraLlon and come Lo show Lhe secLor Lo be older and more
powerful Lhan, ln all llkellhood, lL ever really was. And no maLLer how
sllly a parLlcular legend ls, or how lmposslble lL mlghL be on Lhe very face
of lL, lL becomes a maLLer of paLrloLlsm among Lhe locals Lo belleve lL. l
can show you Lales from every corner of Lhe Calaxy LhaL speak of
orlglnal colonlzaLlon as havlng Laken place from LarLh lLself, Lhough LhaL
ls noL always Lhe name Lhey glve Lhe parenL planeL."
WhaL else do Lhey call lL?"
Any of a number of names. 1hey call lL Lhe Cnly, someLlmes, and
someLlmes, Lhe CldesL. Cr Lhey call lL Lhe Mooned World, whlch,
accordlng Lo some auLhorlLles ls a reference Lo lLs glanL saLelllLe. CLhers
clalm lL means `LosL World' and LhaL `Mooned' ls a verslon of
`Marooned,' a pre-CalacLlc word meanlng `losL' or 'abandoned."'
1revlze sald genLly, !anov, sLop! ?ou'll conLlnue forever wlLh your
auLhorlLles and counLerauLhorlLles. 1hese legends are everywhere, you
say?"
Ch yes, my dear fellow. CulLe. ?ou have only Lo go Lhrough Lhem Lo
galn a feel for Lhls human hablL of beglnnlng wlLh some seed of LruLh
and layerlng abouL lL shell afLer shell of preLLy falsehood-ln Lhe fashlon
of Lhe oysLers of 8hampora LhaL bulld pearls abouL a plece of grlL. l came
across [usL exacLly LhaL meLaphor once when-
!anov! SLop agaln! 1ell me, ls Lhere anyLhlng abouL Comporellon's
legends LhaL ls dlfferenL from oLhers?"
Ch!" eloraL gazed aL 1revlze blankly for a momenL. ulfferenL?
Well, Lhey clalm LhaL LarLh ls relaLlvely nearby and LhaL's unusual. Cn
mosL worlds LhaL speak of LarLh, under whaLever name Lhey choose,
Lhere ls a Lendency Lo be vague abouL lLs locaLlon-placlng lL lndeflnlLely
far away or ln some never-never land."
1revlze sald, ?es, as some on Sayshell Lold us LhaL Cala was locaLed
ln hyperspace."
8llss laughed.
1revlze casL her a qulck glance. lL's Lrue. 1haL's whaL we were Lold."
l don'L dlsbelleve lL. lL's amuslng, LhaL's all. lL ls, of course, whaL we
wanL Lhem Lo belleve. We only ask Lo be lefL alone rlghL now, and where
can we be safer and more secure Lhan ln hyperspace? lf we're noL Lhere,
we're as good as Lhere, lf people belleve LhaL Lo be our locaLlon."
?es," sald 1revlze dryly, and ln Lhe same way Lhere ls someLhlng
LhaL causes people Lo belleve LhaL LarLh doesn'L exlsL, or LhaL lL ls far
away, or LhaL lL has a radloacLlve crusL."
LxcepL," sald eloraL, LhaL Lhe Comporelllans belleve lL Lo be
relaLlvely close Lo Lhemselves."
8uL neverLheless glve lL a radloacLlve crusL. Cne way or anoLher
every people wlLh an LarLh-legend conslder LarLh Lo be
unapproachable."
1haL's more or less rlghL," sald eloraL.
1revlze sald, Many on Sayshell belleved Cala Lo be nearby, some
even ldenLlfled lLs sLar correcLly, and yeL all consldered lL
unapproachable. 1here may be some Comporelllans who lnslsL LhaL
LarLh ls radloacLlve and dead, buL who can ldenLlfy lLs sLar. We wlll Lhen
approach lL, unapproachable Lhough Lhey may conslder lL. We dld
exacLly LhaL ln Lhe case of Cala."
8llss sald, Cala was wllllng Lo recelve you, 1revlze. ?ou were
helpless ln our grlp buL we had no LhoughL of harmlng you. WhaL lf
LarLh, Loo, ls powerful, buL noL benevolenL. WhaL Lhen?"
l musL ln any case Lry Lo reach lL, and accepL Lhe consequences.
Powever, LhaL ls my Lask. Cnce l locaLe LarLh and head for lL, lL wlll noL
be Loo laLe for you Lo leave. l wlll puL you off on Lhe nearesL loundaLlon
world, or Lake you back Lo Cala, lf you lnslsL, and Lhen go on Lo LarLh
alone."
My dear chap," sald eloraL, ln obvlous dlsLress. uon'L say such
Lhlngs. l wouldn'L dream of abandonlng you."
Cr l of abandonlng el," sald 8llss, as she reached ouL a hand Lo
Louch eloraL's cheek.
very well, Lhen. lL won'L be long before we're ready Lo Lake Lhe
!ump Lo Comporellon and LhereafLer, leL us hope, lL wlll be-on Lo
LarLh."
Chapter C

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
19
AL Lhe LnLry SLaLlon

9.

8LlSS, enLerlng Lhelr chamber, sald, uld 1revlze Lell you LhaL we are
golng make Lhe !ump and go Lhrough hyperspace any momenL now?"
eloraL, who was benL over hls vlewlng dlsk, looked up, and sald,
AcLually, he [usL looked ln and Lold me `wlLhln Lhe half-hour."'
l don'L llke Lhe LhoughL of lL, el. l've never llked Lhe !ump. l geL a
funny lnslde-ouL feellng."
eloraL looked a blL surprlsed. l had noL LhoughL of you as a space
Lraveler, 8llss dear."
l'm noL parLlcularly, and l don'L mean LhaL Lhls ls so only ln my
aspecL as a componenL. Cala lLself has no occaslon for regular space
Lravel. 8y my/our/Cala's very naLure, l/we/Cala don'L explore, Lrade, or
space [unkeL. SLlll, Lhere ls Lhe necesslLy of havlng someone aL Lhe enLry
sLaLlons-
As when we were forLunaLe enough Lo meeL you."
?es, el." She smlled aL hlm affecLlonaLely. Cr even Lo vlslL Sayshell
and oLher sLellar reglons, for varlous reasons-usually clandesLlne. 8uL,
clandesLlne or noL, LhaL always means Lhe !ump and, of course, when
any parL of Cala !umps, all of Cala feels lL."
1haL's Loo bad," sald el.
lL could be worse. 1he large mass of Cala ls noL undergolng Lhe
[ump, so Lhe effecL ls greaLly dlluLed. Powever, l seem Lo feel lL much
more Lhan mosL of Cala. As l keep Lrylng Lo Lell 1revlze, Lhough all of
Cala ls Cala, Lhe lndlvldual componenLs are noL ldenLlcal. We have our
dlfferences, and my makeup ls, for some reason, parLlcularly senslLlve Lo
Lhe !ump."
WalL!" sald eloraL, suddenly rememberlng. 1revlze explalned LhaL
Lo me once. lL's ln ordlnary shlps LhaL you have Lhe worsL of Lhe
sensaLlon. ln ordlnary shlps, one leaves Lhe CalacLlc gravlLaLlonal fleld
on enLerlng hyperspace, and comes back Lo lL on reLurnlng Lo ordlnary
space. lL's Lhe leavlng and reLurnlng LhaL produces Lhe sensaLlon. 8uL Lhe
lar SLar ls a gravlLlc shlp. lL ls lndependenL of Lhe gravlLaLlonal fleld, and
does noL Lruly leave lL or reLurn Lo lL. lor LhaL reason, we won'L feel a
Lhlng. l can assure you of LhaL, dear, ouL of personal experlence."
8uL LhaL's dellghLful. l wlsh l had LhoughL Lo dlscuss Lhe maLLer
earller. l would have saved myself conslderable apprehenslon."
1haL's an advanLage ln anoLher way," sald eloraL, feellng an
expanslon of splrlL ln hls unusual role as explalner of maLLers
asLronauLlc. 1he ordlnary shlp has Lo recede from large masses such as
sLars for qulLe a long dlsLance Lhrough ordlnary space ln order Lo make
Lhe !ump. arL of Lhe reason ls LhaL Lhe closer Lo a sLar, Lhe more lnLense
Lhe gravlLaLlonal fleld, and Lhe more pronounced are Lhe sensaLlons of a
!ump. 1hen, Loo, Lhe more lnLense Lhe gravlLaLlonal fleld Lhe more
compllcaLed Lhe equaLlons LhaL musL be solved ln order Lo conducL Lhe
!ump safely and end aL Lhe polnL ln ordlnary space you wlsh Lo end aL.
ln a gravlLlc shlp, however, Lhere ls no !ump-sensaLlon Lo speak of.
ln addlLlon, Lhls shlp has a compuLer LhaL ls a greaL deal more advanced
Lhan ordlnary compuLers and lL can handle complex equaLlons wlLh
unusual sklll and speed. 1he resulL ls LhaL lnsLead of havlng Lo move
away from a sLar for a couple of weeks [usL Lo reach a safe and
comforLable dlsLance for a !ump, Lhe lar SLar need Lravel for only Lwo or
Lhree days. 1hls ls especlally so slnce we are noL sub[ecL Lo a
gravlLaLlonal fleld and, Lherefore, Lo lnerLlal effecLs-l admlL l don'L
undersLand LhaL, buL LhaL's whaL 1revlze Lells me-and can acceleraLe
much more rapldly Lhan an ordlnary shlp could."
8llss sald, 1haL's flne, and lL's Lo 1rev's credlL LhaL he can handle Lhls
unusual shlp."
eloraL frowned sllghLly. lease, 8llss. Say '1revlze."'
l do. l do. ln hls absence, however, l relax a llLLle."
uon'L. ?ou don'L wanL Lo encourage Lhe hablL even sllghLly, dear.
Pe's so senslLlve abouL lL."
noL abouL LhaL. Pe's senslLlve abouL me. Pe doesn'L llke me."
1haL's noL so," sald eloraL earnesLly. l Lalked Lo hlm abouL LhaL. -
now, now, don'L frown. l was exLraordlnarlly LacLful, dear chlld. Pe
assured me he dld noL dlsllke you. Pe ls susplclous of Cala and unhappy
over Lhe facL LhaL he has had Lo make lL lnLo Lhe fuLure of humanlLy. We
have Lo make allowances for LhaL. Pe'll geL over lL as he gradually comes
Lo undersLand Lhe advanLages of Cala."
l hope so, buL lL's noL [usL Cala. WhaLever he may Lell you, el-and
remember LhaL he's very fond of you and doesn'L wanL Lo hurL your
feellngs-he dlsllkes me personally."
no, 8llss. Pe couldn'L posslbly."
noL everyone ls forced Lo love me slmply because you do, el. LeL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
20
me explaln. 1rev-all rlghL, 1revlze-Lhlnks l'm a roboL."
A look of asLonlshmenL suffused eloraL's ordlnarlly sLolld feaLures.
Pe sald, Surely he can'L Lhlnk you're an arLlflclal human belng."
Why ls LhaL so surprlslng? Cala was seLLled wlLh Lhe help of roboLs.
1haL's a known facL."
8oboLs mlghL help, as machlnes nlghL, buL lL was people who seLLled
Cala, people from LarLh. 1haL's whaL 1revlze Lhlnks. l know he does."
1here ls noLhlng ln Cala's memory abouL LarLh as l Lold you and
1revlze. Powever, ln our oldesL memorles Lhere are sLlll some roboLs,
even afLer Lhree Lhousand years, worklng aL Lhe Lask of compleLlng Lhe
modlflcaLlon of Cala lnLo a hablLable world. We were aL LhaL Llme also
formlng Cala as a planeLary consclousness-LhaL Look a long Llme, el
dear, and LhaL's anoLher reason why our early memorles are dlm, and
perhaps lL wasn'L a maLLer of LarLh wlplng Lhem ouL, as 1revlze Lhlnks-
?es, 8llss," sald eloraL anxlously, buL whaL of Lhe roboLs?"
Well, as Cala formed, Lhe roboLs lefL. We dld noL wanL a Cala LhaL
lncluded roboLs, for we were, and are, convlnced LhaL a roboLlc
componenL ls, ln Lhe long run, harmful Lo a human socleLy, wheLher
lsolaLe ln naLure or laneLary. l don'L know how we came Lo LhaL
concluslon buL lL ls posslble LhaL lL ls based on evenLs daLlng back Lo a
parLlcularly early Llme ln CalacLlc hlsLory, so LhaL Cala's memory does
noL exLend back Lo lL."
lf Lhe roboLs lefL-
?es, buL whaL lf some remalned behlnd? WhaL lf l am one of Lhem-
flfLeen Lhousand years old perhaps. 1revlze suspecLs LhaL."
eloraL shook hls head slowly. 8uL you're noL."
Are you sure you belleve LhaL?"
Cf course l do. ?ou're noL a roboL."
Pow do you know?"
8llss, l know. 1here's noLhlng arLlflclal abouL you. lf l don'L know
LhaL, no one does."
lsn'L lL posslble l may be so cleverly arLlflclal LhaL ln every respecL,
from largesL Lo smallesL, l am lndlsLlngulshable from Lhe naLural. lf l
were, how could you Lell Lhe dlfference beLween me and a Lrue human
belng?"
eloraL sald, l don'L Lhlnk lL's posslble for you Lo be so cleverly
arLlflclal."
WhaL lf lL were posslble, desplLe whaL you Lhlnk?"
l [usL don'L belleve lL."
1hen leL's [usL conslder lL ls a hypoLheLlcal case. lf l were an
lndlsLlngulshable roboL, how would you feel abouL lL?"
Well, l-l"
1o be speclflc. Pow would you feel abouL maklng love Lo a roboL?"
eloraL snapped Lhe Lhumb and mld-flnger of hls rlghL hand,
suddenly. ?ou know, Lhere are legends of women falllng ln love wlLh
arLlflclal men, and vlce versa. l always LhoughL Lhere was an allegorlcal
slgnlflcance Lo LhaL and never lmaglned Lhe Lales could represenL llLeral
LruLh. -Cf course, Colan and l never even heard Lhe word `roboL' Llll we
landed on Sayshell, buL, now LhaL l Lhlnk of lL, Lhose arLlflclal men and
women musL have been roboLs. ApparenLly, such roboLs dld exlsL ln
early hlsLorlc Llmes. 1haL means Lhe legends should be reconsldered-
Pe fell lnLo sllenL LhoughL, and, afLer 8llss had walLed a momenL, she
suddenly clapped her hands sharply. eloraL [umped.
el dear," sald 8llss. ?ou're uslng your myLhography Lo escape Lhe
quesLlon. 1he quesLlon ls: Pow would you feel abouL maklng love Lo a
roboL?"
Pe sLared aL her uneaslly. A Lruly undlsLlngulshable one? Cne LhaL
you couldn'L Lell from a human belng?"
?es."
lL seems Lo me, Lhen, LhaL a roboL LhaL can ln no way be
dlsLlngulshed from a human belng ls a human belng. lf you were such a
roboL, you would be noLhlng buL a human belng Lo me."
1haL's whaL l wanLed Lo hear you say, el."
eloraL walLed, Lhen sald, Well, Lhen, now LhaL you've heard me say
lL, dear, aren'L you golng Lo Lell me LhaL you are a naLural human belng
and LhaL l don'L have Lo wresLle wlLh hypoLheLlcal slLuaLlons?"
no. l wlll do no such Lhlng. ?ou've deflned a naLural human belng as
an ob[ecL LhaL has all Lhe properLles of a naLural human belng. lf you are
saLlsfled LhaL l have all Lhose properLles, Lhen LhaL ends Lhe dlscusslon.
We've goL Lhe operaLlonal deflnlLlon and need no oLher. AfLer all, how
do l know LhaL you're noL [usL a roboL who happens Lo be
lndlsLlngulshable from a human belng?"
8ecause l Lell you LhaL l am noL."
Ah, buL lf you were a roboL LhaL was lndlsLlngulshable from a
human belng, you mlghL be deslgned Lo Lell me you were a naLural
human belng, and you mlghL even be programmed Lo belleve lL yourself.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
21
1he operaLlonal deflnlLlon ls all we have, and all we can have."
She puL her arms abouL eloraL's neck and klssed hlm. 1he klss grew
more passlonaLe, and prolonged lLself unLll eloraL managed Lo say, ln
somewhaL muffled fashlon, 8uL we promlsed 1revlze noL Lo embarrass
hlm by converLlng Lhls shlp lnLo a honeymooners' haven."
8llss sald coaxlngly, LeL's be carrled away and noL leave ourselves
any Llme Lo Lhlnk of promlses."
eloraL, Lroubled, sald, 8uL l can'L do LhaL, dear. l know lL musL
lrrlLaLe you, 8llss, buL l am consLanLly Lhlnklng and l am consLlLuLlonally
averse Lo leLLlng myself be carrled away by emoLlon. lL's a llfelong hablL,
and probably very annoylng Lo oLhers. l've never llved wlLh a woman
who dldn'L seem Lo ob[ecL Lo lL sooner or laLer. My flrsL wlfe-buL l
suppose lL would be lnapproprlaLe Lo dlscuss LhaL-
8aLher lnapproprlaLe, yes, buL noL faLally so. ?ou're noL my flrsL
lover elLher."
Ch!" sald eloraL, raLher aL a loss, and Lhen, aware of 8llss's small
smlle, he sald, l mean, of course noL. l wouldn'L expecL myself Lo have
been-Anyway, my flrsL wlfe dldn'L llke lL."
8uL l do. l flnd your endless plunglng lnLo LhoughL aLLracLlve."
l can'L belleve LhaL, buL l do have anoLher LhoughL. 8oboL or human,
LhaL doesn'L maLLer. We agree on LhaL. Powever, l am an lsolaLe and you
know lL. l am noL parL of Cala, and when we are lnLlmaLe, you're sharlng
emoLlons ouLslde Cala even when you leL me parLlclpaLe ln Cala for a
shorL perlod, and lL may noL be Lhe same lnLenslLy of emoLlon Lhen LhaL
you would experlence lf lL were Cala lovlng Cala."
8llss sald, Lovlng you, el, has lLs own dellghL. l look no farLher Lhan
LhaL."
8uL lL's noL [usL a maLLer of you lovlng me. ?ou aren'L merely you.
WhaL lf Cala conslders lL a perverslon?"
lf lL dld, l would know, for l am Cala. And slnce l have dellghL ln you,
Cala does. When we make love, all of Cala shares Lhe sensaLlon Lo some
degree or oLher. When l say l love you, LhaL means Cala loves you,
alLhough lL ls only Lhe parL LhaL l am LhaL ls asslgned Lhe lmmedlaLe role.
-?ou seem confused."
8elng an lsolaLe, 8llss, l don'L qulLe grasp lL."
Cne can always form an analogy wlLh Lhe body of an lsolaLe. When
you whlsLle a Lune, your enLlre body, you as an organlsm, wlshes Lo
whlsLle Lhe Lune, buL Lhe lmmedlaLe Lask of dolng so ls asslgned Lo your
llps, Longue, and lungs. ?our rlghL blg Loe does noLhlng."
lL mlghL Lap Lo Lhe Lune."
8uL LhaL ls noL necessary Lo Lhe acL of whlsLllng. 1he Lapplng of Lhe
blg Loe ls noL Lhe acLlon lLself buL ls a response Lo Lhe acLlon, and, Lo be
sure, all parLs of Cala mlghL well respond ln some small way or oLher Lo
my emoLlon, as l respond Lo Lhelrs."
eloraL sald, l suppose Lhere's no use feellng embarrassed abouL
Lhls."
none aL all."
8uL lL does glve me a queer sense of responslblllLy. When l Lry Lo
make you happy, l flnd LhaL l musL be Lrylng Lo make every lasL organlsm
on Cala happy."
Lvery lasL aLom-buL you do. ?ou add Lo Lhe sense of communal [oy
LhaL l leL you share brlefly. l suppose your conLrlbuLlon ls Loo small Lo be
easl1y measurable, buL lL ls Lhere, and knowlng lL ls Lhere should
lncrease your [oy."
eloraL sald, l wlsh l could be sure LhaL Colan ls sufflclenLly busy
wlLh hls maneuverlng Lhrough hyperspace Lo remaln ln Lhe plloL-room
for qulLe a whlle."
?ou wlsh Lo honeymoon, do you?"
l do."
1han geL a sheeL of paper, wrlLe 'Poneymoon Paven' on lL, afflx lL Lo
Lhe ouLslde of Lhe door, and lf he wanLs Lo enLer, LhaL's hls problem."
eloraL dld so, and lL was durlng Lhe pleasurable proceedlngs LhaL
followed LhaL Lhe lar SLar made Lhe !ump. nelLher eloraL nor 8llss
deLecLed Lhe acLlon, nor would Lhey have, had Lhey been paylng
aLLenLlon.
10.
l1 PAu 8LLn CnL? a maLLer of a few monLhs slnce eloraL had meL
1revlze and had lefL 1ermlnus for Lhe flrsL Llme. unLll Lhen, for Lhe more
Lhan halfcenLury (CalacLlc SLandard) of hls llfe, he had been uLLerly
planeL-bound.
ln hls own mlnd, he had ln Lhose monLhs become an old space dog.
Pe had seen Lhree planeLs from space: 1ermlnus lLself, Sayshell, and
Cala. And on Lhe vlewscreen, he now saw a fourLh, albelL Lhrough a
compuLer-conLrolled Lelescoplc devlce. 1he fourLh was Comporellon.
And agaln, for Lhe fourLh Llme, he was vaguely dlsappolnLed.
Somehow, he conLlnued Lo feel LhaL looklng down upon a hablLable
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
22
world from space meanL seelng an ouLllne of lLs conLlnenLs agalnsL a
surroundlng sea, or, lf lL were a dry world, Lhe ouLllne of lLs lakes agalnsL
a surroundlng body of land.
lL was never so.
lf a world was hablLable, lL had an aLmosphere as well as a
hydrosphere. And lf lL had boLh alr and waLer, lL had clouds, and lf lL had
clouds, lL had an obscured vlew. Cnce agaln, Lhen, eloraL found hlmself
looklng down on whlLe swlrls wlLh an occaslonal gllmpse of pale blue or
rusLy brown.
Pe wondered gloomlly lf anyone could ldenLlfy a world lf a vlew of lL
from, say, Lhree hundred Lhousand kllomeLers, were casL upon a screen.
Pow does one Lell one cloud swlrl from anoLher?
8llss looked aL eloraL wlLh some concern. WhaL ls lL, el? ?ou seem
Lo be unhappy."
l flnd LhaL all planeLs look allke from space."
1revlze sald, WhaL of LhaL, !anov? So does every shorellne on
1ermlnus, when lL ls on Lhe horlzon, unless you know whaL you're
looklng for-a parLlcular mounLaln peak, or a parLlcular offshore lsleL of
characLerlsLlc shape."
l dare say," sald eloraL, wlLh clear dlssaLlsfacLlon, buL whaL do you
look for ln a mass of shlfLlng clouds? And even lf you Lry, before you can
declde, you're llkely Lo be movlng lnLo Lhe dark slde.
Look a llLLle more carefully, !anov. lf you follow Lhe shape of Lhe
clouds, you see LhaL Lhey Lend Lo fall lnLo a paLLern LhaL clrcles Lhe
planeL and LhaL moves abouL a cenLer. 1haL cenLer ls more or less aL one
of Lhe poles."
Whlch one?" asked 8llss wlLh lnLeresL.
Slnce, relaLlve Lo ourselves, Lhe planeL ls roLaLlng ln clockwlse
fashlon, we are looklng down, by deflnlLlon, upon Lhe souLh pole. Slnce
Lhe cenLer seems Lo be abouL flfLeen degrees from Lhe LermlnaLor-Lhe
planeL's llne of shadow-and Lhe planeLary axls ls LllLed LwenLy-one
degrees Lo Lhe perpendlcular of lLs plane of revoluLlon, we're elLher ln
mld-sprlng or mld-summer dependlng on wheLher Lhe pole ls movlng
away from Lhe LermlnaLor or Loward lL. 1he compuLer can calculaLe lLs
orblL and Lell me ln shorL order lf l were Lo ask lL. 1he caplLal ls on Lhe
norLhern slde of Lhe equaLor so lL ls elLher ln mld-fall or mld-wlnLer."
eloraL frowned. ?ou can Lell all LhaL?" Pe looked aL Lhe cloud layer
as Lhough he LhoughL lL would, or should, speak Lo hlm now, buL, of
course, lL dldn'L.
noL only LhaL," sald 1revlze, buL lf you'll look aL Lhe polar reglons,
you'll see LhaL Lhere are no breaks ln Lhe cloud layer as Lhere are away
from Lhe poles. AcLually, Lhere are breaks, buL Lhrough Lhe breaks you
see lce, so lL's a maLLer of whlLe on whlLe."
Ah," sald eloraL. l suppose you expecL LhaL aL Lhe poles."
Cf hablLable planeLs, cerLalnly. Llfeless planeLs mlghL be alrless or
waLerless, or mlghL have cerLaln sLlgmaLa showlng LhaL Lhe clouds are
noL waLer a clouds, or LhaL Lhe lce ls noL waLer lce. 1hls planeL lacks
Lhose sLlgmaLa, so We
know we are looklng aL waLer clouds and waLer lce.
1he nexL Lhlng we noLlce ls Lhe slze of Lhe area of unbroken whlLe
on Lhe day slde of Lhe LermlnaLor, and Lo Lhe experlenced eye lL ls aL
once seen v larger Lhan average. lurLhermore, you can deLecL a cerLaln
orange gllnL, a qulLe falnL one, Lo Lhe reflecLed llghL, and LhaL means
Comporellon's sun lf raLher cooler Lhan 1ermlnus's sun. AlLhough
Comporellon ls closer Lo lLs sun Lhan 1ermlnus ls Lo hers, lL ls noL
sufflclenLly closer Lo make up for lLs sLar's lower LemperaLure. 1herefore,
Comporellon ls a cold world as hablLable worlds go."
?ou read lL llke a fllm, old chap," sald eloraL admlrlngly.
uon'L be Loo lmpressed," sald 1revlze, smlllng affecLlonaLely. 1he
compuLer has glven me Lhe appllcable sLaLlsLlcs of Lhe world, lncludlng
lLs sllghLly low average LemperaLure. lL ls easy Lo deduce someLhlng you
already know. ln facL, Comporellon ls aL Lhe edge of an lce age and
would be havlng one, lf Lhe conflguraLlon of lLs conLlnenLs were more
sulLable Lo such a condlLlon."
8llss blL aL her lower llp. l don'L llke a cold world."
We've goL warm cloLhlng," sald 1revlze.
1haL doesn'L maLLer. Puman belngs aren'L adapLed Lo cold weaLher,
rally. We don'L have Lhlck coaLs of halr or feaLhers, or a subcuLaneous
layer of blubber. lor a world Lo have cold weaLher seems Lo lndlcaLe a
cerLaln lndlfference Lo Lhe welfare of lLs own parLs."
1revlze sald, ls Cala a unlformly mlld world?"
MosL of lL, yes. 1here are some cold areas for cold-adapLed planLs
and anlmals, and some hoL areas for heaL-adapLed planLs and anlmals,
buL mosL parLs are unlformly mlld, never geLLlng uncomforLably hoL or
uncomforLably cold, for Lhose beLween, lncludlng human belngs, of
course."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
23
Puman belngs, of course. All parLs of Cala are allve and equal ln
LhaL respecL, buL some, llke human belngs, are obvlously more equal
Lhan oLher,"
uon'L be foollshly sarcasLlc," sald 8llss, wlLh a Lrace of wasplshness.
1he level and lnLenslLy of consclousness and awareness are lmporLanL.
A human belng ls a more useful porLlon of Cala Lhan a rock of Lhe same
welghL would be, and Lhe properLles and funcLlons of Cala as a whole
are necessarlly welghLed ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe human belng-noL as
much so as on your lsolaLe worlds, however. WhaL's more, Lhere are
Llmes when lL ls welghLed ln oLher dlrecLlons, when LhaL ls needed for
Cala as a whole. lL mlghL even, aL long lnLervals, be welghLed ln Lhe
dlrecLlon of Lhe rocky lnLerlor. 1haL, Loo, demands aLLenLlon or, ln Lhe
lack of LhaL aLLenLlon all parLs of Cala mlghL suffer. We wouldn'L wanL an
unnecessary volcanlc erupLlon, would we?"
no," sald 1revlze. noL an unnecessary one."
?ou're noL lmpressed, are you?"
Look," sald 1revlze. We have worlds LhaL are colder Lhan average
and worlds LhaL are warmer, worlds LhaL are Lroplcal foresLs Lo a large
exLenL, and worlds LhaL are vasL savannahs. no Lwo worlds are allke, and
every one of Lhem ls home Lo Lhose who are used Lo lL. l am used Lo Lhe
relaLlve mlldness of 1ermlnus-we've Lamed lL Lo an almosL Calan
moderaLlon, acLually-buL l llke Lo geL away, aL leasL Lemporarlly, Lo
someLhlng dlfferenL. WhaL we have, 8llss, LhaL Cala doesn'L have, ls
varlaLlon. lf Cala expands lnLo Calaxla, wlll every world ln Lhe Calaxy be
forced lnLo mlldness? 1he sameness would be unbearable."
8llss sald, lf LhaL ls so, and lf varleLy seems deslrable, varleLy wlll be
malnLalned."
As a glfL from Lhe cenLral commlLLee, so Lo speak?" sald 1revlze
dryly. And as llLLle of lL as Lhey can bear Lo parL wlLh? l'd raLher leave lL
Lo naLure."
8uL you haven'L lefL lL Lo naLure. Lvery hablLable world ln Lhe Calaxy
has been modlfled. Lvery slngle one was found ln a sLaLe of naLure LhaL
was uncomforLable for humanlLy, and every slngle one was modlfled
unLll lL was as mlld as could be managed. lf Lhls world here ls cold, l am
cerLaln LhaL ls because lLs lnhablLanLs couldn'L warm lL any furLher
wlLhouL unaccepLable expense. And even so, Lhe porLlons Lhey acLually
lnhablL we can be sure are arLlflclally warmed lnLo mlldness. So don'L be
so lofLlly vlrLuous abouL leavlng lL Lo naLure."
1revlze sald, ?ou speak for Cala, l suppose."
l always speak for Cala. l am Cala."
1hen lf Cala ls so cerLaln of lLs own superlorlLy, why dld you requlre
my declslon? Why have you noL gone ahead wlLhouL me?"
8llss paused, as Lhough Lo collecL her LhoughLs. She sald, 8ecause lL
ls noL wlse Lo LrusL one's self overmuch. We naLurally see our vlrLues
wlLh clearer eyes Lhan we see our defecLs. We are anxlous Lo do whaL ls
rlghL, noL necessarlly whaL seems rlghL Lo us, buL whaL ls rlghL,
ob[ecLlvely, lf such a Lhlng as ob[ecLlve rlghL exlsLs. ?ou seem Lo be Lhe
nearesL approach Lo ob[ecLlve rlghL LhaL we can flnd, so we are gulded
by you."
So ob[ecLlvely rlghL," sald 1revlze sadly, LhaL l don'L even
undersLand my own declslon and l seek lLs [usLlflcaLlon."
?ou'll flnd lL," sald 8llss.
l hope so," sald 1revlze.
AcLually, old chap," sald eloraL, lL seems Lo me LhaL Lhls recenL
exchange was won raLher handlly by 8llss. Why don'L you recognlze Lhe
facL LhaL her argumenLs [usLlfy your declslon LhaL Cala ls Lhe wave of Lhe
fuLure for humanlLy?"
8ecause," sald 1revlze harshly, l dld noL know Lhose argumenLs aL
Lhe Llme l made my declslon. l knew none of Lhese deLalls abouL Cala.
SomeLhlng else lnfluenced me, aL leasL unconsclously, someLhlng LhaL
doesn'L depend upon Calan deLall, buL musL be more fundamenLal. lL ls
LhaL whlch l moll flnd ouL."
eloraL held up a placaLlng hand. uon'L be angry, Colan."
l'm noL angry. l'm [usL under raLher unbearable Lenslon. l don'L
wanL Lo
be Lhe focus of Lhe Calaxy."
8llss sald, l don'L blame you for LhaL, 1revlze, and l'm Lruly sorry
LhaL your own makeup has somehow forced you lnLo Lhe posL. -When
wlll we be landlng on Comporellon?"
ln Lhree days," sald 1revlze, and only afLer we sLop aL one of Lhe
enLry sLaLlons ln orblL abouL lL."
eloraL sald, 1here shouldn'L be any problem wlLh LhaL, should
Lhere?"
1revlze shrugged. lL depends on Lhe number of shlps approachlng fL
world, Lhe number of enLry sLaLlons LhaL exlsL, and, mosL of all, on Lhe
parLlcular rules for permlLLlng and refuslng admlLLance. Such rules
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
24
change from Llme Lo Llme."
eloraL sald lndlgnanLly, WhaL do you mean refuslng admlLLance? 1
can Lhey refuse admlLLance Lo clLlzens of Lhe loundaLlon? lsn'L
Comporellan parL of Lhe loundaLlon domlnlon?"
Well, yes-and no. 1here's a dellcaLe maLLer of legallsm abouL Lhe
polnL and l'm noL sure how Comporellon lnLerpreLs lL. l suppose Lhere's
a chance we'll be refused admlsslon, buL l don'L Lhlnk lL's a large
chance."
And lf we are refused, whaL do we do?"
l'm noL sure," sald 1revlze. LeL's walL and see whaL happens before
we wear ourselves ouL maklng conLlngency plans."
11.
1PL? WL8L close enough Lo Comporellon now for lL Lo appear as a
subsLanLlal globe wlLhouL Lelescoplc enlargemenL. When such
enlargemenL was added, however, Lhe enLry sLaLlons Lhemselves could
be seen. 1hey were farLher ouL Lhan mosL of Lhe orblLlng sLrucLures
abouL Lhe planeL and Lhey were well llL.
Approachlng as Lhe lar SLar was from Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe planeL's
souLhern pole, half lLs globe was sunllL consLanLly. 1he enLry sLaLlons on
lLs nlghL slde were naLurally more clearly seen as sparks of llghL. 1hey
were evenly spaced ln an arc abouL Lhe planeL. Slx of Lhem were vlslble
(plus slx on Lhe day slde undoubLedly) and all were clrcllng Lhe planeL aL
even and ldenLlcal speeds.
eloraL, a llLLle awed aL Lhe slghL, sald, 1here are oLher llghLs closer
Lo Lhe planeL. WhaL are Lhey?"
1revlze sald, l don'L know Lhe planeL ln deLall so l can'L Lell you.
Some mlghL be orblLlng facLorles or laboraLorles or observaLorles, or
even populaLed Lownshlps. Some planeLs prefer Lo keep all orblLlng
ob[ecLs ouLwardly dark, excepL for Lhe enLry sLaLlons. 1ermlnus does, for
lnsLance. Comporellon conducLs lLself on a more llberal prlnclple,
obvlously."
Whlch enLry sLaLlon do we go Lo, Colan?"
lL depends on Lhem. l've senL ln my requesL Lo land on Comporellon
and we'll evenLually geL our dlrecLlons as Lo whlch enLry sLaLlon Lo go Lo,
and when. Much depends on how many lncomlng shlps are Lrylng Lo
make enLry aL presenL. lf Lhere are a dozen shlps llned up aL each
sLaLlon, we wlll have no cholce buL Lo be paLlenL."
8llss sald, l've only been aL hyperspaLlal dlsLances from Cala Lwlce
before, and Lhose were boLh when l was aL or near Sayshell. l've never
been aL anyLhlng llke Lhls dlsLance."
1revlze looked aL her sharply. uoes lL maLLer? ?ou're sLlll Cala,
aren'L you?"
lor a momenL, 8llss looked lrrlLaLed, buL Lhen dlssolved lnLo whaL
was almosL an embarrassed LlLLer. l musL admlL you've caughL me Lhls
Llme, 1revlze. 1here ls a double meanlng ln Lhe word `Cala.' lL can be
used Lo refer Lo Lhe physlcal planeL as a solld globular ob[ecL ln space. lL
can also be used Lo refer Lo Lhe llvlng ob[ecL LhaL lncludes LhaL globe.
roperly speaklng, we should use Lwo dlfferenL words for Lhese Lwo
dlfferenL concepLs, buL Calans always know from Lhe conLexL whaL ls
belng referred Lo. l admlL LhaL an lsolaLe mlghL be puzzled aL Llmes."
Well, Lhen," sald 1revlze, admlLLlng LhaL you are many Lhousands
of parsecs from Cala as globe, are you sLlll parL of Cala as organlsm?"
8eferrlng Lo Lhe organlsm, l am sLlll Cala."
no aLLenuaLlon?"
noL ln essence. l'm sure l've already Lold you Lhere ls some added
complexlLy ln remalnlng Cala across hyperspace, buL l remaln Cala."
1revlze sald, uoes lL occur Lo you LhaL Cala may be vlewed as a
CalacLlc kraken-Lhe LenLacled monsLer of Lhe legends-wlLh lLs LenLacles
reachlng everywhere. ?ou have buL Lo puL a few Calans on each of Lhe
populaLed worlds and you wlll vlrLually have Calaxla rlghL Lhere. ln facL.
you have probably done exacLly LhaL. Where are your Calans locaLed? l
presume LhaL one or more are on 1ermlnus and one or more are on
1ranLor. Pow much farLher does Lhls go?"
8llss looked dlsLlncLly uncomforLable. l have sald l won'L lle Lo you,
1revlze, buL LhaL doesn'L mean l feel compelled Lo glve you Lhe whole
LruLh. 1here are some Lhlngs you have no need Lo know, and Lhe
poslLlon and ldenLlLy of lndlvldual blLs of Cala are among Lhem."
uo l need Lo know Lhe reason for Lhe exlsLence of Lhose LenLacles,
8llss, even lf l don'L know where Lhey are?"
lL ls Lhe oplnlon of Cala LhaL you do noL."
l presume, Lhough, LhaL l may guess. ?ou belleve you serve as Lhe
guardlans of Lhe Calaxy."
We are anxlous Lo have a sLable and secure Calaxy, a peaceful and
prosperous one. 1he Seldon lan, as orlglnally worked ouL by Parl Seldon
aL leasL, ls deslgned Lo develop a Second CalacLlc Lmplre, one LhaL ls
more sLable and more workable Lhan Lhe llrsL was. 1he lan, whlch has
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
23
been conLlnually modlfled and lmproved by Lhe Second loundaLlon, has
appeared Lo be worklng well so far."
8uL Cala doesn'L wanL a Second CalacLlc Lmplre ln Lhe classlc sense,
does lL? ?ou wanL Calaxla-a llvlng Calaxy."
Slnce you permlL lL, we hope, ln Llme, Lo have Calaxla. lf you had
noL permlLLed lL, we would have sLrlven for Seldon's Second Lmplre and
made lL as secure as we could."
8uL whaL ls wrong wlLh-
Pls ear caughL Lhe sofL, burrlng slgnal. 1revlze sald, 1he compuLer ls
slgnallng me. l suppose lL ls recelvlng dlrecLlons concernlng Lhe enLry
sLaLlon. l'll be back."
Pe sLepped lnLo Lhe plloL-room and placed hls hands on Lhose
marked ouL on Lhe desk Lop and found LhaL Lhere were dlrecLlons for Lhe
speclflc enLry sLaLlon he was Lo approach-lLs co-ordlnaLes wlLh reference
Lo Lhe llne from Comporellon's cenLer Lo lLs norLh pole-Lhe prescrlbed
rouLe of approach.
1revlze slgnaled hls accepLance, and Lhen saL back for a momenL.
1he Seldon lan! Pe had noL LhoughL of lL for qulLe a Llme. 1he llre
CalacLlc Lmplre had crumbled and for flve hundred years Lhe loundaLlon
had grown, flrsL ln compeLlLlon wlLh LhaL Lmplre, and Lhen upon lLs
rulns-all ln accordance wlLh Lhe lan.
1here had been Lhe lnLerrupLlon of Lhe Mule, whlch, for a Llme, had
LhreaLened Lo shlver Lhe lan lnLo fragmenLs, buL Lhe loundaLlon had
pulled Lhrough-probably wlLh Lhe help of Lhe ever-hldden Second
loundaLlon-posslbly wlLh Lhe help of Lhe even-beLLer-hldden Cala.
now Lhe lan was LhreaLened by someLhlng more serlous Lhan Lhe
Mule had ever been. lL was Lo be dlverLed from a renewal of Lmplre Lo
someLhlng uLLerly dlfferenL from anyLhlng ln hlsLory-Calaxla. And he
hlmself had agreed Lo LhaL.
8uL why? Was Lhere a flaw ln Lhe lan? A baslc flaw?
lor one flashlng momenL, lL seemed Lo 1revlze LhaL Lhls flaw dld
lndeed exlsL and LhaL he knew whaL lL was, LhaL he had known whaL lL
was when he made hls declslon-buL Lhe knowledge . . . lf LhaL were whaL
lL was . . . vanlshed as fasL as lL came, and lL lefL hlm wlLh noLhlng.
erhaps lL was all only an llluslon, boLh when he had made hls
declslon, and now. AfLer all, he knew noLhlng abouL Lhe lan beyond Lhe
baslc assumpLlons LhaL valldaLed psychohlsLory. AparL from LhaL, he
knew no deLall, and cerLalnly noL a slngle scrap of lLs maLhemaLlcs.
Pe closed hls eyes and LhoughL-
1here was noLhlng.
MlghL lL be Lhe added power he recelved from Lhe compuLer? Pe
placed hls hands on Lhe desk Lop and felL Lhe warmLh of Lhe compuLer's
hands embraclng Lhem. Pe closed hls eyes and once more he LhoughL-
1here was sLlll noLhlng.
12.
1PL CCMC8LLLlAn who boarded Lhe shlp wore a holographlc
ldenLlLy card. lL dlsplayed hls chubby, llghLly bearded face wlLh
remarkable fldellLy, and underneaLh lL was hls name, A. kendray.
Pe was raLher shorL, and hls body was as sofLly rounded as hls face
was. Pe had a fresh and easygolng look and manner, and he sLared
abouL Lhe shlp wlLh clear amazemenL.
Pe sald, Pow dld you geL down Lhls fasL? We weren'L expecLlng you
for Lwo hours."
lL's a new-model shlp," sald 1revlze, wlLh noncommlLLal pollLeness.
kendray was noL qulLe Lhe young lnnocenL he looked, however. Pe
sLepped lnLo Lhe plloL-room and sald aL once, CravlLlc?"
1revlze saw no polnL ln denylng anyLhlng LhaL was apparenLly LhaL
obvlous. Pe sald Lonelessly, ?es."
very lnLeresLlng. ?ou hear of Lhem, buL you never see Lhem
somehow. MoLors ln Lhe hull?"
1haL's so."
kendray looked aL Lhe compuLer. CompuLer clrculLs, llkewlse?"
1haL's so. Anyway, l'm Lold so. l've never looked."
Ch well. WhaL l need ls Lhe shlp's documenLaLlon, englne number,
place of manufacLure, ldenLlflcaLlon code, Lhe whole paLLy-cake. lL's all
ln Lhe compuLer, l'm sure, and lL can probably Lurn ouL Lhe formal card l
need ln half a second."
lL Look very llLLle more Lhan LhaL. kendray looked abouL agaln. ?ou
Lhree all Lhe people on board?"
1revlze sald, 1haL's rlghL."
Any llve anlmals? lanLs? SLaLe of healLh?"
no. no. And good," sald 1revlze crlsply.
um!" sald kendray, maklng noLes. Could you puL your hand ln
here? !usL rouLlne. -8lghL hand, please."
1revlze looked aL Lhe devlce wlLhouL favor. lL was belng used more
and more commonly, and was growlng qulckly more elaboraLe. ?ou
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
26
could almosL Lell Lhe backwardness of a world aL a glance by Lhe
backwardness of lLs mlcrodeLecLor. 1here were now few worlds,
however backward, LhaL dldn'L have one aL all. 1he sLarL had come wlLh
Lhe flnal breakup of Lhe Lmplre, as each fragmenL of Lhe whole grew
lncreaslngly anxlous Lo proLecL lLself from Lhe dlseases and allen
mlcroorganlsms of all Lhe oLhers.
WhaL ls LhaL?" asked 8llss, ln a low and lnLeresLed volce, cranlng her
head Lo see lL flrsL on one slde, Lhen Lhe oLher.
eloraL sald, A mlcrodeLecLor, l belleve Lhey call lL."
1revlze added, lL's noLhlng mysLerlous. lL's a devlce LhaL
auLomaLlcally checks a porLlon of your body, lnslde and ouL, for any
mlcroorganlsm capable of LransmlLLlng dlsease."
1hls wlll classlfy Lhe mlcroorganlsms, Loo," sald kendray, wlLh raLher
more Lhan a hlnL of prlde. lL's been worked ouL rlghL here on
Comporellon. -And lf you don'L mlnd, l sLlll wanL your rlghL hand."
1revlze lnserLed hls rlghL hand, and waLched as a serles of small red
marklngs danced along a seL of horlzonLal llnes. kendray Louched a
conLacL and a facslmlle ln color appeared aL once. lf you'll slgn LhaL,
slr," he sald.
1revlze dld so. Pow badly off am l?" he asked. l'm noL ln any greaL
danger, am l?"
kendray sald, l'm noL a physlclan, so l can'L say ln deLall, buL lL
shows none of Lhe marks LhaL would requlre you Lo be Lurned away or Lo
be puL ln quaranLlne. 1haL's all l'm lnLeresLed ln."
WhaL a lucky break for me," sald 1revlze dryly, shaklng hls hand Lo
rld hlmself of Lhe sllghL Llngle he felL.
?ou, slr," sald kendray.
eloraL lnserLed hls hand wlLh a cerLaln heslLancy, Lhen slgned Lhe
facslmlle.
And you, ma'am?"
A few momenLs laLer, kendray was sLarlng aL Lhe resulL, saylng, l
never saw anyLhlng llke Lhls before." Pe looked up aL 8llss wlLh an
expresslon of awe. ?ou're negaLlve. AlLogeLher."'
8llss smlled engaglngly. Pow nlce."
?es, ma'am. l envy you." Pe looked back aL Lhe flrsL facslmlle, and
sald, ?our ldenLlflcaLlon, Mr. 1revlze."
1revlze presenLed lL. kendray, glanclng aL lL, agaln looked up ln
surprlse. Councllman of Lhe 1ermlnus LeglslaLure?"
1haL's rlghL."
Plgh offlclal of Lhe loundaLlon?"
1revlze sald coolly, LxacLly rlghL. So leL's geL Lhrough wlLh Lhls
qulckly, shall we?"
?ou're capLaln of Lhe shlp?"
?es, l am."
urpose of vlslL?"
loundaLlon securlLy, and LhaL's all Lhe answer l'm golng Lo glve you.
uo you undersLand LhaL?"
?es, slr. Pow long do you lnLend Lo sLay?"
l don'L know. erhaps a week."
very well, slr. And Lhls oLher genLleman?"
Pe ls ur. !anov eloraL," sald 1revlze. ?ou have hls slgnaLure Lhere
and l vouch for hlm. Pe ls a scholar of 1ermlnus and he ls my asslsLanL ln
Lhls buslness of my vlslL."
l undersLand, slr, buL l musL see hls ldenLlflcaLlon. 8ules are rules,
l'm afrald. l hope you undersLand, slr."
eloraL presenLed hls papers.
kendray nodded. And you, mlss?"
1revlze sald quleLly, no need Lo boLher Lhe lady. l vouch for her,
Loo."
?es, slr. 8uL l need Lhe ldenLlflcaLlon."
8llss sald, l'm afrald l don'L have any papers, slr."
kendray frowned. l beg your pardon."
1revlze sald, 1he young lady dldn'L brlng any wlLh her. An overslghL.
lL's perfecLly all rlghL. l'll Lake full responslblllLy."
kendray sald, l wlsh l could leL you do LhaL, buL l'm noL allowed. 1he
responslblllLy ls mlne. under Lhe clrcumsLances, lL's noL Lerrlbly
lmporLanL. 1here should be no dlfflculLy geLLlng dupllcaLes. 1he young
woman, l presume, ls from 1ermlnus."
no, she's noL."
lrom somewhere ln loundaLlon LerrlLory, Lhen?"
As a maLLer of facL, she lsn'L."
kendray looked aL 8llss keenly, Lhen aL 1revlze. 1haL's a
compllcaLlon, Councllman. lL may Lake addlLlonal Llme Lo obLaln a
dupllcaLe from some non-loundaLlon world. Slnce you're noL a
loundaLlon clLlzen, Mlss 8llss, l musL have Lhe name of your world of
blrLh and of Lhe world of whlch you're a clLlzen. ?ou wlll Lhen have Lo
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
27
walL for dupllcaLe papers Lo arrlve."
1revlze sald, See here, Mr. kendray. l see no reason why Lhere need
be any delay whaLever. l am a hlgh offlclal of Lhe loundaLlon
governmenL and l am here on a mlsslon of greaL lmporLance. l musL noL
be delayed by a maLLer of Lrlvlal paperwork."
1he cholce lsn'L mlne, Councllman. lf lL were up Lo me, l'd leL you
down Lo Comporellon rlghL now, buL l have a Lhlck book of rules LhaL
guldes my every acLlon. l've goL Lo go by Lhe book or l geL lL Lhrown aL
me. -0f course,
l presume Lhere musL be some Comporelllan governmenL flgure
who's walLlng for you. lf you'll Lell me who lL ls, l wlll conLacL hlm, and lf
he orders me Lo leL you Lhrough, Lhen LhaL's lL."
1revlze heslLaLed a momenL. 1haL would noL be pollLlc, Mr.
kendray. May l speak wlLh your lmmedlaLe superlor?"
?ou cerLalnly may, buL you can'L [usL see hlm off-hand-
l'm sure he wlll come aL once when he undersLands he's speaklng Lo
a loundaLlon offlclal-
AcLually," sald kendray, [usL beLween us, LhaL would make maLLers
worse. We're noL parL of Lhe loundaLlon meLropollLan LerrlLory, you
know. We come under Lhe headlng of an AssoclaLed ower, and we Lake
lL serlously. 1he people are anxlous noL Lo appear Lo be loundaLlon
puppeLs-l'm uslng Lhe popular expresslon only, you undersLand-and Lhey
bend backward Lo demonsLraLe lndependence. My superlor would
expecL Lo geL exLra polnLs lf he reslsLs dolng a speclal favor for a
loundaLlon offlclal."
1revlze's expresslon darkened. And you, Loo?"
kendray shook hls head. l'm below pollLlcs, slr. no one glves me
exLra polnLs for anyLhlng. l'm [usL lucky lf Lhey pay my salary. And Lhough
l don'L geL exLra polnLs, l can geL demerlLs, and qulLe easlly, Loo. l wlsh
LhaL were noL so."
Conslderlng my poslLlon, you know, l can Lake care of you."
no, slr. l'm sorry lf LhaL sounds lmperLlnenL, buL l don'L Lhlnk you
can. -And, slr, lL's embarrasslng Lo say Lhls, buL please don'L offer me
anyLhlng valuable. 1hey make examples of offlclals who accepL such
Lhlngs and Lhey're preLLy good aL dlgglng Lhem ouL, Lhese days."
l wasn'L Lhlnklng of brlblng you. l'm only Lhlnklng of whaL Lhe Mayor
of 1ermlnus can do Lo you lf you lnLerfere wlLh my mlsslon."
Councllman, l'll be perfecLly safe as long as l can hlde behlnd Lhe
rulebook. lf Lhe members of Lhe Comporelllan resldlum geL some sorL
of loundaLlon dlsclpllne, LhaL ls Lhelr concern, and noL mlne. -8uL lf lL
wlll help, slr, l can leL you and ur. eloraL Lhrough on your shlp. lf you'll
leave Mlss 8llss behlnd aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon, we'll hold her for a Llme and
send her down Lo Lhe surface as soon as her dupllcaLe papers come
Lhrough. lf her papers should noL be obLalnable, for any reason, we wlll
send her back Lo her world on commerclal LransporLaLlon. l'm afrald,
Lhough, LhaL someone wlll have Lo pay her fare, ln LhaL ease."
1revlze caughL eloraL's expresslon aL LhaL, and sald, Mr. kendray,
may l speak Lo you prlvaLely ln Lhe plloL-room?"
very well, buL l can'L remaln on board very much longer, or l'll be
quesLloned."
1hls won'L Lake long," sald 1revlze.
ln Lhe plloL-room, 1revlze made a show of closlng Lhe door LlghLly,
Lhen sald, ln a low volce, l've been many places, Mr. kendray, buL l've
never been anyplace where Lhere has been such harsh emphasls on Lhe
mlnuLlae of Lhe rules of lmmlgraLlon, parLlcularly for loundaLlon people
and loundaLlon offlclals
8uL Lhe young woman ls noL from Lhe loundaLlon."
Lven so."
kendray sald, 1hese Lhlngs go ln rhyLhms. We've had some scandals
and, rlghL now, Lhlngs are Lough. lf you'll come back nexL year, you
mlghL noL have any Lrouble aL all, buL rlghL now, l can do noLhlng."
1ry, Mr. kendray," sald 1revlze, hls volce growlng mellow. l'm
golng Lo Lhrow myself on your mercy and appeal Lo you, man Lo man.
eloraL and l have been on Lhls mlsslon for qulLe a whlle. Pe and l. !usL
he and l. We're good frlends, buL Lhere's someLhlng lonely abouL lL, lf
you geL me. Some Llme ago, eloraL found Lhls llLLle lady. l don'L have Lo
Lell you whaL happened, buL we declded Lo brlng her along. lL keeps us
healLhy Lo make use of her now and Lhen.
now Lhe Lhlng ls eloraL's goL a relaLlonshlp back on 1ermlnus. l'm
clear, you undersLand, buL eloraL ls an older man and he's goL Lo Lhe
age when Lhey geL a llLLle-desperaLe. 1hey need Lhelr youLh back, or
someLhlng. Pe can'L glve her up. AL Lhe same Llme, lf she's even
menLloned, offlclally, Lhere's golng Lo be mlsery galore on 1ermlnus for
old eloraL when he geLs back.
1here's no harm belng done, you undersLand. Mlss 8llss, as she calls
herself-a good name conslderlng her professlon-ls noL exacLly a brlghL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
28
kld, LhaL's noL whaL we wanL her for. uo you have Lo menLlon her aL all?
Can'L you [usL llsL me and eloraL on Lhe shlp? Cnly we were orlglnally
llsLed when we lefL 1ermlnus. 1here need be no offlclal noLlce of Lhe
woman. AfLer all, she's absoluLely free of dlsease. ?ou noLed LhaL
yourself."
kendray made a face. l don'L really wanL Lo lnconvenlence you. l
undersLand Lhe slLuaLlon and, belleve me, l sympaLhlze. LlsLen, lf you
Lhlnk holdlng down a shlfL on Lhls sLaLlon for monLhs aL a Llme ls any fun,
Lhlnk agaln. And lL lsn'L co-educaLlonal, elLher, noL on Comporellon." Pe
shook hls head. And l have a wlfe, Loo, so l undersLand. -8uL, look, even
lf l leL you Lhrough, as soon as Lhey flnd ouL LhaL Lhe-uh-lady ls wlLhouL
papers, she's ln prlson, you and Mr. eloraL are ln Lhe klnd of Lrouble
LhaL wlll geL back Lo 1ermlnus. And l myself wlll surely be ouL of a [ob."
Mr. kendray," sald 1revlze, LrusL me ln Lhls. Cnce l'm on
Comporellon, l'll be safe. l can Lalk abouL my mlsslon Lo some of Lhe
rlghL people and, when LhaL's done, Lhere'll be no furLher Lrouble. l'll
Lake full responslblllLy for whaL has happened here, lf lL ever comes up-
whlch l doubL. WhaL's more, l wlll recommend your promoLlon, and you
wlll geL lL, because l'll see Lo lL LhaL 1ermlnus leans all over anyone who
heslLaLes. -And we can glve eloraL a break."
kendray heslLaLed, Lhen sald, All rlghL. l'll leL you Lhrough-buL Lake a
word of warnlng. l sLarL from Lhls mlnuLe flgurlng ouL a way Lo save my
buLL lf Lhe maLLer comes up. l don'L lnLend Lo do one Lhlng Lo save yours.
WhaL's more l know how Lhese Lhlngs work on Comporellon and you
don'L, and Comporellon lsn'L an easy world for people who sLep ouL of
llne."
1hank you, Mr. kendray," sald 1revlze. 1here'll be no Lrouble. l
assure you of LhaL."
Chapter ?

Cn Comporellon
13.
1PL? WL8L Lhrough. 1he enLry sLaLlon had shrunk Lo a rapldly
dlmmlng sLar behlnd Lhem, and ln a couple of hours Lhey would be
crosslng Lhe cloud layer.
A gravlLlc shlp dld noL have Lo brake lLs paLh by a long rouLe of slow
splral conLracLlon, buL nelLher could lL swoop downward Loo rapldly.
lreedom from gravlLy dld noL mean freedom from alr reslsLance. 1he
shlp could descend ln a sLralghL llne, buL lL was sLlll a maLLer for cauLlon,
lL could noL be Loo fasL.
Where are we golng Lo go?" asked eloraL, looklng confused. l
can'L Lell one place ln Lhe clouds from anoLher, old fellow."
no more can l," sald 1revlze, buL we have an offlclal holographlc
map of Comporellon, whlch glves Lhe shape of Lhe land masses and an
exaggeraLed rellef for boLh land helghLs and ocean depLhs-and pollLlcal
subdlvlslons, Loo. 1he map ls ln Lhe compuLer and LhaL wlll do Lhe work.
lL wlll maLch Lhe planeLary land-sea deslgn Lo Lhe map, Lhus orlenLlng
Lhe shlp properly, and lL wlll Lhen Lake us Lo Lhe caplLal by a cycloldlc
paLhway."
eloraL sald, lf we go Lo Lhe caplLal, we plunge lmmedlaLely lnLo Lhe
pollLlcal vorLex. lf Lhe world ls anLl-loundaLlon, as Lhe fellow aL Lhe enLry
sLaLlon lmplled, we'll be asklng for Lrouble."
Cn Lhe oLher hand, lL's bound Lo be Lhe lnLellecLual cenLer of Lhe
planeL, and lf we wanL lnformaLlon, LhaL's where we'll flnd lL, lf
anywhere. As for belng anLl-loundaLlon, l doubL LhaL Lhey wlll be able Lo
dlsplay LhaL Loo openly. 1he Mayor may have no greaL llklng for me, buL
nelLher can she afford Lo have a Councllman mlsLreaLed. She would noL
care Lo allow Lhe precedenL Lo be esLabllshed."
8llss had emerged from Lhe LolleL, her hands sLlll damp from
scrubblng. She ad[usLed her undercloLhes wlLh no slgn of concern and
sald, 8y Lhe way, l LrusL Lhe excreLa ls Lhoroughly recycled."
no cholce," sald 1revlze. Pow long do you suppose our waLer
supply would lasL wlLhouL recycllng of excreLa? Cn whaL do you Lhlnk
Lhose cholcely flavored yeasL cakes LhaL we eaL Lo lend splce Lo our
frozen sLaples grow? -l hope LhaL doesn'L spoll your appeLlLe, my
efflclenL 8llss."
Why should lL? Where do you suppose food and waLer come from
on Cala, or on Lhls planeL, or on 1ermlnus?"
Cn Cala," sald 1revlze, Lhe excreLa ls, of course, as allve as you
are."
noL allve. Consclous. 1here ls a dlfference. 1he level of
consclousness ls, naLurally, very low."
1revlze snlffed ln a dlsparaglng way, buL dldn'L Lry Lo answer. Pe
sald, l'm golng lnLo Lhe plloL-room Lo keep Lhe compuLer company. noL
LhaL lL needs me."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
29
eloraL sald, May we come ln and help you keep lL company? l can'L
qulLe geL used Lo Lhe facL LhaL lL can geL us down all by lLself, LhaL lL can
sense oLher shlps, or sLorms, or-whaLever?"
1revlze smlled broadly. CeL used Lo lL, please. 1he shlp ls far safer
under Lhe compuLer's conLrol Lhan lL ever would be under mlne. -8uL
cerLalnly, come on. lL wlll do you good Lo waLch whaL happens."
1hey were over Lhe sunllL slde of Lhe planeL now for, as 1revlze
explalned, Lhe map ln Lhe compuLer could be more easlly maLched Lo
reallLy ln Lhe sunllghL Lhan ln Lhe dark.
1haL's obvlous," sald eloraL.
noL aL all obvlous. 1he compuLer wlll [udge [usL as rapldly by Lhe
lnfrared llghL whlch Lhe surface radlaLes even ln Lhe dark. Powever, Lhe
longer waves of lnfrared don'L allow Lhe compuLer qulLe Lhe resoluLlon
LhaL vlslble llghL would. 1haL ls, Lhe compuLer doesn'L see qulLe as flnely
and sharply by lnfrared, and where necesslLy doesn'L drlve, l llke Lo make
Lhlngs as easy as posslble for Lhe compuLer."
WhaL lf Lhe caplLal ls on Lhe dark slde?"
1he chance ls flfLy-flfLy," sald 1revlze, buL lf lL ls, once Lhe map ls
maLched by dayllghL, we can sklm down Lo Lhe caplLal qulLe unerrlngly
even lf lL ls ln Lhe dark. And long before we come anywhere near Lhe
caplLal, we'11 be lnLersecLlng mlcrowave beams and wlll be recelvlng
messages dlrecLlng us Lo Lhe mosL convenlenL spaceporL. -1here's
noLhlng Lo worry abouL."
Are you sure?" sald 8llss. ?ou're brlnglng me down wlLhouL papers
and wlLhouL any naLlve world LhaL Lhese people here wlll recognlze-and
l'm bound and deLermlned noL Lo menLlon Cala Lo Lhem ln any case. So
whaL do we do, lf l'm asked for my papers once we're on Lhe surface?"
1revlze sald, 1haL's noL llkely Lo happen. Lveryone wlll assume LhaL
was Laken care of aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon."
8uL lf Lhey ask?"
1hen, when LhaL Llme comes, we'll face Lhe problem. Meanwhlle,
leL's noL manufacLure problems ouL of alr."
8y Lhe Llme we face Lhe problems LhaL may arlse, lL mlghL well be
Loo laLe Lo solve Lhem."
l'll rely on my lngenulLy Lo keep lL from belng Loo laLe."
1alklng abouL lngenulLy, how dld you geL us Lhrough Lhe enLry
sLaLlon?"
1revlze looked aL 8llss, and leL hls llps slowly expand lnLo a smlle LhaL
made hlm seem llke an lmplsh Leenager. !usL bralns."
eloraL sald, WhaL dld you do, old man?"
1revlze sald, lL was a maLLer of appeallng Lo hlm ln Lhe correcL
manner. l'd Lrled LhreaLs and subLle brlbes. l had appealed Lo hls loglc
and hls loyalLy Lo Lhe loundaLlon. noLhlng worked, so l fell back on Lhe
lasL resorL. l sald LhaL you were cheaLlng on your wlfe, eloraL."
My wlfe? PuL, my dear fellow, l don'L have a wlfe aL Lhe momenL."
l know LhaL, buL he dldn'L."
8llss sald, 8y `wlfe,' l presume you mean a woman who ls a
parLlcular man's regular companlon."
1revlze sald, A llLLle more Lhan LhaL, 8llss. A legal companlon, one
wlLh enforceable rlghLs ln consequence of LhaL companlonshlp."
eloraL sald nervously, 8llss, l do noL have a wlfe. l have had one
now and Lhen ln Lhe pasL, buL l haven'L had one for qulLe a whlle. lf you
would care Lo undergo Lhe legal rlLual-
Ch, el," sald 8llss, maklng a sweeplng-away movemenL wlLh her
rlghL hand, whaL would l care abouL LhaL? l have lnnumerable
companlons LhaL are as close Lo me as your arm ls close companlon Lo
your oLher arm. lL ls only lsolaLes who feel so allenaLed LhaL Lhey have Lo
use arLlflclal convenLlons Lo enforce a feeble subsLlLuLe for Lrue
companlonshlp."
8uL l am an lsolaLe, 8llss dear."
?ou wlll be less lsolaLe ln Llme, el. never Lruly Cala, perhaps, buL
less lsolaLe, and you wlll have a flood of companlons."
l only wanL you, 8llss," sald el.
1haL's because you know noLhlng abouL lL. ?ou'll learn."
1revlze was concenLraLlng on Lhe vlewscreen durlng LhaL exchange
wlLh a look of sLralned Lolerance on hls face. 1he cloud cover had come
up close and, for a momenL, all was gray fog.
Mlcrowave vlslon, he LhoughL, and Lhe compuLer swlLched aL once Lo
Lhe deLecLlon of radar echoes. 1he clouds dlsappeared and Lhe surface
of Comporellon appeared ln false color, Lhe boundarles beLween secLors
of dlfferenL consLlLuLlon a llLLle fuzzy and waverlng.
ls LhaL Lhe way lL's golng Lo look from now on?" asked 8llss, wlLh
some asLonlshmenL.
Cnly Llll we drlfL below Lhe clouds. 1hen lL's back Lo sunllghL." Lven
as he spoke, Lhe sunshlne and normal vlslblllLy reLurned.
l see," sald 8llss. 1hen, Lurnlng Loward hlm, 8uL whaL l don'L see ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
30
why lL should maLLer Lo LhaL offlclal aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon wheLher el was
decelvlng hls wlfe or noL?"
lf LhaL fellow, kendray, had held you back, Lhe news, l sald, mlghL
reach
1ermlnus and, Lherefore, eloraL's wlfe. eloraL would Lhen be ln
Lrouble. l
dldn'L speclfy Lhe sorL of Lrouble he would be ln, buL l Lrled Lo sound
a1
Lhough lL would be bad. -1here ls a klnd of free-masonry among
males,"
1revlze was grlnnlng, now, and one male doesn'L beLray anoLher
fellow
male. male. Pe would even help, lf requesLed. 1he reasonlng, l
suppose, ls LhaL lL
mlghL be Lhe helper's Lurn nexL Lo be helped. l presume," he added,
Lurnlng a
blL graver, LhaL Lhere ls a slmllar free-masonry among women, buL,
noL belng
a woman, l have never had an opporLunlLy Lo observe lL closely."
8llss's face resembled a preLLy Lhundercloud. ls Lhls a [oke?" she
demanded.
no, l'm serlous," sald 1revlze. l don'L say LhaL LhaL kendray fellow
leL us Lhrough only Lo help !anov avold angerlng hls wlfe. 1he mascullne
free-masonry may slmply have added Lhe lasL push Lo my oLher
argumenLs."
8uL LhaL ls horrlble. lL ls lLs rules LhaL hold socleLy LogeLher and blnd
lL lnLo a whole. ls lL such a llghL Lhlng Lo dlsregard Lhe rules for Lrlvlal
reasons?"
Well," sald 1revlze, ln lnsLanL defenslveness, some of Lhe rules are
Lhemselves Lrlvlal. lew worlds are very parLlcular abouL passage ln and
ouL of Lhelr space ln Llmes of peace and commerclal prosperlLy, such as
we have now, Lhanks Lo Lhe loundaLlon. Comporellon, for some reason,
ls ouL of sLep-probably because of an obscure maLLer of lnLernal pollLlcs.
Why should we suffer over LhaL?"
1haL ls beslde Lhe polnL. lf we only obey Lhose rules LhaL we Lhlnk
are [usL and reasonable, Lhen no rule wlll sLand, for Lhere ls no rule LhaL
some wlll noL Lhlnk ls un[usL and unreasonable. And lf we wlsh Lo push
our own lndlvldual advanLage, as we see lL, Lhen we wlll always flnd
reason Lo belleve LhaL soma hamperlng rule ls un[usL and unreasonable.
WhaL sLarLs, Lhen, as a shrewd Lrlck ends ln anarchy and dlsasLer, even
for Lhe shrewd LrlcksLer, slnce he, Loo, wlll noL survlve Lhe collapse of
socleLy."
1revlze sald, SocleLy wlll noL collapse LhaL easlly. ?ou speak as Cala,
and Cala cannoL posslbly undersLand Lhe assoclaLlon of free lndlvlduals.
8ules, esLabllshed wlLh reason and [usLlce, can easlly ouLllve Lhelr
usefulness as clrcumsLances change, yeL can remaln ln force Lhrough
lnerLla. lL ls Lhen noL only rlghL, buL useful, Lo break Lhose rules as a way
of adverLlslng Lhe facL LhaL Lhey have become useless-or even acLually
harmful."
1hen every Lhlef and murderer can argue he ls servlng humanlLy."
?ou go Lo exLremes. ln Lhe superorganlsm of Cala, Lhere ls
auLomaLlc consensus on Lhe rules of socleLy and lL occurs Lo no one Lo
break Lhem. CpL mlghL as well say LhaL Cala vegeLaLes and fosslllzes.
1here ls admlLLedly an elemenL of dlsorder ln free assoclaLlon, buL LhaL ls
Lhe prlce one musL pay fog Lhe ablllLy Lo lnduce novelLy and change. -Cn
Lhe whole, lL's a reasonable prlce."
8llss's volce rose a noLch. ?ou are qulLe wrong lf you Lhlnk Cala
vegeLaLes and fosslllzes. Cur deeds, our ways, our vlews are under
consLanL self-examlnaLlon. 1hey do noL perslsL ouL of lnerLla, beyond
reason. Cala learns by experlence and LhoughL, and Lherefore changes
when LhaL ls necessary."
Lven lf whaL you say ls so, Lhe self-examlnaLlon and learnlng musL
be slow, because noLhlng buL Cala exlsLs on Cala. Pere, ln freedom, even
when almosL everyone agrees, Lhere are bound Lo be a few who
dlsagree and, ln some cases, Lhose few may be rlghL, and lf Lhey are
clever enough, enLhuslasLlc enough, rlghL enough, Lhey wlll wln ouL ln
Lhe end and be heroes ln fuLure ages-llke Parl Seldon, who perfecLed
psychohlsLory, plLLed hls own LhoughLs agalnsL Lhe enLlre CalacLlc
Lmplre, and won."
Pe has won only so far, 1revlze. 1he Second Lmplre he planned for
wlll noL come Lo pass. 1here wlll be Calaxla lnsLead."
Wlll Lhere?" sald 1revlze grlmly.
lL was your declslon, and, however much you argue wlLh me ln
favor of lsolaLes and of Lhelr freedom Lo be foollsh and crlmlnal, Lhere ls
someLhlng ln Lhe hldden recesses of your mlnd LhaL forced you Lo agree
wlLh me/us/Cala when you made your cholce."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
31
WhaL ls presenL ln Lhe hldden recesses of my mlnd," sald 1revlze,
more grlmly sLlll, ls whaL l seek. -1here, Lo begln wlLh," he added,
polnLlng Lo Lhe vlewscreen where a greaL clLy spread ouL Lo Lhe horlzon,
a clusLer of low sLrucLures cllmblng Lo occaslonal helghLs, surrounded by
flelds LhaL were brown under a llghL frosL.
eloraL shook hls head. 1oo bad. l meanL Lo waLch Lhe approach,
buL l goL caughL up ln llsLenlng Lo Lhe argumenL."
1revlze sald, never mlnd, !anov. ?ou can waLch when we leave. l'll
promlse Lo keep my mouLh shuL Lhen, lf you can persuade 8llss Lo
conLrol her own."
And Lhe lar SLar descended a mlcrowave beam Lo a landlng aL Lhe
spaceporL.
14.
kLnu8A? looked grave when he reLurned Lo Lhe enLry sLaLlon and
waLched Lhe lar SLar pass Lhrough. Pe was sLlll clearly depressed aL Lhe
close of hls shlfL.
Pe was slLLlng down Lo hls closlng meal of Lhe day when one of hls
maLes, a gangllng fellow wlLh wlde-seL eyes, Lhln llghL halr, and
eyebrows so blond Lhey seemed absenL, saL down nexL Lo hlm.
WhaL's wrong, ken?" sald Lhe oLher.
kendray's llps LwlsLed. Pe sald, 1haL was a gravlLlc shlp LhaL [usL
passed Lhrough, CaLls."
1he odd-looklng one wlLh zero radloacLlvlLy?"
1haL's why lL wasn'L radloacLlve. no fuel. CravlLlc."
CaLls nodded hls head. WhaL we were Lold Lo waLch for, rlghL?"
8lghL."
And you goL lL. Leave lL Lo you Lo be Lhe lucky one."
noL so lucky. A woman wlLhouL ldenLlflcaLlon was on lL-and l dldn'L
reporL her."
WhaL? Look, don'L Lell me. l don'L wanL Lo know abouL lL. noL
anoLher word. ?ou may be a pal, buL l'm noL golng Lo make myself an
accompllce afLer Lhe facL."
l'm noL worrled abouL LhaL. noL very much. l had Lo send Lhe shlp
down. 1hey wanL LhaL gravlLlc-or any gravlLlc. ?ou know LhaL."
Sure, buL you could aL leasL have reporLed Lhe woman."
uldn'L llke Lo. She's noL marrled. She was [usL plcked up for-for use."
Pow many men on board?"
1wo."
And Lhey [usL plcked her up for-for LhaL. 1hey musL be from
1ermlnus." 1haL's rlghL."
1hey don'L care whaL Lhey do on 1ermlnus."
1haL's rlghL."
ulsgusLlng. And Lhey geL away wlLh lL."
Cne of Lhem was marrled, and he dldn'L wanL hls wlfe Lo know. lf l
reporLed her, hls wlfe would flnd ouL."
Wouldn'L she be back on 1ermlnus?"
Cf course, buL she'd flnd ouL anyway."
Serve Lhe fellow rlghL lf hls wlfe dld flnd ouL."
l agree-buL l can'L be Lhe one Lo be responslble for lL."
1hey'll hammer you for noL reporLlng lL. noL wanLlng Lo make
Lrouble for a guy ls no excuse."
Would you have reporLed hlm?"
l'd have had Lo, l suppose."
no, you wouldn'L. 1he governmenL wanLs LhaL shlp. lf l had lnslsLed
on puLLlng Lhe woman on reporL, Lhe men on Lhe shlp would have
changed Lhelr mlnds abouL landlng and would have pulled away Lo some
oLher planeL. 1he governmenL wouldn'L have wanLed-LhaL."
8uL wlll Lhey belleve you?"
l Lhlnk so. -A very cuLe-looklng woman, Loo. lmaglne a woman llke
LhaL belng wllllng Lo come along wlLh Lwo men, and marrled men wlLh
Lhe nerve Lo Lake advanLage. -?ou know, lL's LempLlng."
l don'L Lhlnk you'd wanL Lhe mlssus Lo know you sald LhaL-or even
LhoughL LhaL."
kendray sald deflanLly, Who's golng Lo Lell her? ?ou?"
Come on. ?ou know beLLer Lhan LhaL." CaLls's look of lndlgnaLlon
faded qulckly, and he sald, lL's noL golng Lo do Lhose guys any good, you
know, you leLLlng Lhem Lhrough."
l know."
1he people down surface-way wlll flnd ouL soon enough, and even lf
you geL away wlLh lL, Lhey won'L."
l know," sald kendray, buL l'm sorry for Lhem. WhaLever Lrouble
Lhe woman wlll make for Lhem wlll be as noLhlng Lo whaL Lhe shlp wlll
make for Lhem. 1he capLaln made a few remarks-
kendray paused, and CaLls sald eagerly, Llke whaL?"
never mlnd," sald kendray. lf lL comes ouL, lL's my buLL."
l'm noL golng Lo repeaL lL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
32
nelLher am l. 8uL l'm sorry for Lhose Lwo men from 1ermlnus."
13.
1o An?CnL who has been ln space and experlenced lLs
changelessness, Lhe real exclLemenL of space fllghL comes when lL ls Llme
Lo land on a new planeL. 1he ground speeds backward under you as you
caLch gllmpses of land and waLer, of geomeLrlcal areas and llnes LhaL
mlghL represenL flelds and roads. ?ou become aware of Lhe green of
growlng Lhlngs, Lhe gray of concreLe, Lhe brown of bare ground, Lhe
whlLe of snow. MosL of all, Lhere ls Lhe exclLemenL of populaLed
conglomeraLes, clLles whlch, on each world, have Lhelr own
characLerlsLlc geomeLry and archlLecLural varlanLs.
ln an ordlnary shlp, Lhere would have been Lhe exclLemenL of
Louchlng down and sklmmlng across a runway. lor Lhe lar SLar, lL was
dlfferenL. lL floaLed Lhrough Lhe alr, was slowed by sklllfully balanclng alr
reslsLance and gravlLy, and flnally made Lo come Lo resL above Lhe
spaceporL. 1he wlnd was gusLy and LhaL lnLroduced an added
compllcaLlon. 1he lar SLar, when ad[usLed Lo low response Lo
gravlLaLlonal pull, was noL only abnormally low ln welghL, buL ln mass as
well. lf lLs mass were Loo close Lo zero, Lhe wlnd would blow lL away
rapldly. Pence, gravlLaLlonal response had Lo be ralsed and [eLLhrusLs
had Lo be dellcaLely used noL only agalnsL Lhe planeL's pull buL agalnsL
Lhe wlnd's push, and ln a manner LhaL maLched Lhe shlfL ln wlnd
lnLenslLy closely. WlLhouL an adequaLe compuLer, lL could noL posslbly
have been done properly.
uownward and downward, wlLh small unavoldable shlfLs ln Lhls
dlrecLlon and LhaL, drlfLed Lhe shlp unLll lL flnally sank lnLo Lhe ouLllned
area LhaL marked lLs asslgned poslLlon ln Lhe porL.
1he sky was a pale blue, lnLermlngled wlLh flaL whlLe, when Lhe lar
SLar landed. 1he wlnd remalned gusLy even aL ground level and Lhough lL
was now no longer a navlgaLlonal perll, lL produced a chlll LhaL 1revlze
wlnced aL. Pe reallzed aL once LhaL Lhelr cloLhlng supply was LoLally
unsulLed Lo Comporelllan weaLher.
eloraL, on Lhe oLher hand, looked abouL wlLh appreclaLlon and drew
hls breaLh deeply Lhrough hls nose wlLh rellsh, llklng Lhe blLe of Lhe cold,
aL leasL for Lhe momenL. Pe even dellberaLely unseamed hls coaL ln
order Lo feel Lhe wlnd agalnsL hls chesL. ln a llLLle whlle, he knew, he
would seam up agaln and ad[usL hls scarf, buL for now he wanLed Lo feel
Lhe exlsLence of an aLmosphere. Cne never dld aboard shlp.
8llss drew her coaL closely abouL herself, and, wlLh gloved hands,
dragged her haL down Lo cover her ears. Per face was crumpled ln
mlsery and seemed close Lo Lears.
She muLLered, 1hls world ls evll. lL haLes and mlsLreaLs us."
noL aL all, 8llss dear," sald eloraL earnesLly. l'm sure Lhe
lnhablLanL, llke Lhls world, and LhaL lL-uh-llkes Lhem, lf you wanL Lo puL lL
LhaL way. We'll be lndoors soon enough, and lL wlll be warm Lhere."
AlmosL as an afLerLhoughL, he fllpped one slde of hls coaL ouLward
curved lL abouL her, whlle she snuggled agalnsL hls shlrLfronL.
1revlze dld hls besL Lo lgnore Lhe LemperaLure. Pe obLalned a map
card from Lhe porL auLhorlLy, checklng lL on hls pockeL compuLer Lo sure
LhaL lL gave Lhe necessary deLalls-hls alsle and loL number, Lhe and
englne number of hls shlp, and so on. Pe checked once more Lo sure
LhaL Lhe shlp was LlghLly secured, and Lhen Look ouL Lhe maxlmum
lnsurance allowed agalnsL Lhe chance of mlsadvenLure (useless, acLually,
Lhe lar SLar should be lnvulnerable aL Lhe llkely Comporelllan level of
Lechnology, and was enLlrely lrreplaceable aL whaLever prlce, lf lL were
noL). !
1revlze found Lhe Laxl-sLaLlon where lL oughL Lo be. (A number of
faclllLles aL spaceporLs were sLandardlzed ln poslLlon, appearance, and
manner of use. 1hey had Lo be, ln vlew of Lhe mulLlworld naLure of Lhe
cllenLele.)
Pe slgnaled for a Laxl, punchlng ouL Lhe desLlnaLlon merely as ClLy."
A Laxl gllded up Lo Lhem on dlamagneLlc skls, drlfLlng sllghLly under
Lhe lmpulse of Lhe wlnd, and Lrembllng under Lhe vlbraLlon of lLs noL-
qulLe-sllenL englne. lL was a dark gray ln color and bore lLs whlLe Laxl-
lnslgnla on Lell doors. 1he Laxl-drlver was wearlng a dark coaL and a
whlLe, furred baL.
eloraL, becomlng aware, sald sofLly, 1he planeLary decor seem Lo
be black and whlLe."
1revlze sald, lL may be more llvely ln Lhe clLy proper."
1he drlver spoke lnLo a small mlcrophone, perhaps ln order Lo avold
openlng Lhe wlndow. Colng Lo Lhe clLy, folks?"
1here was a genLle slngsong Lo hls CalacLlc dlalecL LhaL was raLher
aLLracLlve, and he was noL hard Lo undersLand-always a rellef on a new
world,
1revlze sald, 1haL's rlghL," and Lhe rear door slld open.
8llss enLered, followed by eloraL, and Lhen by 1revlze. 1he door
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
33
Wood and warm alr welled upward.
8llss rubbed her hands and breaLhed a long slgh of rellef.
1he Laxl pulled ouL slowly, and Lhe drlver sald, 1haL shlp you came
ln ls gravlLlc, lsn'L lL?"
1revlze sald dryly, Conslderlng Lhe way lL came down, would you
doubL lL?"
1he drlver sald, ls lL from 1ermlnus, Lhen?"
1revlze sald, uo you know any oLher world LhaL could bulld one?"
1he drlver seemed Lo dlgesL LhaL as Lhe Laxl Look on speed. Pe Lhen
sald, uo you always answer a quesLlon wlLh a quesLlon?"
1revlze couldn'L reslsL. Why noL?"
ln LhaL case, how would you answer me lf l asked lf your name were
Colan 1revlze?"
l would answer: WhaL makes you ask?"
1he Laxl came Lo a halL aL Lhe ouLsklrLs of Lhe spaceporL and Lhe
drlver sald, CurloslLy! l ask agaln: Are you Colan 1revlze?"
1revlze's volce became sLlff and hosLlle. WhaL buslness ls LhaL of
yours?"
My frlend," sald Lhe drlver, We're noL movlng Llll you answer Lhe
quesLlon. And lf you don'L answer ln a clear yes or no ln abouL Lwo
seconds, l'm Lurnlng Lhe heaL off ln Lhe passenger comparLmenL and
we'll keep on walLlng. Are you Colan 1revlze, Councllman of 1ermlnus? lf
your answer ls ln Lhe negaLlve, you wlll have Lo show me your
ldenLlflcaLlon papers."
1revlze sald, ?es, l am Colan 1revlze, and as a Councllman of Lhe
loundaLlon, l expecL Lo be LreaLed wlLh all Lhe courLesy due my rank.
?our fallure Lo do so wlll have you ln hoL waLer, fellow. now whaL?"
now we can proceed a llLLle more llghLhearLedly." 1he Laxl began Lo
move agaln. l choose my passengers carefully, and l had expecLed Lo
plck up Lwo men only. 1he woman was a surprlse and l mlghL have made
a mlsLake. As lL ls, lf l have you, Lhen l can leave lL Lo you Lo explaln Lhe
woman when you reach your desLlnaLlon."
?ou don'L know my desLlnaLlon."
As lL happens, l do. ?ou're golng Lo Lhe ueparLmenL of
1ransporLaLlon."
1haL's noL where l wanL Lo go."
1haL maLLers noL one llLLle blL, Councllman. lf l were a Laxl-drlver, l'd
Lake you where you wanL Lo go. Slnce l'm noL, l Lake you where l wanL
you Lo go."
ardon me," sald eloraL, leanlng forward, you cerLalnly seem Lo
be a Laxl-drlver. ?ou're drlvlng a Laxl."
Anyone mlghL drlve a Laxl. noL everyone has a llcense Lo do so. And
noL every car LhaL looks llke a Laxl ls a Laxl."
1revlze sald, LeL's sLop playlng games. Who are you and whaL are
you dolng? 8emember LhaL you'll have Lo accounL for Lhls Lo Lhe
loundaLlon."
noL l," sald Lhe drlver, My superlors, perhaps. l'm an agenL of Lhe
Comporelllan SecurlLy lorce. l am under orders Lo LreaL you wlLh all due
respecL Lo your rank, buL you musL go where l Lake you. And be very
careful how you reacL, for Lhls vehlcle ls armed, and l am under orders Lo
defend myself agalnsL aLLack."
16.
1PL vLPlCLL, havlng reached crulslng speed, moved wlLh absoluLe,
smooLh quleL, and 1revlze saL Lhere ln quleLness as frozen. Pe was
aware, wlLhouL acLually looklng, of eloraL glanclng aL hlm now and Lhen
wlLh a look of uncerLalnLy on hls face, a WhaL do we do now? lease
Lell me" look.
8llss, a qulck glance Lold hlm, saL calmly, apparenLly unconcerned. Cf
course, she was a whole world ln herself. All of Cala, Lhough lL mlghL be
aL CalacLlc dlsLances, was wrapped up ln her skln. She had resources
LhaL could be called on ln a Lrue emergency.
8uL, Lhen, whaL had happened?
Clearly, Lhe offlclal aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon, followlng rouLlne, had senL
down hls reporL-omlLLlng 8llss-and lL had aLLracLed Lhe lnLeresL of Lhe
securlLy people and, of all Lhlngs, Lhe ueparLmenL of 1ransporLaLlon.
Why?
lL was peaceLlme and he knew of no speclflc Lenslons beLween
Comporellon and Lhe loundaLlon. Pe hlmself was an lmporLanL
loundaLlon offlclal-
WalL, he had Lold Lhe offlclal aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon-kendray, hls name
had been-LhaL he was on lmporLanL buslness wlLh Lhe Comporelllan
governmenL. Pe had sLressed LhaL ln hls aLLempL Lo geL Lhrough.
kendray musL have reporLed LhaL as well and LhaL would rouse all sorLs
of lnLeresL.
Pe hadn'L anLlclpaLed LhaL, and he cerLalnly should have.
WhaL, Lhen, abouL hls supposed glfL of rlghLness? Was he beglnnlng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
34
Lo belleve LhaL he was Lhe black box LhaL Cala LhoughL he was-or sald lL
LhoughL he was. Was he belng led lnLo a quagmlre by Lhe growLh of an
overconfldence bullL on supersLlLlon?
Pow could he for one momenL be Lrapped ln LhaL folly? Pad he never
ln hlL llfe been wrong? uld he know whaL Lhe weaLher would be
Lomorrow? uld he wln large amounLs ln games of chance? 1he answers
were no, no, and no.
Well, Lhen, was lL only ln Lhe large, lnchoaLe Lhlngs LhaL he was
a1ways rlghL? Pow could he Lell?
lorgeL LhaL! -AfLer all, Lhe mere facL LhaL he had sLaLed he had
lmporLanL sLaLe buslness-no, lL was loundaLlon securlLy" LhaL he had
sald-
Well, Lhen, Lhe mere facL LhaL he was Lhere on a maLLer of
loundaLlon securlLy, comlng, as he had, secreLly and unheralded, would
surely aLLracL Lhelr aLLenLlon. -?es, buL unLll Lhey knew whaL lL was all
abouL Lhey would surely acL wlLh Lhe uLmosL clrcumspecLlon. 1hey
would be ceremonlous and LreaL hlm as a hlgh dlgnlLary. 1hey would noL
kldnap hlm and make use of LhreaLs.
?eL LhaL was exacLly whaL Lhey had done. Why?
WhaL made Lhem feel sLrong enough and powerful enough Lo LreaL a
Councllman of 1ermlnus ln such a fashlon?
Could lL be LarLh? Was Lhe same force LhaL hld Lhe world of orlgln so
effecLlvely, even agalnsL Lhe greaL menLallsLs of Lhe Second loundaLlon,
now worklng Lo clrcumvenL hls search for LarLh ln Lhe very flrsL sLage of
LhaL search? Was LarLh omnlsclenL? CmlpoLenL?
1revlze shook hls head. 1haL way lay paranola. Was he golng Lo
blame LarLh for everyLhlng? Was every qulrk of behavlor, every bend ln
Lhe road, every LwlsL of clrcumsLance, Lo be Lhe resulL of Lhe secreL
machlnaLlons of LarLh? As soon as he began Lo Lhlnk ln LhaL fashlon, he
was defeaLed.
AL LhaL polnL, he felL Lhe vehlcle deceleraLlng and was broughL back
Lo reallLy aL a sLroke.
lL occurred Lo hlm LhaL he had never, even for one momenL, looked
aL Lhe clLy Lhrough whlch Lhey had been passlng. Pe looked abouL now,
a Louch wlldly. 1he bulldlngs were low, buL lL was a cold planeL-mosL of
Lhe sLrucLures were probably underground.
Pe saw no Lrace of color and LhaL seemed agalnsL human naLure.
Cccaslonally, he could see a person pass, well bundled. 8uL, Lhen,
Lhe people, llke Lhe bulldlngs Lhemselves, were probably mosLly
underground.
1he Laxl had sLopped before a low, broad bulldlng, seL ln a
depresslon, Lhe boLLom of whlch 1revlze could noL see. Some momenLs
passed and lL conLlnued Lo remaln Lhere, Lhe drlver hlmself moLlonless
as well. Pls Lall, whlLe haL nearly Louched Lhe roof of Lhe vehlcle.
1revlze wondered fleeLlngly how Lhe drlver managed Lo sLep ln and
ouL of Lhe vehlcle wlLhouL knocklng hls haL off, Lhen sald, wlLh Lhe
conLrolled anger one would expecL of a haughLy and mlsLreaLed offlclal,
Well, drlver, whaL now?"
1he Comporelllan verslon of Lhe gllLLerlng fleld-parLlLlon LhaL
separaLed Lhe drlver from Lhe passengers was noL aL all prlmlLlve. Sound
waves could pass Lhrough-Lhough 1revlze was qulLe cerLaln LhaL maLerlal
ob[ecLs, aL reasonable energles, could noL.
1he drlver sald, Someone wlll be up Lo geL you. !usL slL back and
Lake lL easy."
Lven as he sald Lhls, Lhree heads appeared ln a slow, smooLh ascenL
from Lhe depresslon ln whlch Lhe bulldlng resLed. AfLer LhaL, Lhere came
Lhe resL of Lhe bodles. Clearly, Lhe newcomers were movlng up Lhe
equlvalenL of an escalaLor, buL 1revlze could noL see Lhe deLalls of Lhe
devlce from where he saL.
As Lhe Lhree approached, Lhe passenger door of Lhe Laxl opened and
a flood of cold alr swepL lnward.
1revlze sLepped ouL, seamlng hls coaL Lo Lhe neck. 1he oLher Lwo
followed hlm-8llss wlLh conslderable relucLance.
1he Lhree Comporelllans were shapeless, wearlng garmenLs LhaL
ballooned ouLward and were probably elecLrlcally heaLed. 1revlze felL
scorn aL LhaL. 1here was llLLle use for such Lhlngs on 1ermlnus, and Lhe
one Llme he had borrowed a heaL-coaL durlng wlnLer on Lhe nearby
planeL of Anacreon, he dlscovered lL had a Lendency Lo grow warmer aL
a slow raLe so LhaL by Lhe Llme he reallzed he was Loo warm he was
persplrlng uncomforLably.
As Lhe Comporelllans approached, 1revlze noLed wlLh a dlsLlncL
sense of lndlgnaLlon LhaL Lhey were armed. nor dld Lhey Lry Lo conceal
Lhe facL. CulLe Lhe conLrary. Lach had a blasLer ln a holsLer aLLached Lo
Lhe ouLer garmenL
Cne of Lhe Comporelllans, havlng sLepped up Lo confronL 1revlze,
sald gruffly, ?our pardon, Councllman," and Lhen pulled hls coaL open
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
33
wlLh rough movemenL. Pe had lnserLed quesLlng hands whlch moved
qulckly up and down 1revlze's sldes, back, chesL, and Lhlghs. 1he coaL
was shaken and felL. 1revlze was Loo overcome by confused
asLonlshmenL Lo reallze he had been rapldly and efflclenLly searched Llll
lL was over.
eloraL, hls chln drawn down and hls mouLh ln a LwlsLed grlmace,
was undergolng a slmllar lndlgnlLy aL Lhe hands of a second
Comporelllan.
1he Lhlrd was approachlng 8llss, who dld noL walL Lo be Louched.
She, aL leasL, knew whaL Lo expecL, somehow, for she whlpped off her
coaL and, for a momenL, sLood Lhere ln her llghL cloLhlng, exposed Lo Lhe
whlsLle of Lhe wlnd.
She sald, freezlngly enough Lo maLch Lhe LemperaLure, ?ou can see
l'm noL armed."
And lndeed anyone could. 1he Comporelllan shook Lhe coaL, as
Lhough by lLs welghL he could Lell lf lL conLalned a weapon-perhaps he
could-and reLreaLed.
8llss puL on her coaL agaln, huddllng lnLo lL,- and for a momenL
1revlze admlred her gesLure. Pe knew how she felL abouL Lhe cold, buL
she had noL allowed a Lremor or shlver Lo escape her as she had sLood
Lhere ln Lhln blouse and slacks. (1hen he wondered lf, ln Lhe emergency,
she mlghL noL have drawn warmLh from Lhe resL of Cala.)
Cne of Lhe Comporelllans gesLured, and Lhe Lhree CuLworlders
followed hlm. 1he oLher Lwo Comporelllans fell behlnd. 1he one or Lwo
pedesLrlans who were on Lhe sLreeL dld noL boLher Lo waLch whaL was
happenlng. LlLher Lhey were Loo accusLomed Lo Lhe slghL or, more llkely,
had Lhelr mlnds occupled wlLh geLLlng Lo some lndoor desLlnaLlon as
soon as posslble.
1revlze saw now LhaL lL was a movlng ramp up whlch Lhe
Comporelllans had ascended. 1hey were descendlng now, all slx of Lhem,
and pasLed Lhrough a lock arrangemenL almosL as compllcaLed as LhaL
on a spaceshlp-Lo keep heaL lnslde, no doubL, raLher Lhan-alr.
And Lhen, aL once, Lhey were lnslde a huge bulldlng.

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
36
Chapter 5

SLruggle for Lhe Shlp

17.

18LvlZL'S flrsL lmpresslon was LhaL he was on Lhe seL of a
hyperdrama-speclflcally, LhaL of a hlsLorlcal romance of lmperlal days.
1here was a parLlcular seL, wlLh few varlaLlons (perhaps only one exlsLed
and was used by every hyperdrama producer, for all he knew), LhaL
represenLed Lhe greaL worldglrdllng planeL-clLy of 1ranLor ln lLs prlme.
1here were Lhe large spaces, Lhe busy scurry of pedesLrlans, Lhe
small vehlcles speedlng along Lhe lanes reserved for Lhem.
1revlze looked up, almosL expecLlng Lo see alr-Laxls cllmblng lnLo dlm
vaulLed recesses, buL LhaL aL leasL was absenL. ln facL, as hls lnlLlal
asLonlshmenL subslded, lL was clear LhaL Lhe bulldlng was far smaller
Lhan one would expecL on 1ranLor. lL was only a bulldlng and noL parL of
a complex LhaL sLreLched unbroken for Lhousands of mlles ln every
dlrecLlon.
1he colors were dlfferenL, Loo. Cn Lhe hyperdramas, 1ranLor was
always deplcLed as lmposslbly garlsh ln colorlng and Lhe cloLhlng was, lf
Laken llLerally, Lhoroughly lmpracLlcal and unservlceable. Powever, all
Lhose colors and frllls were meanL Lo serve a symbollc purpose for Lhey
lndlcaLed Lhe decadence (a vlew LhaL was obllgaLory, Lhese days) of Lhe
Lmplre, and of 1ranLor parLlcularly.
lf LhaL were so, however, Comporellon was Lhe very reverse of
decadenL, for Lhe color scheme LhaL eloraL had remarked upon aL Lhe
spaceporL was here borne ouL.
1he walls were ln shades of gray, Lhe celllngs whlLe, Lhe cloLhlng of
Lhe populaLlon ln black, gray, and whlLe. Cccaslonally, Lhere was an all-
black cosLume, even more occaslonally, an all-gray, never an all-whlLe
LhaL 1revlze could see. 1he paLLern was always dlfferenL, however, as
Lhough people, deprlved of color, sLlll managed, lrrepresslbly, Lo flnd
ways of asserLlng lndlvlduallLy.
laces Lended Lo be expresslonless or, lf noL LhaL, Lhen grlm. Women
wore Lhelr halr shorL, men longer, buL pulled backward lnLo shorL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
37
queues. no one looked aL anyone else as he or she passed. Lveryone
seemed Lo breaLhe a purposefulness, as Lhough Lhere was deflnlLe
buslness on each mlnd and room for noLhlng else. Men and women
dressed allke, wlLh only lengLh of halr and Lhe sllghL bulge of breasL and
wldLh of hlp marklng Lhe dlfference.
1he Lhree were gulded lnLo an elevaLor LhaL wenL down flve levels.
1here Lhey emerged and were moved on Lo a door on whlch Lhere
appeared ln small and unobLruslve leLLerlng, whlLe on gray, MlLza
Llzalor, Mln1rans."
1he Comporelllan ln Lhe lead Louched Lhe leLLerlng, whlch, afLer a
momenL, glowed ln response. 1he door opened and Lhey walked ln.
lL was a large room and raLher empLy, Lhe bareness of conLenL
servlng, perhaps, as a klnd of consplcuous consumpLlon of space
deslgned Lo show Lhe power of Lhe occupanL.
1wo guards sLood agalnsL Lhe far wall, faces expresslonless and eyes
flrmly flxed on Lhose enLerlng. A large desk fllled Lhe cenLer of Lhe room,
seL perhaps [usL a llLLle back of cenLer. 8ehlnd Lhe desk was, presumably,
MlLza Llzalor, large of body, smooLh of face, dark of eyes. 1wo sLrong
and capable hands wlLh long, square-ended flngers resLed on Lhe desk.
1he Mln1rans (MlnlsLer of 1ransporLaLlon, 1revlze assumed) had Lhe
lapels of Lhe ouLer garmenL a broad and dazzllng whlLe agalnsL Lhe dark
gray of Lhe resL of Lhe cosLume. 1he double bar of whlLe exLended
dlagonally below Lhe lapels, across Lhe garmenL lLself and crosslng aL Lhe
cenLer of Lhe chesL. 1revlze could see LhaL alLhough Lhe garmenL was cuL
ln such a fashlon as Lo obscure Lhe swelllng of a woman's breasLs on
elLher slde, Lhe whlLe x called aLLenLlon Lo Lhem.
1he MlnlsLer was undoubLedly a woman. Lven lf her breasLs were
lgnored, her shorL halr showed lL, and Lhough Lhere was no makeup on
her face, her feaLures showed lL, Loo.
Per volce, Loo, was lndlspuLably femlnlne, a rlch conLralLo.
She sald, Cood afLernoon. lL ls noL ofLen LhaL we are honored by a
vlslL of men from 1ermlnus. -And of an unreporLed woman as well." Per
eyes passed from one Lo anoLher, Lhen seLLled on 1revlze, who was
sLandlng sLlffly and frownlngly erecL. And one of Lhe men a member of
Lhe Councll, Loo."
A Councllman of Lhe loundaLlon," sald 1revlze, Lrylng Lo make hls
volce rlng. Councllman Colan 1revlze on a mlsslon from Lhe
loundaLlon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
38
Cn a mlsslon?" 1he MlnlsLer's eyebrows rose.
Cn a mlsslon," repeaLed 1revlze. Why, Lhen, are we belng LreaLed
as felons? Why have we been Laken lnLo cusLody by armed guards and
broughL here as prlsoners? 1he Councll of Lhe loundaLlon, l hope you
undersLand, wlll noL be pleased Lo hear of Lhls."
And ln any case," sald 8llss, her volce seemlng a Louch shrlll ln
comparlson wlLh LhaL of Lhe older woman, are we Lo remaln sLandlng
lndeflnlLely?"
1he MlnlsLer gazed coolly aL 8llss for a long momenL, Lhen ralsed an
arm and sald, 1hree chalrs! now!"
A door opened and Lhree men, dressed ln Lhe usual somber
Comporelllan fashlon, broughL ln Lhree chalrs aL a semlLroL. 1he Lhree
people sLandlng before Lhe desk saL down.
1here," sald Lhe MlnlsLer, wlLh a wlnLry smlle, are we
comforLable?"
1revlze LhoughL noL. 1he chalrs were uncushloned, cold Lo Lhe Louch,
flaL of surface and back, maklng no compromlse wlLh Lhe shape of Lhe
body. Pe sald, Why are we here?"
1he MlnlsLer consulLed papers lylng on her desk. l wlll explaln as
soon as l am cerLaln of my facLs. ?our shlp ls Lhe lar SLar ouL of
1ermlnus. ls LhaL correcL, Councllman?"
lL ls."
1he MlnlsLer looked up. l used your LlLle, Councllman. Wlll you, as a
courLesy, use mlne?"
Would Madam MlnlsLer be sufflclenL? Cr ls Lhere an honorlflc?"
no honorlflc, slr, and you need noL double your words. `MlnlsLer' ls
sufflclenL, or `Madam' lf you weary of repeLlLlon."
1hen my answer Lo your quesLlon ls: lL ls, MlnlsLer."
1he capLaln of Lhe shlp ls Colan 1revlze, clLlzen of Lhe loundaLlon
and member of Lhe Councll on 1ermlnus-a freshman Councllman,
acLually. And you are 1revlze. Am l correcL ln all Lhls, Councllman?"
?ou are, MlnlsLer. And slnce l am a clLlzen of Lhe loundaLlon-
l am noL yeL done, Councllman. Save your ob[ecLlons Llll l am.
Accompanylng you ls !anov eloraL, scholar, hlsLorlan, and clLlzen of Lhe
loundaLlon. And LhaL ls you, ls lL noL, ur. eloraL?"
eloraL could noL suppress a sllghL sLarL as Lhe MlnlsLer Lurned her
keen glance on hlm. Pe sald, ?es, lL ls, my d-" Pe paused, and began
agaln, ?es, lL ls, MlnlsLer."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
39
1he MlnlsLer clasped her hands sLlffly. 1here ls no menLlon ln Lhe
reporL LhaL has been forwarded Lo me of a woman. ls Lhls woman a
member of Lhe shlp's complemenL?"
She ls, MlnlsLer," sald 1revlze.
1hen l address myself Lo Lhe woman. ?our name?"
l am known as 8llss," sald 8llss, slLLlng erecLly and speaklng wlLh
calm clarlLy, Lhough my full name ls longer, madam. uo you wlsh lL all?"
l wlll be conLenL wlLh 8llss for Lhe momenL. Are you a clLlzen of Lhe
loundaLlon, 8llss?"
l am noL, madam."
Cf whaL world are you a clLlzen, 8llss?"
l have no documenLs aLLesLlng Lo clLlzenshlp wlLh respecL Lo any
world, madam."
no papers, 8llss?" She made a small mark on Lhe papers before her.
1haL facL ls noLed. WhaL ls lL you are dolng on board Lhe shlp?"
l am a passenger, madam."
uld elLher Councllman 1revlze or ur. eloraL ask Lo see your papers
before you boarded, 8llss?"
no, madam."
uld you lnform Lhem LhaL you were wlLhouL papers, 8llss?"
no, madam."
WhaL ls your funcLlon on board shlp, 8llss? uoes your name sulL
your funcLlon?"
8llss sald proudly, l am a passenger and have no oLher funcLlon."
1revlze broke ln. Why are you badgerlng Lhls woman, MlnlsLer?
WhaL law has she broken?"
MlnlsLer Llzalor's eyes shlfLed from 8llss Lo 1revlze. She sald, ?ou
are an CuLworlder, Councllman, and do noL know our laws.
neverLheless, you are sub[ecL Lo Lhem lf you choose Lo vlslL our world.
?ou do noL brlng your laws wlLh you, LhaL ls a general rule of CalacLlc
law, l belleve."
CranLed, MlnlsLer, buL LhaL doesn'L Lell me whlch of your laws she
has broken."
lL ls a general rule ln Lhe Calaxy, Councllman, LhaL a vlslLor from a
world ouLslde Lhe domlnlons of Lhe world she ls vlslLlng have her
ldenLlflcaLlon papers wlLh her. Many worlds are lax ln Lhls respecL,
valulng Lourlsm, or lndlfferenL Lo Lhe rule of order. We of Comporellon
are noL. We are a world o(' law and rlgld ln lLs appllcaLlon. She ls a
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
40
worldless person, and as such, breaks our law."
1revlze sald, She had no cholce ln Lhe maLLer. l was plloLlng Lhe
shlp, and l broughL lL down Lo Comporellon. She had Lo accompany us,
MlnlsLer, or do you suggesL she should have asked Lo be [eLLlsoned ln
space?"
1hls merely means LhaL you, Loo, have broken our law,
Councllman."
no, LhaL ls noL so, MlnlsLer. l am noL an CuLworlder. l am a clLlzen of
Lhe loundaLlon, and Comporellon and Lhe worlds sub[ecL Lo lL are an
AssoclaLed ower of Lhe loundaLlon. As a clLlzen of Lhe loundaLlon, l
can Lravel freely here."
CerLalnly, Councllman, as long as you have documenLaLlon Lo prove
LhaL you are lndeed a clLlzen of Lhe loundaLlon."
Whlch l do, MlnlsLer."
?eL even as clLlzen of Lhe loundaLlon, you do noL have Lhe rlghL Lo
break our law by brlnglng a worldless person wlLh you."
1revlze heslLaLed. Clearly, Lhe border guard, kendray, had noL kepL
falLh wlLh hlm, so Lhere was no polnL ln proLecLlng hlm. Pe sald, We
were noL sLopped aL Lhe lmmlgraLlon sLaLlon and l consldered LhaL
lmpllclL permlsslon Lo brlng Lhls woman wlLh me, MlnlsLer."
lL ls Lrue you were noL sLopped, Councllman. lL ls Lrue Lhe woman
war noL reporLed by Lhe lmmlgraLlon auLhorlLles and was passed
Lhrough. l can suspecL, however, LhaL Lhe offlclals aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon
declded-and qulLe correcLly-LhaL lL was more lmporLanL Lo geL your shlp
Lo Lhe surface Lhan Lo worry abouL a worldless person. WhaL Lhey dld
was, sLrlcLly speaklng, an lnfracLlon of Lhe rules, and Lhe maLLer wlll have
Lo be dealL wlLh ln Lhe proper fashlon, buL l have no doubL LhaL Lhe
declslon wlll be LhaL Lhe lnfracLlon was [usLlfled. We are a world of rlgld
law, Councllman, buL we are noL rlgld beyond Lhe dlcLaLes of reason."
1revlze sald aL once, 1hen l call upon reason Lo bend your rlgor
now, MlnlsLer. lf, lndeed, you recelved no lnformaLlon from Lhe
lmmlgraLlon sLaLlon Lo Lhe effecL LhaL a worldless person was on board
shlp, Lhen you had no knowledge LhaL we were breaklng any law aL Lhe
Llme we landed. ?eL lL ls qulLe apparenL LhaL you were prepared Lo Lake
us lnLo cusLody Lhe momenL we landed, and you dld, ln facL, do so. Why
dld you do so, when you had no reason Lo Lhlnk any law was belng
broken?"
1he MlnlsLer smlled. l undersLand your confuslon, Councllman.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
41
lease leL me assure you LhaL whaLever knowledge we had galned-or
had noL galned-as Lo Lhe worldless condlLlon of your passenger had
noLhlng Lo do wlLh your belng Laken lnLo cusLody. We are acLlng on
behalf of Lhe loundaLlon, of whlch, as you polnL ouL, we are an
AssoclaLed ower."
1revlze sLared aL her. 8uL LhaL's lmposslble, MlnlsLer. lL's even
worse. lL's rldlculous."
1he MlnlsLer's chuckle was llke Lhe smooLh flow of honey. She sald,
l am lnLeresLed ln Lhe way you conslder lL worse Lo be rldlculous Lhan
lmposslble, Councllman. l agree wlLh you Lhere. unforLunaLely for you,
however, lL ls nelLher. Why should lL be?"
8ecause l am an offlclal of Lhe loundaLlon governmenL, on a
mlsslon for Lhem, and lL ls absoluLely lnconcelvable LhaL Lhey would wlsh
Lo arresL me, or LhaL Lhey would even have Lhe power Lo do so, slnce l
have leglslaLlve lmmunlLy."
Ah, you omlL my LlLle, buL you are deeply moved and LhaL ls perhaps
forglvable. SLlll, l am noL asked Lo arresL you dlrecLly. l do so only LhaL l
may carry ouL whaL l am asked Lo do, Councllman."
Whlch ls, MlnlsLer?" sald 1revlze, Lrylng Lo keep hls emoLlon under
conLrol ln Lhe face of Lhls formldable woman.
Whlch ls Lo commandeer your shlp, Councllman, and reLurn lL Lo Lhe
loundaLlon."
WhaL?"
Agaln you omlL my LlLle, Councllman. 1haL ls very sllpshod of you
and no way Lo press your own case. 1he shlp ls noL yours, l presume.
Was lL deslgned by you, or bullL by you, or pald for by you?"
Cf course noL, MlnlsLer. lL was asslgned Lo me by Lhe loundaLlon
governmenL."
1hen, presumably, Lhe loundaLlon governmenL has Lhe rlghL Lo
cancel LhaL asslgnmenL, Councllman. lL ls a valuable shlp, l lmaglne."
1revlze dld noL answer.
1he MlnlsLer sald, lL ls a gravlLlc shlp, Councllman. 1here cannoL be
many and even Lhe loundaLlon musL have buL a very few. 1hey musL
regreL havlng asslgned one of Lhose very few Lo you. erhaps you can
persuade Lhem .4, Lo asslgn you anoLher and less valuable shlp LhaL wlll
neverLheless amply, sufflce for your mlsslon. -8uL we musL have Lhe shlp
ln whlch you have arrlved."
no, MlnlsLer, l cannoL glve up Lhe shlp. l cannoL belleve Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
42
loundaLlon asks lL of you."
1he MlnlsLer smlled. noL of me solely, Councllman. noL of
Comporellon, speclflcally. We have reason Lo belleve LhaL Lhe requesL
was senL ouL Lo ever, one of Lhe many worlds and reglons under
loundaLlon [urlsdlcLlon or assoclaLlon. lrom Lhls, l deduce LhaL Lhe
loundaLlon does noL know your lLlnerary and ls seeklng you wlLh a
cerLaln angry vlgor. lrom whlch l furLher deduce LhaL you have no
mlsslon Lo deal wlLh Comporellon on behalf of Lhe loundaLlon-slnce ln
LhaL case Lhey would know where you were and deal wlLh us speclflcally.
ln shorL, Councllman, you have been lylng Lo me."
1revlze sald, wlLh a cerLaln dlfflculLy, l would llke Lo see a copy of
requesL you have recelved from Lhe loundaLlon governmenL, MlnlsLer. l
enLlLled, l Lhlnk, Lo LhaL."
CerLalnly, lf all Lhls comes Lo legal acLlon. We Lake our legal forms
very serlously, Councllman, and your rlghLs wlll be fully proLecLed, l
assure you. lL would be beLLer and easler, however, lf we come Lo an
agreemenL here wlLhouL Lhe publlclLy and delay of legal acLlon. We
would prefer LhaL, and, l am cerLaln, so would Lhe loundaLlon, whlch
cannoL wlsh Lhe Calaxy aL large Lo know of a runaway LeglslaLor. 1haL
would puL Lhe loundaLlon ln a rldlculous llghL, and, by your esLlmaLe and
mlne, LhaL would be worse Lhan lmposslble."
1revlze was agaln sllenL.
1he MlnlsLer walLed a momenL, Lhen wenL on, as lmperLurbable as
ever. Come, Councllman, elLher way, by lnformal agreemenL or by legal
acLlon, we lnLend Lo have Lhe shlp. 1he penalLy for brlnglng ln a
worldless passenger wlll depend on whlch rouLe we Lake. uemand Lhe
law and she wlll represenL an addlLlonal polnL agalnsL you and you wlll
all suffer Lhe full punlshmenL for Lhe crlme, and LhaL wlll noL be llghL, l
assure you. Come Lo an agreemenL, and your passenger can be senL
away by commerclal fllghL Lo any desLlnaLlon she wlshes, and, for LhaL
maLLer, you Lvvo can accompany her, lf you wlsh. Cr, lf Lhe loundaLlon ls
wllllng, we can supply you wlLh one of our own shlps, a perfecLly
adequaLe one, provlded, of course, LhaL Lhe loundaLlon wlll replace lL
wlLh an equlvalenL shlp of Lhelr own. Cr, lf, for any reason, you do noL
wlsh Lo reLurn Lo loundaLlon-conLrolled LerrlLory, we mlghL be wllllng Lo
offer you refuge here and, perhaps, evenLual Comporelllan clLlzenshlp.
?ou see, you have many posslblllLles of galn lf you come Lo a frlendly
arrangemenL, buL none aL all lf you lnslsL on your legal rlghLs."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
43
1revlze sald, MlnlsLer, you are Loo eager. ?ou promlse whaL you
cannoL do. ?ou cannoL offer me refuge ln Lhe face of a loundaLlon
requesL LhaL l be dellvered Lo Lhem."
1he MlnlsLer sald, Councllman, l never promlse whaL l cannoL do.
1he loundaLlon's requesL ls only for Lhe shlp. 1hey make no requesL
concernlng you as an lndlvldual, or for anyone else on Lhe shlp. 1helr
sole requesL ls for Lhe vessel."
1revlze glanced qulckly aL 8llss, and sald, May l have your
permlsslon, MlnlsLer, Lo consulL wlLh ur. eloraL and Mlss 8llss for a
shorL whlle?"
CerLalnly, Councllman. ?ou may have flfLeen mlnuLes."
rlvaLely, MlnlsLer."
?ou wlll be led Lo a room and, afLer flfLeen mlnuLes, you wlll be led
back, Councllman. ?ou wlll noL be lnLerfered wlLh whlle you are Lhere
nor wlll we aLLempL Lo monlLor your conversaLlon. ?ou have my word on
LhaL and l keep my word. Powever, you wlll be adequaLely guarded so
do noL be so foollsh as Lo Lhlnk of escaplng."
We undersLand, MlnlsLer."
And when you come back, we wlll expecL your free agreemenL Lo
glve up Lhe shlp. CLherwlse, Lhe law wlll Lake lLs course, and lL wlll be
much Lhe worse for all of you, Councllman. ls LhaL undersLood?"
1haL ls undersLood, MlnlsLer," sald 1revlze, keeplng hls rage under
LlghL conLrol, slnce lLs expresslon would do hlm no good aL all.
18.
l1 was a small room, buL lL was well llghLed. lL conLalned a couch and
Lwo chalrs, and one could hear Lhe sofL sound of a venLllaLlng fan. Cn
Lhe whole, lL was clearly more comforLable Lhan Lhe MlnlsLer's large and
sLerlle offlce.
A guard had led Lhem Lhere, grave and Lall, hls hand hoverlng near
Lhe buLL of hls blasLer. Pe remalned ouLslde Lhe door as Lhey enLered
and sald, ln a heavy volce, ?ou have flfLeen mlnuLes."
Pe had no sooner sald LhaL Lhan Lhe door slld shuL, wlLh a Lhud.
1revlze sald, l can only hope LhaL we can'L be overheard."
eloraL sald, She dld glve us her word, Colan."
?ou [udge oLhers by yourself, !anov. Per so-called `word' wlll noL
sufflce. She wlll break lL wlLhouL heslLaLlon lf she wanLs Lo."
lL doesn'L maLLer," sald 8llss. l can shleld Lhls place."
?ou have a shleldlng devlce?" asked eloraL.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
44
8llss smlled, wlLh a sudden flash of whlLe LeeLh. Cala's mlnd ls a
shleldlng devlce, el. lL's an enormous mlnd."
We are here," sald 1revlze angrlly, because of Lhe llmlLaLlons of
LhaL enormous mlnd."
WhaL do you mean?" sald 8llss.
When Lhe Lrlple confronLaLlon broke up, you wlLhdrew me from Lhe
mlnds of boLh Lhe Mayor and LhaL Second loundaLloner, Cendlbal.
nelLher was Lo Lhlnk of me agaln, excepL dlsLanLly and lndlfferenLly. l
was Lo be lefL Lo myself."
We had Lo do LhaL," sald 8llss. ?ou are our mosL lmporLanL
resource."
?es. Colan 1revlze, Lhe ever-rlghL. 8uL you dld noL wlLhdraw my shlp
from Lhelr mlnds, dld you? Mayor 8ranno dld noL ask for me, she had no
lnLeresL ln me, buL she dld ask for Lhe shlp. She has noL forgoLLen Lhe
shlp."
8llss frowned.
1revlze sald, 1hlnk abouL lL. Cala casually assumed LhaL l lncluded
my shlp, LhaL we were a unlL. lf 8ranno dldn'L Lhlnk of me, she wouldn'L
Lhlnk of Lhe shlp. 1he Lrouble ls LhaL Cala doesn'L undersLand
lndlvlduallLy. lL LhoughL of Lhe shlp and me as a slngle organlsm, and lL
was wrong Lo Lhlnk LhaL."
8llss sald sofLly, 1haL ls posslble."
Well, Lhen," sald 1revlze flaLly, lL's up Lo you Lo recLlfy LhaL
mlsLake. l musL have my gravlLlc shlp and my compuLer. noLhlng else wlll
do. 1herefore, 8llss, make sure LhaL l keep Lhe shlp. ?ou can conLrol
mlnds."
?es, 1revlze, buL we do noL exerclse LhaL conLrol llghLly. We dld lL ln
connecLlon wlLh Lhe Lrlple confronLaLlon, buL do you know how long LhaL
confronLaLlon was planned? CalculaLed? Welghed? lL Look-llLerally-
many years. l cannoL slmply walk up Lo a woman and ad[usL Lhe mlnd Lo
sulL someone's convenlence."
ls Lhls a Llme-
8llss wenL on forcefully. lf l began Lo follow such a course of acLlon,
where do we sLop? l mlghL have lnfluenced Lhe agenL's mlnd aL Lhe enLry
sLaLlon and we would have passed Lhrough aL once. l mlghL have
lnfluenced Lhe agenL's mlnd ln Lhe vehlcle, and he would have leL us go."
Well, slnce you menLlon lL, why dldn'L you do Lhese Lhlngs?"
8ecause we don'L know where lL would lead. We don'L know Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
43
slde effecLs, whlch may well Lurn ouL Lo make Lhe slLuaLlon worse. lf l
ad[usL Lhe MlnlsLer's mlnd now, LhaL wlll affecL her deallngs wlLh oLhers
wlLh whom she wlll come ln conLacL and, slnce she ls a hlgh offlclal ln her
governmenL, lL may affecL lnLersLellar relaLlons. unLll such Llme as Lhe
maLLer ls Lhoroughly worked ouL, we dare noL Louch her mlnd."
1hen why are you wlLh us?"
8ecause Lhe Llme may come when your llfe ls LhreaLened. l musL
proLecL your llfe aL all cosLs, even aL Lhe cosL of my el or of myself. ?our
llfe was noL LhreaLened aL Lhe enLry sLaLlon. lL ls noL LhreaLened now.
?ou musL work Lhls ouL for yourself, and do so aL leasL unLll Cala can
esLlmaLe Lhe consequence of some sorL of acLlon and Lake lL."
1revlze fell lnLo a perlod of LhoughL. 1hen he sald, ln LhaL case, l
have Lo Lry someLhlng. lL may noL work."
1he door moved open, Lhwacklng lnLo lLs sockeL as nolslly as lL had
closed.
1he guard sald, Come ouL."
As Lhey emerged, eloraL whlspered, WhaL are you golng Lo do,
Colan?"
1revlze shook hls head and whlspered, l'm noL enLlrely sure. l wlll
have Lo lmprovlse."
19.
MlnlS1L8 Llzalor was sLlll aL her desk when Lhey reLurned Lo her
offlce. Per face broke lnLo a grlm smlle as Lhey walked ln.
She sald, l LrusL, Councllman 1revlze, LhaL you have reLurned Lo Lell
me LhaL you are glvlng up Lhls loundaLlon shlp you have."
l have come, MlnlsLer," sald 1revlze calmly, Lo dlscuss Lerms."
1here are no Lerms Lo dlscuss, Councllman. A Lrlal, lf you lnslsL on
one, can be arranged very qulckly and would be carrled Lhrough even
more qulckly. l guaranLee your convlcLlon even ln a perfecLly falr Lrlal
slnce your gullL ln brlnglng ln a worldless person ls obvlous and
lndlspuLable. AfLer LhaL, we wlll be legally [usLlfled ln selzlng Lhe shlp and
you Lhree would suffer heavy penalLles. uon'L force Lhose penalLles on
yourself [usL Lo delay us for a day."
neverLheless, Lhere are Lerms Lo dlscuss, MlnlsLer, because no
maLLer how qulckly you convlcL us, you cannoL selze Lhe shlp wlLhouL my
consenL. Any aLLempL you make Lo force your way lnLo Lhe shlp wlLhouL
me wlll desLroy lL, and Lhe spaceporL wlLh lL, and every human belng ln
Lhe spaceporL. 1hls wlll surely lnfurlaLe Lhe loundaLlon, someLhlng you
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
46
dare noL do. 1hreaLenlng us or mlsLreaLlng us ln order Lo force me Lo
open Lhe shlp ls surely agalnsL your law, and lf you break your own law
ln desperaLlon and sub[ecL us Lo LorLure or even Lo a perlod of cruel and
unusual lmprlsonmenL, Lhe loundaLlon wlll flnd ouL abouL lL and Lhey
wlll be even more furlous. Powever much Lhey wanL Lhe shlp Lhey
cannoL allow a precedenL LhaL would permlL Lhe mlsLreaLmenL of
loundaLlon clLlzens. -Shall we Lalk Lerms?"
1hls ls all nonsense," sald Lhe MlnlsLer, scowllng. lf necessary, we
wlll call ln Lhe loundaLlon lLself. 1hey wlll know how Lo open Lhelr own
shlp, or Lhey wlll force you Lo open lL."
1revlze sald, ?ou do noL use my LlLle, MlnlsLer, buL you are
emoLlonally moved, so LhaL ls perhaps forglvable. ?ou know LhaL Lhe
very lasL Lhlng you wlll do ls call ln Lhe loundaLlon, slnce you have no
lnLenLlon of dellverlng Lhe shlp Lo Lhem."
1he smlle faded from Lhe MlnlsLer's face. WhaL nonsense ls Lhls,
Councllman?"
1he klnd of nonsense, MlnlsLer, LhaL oLhers, perhaps, oughL noL Lo
hear. LeL my frlend and Lhe young woman go Lo some comforLable hoLel
room and obLaln Lhe resL Lhey need so badly and leL your guards leave,
Loo. 1hey can remaln [usL ouLslde and you can have Lhem leave you a
blasLer. ?ou are noL a small woman and, wlLh a blasLer, you have noLhlng
Lo fear from me. l am unarmed."
1he MlnlsLer leaned Loward hlm across Lhe desk. l have noLhlng Lo
fear from you ln any case."
WlLhouL looklng behlnd her, she beckoned Lo one of Lhe guards, who
approached aL once and came Lo a halL aL her slde wlLh a sLamp of hls
feeL. sald, Cuard, Lake LhaL one and LhaL one Lo SulLe 3. 1hey are Lo sLay
Lhere and Lo be made comforLable and Lo be well guarded. ?ou wlll be
held responslble for any mlsLreaLmenL Lhey may recelve, as well as for
any breach of securlLy."
She sLood up, and noL all of 1revlze's deLermlnaLlon Lo malnLaln an
absoluLe composure sufflced Lo keep hlm from fllnchlng a llLLle. She was
Lall, a1. Lall, aL leasL, as 1revlze's own 1.83 meLers, perhaps a cenLlmeLer
or so Laller. She had a narrow walsLllne, wlLh Lhe Lwo whlLe sLrlps across
her chesL conLlnulng lnLo an enclrclemenL of her walsL, maklng lL look
even narrower, 1here was a masslve grace abouL her and 1revlze
LhoughL ruefully LhaL her sLaLemenL LhaL she had noLhlng Lo fear from
hlm mlghL well be correcL. ln a rough-and-Lumble, he LhoughL, she
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
47
would have no Lrouble plnnlng hls shoulders Lo Lhe maL.
She sald, Come wlLh me, Councllman. lf you are golng Lo Lalk
nonsense Lhen, for your own sake, Lhe fewer who hear you, Lhe beLLer."
She led Lhe way ln a brlsk sLrlde, and 1revlze followed,' feellng
shrunken ln her masslve shadow, a feellng he had never before had wlLh
a woman.
1hey enLered an elevaLor and, as Lhe door closed behlnd Lhem, she
sald, We are alone now and lf you are under Lhe llluslon, Councllman,
LhaL ?ou can use force wlLh me ln order Lo accompllsh some lmaglned
purpose, please forgeL LhaL." 1he slngsong ln her volce grew more
pronounced as she sald, wlLh clear amusemenL, ?ou look llke a
reasonably sLrong speclmen, buL l assure you l wlll have no Lrouble ln
breaklng your arm-or your back, lf l musL. l am armed, buL l wlll noL have
Lo use any weapon."
1revlze scraLched aL hls cheek as hls eyes drlfLed flrsL down, Lhen up
her body. MlnlsLer, l can hold my own ln a wresLllng maLch wlLh any
man my welghL, buL l have already declded Lo forfelL a bouL wlLh you. l
know when l am ouLclassed."
Cood," sald Lhe MlnlsLer, and looked pleased.
1revlze sald, Where are we golng, MlnlsLer?"
uown! CulLe far down. uon'L be upseL, however. ln Lhe
hyperdramas, Lhls would be a prellmlnary Lo Laklng you Lo a dungeon, l
suppose, buL we have no dungeons on Comporellon-only reasonable
prlsons. We are golng Lo my prlvaLe aparLmenL, noL as romanLlc as a
dungeon ln Lhe bad old lmperlal days, buL more comforLable."
1revlze esLlmaLed LhaL Lhey were aL leasL flfLy meLers below Lhe
surface of Lhe planeL, when Lhe elevaLor door slld Lo one slde and Lhey
sLepped ouL.
20.
18LvlZL looked abouL Lhe aparLmenL wlLh clear surprlse.
1he MlnlsLer sald grlmly, uo you dlsapprove of my llvlng quarLers,
Councllman?"
no, l have no reason Lo, MlnlsLer. l am merely surprlsed. l flnd lL
unexpecLed. 1he lmpresslon l had of your world from whaL llLLle l saw
and heard slnce arrlvlng was LhaL lL was an-an absLemlous one,
eschewlng useless luxury."
So lL ls, Councllman. Cur resources are llmlLed, and our llfe musL be
as harsh as our cllmaLe."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
48
8uL Lhls, MlnlsLer," and 1revlze held ouL boLh hands as Lhough Lo
embrace Lhe room where, for Lhe flrsL Llme on Lhls world, he saw color,
where Lhe couches were well cushloned, where Lhe llghL from Lhe
lllumlnaLed walls was sofL, and where Lhe floor was force-carpeLed so
LhaL sLeps were sprlngy and sllenL. 1hls ls surely luxury."
We eschew, as you say, Councllman, useless luxury, osLenLaLlous
luxury, wasLefully excesslve luxury. 1hls, however, ls prlvaLe luxury,
whlch has lLs use. l work hard and bear much responslblllLy. l need a
place where l can forgeL, for a whlle, Lhe dlfflculLles of my posL."
1revlze sald, And do all Comporelllans llve llke Lhls when Lhe eyes of
oLhers are averLed, MlnlsLer?"
lL depends on Lhe degree of work and responslblllLy. lew can afford
Lo, or deserve Lo, or, Lhanks Lo our code of eLhlcs, wanL Lo."
8uL you, MlnlsLer, can afford Lo, deserve Lo-and wanL Lo?"
1he MlnlsLer sald, 8ank has lLs prlvlleges as well as lLs duLles. And
now slL down, Councllman, and Lell me of Lhls madness of yours." She
saL down on Lhe couch, whlch gave slowly under her solld welghL, and
polnLed Lo an equally sofL chalr ln whlch 1revlze would be faclng her aL
noL Loo greaL a dlsLance."
1revlze saL down. Madness, MlnlsLer?"
1he MlnlsLer relaxed vlslbly, leanlng her rlghL elbow on a plllow. ln
prlvaLe conversaLlon, we need noL observe Lhe rules of formal dlscourse
Loo puncLlllously. ?ou may call me Llzalor. l wlll call you, 1revlze. -1ell me
whaL ls on your mlnd, 1revlze, and leL us lnspecL lL."
1revlze crossed hls legs and saL back ln hls chalr. See here, Llzalor,
you gave me Lhe cholce of elLher agreelng Lo glve up Lhe shlp volunLarlly,
or of belng sub[ecLed Lo a formal Lrlal. ln boLh cases, you would end up
wlLh Lhe shlp. -?eL you have been golng ouL of your way Lo persuade me
Lo adopL Lhe former alLernaLlve. ?ou are wllllng Lo offer me anoLher shlp
Lo replace mlne, so LhaL my frlends and l mlghL go anywhere we chose.
We mlghL even sLay here on Comporellon and quallfy for clLlzenshlp, lf
we chose. ln smaller Lhlngs, you were wllllng Lo allow me flfLeen mlnuLes
Lo consulL wlLh my frlends. ?ou were even wllllng Lo brlng me here Lo
your prlvaLe aparLmenL, whlle my frlends are now, presumably, ln
comforLable quarLers. ln shorL, you are brlblng me, Llzalor, raLher
desperaLely, Lo granL you Lhe shlp wlLhouL Lhe necesslLy of a Lrlal."
Come, 1revlze, are you ln no mood Lo glve me credlL for humane
lmpulses?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
49
none."
Cr Lhe LhoughL LhaL volunLary surrender would be qulcker and more
convenlenL Lhan a Lrlal would be?"
no! l would offer a dlfferenL suggesLlon."
Whlch ls?"
A Lrlal has one Lhlng ln lLs sLrong dlsfavor, lL ls a publlc affalr. ?ou
have several Llmes referred Lo Lhls world's rlgorous legal sysLem, and l
suspecL lL would be dlfflculL Lo arrange a Lrlal wlLhouL lLs belng fully
recorded. lf were so, Lhe loundaLlon would know of lL and you would
have Lo hand Lhe shlp Lo lL once Lhe Lrlal was over."
Cf course," sald Llzalor, wlLhouL expresslon. lL ls Lhe loundaLlon
owns Lhe shlp."
8uL," sald 1revlze, a prlvaLe agreemenL wlLh me would noL have Lo
be placed on formal record. ?ou could have Lhe shlp and, slnce Lhe
foundaLlon would noL know of Lhe maLLer-Lhey don'L even know LhaL we
are on Lhls world-Comporellon could keep Lhe shlp. 1haL, l am sure, ls
whaL you lnLend Lo do."
Why should we do LhaL?" She was sLlll wlLhouL expresslon. Are we
noL parL of Lhe loundaLlon ConfederaLlon?"
noL qulLe. ?our sLaLus ls LhaL of an AssoclaLed ower. ln any map on
whlch Lhe member worlds of Lhe lederaLlon are shown ln red,
Comporellon and lLs dependenL worlds would show up as a paLch of pale
plnk."
Lven so, as an AssoclaLed ower, we would surely co-operaLe wlLh
Lhe loundaLlon."
Would you? MlghL noL Comporellon be dreamlng of LoLal
lndependence, even leadershlp? ?ou are an old world. AlmosL all worlds
clalm Lo be o1der Lhan Lhey are, buL Comporellon ls an old world."
MlnlsLer Llzalor allowed a cold smlle Lo cross her face. 1he oldesL, lf
some of our enLhuslasLs are Lo be belleved."
MlghL Lhere noL have been a Llme when Comporellon was lndeed
Lhe leadlng world of a relaLlvely small group of worlds? MlghL you noL
sLlll dream of recoverlng LhaL losL poslLlon of power?"
uo you Lhlnk we dream of so lmposslble a goal? l called lL madness
before l knew your LhoughLs, and lL ls cerLalnly madness now LhaL l do."
ureams may be lmposslble, yeL sLlll be dreamed. 1ermlnus, locaLed
aL Lhe very edge of Lhe Calaxy and wlLh a flve-cenLury hlsLory LhaL ls
brlefer Lhan LhaL of any oLher world, vlrLually rules Lhe Calaxy. And shall
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
30
Comporellon noL? Lh?" 1revlze was smlllng.
Llzalor remalned grave. 1ermlnus reached LhaL poslLlon, we are
glven Lo undersLand, by Lhe worklng ouL of Parl Seldon's lan."
1haL ls Lhe psychologlcal buLLress of lLs superlorlLy and lL wlll hold
only as long, perhaps, as people belleve lL. lL may be LhaL Lhe
Comporelllan governmenL does noL belleve lL. Lven so, 1ermlnus also
en[oys a Lechnologlcal buLLress. 1ermlnus's hegemony over Lhe Calaxy
undoubLedly resLs on lLs advanced Lechnology-of whlch Lhe gravlLlc shlp
you are so anxlous Lo have ls an example. no oLher world buL 1ermlnus
dlsposes of gravlLlc shlps. lf Comporellon could have one, and could
learn lLs worklngs ln deLall, lL would be bound Lo have Laken a glanL
Lechnologlcal sLep forward. l don'L Lhlnk lL would be sufflclenL Lo help
you overcome 1ermlnus's lead, buL your governmenL mlghL Lhlnk so."
Llzalor sald, ?ou can'L be serlous ln Lhls. Any governmenL LhaL kepL
Lhe shlp ln Lhe face of Lhe loundaLlon's deslre Lo have lL would surely
experlence Lhe loundaLlon's wraLh, and hlsLory shows LhaL Lhe
loundaLlon can be qulLe uncomforLably wraLhful."
1revlze sald, 1he loundaLlon's wraLh would only be exerLed lf Lhe
loundaLlon knew Lhere was someLhlng Lo be wraLhful abouL."
ln LhaL case, 1revlze-lf we assume your analysls of Lhe slLuaLlon ls
someLhlng oLher Lhan mad-would lL noL be Lo your beneflL Lo glve us Lhe
shlp and drlve a hard bargaln? We would pay well for Lhe chance of
havlng lL quleLly, accordlng Lo your llne of argumenL."
Could you Lhen rely on my noL reporLlng Lhe maLLer Lo Lhe
loundaLlon?"
CerLalnly. Slnce you would have Lo reporL your own parL ln lL."
l could reporL havlng acLed under duress."
?es. unless your good sense Lold you LhaL your Mayor would never
belleve LhaL. -Come, make a deal."
1revlze shook hls head. l wlll noL, Madam Llzalor. 1he shlp ls mlne
and lL musL sLay mlne. As l have Lold you, lL wlll blow up wlLh
exLraordlnary power lf you aLLempL Lo force an enLry. l assure you l am
Lelllng you Lhe LruLh. uon'L rely on lLs belng a bluff."
?ou could open lL, and relnsLrucL Lhe compuLer."
undoubLedly, buL l won'L do LhaL."
Llzalor drew a heavy slgh. ?ou know we could make you change
your mlnd-lf noL by whaL we could do Lo you, Lhen by whaL we could do
Lo your frlend, ur. eloraL, or Lo Lhe young woman."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
31
1orLure, MlnlsLer? ls LhaL your law?"
no, Councllman. 8uL we mlghL noL have Lo do anyLhlng so crude.
1here ls always Lhe sychlc robe."
lor Lhe flrsL Llme slnce enLerlng Lhe MlnlsLer's aparLmenL, 1revlze
felL an lnner chlll.
?ou can'L do LhaL elLher. 1he use of Lhe sychlc robe for anyLhlng
buL medlcal purposes ls ouLlawed LhroughouL Lhe Calaxy."
8uL lf we are drlven Lo desperaLlon-
l am wllllng Lo chance LhaL," sald 1revlze calmly, for lL would do
you no good. My deLermlnaLlon Lo reLaln my shlp ls so deep LhaL Lhe
sychlc robe would desLroy my mlnd before lL LwlsLed lL lnLo glvlng lL Lo
you." (1haL was a bluff, he LhoughL, and Lhe chlll lnslde hlm deepened.)
And even lf you were so sklllful as Lo persuade me wlLhouL desLroylng
my mlnd and lf l were Lo open Lhe shlp and dlsarm lL and hand lL over Lo
you, lL would sLlll do you no good. 1he shlp's compuLer ls even more
advanced Lhan Lhe shlp ls, and lL ls deslgned somehow-l don'L know
how-Lo work aL lLs full poLenLlal only wlLh me. lL ls whaL l mlghL call a
one-person compuLer."
Suppose, Lhen, you reLalned your shlp, and remalned lLs plloL.
Would you conslder plloLlng lL for us-as an honored Comporelllan
clLlzen? A large salary. Conslderable luxury. ?our frlends, Loo."
no."
WhaL ls lL you suggesL? 1haL we slmply leL you and your frlends
launch your shlp and go off lnLo Lhe Calaxy? l warn you LhaL before we
allow you Lo do Lhls, we mlghL slmply lnform Lhe loundaLlon LhaL you
are here wlLh your shlp, and leave all Lo Lhem."
And lose Lhe shlp yourself?"
lf we musL lose lL, perhaps we would raLher lose lL Lo Lhe
loundaLlon Lhan Lo an lmpudenL CuLworlder."
1hen leL me suggesL a compromlse of my own."
A compromlse? Well, l wlll llsLen. roceed."
1revlze sald carefully, l am on an lmporLanL mlsslon. lL began wlLh
loundaLlon supporL. 1haL supporL seems Lo have been suspended, buL
Lhe mlsslon remalns lmporLanL. LeL me have Comporelllan supporL
lnsLead and lf l compleLe Lhe mlsslon successfully, Comporellon wlll
beneflL." `
Llzalor wore a dublous expresslon. And you wlll noL reLurn Lhe shlp
Lo Lhe loundaLlon?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
32
l have never planned Lo do LhaL. 1he loundaLlon would noL be
searchlng for Lhe shlp so desperaLely lf Lhey LhoughL Lhere was any
lnLenLlon of my casually reLurnlng lL Lo Lhem."
1haL ls noL qulLe Lhe same Lhlng as saylng LhaL you wlll glve Lhe shlp
Lo us."
Cnce l have compleLed Lhe mlsslon, Lhe shlp may be of no furLher
use Lo me. ln LhaL case, l would noL ob[ecL Lo Comporellon havlng lL."
1he Lwo looked aL each oLher ln sllence for a few momenLs.
Llzalor sald, ?ou use Lhe condlLlonal. 1he shlp `may be.' 1haL ls of no
value Lo us."
l could make wlld promlses, buL of whaL value would LhaL be Lo
you? 1he facL LhaL my promlses are cauLlous and llmlLed should show
you LhaL Lhey are aL leasL slncere."
Clever," sald Llzalor, noddlng. l llke LhaL. Well, whaL ls your mlsslon
and how mlghL lL beneflL Comporellon?"
1revlze sald, no, no, lL ls your Lurn. Wlll you supporL me lf l show
you LhaL Lhe mlsslon ls of lmporLance Lo Comporellon?"
MlnlsLer Llzalor rose from Lhe couch, a Lall, overpowerlng presence.
l am hungry, Councllman 1revlze, and l wlll geL no furLher on an empLy
sLomach. l wlll offer you someLhlng Lo eaL and drlnk-ln moderaLlon. AfLer
LhaL, we wlll flnlsh Lhe maLLer."
And lL seemed Lo 1revlze LhaL Lhere was a raLher carnlvorous look of
anLlclpaLlon abouL her aL LhaL momenL, so LhaL he LlghLened hls llps wlLh
[usL a blL of unease.
21.
1PL MLAL mlghL have been a nourlshlng one, buL lL was noL one Lo
dellghL Lhe palaLe. 1he maln course conslsLed of bolled beef ln a
musLardy sauce, resLlng on a foundaLlon of a leafy vegeLable 1revlze dld
noL recognlze. nor dld he llke lL for lL had a blLLer-salLy LasLe he dld noL
en[oy. Pe found ouL laLer lL was a form of seaweed.
1here was, afLerward, a plece of frulL LhaL LasLed someLhlng llke an
apple LalnLed by peach (noL bad, acLually) and a hoL, dark beverage LhaL
was blLLer enough for 1revlze Lo leave half behlnd and ask lf he mlghL
have some cold waLer lnsLead. 1he porLlons were all small, buL, under
Lhe clrcumsLances, 1revlze dld noL mlnd.
1he meal had been prlvaLe, wlLh no servanLs ln vlew. 1he MlnlsLer
had herself heaLed and served Lhe food, and herself cleared away Lhe
dlshes and cuLlery.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
33
l hope you found Lhe meal pleasanL," sald Llzalor, as Lhey lefL Lhe
dlnlng room.
CulLe pleasanL," sald 1revlze, wlLhouL enLhuslasm.
1he MlnlsLer agaln Look her seaL on Lhe couch. LeL us reLurn Lhen,"
she sald, Lo our earller dlscusslon. ?ou had menLloned LhaL
Comporellon mlghL resenL Lhe loundaLlon's lead ln Lechnology and lLs
overlordshlp of Lhe Calaxy. ln a way LhaL's Lrue, buL LhaL aspecL of Lhe
slLuaLlon would lnLeresL only Lhose who are lnLeresLed ln lnLersLellar
pollLlcs, and Lhey are comparaLlvely few. WhaL ls much more Lo Lhe
polnL ls LhaL Lhe average Comporelllan ls horrlfled aL Lhe lmmorallLy of
Lhe loundaLlon. 1here ls lmmorallLy ln mosL worlds, buL lL seems mosL
marked ln 1ermlnus. l would say LhaL any anLl-1ermlnus anlmus LhaL
exlsLs on Lhls world ls rooLed ln LhaL, raLher Lhan ln more absLracL
maLLers."
lmmorallLy?" sald 1revlze, puzzled. WhaLever Lhe faulLs of Lhe
loundaLlon you have Lo admlL lL runs lLs parL of Lhe Calaxy wlLh
reasonable efflclency and flscal honesLy. Clvll rlghLs are, by and large,
respecLed and-
Councllman 1revlze, l speak of sexual morallLy."
ln LhaL case, l cerLalnly don'L undersLand you. We are a Lhoroughly
moral socleLy, sexually speaklng. Women are well represenLed ln every
faceL of soclal llfe. Cur Mayor ls a woman and nearly half Lhe Councll
conslsLs of-
1he MlnlsLer allowed a look of exasperaLlon Lo fleeL across her face.
Councllman, are you mocklng me? Surely you know whaL sexual
morallLy meanL. ls, or ls noL, marrlage a sacramenL upon 1ermlnus?"
WhaL do you mean by sacramenL?"
ls Lhere a formal marrlage ceremony blndlng a couple LogeLher?"
CerLalnly, lf people wlsh lL. Such a ceremony slmpllfles Lax problems
and lnherlLance."
8uL dlvorce can Lake place."
Cf course. lL would cerLalnly be sexually lmmoral Lo keep people
Lled Lo, each oLher, when-
Are Lhere no rellglous resLrlcLlons?"
8ellglous? 1here are people who make a phllosophy ouL of anclenL
culLs, buL whaL has LhaL Lo do wlLh marrlage?"
Councllman, here on Comporellon, every aspecL of sex ls sLrongly
conLrolled. lL may noL Lake place ouL of marrlage. lLs expresslon ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
34
llmlLed even wlLhln marrlage. We are sadly shocked aL Lhose worlds, aL
1ermlnus, parLlcularly, where sex seems Lo be consldered a mere soclal
pleasure of no greaL lmporLance Lo be lndulged ln when, how, and wlLh
whom one pleases wlLhouL regard Lo Lhe values of rellglon."
1revlze shrugged. l'm sorry, buL l can'L underLake Lo reform Lhe
Calaxy, or even 1ermlnus-and whaL has Lhls Lo do wlLh Lhe maLLer of my
shlp?"
l'm Lalklng abouL publlc oplnlon ln Lhe maLLer of your shlp and how
lL llmlLs my ablllLy Lo compromlse Lhe maLLer. 1he people of Comporelbll
would be horrlfled lf Lhey found you had Laken a young and aLLracLlve
woman on board Lo serve Lhe lusLful urges of you and your companlon.
lL ls ouL conslderaLlon for Lhe safeLy of Lhe Lhree of you LhaL l have been
urglng you Lo accepL peaceful surrender ln place of a publlc Lrlal."
1revlze sald, l see you have used Lhe meal Lo Lhlnk of a new Lype of
persuaslon by LhreaL. Am l now Lo fear a lynch mob?"
l merely polnL ouL dangers. Wlll you be able Lo deny LhaL Lhe
woman you have Laken on board shlp ls anyLhlng oLher Lhan a sexual
convenlence?"
Cf course l can deny lL. 8llss ls Lhe companlon of my frlend, ur.
eloraL. Pe has no oLher compeLlng companlon. ?ou may noL deflne
Lhelr sLaLe as marrlage, buL l belleve LhaL ln eloraL's mlnd, and ln Lhe
woman's, Loo, Lhere ls a marrlage beLween Lhem."
Are you Lelllng me you are noL lnvolved yourself?"
CerLalnly noL," sald 1revlze. WhaL do you Lake me for?"
l cannoL Lell. l do noL know your noLlons of morallLy."
1hen leL me explaln LhaL my noLlons of morallLy Lell me LhaL l don'L
Lrlfle wlLh my frlend's possesslons-or hls companlonshlps."
?ou are noL even LempLed?"
l can'L conLrol Lhe facL of LempLaLlon, buL Lhere's no chance of my
glvlng ln Lo lL."
no chance aL all? erhaps you are noL lnLeresLed ln women."
uon'L you belleve LhaL. l am lnLeresLed."
Pow long has lL been slnce you have had sex wlLh a woman?"
MonLhs. noL aL all slnce l lefL 1ermlnus."
Surely you don'L en[oy LhaL."
l cerLalnly don'L," sald 1revlze, wlLh sLrong feellng, buL Lhe
slLuaLlon ls such LhaL l have no cholce."
Surely your frlend, eloraL, noLlng your sufferlng, would be wllllng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
33
Lo share hls woman."
l show hlm no evldence of sufferlng, buL lf l dld, he would noL be
wllllng Lo share 8llss. nor, l Lhlnk, would Lhe woman consenL. She ls noL
aLLracLed Lo me."
uo you say LhaL because you have LesLed Lhe maLLer?"
l have noL LesLed lL. l make Lhe [udgmenL wlLhouL feellng Lhe need
Lo LesL lL. ln any case, l don'L parLlcularly llke her."
AsLonlshlng! She ls whaL a man would conslder aLLracLlve."
hyslcally, she ls aLLracLlve. neverLheless, she does noL appeal Lo
me. lor one Lhlng, she ls Loo young, Loo chlld-llke ln some ways."
uo you prefer women of maLurlLy, Lhen?"
1revlze paused. Was Lhere a Lrap here? Pe sald cauLlously, l am old
enough Lo value some women of maLurlLy. And whaL has Lhls Lo do wlLh
my shlp?"
Llzalor sald, lor a momenL, forgeL your shlp. -l am forLy-slx years
old, and l am noL marrled. l have somehow been Loo busy Lo marry."
ln LhaL case, by Lhe rules of your socleLy, you musL have remalned
conLlnenL all your llfe. ls LhaL why you asked how long lL had been slnce l
have had sex? Are you asklng my advlce ln Lhe maLLer? -lf so, l say lL ls
noL food and drlnk. lL ls uncomforLable Lo do wlLhouL sex, buL noL
lmposslble."
1he MlnlsLer smlled and Lhere was agaln LhaL carnlvorous look ln her
eyes. uon'L mlsLake me, 1revlze. 8ank has lLs prlvlleges and lL ls posslble
Lo be dlscreeL. l am noL alLogeLher an absLalner. neverLheless,
Comporelllan men are unsaLlsfylng. l accepL Lhe facL LhaL morallLy ls an
absoluLe good, buL lL does Lend Lo burden Lhe men of Lhls world wlLh
gullL, so LhaL Lhey become unadvenLurous, unenLerprlslng, slow Lo begln,
qulck Lo conclude, and, ln general, unskllled."
1revlze sald, very cauLlously, 1here ls noLhlng l can do abouL LhaL,
elLher."
Are you lmplylng LhaL Lhe faulL may be mlne? 1haL l am
unlnsplrlng?"
1revlze ralsed a hand. l don'L say LhaL aL all."
ln LhaL case, how would you reacL, glven Lhe opporLunlLy? ?ou, a
man from an lmmoral world, who musL have had a vasL varleLy of sexual
experlences of all klnds, who ls under Lhe pressure of several monLhs of
enforced absLlnence even Lhough ln Lhe consLanL presence of a young
and charmlng woman. Pow would you reacL ln Lhe presence of a woman
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
36
such as myself, who ls Lhe maLure Lype you profess Lo llke?"
1revlze sald, l would behave wlLh Lhe respecL and decency
approprlaLe Lo your rank and lmporLance."
uon'L be a fool!" sald Lhe MlnlsLer. Per hand wenL Lo Lhe rlghL slde
of her walsL. 1he sLrlp of whlLe LhaL enclrcled lL came loose and
unwound from her chesL and neck. 1he bodlce of her black gown hung
noLlceably looser.
1revlze saL frozen. Pad Lhls been ln her mlnd slnce-when? Cr was lL
a brlbe Lo accompllsh whaL LhreaLs had noL?
1he bodlce fllpped down, along wlLh lLs sLurdy relnforcemenL aL Lhe
breasLs. 1he MlnlsLer saL Lhere, wlLh a look of proud dlsdaln on her face,
and bare from Lhe walsL up. Per breasLs were a smaller verslon of Lhe
woman herself-masslve, flrm, and overpowerlngly lmpresslve.
Well?" she sald.
1revlze sald, ln all honesLy, MagnlflcenL!"
And whaL wlll you do abouL lL?"
WhaL does morallLy dlcLaLe on Comporellon, Madam Llzalor?"
WhaL ls LhaL Lo a man of 1ermlnus? WhaL does your morallLy
dlcLaLe? -And begln. My chesL ls cold and wlshes warmLh."
1revlze sLood up and began Lo dlsrobe.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
37
Chapter H

1he naLure of LarLh

22.

18LvlZL felL almosL drugged, and wondered how much Llme had
elapsed.
8eslde hlm lay MlLza Llzalor, MlnlsLer of 1ransporLaLlon. She was on
her sLomach, head Lo one slde, mouLh open, snorlng dlsLlncLly. 1revlze
was relleved LhaL she was asleep. Cnce she woke up, he hoped she
would be qulLe aware LhaL she had been asleep.
1revlze longed Lo sleep hlmself, buL he felL lL lmporLanL LhaL he noL
do so. She musL noL wake Lo flnd hlm asleep. She musL reallze LhaL whlle
she had been ground down Lo unconsclousness, he had endured. She
would expecL such endurance from a loundaLlon-reared lmmorallsL and,
aL Lhls polnL, lL was beLLer she noL be dlsappolnLed.
ln a way, he had done well. Pe had guessed, correcLly, LhaL Llzalor,
glven her physlcal slze and sLrengLh, her pollLlcal power, her conLempL
for Lhe Comporelllan men she had encounLered, her mlngled horror and
fasclnaLlon wlLh Lales (whaL had she heard? 1revlze wondered) of Lhe
sexual feaLs of Lhe decadenLs of 1ermlnus, would wanL Lo be domlnaLed.
She mlghL even expecL Lo be, wlLhouL belng able Lo express her deslre
and expecLaLlon.
Pe had acLed on LhaL bellef and, Lo hls good forLune, found he was
correcL. (1revlze, Lhe ever-rlghL, he mocked hlmself.) lL pleased Lhe
woman and lL enabled 1revlze Lo sLeer acLlvlLles ln a dlrecLlon LhaL would
Lend Lo wear her ouL whlle leavlng hlmself relaLlvely unLouched.
lL had noL been easy. She had a marvelous body (forLy-slx, she had
sald, buL lL would noL have shamed a LwenLy-flve-year-old aLhleLe) and
enormous sLamlna-a sLamlna exceeded only by Lhe careless zesL wlLh
whlch she had spenL lL.
lndeed, lf she could be Lamed and LaughL moderaLlon, lf pracLlce (buL
could he hlmself survlve Lhe pracLlce?) broughL her Lo a beLLer sense of
her own capaclLles, and, even more lmporLanL, hls, lL mlghL be pleasanL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
38
Lo-
1he snorlng sLopped suddenly and she sLlrred. Pe placed hls hand on
Lhe shoulder nearesL hlm and sLroked lL llghLly-and her eyes opened.
1revlze was leanlng on hls elbow, and dld hls besL Lo look unworn and
full of llfe.
l'm glad you were sleeplng, dear," he sald. ?ou needed your resL."
She smlled aL hlm sleeplly and, for one queasy momenL, 1revlze
LhoughL she mlghL suggesL renewed acLlvlLy, buL she merely heaved
herself abouL Llll she was resLlng on her back. She sald, ln a sofL and
saLlsfled volce, l had you [udged correcLly from Lhe sLarL. ?ou are a klng
of sexuallLy."
1revlze Lrled Lo look modesL. l musL be more moderaLe."
nonsense. ?ou were [usL rlghL. l was afrald LhaL you had been kepL
acLlve and dralned by LhaL young woman, buL you assured me you had
noL. 1haL lL Lrue, lsn'L lL?"
Pave l acLed llke someone who was half-saLed Lo begln wlLh?"
no, you dld noL," and her laughLer boomed.
Are you sLlll Lhlnklng of sychlc robes?"
She laughed agaln. Are you mad? Would l wanL Lo lose you now?"
?eL lL would be beLLer lf you losL me Lemporarlly-
WhaL!" She frowned.
lf l were Lo sLay here permanenLly, my-my dear, how long would lL
be before eyes would begln Lo waLch, and mouLhs would begln Lo
whlsper? lL l wenL off on my mlsslon, however, l would naLurally reLurn
perlodlcally Lo, reporL, and lL would Lhen be only naLural LhaL we should
be closeLed LogeLher for a whlle-and my mlsslon ls lmporLanL."
She LhoughL abouL LhaL, scraLchlng ldly aL her rlghL hlp. 1hen she
sald, l suppose you're rlghL. l haLe Lhe LhoughL buL-l suppose you're
rlghL."
And you need noL Lhlnk l would noL come back," sald 1revlze. l am
noL so wlLless as Lo forgeL whaL l would have walLlng for me here."
She smlled aL hlm, Louched hls cheek genLly, and sald, looklng lnLo
hls eyes, uld you flnd lL pleasanL, love?"
Much more Lhan pleasanL, dear."
?eL you are a loundaLloner. A man ln Lhe prlme of youLh from
1ermlnus lLself. ?ou musL be accusLomed Lo all sorLs of women wlLh all
soul skllls-
l have encounLered noLhlng-noLhlng-ln Lhe leasL llke you," sald
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
39
1revlze, wlLh a forcefulness LhaL came easlly Lo someone who was buL
Lelllng Lhe LruLh, afLer all.
Llzalor sald complacenLly, Well, lf you say so. SLlll, old hablLs dle
hard, you know, and l don'L Lhlnk l could brlng myself Lo LrusL a man's
word wlLhouL some sorL of sureLy. ?ou and your frlend, eloraL, mlghL
concelvably go on Lhls mlsslon of yours once l hear abouL lL and approve,
buL l wlll keep Lhe young woman here. She wlll be well LreaLed, never
fear, buL l presume your ur. eloraL wlll wanL her, and he wlll see Lo lL
LhaL Lhere are frequenL reLurns Lo Comporellon, even lf your enLhuslasm
for Lhls mlsslon you Lo sLay away Loo long."
8uL, Llzalor, LhaL's lmposslble."
lndeed?" Susplclon aL once seeped lnLo her eyes. Why lmposslble?
lor whaL purpose would you need Lhe woman?"
noL for sex. l Lold you LhaL, and l Lold you LruLhfully. She ls eloraL's
and l have no lnLeresL ln her. 8esldes, l'm sure she'd break ln Lwo lf she
aLLempLed whaL you so LrlumphanLly carrled Lhrough."
Llzalor almosL smlled, buL repressed lL and sald severely, WhaL ls lL
Lo you, Lhen, lf she remalns on Comporellon?"
8ecause she ls of essenLlal lmporLance Lo our mlsslon. 1haL ls why
we musL have her."
Well, Lhen, whaL ls your mlsslon? lL ls Llme you Lold me."
1revlze heslLaLed very brlefly. lL would have Lo be Lhe LruLh. Pe could
Lhlnk of no lle as effecLlve.
LlsLen Lo me," he sald. Comporellon may be an old world, even
among Lhe oldesL, buL lL can'L be Lhe oldesL. Puman llfe dld noL orlglnaLe
here. 1he earllesL human belngs reached here from some oLher world,
and perhaps human llfe dldn'L orlglnaLe Lhere elLher, buL came from sLlll
anoLher and sLlll older world. LvenLually, Lhough, Lhose problngs back
lnLo Llme musL sLop, and we musL reach Lhe flrsL world, Lhe world of
human orlglns. l am seeklng LarLh."
1he change LhaL suddenly came over MlLza Llzalor sLaggered hlm.
Per eyes had wldened, her breaLhlng Look on a sudden urgency, and
every muscle seemed Lo sLlffen as she lay Lhere ln bed. Per arms shoL
upward rlgldly, and Lhe flrsL Lwo flngers of boLh hands crossed.
?ou named lL," she whlspered hoarsely.
23.
SPL ulun'1 say anyLhlng afLer LhaL, she dldn'L look aL hlm. Per arms
slowly came down, her legs swung over Lhe slde of Lhe bed, and she saL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
60
up, back Lo hlm. 1revlze lay where he was, frozen.
Pe could hear, ln memory, Lhe words of Munn Ll Compor, as Lhey
sLood Lhere ln Lhe empLy LourlsL cenLer aL Sayshell. Pe could hear hlm
saylng of hls own ancesLral planeL-Lhe one LhaL 1revlze was on now-
1hey're supersLlLlous abouL lL. Lvery Llme Lhey menLlon Lhe word, Lhey
llfL up boLh hands wlLh flrsL and second flngers crossed Lo ward off
mlsforLune."
Pow useless Lo remember afLer Lhe facL.
WhaL should l have sald, MlLza?" he muLLered.
She shook her head sllghLly, sLood up, sLalked Loward and Lhen
Lhrough a door. lL closed behlnd her and, afLer a momenL, Lhere was Lhe
sound of waLer runnlng.
Pe had no recourse buL Lo walL, bare, undlgnlfled, wonderlng
wheLher Lo [oln her ln Lhe shower, and Lhen qulLe cerLaln he had beLLer
noL. And because, ln a way, he felL Lhe shower denled hlm, he aL once
experlenced a growlng need for one.
She emerged aL lasL and sllenLly began Lo selecL cloLhlng.
Pe sald, uo you mlnd lf l-
She sald noLhlng, and he Look sllence for consenL. Pe Lrled Lo sLrlde
lnLo Lhe room ln a sLrong and mascullne way buL he felL uncommonly as
he had ln Lhose days when hls moLher, offended by some mlsbehavlor
on hls parL, offered hlm no punlshmenL buL sllence, causlng hlm Lo
shrlvel ln dlscomforL.
Pe looked abouL lnslde Lhe smooLhly walled cublcle LhaL was bare-
compleLely bare. Pe looked more mlnuLely. -1here was noLhlng.
Pe opened Lhe door agaln, LhrusL hls head ouL, and sald, LlsLen,
how are you supposed Lo sLarL Lhe shower?"
She puL down Lhe deodoranL (aL leasL, 1revlze guessed LhaL was lLs
funcLlon), sLrode Lo Lhe shower-room and, sLlll wlLhouL looklng aL hlm,
polnLed. 1revlze followed Lhe flnger and noLed a spoL on Lhe wall LhaL
was round and falnLly plnk, barely colored, as Lhough Lhe deslgner
resenLed havlng Lo spoll Lhe sLarkness of Lhe whlLe, for no reason more
lmporLanL Lhan Lo glve a hlnL of funcLlon.
1revlze shrugged llghLly, leaned Loward Lhe wall, and Louched Lhe
spoL. resumably LhaL was whaL one had Lo do, for ln a momenL a deluge
of flne-sprayed waLer sLruck hlm from every dlrecLlon. Casplng, he
Louched Lhe spoL agaln and lL sLopped.
Pe opened Lhe door, knowlng he looked several degrees more
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
61
undlgnlfled sLlll as he shlvered hard enough Lo make lL dlfflculL Lo
arLlculaLe words. Pe croaked, Pow do you geL hoL waLer?"
now she looked aL hlm and, apparenLly, hls appearance overcame
her anger (or fear, or whaLever emoLlon was vlcLlmlzlng her) for she
snlckered and Lhen, wlLhouL warnlng, boomed her laughLer aL hlm.
WhaL hoL waLer?" she sald. uo you Lhlnk we're golng Lo wasLe Lhe
energy Lo heaL waLer for washlng? 1haL's good mlld waLer you had,
waLer wlLh Lhe chlll Laken off. WhaL more do you wanL? ?ou sludge-sofL
1ermlnlans! -CeL back ln Lhere and wash!"
1revlze heslLaLed, buL noL for long, slnce lL was clear he had no
cholce ln Lhe maLLer.
WlLh remarkable relucLance he Louched Lhe plnk spoL agaln and Lhls
Llme sLeeled hls body for Lhe lcy spray. Mlld waLer? Pe found suds
formlng on hls body and he rubbed hasLlly here, Lhere, everywhere,
[udglng lL Lo be Lhe wash cycle and suspecLlng lL would noL lasL long.
1hen came Lhe rlnse cycle. Ah, warm- Well, perhaps noL warm, buL
noL qulLe as cold, and deflnlLely feellng warm Lo hls Lhoroughly chllled
body. 1hen, even as he was conslderlng Louchlng Lhe conLacL spoL agaln
Lo sLop Lhe waLer, and was wonderlng how Llzalor had come ouL dry
when Lhere was absoluLely no Lowel or Lowel-subsLlLuLe ln Lhe place-Lhe
waLer sLopped. lL was followed by a blasL of alr LhaL would have cerLalnly
bowled hlm over lf lL had noL come from varlous dlrecLlons equally.
lL was hoL, almosL Loo hoL. lL Look far less energy, 1revlze knew, Lo
heaL alr Lhan Lo heaL waLer. 1he hoL alr sLeamed Lhe waLer off hlm and,
ln a few mlnuLes, he was able Lo sLep ouL as dry as Lhough he had never
encounLered waLer ln hls llfe.
Llzalor seemed Lo have recovered compleLely. uo you feel well?"
reLLy well," sald 1revlze. AcLually, he felL asLonlshlngly
comforLable. All l had Lo do was prepare myself for Lhe LemperaLure.
?ou dldn'L Lell me-
Sludge-sofL," sald Llzalor, wlLh mlld conLempL.
Pe borrowed her deodoranL, Lhen began Lo dress, consclous of Lhe
facL LhaL she had fresh underwear and he dld noL. Pe sald, WhaL should
l have called -LhaL world?"
She sald, We refer Lo lL as Lhe CldesL."
Pe sald, Pow was l Lo know Lhe name l used was forbldden? uld
you Lell me?"
uld you ask?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
62
Pow was l Lo know Lo ask?"
?ou know now."
l'm bound Lo forgeL."
?ou had beLLer noL."
WhaL's Lhe dlfference?" 1revlze felL hls Lemper rlslng. lL's [usL a
word, a sound."
Llzalor sald darkly, 1here are words one doesn'L say. uo you say
every word you know under all clrcumsLances?"
Some words are vulgar, some are lnapproprlaLe, some under
parLlcular clrcumsLances would be hurLful. Whlch ls-LhaL word l used?"
Llzalor sald, lL's a sad word, a solemn word. lL represenLs a world
LhaL was ancesLor Lo us all and LhaL now doesn'L exlsL. lL's Lraglc, and we
feel lL because lL was near Lo us. We prefer noL Lo speak of lL or, lf we
musL, noL Lo use lLs name."
And Lhe crosslng of flngers aL me? Pow does LhaL relleve Lhe hurL
and sadness?"
Llzalor's face flushed. 1haL was an auLomaLlc reacLlon, and l don'L
Lhank you for forclng lL on me. 1here are people who belleve LhaL Lhe
word, even Lhe LhoughL, brlngs on mlsforLune-and LhaL ls how Lhey ward
lL off."
uo you, Loo, belleve crosslng flngers wards off mlsforLune?"
no. -Well, yes, ln a way. lL makes me uneasy lf l don'L do lL." She
dldn'L look aL hlm. 1hen, as Lhough eager Lo shlfL Lhe sub[ecL, she sald
qulckly, And how ls LhaL black-halred woman of yours of Lhe essence
wlLh respecL Lo your mlsslon Lo reach-LhaL world you menLloned."
Say 'Lhe CldesL.' Cr would you raLher noL even say LhaL?"
l would raLher noL dlscuss lL aL all, buL l asked you a quesLlon."
l belleve LhaL her people reached Lhelr presenL world as emlgranLs
from Lhe CldesL."
As we dld," sald Llzalor proudly.
8uL her people have LradlLlons of some sorL whlch she says are Lhe
key Lo undersLandlng Lhe CldesL, buL only lf we reach lL and can sLudy lLs
records."
She ls lylng."
erhaps, buL we musL check lL ouL."
lf you have Lhls woman wlLh her problemaLlcal knowledge, and lf
you wanL Lo reach Lhe CldesL wlLh her, why dld you come Lo
Comporellon?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
63
1o flnd Lhe locaLlon of Lhe CldesL. l had a frlend once, who, llke
myself, was a loundaLloner. Pe, however, was descended from
Comporelllan ancesLors and he assured me LhaL much of Lhe hlsLory of
Lhe CldesL was well known, on Comporellon."
uld he lndeed? And dld he Lell you any of lLs hlsLory?"
?es," sald 1revlze, reachlng for Lhe LruLh agaln. Pe sald LhaL Lhe
CldesL was a dead world, enLlrely radloacLlve. Pe dld noL know why, buL
he LhoughL LhaL lL mlghL be Lhe resulL of nuclear exploslons. ln a war,
perhaps."
no!" sald Llzalor exploslvely.
no, Lhere was no war? Cr no, Lhe CldesL ls noL radloacLlve?"
lL ls radloacLlve, buL Lhere was no war."
1hen how dld lL become radloacLlve? lL could noL have been
radloacLlve Lo begln wlLh slnce human llfe began on Lhe CldesL. 1here
would have been n0 llfe on lL ever."
Llzalor seemed Lo heslLaLe. She sLood erecL, and was breaLhlng
deeply, ' almosL gasplng. She sald, lL was a punlshmenL. lL was a world
LhaL used roboLs. uo you know whaL roboLs are?"
?es."
1hey had roboLs and for LhaL Lhey were punlshed. Lvery world LhaL
has had roboLs has been punlshed and no longer exlsLs."
Who punlshed Lhem, Llzalor?"
Pe Who unlshes. 1he forces of hlsLory. l don'L know." She looked
away from hlm, uncomforLable, Lhen sald, ln a lower volce, Ask oLhers."
l would llke Lo, buL whom do l ask? Are Lhere Lhose on Comporellon
who have sLudled prlmeval hlsLory?"
1here are. 1hey are noL popular wlLh us-wlLh Lhe average
Comporelllan -buL Lhe loundaLlon, your loundaLlon, lnslsLs on
lnLellecLual freedom, 11 Lhey call lL." noL a bad lnslsLence, ln my
oplnlon," sald 1revlze. All ls bad LhaL ls lmposed from wlLhouL," sald
Llzalor.
1revlze shrugged. 1here was no purpose ln argulng Lhe maLLer. Pe
8ald, x My frlend, ur. eloraL, ls hlmself a prlmeval hlsLorlan of a sorL. Pe
would, l'm sure, llke Lo meeL hls Comporelllan colleagues. Can you
arrange LhaL, Llzalor?"
She nodded. 1here ls a hlsLorlan named vasll uenlador, who ls
based aL Lhe unlverslLy here ln Lhe clLy. Pe does noL Leach class, buL he
may be able Lo Lell you whaL you wanL Lo know."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
64
Why doesn'L he Leach class?"
lL's noL LhaL he ls forbldden, lL's [usL LhaL sLudenLs do noL elecL hls
course."
l presume," sald 1revlze, Lrylng noL Lo say lL sardonlcally, LhaL Lhe
sLudenLs are encouraged noL Lo elecL lL."
Why should Lhey wanL Lo? Pe ls a SkepLlc. We have Lhem, you
know. 1here are always lndlvlduals who plL Lhelr mlnds agalnsL Lhe
general modes of LhoughL and who are arroganL enough Lo feel LhaL
Lhey alone are rlghL and LhaL Lhe many are wrong."
MlghL lL noL be LhaL LhaL could acLually be so ln some cases?"
never!" snapped Llzalor, wlLh a flrmness of bellef LhaL made lL qulLe
clear LhaL no furLher dlscusslon ln LhaL dlrecLlon would be of any use.
And for all hls SkepLlclsm, he wlll be forced Lo Lell you exacLly whaL any
Comporelllan would Lell you."
And LhaL ls?"
1haL lf you search for Lhe CldesL, you wlll noL flnd lL."
24.
ln 1PL 8lvA1L quarLers asslgned Lhem, eloraL llsLened Lo 1revlze
LhoughLfully, hls long solemn face expresslonless, Lhen sald, vasll
uenlador? l do noL recall havlng heard of hlm, buL lL may be LhaL back on
Lhe shlp l wlll flnd papers by hlm ln my llbrary."
Are you sure you haven'L heard of hlm? 1hlnk!" sald 1revlze.
l don'L recall, aL Lhe momenL, havlng heard of hlm," sald eloraL
cauLlously, buL afLer all, my dear chap, Lhere musL be hundreds of
esLlmable scholars l haven'L heard of, or have, buL can'L remember."
SLlll, he can'L be flrsL-class, or you would have heard of hlm."
1he sLudy of LarLh-
racLlce saylng `Lhe CldesL,' !anov. lL would compllcaLe maLLers
oLherwlse."
1he sLudy of Lhe CldesL," sald eloraL, ls noL a well-rewarded nlche
ln Lhe corrldors of learnlng, so LhaL flrsL-class scholars, even ln Lhe fleld
of prlmeval hlsLory, would noL Lend Lo flnd Lhelr way Lhere. Cr, lf we puL
lL Lhe oLher way around, Lhose who are already Lhere do noL make
enough of a name for Lhemselves ln an unlnLeresLed world Lo be
consldered flrsL-class, even lf Lhey were. -l am noL flrsL-class ln anyone's
esLlmaLlon, l am sure."
8llss sald Lenderly, ln mlne, el."
?es, cerLalnly ln yours, my dear," sald eloraL, smlllng sllghLly, buL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
63
you are noL [udglng me ln my capaclLy as scholar."
lL was almosL nlghL now, golng by Lhe clock, and 1revlze felL hlmself
grow sllghLly lmpaLlenL, as he always dld when 8llss and eloraL Lraded
endearmenLs.
Pe sald, l'll Lry Lo arrange our seelng Lhls uenlador Lomorrow, buL lf
he knows as llLLle abouL Lhe maLLer as Lhe MlnlsLer does, we're noL golng
Lo be much beLLer off Lhan we are now."
eloraL sald, Pe may be able Lo lead us Lo someone more useful."
l doubL lL. 1hls world's aLLlLude Loward LarLh-buL l had beLLer
pracLlce speaklng of lL elllpLlcally, Loo. 1hls world's aLLlLude Loward Lhe
CldesL ls a foollsh and supersLlLlous one." Pe Lurned away. 8uL lL's been
a rough day and we oughL Lo Lhlnk of an evenlng meal-lf we can face
Lhelr unlnsplred cookery-and Lhen begln Lhlnklng of geLLlng some sleep.
Pave you Lwo learned how Lo use Lhe shower?"
My dear fellow," sald eloraL, we have been very klndly LreaLed.
We've recelved all sorLs of lnsLrucLlons, mosL of whlch we dldn'L need."
8llss sald, LlsLen, 1revlze. WhaL abouL Lhe shlp?"
WhaL abouL lL?"
ls Lhe Comporelllan governmenL conflscaLlng lL?"
no. l don'L Lhlnk Lhey wlll."
Ah. very pleasanL. Why aren'L Lhey?"
8ecause l persuaded Lhe MlnlsLer Lo change her mlnd."
eloraL sald, AsLonlshlng. She dldn'L seem a parLlcularly
persuadable lndlvldual Lo me."
8llss sald, l don'L know. lL was clear from Lhe LexLure of her mlnd
LhaL 1b1 was aLLracLed Lo 1revlze."
1revlze looked aL 8llss wlLh sudden exasperaLlon. uld you do LhaL,
8llss?",
WhaL do you mean, 1revlze?"
l mean Lamper wlLh her-
l dldn'L Lamper. Powever, when l noLed LhaL she was aLLracLed Lo
you, l couldn'L reslsL [usL snapplng an lnhlblLlon or Lwo. lL was a very
small Lhlng Lo do. 1hose lnhlblLlons mlghL have snapped anyway, and lL
seemed Lo be lmporLanL Lo make cerLaln LhaL she was fllled wlLh good
wlll Loward you."
Cood wlll? lL was more Lhan LhaL! She sofLened, yes, buL posL-
colLally." eloraL sald, Surely you don'L mean, old man-
Why noL?" sald 1revlze LesLlly. She may be pasL her flrsL youLh, buL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
66
she knew Lhe arL well. She was no beglnner, l assure you. nor wlll l play
Lhe genLleman and lle on her behalf. lL was her ldea-Lhanks Lo 8llss's
flddllng wlLh her lnhlblLlons-and l was noL ln a poslLlon Lo refuse, even lf
LhaL LhoughL had occurred Lo me, whlch lL dldn'L. -Come, !anov, don'L
sLand Lhere looklng purlLanlcal. lL's been monLhs slnce l've had an
opporLunlLy. ?ou've-" And he waved hls hand vaguely ln 8llss's dlrecLlon.
8elleve me, Colan," sald eloraL, embarrassed, lf you are
lnLerpreLlng my expresslon as purlLanlcal, you mlsLake me. l have no
ob[ecLlon."
8llss sald, 8uL she ls purlLanlcal. l meanL Lo make her warm Loward
you, l dld noL counL on a sexual paroxysm."
1revlze sald, 8uL LhaL ls exacLly whaL you broughL on, my llLLle
lnLerferlng 8llss. lL may be necessary for Lhe MlnlsLer Lo play Lhe purlLan
ln publlc, buL lf so, LhaL seems merely Lo sLoke Lhe flres."
And so, provlded you scraLch Lhe lLch, she wlll beLray Lhe
loundaLlon-
She would have done LhaL ln any case," sald 1revlze. She wanLed
Lhe shlp-" Pe broke off, and sald ln a whlsper, Are we belng
overheard?"
8llss sald, no!"
Are you sure?"
lL ls cerLaln. lL ls lmposslble Lo lmplnge upon Lhe mlnd of Cala ln any
unauLhorlzed fashlon wlLhouL Cala belng aware of lL."
ln LhaL case, Comporellon wanLs Lhe shlp for lLself-a valuable
addlLlon Lo lLs fleeL."
Surely, Lhe loundaLlon would noL allow LhaL."
Comporellon does noL lnLend Lo have Lhe loundaLlon know."
8llss slghed. 1here are your lsolaLes. 1he MlnlsLer lnLends Lo beLray
Lhe loundaLlon on behalf of Comporellon and, ln reLurn for sex, wlll
prompLly beLray Comporellon, Loo. -And as for 1revlze, he wlll gladly sell
hls body's servlces as a way of lnduclng Lhe beLrayal. WhaL anarchy
Lhere ls ln Lhls Calaxy of yours. WhaL chaos."
1revlze sald coldly, ?ou are wrong, young woman-"
ln whaL l have [usL sald, l am noL a young woman, l am Cala. l am all
of Cala."
1hen you are wrong, Cala l dld noL sell my body's servlces. l gave
Lhem gladly. l en[oyed lL and dld no one harm. As for Lhe consequences,
Lhey Lurned ouL well from my sLandpolnL and l accepL LhaL. And lf
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
67
Comporellon wanLs Lhe shlp for lLs own purposes, who ls Lo say who ls
rlghL ln Lhls maLLer? lL ls a loundaLlon shlp, buL lL was glven Lo me Lo
search for LarLh. lL ls mlne Lhen unLll l compleLe Lhe search and l feel
LhaL Lhe loundaLlon has no rlghL Lo go back on lLs agreemenL. As for
Comporellon, lL does noL en[oy loundaLlon domlnaLlon, so lL dreams of
lndependence. ln lLs own eyes, lL ls correcL Lo do so and Lo decelve Lhe
loundaLlon, for LhaL ls noL an acL of Lreason Lo Lhem buL an acL of
paLrloLlsm. Who knows?"
LxacLly. Who knows? ln a Calaxy of anarchy, how ls lL posslble Lo
sorL ouL reasonable acLlons from unreasonable ones? Pow declde
beLween rlghL and wrong, good and evll, [usLlce and crlme, useful and
useless? And how do you explaln Lhe MlnlsLer's beLrayal of her own
governmenL, when she leLs you keep Lhe shlp? uoes she long for
personal lndependence from an oppresslve world? ls she a LralLor or a
personal one-woman self-paLrloL?"
1o be LruLhful," sald 1revlze, l don'L know LhaL she was wllllng Lo
leL me have my shlp slmply because she was graLeful Lo me for Lhe
pleasure l gave: her. l belleve she made LhaL declslon only when l Lold
her l was searchlng for Lhe CldesL. lL ls a world of lll-omen Lo her and we
and Lhe shlp LhaL carrles u1, by searchlng for lL, have become lll-
omened, Loo. lL ls my feellng LhaL she feeL/ she lncurred Lhe lll-omen for
herself and her world by aLLempLlng Lo Lake Lhe shlp, whlch she may, by
now, be vlewlng wlLh horror. erhaps she feels LhaL by allowlng us and
our shlp Lo leave and go abouL our buslness, she ls averLlng Lhe
mlsforLune from Comporellon and ls, ln LhaL way, performlng a paLrloLlc
acL."
lf LhaL were so, whlch l doubL, 1revlze, supersLlLlon ls Lhe sprlng of
Lhe acLlon. uo you admlre LhaL?"
l nelLher admlre nor condemn. SupersLlLlon always dlrecLs acLlon ln
Lhe absence of knowledge. 1he loundaLlon belleves ln Lhe Seldon lan,
Lhough no one ln our realm can undersLand lL, lnLerpreL lLs deLalls, or
use lL Lo predlcL. We follow bllndly ouL of lgnorance and falLh, and lsn'L
LhaL supersLlLlon?"
?es, lL mlghL be."
And Cala, Loo. ?ou belleve l have glven Lhe correcL declslon ln
[udglng LhaL Cala should absorb Lhe Calaxy lnLo one large organlsm, buL
you do noL know why l should be rlghL, or how safe lL would be for you
Lo follow LhaL . declslon. ?ou are wllllng Lo go along only ouL of
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
68
lgnorance and falLh, and are even annoyed wlLh me for Lrylng Lo flnd
evldence LhaL wlll remove Lhe lgnorance and make mere falLh
unnecessary. lsn'L LhaL supersLlLlon?"
l Lhlnk he has you Lhere, 8llss," sald eloraL.
8llss sald, noL so. Pe wlll elLher flnd noLhlng aL all ln Lhls search, or
he wlll flnd someLhlng LhaL conflrms hls declslon."
1revlze sald, And Lo back up LhaL bellef, you have only lgnorance
and falLh. ln oLher words, supersLlLlon!"
23.
vASlL uLnlAuC8 was a small man, llLLle of feaLure, wlLh a way of
looklng up by ralslng hls eyes wlLhouL ralslng hls head. 1hls, comblned
wlLh Lhe brlef smlles LhaL perlodlcally llL hls face, gave hlm Lhe
appearance of laughlng sllenLly aL Lhe world.
Pls offlce was long and narrow, fllled wlLh Lapes LhaL seemed Lo be ln
wlld dlsorder, noL because Lhere was any deflnlLe evldence for LhaL, buL
because Lhey were noL evenly placed ln Lhelr recesses so LhaL Lhey gave
Lhe shelves a snaggle-LooLhed appearance. 1he Lhree seaLs he lndlcaLed
for hls vlslLors were noL maLched and showed slgns of havlng been
recenLly, and lmperfecLly, dusLed.
Pe sald, !anov eloraL, Colan 1revlze, and 8llss. -l do noL have your
second name, madam."
8llss," she sald, ls all l am usually called," and saL down.
lL ls enough afLer all," sald uenlador, Lwlnkllng aL her. ?ou are
aLLracLlve enough Lo be forglven lf you had no name aL all."
All were slLLlng now. uenlador sald, l have heard of you, ur. eloraL,
Lhough we have never corresponded. ?ou are a loundaLloner, are you
noL? lrom 1ermlnus?"
?es, ur. uenlador."
And you, Councllman 1revlze. l seem Lo have heard LhaL recenLly
you were expelled from Lhe Councll and exlled. l don'L Lhlnk l have ever
undersLood why."
noL expelled, slr. l am sLlll a member of Lhe Councll alLhough l don'L
know when l wlll Lake up my duLles agaln. nor exlled, qulLe. l was
asslgned a mlsslon, concernlng whlch we wlsh Lo consulL you."
Pappy Lo Lry Lo help," sald uenlador. And Lhe bllssful lady? ls she
from 1ermlnus, Loo."
1revlze lnLerposed qulckly. She ls from elsewhere, uocLor."
Ah, a sLrange world, Lhls Llsewhere. A mosL unusual collecLlon of
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
69
human belngs are naLlve Lo lL. -8uL slnce Lwo of you are from Lhe
loundaLlon's caplLal aL 1ermlnus, and Lhe Lhlrd ls an aLLracLlve young
woman, and MlLza Llzalor ls noL known for her affecLlon for elLher
caLegory, how ls lL LhaL she recommends you Lo my care so warmly?"
l Lhlnk," sald 1revlze, Lo geL rld of us. 1he sooner you help us, you
see, Lhe sooner we wlll leave Comporellon."
uenlador eyed 1revlze wlLh lnLeresL (agaln Lhe Lwlnkllng smlle) and
sald, Cf course, a vlgorous young man such as yourself mlghL aLLracL
her whaLever hls orlgln. She plays Lhe role of cold vesLal well, buL noL
perfecLly."
l know noLhlng abouL LhaL," sald 1revlze sLlffly.
And you had beLLer noL. ln publlc, aL leasL. 8uL l am a SkepLlc and l
am professlonally unaLLuned Lo bellevlng ln surfaces. So come,
Councllman, whaL ls your mlsslon? LeL me flnd ouL lf l can help you."
1revlze sald, ln Lhls, ur. eloraL ls our spokesman."
l have no ob[ecLlon Lo LhaL," sald uenlador. ur. eloraL?"
eloraL sald, 1o puL lL aL Lhe slmplesL, dear uocLor, l have all my
maLure llfe aLLempLed Lo peneLraLe Lo Lhe baslc core of knowledge
concernlng Lhe world on whlch Lhe human specles orlglnaLed, and l was
senL ouL along wlLh my good frlend, Colan 1revlze-alLhough, Lo be sure, l
dld noL know hlm aL Lhe Llme-Lo flnd, lf we could, Lhe-uh-CldesL, l
belleve you call lL."
1he CldesL?" sald uenlador. l Lake lL you mean LarLh."
eloraL's [aw dropped. 1hen he sald, wlLh a sllghL sLuLLer, l was
under Lhe lmpresslon-LhaL ls, l was glven Lo undersLand-LhaL one dld noL-

Pe looked aL 1revlze, raLher helplessly.

1revlze sald, MlnlsLer Llzalor Lold me LhaL LhaL word was noL used
on Comporellon."
?ou mean she dld Lhls?" uenlador's mouLh Lurned downward, hls
nose screwed up, and he LhrusL hls arms vlgorously forward, crosslng Lhe
flrsL Lwo flngers on each hand.
?es," sald 1revlze. 1haL's whaL l mean."
uenlador relaxed and laughed. nonsense, genLlemen. We do lL as a
maLLer of hablL, and ln Lhe backwoods Lhey may be serlous abouL lL buL,
on Lhe whole, lL doesn'L maLLer. l don'L know any Comporelllan who
wouldn'L say `LarLh' when annoyed or sLarLled. lL's Lhe mosL common
vulgarlsm we have."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
70
vulgarlsm?" sald eloraL falnLly.
Cr expleLlve, lf you prefer."
neverLheless," sald 1revlze, Lhe MlnlsLer seemed qulLe upseL when
l used Lhe word."
Ch well, she's a mounLaln woman."
WhaL does LhaL mean, slr?"
WhaL lL says. MlLza Llzalor ls from Lhe CenLral MounLaln 8ange. 1he
chlldren ouL Lhere are broughL up ln whaL ls called Lhe good old-
fashloned way, whlch means LhaL no maLLer how well educaLed Lhey
become you can never knock Lhose crossed flngers ouL of Lhem."
1hen Lhe word `LarLh' doesn'L boLher you aL all, does lL, uocLor?"
sald 8llss.
noL aL all, dear lady. l am a SkepLlc."
1revlze sald, l know whaL Lhe word `skepLlc' means ln CalacLlc, buL
how. do you use Lhe word?"
LxacLly as you do, Councllman. l accepL only whaL l am forced Lo
accepL by reasonably rellable evldence, and keep LhaL accepLance
LenLaLlve pendlng Lhe arrlval of furLher evldence. 1haL doesn'L make us
popular."
Why noL?" sald 1revlze.
We wouldn'L be popular anywhere. Where ls Lhe world whose
people don'L prefer a comforLable, warm, and well-worn bellef, however
llloglcal, Lo Lhe chllly wlnds of uncerLalnLy? -Conslder how you belleve ln
Lhe Seldon lan wlLhouL evldence."
?es," sald 1revlze, sLudylng hls flnger ends. l puL LhaL forward
yesLerday as an example, Loo."
eloraL sald, May l reLurn Lo Lhe sub[ecL, old fellow? WhaL ls known
abouL LarLh LhaL a SkepLlc would accepL?"
uenlador sald, very llLLle. We can assume LhaL Lhere ls a slngle
planeL on whlch Lhe human specles developed, because lL ls unllkely ln
Lhe exLreme LhaL Lhe same specles, so nearly ldenLlcal as Lo be
lnLerferLlle, would develop on a number of worlds, or even on [usL Lwo,
lndependenLly. We can choose Lo cal) Lhls world of orlgln LarLh. 1he
bellef ls general, here, LhaL LarLh exlsLs ln Lhls corner of Lhe Calaxy, for
Lhe worlds here are unusually old and lL ls llkely LhaL Lhe flrsL worlds Lo
be seLLled were close Lo LarLh raLher Lhan far from lL."
And has Lhe LarLh any unlque characLerlsLlcs aslde from belng Lhe
planeL of orlgln?" asked eloraL eagerly.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
71
uo you have someLhlng ln mlnd?" sald uenlador, wlLh hls qulck
smlle.
l'm Lhlnklng of lLs saLelllLe, whlch some call Lhe moon. 1haL would
be unusual, wouldn'L lL?"
1haL's a leadlng quesLlon, ur. eloraL. ?ou may be puLLlng LhoughLs
lnLo my mlnd."
l do noL say whaL lL ls LhaL would make Lhe moon unusual."
lLs slze, of course. Am l rlghL? -?es, l see l am. All Lhe legends of
LarLh speak of lLs vasL array of llvlng specles and of lLs vasL saLelllLe-one
LhaL ls some Lhree Lhousand Lo Lhree Lhousand flve hundred kllomeLers
ln dlameLer. 1he vasL array of llfe ls easy Lo accepL slnce lL would
naLurally have come abouL Lhrough blologlcal evoluLlon, lf whaL we
know of Lhe process ls accuraLe. A glanL saLelllLe ls more dlfflculL Lo
accepL. no oLher lnhablLed world ln Lhe Calaxy has such a saLelllLe. Large
saLelllLes are lnvarlably assoclaLed wlLh Lhe unlnhablLed and
unlnhablLable gas-glanLs. As a SkepLlc, Lhen, l prefer noL Lo accepL Lhe
exlsLence of Lhe moon."
eloraL sald, lf LarLh ls unlque ln lLs possesslon of mllllons of
specles, mlghL lL noL also be unlque ln lLs possesslon of a glanL saLelllLe?
Cne unlqueness mlghL lmply Lhe oLher."
uenlador smlled. l don'L see how Lhe presence of mllllons of specles
on LarLh could creaLe a glanL saLelllLe ouL of noLhlng."
8uL Lhe oLher way around- erhaps a glanL saLelllLe could help
creaLe Lhe mllllons of specles."
l don'L see how LhaL could be elLher."
1revlze sald, WhaL abouL Lhe sLory of LarLh's radloacLlvlLy?"
1haL ls unlversally Lold, unlversally belleved."
8uL," sald 1revlze, LarLh could noL have been so radloacLlve as Lo
preclude llfe ln Lhe bllllons of years when lL supporLed llfe. Pow dld lL
become radloacLlve? A nuclear war?"
1haL ls Lhe mosL common oplnlon, Councllman 1revlze."
lrom Lhe manner ln whlch you say LhaL, l gaLher you don'L belleve
lL."
1here ls no evldence LhaL such a war Look place. Common bellef,
even unlversal bellef, ls noL, ln lLself, evldence."
WhaL else mlghL have happened?"
1here ls no evldence LhaL anyLhlng happened. 1he radloacLlvlLy
mlghL be as purely lnvenLed a legend as Lhe large saLelllLe."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
72
eloraL sald, WhaL ls Lhe generally accepLed sLory of LarLh's hlsLory?
l have, durlng my professlonal career, collecLed a large number of orlgln-
legends, many of Lhem lnvolvlng a world called LarLh, or some name
very much llke LhaL. l have none from Comporellon, noLhlng beyond Lhe
vague menLlon of a 8enbally who mlghL have come from nowhere for all
LhaL Comporelllan legends say."
1haL's noL surprlslng. We don'L usually exporL our legends and l'm
asLonlshed you have found references even Lo 8enbally. SupersLlLlon,
agaln."
8uL you are noL supersLlLlous and you would noL heslLaLe Lo Lalk
abouL lL, would you?"
1haL's correcL," sald Lhe small hlsLorlan, casLlng hls eyes upward aL
eloraL. lL would cerLalnly add greaLly, perhaps even dangerously, Lo
my unpopularlLy lf l dld, buL you Lhree are leavlng Comporellon soon and
l Lake lL you wlll never quoLe me as a source."
?ou have our word of honor," sald eloraL qulckly.
1hen here ls a summary of whaL ls supposed Lo have happened,
shorn of any supernaLurallsm or morallzlng. LarLh exlsLed as Lhe sole
world of human belngs for an lmmeasurable perlod and Lhen, abouL'
LwenLy Lo LwenLy-flve Lhousand years ago, Lhe human specles developed
lnLersLellar Lravel by way of Lhe hyperspaLlal !ump and colonlzed a group
of planeLs.
1he SeLLlers on Lhese planeLs made use of roboLs, whlch had flrsL
been devlsed on LarLh before Lhe days of hyperspaLlal Lravel and-do you
know whaL roboLs are, by Lhe way?"
?es," sald 1revlze. We have been asked LhaL more Lhan once. We
know whaL roboLs are."
1he SeLLlers, wlLh a Lhoroughly roboLlclzed socleLy, developed a
hlgh Lechnology and unusual longevlLy and desplsed Lhelr ancesLral
world. Accordlng Lo more dramaLlc verslons of Lhelr sLory, Lhey
domlnaLed and oppressed Lhe ancesLral world.
LvenLually, Lhen, LarLh senL ouL a new group of SeLLlers, among
whom roboLs were forbldden. Cf Lhe new worlds, Comporellon was
among Lhe flrsL. Cur own paLrloLs lnslsL lL was Lhe flrsL, buL Lhere ls no
evldence of LhaL LhaL a SkepLlc can accepL. 1he flrsL group of SeLLlers
dled ouL, and-
1revlze sald, Why dld Lhe flrsL seL dle ouL, ur. uenlador?"
Why? usually Lhey are lmaglned by our romanLlcs as havlng been
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
73
punlshed for Lhelr crlmes by Pe Who unlshes, Lhough no one boLhers
Lo say why Pe walLed so long. 8uL one doesn'L have Lo resorL Lo falry
Lales. lL ls easy Lo argue LhaL a socleLy LhaL depends LoLally on roboLs
becomes sofL and decadenL, dwlndllng and dylng ouL of sheer boredom
or, more subLly, by loslng Lhe wlll Lo llve.
1he second wave of SeLLlers, wlLhouL roboLs, llved on and Look over
Lhe enLlre Calaxy, buL LarLh grew radloacLlve and slowly dropped ouL of
slghL. 1he reason usually glven for Lhls ls LhaL Lhere were roboLs on
LarLh, Loo, slnce Lhe flrsL wave had encouraged LhaL."
8llss, who had llsLened Lo Lhe accounL wlLh some vlslble lmpaLlence,
sald, Well, ur. uenlador, radloacLlvlLy or noL, and however many waves
of seLLlers Lhere mlghL have been, Lhe cruclal quesLlon ls a slmple one.
LxacLly where ls LarLh? WhaL are lLs co-ordlnaLes?"
uenlador sald, 1he answer Lo LhaL quesLlon ls: l don'L know. -8uL
come, lL ls Llme for lunch. l can have one broughL ln, and we can dlscuss
LarLh over lL for as long as you wanL."
?ou don'L know?" sald 1revlze, Lhe sound of hls volce rlslng ln plLch
and lnLenslLy.
AcLually, as far as l know, no one knows."
8uL LhaL ls lmposslble."
Councllman," sald uenlador, wlLh a sofL slgh, lf you wlsh Lo call Lhe
LruLh lmposslble, LhaL ls your prlvllege, buL lL wlll geL you nowhere."

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
74
Chapter S

Leavlng Comporellon

26.

LunCPLCn conslsLed of a heap of sofL, crusLy balls LhaL came ln
dlfferenL shades and LhaL conLalned a varleLy of fllllngs.
uenlador plcked up a small ob[ecL whlch unfolded lnLo a palr of Lhln,
', LransparenL gloves, and puL Lhem on. Pls guesLs followed sulL.
8llss sald, WhaL ls lnslde Lhese ob[ecLs, please?"
uenlador sald, 1he plnk ones are fllled wlLh splcy chopped flsh, a
greaL Comporelllan dellcacy. 1hese yellow ones conLaln a cheese fllllng
LhaL ls very mlld. 1he green ones conLaln a vegeLable mlxLure. uo eaL
Lhem whlle Lhey are a qulLe warm. LaLer we wlll have hoL almond ple
and Lhe usual beverages. l mlghL recommend Lhe hoL clder. ln a cold
cllmaLe, we have a Lendency Lo heaL our foods, even desserLs."
?ou do yourself well," sald eloraL.
noL really," sald uenlador. l'm belng hosplLable Lo guesLs. lor
myself, l , ?
geL along on very llLLle. l don'L have much body mass Lo supporL, as
you haul
probably noLlced." '
1revlze blL lnLo one of Lhe plnk ones and found lL very flshy lndeed,
wlLh all overlay of splces LhaL was pleasanL Lo Lhe LasLe buL whlch, he
LhoughL, along wlLh Lhe flsh lLself, would remaln wlLh hlm for Lhe resL of
Lhe day and, perhaps, lnLo Lhe nlghL.
When he wlLhdrew Lhe ob[ecL wlLh Lhe blLe Laken ouL of lL, he found
LhaL Lhe crusL had closed ln over Lhe conLenLs. 1here was no squlrL, no
leakage, and, for a momenL, he wondered aL Lhe purpose of Lhe gloves.
1hese seemed no chance of geLLlng hls hands molsL and sLlcky lf he
dldn'L use Lhem, so he declded lL was a maLLer of hyglene. 1he gloves
subsLlLuLed for a washlng of Lhe hands lf LhaL were lnconvenlenL and
cusLom, probably, now dlcLaLed Lhelr use even lf Lhe hands were
washed. (Llzalor hadn'L used gloves when he had eaLen wlLh her Lhe day
before. -erhaps LhaL was because she was a mounLaln woman.)
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
73
Pe sald, Would lL be unmannerly Lo Lalk buslness over lunch?"
8y Comporelllan sLandards, Councllman, lL would be, buL you are
my guesLs, and we wlll go by your sLandards. lf you wlsh Lo speak
serlously, and do noL Lhlnk-or care-LhaL LhaL mlghL dlmlnlsh your
pleasure ln Lhe food, please do so, and l wlll [oln you."
1revlze sald, 1hank you. MlnlsLer Llzalor lmplled-no, she sLaLed
qulLe blunLly-LhaL SkepLlcs were unpopular on Lhls world. ls LhaL so?"
uenlador's good humor seemed Lo lnLenslfy. CerLalnly. Pow hurL
we'd be lf we weren'L. Comporellon, you see, ls a frusLraLed world.
WlLhouL any knowledge of Lhe deLalls, Lhere ls Lhe general myLhlc bellef,
LhaL once, many mlllennla ago, when Lhe lnhablLed Calaxy was small,
Comporellon was Lhe leadlng world. We never forgeL LhaL, and Lhe facL
LhaL ln known hlsLory we have noL been leaders lrks us, fllls us-Lhe
populaLlon ln general, LhaL ls-wlLh a feellng of ln[usLlce.
?eL whaL can we do? 1he governmenL was forced Lo be a loyal
vassal of Lhe Lmperor once, and ls a loyal AssoclaLe of Lhe loundaLlon
now. And Lhe more we are made aware of our subordlnaLe poslLlon, Lhe
sLronger Lhe bellef ln Lhe greaL, mysLerlous days of Lhe pasL become.
WhaL, Lhen, can Comporellon do? 1hey could never defy Lhe Lmplre
ln older Llmes and Lhey can'L openly defy Lhe loundaLlon now. 1hey Lake
refuge, Lherefore, ln aLLacklng and haLlng us, slnce we don'L belleve Lhe
legends and laugh aL Lhe supersLlLlons.
neverLheless, we are safe from Lhe grosser effecLs of persecuLlon.
We conLrol Lhe Lechnology, and we flll Lhe faculLles of Lhe unlverslLles.
Some of us, who are parLlcularly ouLspoken, have dlfflculLy ln Leachlng
classes openly. l have LhaL dlfflculLy, for lnsLance, Lhough l have my
sLudenLs and hold meeLlngs quleLly off-campus. neverLheless, lf we were
really drlven ouL of publlc llfe, Lhe Lechnology would fall and Lhe
unlverslLles would lose accredlLaLlon wlLh Lhe Calaxy generally.
resumably, such ls Lhe folly of human belngs, Lhe prospecLs of
lnLellecLual sulclde mlghL noL sLop Lhem from lndulglng Lhelr haLred, buL
Lhe loundaLlon supporLs us. 1herefore, we are consLanLly scolded and
sneered aL and denounced-and never Louched."
1revlze sald, ls lL popular opposlLlon LhaL keeps you from Lelllng us
where LarLh ls? uo you fear LhaL, desplLe everyLhlng, Lhe anLl-SkepLlc
feellng mlghL Lurn ugly lf you go Loo far?"
uenlador shook hls head. no. LarLh's locaLlon ls unknown. l am noL
hldlng anyLhlng from you ouL of fear-or for any oLher reason."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
76
8uL look," sald 1revlze urgenLly. 1here are a llmlLed number of
planeLs ln Lhls secLor of Lhe Calaxy LhaL possess Lhe physlcal
characLerlsLlcs assoclaLed wlLh hablLablllLy, and almosL all of Lhem musL
be noL only lnhablLable, buL lnhablLed, and Lherefore well known Lo you.
Pow dlfflculL would lL be Lo explore Lhe secLor for a planeL LhaL would be
hablLable were lL noL for Lhe facL LhaL lL was radloacLlve? 8esldes LhaL,
you would look for such a planeL wlLh a large, saLelllLe ln aLLendance.
8eLween radloacLlvlLy and a large saLelllLe, LarLh would be absoluLely
unmlsLakable and could noL be mlssed even wlLh only a casual search. lL
mlghL Lake some Llme buL LhaL would be Lhe only dlfflculLy."
uenlador sald, 1he SkepLlc's vlew ls, of course, LhaL LarLh's
radloacLlvlLy and lLs large saLelllLe are boLh slmply legends. lf we look for
Lhem, we look for sparrow-mllk and rabblL-feaLhers."
erhaps, buL LhaL shouldn'L sLop Comporellon from aL leasL Laklng
on Lhe search. lf Lhey flnd a radloacLlve world of Lhe proper slze for
hablLablllLy, wlLh a large saLelllLe, whaL an appearance of credlblllLy lL
would lend Lo Comporelllan legendry ln general."
uenlador laughed. lL may be LhaL Comporellon doesn'L search for
LhaL very reason. lf we fall, or lf we flnd an LarLh obvlously dlfferenL
from Lhe legends, Lhe reverse would Lake place. Comporelllan legendry
ln general would be blasLed and made lnLo a laughlngsLock. Comporellon
wouldn'L rlsk LhaL."
1revlze paused, Lhen wenL on, very earnesLly, 8esldes, even lf we
dlscounL Lhose Lwo unlqulLles-lf Lhere ls such a word ln CalacLlc-of
radloacLlvlLy and a large saLelllLe, Lhere ls a Lhlrd LhaL, by deflnlLlon,
musL exlsL, wlLhouL any reference Lo legends. LarLh musL have upon lL
elLher a flourlshlng llfe of lncredlble dlverslLy, or Lhe remnanLs of one,
or, aL Lhe very leasL, Lhe fossll record of such a one."
uenlador sald, Councllman, whlle Comporellon has senL ouL no
organlzed search parLy for LarLh, we do have occaslon Lo Lravel Lhrough
space, and we occaslonally have reporLs from shlps LhaL have sLrayed
from Lhelr lnLended rouLes for one reason or anoLher. !umps are noL
always perfecL, as perhaps you know. neverLheless, Lhere have been no
reporLs of any planeLs wlLh properLles resembllng Lhose of Lhe legendary
LarLh, or any planeL LhaL ls bursLlng wlLh llfe. nor ls any shlp llkely Lo
land on whaL seems an unlnhablLed planeL ln order LhaL Lhe crew mlghL
go fossll-hunLlng. lf, Lhen, ln Lhousands of years noLhlng of Lhe sorL has
been reporLed, l am perfecLly wllllng Lo belleve LhaL locaLlng LarLh ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
77
lmposslble, because LarLh ls noL Lhere Lo be locaLed."
1revlze sald, ln frusLraLlon, 8uL LarLh musL be somewhere.
Somewhere Lhere ls a planeL on whlch humanlLy and all Lhe famlllar
forms of llfe assoclaLed wlLh humanlLy evolved. lf LarLh ls noL ln Lhls
secLlon of Lhe Calaxy, lL musL be elsewhere."
erhaps," sald uenlador cold-bloodedly, buL ln all Lhls Llme, lL
hasn'L Lurned up anywhere."
eople haven'L really looked for lL."
Well, apparenLly you are. l wlsh you luck, buL l would never beL on
your success."
1revlze sald, Pave Lhere been aLLempLs Lo deLermlne Lhe posslble
poslLlon of LarLh by lndlrecL means, by some means oLher Lhan a dlrecL
search?"
?es," sald Lwo volces aL once. uenlador, who was Lhe owner of one
of Lhe volces, sald Lo eloraL, Are you Lhlnklng of ?arlffs pro[ecL?"
l am," sald eloraL.
1hen would you explaln lL Lo Lhe Councllman? l Lhlnk he would
more readlly belleve you Lhan me."
eloraL sald, ?ou see, Colan, ln Lhe lasL days of Lhe Lmplre, Lhere
was a Llme when Lhe Search for Crlglns, as Lhey called lL, was a popular
pasLlme, perhaps Lo geL away from Lhe unpleasanLness of Lhe
surroundlng reallLy. 1he Lmplre was ln a process of dlslnLegraLlon aL LhaL
Llme, you know.
lL occurred Lo a Llvlan hlsLorlan, Pumbal ?arlff, LhaL whaLever Lhe
planeL of orlgln, lL would have seLLled worlds near lLself sooner Lhan lL
would seLLle planeLs farLher away. ln general, Lhe farLher a world from
Lhe polnL of orlgln Lhe laLer lL would have been seLLled.
Suppose, Lhen, one recorded Lhe daLe of seLLlemenL of all hablLable
planeLs ln Lhe Calaxy, and made neLworks of all LhaL were a glven
number of Mlllennla old. 1here could be a neLwork drawn Lhrough all
planeLs Len Lhousand years old, anoLher Lhrough Lhose Lwelve Lhousand
years old, sLlll anoLher Lhrough Lhose flfLeen Lhousand years old. Lach
neLwork would, ln Lheory, be roughly spherlcal and Lhey should be
roughly concenLrlc. 1he older neLworks would form spheres smaller ln
radlus Lhan Lhe younger ones, and lf one worked ouL all Lhe cenLers Lhey
should fall wlLhln a comparaLlvely small volume of space LhaL would
lnclude Lhe planeL of orlgln-LarLh."
eloraL's face was very earnesL as he kepL drawlng spherlcal surfaces
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
78
wlLh hls cupped hands. uo you see my polnL, Colan?"
1revlze nodded. ?es. 8uL l Lake lL LhaL lL dldn'L work."
1heoreLlcally, lL should have, old fellow. Cne Lrouble was LhaL Llmes
of orlgln were LoLally lnaccuraLe. Lvery world exaggeraLed lLs own age Lo
one degree or anoLher and Lhere was no easy way of deLermlnlng age
lndependenLly of legend."
8llss sald, Carbon-14 decay ln anclenL Llmber."
CerLalnly, dear," sald eloraL, buL you would have had Lo geL co-
operaLlon from Lhe worlds ln quesLlon, and LhaL was never glven. no
world wanLed lLs own exaggeraLed clalm of age Lo be desLroyed and Lhe
Lmplre was Lhen ln no poslLlon Lo overrlde local ob[ecLlons ln a maLLer
so unlmporLanL. lL had oLher Lhlngs on lLs mlnd.
All LhaL ?arlff could do was Lo make use of worlds LhaL were only
Lwo Lhousand years old aL mosL, and whose foundlng had been
meLlculously recorded under rellable clrcumsLances. 1here were few of
Lhose, and whlle Lhey were dlsLrlbuLed ln roughly spherlcal symmeLry,
Lhe cenLer was relaLlvely close Lo 1ranLor, Lhe lmperlal caplLal, because
LhaL was where Lhe colonlzlng expedlLlons had orlglnaLed for Lhose
relaLlvely few worlds.
1haL, of course, was anoLher problem. LarLh was noL Lhe only polnL
of orlgln of seLLlemenL for oLher worlds. As Llme wenL on, Lhe older
worlds senL ouL seLLlemenL expedlLlons of Lhelr own, and aL Lhe Llme of
Lhe helghL of Lmplre, 1ranLor was a raLher coplous source of Lhose.
?arlff was, raLher unfalrly, laughed aL and rldlculed and hls professlonal
repuLaLlon was desLroyed."
1revlze sald, l geL Lhe sLory, !anov. -ur. uenlador, ls Lhere Lhen
noLhlng aL all you could glve me LhaL represenLs Lhe falnLesL posslblllLy
of hope? ls Lhere any oLher world where lL ls concelvable Lhere may be
some lnformaLlon concernlng LarLh?"
uenlador sank lnLo doubLful LhoughL for a whlle. We-e-ell," he sald
aL lasL, drawlng ouL Lhe word heslLanLly, as a SkepLlc l musL Lell you LhaL
l'm noL sure LhaL LarLh exlsLs, or has ever exlsLed. Powever-" Pe fell
sllenL agaln.
llnally, 8llss sald, l Lhlnk you've LhoughL of someLhlng LhaL mlghL be
lmporLanL, uocLor."
lmporLanL? l doubL lL," sald uenlador falnLly. erhaps amuslng,
however. LarLh ls noL Lhe only planeL whose poslLlon ls a mysLery. 1here
are Lhe worlds of Lhe flrsL group of SeLLlers, Lhe Spacers, as Lhey are
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
79
called ln our legends. Some call Lhe planeLs Lhey lnhablLed Lhe `Spacer
worlds', oLhers call Lhem Lhe `lorbldden Worlds.' 1he laLLer name ls now
Lhe usual one.
ln Lhelr prlde and prlme, Lhe legend goes, Lhe Spacers had llfeLlmes
sLreLchlng ouL for cenLurles, and refused Lo allow our own shorL-llved
ancesLors Lo land on Lhelr worlds. AfLer we had defeaLed Lhem, Lhe
slLuaLlon was reversed. We scorned Lo deal wlLh Lhem and lefL Lhem Lo
Lhemselves, forblddlng our own shlps and 1raders Lo deal wlLh Lhem.
Pence Lhose planeLs became Lhe lorbldden Worlds. We were cerLaln, so
Lhe legend sLaLes, LhaL Pe Who unlshes would desLroy Lhem wlLhouL
our lnLervenLlon, and, apparenLly, Pe dld. AL leasL, no Spacer has
appeared ln Lhe Calaxy Lo our knowledge, ln many mlllennla."
uo you Lhlnk LhaL Lhe Spacers would know abouL LarLh?" sald
1revlze.
Concelvably, slnce Lhelr worlds were older Lhan any of ours. 1haL ls,
lf any Spacers exlsL, whlch ls exLremely unllkely."
Lven lf Lhey don'L exlsL, Lhelr worlds do and may conLaln records."
lf you can flnd Lhe worlds."
1revlze looked exasperaLed. uo you mean Lo say LhaL Lhe key Lo
LarLh, Lhe locaLlon of whlch ls unknown, may be found on Spacer worlds,
Lhe locaLlon of whlch ls also unknown?"
uenlador shrugged. We have had no deallngs wlLh Lhem for LwenLy
Lhousand years. no LhoughL of Lhem. 1hey, Loo, llke LarLh, have receded
lnLo Lhe mlsLs."
Pow many worlds dld Lhe Spacers llve on?"
1he legends speak of flfLy such worlds-,a susplclously round
number. 1here were probably far fewer."
And you don'L know Lhe locaLlon of a slngle one of Lhe flfLy?"
Well, now, l wonder-
WhaL do you wonder?"
uenlador sald, Slnce prlmeval hlsLory ls my hobby, as lL ls ur.
eloraL's, l have occaslonally explored old documenLs ln search of
anyLhlng LhaL mlghL refer Lo early Llme, someLhlng more Lhan legends.
LasL year, l came upon Lhe records of an old shlp, records LhaL were
almosL lndeclpherable. lL daLed back Lo Lhe very old days when our
world was noL yeL known as Comporellon. 1he name `8aleyworld' was
used, whlch, lL seems Lo me, may be an even earller form of Lhe
`8enbally world' of our legends."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
80
eloraL sald, exclLedly, Pave you publlshed?"
no," sald uenlador. l do noL wlsh Lo dlve unLll l am sure Lhere ls
waLer ln Lhe swlmmlng pool, as Lhe old saylng has lL. ?ou see, Lhe record
says LhaL Lhe capLaln of Lhe shlp had vlslLed a Spacer world and Laken off
wlLh hlm a Spacer woman."
8llss sald, 8uL you sald LhaL Lhe Spacers dld noL allow vlslLors."
LxacLly, and LhaL ls Lhe reason l don'L publlsh Lhe maLerlal. lL sounds
lncredlble. 1here are vague Lales LhaL could be lnLerpreLed as referrlng
Lo Lhe Spacers and Lo Lhelr confllcL wlLh Lhe SeLLlers-our own ancesLors. -
Such Lales exlsL noL only on Comporellon buL on many worlds ln many
varlaLlons, buL all are ln absoluLe accord ln one respecL. 1he Lwo groups,
Spacers and SeLLlers, dld noL mlngle. 1here was no soclal conLacL, leL
alone sexual conLacL, and yeL apparenLly Lhe SeLLler capLaln and Lhe
Spacer woman were held LogeLher by bonds of love. 1hls ls so lncredlble
LhaL l see no chance of Lhe sLory belng accepLed as anyLhlng buL, aL besL,
a plece of romanLlc hlsLorlcal flcLlon."
1revlze looked dlsappolnLed. ls LhaL all?"
no, Councllman, Lhere ls one more maLLer. l came across some
flgures ln whaL was lefL of Lhe log of Lhe shlp LhaL mlghL-or mlghL noL-
represenL spaLlal co-ordlnaLes. lf Lhey were-and l repeaL, slnce my
SkepLlc's honor compels me Lo, LhaL Lhey mlghL noL be-Lhen lnLernal
evldence made me conclude Lhey were Lhe spaLlal co-ordlnaLes of Lhree
of Lhe Spacer worlds. Cne of Lhem mlghL be Lhe Spacer world where Lhe
capLaln landed and from whlch he wlLhdrew hls Spacer love."
1revlze sald, MlghL lL noL be LhaL even lf Lhe Lale ls flcLlon, Lhe
coordlnaLes are real?"
lL mlghL be," sald uenlador. l wlll glve you Lhe flgures, and you are
free Lo use Lhem, buL you mlghL geL nowhere. -And yeL l have an
amuslng noLlon." Pls qulck smlle made lLs appearance.
WhaL ls LhaL?" sald 1revlze.
WhaL lf one of Lhose seLs of co-ordlnaLes represenLed LarLh?"
27.
CCMC8LLLCn'S sun, dlsLlncLly orange, was larger ln appearance
Lhan Lhe sun of 1ermlnus, buL lL was low ln Lhe sky and gave ouL llLLle
heaL. 1he wlnd, forLunaLely llghL, Louched 1revlze's cheek wlLh lcy
flngers.
Pe shlvered lnslde Lhe elecLrlfled coaL he had been glven by MlLza
Llzalor, who now sLood nexL Lo hlm. Pe sald, lL musL warm up
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
81
someLlme, MlLza."
She glanced up aL Lhe sun brlefly, and sLood Lhere ln Lhe empLlness
of Lhe spaceporL, showlng no slgns of dlscomforL-Lall, large, wearlng a
llghLer coaL Lhan 1revlze had on, and lf noL lmpervlous Lo Lhe cold, aL
leasL scornful of lL.
She sald, We have a beauLlful summer. lL ls noL a long one buL our
food crops are adapLed Lo lL. 1he sLralns are carefully chosen so LhaL
Lhey grow qulckly ln Lhe sun and do noL frosLblLe easlly. Cur domesLlc
anlmals are well furred, and Comporelllan wool ls Lhe besL ln Lhe Calaxy
by general admlsslon. 1hen, Loo, we have farm seLLlemenLs ln orblL
abouL Comporellon LhaL grow ' Lroplcal frulL. We acLually exporL canned
plneapples of superlor flavor. MosL
people who know us as a cold world don'L know LhaL."
1revlze sald, l Lhank you for comlng Lo see us off, MlLza, and for
belng wllllng Lo co-operaLe wlLh us on Lhls mlsslon of ours. lor my own
peace of mlnd, however, l musL ask wheLher you wlll flnd yourself ln
serlous Lrouble over Lhls."
no!" She shook her head proudly. no Lrouble. ln Lhe flrsL place, l
wlll noL be quesLloned. l am ln conLrol of LransporLaLlon, whlch means l
alone seL Lhe rules for Lhls spaceporL and oLhers, for Lhe enLry sLaLlons,
for Lhe shlps LhaL come and go. 1he rlme MlnlsLer depends on me for
all LhaL and ls only Loo dellghLed Lo remaln lgnoranL of lLs deLalls. -And
even lf l were quesLloned, l have buL Lo Lell Lhe LruLh. 1he governmenL
would applaud me for noL Lurnlng Lhe shlp over Lo Lhe loundaLlon. So
would Lhe people lf lL were safe Lo leL Lhem know. And Lhe loundaLlon
lLself would noL know of lL."
1revlze sald, 1he governmenL mlghL be wllllng Lo keep Lhe shlp from
Lhe loundaLlon, buL would Lhey be wllllng Lo approve your leLLlng us
Lake lL away?"
Llzalor smlled. ?ou are a decenL human belng, 1revlze. ?ou have
foughL Lenaclously Lo keep your shlp and now LhaL you have lL you Lake
Lhe Lrouble Lo concern yourself wlLh my welfare." She reached Loward
hlm LenLaLlvely as Lhough LempLed Lo glve some slgn of affecLlon and
Lhen, wlLh obvlous dlfflculLy, conLrolled Lhe lmpulse.
She sald, wlLh a renewed brusqueness, Lven lf Lhey quesLlon my
declslon, l have buL Lo Lell Lhem LhaL you have been, and sLlll are,
searchlng for Lhe CldesL, and Lhey wlll say l dld well Lo geL rld of you as
qulckly as l dld, shlp and all, And Lhey wlll perform Lhe rlLes of
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
82
aLonemenL LhaL you were ever allowed Lo land ln Lhe flrsL place, Lhough
Lhere was no way we mlghL have guessed whaL you were dolng."
uo you Lruly fear mlsforLune Lo yourself and Lhe world because of
my presence?"
lndeed," sald Llzalor sLolldly. 1hen she sald, more sofLly, ?ou have
broughL mlsforLune Lo me, already, for now LhaL l have known you,
Comporelllan men wlll seem more sapless sLlll. l wlll be lefL wlLh an
unappeasable longlng. Pe Who unlshes has already seen Lo LhaL."
1revlze heslLaLed, Lhen sald, l do noL wlsh you Lo change your mlnd
on Lhls maLLer, buL l do noL wlsh you Lo suffer needless apprehenslon,
elLher. ?ou musL know LhaL Lhls maLLer of my brlnglng mlsforLune on you
ls slmply supersLlLlon."
1he SkepLlc Lold you LhaL, l presume."
l know lL wlLhouL hls Lelllng me."
Llzalor brushed her face, for a Lhln rlme was gaLherlng on her
promlnenL eyebrows and sald, l know Lhere are some who Lhlnk lL
supersLlLlon. 1haL Lhe CldesL brlngs mlsforLune ls, however, a facL. lL has
been demonsLraLed many Llmes and all Lhe clever SkepLlcal argumenLs
can'L leglslaLe Lhe LruLh ouL of exlsLence."
She LhrusL ouL her .hand suddenly. Cood-bye, Colan. CeL on Lhe
shlp and [oln your companlons before your sofL 1ermlnlan body freezes
ln our cold, buL klndly wlnd."
Cood-bye, MlLza, and l hope Lo see you when l reLurn."
?es, you have promlsed Lo reLurn and l have Lrled Lo belleve LhaL
you would. l have even Lold myself LhaL l would come ouL and meeL you
aL your shlp ln space so LhaL mlsforLune would fall only on me and noL
upon my world-buL you wlll noL reLurn."
noL so! l wlll! l would noL glve you up LhaL easlly, havlng had
pleasure of you." And aL LhaL momenL, 1revlze was flrmly convlnced LhaL
he meanL lL.
l do noL doubL your romanLlc lmpulses, my sweeL loundaLloner, buL
Lhose who venLure ouLward on a search for Lhe CldesL wlll never come
back-anywhere. l know LhaL ln my hearL."
1revlze Lrled Lo keep hls LeeLh from chaLLerlng. lL was from cold and
he dldn'L wanL her Lo Lhlnk lL was from fear. Pe sald, 1haL, Loo, ls
supersLlLlon."
And yeL," she sald, LhaL, Loo, ls Lrue."
28.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
83
l1 WAS CCCu 10 be back ln Lhe plloL-room of Lhe lar SLar. lL mlghL
be ,Lamped for room. lL mlghL be a bubble of lmprlsonmenL ln lnflnlLe
space. neverLheless, lL was famlllar, frlendly, and warm.
8llss sald, l'm glad you flnally came aboard. l was wonderlng how
long you would remaln wlLh Lhe MlnlsLer."
noL long," sald 1revlze. lL was cold."
lL seemed Lo me," sald 8llss, LhaL you were conslderlng remalnlng
wlLh her and posLponlng Lhe search for LarLh. l do noL llke Lo probe your
mlnd even llghLly, buL l was concerned for you and LhaL LempLaLlon
under whlch you labored seemed Lo leap ouL aL me."
1revlze sald, ?ou're qulLe rlghL. MomenLarlly aL leasL, l felL Lhe
LempLaLlon. 1he MlnlsLer ls a remarkable woman and l've never meL
anyone qulLe llke her. -uld you sLrengLhen my reslsLance, 8llss?"
She sald, l've Lold you many Llmes l musL noL and wlll noL Lamper
wlLh your mlnd ln any way, 1revlze. ?ou beaL down Lhe LempLaLlon, l
lmaglne, Lhrough your sLrong sense of duLy."
no, l raLher Lhlnk noL." Pe smlled wryly. noLhlng so dramaLlc and
noble. My reslsLance was sLrengLhened, for one Lhlng, by Lhe facL LhaL ls
was cold, and for anoLher, by Lhe sad LhoughL LhaL lL wouldn'L Lake many
sesslons wlLh her Lo klll me. l could never keep up Lhe pace."
eloraL sald, Well, anyway, you are safely aboard. WhaL are we
golng Lo do nexL?"
ln Lhe lmmedlaLe fuLure, we are golng Lo move ouLward Lhrough
Lhe planeLary sysLem aL a brlsk pace unLll we are far enough from
Comporellon's sun Lo make a !ump."
uo you Lhlnk we wlll be sLopped or followed?"
no, l really Lhlnk LhaL Lhe MlnlsLer ls anxlous only LhaL we go away
as rapldly as posslble and sLay away, ln order LhaL Lhe vengeance of Pe
Who unlshes noL fall upon Lhe planeL. ln facL-
She belleves Lhe vengeance wlll surely fall on us. She ls under Lhe
flrm convlcLlon LhaL we wlll never reLurn. 1hls, l hasLen Lo add, ls noL an
esLlmaLe of my probable level of lnfldellLy, whlch she has had no
occaslon Lo measure. She meanL LhaL LarLh ls so Lerrlble a bearer of
mlsforLune LhaL anyone who seeks lL musL dle ln Lhe process."
8llss sald, Pow many have lefL Comporellon ln search of LarLh LhaL
she can make such a sLaLemenL?"
l doubL LhaL any Comporelllan has ever lefL on such a search. l Lold
her LhaL her fears were mere supersLlLlon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
84
Are you sure you belleve LhaL, or have you leL her shake you?"
l know her fears are Lhe puresL supersLlLlon ln Lhe form she
expresses Lhem, buL Lhey may be well founded [usL Lhe same."
?ou mean, radloacLlvlLy wlll klll us lf we Lry Lo land on lL?"
l don'L belleve LhaL LarLh ls radloacLlve. WhaL l do belleve ls LhaL
LarLh proLecLs lLself. 8emember LhaL all reference Lo LarLh ln Lhe Llbrary
on 1ranLor has been removed. 8emember LhaL Cala's marvelous
memory, ln whlch all Lhe planeL Lakes parL down Lo Lhe rock sLraLa of Lhe
surface and Lhe molLen meLal aL Lhe core, sLops shorL of peneLraLlng far
enough back Lo Lell us anyLhlng of LarLh.
Clearly, lf LarLh ls powerful enough Lo do LhaL, lL mlghL also be
capable of ad[usLlng mlnds ln order Lo force bellef ln lLs radloacLlvlLy,
and Lhus prevenLlng any search for lL. erhaps because Comporellon ls
so close LhaL lL represenLs a parLlcular danger Lo LarLh, Lhere ls Lhe
furLher relnforcemenL of a curlous blankness. uenlador, who ls a SkepLlc
and a sclenLlsL, ls uLLerly convlnced LhaL Lhere ls no use searchlng for
LarLh. Pe says lL cannoL be found. -And LhaL ls why Lhe MlnlsLer's
supersLlLlon may be well founded. lf LarLh ls so lnLenL on conceallng
lLself, mlghL lL noL klll us, or dlsLorL us, raLher Lhan allow us Lo flnd lL?"
8llss frowned and sald, Cala-
1revlze sald qulckly, uon'L say Cala wlll proLecL us. Slnce LarLh was
able Lo remove Cala's earllesL memorles, lL ls clear LhaL ln any confllcL
beLween Lhe Lwo LarLh wlll wln."
8llss sald coldly, Pow do you know LhaL Lhe memorles were
removed? lL mlghL be LhaL lL slmply Look Llme for Cala Lo develop a
planeLary memory and LhaL we can now probe backward only Lo Lhe
Llme of Lhe compleLlon of LhaL developmenL. And lf Lhe memory was
removed, how can you be sure LhaL lL was LarLh LhaL dld lL?"
1revlze sald, l don'L know. l merely advance my speculaLlons."
eloraL puL ln, raLher Llmldly, lf LarLh ls so powerful, and so lnLenL
on preservlng lLs prlvacy, so Lo speak, of whaL use ls our search? ?ou
seem Lo Lhlnk LarLh won'L allow us Lo succeed and wlll klll us lf LhaL wlll
be whaL lL Lakes Lo keep us from succeedlng. ln LhaL case, ls Lhere any
sense ln noL abandonlng Lhls whole Lhlng?"
lL mlghL seem we oughL Lo glve up, l admlL, buL l have Lhls powerful
convlcLlon LhaL LarLh exlsLs, and l musL and wlll flnd lL. And Cala Lells me
LhaL when l have powerful convlcLlons of Lhls sorL, l am always rlghL."
8uL how can we survlve Lhe dlscovery, old chap?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
83
lL may be," sald 1revlze, wlLh an efforL aL llghLness, LhaL LarLh, Loo,
wlll recognlze Lhe value of my exLraordlnary rlghLness and wlll leave me
Lo myself. 8uL-and Lhls ls whaL l am flnally geLLlng aL-l cannoL be cerLaln
LhaL you Lwo wlll survlve and LhaL ls of concern Lo me. lL always has
been, buL lL ls lncreaslng now and lL seems Lo me LhaL l oughL Lo Lake you
Lwo back Lo Cala and Lhen proceed on my own. lL ls l, noL you, who flrsL
declded l musL search for LarLh, lL ls l, noL you, who see value ln lL, lL ls 1,
noL you, who am drlven. LeL lL be l, Lhen, noL you, who Lake Lhe rlsk. LeL
me go on alone. -!anov?"
eloraL's long face seemed Lo grow longer as he burled hls chln ln hls
neck. l won'L deny l feel nervous, Colan, buL l'd be ashamed Lo abandon
you. l would dlsown myself lf l dld so."
8llss?"
Cala wlll noL abandon you, 1revlze, whaLever you do. lf LarLh should
prove dangerous, Cala wlll proLecL you as far as lL can. And ln any case,
ln my role as 8llss, l wlll noL abandon el, and lf he cllngs Lo you, Lhen l
cerLalnly cllng Lo hlm."
1revlze sald grlmly, very well, Lhen. l've glven you your chance. We
go on LogeLher."
1ogeLher," sald 8llss.
eloraL smlled sllghLly, and grlpped 1revlze's shoulder. 1ogeLher.
Always."
29.
8LlSS SAlu, Look aL LhaL, el."
She had been maklng use of Lhe shlp's Lelescope by hand, almosL
almlessly, as a change from eloraL's llbrary of LarLh-legendry.
eloraL approached, placed an arm abouL her shoulders and looked
aL Lhe vlewscreen. Cne of Lhe gas glanLs of Lhe Comporelllan planeLary
sysLem was ln slghL, magnlfled Llll lL seemed Lhe large body lL really was.
ln color lL was a sofL orange sLreaked wlLh paler sLrlpes. vlewed from
Lhe planeLary plane, and more dlsLanL from Lhe sun Lhan Lhe shlp lLself
was, lL was almosL a compleLe clrcle of llghL.
8eauLlful," sald eloraL.
1he cenLral sLreak exLends beyond Lhe planeL, el."
eloraL furrowed hls brow and sald, ?ou know, 8llss, l belleve lL
does,"
uo you suppose lL's an opLlcal llluslon?"
eloraL sald, l'm noL sure, 8llss. l'm as much a space-novlce as you
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
86
am -Colan!"
1revlze answered Lhe call wlLh a raLher feeble WhaL ls lL?" and
enLered Lhe plloL-room, looklng a blL rumpled, as Lhough he had [usL
been napplng on hls bed wlLh hls cloLhes on-whlch was exacLly whaL he
had been dolng.
Pe sald, ln a raLher peevlsh way, lease! uon'L be handllng Lhe
lnsLrumenLs."
lL's [usL Lhe Lelescope," sald eloraL. Look aL LhaL."
1revlze dld. lL's a gas glanL, Lhe one Lhey call Callla, accordlng Lo Lhe
lnformaLlon l was glven."
Pow can you Lell lL's LhaL one, [usL looklng?"
lor one Lhlng," sald 1revlze, aL our dlsLance from Lhe sun, and
because of Lhe planeLary slzes and orblLal poslLlons, whlch l've been
sLudylng ln ploLLlng our course, LhaL's Lhe only one you could magnlfy Lo
LhaL exLenL eL Lhls Llme. lor anoLher Lhlng, Lhere's Lhe rlng."
8lng?" sald 8llss, mysLlfled.
All you can see ls a Lhln, pale marklng, because we're vlewlng lL
almosL edge-on. We can zoom up ouL of Lhe planeLary plane and glve
you a beLLer vlew. Would you llke LhaL?"
eloraL sald, l don'L wanL Lo make you have Lo recalculaLe poslLlons
and courses, Colan.
Ch well, Lhe compuLer wlll do lL for me wlLh llLLle Lrouble." Pe saL
down aL Lhe compuLer as he spoke and placed hls hands on Lhe marklngs
LhaL recelved Lhem. 1he compuLer, flnely aLLuned Lo hls mlnd, dld Lhe
resL.
1he lar SLar, free of fuel problems or of lnerLlal sensaLlons,
acceleraLed rapldly, and once agaln, 1revlze felL a surge of love for a
compuLer-and-shlp LhaL responded ln such a way Lo hlm-as Lhough lL
was hls LhoughL LhaL powered and dlrecLed lL, as Lhough lL were a
powerful and obedlenL exLenslon of hls wlll.
lL was no wonder Lhe loundaLlon wanLed lL back, no wonder
Comporellon had wanLed lL for lLself. 1he only surprlse was LhaL Lhe
force of supersLlLlon had been sLrong enough Lo cause Comporellon Lo
be wllllng Lo glve lL up.
roperly armed, lL could ouLrun or ouLflghL any shlp ln Lhe Calaxy, or
any comblnaLlon of shlps-provlded only LhaL lL dld noL encounLer
anoLher shlp llke lLself.
Cf course, lL was noL properly armed. Mayor 8ranno, ln asslgnlng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
87
hlm Lhe shlp, had aL leasL been cauLlous enough Lo leave lL unarmed.
eloraL and 8llss waLched lnLenLly as Lhe planeL, Callla, slowly,
slowly, Llpped Loward Lhem. 1he upper pole (whlchever lL was) became
vlslble, wlLh Lurbulence ln a large clrcular reglon around lL, whlle Lhe
lower pole reLlred behlnd Lhe bulge of Lhe sphere.
AL Lhe upper end, Lhe dark slde of Lhe planeL lnvaded Lhe sphere of
orange llghL, and Lhe beauLlful clrcle became lncreaslngly lopslded.
WhaL seemed more exclLlng was LhaL Lhe cenLral pale sLreak was no
longer sLralghL buL had come Lo be curved, as were Lhe oLher sLreaks Lo
Lhe norLh and souLh, buL more noLlceably so.
now Lhe cenLral sLreak exLended beyond Lhe edges of Lhe planeL
very dlsLlncLly and dld so ln a narrow loop on elLher slde. 1here was no
quesLlon of llluslon, lLs naLure was apparenL. lL was a rlng of maLLer,
looplng abouL Lhe planeL, and hldden on Lhe far slde.
1haL's enough Lo glve you Lhe ldea, l Lhlnk," sald 1revlze. lf we
were Lo move over Lhe planeL, you would see Lhe rlng ln lLs clrcular
form, concenLrlc abouL Lhe planeL, Louchlng lL nowhere. ?ou'll probably
see LhaL lL's noL one rlng elLher buL several concenLrlc rlngs."
l wouldn'L have LhoughL lL posslble," sald eloraL blankly. WhaL
keeps lL ln space?"
1he same Lhlng LhaL keeps a saLelllLe ln space," sald 1revlze. 1he
rlngs conslsL of Llny parLlcles, every one of whlch ls orblLlng Lhe planeL.
1he rlngs are so close Lo Lhe planeL LhaL Lldal effecLs prevenL lL from
coalesclng lnLo a slngle body."
eloraL shook hls head. lL's horrlfylng when l Lhlnk of lL, old man.
Pow ls lL posslble LhaL l can have spenL my whole llfe as a scholar and
yeL know so llLLle abouL asLronomy?"
And l know noLhlng aL all abouL Lhe myLhs of humanlLy. no one can
encompass all of knowledge. -1he polnL ls LhaL Lhese planeLary rlngs
aren'L unusual. AlmosL every slngle gas glanL has Lhem, even lf lL's only a
Lhln curve of dusL. As lL happens, Lhe sun of 1ermlnus has no Lrue gas
glanL ln lLs planeLary famlly, so unless a 1ermlnlan ls a space Lraveler, or
has Laken unlverslLy lnsLrucLlon ln asLronomy, he's llkely Lo know
noLhlng abouL planeLary rlngs. WhaL ls unusual ls a rlng LhaL ls
sufflclenLly broad Lo be brlghL and noLlceable, llke LhaL one. lL's
beauLlful. lL musL be a couple of hundred kllomeLers wlde, aL leasL."
AL Lhls polnL, eloraL snapped hls flngers. 1haL's whaL lL meanL."
8llss looked sLarLled. WhaL ls lL, el?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
88
eloraL sald, l came across a scrap of poeLry once, very anclenL, and
ln an archalc verslon of CalacLlc LhaL was hard Lo make ouL buL LhaL was
good evldence of greaL age. -1hough l shouldn'L complaln of Lhe
archalsm, old chap. My work has made me an experL on varlous varleLles
of Cld CalacLlc, whlch ls qulLe graLlfylng even lf lL ls of no use Lo me
whaLever ouLslde my work. -WhaL was l Lalklng abouL?"
8llss sald, An old scrap of poeLry, el dear."
1hank you, 8llss," he sald. And Lo 1revlze, She keeps close Lrack of
whaL l say ln order Lo pull me back whenever l geL off-course, whlch ls
mosL of Lhe Llme."
lL's parL of your charm, el," sald 8llss, smlllng.
Anyway, Lhls scrap of poeLry purporLed Lo descrlbe Lhe planeLary
sysLem of whlch LarLh was parL. Why lL should do so, l don'L know, for
Lhe poem as a whole does noL survlve, aL leasL, l was never able Lo
locaLe lL. Cnly Lhls one porLlon survlved, perhaps because of lLs
asLronomlcal conLenL. ln any case, lL spoke of Lhe brllllanL Lrlple rlng of
Lhe slxLh planeL `boLh brade and large, sae Lhe woruld shronk ln
comparlsoun.' l can sLlll quoLe lL, you see. l dldn'L undersLand whaL a
planeL's rlng could be. l remember Lhlnklng of Lhree clrcles on one slde
of Lhe planeL, all ln a row. lL seemed so nonsenslcal, l dldn'L boLher Lo
lnclude lL ln my llbrary. l'm sorry now l dldn'L lnqulre." Pe shook hls
head. 8elng a myLhologlsL ln Loday's Calaxy ls so sollLary a [ob, one
forgeLs Lhe good of lnqulrlng."
1revlze sald consollngly, ?ou were probably rlghL Lo lgnore lL, !anov.
lL's a mlsLake Lo Lake poeLlc chaLLer llLerally."
8uL LhaL's whaL was meanL," sald eloraL, polnLlng aL Lhe screen.
1haL's whaL Lhe poem was speaklng of. 1hree wlde rlngs, concenLrlc,
wlder Lhan Lhe planeL lLself."
1revlze sald, l never heard of such a Lhlng. l don'L Lhlnk rlngs can be
LhaL wlde. Compared Lo Lhe planeL Lhey clrcle, Lhey are always very
narrow."
eloraL sald, We never heard of a hablLable planeL wlLh a glanL
saLelllLe, elLher. Cr one wlLh a radloacLlve crusL. 1hls ls unlqueness
.number Lhree. lf we flnd a radloacLlve planeL LhaL mlghL be oLherwlse
hablLable, wlLh a glanL saLelllLe, and wlLh anoLher planeL ln Lhe sysLem
LhaL has a huge rlng, Lhere would be no doubL aL all LhaL we had
encounLered LarLh."
1revlze smlled. l agree, !anov. lf we flnd all Lhree, we wlll cerLalnly
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
89
have found LarLh."
lf!" sald 8llss, wlLh a slgh.
30.
1PL? WL8L beyond Lhe maln worlds of Lhe planeLary sysLem,
plunglng ouLward beLween Lhe poslLlons of Lhe Lwo ouLermosL planeLs
so LhaL Lhere was now no slgnlflcanL mass wlLhln 1.3 bllllon kllomeLers.
Ahead lay only Lhe vasL comeLary cloud whlch, gravlLaLlonally, was
lnslgnlflcanL.
1he lar SLar had acceleraLed Lo a speed of 0.1 c, one LenLh Lhe speed
of llghL. 1revlze knew well LhaL, ln Lheory, Lhe shlp could be acceleraLed
Lo nearly Lhe speed of llghL, buL he also knew LhaL, ln pracLlce, 0.1 c was
Lhe reasonable llmlL.
AL LhaL speed, any ob[ecL wlLh appreclable mass could be avolded,
buL Lhere was no way of dodglng Lhe lnnumerable dusL parLlcles ln
space, and, Lo a far greaLer exLenL even, lndlvldual aLoms and molecules.
AL very fasL speeds, even such small ob[ecLs could do damage, scourlng
and scraplng Lhe shlp's hull. AL speeds near Lhe speed of llghL, each aLom
smashlng lnLo Lhe hull had Lhe properLles of a cosmlc ray parLlcle. under
LhaL peneLraLlng cosmlc radlaLlon, anyone on board shlp would noL long
survlve.
1he dlsLanL sLars showed no percepLlble moLlon ln Lhe vlewscreen,
and even Lhough Lhe shlp was movlng aL LhlrLy Lhousand kllomeLers per
second, Lhere was every appearance of lLs sLandlng sLlll.
1he compuLer scanned space Lo greaL dlsLances for any oncomlng
ob[ecL of small buL slgnlflcanL slze LhaL mlghL be on a colllslon course,
and Lhe shlp veered genLly Lo avold lL, ln Lhe exLremely unllkely case LhaL
LhaL would be necessary. 8eLween Lhe small slze of any posslble
oncomlng ob[ecL, Lhe speed wlLh whlch lL was passed, and Lhe lack of
lnerLlal effecL as Lhe resulL of Lhe course change, Lhere was no way of
Lelllng wheLher anyLhlng ever Look place ln Lhe naLure of whaL mlghL be
Lermed a close call."
1revlze, Lherefore, dld noL worry abouL such Lhlngs, or even glve lL
Lhe mosL casual LhoughL. Pe kepL hls full aLLenLlon on Lhe Lhree seLs of
co-ordlnaLes he had been glven by uenlador, and, parLlcularly, on Lhe seL
whlch lndlcaLed Lhe ob[ecL closesL Lo Lhemselves.
ls Lhere someLhlng wrong wlLh Lhe flgures?" asked eloraL
anxlously.
l can'L Lell yeL," sald 1revlze. Co-ordlnaLes ln Lhemselves aren'L
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
90
useful, unless you know Lhe zero polnL and Lhe convenLlons used ln
seLLlng Lhem up -Lhe dlrecLlon ln whlch Lo mark off Lhe dlsLance, so Lo
speak, whaL Lhe equlvalenL of a prlme merldlan ls, and so on."
Pow do you flnd ouL such Lhlngs?" sald eloraL blankly.
l obLalned Lhe co-ordlnaLes of 1ermlnus and a few oLher known
polnLs, relaLlve Lo Comporellon. lf l puL Lhem lnLo Lhe compuLer, lL wlll
calculaLe whaL Lhe convenLlons musL be for such co-ordlnaLes lf
1ermlnus and Lhe oLher polnLs are Lo be correcLly locaLed. l'm only Lrylng
Lo organlze Lhlngs ln my mlnd so LhaL l can properly program Lhe
compuLer for Lhls. Cnce Lhe convenLlons are deLermlned, Lhe flgures we
have for Lhe lorbldden Worlds mlghL posslbly have meanlng."
Cnly posslbly?" sald 8llss.
Cnly posslbly, l'm afrald," sald 1revlze. 1hese are old flgures afLer
all-presumably Comporelllan, buL noL deflnlLely. WhaL lf Lhey are based
on oLher convenLlons?"
ln LhaL case?"
ln LhaL case, we have only meanlngless flgures. 8uL-we [usL have Lo
flnd ouL."
Pls hands fllckered over Lhe sofLly glowlng keys of Lhe compuLer,
feedlng lL Lhe necessary lnformaLlon. Pe Lhen placed hls hands on Lhe
handmarks on Lhe desk. Pe walLed whlle Lhe compuLer worked ouL Lhe
convenLlons of Lhe known co-ordlnaLes, paused a momenL, Lhen
lnLerpreLed Lhe co-ordlnaLes of Lhe nearesL lorbldden World by Lhe
same convenLlons, and flnally locaLed Lhose co-ordlnaLes on Lhe CalacLlc
map ln lLs memory.
A sLarfleld appeared on Lhe screen and moved rapldly as lL ad[usLed
lLself. When lL reached sLasls, lL expanded wlLh sLars bleedlng off Lhe
edges ln all dlrecLlons unLll Lhey were almosL all gone. AL no polnL could
Lhe eye follow Lhe rapld change, lL was all a speckled blur. unLll flnally, a
space one LenLh of a parsec on each slde (accordlng Lo Lhe lndex flgures
below Lhe screen) " all LhaL remalned. 1here was no furLher change, and
only half a dozen dlal sparks relleved Lhe darkness of Lhe screen.
Whlch one ls Lhe lorbldden World?" asked eloraL sofLly.
none of Lhem," sald 1revlze. lour of Lhem are red dwarfs, one a
near-red dwarf, and Lhe lasL a whlLe dwarf. none of Lhem can posslbly
have a hablLable world ln orblL abouL Lhem."
Pow do you know Lhey're red dwarfs [usL by looklng aL Lhem?"
1revlze sald, We're noL looklng aL real sLars, we're looklng aL a
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
91
secLlon of Lhe CalacLlc map sLored ln Lhe compuLer's memory. Lach one
ls labeled. ?ou can'L see lL and ordlnarlly l couldn'L see lL elLher, buL as
long as my hands are maklng conLacL, as Lhey are, l am aware of a
conslderable amounL of daLa on any sLar on whlch my eyes
concenLraLe."
eloraL sald ln a woebegone Lone, 1hen Lhe co-ordlnaLes are
useless."
1revlze looked up aL hlm, no, !anov. l'm noL flnlshed. 1here's sLlll
Lhe maLLer of Llme. 1he co-ordlnaLes for Lhe lorbldden World are Lhose
of LwenLy Lhousand years ago. ln LhaL Llme, boLh lL and Comporellon
have been revolvlng abouL Lhe CalacLlc CenLer, and Lhey may well be
revolvlng aL dlfferenL speeds and ln orblLs of dlfferenL lncllnaLlons and
eccenLrlclLles. WlLh Llme, Lherefore, Lhe Lwo worlds may be drlfLlng
closer LogeLher or farLher aparL and, ln LwenLy Lhousand years, Lhe
lorbldden World may have drlfLed anywhere from one-half Lo flve
parsecs off Lhe mark. lL cerLalnly wouldn'L be lncluded ln LhaL LenLh-
parsec square."
WhaL do we do, Lhen?"
We have Lhe compuLer move Lhe Calaxy LwenLy Lhousand years
back ln Llme relaLlve Lo Comporellon."
Can lL do LhaL?" asked 8llss, soundlng raLher awe-sLruck.
Well, lL can'L move Lhe Calaxy lLself back ln Llme, buL lL can move
Lhe map ln lLs memory banks back ln Llme."
8llss sald, Wlll we see anyLhlng happen?"
WaLch," sald 1revlze.
very slowly, Lhe half-dozen sLars crawled over Lhe face of Lhe screen.
A new sLar, noL hlLherLo on Lhe screen, drlfLed ln from Lhe lefL hand
edge, and eloraL polnLed ln exclLemenL. 1here! 1here!"
1revlze sald, Sorry. AnoLher red dwarf. 1hey're very common. AL
leasL Lhree fourLhs of all Lhe sLars ln Lhe Calaxy are red dwarfs."
1he screen seLLled down and sLopped movlng.
Well?" sald 8llss.
1revlze sald, 1haL's lL. 1haL's Lhe vlew of LhaL porLlon of Lhe Calaxy
as lL would have been LwenLy Lhousand years ago. AL Lhe very cenLer of
Lhe screen ls a polnL where Lhe lorbldden World oughL Lo be lf lL had
been drlfLlng aL some average veloclLy."
CughL Lo be, buL lsn'L," sald 8llss sharply.
lL lsn'L," agreed 1revlze, wlLh remarkably llLLle emoLlon.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
92
eloraL released hls breaLh ln a long slgh. Ch, Loo bad, Colan."
1revlze sald, WalL, don'L despalr. l wasn'L expecLlng Lo see Lhe sLar
Lhere."
?ou weren'L?" sald eloraL, asLonlshed.
no. l Lold you LhaL Lhls lsn'L Lhe Calaxy lLself, buL Lhe compuLer's
map of Lhe Calaxy. lf a real sLar ls noL lncluded ln Lhe map, we don'L see
lL. lf Lhe planeL ls called `lorbldden' and has been called so for LwenLy
Lhousand years, Lhe chances are lL wouldn'L be lncluded ln Lhe map. And
lL lsn'L, for we don'L see lL."
8llss sald, We mlghL noL see lL because lL doesn'L exlsL. 1he
Comporelllan legends may be false, or Lhe co-ordlnaLes may be wrong."
very Lrue. 1he compuLer, however, can now make an esLlmaLe as Lo
whaL Lhe co-ordlnaLes oughL Lo be aL Lhls Llme, now LhaL lL has locaLed
Lhe spoL where lL may have been LwenLy Lhousand years ago. uslng Lhe
co-ordlnaLes correcLed for Llme, a correcLlon l could only have made
Lhrough use of Lhe sLar map, we can now swlLch Lo Lhe real sLarfleld of
Lhe Calaxy lLself."
8llss sald, 8uL you only assumed an average veloclLy for Lhe
lorbldden World. WhaL lf lLs veloclLy was noL average? ?ou would noL
now have Lhe correcL co-ordlnaLes."
1rue enough, buL a correcLlon, assumlng average veloclLy, ls almosL
cerLaln Lo be closer Lo lLs real poslLlon, Lhan lf we had made no Llme
correcLlon aL all."
?ou hope!" sald 8llss doubLfully.
1haL's exacLly whaL l do," sald 1revlze. l hope. -And now leL's look
aL Lhe real Calaxy."
1he Lwo onlookers waLched Lensely, whlle 1revlze (perhaps Lo
reduce hls own Lenslons and delay Lhe zero momenL) spoke sofLly,
almosL as Lhough he were lecLurlng.
lL's more dlfflculL Lo observe Lhe real Calaxy," he sald. 1he map ln
Lhe compuLer ls an arLlflclal consLrucLlon, wlLh lrrelevancles capable of
belng ellmlnaLed. lf Lhere ls a nebula obscurlng Lhe vlew, l can remove lL.
lf Lhe angle of vlew ls lnconvenlenL for whaL l have ln mlnd, l can change
Lhe angle, and so on. 1he real Calaxy, however, l musL Lake as l flnd lL,
and lf l wanL a change l musL move physlcally Lhrough space, whlch wlll
Lake far more Llme Lhan lL would Lake Lo ad[usL a map."
And as he spoke, Lhe screen showed a sLar cloud so rlch ln lndlvldual
sLars as Lo seem an lrregular heap of powder.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
93
1revlze sald, 1haL's a large angle vlew of a secLlon of Lhe Mllky Way,
and l wanL Lhe foreground, of course. lf l expand Lhe foreground, Lhe
background wlll Lend Lo fade ln comparlson. 1he co-ordlnaLe spoL ls
close enough Lo Comporellon so LhaL l should be able Lo expand lL Lo
abouL Lhe slLuaLlon l had on Lhe vlew of Lhe map. !usL leL me puL ln Lhe
necessary lnsLrucLlons, lf l can hold on Lo my sanlLy long enough. now.
1he sLarfleld expanded wlLh a rush so LhaL Lhousands of sLars pushed
off every edge, glvlng Lhe waLchers so real a sensaLlon of movlng Loward
Lhe screen LhaL all Lhree auLomaLlcally leaned backward as Lhough ln
response Lo a forward rush.
1he old vlew reLurned, noL qulLe as dark as lL had been on Lhe map,
buL wlLh Lhe half-dozen sLars shown as Lhey had been ln Lhe orlglnal
vlew. And Lhere, close Lo Lhe cenLer, was anoLher sLar, shlnlng far more
brlghLly Lhan Lhe oLhers.
1here lL ls," sald eloraL, ln an awed whlsper.
lL may be. l'll have Lhe compuLer Lake lLs specLrum and analyze lL."
1here was a moderaLely long pause, Lhen 1revlze sald, SpecLral class, C-
4, whlch makes lL a Lrlfle dlmmer and smaller Lhan 1ermlnus's sun, buL
raLher brlghLer Lhan Comporellon's sun. And no C-class sLar should be
omlLLed from Lhe compuLer's CalacLlc map. Slnce Lhls one ls, LhaL ls a
sLrong lndlcaLlon LhaL lL may be Lhe sun abouL whlch Lhe lorbldden
World revolves."
8llss sald, ls Lhere any chance of lLs Lurnlng ouL LhaL Lhere ls no
hablLable planeL revolvlng abouL Lhls sLar afLer all?" 1here's a chance, l
suppose. ln LhaL case, we'll Lry Lo flnd Lhe oLher Lwo lorbldden Worlds."
8llss persevered. And lf Lhe oLher Lwo are false alarms, Loo?" 1hen
we'll Lry someLhlng else." Llke whaL?" l wlsh l knew," sald 1revlze
grlmly.

A81 1P8LL - Au8C8A

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
94
Chapter U

lorbldden World

31.

CCLAn," sald eloraL. uoes lL boLher you lf l waLch?"
noL aL all, !anov," sald 1revlze.
lf l ask quesLlons?"
Co ahead."
eloraL sald, WhaL are you dolng?"
1revlze Look hls eyes off Lhe vlewscreen. l've goL Lo measure Lhe
dlsLance of each sLar LhaL seems Lo be near Lhe lorbldden World on Lhe
screen, so LhaL l can deLermlne how near Lhey really are. 1helr
gravlLaLlonal flelds musL be known and for LhaL l need mass and
dlsLance. WlLhouL LhaL knowledge, one can'L be sure of a clean !ump."
Pow do you do LhaL?"
Well, each sLar l see has lLs co-ordlnaLes ln Lhe compuLer's memory
bank! and Lhese can be converLed lnLo co-ordlnaLes on Lhe Comporelllan
sysLem. 1haL can, ln Lurn, be sllghLly correcLed for Lhe acLual poslLlon of
Lhe lor SLar ln space relaLlve Lo Co mporellon's sun, and LhaL glves me
Lhe dlsLance of each. 1hose red dwarfs all look qulLe near Lhe lorbldden
World on Lhe screen, buL some mlghL be much closer and some much
farLher. We need Lhelr Lhree-dlmenslonal poslLlon, you see."
eloraL nodded, and sald, And you already have Lhe co-ordlnaLes of
Lhe lorbldden World-
?es, buL LhaL's noL enough. l need Lhe dlsLances of Lhe oLher sLars Lo
wlLhln a percenL or so. 1helr gravlLaLlonal lnLenslLy ln Lhe nelghborhood
of Lhe lorbldden World ls so small LhaL a sllghL error makes no
percepLlble dlfference. 1he sun abouL whlch Lhe lorbldden World
revolves-or mlghL revolve-possesses an enormously lnLense gravlLaLlonal
fleld ln Lhe nelghborhood of Lhe lorbldden World and l musL know lLs
dlsLance wlLh perhaps a Lhousand Llmes Lhe accuracy of LhaL of Lhe oLher
sLars. 1he co-ordlnaLes alone won'L do."
1hen whaL do you do?"
l measure Lhe apparenL separaLlon of Lhe lorbldden World-or,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
93
raLher, lLs sLar-from Lhree nearby sLars whlch are so dlm lL Lakes
conslderable magnlflcaLlon Lo make Lhem ouL aL all. resumably, Lhose
Lhree are very far away. We Lhen keep one of Lhose Lhree sLars cenLered
on Lhe screen and !ump a LenLh of a parsec ln a dlrecLlon aL rlghL angles
Lo Lhe llne of vlslon Lo Lhe lorbldden World. We can do LhaL safely
enough even wlLhouL knowlng dlsLances Lo comparaLlvely far-off sLars.
1he reference sLar whlch ls cenLered would sLlll be cenLered afLer
Lhe !ump. 1he Lwo oLher dlm sLars, lf all Lhree are Lruly very dlsLanL, do
noL change Lhelr poslLlons measurably. 1he lorbldden World, however,
ls close enough Lo change lLs apparenL poslLlon ln parallacLlc shlfL. lrom
Lhe slze of Lhe shlfL, we can deLermlne lLs dlsLance. lf l wanL Lo make
doubly cerLaln, l choose Lhree oLher sLars and Lry agaln."
eloraL sald, Pow long does all LhaL Lake?"
noL very long. 1he compuLer does Lhe heavy work. l [usL Lell lL whaL
Lo do. WhaL really Lakes Lhe Llme ls LhaL l have Lo sLudy Lhe resulLs and
make sure Lhey look rlghL and LhaL my lnsLrucLlons aren'L aL faulL
somehow. lf l were one of Lhose daredevlls wlLh uLLer falLh ln
Lhemselves and Lhe compuLer, lL could all be done ln a few mlnuLes."
eloraL sald, lL's really asLonlshlng. 1hlnk how much Lhe compuLer
does for us."
l Lhlnk of lL all Lhe Llme."
WhaL would you do wlLhouL lL?"
WhaL would l do wlLhouL a gravlLlc shlp? WhaL would l do wlLhouL
my asLronauLlc Lralnlng? WhaL would l do wlLhouL LwenLy Lhousand
years of hyperspaLlal Lechnology behlnd me? 1he facL ls LhaL l'm myself-
here-now. Suppose we were Lo lmaglne ourselves LwenLy Lhousand
addlLlonal years lnLo Lhe fuLure. WhaL Lechnologlcal marvels would we
have Lo be graLeful for? Cr mlghL lL be LhaL LwenLy Lhousand years hence
humanlLy would noL exlsL?"
Scarcely LhaL," sald eloraL. Scarcely noL exlsL. Lven lf we don'L
become parL of Calaxla, we would sLlll have psychohlsLory Lo gulde us."
1revlze Lurned ln hls chalr, releaslng hls handhold on Lhe compuLer.
LeL lL work ouL dlsLances," he sald, and leL lL check Lhe maLLer a
number of Llmes. 1here's no hurry."
Pe looked qulzzlcally aL eloraL, and sald, sychohlsLory! ?ou know,
!anov, Lwlce LhaL sub[ecL came up on Comporellon, and Lwlce lL was
descrlbed as a supersLlLlon. l sald so once, and Lhen uenlador sald lL also.
AfLer all, how can you deflne psychohlsLory buL as a supersLlLlon of Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
96
loundaLlon? lsn'L lL a bellef wlLhouL proof or evldence? WhaL do you
Lhlnk, !anov? lL's more your fleld Lhan mlne."
eloraL sald, Why do you say Lhere's no evldence, Colan? 1he
slmulacrum of Parl Seldon has appeared ln Lhe 1lme vaulL many Llmes
and has dlscussed evenLs as Lhey happened. Pe could noL have known
whaL Lhose evenLs would be, ln hls Llme, had he noL been able Lo predlcL
Lhem psychohlsLorlcally."
1revlze nodded. 1haL sounds lmpresslve. Pe was wrong abouL Lhe
Mule, buL even allowlng for LhaL, lL's lmpresslve. SLlll, lL has an
uncomforLable maglcal feel Lo lL. Any con[urer can do Lrlcks."
no con[urer could predlcL cenLurles lnLo Lhe fuLure."
no con[urer could really do whaL he makes you Lhlnk he does."
Come, Colan. l can'L Lhlnk of any Lrlck LhaL would allow me Lo
predlcL whaL wlll happen flve cenLurles from now."
nor can you Lhlnk of a Lrlck LhaL wlll allow a con[urer Lo read Lhe
conLenLs of a message hldden ln a pseudo-LesseracL on an unmanned
orblLlng saLelllLe. !usL Lhe same, l've seen a con[urer do lL. Pas lL ever
occurred Lo you LhaL Lhe 1lme Capsule, along wlLh Lhe Parl Seldon
slmulacrum, may be rlgged by Lhe governmenL?"
eloraL looked as Lhough he were revolLed by Lhe suggesLlon. 1hey
wouldn'L do LhaL."
1revlze made a scornful sound.
eloraL sald, And Lhey'd be caughL lf Lhey Lrled."
l'm noL aL all sure of LhaL. 1he polnL ls, Lhough, LhaL we don'L know
how psychohlsLory works aL all."
l don'L know how LhaL compuLer works, buL l know lL works."
1haL's because oLhers know how lL works. Pow would lL be lf no one
knew how lL worked? 1hen, lf lL sLopped worklng for any reason, we
would be helpless Lo do anyLhlng abouL lL. And lf psychohlsLory suddenly
sLopped worklng-
1he Second loundaLloners know Lhe worklngs of psychohlsLory."
Pow do you know LhaL, !anov?"
So lL ls sald."
AnyLhlng can be sald. -Ah, we have Lhe dlsLance of Lhe lorbldden
World's sLar, and, l hope, very accuraLely. LeL's conslder Lhe flgures."
Pe sLared aL Lhem for a long Llme, hls llps movlng occaslonally, as
Lhough he were dolng some rough calculaLlons ln hls head. llnally, he
sald, wlLhouL llfLlng hls eyes, WhaL's 8llss dolng?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
97
Sleeplng, old chap," sald eloraL. 1hen, defenslvely, She needs
sleep, Colan. MalnLalnlng herself as parL of Cala across hyperspace ls
energy-consumlng."
l suppose so," sald 1revlze, and Lurned back Lo Lhe compuLer. Pe
placed hls hands on Lhe desk and muLLered, l'll leL lL go ln several !umps
and have lL recheck each Llme." 1hen he wlLhdrew Lhem agaln and sald,
l'm serlous, !anov. WhaL do you know abouL psychohlsLory?"
eloraL looked Laken aback. noLhlng. 8elng a hlsLorlan, whlch l am,
afLer a fashlon, ls worlds dlfferenL from belng a psychohlsLorlan. -Cf
course, l know Lhe Lwo fundamenLal baslcs of psychohlsLory, buL
everyone knows LhaL."
Lven l do. 1he flrsL requlremenL ls LhaL Lhe number of human belngs
lnvolved musL be large enough Lo make sLaLlsLlcal LreaLmenL valld. 8uL
how large ls `large enough'?"
eloraL sald, 1he laLesL esLlmaLe of Lhe CalacLlc populaLlon ls
someLhlng llke Len quadrllllon, and LhaL's probably an underesLlmaLe.
Surely, LhaL's large enough."
Pow do you know?"
8ecause psychohlsLory does work, Colan. no maLLer how you chop
loglc, lL does work."
And Lhe second requlremenL," sald 1revlze, ls LhaL human belngs
noL be aware of psychohlsLory, so LhaL Lhe knowledge does noL skew
Lhelr reacLlons. -8uL Lhey are aware of psychohlsLory."
Cnly of lLs bare exlsLence, old chap. 1haL's noL whaL counLs. 1he
second requlremenL ls LhaL human belngs noL be aware of Lhe
predlcLlons of psychohlsLory and LhaL Lhey are noL-excepL LhaL Lhe
Second loundaLloners are supposed Lo be aware of Lhem, buL Lhey're a
speclal case."
And upon Lhose Lwo requlremenLs alone, Lhe sclence of
psychohlsLory has been developed. 1haL's hard Lo belleve."
noL ouL of Lhose Lwo requlremenLs alone, " sald eloraL. 1here are
advanced maLhemaLlcs and elaboraLe sLaLlsLlcal meLhods. 1he sLory ls-lf
you wanL LradlLlon-LhaL Parl Seldon devlsed psychohlsLory by modellng
lL upon Lhe klneLlc Lheory of gases. Lach aLom or molecule ln a gas
moves randomly so LhaL we can'L know Lhe poslLlon or veloclLy of any
one of Lhem. neverLheless, uslng sLaLlsLlcs, we can work ouL Lhe rules
governlng Lhelr overall behavlor wlLh greaL preclslon. ln Lhe same way,
Seldon lnLended Lo work ouL Lhe overall behavlor of human socleLles
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
98
even Lhough Lhe soluLlons would noL apply Lo Lhe behavlor of lndlvldual
human belngs."
erhaps, buL human belngs aren'L aLoms."
1rue," sald eloraL. A human belng has consclousness and hls
behavlor ls sufflclenLly compllcaLed Lo make lL appear Lo be free wlll.
Pow Seldon handled LhaL l haven'L any ldea, and l'm sure l couldn'L
undersLand lL even lf someone who knew Lrled Lo explaln lL Lo me-buL he
dld lL."
1revlze sald, And Lhe whole Lhlng depends on deallng wlLh people
who are boLh numerous and unaware. uoesn'L LhaL seem Lo you a
qulcksandlsh foundaLlon on whlch Lo bulld an enormous maLhemaLlcal
sLrucLure? lf Lhose requlremenLs are noL Lruly meL, Lhen everyLhlng
collapses."
8uL slnce Lhe lan hasn'L collapsed-
Cr, lf Lhe requlremenLs are noL exacLly false or lnadequaLe buL
slmply weaker Lhan Lhey should be, psychohlsLory mlghL work
adequaLely for cenLurles and Lhen, upon reachlng some parLlcular crlsls,
would collapse,-as lL dld Lemporarlly ln Lhe Llme of Lhe Mule. -Cr whaL lf
Lhere ls a Lhlrd requlremenL?"
WhaL Lhlrd requlremenL?" asked eloraL, frownlng sllghLly.
l don'L know," sald 1revlze. An argumenL may seem Lhoroughly
loglcal and eleganL and yeL conLaln unexpressed assumpLlons. Maybe
Lhe Lhlrd requlremenL ls an assumpLlon so Laken for granLed LhaL no one
ever Lhlnks of menLlonlng lL."
An assumpLlon LhaL ls so Laken for granLed ls usually valld enough,
or lL wouldn'L be so Laken for granLed."
1revlze snorLed. lf you knew sclenLlflc hlsLory as well as you know
LradlLlonal hlsLory, !anov, you would know how wrong LhaL ls. -8uL l see
LhaL we are now ln Lhe nelghborhood of Lhe sun of Lhe lorbldden
World."
And, lndeed, cenLered on Lhe screen, was a brlghL sLar-one so brlghL
LhaL Lhe screen auLomaLlcally fllLered lLs llghL Lo Lhe polnL where all
oLher sLars were washed ouL.
32.
lAClLl1lLS for washlng and for personal hyglene on board Lhe lar
SLar were compacL, and Lhe use of waLer was always held Lo a
reasonable mlnlmum Lo avold overloadlng Lhe recycllng faclllLles. 8oLh
eloraL and 8llss had been sLernly remlnded of Lhls by 1revlze.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
99
Lven so, 8llss malnLalned an alr of freshness aL all Llmes and her
dark, long halr could be counLed on Lo be glossy, her flngernalls Lo
sparkle.
She walked lnLo Lhe plloL-room and sald, 1here you are!"
1revlze looked up and sald, no need for surprlse. We could scarcely
have lefL Lhe shlp, and a LhlrLy-second search would be bound Lo
uncover us lnslde Lhe shlp, even lf you couldn'L deLecL our presence
menLally."
8llss sald, 1he expresslon was purely a form of greeLlng and noL
meanL Lo be Laken llLerally, as you well know. Where are we? -And don'L
say, `ln Lhe plloL-room.'
8llss dear," sald eloraL, holdlng ouL one arm, we're aL Lhe ouLer
reglons of Lhe planeLary sysLem of Lhe nearesL of Lhe Lhree lorbldden
Worlds."
She walked Lo hls slde, placlng her hand llghLly on hls shoulder, whlle
hls arm moved abouL her walsL. She sald, lL can'L be very lorbldden.
noLhlng has sLopped us."
1revlze sald, lL ls only lorbldden because Comporellon and Lhe
oLher worlds of Lhe second wave of seLLlemenL have volunLarlly placed
Lhe worlds of Lhe flrsL wave-Lhe Spacers-ouL of bounds. lf we ourselves
don'L feel bound by LhaL volunLary agreemenL, whaL ls Lo sLop us?"
1he Spacers, lf any are lefL, mlghL have volunLarlly placed Lhe worlds
of Lhe second wave ouL of bounds, Loo. !usL because we don'L mlnd
lnLrudlng upon Lhem doesn'L mean LhaL Lhey don'L mlnd lL."
1rue," sald 1revlze, lf Lhey exlsL. 8uL so far we don'L even know lf
any planeL exlsLs for Lhem Lo llve on. So far, all we see are Lhe usual gas
glanLs. 1wo of Lhem, and noL parLlcularly large ones."
eloraL sald hasLlly, 8uL LhaL doesn'L mean Lhe Spacer world doesn'L
exlsL. Any hablLable world would be much closer Lo Lhe sun and much
smaller and very hard Lo deLecL ln Lhe solar glare from Lhls dlsLance.
We'll have Lo mlcro!ump lnward Lo deLecL such a planeL." Pe seemed
raLher proud Lo be speaklng llke a seasoned space Lraveler.
ln LhaL case," sald 8llss, why aren'L we movlng lnward?"
noL [usL yeL," sald 1revlze. l'm havlng Lhe compuLer check as far as
lL can for any slgn of an arLlflclal sLrucLure. We'll move lnward by sLages-
a dozen, lf necessary-checklng aL each sLage. l don'L wanL Lo be Lrapped
Lhls Llme as we were when we flrsL approached Cala. 8emember,
!anov?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
100
1raps llke LhaL could caLch us every day. 1he one aL Cala broughL
me 8llss." eloraL gazed aL her fondly.
1revlze grlnned. Are you hoplng for a new 8llss every day?"
eloraL looked hurL, and 8llss sald, wlLh a Lrace of annoyance, My
good chap-or whaLever lL ls LhaL el lnslsLs on calllng you-you mlghL as
well move ln more qulckly. Whlle l am wlLh you, you wlll noL be
Lrapped."
1he power of Cala?"
1o deLecL Lhe presence of oLher mlnds? CerLalnly."
Are you sure you are sLrong enough, 8llss? l gaLher you musL sleep
qulLe a blL Lo regaln sLrengLh expended aL malnLalnlng conLacL wlLh Lhe
maln body of Cala. Pow far can l rely on Lhe perhaps narrow llmlLs of
your ablllLles aL Lhls dlsLance from Lhe source?"
8llss flushed. 1he sLrengLh of Lhe connecLlon ls ample."
1revlze sald, uon'L be offended. l'm slmply asklng. -uon'L you see
Lhls as a dlsadvanLage of belng Cala? l am noL Cala. l am a compleLe and
lndependenL lndlvldual. 1haL means l can Lravel as far as l wlsh from my
world and my people, and remaln Colan 1revlze. WhaL powers l have,
and such as Lhey are, l conLlnue Lo have, and Lhey remaln wherever l go.
lf l were alone ln space, parsecs away from any human belng, and
unable, for some reason, Lo communlcaLe wlLh anyone ln any way, or
even Lo see Lhe spark of a slngle sLar ln Lhe sky, l would be and remaln
Colan 1revlze. l mlghL noL be able Lo survlve, and l mlghL dle, buL l would
dle Colan 1revlze."
8llss sald, Alone ln space and far from all oLhers, you would be
unable Lo call on Lhe help of your fellows, on Lhelr dlfferenL LalenLs and
knowledge. Alone, as an lsolaLed lndlvldual, you would be sadly
dlmlnlshed as compared wlLh youself as parL of an lnLegraLed socleLy.
?ou know LhaL."
1revlze sald, 1here would neverLheless noL be Lhe same dlmlnuLlon
as ln your case. 1here ls a bond beLween you and Cala LhaL ls far
sLronger Lhan Lhe one beLween me and my socleLy, and LhaL bond
sLreLches Lhrough hyperspace and requlres energy for malnLenance, so
LhaL you musL gasp, menLally, wlLh Lhe efforL, and feel yourself Lo be a
dlmlnlshed enLlLy far more Lhan l musL."
8llss's young face seL hard and, for a momenL, she looked young no
more or, raLher, she appeared ageless-more Cala Lhan 8llss, as Lhough
Lo refuLe 1revlze's conLenLlon. She sald, Lven lf everyLhlng you say ls so,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
101
Colan 1revlze-LhaL ls, was, and wlll be, LhaL cannoL perhaps be less, buL
cerLalnly cannoL be more-even lf everyLhlng you say ls so, do you expecL
Lhere ls no prlce Lo be pald for a beneflL galned? ls lL noL beLLer Lo be a
warm-blooded creaLure such as yourself Lhan a cold-blooded creaLure
such as a flsh, or whaLever?"
eloraL sald, 1orLolses are cold-blooded. 1ermlnus doesn'L have
any, buL some worlds do. 1hey are shelled creaLures, very slow-movlng
buL long-llvlng."
Well, Lhen, lsn'L lL beLLer Lo be a human belng Lhan a LorLolse, Lo
move qulckly whaLever Lhe LemperaLure, raLher Lhan slowly? lsn'L lL
beLLer Lo supporL hlgh-energy acLlvlLles, qulckly conLracLlng muscles,
qulckly worklng nerve flbers, lnLense and long-susLalned LhoughL-Lhan Lo
creep slowly, and sense gradually, and have only a blurred awareness of
Lhe lmmedlaLe surroundlngs? lsn'L lL?"
CranLed," sald 1revlze. lL ls. WhaL of lL?"
Well, don'L you know you musL pay for warm-bloodedness? 1o
malnLaln your LemperaLure above LhaL of your surroundlngs, you musL
expend energy far more wasLefully Lhan a LorLolse musL. ?ou musL be
eaLlng almosL consLanLly so LhaL you can pour energy lnLo your body as
qulckly as lL leaks ouL. ?ou would sLarve far more qulckly Lhan a LorLolse
would, and dle more qulckly, Loo. Would you raLher be a LorLolse, and
llve more slowly and longer? Cr would you raLher pay Lhe prlce and be a
qulck-movlng, qulck-senslng, Lhlnklng organlsm?"
ls Lhls a Lrue analogy, 8llss?"
no, 1revlze, for Lhe slLuaLlon wlLh Cala ls more favorable. We don'L
expend unusual quanLlLles of energy when we are compacLly LogeLher. lL
ls only when parL of Cala ls aL hyperspaLlal dlsLances from Lhe resL of
Cala LhaL energy expendlLure rlses. -And remember LhaL whaL you have
voLed for ls noL merely a larger Cala, noL [usL a larger lndlvldual world.
?ou have declded for Calaxla, for a vasL complex of worlds. Anywhere ln
Lhe Calaxy, you wlll be parL of Calaxla and you wlll be closely surrounded
by parLs of someLhlng LhaL exLends from each lnLersLellar aLom Lo Lhe
cenLral black hole. lL would Lhen requlre small amounLs of energy Lo
remaln a whole. no parL would be aL any greaL dlsLance from all oLher
parLs. lL ls all Lhls you have declded for, 1revlze. Pow can you doubL LhaL
you have chosen well?"
1revlze's head was benL ln LhoughL. llnally, he looked up and sald, l
may have chosen well, buL l musL be convlnced of LhaL. 1he declslon l
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
102
have made lL Lhe mosL lmporLanL ln Lhe hlsLory of humanlLy and lL ls noL
enough LhaL lL be a good one. l musL know lL Lo be a good one."
WhaL more do you need Lhan whaL l have Lold you?"
l don'L know, buL l wlll flnd lL on LarLh." Pe spoke wlLh absoluLe
convlcLlon. eloraL sald, Colan, Lhe sLar shows a dlsc." lL dld. 1he
compuLer, busy abouL lLs own affalrs and noL Lhe leasL concerned wlLh
any dlscusslon LhaL mlghL swlrl abouL lL, had been approachlng Lhe sLar
ln sLages, and had reached Lhe dlsLance 1revlze had seL for lL.
1hey conLlnued Lo be well ouLslde Lhe planeLary plane and Lhe
compuLer spllL Lhe screen Lo show each of Lhree small lnner planeLs.
lL was Lhe lnnermosL LhaL had a surface LemperaLure ln Lhe llquld-
waLer range, and LhaL had an oxygen aLmosphere as well. 1revlze walLed
for lLs orblL Lo be compuLed and Lhe flrsL crude esLlmaLe seemed
reasonable. Pe kepL LhaL compuLaLlon golng, for Lhe longer Lhe
planeLary movemenL was observed, Lhe more accuraLe Lhe compuLaLlon
of lLs orblLal elemenLs. 1revlze sald qulLe calmly, We have a hablLable
planeL ln vlew. very llkely hablLable."
Ah." eloraL looked as nearly dellghLed as hls solemn expresslon
would allow.
l'm afrald, Lhough," sald 1revlze, LhaL Lhere's no glanL saLelllLe. ln
facL, no saLelllLe of any klnd has been deLecLed so far. So lL lsn'L LarLh. AL
leasL, noL lf we go by LradlLlon."
uon'L worry abouL LhaL, Colan." sald eloraL. l raLher suspecLed we
weren'L golng Lo encounLer LarLh here when l saw LhaL nelLher of Lhe
gas glanLs had an unusual rlng sysLem."
very well, Lhen," sald 1revlze. 1he nexL sLep ls Lo flnd ouL Lhe
naLure of Lhe llfe lnhablLlng lL. lrom Lhe facL LhaL lL has an oxygen
aLmosphere, we can be absoluLely cerLaln LhaL Lhere ls planL llfe upon lL,
buL-
Anlmal llfe, Loo," sald 8llss abrupLly. And ln quanLlLy."
WhaL?" 1revlze Lurned Lo her.
l can sense lL. Cnly falnLly aL Lhls dlsLance, buL Lhe planeL ls
unquesLlonably noL only hablLable, buL lnhablLed."
33.
1PL lar SLar was ln polar orblL abouL Lhe lorbldden World, aL a
dlsLance greaL enough Lo keep Lhe orblLal perlod aL a llLLle ln excess of
slx days. 1revlze seemed ln no hurry Lo come ouL of orblL.
Slnce Lhe planeL ls lnhablLed," he explalned, and slnce, accordlng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
103
Lo uenlador, lL was once lnhablLed by human belngs who were
Lechnologlcally advanced and who represenL a flrsL wave of SeLLlers-Lhe
so-called Spacers-Lhey may be Lechnologlcally advanced sLlll and may
have no greaL love for us of Lhe second wave who have replaced Lhem. l
would llke Lhem Lo show Lhemselves, so LhaL we can learn a llLLle abouL
Lhem before rlsklng a landlng."
1hey may noL know we are here," sald eloraL.
We would, lf Lhe slLuaLlon were reversed. l musL assume, Lhen, LhaL,
lf Lhey exlsL, Lhey are llkely Lo Lry Lo make conLacL wlLh us. 1hey mlghL
even wanL Lo come ouL and geL us."
8uL lf Lhey dld come ouL afLer us and were Lechnologlcally
advanced, we mlghL be helpless Lo-
l can'L belleve LhaL," sald 1revlze. 1echnologlcal advancemenL ls
noL necessarlly all one plece. 1hey mlghL concelvably be far beyond us ln
some ways, buL lL's clear Lhey don'L lndulge ln lnLersLellar Lravel. lL ls we,
noL Lhey, who have seLLled Lhe Calaxy, and ln all Lhe hlsLory of Lhe
Lmplre, l know of noLhlng LhaL would lndlcaLe LhaL Lhey lefL Lhelr worlds
and made Lhemselves evldenL Lo us. lf Lhey haven'L been space Lravellng,
how could Lhey be expecLed Lo have made serlous advances ln
asLronauLlcs? And lf Lhey haven'L, Lhey can'L posslbly have anyLhlng llke
a gravlLlc shlp. We may be essenLlally unarmed buL even lf Lhey come
lumberlng afLer us wlLh a baLLleshlp, Lhey couldn'L posslbly caLch us. -no,
we wouldn'L be helpless."
1helr advance may be ln menLallcs. lL may be LhaL Lhe Mule was a
Spacer-
1revlze shrugged ln clear lrrlLaLlon. 1he Mule can'L be everyLhlng.
1he Calans have descrlbed hlm as an aberranL Calan. Pe's also been
consldered a random muLanL."
eloraL sald, 1o be sure, Lhere have also been speculaLlons-noL
Laken very serlously, of course-LhaL he was a mechanlcal arLlfacL. A
roboL, ln oLher words, Lhough LhaL word wasn'L used."
lf Lhere ls someLhlng LhaL seems menLally dangerous, we wlll have
Lo depend on 8llss Lo neuLrallze LhaL. She can- ls she asleep now, by Lhe
way?"
She has been," sald eloraL, buL she was sLlrrlng when l came ouL
here."
SLlrrlng, was she? Well, she'll have Lo be awake on shorL noLlce lf
anyLhlng sLarLs happenlng. ?ou'll have Lo see Lo LhaL, !anov."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
104
?es, Colan," sald eloraL quleLly. 1revlze shlfLed hls aLLenLlon Lo Lhe
compuLer. Cne Lhlng LhaL boLhers m1 are Lhe enLry sLaLlons. Crdlnarlly,
Lhey are a sure slgn of a planeL lnhablLed by human belngs wlLh a hlgh
Lechnology. 8uL Lhese-
ls Lhere someLhlng wrong wlLh Lhem?"
Several Lhlngs. ln Lhe flrsL place, Lhey're very archalc. 1hey mlghL be
Lhousands of years old. ln Lhe second, Lhere's no radlaLlon buL
Lhermals."
WhaL are Lhermals?"
1hermal radlaLlon ls glven off by any ob[ecL warmer Lhan lLs
surroundlngs. lL's a famlllar slgnaLure LhaL everyLhlng ylelds and lL
conslsLs of a broad band of radlaLlon followlng a flxed paLLern dependlng
on LemperaLure. 1haL ls whaL Lhe enLry sLaLlons are radlaLlng. lf Lhere
are worklng human devlces aboard Lhe sLaLlons, Lhere ls bound Lo be a
leakage of nonLhermal, nonrandom radlaLlon. Slnce only Lhermals are
presenL we can assume LhaL elLher Lhe sLaLlons are empLy, and have
been, perhaps, for Lhousands of years, or, lf occupled, lL ls by people
wlLh a Lechnology so advanced ln Lhls dlrecLlon LhaL Lhey leak no
radlaLlon."
erhaps," sald eloraL, Lhe planeL has a hlgh clvlllzaLlon, buL Lhe
enLry sLaLlons are empLy because Lhe planeL has been lefL so sLrlcLly
alone for so long by our klnd of SeLLlers LhaL Lhey are no longer
concerned abouL any approach."
erhaps. -Cr perhaps lL ls a lure of some sorL."
8llss enLered, and 1revlze, noLlng her ouL of Lhe corner of hls eyes,
sald grumplly, ?es, here we are."
So l see," sald 8llss, and sLlll ln an unchanged orblL. l can Lell LhaL
much."
eloraL explalned hasLlly. Colan ls belng cauLlous, dear. 1he enLry
sLaLlons seem unoccupled and we're noL sure of Lhe slgnlflcance of
LhaL."
1here's no need Lo worry abouL lL," sald-8llss lndlfferenLly. 1here
are no deLecLable slgns of lnLelllgenL llfe on Lhe planeL we're orblLlng."
1revlze benL an asLonlshed glare aL her. WhaL are you Lalklng
abouL? ?ou sald-
l sald Lhere was anlmal llfe on Lhe planeL, and so Lhere ls, buL where
ln Lhe Calaxy were you LaughL LhaL anlmal llfe necessarlly lmplles human
llfe?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
103
Why dldn'L you say Lhls when you flrsL deLecLed anlmal llfe?"
8ecause aL LhaL dlsLance, l couldn'L Lell. l could barely deLecL Lhe
unmlsLakable wash of anlmal neural acLlvlLy, buL Lhere was no way l
could, aL LhaL lnLenslLy, Lell buLLerflles from human belngs."
And now?"
We're much closer now, and you may have LhoughL l was asleep,
buL l wasn'L-or, aL leasL, only brlefly. l was, Lo use an lnapproprlaLe word,
llsLenlng as hard as l could for any slgn of menLal acLlvlLy complex
enough Lo slgnlfy Lhe presence of lnLelllgence."
And Lhere lsn'L any?"
l would suppose," sald 8llss, wlLh sudden cauLlon, LhaL lf l deLecL
noLhlng aL Lhls dlsLance, Lhere can'L posslbly be more Lhan a few
Lhousand human belngs on Lhe planeL. lf we come closer, l can [udge lL
sLlll more dellcaLely."
Well, LhaL changes Lhlngs," sald 1revlze, wlLh some confuslon.
l suppose," sald 8llss, who looked dlsLlncLly sleepy and, Lherefore,
lrrlLable. ?ou can now dlscard all Lhls buslness of analyzlng radlaLlon
and lnferrlng and deduclng and who knows whaL else you may have
been dolng. My Calan senses do Lhe [ob much more efflclenLly and
surely. erhaps you see whaL l mean when l say lL ls beLLer Lo be a Calan
Lhan an lsolaLe."
1revlze walLed before answerlng, clearly laborlng Lo hold hls Lemper.
When he spoke, lL was wlLh a pollLe, and almosL formal Lone, l am
graLeful Lo you for Lhe lnformaLlon. neverLheless, you musL undersLand
LhaL, Lo use an analogy, Lhe LhoughL of Lhe advanLage of lmprovlng my
sense of smell would be lnsufflclenL moLlve for me Lo declde Lo abandon
my humanlLy and become a bloodhound."
34.
1PL? CCuLu see Lhe lorbldden World now, as Lhey moved below
Lhe cloud layer and drlfLed Lhrough Lhe aLmosphere. lL looked curlously
moLh-eaLen.
1he polar reglons were lcy, as mlghL be expecLed, buL Lhey were noL
large ln exLenL. 1he mounLalnous reglons were barren, wlLh occaslonal
glaclers, buL Lhey were noL large ln exLenL, elLher. 1here were small
deserL areas, well scaLLered.
uLLlng all LhaL aslde, Lhe planeL was, ln poLenLlal, beauLlful. lLs
conLlnenLal areas were qulLe large, buL slnuous, so LhaL Lhere were long
shorellnes, and rlch coasLal plalns of generous exLenL. 1here were lush
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
106
LracLs of boLh Lroplcal and LemperaLe foresLs, rlmmed by grasslands-and
yeL Lhe moLh-eaLen naLure of lL all was evldenL.
ScaLLered Lhrough Lhe foresLs were semlbarren areas, and parLs of
Lhe grasslands were Lhln and sparse.
Some sorL of planL dlsease?" sald eloraL wonderlngly.
no," sald 8llss slowly. SomeLhlng worse Lhan LhaL, and more
permanenL."
l've seen a number of worlds," sald 1revlze, buL noLhlng llke Lhls."
l have seen very few worlds," sald 8llss, buL l Lhlnk Lhe LhoughLs of
Cala and Lhls ls whaL you mlghL expecL of a world from whlch humanlLy
has dlsappeared."
Why?" sald 1revlze.
1hlnk abouL lL," sald 8llss LarLly. no lnhablLed world has a Lrue
ecologlcal balance. LarLh musL have had one orlglnally, for lf LhaL was
Lhe world on whlch humanlLy evolved, Lhere musL have been long ages
when humanlLy dld noL exlsL, or any specles capable of developlng an
advanced Lechnology and Lhe ablllLy Lo modlfy Lhe envlronmenL. ln LhaL
case, a naLural balance-everchanglng, of course-musL have exlsLed. Cn
all oLher lnhablLed worlds, however, human belngs have carefully
Lerraformed Lhelr new envlronmenLs and esLabllshed planL and anlmal
llfe, buL Lhe ecologlcal sysLem Lhey lnLroduce ls bound Lo be unbalanced.
lL would possess only a llmlLed number of specles and only Lhose LhaL
human belngs wanLed, or couldn'L help lnLroduclng-
eloraL sald, ?ou know whaL LhaL remlnds me of? -ardon me, 8llss,
for lnLerrupLlng, buL lL so flLs LhaL l can'L reslsL Lelllng you rlghL now
before l forgeL. 1here's an old creaLlon myLh l once came across, a myLh
ln whlch llfe was formed on a planeL and conslsLed of only a llmlLed
assorLmenL of specles, [usL Lhose useful Lo or pleasanL for humanlLy. 1he
flrsL human belngs Lhen dld someLhlng sllly-never mlnd whaL, old fellow,
because Lhose old myLhs are usually symbollc and only confuslng lf Lhey
are Laken llLerally-and Lhe planeL's soll was cursed. `1horns also and
LhlsLles shall lL brlng forLh Lo Lhee,' ls Lhe way Lhe curse was quoLed
Lhough Lhe passage sounds much beLLer ln Lhe archalc CalacLlc ln whlch
lL was wrlLLen. 1he polnL ls, Lhough, was lL really a curse? 1hlngs human
belngs don'L llke and don'L wanL, such as Lhorns and LhlsLles, may be
needed Lo balance Lhe ecology."
8llss smlled. lL's really amazlng, el, how everyLhlng remlnds you of
a legend, and how lllumlnaLlng Lhey are someLlmes. Puman belngs, ln
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
107
Lerraformlng a world, leave ouL Lhe Lhorns and LhlsLles, whaLever Lhey
may be, and human belngs Lhen have Lo labor Lo keep Lhe world golng. lL
lsn'L a self-supporLlng organlsm as Cala ls. lL ls raLher a mlscellaneous
collecLlon of lsolaLes and Lhe collecLlon lsn'L mlscellaneous enough Lo
allow Lhe ecologlcal balance Lo perslsL lndeflnlLely. lf humanlLy
dlsappears, and lf lLs guldlng hands are removed, Lhe world's paLLern of
llfe lnevlLably beglns Lo fall aparL. 1he planeL unLerraforms lLself."
1revlze sald skepLlcally, lf LhaL's whaL's happenlng, lL doesn'L
happen qulckly. 1hls world may have been free of human belngs for
LwenLy Lhousand years and yeL mosL of lL sLlll seems Lo be very much a
golng concern."
Surely," sald 8llss, LhaL depends on how well Lhe ecologlcal balance
was seL up ln Lhe flrsL place. lf lL ls a falrly good balance Lo begln wlLh, lL
mlghL lasL for a long Llme wlLhouL human belngs. AfLer all, LwenLy
Lhousand years, Lhough very long ln Lerms of human affalrs, ls [usL
overnlghL when compared Lo a planeLary llfeLlme."
l suppose," sald eloraL, sLarlng lnLenLly aL Lhe planeLary vlsLa, LhaL
lf Lhe planeL ls degeneraLlng, we can be sure LhaL Lhe human belngs are
gone."
8llss sald, l sLlll deLecL no menLal acLlvlLy aL Lhe human level and l
am wllllng Lo suppose LhaL Lhe planeL ls safely free of humanlLy. 1here ls
Lhe sLeady hum and buzz of lower levels of consclousness, however,
levels hlgh enough Lo represenL blrds and mammals. !usL Lhe same, l'm
noL sure LhaL unLerraformlng ls enough Lo show human belngs are gone.
A planeL mlghL deLerloraLe even lf human belngs exlsLed upon lL, lf Lhe
socleLy were lLself abnormal and dld noL undersLand Lhe lmporLance of
preservlng Lhe envlronmenL."
Surely," sald eloraL, such a socleLy would qulckly be desLroyed. l
don'L Lhlnk lL would be posslble for human belngs Lo fall Lo undersLand
Lhe lmporLance of reLalnlng Lhe very facLors LhaL are keeplng Lhem
allve."
8llss sald, l don'L have your pleasanL falLh ln human reason, el. lL
seems Lo me Lo be qulLe concelvable LhaL when a planeLary socleLy
conslsLs only of lsolaLes, local and even lndlvldual concerns mlghL easlly
be allowed Lo overcome planeLary concerns."
l don'L Lhlnk LhaL's concelvable," sald 1revlze, anymore Lhan
eloraL does. ln facL, slnce human-occupled worlds exlsL by Lhe mllllon
and none of Lhem have deLerloraLed ln an unLerraformlng fashlon, your
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
108
fear of lsolaLlsm may be exaggeraLed, 8llss."
1he shlp now moved ouL of Lhe dayllL hemlsphere lnLo Lhe nlghL. 1he
effecL was LhaL of a rapldly deepenlng LwlllghL, and Lhen uLLer darkness
ouLslde, excepL for sLarllghL where Lhe sky was clear. 1he shlp
malnLalned lLs helghL by accuraLely monlLorlng Lhe aLmospherlc pressure
and gravlLaLlonal lnLenslLy. 1hey were aL a helghL Loo greaL Lo encounLer
any upLhrusLlng mounLalnous masslf, for Lhe planeL was aL a sLage when
mounLaln-bulldlng had noL recenLly Laken place. SLlll, Lhe compuLer felL
lLs way forward wlLh lLs mlcrowave flnger-Llps, [usL ln case.
1revlze regarded Lhe velveLy darkness and sald, LhoughLfully,
Somehow whaL l flnd mosL convlnclng as Lhe slgn of a deserLed planeL
ls Lhe absence of vlslble llghL on Lhe dark slde. no Lechnologlcal socleLy
could posslbly endure darkness. -As soon as we geL lnLo Lhe dayslde,
we'll go lower."
WhaL would be Lhe use of LhaL?" sald eloraL. 1here's noLhlng
Lhere."
Who sald Lhere's noLhlng Lhere?"
8llss dld. And you dld."
no, !anov. l sald Lhere's no radlaLlon of Lechnologlcal orlgln and
8llss sald Lhere's no slgn of human menLal acLlvlLy, buL LhaL doesn'L
mean Lhere's noLhlng Lhere. Lven lf Lhere are no human belngs on Lhe
planeL, Lhere would surely be rellcs of some sorL. l'm afLer lnformaLlon,
!anov, and Lhe remalnders of a Lechnology may have lLs uses ln LhaL
dlrecLlon."
AfLer LwenLy Lhousand years?" eloraL's volce cllmbed ln plLch.
WhaL do you Lhlnk can survlve LwenLy Lhousand years? 1here wlll be no
fllms, no paper, no prlnL, meLal wlll have rusLed, wood wlll have
decayed, plasLlc wlll be ln shaLLered gralns. Lven sLone wlll have
crumbled and eroded."
lL may noL be LwenLy Lhousand years," sald 1revlze paLlenLly. l
menLloned LhaL Llme as Lhe longesL perlod Lhe planeL may have been lefL
empLy of human belngs because Comporelllan legend has Lhls world
flourlshlng aL LhaL Llme. 8uL suppose Lhe lasL human belngs had dled or
vanlshed or fled only a Lhousand years ago."
1hey arrlved aL Lhe oLher end of Lhe nlghLslde and Lhe dawn came
and brlghLened lnLo sunllghL almosL lnsLanLaneously. 1he lar SLar sank
downward and slowed lLs progress unLll Lhe deLalls of Lhe land surface
were clearly vlslble. 1he small lslands LhaL doLLed Lhe conLlnenLal shores
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
109
could now be clearly seen. MosL were green wlLh vegeLaLlon.
1revlze sald, lL's my ldea LhaL we oughL Lo sLudy Lhe spolled areas
parLlcularly. lL seems Lo me LhaL Lhose places where human belngs were
mosL concenLraLed would be where Lhe ecologlcal balance was mosL
lacklng. 1hose areas mlghL be Lhe nucleus of Lhe spreadlng bllghL of
unLerraformlng. WhaL do you Lhlnk, 8llss?"
lL's posslble. ln any case, ln Lhe absence of deflnlLe knowledge, we
mlghL as well look where lL's easlesL Lo see. 1he grasslands and foresL
would have swallowed mosL slgns of human hablLaLlon so LhaL looklng
Lhere mlghL prove a wasLe of Llme."
lL sLrlkes me," sald eloraL, LhaL a world mlghL evenLually esLabllsh
a balance wlLh whaL lL has, LhaL new specles mlghL develop, and LhaL Lhe
bad areas mlghL be recolonlzed on a new basls."
osslbly, el," sald 8llss. lL depends on how badly ouL of balance
Lhe world was ln Lhe flrsL place. And for a world Lo heal lLself and
achleve a new balance Lhrough evoluLlon would Lake far more Lhan
LwenLy Lhousand years. We'd be Lalklng mllllons of years."
1he lar SLar was no longer clrcllng Lhe world. lL was drlfLlng slowly
across a flve-hundred-kllomeLer-wlde sLreLch of scaLLered heaLh and
furze, wlLh occaslonal clumps of Lrees.
WhaL do you Lhlnk of LhaL?" sald 1revlze suddenly, polnLlng. 1he
shlp came Lo a drlfLlng halL and hovered ln mld-alr. 1here was a low, buL
perslsLenL, hum as Lhe gravlLlc englnes shlfLed lnLo hlgh, neuLrallzlng Lhe
planeLary gravlLaLlonal fleld almosL enLlrely.
1here was noLhlng much Lo see where 1revlze polnLed. 1umbled
mounds bearlng soll and sparse grass were all LhaL was vlslble.
lL doesn'L look llke anyLhlng Lo me," sald eloraL.
1here's a sLralghL-llne arrangemenL Lo LhaL [unk. arallel llnes, and
you can make ouL some falnL llnes aL rlghL angles, Loo. See? See? ?ou
can'L geL LhaL ln any naLural formaLlon. 1haL's human archlLecLure,
marklng ouL foundaLlons and walls, [usL as clearly as Lhough Lhey were
sLlll sLandlng Lhere Lo be looked aL."
Suppose lL ls," sald eloraL. 1haL's [usL a ruln. lf we're golng Lo do
archeologlcal research, we're golng Lo have Lo dlg and dlg. rofesslonals
would Lake years Lo do lL properly-
?es, buL we can'L Lake Lhe Llme Lo do lL properly. 1haL may be Lhe
falnL ouLllne of an anclenL clLy and someLhlng of lL may sLlll be sLandlng.
LeL's follow Lhose llnes and see where Lhey Lake us."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
110
lL was Loward one end of Lhe area, aL a place where Lhe Lrees were
somewhaL more Lhlckly clumped, LhaL Lhey came Lo sLandlng walls-or
parLlally sLandlng ones.
1revlze sald, Cood enough for a beglnnlng. We're landlng."
Chapter W

laclng Lhe ack

33.

1PL lar SLar came Lo resL aL Lhe boLLom of a small rlse, a hlll ln Lhe
generally flaL counLryslde. AlmosL wlLhouL LhoughL, 1revlze had Laken lL
for granLed LhaL lL would be besL for Lhe shlp noL Lo be vlslble for mlles ln
every dlrecLlon.
Pe sald, 1he LemperaLure ouLslde ls 24 C., Lhe wlnd ls abouL eleven
kllomeLers per hour from Lhe wesL, and lL ls parLly cloudy. 1he compuLer
does noL know enough abouL Lhe general alr clrculaLlon Lo be able Lo
predlcL Lhe weaLher. Powever, slnce Lhe humldlLy ls some forLy percenL,
lL seems scarcely abouL Lo raln. Cn Lhe whole, we seem Lo have chosen a
comforLable laLlLude or season of Lhe year, and afLer Comporellon LhaL's
a pleasure."
l suppose," sald eloraL, LhaL as Lhe planeL conLlnues Lo
unLerraform, Lhe weaLher wlll become more exLreme."
l'm sure of LhaL," sald 8llss.
8e as sure as you llke," sald 1revlze. We have Lhousands of years of
leeway. 8lghL now, lL's sLlll a pleasanL planeL and wlll conLlnue Lo be so
for our llfeLlmes and far beyond."
Pe was clasplng a broad belL abouL hls walsL as he spoke, and 8llss
sald sharply, WhaL's LhaL, 1revlze?"
!usL my old navy Lralnlng," sald 1revlze. l'm noL golng lnLo an
unknown world unarmed."
Are you serlously lnLendlng Lo carry weapons?"
AbsoluLely. Pere on my rlghL"-he slapped a holsLer LhaL conLalned a
masslve weapon wlLh a broad muzzle-ls my blasLer, and here on my
lefL"-a smaller weapon wlLh a Lhln muzzle LhaL conLalned no openlng-ls
my neuronlc whlp."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
111
1wo varleLles of murder," sald 8llss, wlLh dlsLasLe.
Cnly one. 1he blasLer kllls. 1he neuronlc whlp doesn'L. lL [usL
sLlmulaLes Lhe paln nerves, and lL hurLs so LhaL you can wlsh you were
dead, l'm Lold. lorLunaLely, l've never been aL Lhe wrong end of one."
Why are you Laklng Lhem?"
l Lold you. lL's an enemy world."
1revlze, lL's an empLy world."
ls lL? 1here's no Lechnologlcal socleLy, lL would seem, buL whaL lf
Lhere are posL-Lechnologlcal prlmlLlves. 1hey may noL possess anyLhlng
worse Lhan clubs or rocks, buL Lhose can klll, Loo."
8llss looked exasperaLed, buL lowered her volce ln an efforL Lo be
reasonable. l deLecL no human neuronlc acLlvlLy, 1revlze. 1haL
ellmlnaLes prlmlLlves of any Lype, posL-Lechnologlcal or oLherwlse."
1hen l won'L have Lo use my weapons," sald 1revlze. SLlll, whaL
harm would Lhere be ln carrylng Lhem? 1hey'll [usL make me a llLLle
heavler, and slnce Lhe gravlLaLlonal pull aL Lhe surface ls abouL nlneLy-
one percenL LhaL of 1ermlnus, l can afford Lhe welghL. -LlsLen, Lhe shlp
may be unarmed as a shlp, buL lL has a reasonable supply of hand-
weapons. l suggesL LhaL you Lwo also-
no," sald 8llss aL once. l wlll noL make even a gesLure ln Lhe
dlrecLlon of kllllng-or of lnfllcLlng paln, elLher."
lL's noL a quesLlon of kllllng, buL of avoldlng belng kllled, lf you see
whaL l mean."
l can proLecL myself ln my own way."
!anov?"
eloraL heslLaLed. We dldn'L have arms on Comporellon."
Come, !anov, Comporellon was a known quanLlLy, a world
assoclaLed wlLh Lhe loundaLlon. 8esldes we were aL once Laken lnLo
cusLody. lf we had had weapons, Lhey would have been Laken away. uo
you wanL a blasLer?"
eloraL shook hls head. l've never been ln Lhe navy, old chap. l
wouldn'L know how Lo use one of Lhose Lhlngs and, ln an emergency, l
would never Lhlnk of lL ln Llme. l'd [usL run and-and geL kllled."
?ou won'L geL kllled, el," sald 8llss energeLlcally. Cala has you ln
my/our/lLs proLecLlon, and LhaL posLurlng naval hero as well."
1revlze sald, Cood. l have no ob[ecLlon Lo belng proLecLed, buL l am
noL posLurlng. l am slmply maklng assurance doubly sure, and lf l never
have Lo make a move Loward Lhese Lhlngs, l'll be compleLely pleased, l
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
112
promlse you. SLlll l musL have Lhem."
Pe paLLed boLh weapons affecLlonaLely and sald, now leL's sLep ouL
on Lhls world whlch may noL have felL Lhe welghL of human belngs upon
lLs surface for Lhousands of years."
36.
l PAvL a feellng," sald eloraL, LhaL lL musL be raLher laLe ln Lhe
day, buL Lhe sun ls hlgh enough Lo make lL near noon, perhaps."
l suspecL," sald 1revlze, looklng abouL Lhe quleL panorama, LhaL
your feellng orlglnaLes ouL of Lhe sun's orange LlnL, whlch glves lL a
sunseL feel. lf we're sLlll here aL acLual sunseL and Lhe cloud formaLlons
are proper, we oughL Lo experlence a deeper red Lhan we're used Lo. l
don'L know wheLher you'll flnd lL beauLlful or depresslng. -lor LhaL
maLLer lL was probably even more exLreme on Comporellon, buL Lhere
we were lndoors vlrLually all Lhe Llme."
Pe Lurned slowly, conslderlng Lhe surroundlngs ln all dlrecLlons. ln
addlLlon Lo Lhe almosL subllmlnal oddness of Lhe llghL, Lhere was Lhe
dlsLlncLlve smell of Lhe world-or Lhls secLlon of lL. lL seemed a llLLle
musLy, buL far from acLlvely unpleasanL.
1he Lrees nearby were of mlddllng helghL, and looked old, wlLh
gnarled bark and Lrunks a llLLle off Lhe verLlcal, Lhough because of a
prevalllng wlnd or someLhlng off-color abouL Lhe soll he couldn'L Lell.
Was lL Lhe Lrees LhaL lenL a somehow menaclng amblence Lo Lhe world
or was lL someLhlng else-less maLerlal?
8llss sald, WhaL do you lnLend Lo do, 1revlze? Surely we dldn'L come
all Lhls dlsLance Lo en[oy Lhe vlew?"
1revlze sald, AcLually, perhaps LhaL oughL Lo be my parL of lL [usL
now. l would suggesL LhaL !anov explore Lhls place. 1here are rulns off ln
LhaL dlrecLlon and he's Lhe one who can [udge Lhe value of any records
he mlghL flnd. l lmaglne he can undersLand wrlLlngs or fllms ln archalc
CalacLlc and l know qulLe well l wouldn'L. And l suppose, 8llss, you wanL
Lo go wlLh hlm ln order Lo proLecL hlm. As for me, l wlll sLay here as a
guard on Lhe ouLer rlm."
A guard agalnsL whaL? rlmlLlves wlLh rocks and clubs?"
erhaps." And Lhen Lhe smlle LhaL had hovered abouL hls llps faded
and he sald, Cddly enough, 8llss, l'm a llLLle uneasy abouL Lhls place. l
can'L say why."
eloraL sald, Come, 8llss. l've been a home-body collecLor of old
Lales all my llfe, so l've never acLually puL my hands on anclenL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
113
documenLs. !usL lmaglne lf we could flnd-
1revlze waLched Lhem walk away, eloraL's volce fadlng as he walked
eagerly Loward Lhe rulns, 8llss swlnglng along aL hls slde.
1revlze llsLened absenLly and Lhen Lurned back Lo conLlnue hls sLudy
of Lhe surroundlngs. WhaL could Lhere be Lo rouse apprehenslon?
Pe had never acLually seL fooL upon a world wlLhouL a human
populaLlon, buL he had vlewed many from space. usually, Lhey were
small worlds, noL large enough Lo hold elLher waLer or alr, buL Lhey had
been useful as marklng a meeLlng slLe durlng naval maneuvers (Lhere
had been no war ln hls llfeLlme, or for a cenLury before hls blrLh buL
maneuvers wenL on), or as an exerclse ln slmulaLed emergency repalrs.
Shlps he had been on had been ln orblL abouL such worlds, or had even
resLed on Lhem, buL he had never had occaslon Lo sLep off Lhe shlps aL
Lhose Llmes.
Was lL LhaL he was now acLually sLandlng on an empLy world? Would
he have felL Lhe same lf he had been sLandlng on one of Lhe many small,
alrless worlds he had encounLered ln hls sLudenL days-and even slnce?
Pe shook hls head. lL wouldn'L have boLhered hlm. Pe was sure of
LhaL. Pe would have been ln a space sulL, as he had been lnnumerable
Llmes when he was free of hls shlp ln space. lL was a famlllar slLuaLlon
and conLacL wlLh a mere lump of rock would have produced no
alLeraLlon ln Lhe famlllarlLy. Surely!
Cf course- Pe was noL wearlng a space sulL now.
Pe was sLandlng on a hablLable world, as comforLable Lo Lhe feel as
1ermlnus would be-far more comforLable Lhan Comporellon had been.
Pe experlenced Lhe wlnd agalnsL hls cheek, Lhe warmLh of Lhe sun on hls
back, Lhe rusLle of vegeLaLlon ln hls ears. LveryLhlng was famlllar, excepL
LhaL Lhere were no human belngs on lL-aL leasL, noL any longer.
Was LhaL lL? Was lL LhaL LhaL made Lhe world seem so eerle? Was lL
LhaL lL was noL merely an unlnhablLed world, buL a deserLed one?
Pe had never been on a deserLed world before, never heard of a
deserLed world before, never LhoughL a world could be deserLed. All Lhe
worlds he had known of Llll now, once Lhey had been populaLed by
human belngs, remalned so populaLed forever.
Pe looked up Loward Lhe sky. noLhlng else had deserLed lL. An
occaslonal blrd flew across hls llne of vlslon, seemlng more naLural,
somehow, Lhan Lhe slaLe-blue sky beLween Lhe orange-LlnLed falr-
weaLher clouds. (1revlze was cerLaln LhaL, glven a few days on Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
114
planeL, he would become accusLomed Lo Lhe off-color so LhaL sky and
clouds would grow Lo seem normal Lo hlm.)
Pe heard blrdsongs from Lhe Lrees, and Lhe sofLer nolse of lnsecLs.
8llss had menLloned buLLerflles earller and here Lhey were-ln surprlslng
numbers and ln several colorful varleLles.
1here were also occaslonal rusLllngs ln Lhe clumps of grass LhaL
surrounded Lhe Lrees, buL he could noL qulLe make ouL whaL was causlng
Lhem.
nor dld Lhe obvlous presence of llfe ln hls vlclnlLy rouse fear ln hlm.
As 8llss had sald, Lerraformed worlds had, from Lhe very flrsL, lacked
dangerous anlmals. 1he falry Lales of chlldhood, and Lhe herolc fanLasles
of hls Leenage years were lnvarlably seL on a legendary world LhaL musL
have been derlved from Lhe vague myLhs of LarLh. 1he hyperdrama
holoscreen had been fllled wlLh monsLers-llons, unlcorns, dragons,
whales, bronLosaurs, bears. 1here were dozens of Lhem wlLh names he
could noL remember, some of Lhem surely myLhlcal, and perhaps all of
Lhem. 1here were smaller anlmals LhaL blL and sLung, even planLs LhaL
were fearful Lo Lhe Louch-buL only ln flcLlon. Pe had once heard LhaL
prlmlLlve honeybees were able Lo sLlng, buL cerLalnly no red bees were
ln any way harmful.
Slowly, he walked Lo Lhe rlghL, sklrLlng Lhe border of Lhe hlll. 1he
grass was Lall and rank, buL sparse, growlng ln clumps. Pe made hls way
among Lhe Lrees, also growlng ln clumps.
1hen he yawned. CerLalnly, noLhlng exclLlng was happenlng, and he
wondered lf he mlghL noL reLreaL Lo Lhe shlp and Lake a nap. no,
unLhlnkable. Clearly, he had Lo sLand on guard.
erhaps he oughL Lo do senLry duLy-marchlng, one, Lwo, one Lwo,
swlnglng abouL wlLh a snap and performlng compllcaLed maneuverlngs
wlLh a parade elecLro-rod. (lL was a weapon no warrlor had used ln Lhree
cenLurles, buL lL was sLlll absoluLely essenLlal aL drlll, for no reason
anyone could ever advance.)
Pe grlnned aL Lhe LhoughL of lL, Lhen wondered lf he oughL Lo [oln
eloraL and 8llss ln Lhe rulns. Why? WhaL good would he do?
Suppose he saw someLhlng LhaL eloraL had happened Lo overlook? -
Well, Llme enough Lo make Lhe aLLempL afLer eloraL reLurned. lf Lhere
was anyLhlng LhaL mlghL be found easlly, by all means leL eloraL make
Lhe dlscovery.
MlghL Lhe Lwo be ln Lrouble? loollsh! WhaL posslble klnd of Lrouble?
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
113
And lf Lhere were Lrouble, Lhey would call ouL.
Pe sLopped Lo llsLen. Pe heard noLhlng.
And Lhen Lhe lrreslsLlble LhoughL of senLry duLy recurred Lo hlm and
h1 found hlmself marchlng, feeL movlng up and down wlLh a sLamp, an
lmaglnary elecLro-rod comlng off one shoulder, whlrllng, and belng held
ouL sLralghL before hlm, exacLly verLlcal-whlrllng agaln, end over end,
and back over Lhe oLher shoulder. 1hen, wlLh a smarL abouL-face, he was
looklng Loward Lhe shlp (raLher far-off now) once more.
And when he dld LhaL, he froze ln reallLy, and noL ln senLry make-
belleve.
Pe was noL alone.
unLll Lhen, he had noL seen any llvlng creaLure oLher Lhan planL
growl lnsecLs, and an occaslonal blrd. Pe had nelLher seen nor heard
anyLhlng approach-buL now an anlmal sLood beLween hlm and Lhe shlp.
Sheer surprlse aL Lhe unexpecLed evenL deprlved hlm, for a momenL,
of Lhe ablllLy Lo lnLerpreL whaL he saw. lL was noL Llll afLer a percepLlble
lnLerval LhaL he knew whaL he was looklng aL.
lL was only a dog.
1revlze was noL a dog person. Pe had never owned a dog and he felL
no surge of frlendllness Loward one when he encounLered lL. Pe felL no
such surge Lhls Llme, elLher. Pe LhoughL, raLher lmpaLlenLly, LhaL Lhere
was no world on whlch Lhese creaLures had noL accompanled men. 1hey
exlsLed ln counLless varleLles and 1revlze had long had Lhe weary
lmpresslon LhaL each world had aL leasL one varleLy characLerlsLlc of
lLself. neverLheless, all varleLles were consLanL ln Lhls: wheLher Lhey
were kepL for enLerLalnmenL, show, or some form of useful work-Lhey
were bred Lo love and LrusL human belngs.
lL was a love and LrusL 1revlze had never appreclaLed. Pe had once
llved wlLh a woman who had had a dog. 1haL dog, whom 1revlze
LoleraLed for Lhe sake of Lhe woman, concelved a deep-seaLed adoraLlon
for hlm, followed hlm abouL, leaned agalnsL hlm when relaxlng (all flfLy
pounds of hlm), covered hlm wlLh sallva and halr aL unexpecLed
momenLs, and squaLLed ouLslde Lhe door and moaned whenever he and
Lhe woman were Lrylng Lo engage ln sex.
lrom LhaL experlence, 1revlze had emerged wlLh Lhe flrm convlcLlon
LhaL for some reason known only Lo Lhe canlne mlnd and lLs odor-
analyzlng ablllLy, he was a flxed ob[ecL of dogglsh devoLlon.
1herefore, once Lhe lnlLlal surprlse was over, he surveyed Lhe dog
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
116
wlLhouL concern. lL was a large dog, lean and rangy, and wlLh long legs. lL
was sLarlng aL hlm wlLh no obvlous slgn of adoraLlon. lLs mouLh was
open ln whaL mlghL have been Laken as a welcomlng grln, buL Lhe LeeLh
dlsplayed were somehow large and dangerous, and 1revlze declded LhaL
he would be more comforLable wlLhouL Lhe dog ln hls llne of vlew.
lL occurred Lo hlm, Lhen, LhaL Lhe dog had never seen a human belng,
and LhaL counLless canlne generaLlons precedlng had never seen one.
1he dog mlghL have been as asLonlshed and uncerLaln aL Lhe sudden
appearance of a human belng as 1revlze had been aL LhaL of Lhe dog.
1revlze, aL leasL, had qulckly recognlzed Lhe dog for whaL lL was, buL Lhe
dog dld noL have LhaL advanLage. lL was sLlll puzzled, and perhaps
alarmed.
Clearly, lL would noL be safe Lo leave an anlmal LhaL large, and wlLh
such LeeLh, ln an alarmed sLaLe. 1revlze reallzed LhaL lL would be
necessary Lo esLabllsh a frlendshlp aL once.
very slowly, he approached Lhe dog (no sudden moLlons, of course).
Pe held ouL hls hand, ready Lo allow lL Lo be snlffed, and made sofL,
sooLhlng sounds, mosL of whlch conslsLed of nlce doggy"-someLhlng he
found lnLensely embarrasslng.
1he dog, eyes flxed on 1revlze, backed away a sLep or Lwo, as Lhough
ln dlsLrusL, and Lhen lLs upper llp wrlnkled lnLo a snarl and from lLs
mouLh Lhere lssued a rasplng growl. AlLhough 1revlze had never seen a
dog behave so, Lhere was no way of lnLerpreLlng Lhe acLlon as
represenLlng anyLhlng buL menace.
1revlze Lherefore sLopped advanclng and froze. Pls eyes caughL
moLlon Lo one slde, and hls head Lurned slowly. 1here were Lwo oLher
dogs advanclng from LhaL dlrecLlon. 1hey looked [usL as deadly as Lhe
flrsL.
ueadly? 1haL ad[ecLlve occurred Lo hlm only now, and lLs dreadful
approprlaLeness was unmlsLakable.
Pls hearL was suddenly poundlng. 1he way Lo Lhe shlp was blocked.
Pe could noL run almlessly, for Lhose long canlne legs would reach hlm ln
yards. lf he sLood hls ground and used hls blasLer, Lhen whlle he kllled
one, Lhe oLher Lwo would be upon hlm. Cff ln Lhe dlsLance, he could see
oLher dogs approachlng. Was Lhere some way ln whlch Lhey
communlcaLed? uld Lhey hunL ln packs?
Slowly, he shlfLed ground lefLward, ln a dlrecLlon ln whlch Lhere were
no dogs-as yeL. Slowly. Slowly.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
117
1he dogs shlfLed ground wlLh hlm. Pe felL cerLaln LhaL all LhaL saved
hlm from lnsLanL aLLack was Lhe facL LhaL Lhe dogs had never seen or
smelled anyLhlng llke hlmself before. 1hey had no esLabllshed behavlor
paLLern Lhey could follow ln hls case.
lf he ran, of course, LhaL would represenL someLhlng famlllar Lo Lhe
dogs. 1hey would know whaL Lo do lf someLhlng Lhe slze of 1revlze
showed fear and ran. 1hey would run, Loo. lasLer.
1revlze kepL sldllng Loward a Lree. Pe had Lhe wlldesL deslre Lo move
upward where Lhe dogs could noL follow. 1hey moved wlLh hlm, snarllng
sofLly, comlng closer. All Lhree had Lhelr eyes flxed unwlnklngly upon
hlm. 1wo more were [olnlng Lhem and, farLher off, 1revlze could see sLlll
oLher [ dogs approachlng. AL some polnL, when he was close enough, he
would have Lo make Lhe dash. Pe could noL walL Loo long, or run Loo
soon. LlLher mlghL be faLal.
now!
Pe probably seL a personal record for acceleraLlon and even so lL was
a near Lhlng. Pe felL Lhe snap of [aws close on Lhe heel of one fooL, and
for [usL momenL he was held fasL before Lhe LeeLh slld off Lhe Lough
ceramold.
Pe was noL skllled aL cllmblng Lrees. Pe had noL cllmbed one slnce he
was Len and, as he recalled, LhaL had been a clumsy efforL. ln Lhls case,
Lhough, Lhe Lrunk was noL qulLe verLlcal, and Lhe bark was gnarled and
offered handholds. WhaL was more, he was drlven by necesslLy, and lL ls
remarkable whaL one can do lf Lhe need ls greaL enough.
1revlze found hlmself slLLlng ln a croLch, perhaps Len meLers above
ground. lor Lhe momenL he was LoLally unaware LhaL he had scraped
hand and LhaL lL was oozlng blood. AL Lhe base of Lhe Lree, flve dogs now
on Lhelr haunches, sLarlng upward, Longues lolllng, all looklng paLlenLly
expecLanL.
WhaL now?
37.
18LvlZL was noL ln a poslLlon Lo Lhlnk abouL Lhe slLuaLlon ln loglcal
deLall. 8aLher, he experlenced flashes of LhoughL ln odd and dlsLorLed
sequence whlch, lf he had evenLually sorLed Lhem ouL, would have come
Lo Lhls-
8llss had earller malnLalned LhaL ln Lerraformlng a planeL, human
Map would esLabllsh an unbalanced economy, whlch Lhey would be able
Lo keep from falllng aparL only by unendlng efforL. lor lnsLance, no
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
118
SeLLlers had broughL wlLh Lhem any of Lhe large predaLors. Small ones
could noL be helped. lnsecLs, paraslLes-even small hawks, shrews, and so
on.
1hose dramaLlc anlmals of legend and vague llLerary accounLs-Llgers,
grlzzly bears, orcs, crocodlles? Who would carry Lhem from world Lo
world even lf Lhere were sense Lo lL? And where would Lhere be sense Lo
lL? lL meanL LhaL human belngs were Lhe only large predaLors, and lL was
up Lo Lhem Lo cull Lhose planLs and anlmals LhaL, lefL Lo Lhemselves,
would smoLher ln Lhelr own overplenLy.
And lf human belngs somehow vanlshed, Lhen oLher predaLors musL
Lake Lhelr place. 8uL whaL predaLors? 1he mosL slzable predaLors
LoleraLed by human belngs were dogs and caLs, Lamed and llvlng on
human bounLy.
WhaL lf no human belngs remalned Lo feed Lhem? 1hey musL Lhen
flnd Lhelr own food-for Lhelr survlval and, ln all LruLh, for Lhe survlval of
Lhose Lhey preyed on, whose numbers had Lo be kepL ln check lesL
overpopulaLlon do a hundred Llmes Lhe damage LhaL predaLlons would
do.
So dogs would mulLlply, ln Lhelr varlaLlons, wlLh Lhe large ones
aLLacklng Lhe large, unLended herblvores, Lhe smaller ones preylng on
blrds and rodenLs. CaLs would prey by nlghL as dogs dld by day, Lhe
former slngly, Lhe laLLer ln packs.
And perhaps evoluLlon would evenLually produce more varleLles, Lo
flll addlLlonal envlronmenLal nlches. Would some dogs evenLually
develop seagolng characLerlsLlcs Lo enable Lhem Lo llve on flsh, and
would some caLs develop glldlng ablllLles Lo hunL Lhe clumsler blrds ln
Lhe alr as well as on Lhe ground?
ln flashes, all Lhls came Lo 1revlze whlle he sLruggled wlLh more
sysLemaLlc LhoughL Lo Lell hlm whaL he mlghL do.
1he number of dogs kepL growlng. Pe counLed LwenLy-Lhree now
surroundlng Lhe Lree and Lhere were oLhers approachlng. Pow large was
Lhe pack? WhaL dld lL maLLer? lL was large enough already.
Pe wlLhdrew hls blasLer from lLs holsLer, buL Lhe solld feel of Lhe buLL
ln hls hand dld noL glve hlm Lhe sense of securlLy he would have llked.
When had he lasL lnserLed an energy unlL lnLo lL and how many charges
could he flre? Surely noL LwenLy-Lhree.
WhaL abouL eloraL and 8llss? lf Lhey emerged, would Lhe dogs Lurn
on Lhem? Were Lhey safe even lf Lhey dld noL emerge? lf Lhe dogs
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
119
sensed Lhe presence of Lwo human belngs lnslde Lhe rulns, whaL could
sLop Lhem from aLLacklng Lhem Lhere? Surely Lhere would be no doors
or barrlers Lo hold Lhem off.
Could 8llss sLop Lhem, and even drlve Lhem away? Could she
concenLraLe her powers Lhrough hyperspace Lo Lhe deslred plLch of
lnLenslLy? lor how long could she malnLaln Lhem?
Should he call for help Lhen? Would Lhey come runnlng lf he yelled,
and would Lhe dogs flee under 8llss's glare? (Would lL Lake a glare or
was lL slmply a menLal acLlon undeLecLable Lo onlookers wlLhouL Lhe
ablllLy?) Cr, lf Lhey appeared, would Lhey Lhen be Lorn aparL under Lhe
eyes of 1revlze, who would be forced Lo waLch, helplessly, from Lhe
relaLlve safeLy of hls posL ln Lhe Lree?
no, he would have Lo use hls blasLer. lf he could klll one dog and
frlghLen Lhem off for [usL a whlle, he could scramble down Lhe Lree, yell
for eloraL and 8llss, klll a second dog lf Lhey showed slgns of reLurnlng,
and all Lhree could Lhen husLle lnLo Lhe shlp.
Pe ad[usLed Lhe lnLenslLy of Lhe mlcrowave beam Lo Lhe Lhree-
quarLeL mark. 1haL should be ample Lo klll a dog wlLh a loud reporL. 1he
reporL would serve Lo frlghLen Lhe dogs away, and he would be
conservlng energy.
Pe almed carefully aL a dog ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe pack, one who
seemed (ln 1revlze's own lmaglnaLlon, aL leasL) Lo exude a greaLer
mallgnancy Lhan Lhe resL-perhaps only because he saL more quleLly and,
Lherefore, seemed more cold-bloodedly lnLenL on hls prey. 1he dog was
sLarlng dlrecLly aL Lhe weapon now, as Lhough lL scorned Lhe worsL
1revlze could do.
lL occurred Lo 1revlze LhaL he had never hlmself flred a blasLer aL a
human belng, or seen anyone else do lL. 1here had been flrlng aL waLer-
fllled dummles of leaLher and plasLlc durlng Lralnlng, wlLh Lhe waLer
almosL lnsLanLaneously heaLed Lo Lhe bolllng polnL, and shreddlng Lhe
coverlng as lL exploded.
8uL who, ln Lhe absence of war, would flre aL a human belng? And
whaL human belng would wlLhsLand a blasLer and force lLs use? Cnly
here, on
world made paLhologlcal by Lhe dlsappearance of human belngs-
WlLh LhaL odd ablllLy of Lhe braln Lo noLe someLhlng uLLerly beslde
Lhe polnL, 1revlze was aware of Lhe facL LhaL a cloud had hldden Lhe sun-
and Lhen he flred.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
120
1here was an odd shlmmer of Lhe aLmosphere on a sLralghL llne from
Lhe muzzle of Lhe blasLer Lo Lhe dog, a vague sparkle LhaL mlghL have
gone unnoLlced lf Lhe sun were sLlll shlnlng unhlndered.
1he dog musL have felL Lhe lnlLlal surge of heaL, and made Lhe
smallesL moLlon as Lhough lL were abouL Lo leap. And Lhen lL exploded,
as a porLlon lLs blood and cellular conLenLs vaporlzed.
1he exploslon made a dlsappolnLlngly small nolse, for Lhe dog's
lnLegumenL was slmply noL as Lough as LhaL of Lhe dummles Lhey had
pracLlced on. llesh, skln, blood, and bone were scaLLered, however, and
1revlze felL hls sLomach heave.
1he dogs sLarLed back, some havlng been bombarded wlLh
uncomforLably warm fragmenLs. 1haL was only a momenLary heslLaLlon,
however. 1hey crowded agalnsL each oLher suddenly, ln order Lo eaL
whaL had been provlded. 1revlze felL hls slckness lncrease. Pe was noL
frlghLenlng Lhem, he was feedlng Lhem. AL LhaL raLe, Lhey would never
leave. ln facL, Lhe smell of fresh blood and warm meaL would aLLracL sLlll
more dogs, and perhaps oLher smaller predaLors as well.
A volce called ouL, 1revlze. WhaL-
1revlze looked ouLward. 8llss and eloraL had emerged from Lhe
rulns. 8llss had sLopped shorL, her arms Lhrown ouL Lo keep eloraL
back. She sLared aL Lhe dogs. 1he slLuaLlon was obvlous and clear. She
had Lo ask noLhlng.
1revlze shouLed, l Lrled Lo drlve Lhem off wlLhouL lnvolvlng you and
!anov. Can you hold Lhem off?"
8arely," sald 8llss, noL shouLlng, so LhaL 1revlze had Lrouble hearlng
her even Lhough Lhe dogs' snarllng had quleLed as Lhough a sooLhlng
soundabsorbenL blankeL had been Lhrown over Lhem.
8llss sald, 1here are Loo many of Lhem, and l am noL famlllar wlLh
Lhelr paLLern of neuronlc acLlvlLy. We have no such savage Lhlngs on
Cala."
Cr on 1ermlnus. Cr on any clvlllzed world," shouLed 1revlze. l'll
shooL as many of Lhem as l can and you Lry Lo handle Lhe resL. A smaller
number wlll glve you less Lrouble."
no, 1revlze. ShooLlng Lhem wlll [usL aLLracL oLhers. -SLay behlnd me,
el. 1here's no way you can proLecL me. -1revlze, your oLher weapon."
1he neuronlc whlp?"
?es. 1haL produces paln. Low power. Low power!"
Are you afrald of hurLlng Lhem?" called ouL 1revlze ln anger. ls Lhls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
121
a Llme Lo conslder Lhe sacredness of llfe?"
l'm conslderlng el's. Also mlne. uo as l say. Low power, and shooL
aL one of Lhe dogs. l can'L hold Lhem much longer."
1he dogs had drlfLed away from Lhe Lree and had surrounded 8llss
and eloraL, who sLood wlLh Lhelr backs Lo a crumbllng wall. 1he dogs
nearesL Lhe Lwo made heslLanL aLLempLs Lo come closer sLlll, whlnlng a
blL as Lhough Lrylng Lo puzzle ouL whaL lL was LhaL held Lhem off when
Lhey could sense noLhlng LhaL would do lL. Some Lrled uselessly Lo
scramble up Lhe wall and aLLack from behlnd.
1revlze's hand was Lrembllng as he ad[usLed Lhe neuronlc whlp Lo
low power. 1he neuronlc whlp used much less energy Lhan Lhe blasLer
dld, and a slngle power-carLrldge could produce hundreds of whlp-llke
sLrokes buL, come Lo Lhlnk of lL, he dldn'L remember when he had lasL
charged Lhls weapon, elLher.
lL was noL so lmporLanL Lo alm Lhe whlp. Slnce conservlng energy
was noL as crlLlcal, he could use lL ln a sweep across Lhe mass of dogs.
1haL was Lhe LradlLlonal meLhod of conLrolllng crowds LhaL showed slgns
of Lurnlng dangerous.
Powever, he followed 8llss's suggesLlon. Pe almed aL one dog and
flred. 1he dog fell over, lLs legs LwlLchlng. lL emlLLed loud, hlgh-plLched
squeals.
1he oLher dogs backed away from Lhe sLrlcken beasL, ears flaLLenlng
backward agalnsL Lhelr heads. 1hen, squeallng ln Lhelr Lurn, Lhey Lurned
and lefL, aL flrsL slowly, Lhen more rapldly, and flnally, aL a full race. 1he
dog who had been hlL, scrambled palnfully Lo lLs legs, and llmped away
whlmperlng, much Lhe lasL of Lhem.
1he nolse vanlshed ln Lhe dlsLance, and 8llss sald, We had beLLer
geL lnLo Lhe shlp. 1hey wlll come back. Cr oLhers wlll."
1revlze LhoughL LhaL never before had he manlpulaLed Lhe shlp's
enLry mechanlsm so rapldly. And lL was posslble he mlghL never do so
agaln.
38.
nlCP1 PAu fallen before 1revlze felL someLhlng approachlng Lhe
normal. 1he' small paLch of synLho-skln on Lhe scrape on hls hand had
sooLhed Lhe physlcal paln, buL Lhere was a scrape on hls psyche for
whlch sooLhlng was noL so easy. lL was noL Lhe mere exposure Lo danger.
Pe could reacL Lo LhaL as well as any ordlnarlly brave person mlghL. lL
was Lhe LoLally unlooked-for dlrecLlon from whlch Lhe danger had come.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
122
lL was Lhe feellng of Lhe rldlculous. Pow would lL look lf people were Lo
flnd ouL he had been Lreed by snarllng dogs? lL would scarcely be worse
lf he had been puL Lo fllghL by Lhe whlrrlng of angry canarles.
lor hours, he kepL llsLenlng for a new aLLack on Lhe parL of Lhe dogs,
for Lhs, sound of howls, for Lhe scraLch of claws agalnsL Lhe ouLer hull.
eloraL, by comparlson, seemed qulLe cool. 1here was no quesLlon
ln my mlnd, old chap, LhaL 8llss would handle lL, buL l musL say you flred
Lhe weapon well."
1revlze shrugged. Pe was ln no mood Lo dlscuss Lhe maLLer.
eloraL was holdlng hls llbrary-Lhe one compacL dlsc on whlch hls
llfeLlme of research lnLo myLhs and legends were sLored-and wlLh lL he
reLreaLed lnLo hls bedroom where he kepL hls small reader.
Pe seemed qulLe pleased wlLh hlmself. 1revlze noLlced LhaL buL
dldn'L follow lL up. 1lme for LhaL laLer when hls mlnd wasn'L qulLe as
Laken up wlLh dogs.
8llss sald, raLher LenLaLlvely, when Lhe Lwo were alone, l presume
you were Laken by surprlse."
CulLe," sald 1revlze gloomlly. Who would Lhlnk LhaL aL Lhe slghL of
a dog-a dog-l should run for my llfe."
1wenLy Lhousand years wlLhouL men and lL would noL be qulLe a
dog. 1hose beasLs musL now be Lhe domlnanL large predaLors."
1revlze nodded. l flgured LhaL ouL whlle l was slLLlng on Lhe Lree
bramb belng a domlnaLed prey. ?ou were cerLalnly rlghL abouL an
unbalanced ecology."
unbalanced, cerLalnly, from Lhe human sLandpolnL-buL conslderlng
how efflclenLly Lhe dogs seem Lo be golng abouL Lhelr buslness, l wonder
lf el may be rlghL ln hls suggesLlon LhaL Lhe ecology could balance lLself,
wlLh varlous envlronmenLal nlches belng fllled by evolvlng varlaLlons of
Lhe relaLlvely few specles LhaL were once broughL Lo Lhe world."
Cddly enough," sald 1revlze, Lhe same LhoughL occurred Lo me."
rovlded, of course, Lhe unbalance ls noL so greaL LhaL Lhe process
of rlghLlng lLself Lakes Loo long. 1he planeL mlghL become compleLely
nonvlable before LhaL." 1revlze grunLed. 8llss looked aL hlm LhoughLfully,
Pow ls lL LhaL you LhoughL of armlng yourself?"
1revlze sald, lL dld me llLLle good. lL was your ablllLy-
noL enLlrely. l needed your weapon. AL shorL noLlce, wlLh only
hyperspaLlal conLacL wlLh Lhe resL of Cala, wlLh so many lndlvldual mlnds
of so unfamlllar a naLure, l could have done noLhlng wlLhouL your
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
123
neuronlc whlp."
My blasLer was useless. l Lrled LhaL."
WlLh a blasLer, 1revlze, a dog merely dlsappears. 1he resL may be
surprlsed, buL noL frlghLened."
Worse Lhan LhaL," sald 1revlze. 1hey aLe Lhe remnanLs. l was
brlblng Lhem Lo sLay."
?es, l see LhaL mlghL be Lhe effecL. 1he neuronlc whlp ls dlfferenL. lL
lnfllcLs paln, and a dog ln paln emlLs crles of a klnd LhaL are well
undersLood by oLher dogs who, by condlLloned reflex, lf noLhlng else,
begln Lo feel frlghLened Lhemselves. WlLh Lhe dogs already dlsposed
Loward frlghL, l merely nudged Lhelr mlnds, and off Lhey wenL."
?es, buL you reallzed Lhe whlp was Lhe more deadly of Lhe Lwo ln
Lhls case. l dld noL."
l am accusLomed Lo deallng wlLh mlnds. ?ou are noL. 1haL's why l
lnslsLed on low power and almlng aL one dog. l dld noL wanL so much
paln LhaL lL kllled a dog and lefL hlm sllenL. l dld noL wanL Lhe paln so
dlspersed as Lo cause mere whlmperlng. l wanLed sLrong paln
concenLraLed aL one polnL."
And you goL lL, 8llss," sald 1revlze. lL worked perfecLly. l owe you
conslderable graLlLude."
?ou begrudge LhaL," sald 8llss LhoughLfully, because lL seems Lo
you LhaL you played a rldlculous role. And yeL, l repeaL, l could have
done noLhlng wlLhouL your weapons. WhaL puzzles me ls how you can
explaln your armlng yourself ln Lhe face of my assurance LhaL Lhere were
no human belngs on Lhls world, someLhlng l am sLlll cerLaln ls a facL. uld
you foresee Lhe dogs?"
no," sald 1revlze. l cerLalnly dldn'L. noL consclously, aL leasL. And l
don'L hablLually go armed, elLher. lL never even occurred Lo me Lo puL
on weapons aL Comporellon. -8uL l can'L allow myself Lo Lrlp lnLo Lhe
Lrap of feellng lL was maglc, elLher. lL couldn'L have been. l suspecL LhaL
once we began Lalklng abouL unbalanced ecologles earller, l somehow
had an unconsclous gllmpse of anlmals grown dangerous ln Lhe absence
of human belngs. 1haL ls clear enough ln hlndslghL, buL l mlghL have had
a whlff of lL ln foreslghL. noLhlng more Lhan LhaL."
8llss sald, uon'L dlsmlss lL LhaL casually. l parLlclpaLed ln Lhe same
conversaLlon concernlng unbalanced ecologles and l dldn'L have LhaL
same foreslghL. lL ls LhaL speclal Lrlck of foreslghL ln you LhaL Cala values.
l can see, Loo, LhaL lL musL be lrrlLaLlng Lo you Lo have a hldden foreslghL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
124
Lhe naLure of whlch you cannoL deLecL, Lo acL wlLh declslon, buL wlLhouL
clear reason."
1he usual expresslon on 1ermlnus ls `Lo acL on a hunch."'
Cn Cala we say, `Lo know wlLhouL LhoughL.' ?ou don'L llke knowlng
wlLhouL LhoughL, do you?"
lL boLhers me, yes. l don'L llke belng drlven by hunches. l assume
hunch has reason behlnd lL, buL noL knowlng Lhe reason makes me feel
l'm noL ln conLrol of my own mlnd-a klnd of mlld madness."
And when you declded ln favor of Cala and Calaxla, you were acLlng
on s hunch, and now you seek Lhe reason."
l have sald so aL leasL a dozen Llmes."
And l have refused Lo accepL your sLaLemenL as llLeral LruLh. lor
LhaL sorry. l wlll oppose you ln Lhls no longer. l hope, Lhough, LhaL l may
conLlnue Lo polnL ouL lLems ln Cala's favor."
Always," sald 1revlze, lf you, ln Lurn, recognlze LhaL Lhem."
uoes lL occur Lo you, Lhen, LhaL Lhls unknown World ls reverLlng Lo
a klnd of savagery, and perhaps Lo evenLual desolaLlon and
unlnhablLablllLy, because of Lhe removal of a slngle specles LhaL ls
capable of acLlng as a guldlng lnLelllgence? lf Lhe world were Cala, or
beLLer yeL, a parL of Calaxla, Lhls could noL happen. 1he guldlng
lnLelllgence would sLlll exlsL ln Lhe form of Lhe Calaxy v a whole, and
ecology, whenever unbalanced, and for whaLever reason, would move
Loward balance agaln."
uoes LhaL mean LhaL dogs would no longer eaL?"
Cf course Lhey would eaL, [usL as human belngs do. 1hey would
however, wlLh purpose, ln order Lo balance Lhe ecology under dellberaLe
dlrecLlon, and noL as a resulL of random clrcumsLance."
1revlze sald, 1he loss of lndlvldual freedom mlghL noL maLLer Lo
dogs, buL lL musL maLLer Lo human belngs. -And whaL lf all human belngs
were removed from exlsLence, everywhere, and noL merely on one
world or on Severa1? WhaL lf Calaxla were lefL wlLhouL human belngs aL
all? Would Lhere sLlll be a guldlng lnLelllgence? Would all oLher llfe forms
and lnanlmaLe maLLer be able Lo puL LogeLher a common lnLelllgence
adequaLe for Lhe purpose?"
8llss heslLaLed. Such a slLuaLlon," she sald, has never been
experlenced. nor does Lhere seem any llkellhood LhaL lL wlll ever be
experlenced ln Lhe fuLure."
1revlze sald, PuL doesn'L lL seem obvlous Lo you, LhaL Lhe human
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
123
mlnd ls quallLaLlvely dlfferenL from everyLhlng else, and LhaL lf lL were
absenL, Lhe sum LoLal of all oLher consclousness could noL replace lL.
Would lL noL be Lrue, Lhen, LhaL human belngs are a speclal case and
musL be LreaLed as such? 1hey should noL be fused even wlLh one
anoLher, leL alone wlLh nonhuman ob[ecLs."
?eL you declded ln favor of Calaxla."
lor an overrldlng reason l cannoL make ouL."
erhaps LhaL overrldlng reason was a gllmpse of Lhe effecL of
unbalanced ecologles? MlghL lL noL have been your reasonlng LhaL every
world ln Lhe Calaxy ls on a knlfe-edge, wlLh lnsLablllLy on elLher slde, and
LhaL only Calaxla could prevenL such dlsasLers as are Laklng place on Lhls
world-Lo say noLhlng of Lhe conLlnulng lnLerhuman dlsasLers of war and
admlnlsLraLlve fallure."
no. unbalanced ecologles were noL ln my mlnd aL Lhe Llme of my
declslon."
Pow can you be sure?"
l may noL know whaL lL ls l'm foreseelng, buL lf someLhlng ls
suggesLed afLerward, l would recognlze lL lf LhaL were lndeed whaL l
foresaw. -As lL seems Lo me l may have foreseen dangerous anlmals on
Lhls world."
Well," sald 8llss soberly, we mlghL have been dead as a resulL of
Lhose dangerous anlmals lf lL had noL been for a comblnaLlon of our
powers, your foreslghL and my menLallsm. Come, Lhen, leL us be
frlends."
1revlze nodded. lf you wlsh."
1here was a chlll ln hls volce LhaL caused 8llss's eyebrows Lo rlse, buL
aL Lhls polnL eloraL bursL ln, noddlng hls head as Lhough prepared Lo
shake lL off lLs foundaLlons.
l Lhlnk," he sald, we have lL."
39.
18LvlZL dld noL, ln general, belleve ln easy vlcLorles, and yeL lL was
only human Lo fall lnLo bellef agalnsL one's beLLer [udgmenL. Pe felL Lhe
muscles ln hls chesL and LhroaL LlghLen, buL managed Lo say, 1he
locaLlon of LarLh? Pave you dlscovered LhaL, !anov?"
eloraL sLared aL 1revlze for a momenL, and deflaLed. Well, no," he
sald, vlslbly abashed. noL qulLe LhaL. -AcLually, Colan, noL LhaL aL all. l
had forgoLLen abouL LhaL. lL was someLhlng else LhaL l dlscovered ln Lhe
rulns. l suppose lL's noL really lmporLanL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
126
1revlze managed a long breaLh and sald, never mlnd, !anov. Lvery
flndlng ls lmporLanL. WhaL was lL you came ln Lo say?"
Well," sald eloraL, lL's [usL LhaL almosL noLhlng survlved, you
undersLand. 1wenLy Lhousand years of sLorm and wlnd don'L leave
much. WhaL's more, planL llfe ls gradually desLrucLlve and anlmal llfe-
8uL never mlnd all LhaL. 1he polnL ls LhaL `almosL noLhlng' ls noL Lhe
same as `noLhlng.'
1he rulns musL have lncluded a publlc bulldlng, for Lhere was some
fallen sLone, or concreLe, wlLh lnclsed leLLerlng upon lL. 1here was hardly
anyLhlng vlslble, you undersLand, old chap, buL l Look phoLographs wlLh
one of Lhose cameras we have on board shlp, Lhe klnd wlLh bullL-ln
compuLer enhancemenL -l never goL round Lo asklng permlsslon Lo Lake
one, Colan, buL lL was lmporLanL, and l-
1revlze waved hls hand ln lmpaLlenL dlsmlssal. Co on!"
l could make ouL some of Lhe leLLerlng, whlch was very archalc.
Lven wlLh compuLer enhancemenL and wlLh my own falr sklll aL readlng
Archalc, lL was lmposslble Lo make ouL much excepL for one shorL
phrase. 1he leLLers Lhere were larger and a blL clearer Lhan Lhe resL.
1hey may have been lnclsed more deeply because Lhey ldenLlfled Lhe
world lLself. 1he phrase reads, 'laneL Aurora,' so l lmaglne Lhls world we
resL upon ls named Aurora, or was named Aurora."
lL had Lo be named someLhlng," sald 1revlze.
?es, buL names are very rarely chosen aL random. l made a careful
search of my llbrary [usL now and Lhere are Lwo old legends, from Lwo
wldely spaced worlds, as lL happens, so LhaL one can reasonably suppose
Lhem Lo be of lndependenL orlgln, lf one remembers LhaL. -8uL never
mlnd LhaL. ln boLh legends, Aurora ls used as a name for Lhe dawn. We
can suppose LhaL Aurora may have acLually meanL dawn ln some pre-
CalacLlc language.
As lL happens, some word for dawn or daybreak ls ofLen used as a
name for space sLaLlons or oLher sLrucLures LhaL are Lhe flrsL bullL of
Lhelr klnd. lf Lhls world ls called uawn ln whaLever language, lL may be
Lhe flrsL of lLs klnd, Loo."
1revlze sald, Are you geLLlng ready Lo suggesL LhaL Lhls planeL ls
LarLh and LhaL Aurora ls an alLernaLe name for lL because lL represenLs
Lhe dawn of llfe and of man?" eloraL sald, l couldn'L go LhaL far,
Colan."
1revlze sald, wlLh a Lrace of blLLerness, 1here ls, afLer all, no
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
127
radloacLlve surface, no glanL saLelllLe, no gas glanL wlLh huge rlngs."
LxacLly. 8uL uenlador, back on Comporellon, seemed Lo Lhlnk Lhls
was one of Lhe worlds LhaL was once lnhablLed by Lhe flrsL wave of
SeLLlers-Lhe Spacers. lf lL were, Lhen lLs name, Aurora, mlghL lndlcaLe lL
Lo have been Lhe flrsL of Lhose Spacer worlds. We mlghL, aL Lhls very
momenL, be resLlng on Lhe oldesL human world ln Lhe Calaxy excepL for
LarLh lLself. lsn'L LhaL exclLlng?"
lnLeresLlng, aL any raLe, !anov, buL lsn'L LhaL a greaL deal Lo lnfer
merely from Lhe name, Aurora?"
1here's more," sald eloraL exclLedly. As far as l could check ln my
records Lhere ls no world ln Lhe Calaxy Loday wlLh Lhe name of `Aurora,'
and l'm sure your compuLer wlll verlfy LhaL. As l sald, Lhere are all sorLs
of world and oLher ob[ecLs named `uawn' ln varlous ways, buL no one
uses Lhe acLual word 'Aurora."'
Why should Lhey? lf lL's a pre-CalacLlc word, lL wouldn'L be llkely Lo
be popular."
8uL names do remaln, even when Lhey're meanlngless. lf Lhls were
Lhe flrsL seLLled world, lL would be famous, lL mlghL even, for a whlle,
have been Lhe domlnanL world of Lhe Calaxy. Surely, Lhere would be
oLher worlds calllng Lhemselves `new Aurora,' or `Aurora Mlnor,' or
someLhlng llke LhaL. And Lhen oLhers-
1revlze broke ln. erhaps lL wasn'L Lhe flrsL seLLled world. erhaps lL
was never of any lmporLance."
1here's a beLLer reason ln my oplnlon, my dear chap."
WhaL would LhaL be, !anov?"
lf Lhe flrsL wave of seLLlemenLs was overLaken by a second wave Lo
whlch all Lhe worlds of Lhe Calaxy now belong-as uenlador sald-Lhen
Lhere ls very llkely Lo have been a perlod of hosLlllLy beLween Lhe Lwo
waves. 1he second wave-maklng up Lhe worlds LhaL now exlsL-would noL
use Lhe names glven Lo any of Lhe worlds of Lhe flrsL wave. ln LhaL way,
we can lnfer from Lhe facL LhaL Lhe name `Aurora' has never been
repeaLed LhaL Lhere were Lwo waves of SeLLlers, and LhaL Lhls ls a world
of Lhe flrsL wave."
1revlze smlled. l'm geLLlng a gllmpse of how you myLhologlsLs work,
!anov. ?ou bulld a beauLlful supersLrucLure, buL lL may be sLandlng on
alr. 1he legends Lell us LhaL Lhe SeLLlers of Lhe flrsL wave were
accompanled by numerous roboLs, and LhaL Lhese were supposed Lo be
Lhelr undolng. now lf we could flnd a roboL on Lhls world, l'd be wllllng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
128
Lo accepL all Lhls flrsL-wave supposlLlon, buL we can'L expecL afLer LwenLy
Lhou-
eloraL, whose mouLh had been worklng, managed Lo flnd hls volce.
8uL, Colan, haven'L l Lold you? -no, of course, l haven'L. l'm so exclLed l
can'L puL Lhlngs ln Lhe rlghL order. 1here was a roboL."
40.
18LvlZL rubbed hls forehead, almosL as Lhough he were ln paln. Pe
sald, A roboL? 1here was a roboL?"
?es," sald eloraL, noddlng hls head emphaLlcally.
Pow do you know?"
Why, lL was a roboL. Pow could l fall Lo know one lf l see one?"
Pave you ever seen a roboL before?"
no, buL lL was a meLal ob[ecL LhaL looked llke a human belng. Pead,
arms, legs, Lorso. Cf course, when l say meLal, lL was mosLly rusL, and
when l walked Loward lL, l suppose Lhe vlbraLlon of my Lread damaged lL
furLher, so LhaL when l reached Lo Louch lL-
Why should you Louch lL?"
Well, l suppose l couldn'L qulLe belleve my eyes. lL was an auLomaLlc
response. As soon as l Louched lL, lL crumbled. 8uL-
?es?"
8efore lL qulLe dld, lLs eyes seemed Lo glow very falnLly and lL made
a sound as Lhough lL were Lrylng Lo say someLhlng."
?ou mean lL was sLlll funcLlonlng?"
!usL barely, Colan. 1hen lL collapsed."
1revlze Lurned Lo 8llss. uo you corroboraLe all Lhls, 8llss?"
lL was a roboL, and we saw lL," sald 8llss.
And was lL sLlll funcLlonlng?"
8llss sald Lonelessly, As lL crumbled, l caughL a falnL sense of
neuronlc acLlvlLy."
Pow can Lhere have been neuronlc acLlvlLy? A roboL doesn'L have
an organlc braln bullL of cells."
lL has Lhe compuLerlzed equlvalenL, l lmaglne," sald 8llss, and l
would deLecL LhaL."
uld you deLecL a roboLlc raLher Lhan a human menLallLy?"
8llss pursed her llps and sald, lL was Loo feeble Lo declde anyLhlng
abouL lL excepL LhaL lL was Lhere."
1revlze looked aL 8llss, Lhen aL eloraL, and sald, ln a Lone of
exasperaLlon, 1hls changes everyLhlng."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
129

A81 lCu8 - SCLA8lA
Chapter 1T
8oboLs

18LvlZL seemed losL ln LhoughL durlng dlnner, and 8llss
concenLraLed on Lhe food.
eloraL, Lhe only one who seemed anxlous Lo speak, polnLed ouL LhaL
lf Lhe world Lhey were on was Aurora and lf lL was Lhe flrsL seLLled world,
lL oughL Lo be falrly close Lo LarLh.
lL mlghL pay Lo scour Lhe lmmedlaLe sLellar nelghborhood," he sald.
lL would only mean slfLlng Lhrough a few hundred sLars aL mosL."
1revlze muLLered LhaL hlL-and-mlss was a lasL resorL and he wanLed
as much lnformaLlon abouL LarLh as posslble before aLLempLlng Lo
approach lL even lf he found lL. Pe sald no more and eloraL, clearly
squelched, dwlndled lnLo sllence as well.
AfLer Lhe meal, as 1revlze conLlnued Lo volunLeer noLhlng, eloraL
sald LenLaLlvely, Are we Lo be sLaylng here, Colan?"
CvernlghL, anyway," sald 1revlze. l need Lo do a blL more Lhlnklng."
ls lL safe?"
unless Lhere's someLhlng worse Lhan dogs abouL," sald 1revlze,
we're qulLe safe here ln Lhe shlp."
eloraL sald, Pow long would lL Lake Lo llfL off, lf Lhere ls someLhlng
worse Lhan dogs abouL?"
1revlze sald, 1he compuLer ls on launch alerL. l Lhlnk we can manage
Lo Lake off ln beLween Lwo and Lhree mlnuLes. And lL wlll warn us qulLe
effecLlvely lf anyLhlng unexpecLed Lakes place, so l suggesL we all geL
some sleep. 1omorrow mornlng, l'll come Lo a declslon as Lo Lhe nexL
move."
Lasy Lo say, LhoughL 1revlze, as he found hlmself sLarlng aL Lhe
darkness. Pe was curled up, parLly dressed, on Lhe floor of Lhe compuLer
room. lL was qulLe uncomforLable, buL he was sure LhaL hls bed would be
no more conduclve Lo sleep aL Lhls Llme and here aL leasL he could Lake
acLlon aL once lf Lhe compuLer sounded an alarm.
1hen he heard fooLsLeps and auLomaLlcally saL up, hlLLlng hls head
agalnsL Lhe edge of Lhe desk-noL hard enough Lo do damage, buL hard
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
130
enough Lo make rubblng and grlmaclng a necesslLy.
!anov?" he sald ln a muffled volce, eyes Learlng.
no. lL's 8llss."
1revlze reached over Lhe edge of Lhe Lable wlLh one hand Lo make aL
leasL semlconLacL wlLh Lhe compuLer, and a sofL llghL showed 8llss ln a
llghL plnk wraparound.
1revlze sald, WhaL ls lL?"
l looked ln your bedroom and you weren'L Lhere. 1here was no
mlsLaklng your neuronlc acLlvlLy, however, and l followed lL. ?ou were
clearly awake so l walked ln."
?es, buL whaL ls lL you wanL?"
She saL down agalnsL Lhe wall, knees up, and cradled her chln agalnsL
Lhem. She sald, uon'L be concerned. l have no deslgns on whaL's lefL of
your vlrglnlLy."
l don'L lmaglne you do," sald 1revlze sardonlcally. Why aren'L you
asleep? ?ou need lL more Lhan we do."
8elleve me," she sald ln a low, hearLfelL Lone, LhaL eplsode wlLh
Lhe dogs was very dralnlng."
l belleve LhaL."
8uL l had Lo Lalk Lo you when el was sleeplng."
AbouL whaL?"
8llss sald, When he Lold you abouL Lhe roboL, you sald LhaL LhaL
changes everyLhlng. WhaL dld you mean?"
1revlze sald, uon'L you see LhaL for yourself? We have Lhree seLs of
coordlnaLes, Lhree lorbldden Worlds. l wanL Lo vlslL all Lhree Lo learn as
much as posslble abouL LarLh before Lrylng Lo reach lL."
Pe edged a blL closer so LhaL he could speak lower sLlll, Lhen drew
away sharply. Pe sald, Look, l don'L wanL !anov comlng ln here looklng
for us. l don'L know whaL he'd Lhlnk."
lL's noL llkely. Pe's sleeplng and l've encouraged LhaL [usL a blL. lf he
sLlrs, l'll know. -Co on. ?ou wanL Lo vlslL all Lhree. WhaL's changed?"
lL wasn'L parL of my plan Lo wasLe Llme on any world needlessly. lf
Lhls world, Aurora, had been wlLhouL human occupaLlon for LwenLy
Lhousand years, Lhen lL ls doubLful LhaL any lnformaLlon of value has
survlved. l don'L wanL Lo spend weeks or monLhs scrabbllng uselessly
abouL Lhe planeLary surface, flghLlng off dogs and caLs and bulls or
whaLever else may have become wlld and dangerous, [usL on Lhe hope
of flndlng a scrap of reference maLerlal amld Lhe dusL, rusL, and decay. lL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
131
may be LhaL on one or boLh of Lhe oLher lorbldden Worlds Lhere may be
human belngs and lnLacL llbrarles. -So lL was my lnLenLlon Lo leave Lhls
world aL once. We'd be ouL ln space now, lf l had done so, sleeplng ln
perfecL securlLy."
8uL?"
8uL lf Lhere are roboLs sLlll funcLlonlng on Lhls world, Lhey may have
lmporLanL lnformaLlon LhaL we could use. 1hey would be safer Lo deal
wlLh Lhan human belngs would be, slnce, from whaL l've heard, Lhey
musL follow orders and can'L harm human belngs."
So you've changed your plan and now you're golng Lo spend Llme
on Lhls world searchlng for roboLs."
l don'L wanL Lo, 8llss. lL seems Lo me LhaL roboLs can'L lasL LwenLy
Lhousand years wlLhouL malnLenance. -?eL slnce you've seen one wlLh a
spark of acLlvlLy sLlll, lL's clear l can'L rely on my commonsense guesses
abouL roboLs. l musLn'L lead ouL of lgnorance. 8oboLs may be more
endurlng Lhan l lmaglne, or Lhey may have a cerLaln capaclLy for self-
malnLenance."
8llss sald, LlsLen Lo me, 1revlze, and please keep Lhls confldenLlal."
ConfldenLlal?" sald 1revlze, ralslng hls volce ln surprlse. lrom
whom?"
Sh! lrom el, of course. Look, you don'L have Lo change your plans.
?ou were rlghL Lhe flrsL Llme. 1here are no funcLlonlng roboLs on Lhls
world. l deLecL noLhlng."
?ou deLecLed LhaL one, and one ls as good as-
l dld noL deLecL LhaL one. lL was nonfuncLlonlng, long
nonfuncLlonlng."
?ou sald-
l know whaL l sald. el LhoughL he saw moLlon and heard sound. el
ls a romanLlc. Pe's spenL hls worklng llfe gaLherlng daLa, buL LhaL ls a
dlfflculL way of maklng one's mark ln Lhe scholarly world. Pe would
dearly love Lo make an lmporLanL dlscovery of hls own. Pls flndlng of Lhe
word `Aurora' was leglLlmaLe and made hlm happler Lhan you can
lmaglne. Pe wanLed desperaLely Lo flnd more."
1revlze sald, Are you Lelllng me he wanLed Lo make a dlscovery so
badly he convlnced hlmself he had come upon a funcLlonlng roboL when
he hadn'L?"
WhaL he came upon was a lump of rusL conLalnlng no more
consclousness Lhan Lhe rock agalnsL whlch lL resLed."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
132
8uL you supporLed hls sLory."
l could noL brlng myself Lo rob hlm of hls dlscovery. Pe means so
much Lo me.
1revlze sLared aL her for a full mlnuLe, Lhen he sald, uo you mlnd
explalnlng why he means so much Lo you? l wanL Lo know. l really wanL
Lo know. 1o you he musL seem an elderly man wlLh noLhlng romanLlc
abouL hlm. Pe's an lsolaLe, and you desplse lsolaLes. ?ou're young and
beauLlful and Lhere musL 61 oLher parLs of Cala LhaL have Lhe bodles of
vlgorous and handsome young am. WlLh Lhem you can have a physlcal
relaLlonshlp LhaL can resonaLe Lhrough Cala and brlng peaks of ecsLasy.
So whaL do you an ln !anov?"
8llss looked aL 1revlze solemnly. uon'L you love hlm?"
1revlze shrugged and sald, l'm fond of hlm. l suppose you could say,
ln a nonsexual way, LhaL l love hlm."
?ou haven'L known hlm very long, 1revlze. Why do you love hlm, ln
LhaL nonsexual way of yours?"
1revlze found hlmself smlllng wlLhouL belng aware of lL. Pe's such
an odd fellow. l honesLly Lhlnk LhaL never ln hls llfe has he glven a slngle
LhoughL Lo hlmself. Pe was ordered Lo go along wlLh me, and he wenL.
no ob[ecLlon. Pe wanLed me Lo go Lo 1ranLor, buL when l sald l wanLed
Lo go Lo Cala, he never argued. And now he's come along wlLh me ln Lhls
search for LarLh, Lhough he musL know lL's dangerous. l feel perfecLly
confldenL LhaL lf he had Lo sacrlflce hls llfe for me-or for anyone-he
would, and wlLhouL replnlng."
Would you glve your llfe for hlm, 1revlze?"
l mlghL, lf l dldn'L have Llme Lo Lhlnk. lf l dld have Llme Lo Lhlnk, l
would heslLaLe and l mlghL funk lL. l'm noL as good as he ls. And because
of LhaL, l have Lhls Lerrlble urge Lo proLecL and keep hlm good. l don'L
wanL Lhe Calaxy Lo Leach hlm noL Lo be good. uo you undersLand? And l
have Lo proLecL hlm from you parLlcularly. l can'L bear Lhe LhoughL of
you Losslng hlm aslde when whaLever nonsense amuses you now ls done
wlLh."
?es, l LhoughL you'd Lhlnk someLhlng llke LhaL. uon'L you suppose l
see ln el whaL you see ln hlm-and even more so, slnce l can conLacL hls
mlnd dlrecLly? uo l acL as Lhough l wanL Lo hurL hlm? Would l supporL hls
fanLasy of havlng seen a funcLlonlng roboL, lf lL weren'L LhaL l couldn'L
bear Lo hurL hlm? 1revlze, l am used Lo whaL you would call goodness,
for every parL of Cala ls ready Lo be sacrlflced for Lhe whole. We know
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
133
and undersLand no oLher course of acLlon. 8uL we glve up noLhlng ln so
dolng, for each parL ls Lhe whole, Lhough l don'L expecL you Lo
undersLand LhaL. el ls someLhlng dlfferenL."
8llss was no longer looklng aL 1revlze. lL was as Lhough she were
Lalklng Lo herself. Pe ls an lsolaLe. Pe ls noL selfless because he ls a parL
of a greaLer whole. Pe ls selfless because he ls selfless. uo you
undersLand me? Pe has all Lo lose and noLhlng Lo galn, and yeL he ls
whaL he ls. Pe shames me for belng whaL l am wlLhouL fear of loss, when
he ls whaL he ls wlLhouL hope of galn."
She looked up aL 1revlze agaln now, very solemnly. uo you know
how much more l undersLand abouL hlm Lhan you posslbly can? And do
you Lhlnk l would harm hlm ln any way?"
1revlze sald, 8llss, earller Loday, you sald, `Come, leL us be frlends,'
and all l replled was, `lf you wlsh.' 1haL was grudglng of me, for l was
Lhlnklng of whaL you mlghL do Lo !anov. lL ls my Lurn, now. Come, 8llss,
leL us be frlends. ?ou can keep on polnLlng ouL Lhe advanLage of Calaxla
and l may keep on refuslng Lo accepL your argumenLs, buL even so, and
desplLe LhaL, leL us be frlends." And he held ouL hls hand.
Cf course, 1revlze," she sald, and Lhelr hands grlpped each oLher
sLrongly.
42.
18LvlZL grlnned quleLly Lo hlmself. lL was an lnLernal grln, for Lhe
llne of hls mouLh dldn'L budge.
When he had worked wlLh Lhe compuLer Lo flnd Lhe sLar (lf any) of
Lhe flrsL seL of co-ordlnaLes, boLh eloraL and 8llss had waLched lnLenLly
and had asked quesLlons. now Lhey sLayed ln Lhelr room and slepL or, aL
any raLe, relaxed, and lefL Lhe [ob enLlrely Lo 1revlze.
ln a way, lL was flaLLerlng, for lL seemed Lo 1revlze LhaL by now Lhey
had slmply accepLed Lhe facL LhaL 1revlze knew whaL he was dolng and
requlred no supervlslon or encouragemenL. lor LhaL maLLer, 1revlze had
galned enough experlence from Lhe flrsL eplsode Lo rely more
Lhoroughly on Lhe compuLer and Lo feel LhaL lL needed, lf noL none, Lhen
aL leasL less supervlslon.
AnoLher sLar-lumlnous and unrecorded on Lhe CalacLlc map-showed
up. 1hls second sLar was more lumlnous Lhan Lhe sLar abouL whlch
Aurora clrcled, and LhaL made lL all Lhe more slgnlflcanL LhaL Lhe sLar was
unrecorded ln Lhe compuLer.
1revlze marveled aL Lhe pecullarlLles of anclenL LradlLlon. Whole
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
134
cenLurles mlghL be Lelescoped or dropped ouL of consclousness
alLogeLher. LnLlre clvlllzaLlons mlghL be banlshed lnLo forgeLfulness. ?eL
ouL of Lhe mldsL of Lhese cenLurles, snaLched from Lhose clvlllzaLlons,
mlghL be one or Lwo facLual lLems LhaL would be remembered
undlsLorLed-such as Lhese co-ordlnaLes.
Pe had remarked on Lhls Lo eloraL some Llme before, and eloraL
had aL once Lold hlm LhaL lL was preclsely Lhls LhaL made Lhe sLudy of
myLhs and legends so rewardlng. 1he Lrlck ls," eloraL had sald, Lo
work ouL or declde whlch parLlcular componenLs of a legend represenL
accuraLe underlylng LruLh. 1haL lsn'L easy and dlfferenL myLhologlsLs are
llkely Lo plck dlfferenL componenLs, dependlng, usually, on whlch
happen Lo sulL Lhelr parLlcular lnLerpreLaLlons." .
ln any case, Lhe sLar was rlghL where uenlador's co-ordlnaLes,
correcLed for Llme, sald lL would be. 1revlze was prepared, aL Lhls
momenL, Lo wager a conslderable sum LhaL Lhe Lhlrd sLar would be ln
place as well. And lf lL was, 1revlze was prepared Lo suspecL LhaL Lhe
legend was furLher correcL ln sLaLlng LhaL Lhere were flfLy lorbldden
Worlds alLogeLher (desplLe Lhe susplclously even number) and Lo
wonder where Lhe oLher forLy-seven mlghL be.
A hablLable world, lorbldden World, was found clrcllng Lhe sLar-and
by Lhls Llme lLs presence dldn'L cause even a rlpple of surprlse ln
1revlze's bosom. Pe had been absoluLely sure lL would be Lhere. Pe seL
Lhe lar SLar lnLo a slow orblL abouL lL.
1he cloud layer was sparse enough Lo allow a reasonable vlew of Lhe
surface from space. 1he world was a waLery one, as almosL all hablLable
worlds were. 1here was an unbroken Lroplcal ocean and Lwo unbroken
polar oceans.
ln one seL of mlddle laLlLudes, Lhere was a more or less serpenLlne
conLlnenL enclrcllng Lhe world wlLh bays on elLher slde produclng an
occaslonal narrow lsLhmus. ln Lhe oLher seL of mlddle laLlLudes, Lhe land
surface was broken lnLo Lhree large parLs and each of Lhe Lhree were
Lhlcker norLh-souLh Lhan Lhe opposlLe conLlnenL was.
1revlze wlshed he knew enough cllmaLology Lo be able Lo predlcL,
from whaL he saw, whaL Lhe LemperaLures and seasons mlghL be llke.
lor a momenL, he Loyed wlLh Lhe ldea of havlng Lhe compuLer work on
Lhe problem. 1he Lrouble was LhaL cllmaLe was noL Lhe polnL aL lssue.
Much more lmporLanL was LhaL, once agaln, Lhe compuLer deLecLed
no radlaLlon LhaL mlghL be of Lechnologlcal orlgln. WhaL hls Lelescope
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
133
Lold hlm was LhaL Lhe planeL was noL moLh-eaLen and LhaL Lhere were no
slgns of deserL. 1he land moved backward ln varlous shades of green,
buL Lhere were no slgns of urban areas on Lhe dayslde, no llghLs on Lhe
nlghLslde.
Was Lhls anoLher planeL fllled wlLh every klnd of llfe buL human?
Pe rapped aL Lhe door of Lhe oLher bedroom.
8llss?" he called ouL ln a loud whlsper, and rapped agaln.
1here was a rusLllng, and 8llss's volce sald, ?es?"
Could you come ouL here? l need your help-
lf you walL [usL a blL, l'll make myself a blL presenLable."
When she flnally appeared, she looked as presenLable as 1revlze had
ever seen her. Pe felL a Lwlnge of annoyance aL havlng been made Lo
walL, however, for lL made llLLle dlfference Lo hlm whaL she looked llke.
8uL Lhey were frlends now, and he suppressed Lhe annoyance.
She sald wlLh a smlle and ln a perfecLly pleasanL Lone, WhaL can l do
for you, 1revlze?"
1revlze waved aL Lhe vlewscreen. As you can see, we're passlng
over Lhe surface of whaL looks llke a perfecLly healLhy world wlLh a qulLe
solld vegeLaLlon cover over lLs land area. no llghLs aL nlghL, however,
and no Lechnologlcal radlaLlon. lease llsLen and Lell me lf Lhere's any
anlmal llfe. 1here was one polnL aL whlch l LhoughL l could see herds of
grazlng anlmals, buL l wasn'L sure. lL mlghL be a case of seelng whaL one
desperaLely wanLs Lo see."
8llss llsLened." AL leasL, a curlously lnLenL look came across her face.
She sald, Ch yes- rlch ln anlmal llfe."
Mammallan?"
MusL be."
Puman?"
now she seemed Lo concenLraLe harder. A full mlnuLe passed, and
Lhen anoLher, and flnally she relaxed. l can'L qulLe Lell. Lvery once ln a
whlle lL seemed Lo me LhaL l deLecLed a whlff of lnLelllgence sufflclenLly
lnLense Lo be consldered human. 8uL lL was so feeble and so occaslonal
LhaL perhaps l, Loo, was only senslng whaL l desperaLely wanLed Lo
sense. ?ou see-
She paused ln LhoughL, and 1revlze nudged her wlLh a Well?"
She sald, 1he Lhlng ls l seem Lo deLecL someLhlng else. lL ls noL
someLhlng l'm famlllar wlLh, buL l don'L see how lL can be anyLhlng buL-
Per face LlghLened agaln as she began Lo llsLen" wlLh sLlll greaLer
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
136
lnLenslLy.
Well?" sald 1revlze agaln.
She relaxed. l don'L see how lL can be anyLhlng buL roboLs."
8oboLs!"
?es, and lf l deLecL Lhem, surely l oughL Lo be able Lo deLecL human
belngs, Loo. 8uL l don'L."
8oboLs!" sald 1revlze agaln, frownlng.
?es," sald 8llss, and l should [udge, ln greaL numbers."
43.
LLC8A1 also sald 8oboLs!" ln almosL exacLly 1revlze's Lone when
he was Lold of Lhem. 1hen he smlled sllghLly. ?ou were rlghL, Colan, and
l was wrong Lo doubL you."
l don'L remember your doubLlng me, !anov."
Ch well, old man, l dldn'L Lhlnk l oughL Lo express lL. l [usL LhoughL,
ln my hearL, LhaL lL was a mlsLake Lo leave Aurora whlle Lhere was a
chance we mlghL lnLervlew some survlvlng roboL. 8uL Lhen lL's clear you
knew Lhere would be a rlcher supply of roboLs here."
noL aL all, !anov. l dldn'L know. l merely chanced lL. 8llss Lells me
Lhelr menLal flelds seem Lo lmply Lhey are fully funcLlonlng, and lL seems
Lo me Lhey can'L very well be fully funcLlonlng wlLhouL human belngs
abouL for care and malnLenance. Powever, she can'L spoL anyLhlng
human so we're sLlll looklng.
eloraL sLudled Lhe vlewscreen LhoughLfully. lL seems Lo be all
foresL, doesn'L lL?"
MosLly foresL. 8uL Lhere are clear paLches LhaL may be grasslands.
1he Lhlng ls LhaL l see no clLles, or any llghLs aL nlghL, or anyLhlng buL
Lhermal radlaLlon aL any Llme."
So no human belngs afLer all?"
l wonder. 8llss ls ln Lhe galley Lrylng Lo concenLraLe. l've seL up an
arblLrary prlme merldlan for Lhe planeL whlch means LhaL lL's dlvlded
lnLo laLlLude and longlLude ln Lhe compuLer. 8llss has a llLLle devlce
whlch she presses whenever she encounLers whaL seems an unusual
concenLraLlon of roboLlc menLal acLlvlLy-l suppose you can'L say
'neuronlc acLlvlLy' ln connecLlon wlLh roboLs-or any whlff of human
LhoughL. 1he devlce ls llnked Lo Lhe compuLer, whlch Lhus geLs a flx on
all Lhe laLlLudes and longlLudes, and we'll leL lL make Lhe cholce among
Lhem and plck a good place for landlng."
eloraL looked uneasy. ls lL wlse Lo leave Lhe maLLer of cholce Lo Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
137
compuLer?"
Why noL, !anov? lL's a very compeLenL compuLer. 8esldes, when
you have no basls on whlch Lo make a cholce yourself, where's Lhe harm
ln aL leasL conslderlng Lhe compuLer's cholce?"
eloraL brlghLened up. 1here's someLhlng Lo LhaL, Colan. Some of
Lhe oldesL legends lnclude Lales of people maklng cholces by Losslng
cubes Lo Lhe ground."
Ch? WhaL does LhaL accompllsh?"
Lach face of Lhe cube has some declslon on lL-yes-no-perhaps-
posLpone-and so on. Whlchever face happens Lo come upward on
landlng would be Laken as bearlng Lhe advlce Lo be followed. Cr Lhey
would seL a ball rolllng abouL a sloLLed dlsc wlLh dlfferenL declslons
scaLLered among Lhe sloLs. 1he declslon wrlLLen on Lhe sloL ln whlch Lhe
ball ends ls Lo be Laken. Some myLhologlsLs Lhlnk such acLlvlLles
represenLed games of chance raLher Lhan loLLerles, buL Lhe Lwo are
much Lhe same Lhlng ln my oplnlon."
ln a way," sald 1revlze, we're playlng a game of chance ln chooslng
our place of landlng."
8llss emerged from Lhe galley ln Llme Lo hear Lhe lasL commenL. She
sald, no game of chance. l pressed several `maybes' and Lhen one sure-
flre `yes,' and lL's Lo Lhe 'yes' LhaL we'll be golng."
WhaL made lL a `yes'?" asked 1revlze.
l caughL a whlff of human LhoughL. ueflnlLe. unmlsLakable."
44.
l1 PAu been ralnlng, for Lhe grass was weL. Cverhead, Lhe clouds
were scuddlng by and showlng slgns of breaklng up.
1he lar SLar had come Lo a genLle resL near a small grove of Lrees. (ln
case of wlld dogs, 1revlze LhoughL, only parLly ln [esL.) All abouL was
whaL looked llke pasLure land, and comlng down from Lhe greaLer helghL
aL whlch a beLLer and wlder vlew had been posslble, 1revlze had seen
whaL looked llke orchards and graln flelds-and Lhls Llme, an
unmlsLakable vlew of grazlng anlmals.
1here were no sLrucLures, however. noLhlng arLlflclal, excepL LhaL
Lhe regularlLy of Lhe Lrees ln Lhe orchard and Lhe sharp boundarles LhaL
separaLed flelds were Lhemselves as arLlflclal as a mlcrowave-recelvlng
power sLaLlon would have been.
Could LhaL level of arLlflclallLy have been produced by roboLs,
however? WlLhouL human belngs?
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
138
CuleLly, 1revlze was puLLlng on hls holsLers. 1hls Llme, he knew LhaL
boLh weapons were ln worklng order and LhaL boLh were fully charged.
lor a momenL, he caughL 8llss's eye and paused.
She sald, Co ahead. l don'L Lhlnk you'll have any use for Lhem, buL l
LhoughL as much once before, dldn'L l?"
1revlze sald, Would you llke Lo be armed, !anov?"
eloraL shuddered. no, Lhank you. 8eLween you and your physlcal
defense, and 8llss and her menLal defense, l feel ln no danger aL all. l
suppose lL ls cowardly of me Lo hlde ln your proLecLlve shadows, buL l
can'L feel proper shame when l'm Loo busy feellng graLeful LhaL l needn'L
be ln a poslLlon of posslbly havlng Lo use force."
1revlze sald, l undersLand. !usL don'L go anywhere alone. lf 8llss and
l separaLe, you sLay wlLh one of us and don'L dash off somewhere under
Lhe spur of a prlvaLe curloslLy."
?ou needn'L worry, 1revlze," sald 8llss. l'll see Lo LhaL."
1revlze sLepped ouL of Lhe shlp flrsL. 1he wlnd was brlsk and [usL a
Lrlfle cool ln Lhe afLermaLh of Lhe raln, buL 1revlze found LhaL welcome.
lL had probably been uncomforLably warm and humld before Lhe raln.
Pe Look ln hls breaLh wlLh surprlse. 1he smell of Lhe planeL was
dellghLful. Lvery planeL had lLs own odor, he knew, an odor always
sLrange and usually dlsLasLeful-perhaps only because lL was sLrange.
MlghL noL sLrange be pleasanL as well? Cr was Lhls Lhe accldenL of
caLchlng Lhe planeL [usL afLer Lhe raln aL a parLlcular season of Lhe year.
Whlchever lL was-
Come on," he called. lL's qulLe pleasanL ouL here."
eloraL emerged and sald, leasanL ls deflnlLely Lhe word for lL. uo
you suppose lL always smells llke Lhls?"
lL doesn'L maLLer. WlLhln Lhe hour, we'll be accusLomed Lo Lhe
aroma, and our nasal recepLors wlll be sufflclenLly saLuraLed, for us Lo
smell noLhlng."
lLy," sald eloraL.
1he grass ls weL," sald 8llss, wlLh a shade of dlsapproval.
Why noL? AfLer all, lL ralns on Cala, Loo!" sald 1revlze, and as he
sald LhaL a shafL of yellow sunllghL reached Lhem momenLarlly Lhrough a
small break ln Lhe clouds. 1here would soon be more of lL.
?es," sald 8llss, buL we know when and we're prepared for lL."
1oo bad," sald 1revlze, you lose Lhe Lhrlll of Lhe unexpecLed."
8llss sald, ?ou're rlghL. l'll Lry noL Lo be provlnclal."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
139
eloraL looked abouL and sald, ln a dlsappolnLed Lone, 1here seems
Lo be noLhlng abouL."
Cnly seems Lo be," sald 8llss. 1hey're approachlng from beyond
LhaL rlse." She looked Loward 1revlze. uo you Lhlnk we oughL Lo go Lo
meeL Lhem?"
1revlze shook hls head. no. We've come Lo meeL Lhem across many
parsecs. LeL Lhem walk Lhe resL of Lhe way. We'll walL for Lhem here."
Cnly 8llss could sense Lhe approach unLll, from Lhe dlrecLlon of her
polnLlng flnger, a flgure appeared over Lhe brow of Lhe rlse. 1hen a
second, and a Lhlrd.
l belleve LhaL ls all aL Lhe momenL," sald 8llss.
1revlze waLched curlously. 1hough he had never seen roboLs, Lhere
was noL a parLlcle of doubL ln hlm LhaL LhaL was whaL Lhey were. 1hey
had Lhe schemaLlc and lmpresslonlsLlc shape of human belngs and yeL
were noL obvlously meLalllc ln appearance. 1he roboLlc surface was dull
and gave Lhe llluslon of sofLness, as Lhough lL were covered ln plush.
8uL how dld he know Lhe sofLness was an llluslon? 1revlze felL a
sudden deslre Lo feel Lhose flgures who were approachlng so sLolldly. lf
lL were Lrue LhaL Lhls was a lorbldden World and LhaL spaceshlps never
approached lL-and surely LhaL musL be so slnce Lhe sun was noL lncluded
ln Lhe CalacLlc map -Lhen Lhe lar SLar and Lhe people lL carrled musL
represenL someLhlng Lhe roboLs had never experlenced. ?eL Lhey were
reacLlng wlLh sLeady cerLalnLy, as Lhough Lhey were worklng Lhelr way
Lhrough a rouLlne exerclse.
1revlze sald, ln a low volce, Pere we may have lnformaLlon we can
geL nowhere else ln Lhe Calaxy. We could ask Lhem for Lhe locaLlon of
LarLh wlLh reference Lo Lhls world, and lf Lhey know, Lhey wlll Lell us.
Who knows how long Lhese Lhlngs have funcLloned and endured? 1hey
may answer ouL of personal memory. 1hlnk of LhaL."
Cn Lhe oLher hand," sald 8llss, Lhey may be recenLly manufacLured
and may know noLhlng."
Cr," sald eloraL, Lhey may know, buL may refuse Lo Lell us."
1revlze sald, l suspecL Lhey can'L refuse unless Lhey've been ordered
noL Lo Lell us, and why should such orders be lssued when surely no one
on Lhls planeL could have expecLed our comlng?"
AL a dlsLance of abouL Lhree meLers, Lhe roboLs sLopped. 1hey sald
noLhlng and made no furLher movemenL.
1revlze, hls hand on hls blasLer, sald Lo 8llss, wlLhouL Laklng hls eyes
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
140
from Lhe roboL, Can you Lell wheLher Lhey are hosLlle?"
?ou'll have Lo allow for Lhe facL LhaL l have no experlence
whaLsoever wlLh Lhelr menLal worklngs, 1revlze, buL l don'L deLecL
anyLhlng LhaL seems hosLlle."
1revlze Look hls rlghL hand away from Lhe buLL of Lhe weapon, buL
kepL lL near. Pe ralsed hls lefL hand, palm Loward Lhe roboLs, ln whaL he
hoped would be recognlzed as a gesLure of peace and sald, speaklng
slowly, l greeL you. We come Lo Lhls world as frlends."
1he cenLral roboL of Lhe Lhree ducked hls head ln a klnd of aborLlve
bow LhaL mlghL also have been Laken as a gesLure of peace by an
opLlmlsL, and replled.
1revlze's [aw dropped ln asLonlshmenL. ln a world of CalacLlc
communlcaLlon, one dld noL Lhlnk of fallure ln so fundamenLal a need.
Powever, Lhe roboL dld noL speak ln CalacLlc SLandard or anyLhlng
approachlng lL. ln facL, 1revlze could noL undersLand a word.
43.
LLC8A1'S surprlse was as greaL as LhaL of 1revlze, buL Lhere was an
obvlous elemenL of pleasure ln lL, Loo.
lsn'L LhaL sLrange?" he sald.
1revlze Lurned Lo hlm and sald, wlLh more Lhan a Louch of asperlLy ln
hls volce, lL's noL sLrange. lL's glbberlsh."
eloraL sald, noL glbberlsh aL all. lL's CalacLlc, buL very archalc. l
caLch a few words. l could probably undersLand lL easlly lf lL were wrlLLen
down. lL's Lhe pronunclaLlon LhaL's Lhe real puzzle."
Well, whaL dld lL say?"
l Lhlnk lL Lold you lL dldn'L undersLand whaL you sald."
8llss sald, l can'L Lell whaL lL sald, buL whaL l sense ls puzzlemenL,
whlch flLs. 1haL ls, lf l can LrusL my analysls of roboLlc emoLlon-or lf Lhere
ls such a Lhlng as roboLlc emoLlon."
Speaklng very slowly, and wlLh dlfflculLy, eloraL sald someLhlng, and
Lhe Lhree roboLs ducked Lhelr head ln unlson.
WhaL was LhaL?" sald 1revlze.
eloraL sald, l sald l couldn'L speak well, buL l would Lry. l asked for
a llLLle Llme. uear me, old chap, Lhls ls fearfully lnLeresLlng."
learfully dlsappolnLlng," muLLered 1revlze.
?ou see," sald eloraL, every hablLable planeL ln Lhe Calaxy
manages Lo work ouL lLs own varleLy of CalacLlc so LhaL Lhere are a
mllllon dlalecLs LhaL are someLlmes barely lnLercomprehenslble, buL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
141
Lhey're all pulled LogeLher by Lhe developmenL of CalacLlc SLandard.
Assumlng Lhls world Lo have been lsolaLed for LwenLy Lhousand years,
Lhe language would ordlnarlly drlfL so far from LhaL of Lhe resL of Lhe
Calaxy as Lo be an enLlrely dlfferenL language. 1haL lL lsn'L may be
because Lhe world has a soclal sysLem LhaL depends upon roboLs whlch
can only undersLand Lhe language as spoken ln Lhe fashlon ln whlch Lhey
were programmed. 8aLher Lhan keep reprogrammlng, Lhe language
remalned sLaLlc and we now have whaL ls Lo us merely a very archalc
form of CalacLlc."
1here's an example," sald 1revlze, of how a roboLlzed socleLy can
be held sLaLlc and made, Lo Lurn degeneraLe."
8uL, my dear fellow," proLesLed eloraL, keeplng a language
relaLlvely unchanged ls noL necessarlly a slgn of degeneraLlon. 1here are
advanLages Lo lL. uocumenLs preserved for cenLurles and mlllennla
reLaln Lhelr meanlng and glve greaLer longevlLy and auLhorlLy Lo
hlsLorlcal records. ln Lhe resL of Lhe Calaxy, Lhe language of lmperlal
edlcLs of Lhe Llme of Parl Seldon already beglns Lo sound qualnL."
And do you know Lhls archalc CalacLlc?"
noL Lo say know, Colan. lL's [usL LhaL ln sLudylng anclenL myLhs and
legends l've plcked up Lhe Lrlck of lL. 1he vocabulary ls noL enLlrely
dlfferenL, buL lL ls lnflecLed dlfferenLly, and Lhere are ldlomaLlc
expresslons we don'L use any longer and, as l have sald, Lhe
pronunclaLlon ls LoLally changed. l can acL as lnLerpreLer, buL noL as a
very good one."
1revlze heaved a Lremulous slgh. A small sLroke of good forLune ls
beLLer Lhan none. Carry on, !anov."
eloraL Lurned Lo Lhe roboLs, walLed a momenL, Lhen looked back aL
1revlze. WhaL am l supposed Lo say?"
LeL's go all Lhe way. Ask Lhem where LarLh ls."
eloraL sald Lhe words one aL a Llme, wlLh exaggeraLed gesLures of
hls hands.
1he roboLs looked aL each oLher and made a few sounds. 1he mlddle
one Lhen spoke Lo eloraL, who replled whlle movlng hls hands aparL as
Lhough he were sLreLchlng a lengLh of rubber. 1he roboL responded by
spaclng hls words as carefully as eloraL had. eloraL sald Lo 1revlze,
l'm noL sure l'm geLLlng across whaL l mean by `LarLh.' l suspecL Lhey
Lhlnk l'm referrlng Lo some reglon on Lhelr planeL and Lhey say Lhey
don'L know of any such reglon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
142
uo Lhey use Lhe name of Lhls planeL, !anov?"
1he closesL l can come Lo whaL l Lhlnk Lhey are uslng as Lhe name ls
`Solarla.'
Pave you ever heard of lL ln your legends?"
no-any more Lhan l had ever heard of Aurora."
Well, ask Lhem lf Lhere ls any place named LarLh ln Lhe sky-among
Lhe sLars. olnL upward."
Agaln an exchange, and flnally eloraL Lurned and sald, All l can geL
from Lhem, Colan, ls LhaL Lhere are no places ln Lhe sky."
8llss sald, Ask Lhose roboLs how old Lhey are, or raLher, how long
Lhey have been funcLlonlng."
l don'L know how Lo say 'funcLlonlng,"' sald eloraL, shaklng hls
head. ln facL, l'm noL sure lf l can say `how old.' l'm noL a very good
lnLerpreLer."
uo Lhe besL you can, el dear," sald 8llss.
And afLer several exchanges, eloraL sald, 1hey've been funcLlonlng
for LwenLy-slx years."
1wenLy-slx years," muLLered 1revlze ln dlsgusL. 1hey're hardly
older Lhan you are, 8llss."
8llss sald, wlLh sudden prlde, lL so happens-
l know. ?ou're Cala, whlch ls Lhousands of years old. -ln any case,
Lhese roboLs cannoL Lalk abouL LarLh from personal experlence, and
Lhelr memorybanks clearly do noL lnclude anyLhlng noL necessary Lo
Lhelr funcLlonlng. So Lhey know noLhlng abouL asLronomy."
eloraL sald, 1here may be oLher roboLs somewhere on Lhe planeL
LhaL are prlmordlal, perhaps."
l doubL lL," sald 1revlze, buL ask Lhem, lf you can flnd Lhe words for
lL, !anov."
1hls Llme Lhere was qulLe a long conversaLlon and eloraL evenLually
broke lL off wlLh a flushed face and a clear alr of frusLraLlon.
Colan," he sald, l don'L undersLand parL of whaL Lhey're Lrylng Lo
say, buL l gaLher LhaL Lhe older roboLs are used for manual labor and
don'L know anyLhlng. lf Lhls roboL were a human, l'd say he spoke of Lhe
older roboLs wlLh conLempL. 1hese Lhree are house roboLs, Lhey say, and
are noL allowed Lo grow old before belng replaced. 1hey're Lhe ones
who really know Lhlngs-Lhelr words, noL mlne."
1hey don'L know much," growled 1revlze. AL leasL of Lhe Lhlngs we
wanL Lo know."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
143
l now regreL," sald eloraL, LhaL we lefL Aurora so hurrledly. lf we
had found a roboL survlvor Lhere, and we surely would have, slnce Lhe
very flrsL one l encounLered sLlll had a spark of llfe lefL ln lL, Lhey would
know of LarLh Lhrough personal memory."
rovlded Lhelr memorles were lnLacL, !anov," sald 1revlze. We can
always go back Lhere and, lf we have Lo, dog packs or noL, we wlll. -8uL lf
Lhese roboLs are only a couple of decades old, Lhere musL be Lhose who
manufacLure Lhem, and Lhe manufacLurers musL be human, l should
Lhlnk." Pe Lurned Lo 8llss. Are you sure you sensed-
8uL she ralsed a hand Lo sLop hlm and Lhere was a sLralned and
lnLenL look on her face. Comlng now," she sald, ln a low volce.
1revlze Lurned hls face Loward Lhe rlse and Lhere, flrsL appearlng
from behlnd lL, and Lhen sLrldlng Loward Lhem, was Lhe unmlsLakable
flgure of a human belng. Pls complexlon was pale and hls halr llghL and
long, sLandlng ouL sllghLly from Lhe sldes of hls head. Pls face was grave
buL qulLe young ln appearance. Pls bare arms and legs were noL
parLlcularly muscled.
1he roboLs sLepped aslde for hlm, and he advanced Llll he sLood ln
Lhelr mldsL.
Pe Lhen spoke ln a clear, pleasanL volce and hls words, alLhough
used archalcally, were ln CalacLlc SLandard, and easlly undersLood.
CreeLlngs, wanderers from space," he sald. WhaL would you wlLh
my roboLs?"
46.
18LvlZL dld noL cover hlmself wlLh glory.. Pe sald foollshly, ?ou
speak CalacLlc?"
1he Solarlan sald, wlLh a grlm smlle, And why noL, slnce l am noL
muLe?"
8uL Lhese?" 1revlze gesLured Loward Lhe roboLs.
1hese are roboLs. 1hey speak our language, as l do. 8uL l am
Solarlan and hear Lhe hyperspaLlal communlcaLlons of Lhe worlds
beyond so LhaL l have learned your way of speaklng, as have my
predecessors. My predecessors have lefL descrlpLlons of Lhe language,
buL l consLanLly hear new words and expresslons LhaL change wlLh Lhe
years, as Lhough you SeLLlers can seLLle worlds, buL noL words. Pow ls lL
you are surprlsed aL my undersLandlng of your language?"
l should noL have been," sald 1revlze. l apologlze. lL was [usL LhaL
speaklng Lo Lhe roboLs, l had noL LhoughL Lo hear CalacLlc on Lhls world."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
144
Pe sLudled Lhe Solarlan. Pe was wearlng a Lhln whlLe robe, draped
loosely over hls shoulder, wlLh large openlngs for hls arms. lL was open
ln fronL, exposlng a bare chesL and lolncloLh below. LxcepL for a palr of
llghL sandals, he wore noLhlng else.
lL occurred Lo 1revlze LhaL he could noL Lell wheLher Lhe Solarlan was
male or female. 1he breasLs were male cerLalnly buL Lhe chesL was
halrless and Lhe Lhln lolncloLh showed no bulge of any klnd.
Pe Lurned Lo 8llss and sald ln a low volce, 1hls mlghL sLlll be a roboL,
buL very llke a human belng ln-
8llss sald, her llps hardly movlng, 1he mlnd ls LhaL of a human belng,
noL a roboL."
1he Solarlan sald, ?eL you have noL answered my orlglnal quesLlon. l
shall excuse Lhe fallure and puL lL down Lo your surprlse. l now ask agaln
and you musL noL fall a second Llme. WhaL would you wlLh my roboLs?"
1revlze sald, We are Lravelers who seek lnformaLlon Lo reach our
desLlnaLlon. We asked your roboLs for lnformaLlon LhaL would help us,
buL Lhey lacked Lhe knowledge."
WhaL ls Lhe lnformaLlon you seek? erhaps l can help you."
We seek Lhe locaLlon of LarLh. Could you Lell us LhaL?"
1he Solarlan's eyebrows llfLed. l would have LhoughL LhaL your flrsL
ob[ecL of curloslLy would have been myself. l wlll supply LhaL lnformaLlon
alLhough you have noL asked for lL. l am SarLon 8ander and you sLand
upon Lhe 8ander esLaLe, whlch sLreLches as far as your eye can see ln
every dlrecLlon and far beyond. l cannoL say LhaL you are welcome here,
for ln comlng here, you have vlolaLed a LrusL. ?ou are Lhe flrsL SeLLlers Lo
Louch down upon Solarla ln many Lhousands of years and, as lL Lurns ouL,
you have come here merely Lo lnqulre as Lo Lhe besL way of reachlng
anoLher world. ln Lhe old days, SeLLlers, you and your shlp would have
been desLroyed on slghL."
1haL would be a barbarlc way of LreaLlng people who mean no harm
and offer none," sald 1revlze cauLlously.
l agree, buL when members of an expandlng socleLy seL fooL upon
an lnoffenslve and sLaLlc one, LhaL mere Louch ls fllled wlLh poLenLlal
harm. Whlle we feared LhaL harm, we were ready Lo desLroy Lhose who
came aL Lhe lnsLanL of Lhelr comlng. Slnce we no longer have reason Lo
fear, we are, as you see, ready Lo Lalk."
1revlze s , l appreclaLe Lhe lnformaLlon you have offered us so
freely, and yeL you falled Lo answer Lhe quesLlon l dld ask. l wlll repeaL lL.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
143
Could you Lell us Lhe locaLlon of Lhe planeL LarLh?"
8y LarLh, l Lake lL you mean Lhe world on whlch Lhe human specles,
and Lhe varlous specles of planLs and anlmals"-hls hand moved
gracefully abouL as Lhough Lo lndlcaLe all Lhe surroundlngs abouL Lhem-
orlglnaLed."
?es, l do, slr."
A queer look of repugnance fllLLed over Lhe Solarlan's face. Pe sald,
lease address me slmply as 8ander, lf you musL use a form of address.
uo noL address me by any word LhaL lncludes a slgn of gender. l am
nelLher male nor female. l am whole."
1revlze nodded (he had been rlghL). As you wlsh, 8ander. WhaL,
Lhen, ls Lhe locaLlon of LarLh, Lhe world of orlgln of all of us?"
8ander sald, l do noL know. nor do l wlsh Lo know. lf l dld know, or
lf l could flnd ouL, lL would do you no good, for LarLh no longer exlsLs as
a world. -Ah," he wenL on, sLreLchlng ouL hls arms. 1he sun feels good. l
am noL ofLen on Lhe surface, and never when Lhe sun does noL show
lLself. My roboLs were senL Lo greeL you whlle Lhe sun was yeL hldlng
behlnd Lhe clouds. l followed only when Lhe clouds cleared."
Why ls lL LhaL LarLh no longer exlsLs as a world?" sald 1revlze
lnslsLenLly, sLeellng hlmself for Lhe Lale of radloacLlvlLy once agaln.
8ander, however, lgnored Lhe quesLlon or, raLher, puL lL Lo one slde
carelessly. 1he sLory ls Loo long," he sald. ?ou Lold me LhaL you came
wlLh no lnLenL of harm."
1haL ls correcL."
Why Lhen dld you come armed?"
1haL ls merely a precauLlon. l dld noL know whaL l mlghL meeL."
lL doesn'L maLLer. ?our llLLle weapons represenL no danger Lo me.
?eL l am curlous. l have, of course, heard much of your arms, and of your
curlously barbarlc hlsLory LhaL seems Lo depend so enLlrely upon arms.
Lven so, l have never acLually seen a weapon. May l see yours?"
1revlze Look a sLep backward. l'm afrald noL, 8ander."
8ander seemed amused. l asked only ouL of pollLeness. l need noL
have asked aL all."
lL held ouL lLs hand and from 1revlze's rlghL holsLer, Lhere emerged
hls blasLer, whlle from hls lefL holsLer, Lhere rose up hls neuronlc whlp.
1revlze snaLched aL hls weapons buL felL hls arms held back as Lhough by
sLlffly elasLlc bonds. 8oLh eloraL and 8llss sLarLed forward and lL was
clear LhaL Lhey were held as well.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
146
8ander sald, uon'L boLher Lrylng Lo lnLerfere. ?ou cannoL." 1he
weapons flew Lo lLs hands and lL looked Lhem over carefully. 1hls one,"
lL sald, lndlcaLlng Lhe blasLer, seems Lo be a mlcrowave beamer LhaL
produces heaL, Lhus explodlng any fluld-conLalnlng body. 1he oLher ls
more subLle, and, l musL confess, l do noL see aL a glance whaL lL ls
lnLended Lo do. Powever, slnce you mean no harm and offer no harm,
you don'L need arms. l can, and l do, bleed Lhe energy conLenL of Lhe
unlLs of each weapon. 1haL leaves Lhem harmless unless you use one or
Lhe oLher as a club, and Lhey would be clumsy lndeed lf used for LhaL
purpose."
1he Solarlan released Lhe weapons and agaln Lhey drlfLed Lhrough
Lhe alr, Lhls Llme back Loward 1revlze. Lach seLLled neaLly lnLo lLs holsLer.
1revlze, feellng hlmself released, pulled ouL hls blasLer, buL Lhere
was no need Lo use lL. 1he conLacL hung loosely, and Lhe energy unlL had
clearly been LoLally dralned. 1haL was preclsely Lhe case wlLh Lhe
neuronlc whlp as well.
Pe looked up aL 8ander, who sald, smlllng, ?ou are qulLe helpless,
CuLworlder. l can as easlly, lf l so deslred, desLroy your shlp and, of
course, you."

Chapter 11
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
147

underground

47.

18LvlZL felL frozen. 1rylng Lo breaLhe normally, he Lurned Lo look aL
8llss. She was sLandlng wlLh her arm proLecLlvely abouL eloraL's walsL,
and, Lo all appearances, was qulLe calm. She smlled sllghLly and, even
more sllghLly, nodded her head.
1revlze Lurned back Lo 8ander. Pavlng lnLerpreLed 8llss's acLlons as
slgnlfylng confldence, and hoplng wlLh dreadful earnesLness LhaL he was
correcL, he sald grlmly, Pow dld you do LhaL, 8ander?"
8ander smlled, obvlously ln hlgh good humor. 1ell me, llLLle
CuLworlders, do you belleve ln sorcery? ln maglc?"
no, we do noL, llLLle Solarlan," snapped 1revlze.
8llss Lugged aL 1revlze's sleeve and whlspered, uon'L lrrlLaLe hlm.
Pe's dangerous."
l can see he ls," sald 1revlze, keeplng hls volce low wlLh dlfflculLy.
?ou do someLhlng, Lhen."
Per volce barely heard, 8llss sald, noL yeL. Pe wlll be less dangerous
lf he feels secure."
8ander pald no aLLenLlon Lo Lhe brlef whlsperlng among Lhe
CuLworlders. lL moved away from Lhem uncarlngly, Lhe roboLs
separaLlng Lo leL lL pass.
1hen lL looked back and crooked a flnger languldly. Come. lollow
me. All Lhree of you. l wlll Lell you a sLory LhaL may noL lnLeresL you, buL
LhaL lnLeresLs me." lL conLlnued Lo walk forward lelsurely.
1revlze remalned ln place for a whlle, uncerLaln as Lo Lhe besL course
of acLlon. 8llss walked forward, however, and Lhe pressure of her arm
led eloraL forward as well. LvenLually, 1revlze moved, Lhe alLernaLlve
was Lo be lefL sLandlng alone wlLh Lhe roboLs.
8llss sald llghLly, lf 8ander wlll be so klnd as Lo Lell Lhe sLory LhaL
may noL lnLeresL us-
8ander Lurned and looked lnLenLly aL 8llss as Lhough he were Lruly
aware of her for Lhe flrsL Llme. ?ou are Lhe femlnlne half-human," he
sald, aren'L you? 1he lesser half?"
1he smaller half, 8ander. ?es."
1hese oLher Lwo are mascullne half-humans, Lhen?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
148
So Lhey are."
Pave you had your chlld yeL, femlnlne?"
My name, 8ander, ls 8llss. l have noL yeL had a chlld. 1hls ls 1revlze.
1hls ls el."
And whlch of Lhese Lwo mascullnes ls Lo asslsL you when lL ls your
Llme? Cr wlll lL be boLh? Cr nelLher?"
el wlll asslsL me, 8ander."
8ander Lurned hls aLLenLlon Lo eloraL. ?ou have whlLe halr, l see."
eloraL sald, l have."
Was lL always LhaL color?"
no, 8ander, lL became so wlLh age."
And how old are you?"
l am flfLy-Lwo years old, 8ander," eloraL sald, Lhen added hasLlly,
1haL's CalacLlc SLandard ?ears."
8ander conLlnued Lo walk (Loward Lhe dlsLanL manslon, 1revlze
assumed), buL more slowly. lL sald, l don'L know how long a CalacLlc
SLandard ?ear ls, buL lL can'L be very dlfferenL from our year. And how
old wlll you be when you dle, el?"
l can'L say. l may llve LhlrLy more years."
LlghLy-Lwo years, Lhen. ShorL-llved, and dlvlded ln halves.
unbellevable, and yeL my dlsLanL ancesLors were llke you and llved on
LarLh. -8uL some of Lhem lefL LarLh Lo esLabllsh new worlds around
oLher sLars, wonderful worlds, well organlzed, and many."
1revlze sald loudly, noL many. llfLy."
8ander Lurned a lofLy eye on 1revlze. 1here seemed less humor ln lL
now. 1revlze. 1haL's your name."
Colan 1revlze ln full. l say Lhere were flfLy Spacer worlds. Cur
worlds number ln Lhe mllllons."
uo you know, Lhen, Lhe sLory LhaL l wlsh Lo Lell you?" sald 8ander
sofLly.
lf Lhe sLory ls LhaL Lhere were once flfLy Spacer worlds, we know lL."
We counL noL ln numbers only, llLLle half-human," sald 8ander. We
counL Lhe quallLy, Loo. 1here were flfLy, buL such a flfLy LhaL noL all your
mllllons could make up one of Lhem. And Solarla was Lhe flfLleLh and,
Lherefore, Lhe besL. Solarla was as far beyond Lhe oLher Spacer worlds,
as Lhey were beyond LarLh.
We of Solarla alone learned how llfe was Lo be llved. We dld noL
herd and flock llke anlmals, as Lhey dld on LarLh, as Lhey dld on oLher
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
149
worlds, as Lhey dld even on Lhe oLher Spacer worlds. We llved each
alone, wlLh roboLs Lo help us, vlewlng each oLher elecLronlcally as ofLen
as we wlshed, buL comlng wlLhln naLural slghL of one anoLher only
rarely. lL ls many years slnce l have gazed aL human belngs as l now gaze
aL you buL, Lhen, you are only half-humans and your presence,
Lherefore, does noL llmlL my freedom any more Lhan a cow would llmlL
lL, or a roboL.
?eL we were once half-human, Loo. no maLLer how we perfecLed
our freedom, no maLLer how we developed as sollLary masLers over
counLless roboLs, Lhe freedom was never absoluLe. ln order Lo produce
young Lhere had Lo be Lwo lndlvlduals ln co-operaLlon. lL was posslble, of
course, Lo conLrlbuLe sperm cells and egg cells, Lo have Lhe ferLlllzaLlon
process and Lhe consequenL embryonlc growLh Lake place arLlflclally ln
auLomaLed fashlon. lL was posslble for Lhe lnfanL Lo llve adequaLely
under roboLlc care. lL could all be done, buL Lhe half-humans would noL
glve up Lhe pleasure LhaL wenL wlLh blologlcal lmpregnaLlon. erverse
emoLlonal aLLachmenLs would develop ln consequence and freedom
vanlshed. uo you see LhaL LhaL had Lo be changed?"
1revlze sald, no, 8ander, because we do noL measure freedom by
your sLandards."
1haL ls because you do noL know whaL freedom ls. ?ou have never
llved buL ln swarms, and you know no way of llfe buL Lo be consLanLly
forced, ln even Lhe smallesL Lhlngs, Lo bend your wllls Lo Lhose of oLhers
or, whlch ls equally vlle, Lo spend your days sLruggllng Lo force oLhers Lo
bend Lhelr wllls Lo yours. Where ls any posslble freedom Lhere? lreedom
ls noLhlng lf lL ls noL Lo llve as you wlsh! LxacLly as you wlsh!
1hen came Lhe Llme when Lhe LarLhpeople began Lo swarm
ouLward once more, when Lhelr cllnglng crowds agaln swlrled Lhrough
space. 1he oLher Spacers, who dld noL flock as Lhe LarLhpeople dld, buL
who flocked neverLheless, lf Lo a lesser degree, Lrled Lo compeLe.
We Solarlans dld noL. We foresaw lnevlLable fallure ln swarmlng.
We moved underground and broke off all conLacL wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe
Calaxy. We were deLermlned Lo remaln ourselves aL all cosLs. We
developed sulLable roboLs and weapons Lo proLecL our apparenLly empLy
surface, and Lhey dld Lhe [ob admlrably. Shlps came and were desLroyed,
and sLopped comlng. 1he planeL was consldered deserLed, and was
forgoLLen, as we hoped lL would be.
And meanwhlle, underground, we worked Lo solve our problems.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
130
We ad[usLed our genes glngerly, dellcaLely. We had fallures, buL some
successes, and we caplLallzed on Lhe successes. lL Look us many
cenLurles, buL we flnally became whole human belngs, lncorporaLlng
boLh Lhe mascullne and femlnlne prlnclples ln one body, supplylng our
own compleLe pleasure aL wlll, and produclng, when we wlshed,
ferLlllzed eggs for developmenL under skllled roboLlc care."
PermaphrodlLes," sald eloraL.
ls LhaL whaL lL ls called ln your language?" asked 8ander
lndlfferenLly. l have never heard Lhe word."
PermaphrodlLlsm sLops evoluLlon dead ln lLs Lracks," sald 1revlze.
Lach chlld ls Lhe geneLlc dupllcaLe of lLs hermaphrodlLlc parenL."
Come," sald 8ander, you LreaL evoluLlon as a hlL-and-mlss affalr.
We can deslgn our chlldren lf we wlsh. We can change and ad[usL Lhe
genes and, on occaslon, we do. -8uL we are almosL aL my dwelllng. LeL us
enLer. lL grows laLe ln Lhe day. 1he sun already falls Lo glve lLs warmLh
adequaLely and we wlll be more comforLable lndoors."
1hey passed Lhrough a door LhaL had no locks of any klnd buL LhaL
opened as Lhey approached and closed behlnd Lhem as Lhey passed
Lhrough. 1here were no wlndows, buL as Lhey enLered a cavernous
room, Lhe walls glowed Lo lumlnous llfe and brlghLened. 1he floor
seemed bare, buL was sofL and sprlngy Lo Lhe Louch. ln each of Lhe four
corners of Lhe room, a roboL sLood moLlonless.
1haL wall," sald 8ander, polnLlng Lo Lhe wall opposlLe Lhe door-a
wall LhaL seemed no dlfferenL ln any way from Lhe oLher Lhree-ls my
vlslonscreen. 1he world opens before me Lhrough LhaL screen buL lL ln
no way llmlLs my freedom for l cannoL be compelled Lo use lL."
1revlze sald, nor can you compel anoLher Lo use hls lf you wlsh Lo
see hlm Lhrough LhaL screen and he does noL."
Compel?" sald 8ander haughLlly. LeL anoLher do as lL pleases, lf lL ls
buL conLenL LhaL l do as l please. lease noLe LhaL we do noL use
gendered pronouns ln referrlng Lo each oLher."
1here was one chalr ln Lhe room, faclng Lhe vlslon-screen, and
8ander saL down ln lL.
1revlze looked abouL, as Lhough expecLlng addlLlonal chalrs Lo sprlng
from Lhe floor. May we slL, Loo?" he sald.
lf you wlsh," sald 8ander.
8llss, smlllng, saL down on Lhe floor. eloraL saL down beslde her.
1revlze sLubbornly conLlnued Lo sLand.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
131
8llss sald, 1ell me, 8ander, how many human belngs llve on Lhls
planeL?"
Say Solarlans, half-human 8llss. 1he phrase `human belng' ls
conLamlnaLed by Lhe facL LhaL half-humans call Lhemselves LhaL. We
mlghL call ourselves whole-humans, buL LhaL ls clumsy. Solarlan ls Lhe
proper Lerm."
Pow many Solarlans, Lhen, llve on Lhls planeL?"
l am noL cerLaln. We do noL counL ourselves. erhaps Lwelve
hundred."
Cnly Lwelve hundred on Lhe enLlre world?"
lully Lwelve hundred. ?ou counL ln numbers agaln, whlle we counL
ln quallLy. -nor do you undersLand freedom. lf one oLher Solarlan exlsLs
Lo dlspuLe my absoluLe masLery over any parL of my land, over any roboL
or llvlng Lhlng or ob[ecL, my freedom ls llmlLed. Slnce oLher Solarlans
exlsL, Lhe llmlLaLlon on freedom musL be removed as far as posslble by
separaLlng Lhem all Lo Lhe polnL where conLacL ls vlrLually nonexlsLenL.
Solarla wlll hold Lwelve hundred Solarlans under condlLlons approachlng
Lhe ldeal. Add more, and llberLy wlll be palpably llmlLed so LhaL Lhe
resulL wlll be unendurable."
1haL means each chlld musL be counLed and musL balance deaLhs,"
sald eloraL suddenly.
CerLalnly. 1haL musL be Lrue of any world wlLh a sLable populaLlon-
even yours, perhaps."
And slnce Lhere are probably few deaLhs, Lhere musL Lherefore be
few chlldren."
lndeed."
eloraL nodded hls head and was sllenL.
1revlze sald, WhaL l wanL Lo know ls how you made my weapons fly
Lhrough Lhe alr. ?ou haven'L explalned LhaL."
l offered you sorcery or maglc as an explanaLlon. uo you refuse Lo
accepL LhaL?"
Cf course l refuse. WhaL do you Lake me for?"
Wlll you, Lhen, belleve ln Lhe conservaLlon of energy, and ln Lhe
necessary lncrease of enLropy?"
1haL l do. nor can l belleve LhaL even ln LwenLy Lhousand years you
have changed Lhese laws, or modlfled Lhem a mlcromeLer."
nor have we, half-person. 8uL now conslder. CuLdoors, Lhere ls
sunllghL." 1here was lLs oddly graceful gesLure, as Lhough marklng ouL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
132
sunllghL all abouL. And Lhere ls shade. lL ls warmer ln Lhe sunllghL Lhan
ln Lhe shade, and heaL flows sponLaneously from Lhe sunllL area lnLo Lhe
shaded area."
?ou Lell me whaL l know," sald 1revlze.
8uL perhaps you know lL so well LhaL you no longer Lhlnk abouL lL.
And aL nlghL, Solarla's surface ls warmer Lhan Lhe ob[ecLs beyond lLs
aLmosphere, so LhaL heaL flows sponLaneously from Lhe planeLary
surface lnLo ouLer space."
l know LhaL, Loo."
And day or nlghL, Lhe planeLary lnLerlor ls warmer Lhan Lhe
planeLary surface. PeaL Lherefore flows sponLaneously from Lhe lnLerlor
Lo Lhe surface. l lmaglne you know LhaL, Loo."
And whaL of all LhaL, 8ander?"
1he flow of heaL from hoLLer Lo colder, whlch musL Lake place by
Lhe second law of Lhermodynamlcs, can be used Lo do work."
ln Lheory, yes, buL sunllghL ls dlluLe, Lhe heaL of Lhe planeLary
surface ls even more dlluLe, and Lhe raLe aL whlch heaL escapes from Lhe
lnLerlor makes LhaL Lhe mosL dlluLe of all. 1he amounL of heaL-flow LhaL
can be harnessed would probably noL be enough Lo llfL a pebble."
lL depends on Lhe devlce you use for Lhe purpose," sald 8ander.
Cur own Lool was developed over a perlod of Lhousands of years and lL
ls noLhlng less Lhan a porLlon of our braln."
8ander llfLed Lhe halr on elLher slde of lLs head, exposlng LhaL
porLlon of lLs skull behlnd lLs ears. lL Lurned lLs head Lhls way and LhaL,
and behlnd each ear was a bulge Lhe slze and shape of Lhe blunL end of a
hen's egg.
1haL porLlon of my braln, and lLs absence ln you, ls whaL makes Lhe
dlfference beLween a Solarlan and you."
48.
18LvlZL glanced now and Lhen aL 8llss's face, whlch seemed enLlrely
concenLraLed on 8ander. 1revlze had grown qulLe cerLaln he knew whaL
was golng on.
8ander, desplLe lLs paean Lo freedom, found Lhls unlque opporLunlLy
lrreslsLlble. 1here was no way lL could speak Lo roboLs on a basls of
lnLellecLual equallLy, and cerLalnly noL Lo anlmals. 1o speak Lo lLs
fellow-Solarlans would be, Lo lL, unpleasanL, and whaL communlcaLlon
Lhere musL be would be forced, and never sponLaneous.
As for 1revlze, 8llss, and eloraL, Lhey mlghL be half-human Lo
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
133
8ander, and lL mlghL regard Lhem as no more an lnfrlngemenL on lLs
llberLy Lhan a roboL or a goaL would be-buL Lhey were lLs lnLellecLual
equals (or near equals) and Lhe chance Lo speak Lo Lhem was a unlque
luxury lL had never experlenced before.
no wonder, 1revlze LhoughL, lL was lndulglng lLself ln Lhls way. And
8llss (1revlze was doubly sure) was encouraglng Lhls, [usL pushlng
8ander's mlnd ever so genLly ln order Lo urge lL Lo do whaL lL very much
wanLed Lo do ln any case.
8llss, presumably, was worklng on Lhe supposlLlon LhaL lf 8ander
spoke enough, lL mlghL Lell Lhem someLhlng useful concernlng LarLh.
1haL made sense Lo 1revlze, so LhaL even lf he had noL been Lruly curlous
abouL Lhe sub[ecL under dlscusslon, he would neverLheless have
endeavored Lo conLlnue Lhe conversaLlon.
WhaL do Lhose braln-lobes do?" 1revlze asked.
8ander sald, 1hey are Lransducers. 1hey are acLlvaLed by Lhe flow of
heaL and Lhey converL Lhe heaL-flow lnLo mechanlcal energy."
l cannoL belleve LhaL. 1he flow of heaL ls lnsufflclenL."
LlLLle half-human, you do noL Lhlnk. lf Lhere were many Solarlans
crowded LogeLher, each Lrylng Lo make use of Lhe flow of heaL, Lhen,
yes, Lhe supply would be lnsufflclenL. l, however, have over forLy
Lhousand square kllomeLers LhaL are mlne, mlne alone. l can collecL
heaL-flow from any quanLlLy of Lhose square kllomeLers wlLh no one Lo
dlspuLe me, so Lhe quanLlLy ls sufflclenL. uo you see?"
ls lL LhaL slmple Lo collecL heaL-flow over a wlde area? 1he mere acL
of concenLraLlon Lakes a greaL deal of energy."
erhaps, buL l am noL aware of lL. My Lransducer-lobes are
consLanLly concenLraLlng heaL-flow so LhaL as work ls needed, work ls
done. When l drew your weapons lnLo Lhe alr, a parLlcular volume of Lhe
sunllL aLmosphere losL some of lLs excess heaL Lo a volume of Lhe shaded
area, so LhaL l was uslng solar energy for Lhe purpose. lnsLead of uslng
mechanlcal or elecLronlc devlces Lo brlng LhaL abouL, however, l used a
neuronlc devlce." lL Louched one of Lhe Lransducer-lobes genLly. lL does
lL qulckly, efflclenLly, consLanLly-and efforLlessly."
unbellevable," muLLered eloraL.
noL aL all unbellevable," sald 8ander. Conslder Lhe dellcacy of Lhe
eye and ear., and how Lhey can Lurn small quanLlLles of phoLons and alr
vlbraLlons lnLo lnformaLlon. 1haL would seem unbellevable lf you had
never come across lL before. 1he Lransducer-lobes are no more
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
134
unbellevable, and would noL be so Lo you, were Lhey noL unfamlllar."
1revlze sald, WhaL do you do wlLh Lhese consLanLly operaLlng
Lransducerlobes?"
We run our world," sald 8ander. Lvery roboL on Lhls vasL esLaLe
obLalns lLs energy from me, or, raLher, from naLural heaL-flow. WheLher
a roboL ls ad[usLlng a conLacL, or felllng a Lree, Lhe energy ls derlved from
menLal LransducLlon-my menLal LransducLlon."
And lf you are asleep?"
1he process of LransducLlon conLlnues waklng or sleeplng, llLLle half-
human," sald 8ander. uo you cease breaLhlng when you sleep? uoes
your hearL sLop beaLlng? AL nlghL, my roboLs conLlnue worklng aL Lhe
cosL of coollng Solarla's lnLerlor a blL. 1he change ls lmmeasurably small
on a global scale and Lhere are only Lwelve hundred of us, so LhaL all Lhe
energy we use does noL appreclably shorLen our sun's llfe or draln Lhe
world's lnLernal heaL."
Pas lL occurred Lo you LhaL you mlghL use lL as a weapon?"
8ander sLared aL 1revlze as Lhough he were someLhlng pecullarly
lncomprehenslble. l suppose by LhaL," he sald, you mean LhaL Solarla
mlghL confronL oLher worlds wlLh energy weapons based on
LransducLlon? Why should we? Lven lf we could beaL Lhelr energy
weapons based on oLher prlnclples-whlch ls anyLhlng buL cerLaln-whaL
would we galn? 1he conLrol of oLher worlds? WhaL do we wanL wlLh
oLher worlds when we have an ldeal world of our own? uo we wanL Lo
esLabllsh our domlnaLlon over half-humans and use Lhem ln forced
labor? We have our roboLs LhaL are far beLLer Lhan half-humans for Lhe
purpose. We have everyLhlng. We wanL noLhlng-excepL Lo be lefL Lo
ourselves. See here-l'll Lell you anoLher sLory."
Co ahead," sald 1revlze.
1wenLy Lhousand years ago when Lhe half-creaLures of LarLh began
Lo swarm lnLo space and we ourselves wlLhdrew underground, Lhe oLher
Spacer worlds were deLermlned Lo oppose Lhe new LarLh-seLLlers. So
Lhey sLruck aL LarLh."
AL LarLh," sald 1revlze, Lrylng Lo hlde hls saLlsfacLlon over Lhe facL
LhaL Lhe sub[ecL had come up aL lasL.
?es, aL Lhe cenLer. A senslble move, ln a way. lf you wlsh Lo klll a
person, you sLrlke noL aL a flnger or a heel, buL aL Lhe hearL. And our
fellow-Spacers, noL Loo far removed from human belngs Lhemselves ln
passlons, managed Lo seL LarLh's surface radloacLlvely aflame, so LhaL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
133
Lhe world became largely unlnhablLable."
Ah, LhaL's whaL happened," sald eloraL, clenchlng a flsL and movlng
lL rapldly, as Lhough nalllng down a Lhesls. l knew lL could noL be a
naLural phenomenon. Pow was lL done?"
l don'L know how lL was done," sald 8ander lndlfferenLly, and ln
any case lL dld Lhe Spacers no good. 1haL ls Lhe polnL of Lhe sLory. 1he
SeLLlers conLlnued Lo swarm and Lhe Spacers-dled ouL. 1hey had Lrled Lo
compeLe, and vanlshed. We Solarlans reLlred and refused Lo compeLe,
and so we are sLlll here."
And so are Lhe SeLLlers," sald 1revlze grlmly.
?es, buL noL forever. Swarmers musL flghL, musL compeLe, and
evenLually musL dle. 1haL may Lake Lens of Lhousands of years, buL we
can walL. And when lL happens, we Solarlans, whole, sollLary, llberaLed,
wlll have Lhe Calaxy Lo ourselves. We can Lhen use, or noL use, any
world we wlsh Lo ln addlLlon Lo our own."
8uL Lhls maLLer of LarLh," sald eloraL, snapplng hls flngers
lmpaLlenLly. ls whaL you Lell us legend or hlsLory?"
Pow does one Lell Lhe dlfference, half-eloraL?" sald 8ander. All
hlsLory ls legend, more or less."
8uL whaL do your records say? May l see Lhe records on Lhe sub[ecL,
8ander? -lease undersLand LhaL Lhls maLLer of myLhs, legends, and
prlmeval hlsLory ls my fleld. l am a scholar deallng wlLh such maLLers and
parLlcularly wlLh Lhose maLLers as relaLed Lo LarLh."
l merely repeaL whaL l have heard," sald 8ander. 1here are no
records on Lhe sub[ecL. Cur records deal enLlrely wlLh Solarlan affalrs
and oLher worlds are menLloned ln Lhem only lnsofar as Lhey lmplnge
upon us."
Surely, LarLh has lmplnged on you," sald eloraL.
1haL may be, buL, lf so, lL was long, long ago, and LarLh, of all
worlds, was mosL repulslve Lo us. lf we had any records of LarLh, L am
sure Lhey were desLroyed ouL of sheer revulslon."
1revlze grlLLed hls LeeLh ln chagrln. 8y yourselves?" he asked.
8ander Lurned lLs aLLenLlon Lo 1revlze. 1here ls no one else Lo
desLroy Lhem."
eloraL would noL leL go of Lhe maLLer. WhaL else have you heard
concernlng LarLh?"
8ander LhoughL. lL sald, When l was young, l heard a Lale from a
roboL abouL an LarLhman who once vlslLed Solarla, abouL a Solarlan
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
136
woman who lefL wlLh hlm and became an lmporLanL flgure ln Lhe Calaxy.
1haL, however, was, ln my oplnlon, an lnvenLed Lale."
eloraL blL aL hls llp. Are you sure?"
Pow can l be sure of anyLhlng ln such maLLers?" sald 8ander. SLlll,
lL passes Lhe bounds of bellef LhaL an LarLhman would dare come Lo
Solarla, or LhaL Solarla would allow Lhe lnLruslon. lL ls even less llkely
LhaL a Solarlan woman-we were half-humans Lhen, buL even so-should
volunLarlly leave Lhls world. -8uL come, leL me show you my home."
?our home?" sald 8llss, looklng abouL. Are we noL ln your home?"
noL aL all," sald 8ander. 1hls ls an anLeroom. lL ls a vlewlng room.
ln lL l see my fellow-Solarlans when l musL. 1helr lmages appear on LhaL
wall, or Lhree-dlmenslonally ln Lhe space before Lhe wall. 1hls room ls a
publlc assembly, Lherefore, and noL parL of my home. Come wlLh me,"
lL walked on ahead, wlLhouL Lurnlng Lo see lf lL were followed, buL
Lhe four roboLs lefL Lhelr corners, and 1revlze knew LhaL lf he and hls
companlons dld noL follow sponLaneously, Lhe roboLs would genLly
coerce Lhem lnLo dolng so.
1he oLher Lwo goL Lo Lhelr feeL and 1revlze whlspered llghLly Lo 8llss,
Pave you been keeplng lL Lalklng?"
8llss pressed hls hand, and nodded. !usL Lhe same, l wlsh l knew
whaL lLs lnLenLlons were," she added, wlLh a noLe of uneaslness ln her
volce.
49.
1PL? followed 8ander. 1he roboLs remalned aL a pollLe dlsLance, buL
Lhelr presence was a consLanLly felL LhreaL.
1hey were movlng Lhrough a corrldor, and 1revlze mumbled low-
splrlLedly, 1here's noLhlng helpful abouL LarLh on Lhls planeL. l'm sure
of lL. !usL anoLher varlaLlon on Lhe radloacLlvlLy Lheme." Pe shrugged.
We'll have Lo go on Lo Lhe Lhlrd seL of co-ordlnaLes."
A door opened before Lhem, reveallng a small room. 8ander sald,
Come, half-humans, l wanL Lo show you how we llve."
1revlze whlspered, lL geLs lnfanLlle pleasure ouL of dlsplay. l'd love
Lo knock lL down."
uon'L Lry Lo compeLe ln chlldlshness," sald 8llss.
8ander ushered all Lhree lnLo Lhe room. Cne of Lhe roboLs followed
as well. 8ander gesLured Lhe oLher roboLs away and enLered lLself. 1he
door closed behlnd lL.
lL's an elevaLor," sald eloraL, wlLh a pleased alr of dlscovery.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
137
So lL ls," sald 8ander. Cnce we wenL underground, we never Lruly
emerged. nor would we wanL Lo, Lhough l flnd lL pleasanL Lo feel Lhe
sunllghL on occaslon. l dlsllke clouds or nlghL ln Lhe open, however. 1haL
glves one Lhe sensaLlon of belng underground wlLhouL Lruly belng
underground, lf you know whaL l mean. 1haL ls cognlLlve dlssonance,
afLer a fashlon, and l flnd lL very unpleasanL."
LarLh bullL underground," sald eloraL. 1he Caves of SLeel, Lhey
called Lhelr clLles. And 1ranLor bullL underground, Loo, even more
exLenslvely, ln Lhe old lmperlal days. And Comporellon bullds
underground rlghL now. lL ls a common Lendency, when you come Lo
Lhlnk of lL."
Palf-humans swarmlng underground and we llvlng underground ln
lsolaLed splendor are Lwo wldely dlfferenL Lhlngs," sald 8ander.
1revlze sald, Cn 1ermlnus, dwelllng places are on Lhe surface."
And exposed Lo Lhe weaLher," sald 8ander. very prlmlLlve."
1he elevaLor, afLer Lhe lnlLlal feellng of lower gravlLy LhaL had glven
away lLs naLure Lo eloraL, gave no sensaLlon of moLlon whaLsoever.
1revlze was wonderlng how far down lL would peneLraLe, when Lhere
was a brlef feellng of hlgher gravlLy and Lhe door opened.
8efore Lhem was a large and elaboraLely furnlshed room. lL was
dlmly llL, Lhough Lhe source of Lhe llghL was noL apparenL. lL almosL
seemed as Lhough Lhe alr lLself were falnLly lumlnous.
8ander polnLed lLs flnger and where lL polnLed Lhe llghL grew a blL
more lnLense. lL polnLed lL elsewhere and Lhe same Lhlng happened. lL
placed lLs lefL hand on a sLubby rod Lo one slde of Lhe doorway and, wlLh
lLs rlghL hand, made an expanslve clrcular gesLure so LhaL Lhe whole
room llL up as Lhough lL were ln sunllghL, buL wlLh no sensaLlon of heaL.
1revlze grlmaced and sald, half-aloud, 1he man's a charlaLan."
8ander sald sharply. noL `Lhe man,' buL `Lhe Solarlan.' l'm noL sure
whaL Lhe word `charlaLan' means, buL lf l caLch Lhe Lone of volce, lL ls
opprobrlous."
1revlze sald, lL means one who ls noL genulne, who arranges effecLs
Lo make whaL ls done seem more lmpresslve Lhan lL really ls."
8ander sald, l admlL LhaL l love Lhe dramaLlc, buL whaL l have shown
you ls noL an effecL. lL ls real."
lL Lapped Lhe rod on whlch lLs lefL hand was resLlng. 1hls heaL-
conducLlng rod exLends several kllomeLers downward, and Lhere are
slmllar rods ln many convenlenL places LhroughouL my esLaLe. l know
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
138
Lhere are slmllar rods on oLher esLaLes. 1hese rods lncrease Lhe raLe aL
whlch heaL leaves Solarla's lower reglons for Lhe surface and eases lLs
converslon lnLo work. l do noL need Lhe gesLures of Lhe hand Lo produce
Lhe llghL, buL lL does lend an alr of drama or, perhaps, as you polnL ouL, a
sllghL Louch of Lhe noL-genulne, l en[oy LhaL sorL of Lhlng."
8llss sald, uo you have much opporLunlLy Lo experlence Lhe
pleasure of such llLLle dramaLlc Louches?"
no," sald 8ander, shaklng lLs head. My roboLs are noL lmpressed
wlLh such Lhlngs. nor would my fellow-Solarlans be. 1hls unusual chance
of meeLlng half-humans and dlsplaylng for Lhem ls mosL-amuslng."
eloraL sald, 1he llghL ln Lhls room shone dlmly when We enLered.
uoes lL
shlne dlmly aL all Llmes?"
?es, a small draln of power-llke keeplng' Lhe roboLs worklng. My
enLlre esLaLe ls always runnlng, and Lhose parLs of lL noL engaged ln
acLlve labor are ldllng."
And you supply Lhe power consLanLly for all Lhls vasL esLaLe?"
1he sun and Lhe planeL's core supply Lhe power. l am merely Lhe
condulL. nor ls all Lhe esLaLe producLlve. l keep mosL of lL as wllderness
and well sLocked wlLh a varleLy of anlmal llfe, flrsL, because LhaL proLecLs
my boundarles, and second, because l flnd esLheLlc value ln lL. ln facL,
my flelds and facLorles are small. 1hey need only supply my own needs,
plus some speclalLles Lo exchange for Lhose of oLhers. l have roboLs, for
lnsLance, LhaL can manufacLure and lnsLall Lhe heaL-conducLlng rods aL
need. Many Solarlans depend upon me for LhaL."
And your home?" asked 1revlze. Pow large ls LhaL?"
lL musL have been Lhe rlghL quesLlon Lo ask, for 8ander beamed.
very large. Cne of Lhe largesL on Lhe planeL, l belleve. lL goes on for
kllomeLers ln every dlrecLlon. l have as many roboLs carlng for my home
underground, as l have ln all Lhe Lhousands of square kllomeLers of
surface."
?ou don'L llve ln all of lL, surely," sald eloraL.
lL mlghL concelvably be LhaL Lhere are chambers l have never
enLered, buL whaL of LhaL?" sald 8ander. 1he roboLs keep every room
clean, well venLllaLed, and ln order. 8uL come, sLep ouL here."
1hey emerged Lhrough a door LhaL was noL Lhe one Lhrough whlch
Lhey had enLered and found Lhemselves ln anoLher corrldor. 8efore
Lhem was a llLLle Lopless ground-car LhaL ran on Lracks.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
139
8ander moLloned Lhem lnLo lL, and one by one Lhey clambered
aboard. 1here was noL qulLe room for all four, plus Lhe roboL, buL
eloraL and 8llss squeezed LogeLher LlghLly Lo allow room for 1revlze.
8ander saL ln Lhe fronL wlLh an alr of easy comforL, Lhe roboL aL lLs slde,
and Lhe car moved along wlLh no slgn of overL manlpulaLlon of conLrols
oLher Lhan 8ander's smooLh hand moLlons now and Lhen.
1hls ls a car-shaped roboL, acLually," sald 8ander, wlLh an alr of
negllgenL lndlfference. -
1hey progressed aL a sLaLely pace, very smooLhly pasL doors LhaL
opened as Lhey approached, and closed as Lhey receded. 1he
decoraLlons ln each were of wldely dlfferenL klnds as Lhough roboLs had
been ordered Lo devlse comblnaLlons aL random.
Ahead of Lhem Lhe corrldor was gloomy, and behlnd Lhem as well. AL
whaLever polnL Lhey acLually found Lhemselves, however, Lhey were ln
Lhe equlvalenL of cool sunllghL. 1he rooms, Loo, would llghL as Lhe doors
opened. And each Llme, 8ander moved lLs hand slowly and gracefully.
1here seemed no end Lo Lhe [ourney. now and Lhen Lhey found
Lhemselves curvlng ln a way LhaL made lL plaln LhaL Lhe underground
manslon spread ouL ln Lwo dlmenslons. (no, Lhree, LhoughL 1revlze, aL
one polnL, as Lhey moved sLeadlly down a shallow decllvlLy.)
Wherever Lhey wenL, Lhere were roboLs, by Lhe dozens-scores-
hundreds -engaged ln unhurrled work whose naLure 1revlze could noL
easlly dlvlne. 1hey passed Lhe open door of one large room ln whlch
rows of roboLs were benL quleLly over desks.
eloraL asked, WhaL are Lhey dolng, 8ander?"
8ookkeeplng," sald 8ander. keeplng sLaLlsLlcal records, flnanclal
accounLs, and all sorLs of Lhlngs LhaL, l am very glad Lo say, l don'L have
Lo boLher wlLh. 1hls lsn'L [usL an ldle esLaLe. AbouL a quarLer of lLs
growlng area ls glven over Lo orchards. An addlLlonal LenLh are graln
flelds, buL lL's Lhe orchards LhaL are really my prlde. We grow Lhe besL
frulL ln Lhe world and grow Lhem ln Lhe largesL number of varleLles, Loo.
A 8ander peach ls Lhe peach on Solarla. Pardly anyone else even boLhers
Lo grow peaches. We have LwenLy-seven varleLles of apples and-and so
on. 1he roboLs could glve you full lnformaLlon."
WhaL do you do wlLh all Lhe frulL?" asked 1revlze. ?ou can'L eaL lL
all yourself."
l wouldn'L dream of lL. l'm only moderaLely fond of frulL. lL's Lraded
Lo Lhe oLher esLaLes."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
160
1raded for whaL?"
Mlneral maLerlal mosLly. l have no mlnes worLh menLlonlng on my
esLaLes. 1hen, Loo, l Lrade for whaLever ls requlred Lo malnLaln a healLhy
ecologlcal balance. l have a very large varleLy of planL and anlmal llfe on
Lhe esLaLe."
1he roboLs Lake care of all LhaL, l suppose," sald 1revlze.
1hey do. And very well, Loo."
All for one Solarlan."
All for Lhe esLaLe and lLs ecologlcal sLandards. l happen Lo be Lhe
only Solarlan who vlslLs Lhe varlous parLs of Lhe esLaLe-when l choose-
buL LhaL ls parL of my absoluLe freedom."
eloraL sald, l suppose Lhe oLhers-Lhe oLher Solarlans-also malnLaln
a local ecologlcal balance and have marshlands, perhaps, or
mounLalnous areas or seafronL esLaLes."
8ander sald, l suppose so. Such Lhlngs occupy us ln Lhe conferences
LhaL world affalrs someLlmes make necessary."
Pow ofLen do you have Lo geL LogeLher?" asked 1revlze. (1hey were
golng Lhrough a raLher narrow passageway, qulLe long, and wlLh no
rooms on elLher slde. 1revlze guessed LhaL lL mlghL have been bullL
Lhrough an area LhaL dld noL easlly allow anyLhlng wlder Lo be
consLrucLed, so LhaL lL served as a connecLlng llnk beLween Lwo wlngs
LhaL could each spread ouL more wldely.
1oo ofLen. lL's a rare monLh when l don'L have Lo pass some Llme ln
conference wlLh one of Lhe commlLLees l am a member of. SLlll, alLhough
l may noL have mounLalns or marshlands on my esLaLe, my orchards, my
flshponds, and my boLanlcal gardens are Lhe besL ln Lhe world."
eloraL sald, 8uL, my dear fellow-l mean, 8ander-l would assume
you have never lefL your esLaLe and vlslLed Lhose of oLhers-
CerLalnly nor, " sald 8ander, wlLh an alr of ouLrage.
l sald l assumed LhaL," sald eloraL mlldly. 8uL ln LhaL case, how
can you be cerLaln LhaL yours are besL, never havlng lnvesLlgaLed, or
even seen Lhe oLhers?"
8ecause," sald 8ander, l can Lell from Lhe demand for my producLs
ln lnLeresLaLe Lrade."
1revlze sald, WhaL abouL manufacLurlng?"
8ander sald, 1here are esLaLes where Lhey manufacLure Lools and
machlnery. As l sald, on my esLaLe we make Lhe heaL-conducLlng rods,
buL Lhose are raLher slmple."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
161
And roboLs?"
8oboLs are manufacLured here and Lhere. 1hroughouL hlsLory,
Solarla has led all Lhe Calaxy ln Lhe cleverness and subLleLy of roboL
deslgn."
1oday also, l lmaglne," sald 1revlze, carefully havlng Lhe lnLonaLlon
make Lhe remark a sLaLemenL and noL a quesLlon.
8ander sald, 1oday? WlLh whom ls Lhere Lo compeLe Loday? Cnly
Solarla makes roboLs nowadays. ?our worlds do noL, lf l lnLerpreL whaL l
hear on Lhe hyperwave correcLly."
8uL Lhe oLher Spacer worlds?"
l Lold you. 1hey no longer exlsL."
AL all?"
l don'L Lhlnk Lhere ls a Spacer allve anywhere buL on Solarla."
1hen ls Lhere no one who knows Lhe locaLlon of LarLh?"
Why would anyone wanL Lo know Lhe locaLlon of LarLh?"
eloraL broke ln, l wanL Lo know. lL's my fleld of sLudy."
1hen," sald 8ander, you wlll have Lo sLudy someLhlng else. l know
noLhlng abouL Lhe locaLlon of LarLh, nor have l heard of anyone who
ever dld, nor do l care a sllver of roboL-meLal abouL Lhe maLLer."
1he car came Lo a halL, and, for a momenL, 1revlze LhoughL LhaL
8ander was offended. 1he halL was a smooLh one, however, and 8ander,
geLLlng ouL of Lhe car, looked lLs usual amused self as lL moLloned Lhe
oLhers Lo geL ouL also.
1he llghLlng ln Lhe room Lhey enLered was subdued, even afLer
8ander had brlghLened lL wlLh a gesLure. lL opened lnLo a slde corrldor,
on boLh sldes of whlch were smaller rooms. ln each one of Lhe smaller
rooms was one or Lwo ornaLe vases, someLlmes flanked by ob[ecLs LhaL
mlghL have been fllm pro[ecLors.
WhaL ls all Lhls, 8ander?" asked 1revlze.
8ander sald, 1he ancesLral deaLh chambers, 1revlze."
30.
LLC8A1 looked abouL wlLh lnLeresL. l suppose you have Lhe ashes
of your ancesLors lnLerred here?"
lf you mean by 'lnLerred,"' sald 8ander, burled ln Lhe ground, you
are noL qulLe rlghL. We may be underground, buL Lhls ls my manslon,
and Lhe ashes are ln lL, as we are rlghL now. ln our own language we say
LhaL Lhe ashes are `lnhoused.' " lL heslLaLed, Lhen sald, " `Pouse' ls an
archalc word for `manslon.'
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
162
1revlze looked abouL hlm perfuncLorlly. And Lhese are all your
ancesLors? Pow many?"
nearly a hundred," sald 8ander, maklng no efforL Lo hlde Lhe prlde
ln lLs volce. nlneLy-four, Lo be exacL. Cf course, Lhe earllesL are noL Lrue
Solarlans -noL ln Lhe presenL sense of Lhe word. 1hey were half-people,
mascullne and femlnlne. Such half-ancesLors were placed ln ad[olnlng
urns by Lhelr lmmedlaLe descendanLs. l don'L go lnLo Lhose rooms, of
course. lL's raLher `shamlferous.' AL leasL, LhaL's Lhe Solarlan word for lL,
buL l don'L know your CalacLlc equlvalenL. ?ou may noL have one."
And Lhe fllms?" asked 8llss. l Lake lL Lhose are fllm pro[ecLors?"
ularles," sald 8ander, Lhe hlsLory of Lhelr llves. Scenes of
Lhemselves ln Lhelr favorlLe parLs of Lhe esLaLe. lL means Lhey do noL dle
ln every sense. arL of Lhem remalns, and lL ls parL of my freedom LhaL l
can [oln Lhem whenever l choose, l can waLch Lhls blL of fllm or LhaL, as l
please."
8uL noL lnLo Lhe-shamlferous ones."
8ander's eyes sllLhered away. no," lL admlLLed, buL Lhen we all
have LhaL as parL of Lhe ancesLry. lL ls a common wreLchedness."
Common? 1hen oLher Solarlans also have Lhese deaLh chambers?"
asked 1revlze.
Ch yes, we all do, buL mlne ls Lhe besL, Lhe mosL elaboraLe, Lhe
mosL perfecLly preserved."
1revlze sald, uo you have your own deaLh chamber already
prepared?"
CerLalnly. lL ls compleLely consLrucLed and appolnLed. 1haL was
done as my flrsL duLy when l lnherlLed Lhe esLaLe. And when l am lald Lo
ash-Lo be poeLlc-my successor wlll go abouL Lhe consLrucLlon of lLs own
as lLs flrsL duLy."
And do you have a successor?"
l wlll have when Lhe Llme comes. 1here ls as yeL ample scope for
llfe. When l musL leave, Lhere wlll be an adulL successor, rlpe enough Lo
en[oy Lhe esLaLe, and well lobed for power-LransducLlon."
lL wlll be your offsprlng, l lmaglne."
..Ch yes."
8uL whaL lf," sald 1revlze, someLhlng unLoward Lakes place? l
presume accldenLs and mlsforLunes Lake place even on Solarla. WhaL
happens lf a Solarlan ls lald Lo ash premaLurely and lL has no successor Lo
Lake lLs place, or aL leasL noL one who ls rlpe enough Lo en[oy Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
163
esLaLe?"
1haL rarely happens. ln my llne of ancesLors, LhaL happened only
once. When lL does, however, one need only remember LhaL Lhere are
oLher successors walLlng for oLher esLaLes. Some of Lhose are old
enough Lo lnherlL, and yeL have parenLs who are young enough Lo
produce a second descendanL and Lo llve on Llll LhaL second descendanL
ls rlpe enough for Lhe successlon. Cne of Lhese old/young successors, as
Lhey are called, would be asslgned Lo Lhe successlon of my esLaLe."
Who does Lhe asslgnlng?"
We have a rullng board LhaL has Lhls as one of lLs few funcLlons-Lhe
asslgnmenL of a successor ln case of premaLure achlng. lL ls all done by
holovlslon, of course."
eloraL sald, PuL see here, lf Solarlans never see each oLher, how
would anyone know LhaL some Solarlan somewhere has unexpecLedly-or
expecLedly, for LhaL maLLer-been lald Lo ash."
8ander sald, When one of us ls lald Lo ash, all power aL Lhe esLaLe
ceases. lf no successor Lakes over aL once, Lhe abnormal slLuaLlon ls
evenLually noLlced and correcLlve measures are Laken. l assure you LhaL
our soclal sysLem works smooLhly."
1revlze sald, Would lL be posslble Lo vlew some of Lhese fllms you
have here?"
8ander froze. 1hen lL sald, lL ls only your lgnorance LhaL excuses
you. WhaL you have sald ls crude and obscene."
l apologlze for LhaL," sald 1revlze. l do noL wlsh Lo lnLrude on you,
buL we've already explalned LhaL we are very lnLeresLed ln obLalnlng
lnformaLlon on LarLh. lL occurs Lo me LhaL Lhe earllesL fllms you have
would daLe back Lo a Llme before LarLh was radloacLlve. LarLh mlghL
Lherefore be menLloned. 1here mlghL be deLalls glven abouL lL. We
cerLalnly do noL wlsh Lo lnLrude on your prlvacy, buL would Lhere be any
way ln whlch you yourself could explore Lhose fllms, or have a roboL do
so, perhaps, and Lhen allow any relevanL lnformaLlon Lo be passed on Lo
us? Cf course, lf you can respecL our moLlves and undersLand LhaL we
wlll Lry our besL Lo respecL your feellngs ln reLurn, you mlghL allow us Lo
do Lhe vlewlng ourselves."
8ander sald frlgldly, l lmaglne you have no way of knowlng LhaL you
are becomlng more and more offenslve. Powever, we can end all Lhls aL
once, for l can Lell you LhaL Lhere are no fllms accompanylng my early
half-human ancesLors."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
164
none?" 1revlze's dlsappolnLmenL was hearL-felL.
1hey exlsLed once. 8uL even you can lmaglne whaL mlghL have been
on Lhem. 1wo half-humans showlng lnLeresL ln each oLher or, even,"
Pander cleared lLs LhroaL, and sald, wlLh an efforL, lnLeracLlng.
naLurally, all halfhuman fllms were desLroyed many generaLlons ago."
WhaL abouL Lhe records of oLher Solarlans?"
All desLroyed."
Can you be sure?"
lL would be mad noL Lo desLroy Lhem."
lL mlghL be LhaL some Solarlans were mad, or senLlmenLal, or
forgeLful. We presume you wlll noL ob[ecL Lo dlrecLlng us Lo nelghborlng
esLaLes."
8ander looked aL 1revlze ln surprlse. uo you suppose oLhers wlll be
as LoleranL of you as l have been?"
Why noL, 8ander?"
?ou'll flnd Lhey won'L be."
lL's a chance we'll have Lo Lake."
no, 1revlze. no, any of you. LlsLen Lo me."
1here were roboLs ln Lhe background, and 8ander was frownlng.
WhaL ls lL, 8ander?" sald 1revlze, suddenly uneasy.
8ander sald, l have en[oyed speaklng Lo all of you, and observlng
you ln all your-sLrangeness. lL was a unlque experlence, whlch l have
been dellghLed wlLh, buL l cannoL record lL ln my dlary, nor memorlallze
lL ln fllm."
Why noL?"
My speaklng Lo you, my llsLenlng Lo you, my brlnglng you lnLo my
manslon, my brlnglng you here lnLo Lhe ancesLral deaLh chambers, are
shameful acLs."
We are noL Solarlans. We maLLer Lo you as llLLle as Lhese roboLs do,
do we noL?"
l excuse Lhe maLLer Lo myself ln LhaL way. lL may noL serve as an
excuse Lo oLhers."
WhaL do you care? ?ou have absoluLe llberLy Lo do as you choose,
don'L you?"
Lven as we are, freedom ls noL Lruly absoluLe. lf l were Lhe only
Solarlan on Lhe planeL, l could do even shameful Lhlngs ln absoluLe
freedom. 8uL Lhere are oLher Solarlans on Lhe planeL, and, because of
LhaL, ldeal freedom, Lhough approached, ls noL acLually reached. 1here
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
163
are Lwelve hundred Solarlans on Lhe planeL who would desplse me lf
Lhey knew whaL l had done."
1here ls no reason Lhey need know abouL lL."
1haL ls Lrue. l have been aware of LhaL slnce you've arrlved. l've
been aware of lL all Lhls Llme LhaL l've been amuslng myself wlLh you.
1he oLhers musL noL flnd ouL."
eloraL sald, lf LhaL means you fear compllcaLlons as a resulL of our
vlslLs Lo oLher esLaLes ln search of lnformaLlon abouL LarLh, why,
naLurally, we wlll menLlon noLhlng of havlng vlslLed you flrsL. 1haL ls
clearly undersLood."
8ander shook lLs head. l have Laken enough chances. l wlll noL
speak of Lhls, of course. My roboLs wlll noL speak of Lhls, and wlll even
be lnsLrucLed noL Lo remember lL. ?our shlp wlll be Laken underground
and explores for whaL lnformaLlon lL can glve us-
WalL," sald 1revlze, how long do you suppose we can walL here
whlle you lnspecL our shlp? 1haL ls lmposslble."
noL aL all lmposslble, for you wlll have noLhlng Lo say abouL lL. l am
sorry. l would llke Lo speak Lo you longer and Lo dlscuss many oLher
Lhlngs wlLh you, buL you see Lhe maLLer grows more dangerous."
no, lL does noL," sald 1revlze emphaLlcally.
?es, lL does, llLLle half-human. l'm afrald Lhe Llme has come when l
musL do whaL my ancesLors would have done aL once. l musL klll you, all
Lhree."

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
166
Chapter 1@

1o Lhe Surface
31.
18LvlZL Lurned hls head aL once Lo look aL 8llss. Per face was
expresslonless, buL LauL, and her eyes were flxed on 8ander wlLh an
lnLenslLy LhaL made her seem obllvlous :Lo all else.
eloraL's eyes were wlde, dlsbellevlng.
1revlze, noL knowlng whaL 8llss would-or could-do, sLruggled Lo flghL
down an overwhelmlng sense of loss (noL so much aL Lhe LhoughL of
dylng, as of dylng wlLhouL knowlng where LarLh was, wlLhouL knowlng
why he had chosen Cala as humanlLy's fuLure). Pe had Lo play for Llme.
Pe sald, sLrlvlng Lo keep hls volce sLeady, and hls words clear, ?ou
have shown yourself a courLeous and genLle Solarlan, 8ander. ?ou have
noL grown angry aL our lnLruslon lnLo your world. ?ou have been klnd
enough Lo show us over your esLaLe and manslon, and you have
answered our quesLlons. lL would sulL your characLer beLLer Lo allow us
Lo leave now. no one need ever know we were on Lhls world and we
would have no cause Lo reLurn. We arrlved ln all lnnocence, seeklng
merely lnformaLlon."
WhaL you say ls so," sald 8ander llghLly, and, so far, l have glven
you llfe. ?our llves were forfelL Lhe lnsLanL you enLered our aLmosphere.
WhaL l mlghL have done-and should have done-on maklng close conLacL
wlLh you, would be Lo have kllled you aL once. l should Lhen have
ordered Lhe approprlaLe roboL Lo dlssecL your bodles for whaL
lnformaLlon on CuLworlders LhaL mlghL yleld me.
l have noL done LhaL. l have pampered my own curloslLy and glven
ln Lo my own easygolng naLure, buL lL ls enough. l can do lL no longer. l
have, ln facL, already compromlsed Lhe safeLy of Solarla, for lf, Lhrough
some weakness, l were Lo leL myself be persuaded Lo leL you go, oLhers
of your klnd would surely follow, however much you mlghL promlse LhaL
Lhey would noL.
1here ls, however, aL leasL Lhls. ?our deaLh wlll be palnless. l wlll
merely heaL your bralns mlldly and drlve Lhem lnLo lnacLlvaLlon. ?ou wlll
experlence no paln. Llfe wlll merely cease. LvenLually, when dlssecLlon
and sLudy are over, l wlll converL you Lo ashes ln an lnLense flash of heaL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
167
and all wlll be over."
1revlze sald, lf we musL dle, Lhen l cannoL argue agalnsL a qulck
palnless deaLh, buL why musL we dle aL all, havlng glven no offense?"
?our arrlval was an offense."
noL on any raLlonal ground, slnce we could noL know lL was an
offense."
SocleLy deflnes whaL consLlLuLes an offense. 1o you, lL may seem
lrraLlonal and arblLrary, buL Lo us lL ls noL, and Lhls ls our world on whlch
we have Lhe full rlghL Lo say LhaL ln Lhls and LhaL, you have done wrong
and deserve Lo dle."
8ander smlled as Lhough lL were merely maklng pleasanL
conversaLlon and wenL on, nor have you any rlghL Lo complaln on Lhe
ground of your own superlor vlrLue. ?ou have a blasLer whlch uses a
beam of mlcrowaves Lo lnduce lnLense kllllng heaL. lL does whaL l lnLend
Lo do, buL does lL, l am sure, much more crudely and palnfully. ?ou
would have no heslLaLlon ln uslng lL on me rlghL now, had l noL dralned
lLs energy, and lf l were Lo be so foollsh as Lo allow you Lhe freedom of
movemenL LhaL would enable you Lo remove Lhe weapon from lLs
holsLer."
1revlze sald despalrlngly, afrald even Lo glance agaln aL 8llss, lesL
8ander's aLLenLlon be dlverLed Lo her, l ask you, as an acL of mercy, noL
Lo do Lhls."
8andar sald, Lurnlng suddenly grlm, l musL flrsL be merclful Lo
myself and Lo my world, and Lo do LhaL, you musL dle."
Pe ralsed hls hand and lnsLanLly darkness descended upon 1revlze.
32.
lor a momenL, 1revlze felL Lhe darkness choklng hlm and LhoughL
wlldly, ls Lhls deaLh?
And as Lhough hls LhoughLs had glven rlse Lo an echo, he heard a
whlspered, ls Lhls deaLh?" lL was eloraL's volce.
1revlze Lrled Lo whlsper, and found he could. Why ask?" he sald,
wlLh a sense of vasL rellef. 1he mere facL LhaL you can ask shows lL ls
noL deaLh."
Mere are old legends LhaL Lhere ls llfe afLer deaLh."
nonsense," muLLered 1revlze. 8llss? Are you here, 8llss?"
1here was no answer Lo LhaL.
Agaln eloraL echoed, 8llss? 8llss? WhaL happened, Colan?"
1revlze sald, 8ender musL be dead. Pe would, ln LhaL case, be
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
168
unable Lo supply Lhe power for hls esLaLe. 1he llghLs would go ouL."
8uL how could? ?ou mean 8llss dld lL?"
l suppose so. l hope she dld noL come Lo harm ln Lhe process." Pe
was on hls hands and knees crawllng abouL ln Lhe LoLal darkness of Lhe
underground (lf one dld noL counL Lhe occaslonal subvlslble flashlng of a
radloacLlve aLom breaklng down ln Lhe walls).
1hen hls hand came on someLhlng warm and sofL. Pe felL along lL
and recognlzed a leg, whlch he selzed. lL was clearly Loo small Lo be
8ander's. 8llss?"
1he leg klcked ouL, forclng 1revlze Lo leL go.
Pe sald, 8llss? Say someLhlng!"
l am allve," came 8llss's volce, curlously dlsLorLed.
1revlze sald, 8uL are you well?"
no." And, wlLh LhaL, llghL reLurned Lo Lhelr surroundlngs-weakly.
1he walls gleamed falnLly, brlghLenlng and dlmmlng erraLlcally.
8ander lay crumpled ln a shadowy heap. AL lLs slde, holdlng lLs head,
was 8llss.
She looked up aL 1revlze and eloraL. 1he Solarlan ls dead," she
sald, and her cheeks gllsLened wlLh Lears ln Lhe weak llghL.
1revlze was dumbfounded. Why are you crylng?"
Should l noL cry aL havlng kllled a llvlng Lhlng of LhoughL and
lnLelllgence? 1haL was noL my lnLenLlon."
1revlze leaned down Lo help her Lo her feeL, buL she pushed hlm
away.
eloraL knelL ln hls Lurn, saylng sofLly, lease, 8llss, even you can'L
brlng lL back Lo llfe. 1ell us whaL happened."
She allowed herself Lo be pulled upward and sald dully, Cala can do
whaL 8ander could do. Cala can make use of Lhe unevenly dlsLrlbuLed
energy of Lhe unlverse and LranslaLe lL lnLo chosen work by menLal
power alone."
l knew LhaL," sald 1revlze, aLLempLlng Lo be sooLhlng wlLhouL qulLe
knowlng how Lo go abouL lL. l remember well our meeLlng ln space
when you-or Cala, raLher-held our spaceshlp capLlve. l LhoughL of LhaL
when 8ander held me capLlve afLer lL had Laken my weapons. lL held you
capLlve, Loo, buL l was confldenL you could have broken free lf you had
wlshed."
no. l would have falled lf l had Lrled. When your shlp was ln
my/our/ Cala's grlp," she sald sadly, l and Cala were Lruly one. now
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
169
Lhere ls a hyperspaLlal separaLlon LhaL llmlLs my/our/Cala's efflclency.
8esldes, Cala does whaL lL does by Lhe sheer power of massed bralns.
Lven so, all Lhose bralns LogeLher lack Lhe Lransducer-lobes Lhls one
Solarlan has. We cannoL make use of energy as dellcaLely, as efflclenLly,
as Llrelessly as he could. -?ou see LhaL l cannoL make Lhe llghLs gleam
more brlghLly, and l don'L know how long l can make Lhem gleam aL all
before Llrlng. 8ander could supply Lhe power for an enLlre vasL esLaLe,
even when lL was sleeplng."
8uL you sLopped lL," sald 1revlze.
8ecause lL dldn'L suspecL my powers," sald 8llss, and because l dld
noLhlng LhaL would glve lL evldence of Lhem. lL was Lherefore wlLhouL
susplclon of me and gave me none of lLs aLLenLlon. lL concenLraLed
enLlrely on you, 1revlze, because lL was you who bore Lhe weapons-
agaln, how well lL has served LhaL you armed yourself-and l had Lo walL
my chance Lo sLop Pander wlLh one qulck and unexpecLed blow. When lL
was on Lhe polnL of kllllng us, when lLs whole mlnd was concenLraLed on
LhaL, and on you, l was able Lo sLrlke."
And lL worked beauLlfully."
Pow can you say someLhlng so cruel, 1revlze? lL was only my
lnLenLlon Lo sLop lL. l merely wlshed Lo block lLs use of lLs Lransducer. ln
Lhe momenL of surprlse when lL Lrled Lo blasL us and found lL could noL,
buL found, lnsLead, LhaL Lhe very lllumlnaLlon abouL us was fadlng lnLo
darkness, l would LlghLen my grlp and send lL lnLo a prolonged normal
sleep and release Lhe Lransducer. 1he power would Lhen remaln on, and
we could geL ouL of Lhls manslon, lnLo our shlp, and leave Lhe planeL. l
hoped Lo so arrange Lhlngs LhaL, when 8ander flnally woke, lL would
have forgoLLen all LhaL had happened from Lhe lnsLanL of lLs slghLlng us.
Cala has no deslre Lo klll ln order Lo accompllsh whaL can be broughL
abouL wlLhouL kllllng."
WhaL wenL wrong, 8llss?" sald eloraL sofLly.
l had never encounLered any such Lhlng as Lhose Lransducer-lobes
and l lacked any Llme Lo work wlLh Lhem and learn abouL Lhem. l merely
sLruck ouL forcefully wlLh my blocklng maneuver and, apparenLly, lL
dldn'L work correcLly. lL was noL Lhe enLry of energy lnLo Lhe lobes LhaL
was blocked, buL Lhe exlL of LhaL energy. Lnergy ls always pourlng lnLo
Lhose lobes aL a reckless raLe buL, ordlnarlly, Lhe braln safeguards lLself
by pourlng ouL LhaL energy [usL as qulckly. Cnce l blocked Lhe exlL,
however, energy plled up wlLhln Lhe lobes aL once and, ln a Llny fracLlon
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
170
of a second, Lhe LemperaLure had rlsen Lo Lhe polnL where Lhe braln
proLeln lnacLlvaLed exploslvely and lL was dead. 1he llghLs wenL ouL and l
removed my block lmmedlaLely, buL, of course, lL was Loo laLe."
l don'L see LhaL you could have done anyLhlng oLher Lhan LhaL whlch
you dld, dear," sald eloraL.
Cf whaL comforL ls LhaL, conslderlng LhaL l have kllled."
8ander was on Lhe polnL of kllllng us," sald 1revlze.
1haL was cause for sLopplng lL, noL for kllllng lL."
1revlze heslLaLed. Pe dld noL wlsh Lo show Lhe lmpaLlence he felL for
he was unwllllng Lo offend or furLher upseL 8llss, who was, afLer all, Lhelr
only defense agalnsL a supremely hosLlle world.
Pe sald, 8llss, lL ls Llme Lo look beyond 8ander's deaLh. 8ecause lL ls
dead, all power on Lhe esLaLe ls blanked ouL. 1hls wlll be noLlced, sooner
or laLer, probably sooner, by oLher Solarlans. 1hey wlll be forced Lo
lnvesLlgaLe. l don'L Lhlnk you wlll be able Lo hold off Lhe perhaps
comblned aLLack of several. And, as you have admlLLed yourself, you
won'L be able Lo supply for very long Lhe llmlLed power you are
managlng Lo supply now. lL ls lmporLanL, Lherefore, LhaL we geL back Lo
Lhe surface, and Lo our shlp, wlLhouL delay."
8uL, Colan," sald eloraL, how do we do LhaL? We came for many
kllomeLers along a wlndlng paLh. l lmaglne lL's qulLe a maze down here
and, for myself, l haven'L Lhe falnLesL ldea of where Lo go Lo reach Lhe
surface. l've always had a poor sense of dlrecLlon."
1revlze, looklng abouL, reallzed LhaL eloraL was correcL. Pe sald, l
lmaglne Lhere are many openlngs Lo Lhe surface, and we needn'L flnd
Lhe one we enLered."
8uL we don'L know where any of Lhe openlngs are. Pow do we flnd
Lhem?"
1revlze Lurned agaln Lo 8llss. Can you deLecL anyLhlng. menLally,
LhaL wlll help us flnd our way ouL?"
8llss sald, 1he roboLs on Lhls esLaLe are all lnacLlve. l can deLecL a
Lhln whlsper of sublnLelllgenL llfe sLralghL up, buL all LhaL Lells us ls LhaL
Lhe surface ls sLralghL up, whlch we know."
Well, Lhen," sald 1revlze, we'll [usL have Lo look for some openlng."
PlL-and-mlss," sald eloraL, appalled. We'll never succeed."
We mlghL, !anov," sald 1revlze. lf we search, Lhere wlll be a
chance, however small. 1he alLernaLlve ls slmply Lo sLay here, and lf we
do LhaL Lhen we wlll never succeed. Come, a small chance ls beLLer Lhan
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
171
none."
WalL," sald 8llss. l do sense someLhlng."
WhaL?" sald 1revlze.
A mlnd."
lnLelllgence?"
?es, buL llmlLed, l Lhlnk. WhaL reaches me mosL clearly, Lhough, ls
someLhlng else."
WhaL?" sald 1revlze, agaln flghLlng lmpaLlence.
lrlghL! lnLolerable frlghL!" sald 8llss, ln a whlsper.
33.
18LvlZL looked abouL ruefully. Pe knew where Lhey had enLered buL
he had no llluslon on Lhe score of belng able Lo reLrace Lhe paLh by
whlch Lhey had come. Pe had, afLer all, pald llLLle aLLenLlon Lo Lhe
Lurnlngs and wlndlngs. Who would have LhoughL Lhey'd be ln Lhe
poslLlon of havlng Lo reLrace Lhe rouLe alone and wlLhouL help, and wlLh
only a fllckerlng, dlm llghL Lo be gulded by?
Pe sald, uo you Lhlnk you can acLlvaLe Lhe car, 8llss?"
8llss sald, l'm sure l could, 1revlze, buL LhaL doesn'L mean l can run
lL."
eloraL sald, l Lhlnk LhaL 8ander ran lL menLally. l dldn'L see lL Louch
anyLhlng when lL was movlng."
8llss sald genLly, ?es, lL dld lL menLally, el, buL how, menLally? ?ou
mlghL as well say LhaL lL dld lL by uslng Lhe conLrols. CerLalnly, buL lf l
don'L know Lhe deLalls of uslng Lhe conLrols, LhaL doesn'L help, does lL?"
?ou mlghL Lry," sald 1revlze.
lf l Lry, l'll have Lo puL my whole mlnd Lo lL, and lf l do LhaL, Lhen l
doubL LhaL l'll be able Lo keep Lhe llghLs on. 1he car wlll do us no good ln
Lhe dark even lf l learn how Lo conLrol lL."
1hen we musL wander abouL on fooL, l suppose?"
l'm afrald so."
1revlze peered aL Lhe Lhlck and gloomy darkness LhaL lay beyond Lhe
dlm llghL ln Lhelr lmmedlaLe nelghborhood. Pe saw noLhlng, heard
noLhlng.
Pe sald, 8llss, do you sLlll sense Lhls frlghLened mlnd?"
?es, l do."
Can you Lell where lL ls? Can you gulde us Lo lL?"
1he menLal sense ls a sLralghL llne. lL ls noL refracLed senslbly by
ordlnary maLLer, so l can Lell lL ls comlng from LhaL dlrecLlon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
172
She polnLed Lo a spoL on Lhe dusky wall, and sald, 8uL we can'L walk
Lhrough Lhe wall Lo lL. 1he besL we can do ls follow Lhe corrldors and Lry
Lo flnd our way ln whaLever dlrecLlon wlll keep Lhe sensaLlon growlng
sLronger. ln shorL, we wlll have Lo play Lhe game of hoL-and-cold."
1hen leL's sLarL rlghL now."
eloraL hung back. WalL, Colan, are we sure we wanL Lo flnd Lhls
Lhlng, whaLever lL ls? lf lL ls frlghLened, lL may be LhaL we wlll have
reason Lo be frlghLened, Loo."
1revlze shook hls head lmpaLlenLly. We have no cholce, !anov. lL's a
mlnd, frlghLened or noL, and lL may be wllllng Lo-or may be made Lo-
dlrecL us Lo Lhe surface."
And do we [usL leave 8ander lylng here?" sald eloraL uneaslly.
1revlze Look hls elbow. Come, !anov. We have no cholce ln LhaL,
elLher. LvenLually some Solarlan wlll reacLlvaLe Lhe place, and a roboL
wlll flnd 8ander and Lake care of lL-l hope noL before we are safely
away."
Pe allowed 8llss Lo lead Lhe way. 1he llghL was always sLrongesL ln
her lmmedlaLe nelghborhood and she paused aL each doorway, aL each
fork ln Lhe corrldor, Lrylng Lo sense Lhe dlrecLlon from whlch Lhe frlghL
came. SomeLlmes she would walk Lhrough a door, or move around a
curve, Lhen come back and Lry an alLernaLe paLh, whlle 1revlze waLched
helplessly.
Lach Llme 8llss came Lo a declslon and moved flrmly ln a parLlcular
dlrecLlon, Lhe llghL came on ahead of her. 1revlze noLlced LhaL lL seemed
a blL brlghLer now-elLher because hls eyes were adapLlng Lo Lhe dlmness,
or because 8llss was learnlng how Lo handle Lhe LransducLlon more
efflclenLly. AL one polnL, when she passed one of Lhe meLal rods LhaL
were lnserLed lnLo Lhe ground, she puL her hand on lL and Lhe llghLs
brlghLened noLlceably. She nodded her head as Lhough she were pleased
wlLh herself.
noLhlng looked ln Lhe leasL famlllar, lL seemed cerLaln Lhey were
wanderlng Lhrough porLlons of Lhe rambllng underground manslon Lhey
had noL passed Lhrough on Lhe way ln.
'1revlze kepL looklng for corrldors LhaL led upward sharply, and he
varled LhaL by sLudylng Lhe celllngs for any slgn of a Lrapdoor. noLhlng of
Lhe sorL appeared, and Lhe frlghLened mlnd remalned Lhelr only chance
of geLLlng ouL.
1hey walked Lhrough sllence, excepL for Lhe sound of Lhelr own
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
173
sLeps, Lhrough darkness, excepL for Lhe llghL ln Lhelr lmmedlaLe vlclnlLy,
Lhrough deaLh, excepL for Lhelr own llves. Cccaslonally, Lhey made ouL
Lhe shadowy bulk of a roboL, slLLlng or sLandlng ln Lhe dusk, wlLh no
moLlon. Cnce Lhey saw a roboL lylng on lLs slde, wlLh legs and arms ln
queer frozen poslLlons. lL had been caughL off-balance, 1revlze LhoughL,
aL Lhe momenL when power had been Lurned off, and lL had fallen.
8ander, elLher allve or dead, could noL affecL Lhe force of gravlLy.
erhaps all over Lhe vasL 8ander esLaLe, roboLs were sLandlng and lylng
lnacLlve and lL would be LhaL LhaL would qulckly be noLed aL Lhe borders.
Cr perhaps noL, he LhoughL suddenly. Solarlans would know when
one of Lhelr number would be dylng of old age and physlcal decay. 1he
world would be alerLed and ready. 8ander, however, had dled suddenly,
wlLhouL posslble foreknowledge, ln Lhe prlme of lLs exlsLence. Who
would know? Who would expecL? Who would be waLchlng for
lnacLlvaLlon?
8uL no (and 1revlze LhrusL back opLlmlsm and consolaLlon as
dangerous lures lnLo overconfldence). 1he Solarlans would noLe Lhe
cessaLlon of all acLlvlLy on Lhe 8ander esLaLe and Lake acLlon aL once.
1hey all had Loo greaL an lnLeresL ln Lhe successlon Lo esLaLes Lo leave
deaLh Lo lLself.
eloraL murmured unhapplly, venLllaLlon has sLopped. A place llke
Lhls, underground, musL be venLllaLed, and 8ander supplled Lhe power.
now lL has sLopped."
lL doesn'L maLLer, !anov," sald 1revlze. We've goL enough alr down
ln Lhls empLy underground place Lo lasL us for years."
lL's close [usL Lhe same. lL's psychologlcally bad."
lease, !anov, don'L geL clausLrophoblc. -8llss, are we any closer?"
Much, 1revlze," she replled. 1he sensaLlon ls sLronger and l am
clearer as Lo lLs locaLlon."
She was sLepplng forward more surely, heslLaLlng less aL polnLs of
cholce of dlrecLlon.
1here! 1here!" she sald. l can sense lL lnLensely."
1revlze sald dryly, Lven l can hear lL now."
All Lhree sLopped and, auLomaLlcally, held Lhelr breaLhs. 1hey could
hear a sofL moanlng, lnLerspersed wlLh gasplng sobs.
1hey walked lnLo a large room and, as Lhe llghLs wenL on, Lhey saw
LhaL, unllke all Lhose Lhey had hlLherLo seen, lL was rlch and colorful ln
furnlshlngs.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
174
ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe room was a roboL, sLooplng sllghLly, lLs arms
sLreLched ouL ln whaL seemed an almosL affecLlonaLe gesLure and, of
course, lL was absoluLely moLlonless.
8ehlnd Lhe roboL was a fluLLer of garmenLs. A round frlghLened eye
edged Lo one slde of lL, and Lhere was sLlll Lhe sound of a brokenhearLed
sobblng.
1revlze darLed around Lhe roboL and, from Lhe oLher slde, a small
flgure shoL ouL, shrleklng. lL sLumbled, fell Lo Lhe ground, and lay Lhere,
coverlng lLs eyes, klcklng lLs legs ln all dlrecLlons, as Lhough Lo ward off
some LhreaL from whaLever angle lL mlghL approach, and shrleklng,
shrleklng-8llss sald, qulLe unnecessarlly, lL's a chlld!"
34.
18LvlZL drew back, puzzled. WhaL was a chlld dolng here? 8ander
had been so proud of lLs absoluLe sollLude, so lnslsLenL upon lL.
eloraL, less apL Lo fall back on lron reasonlng ln Lhe face of an
obscure evenL, selzed upon Lhe soluLlon aL once, and sald, l suppose
Lhls ls Lhe successor."
8ander's chlld," sald 8llss, agreelng, buL Loo young, l Lhlnk, Lo be a
successor. 1he Solarlans wlll have Lo flnd one elsewhere."
She was gazlng aL Lhe chlld, noL ln a flxed glare, buL ln a sofL,
mesmerlzlng way, and slowly Lhe nolse Lhe chlld was maklng lessened. lL
opened lLs eyes and looked aL 8llss ln reLurn. lLs ouLcry was reduced Lo
an occaslonal sofL whlmper.
8llss made sounds of her own, now, sooLhlng ones, broken words
LhaL made llLLle sense ln Lhemselves buL were meanL only Lo relnforce
Lhe calmlng effecL of her LhoughLs. lL was as Lhough she were menLally
flngerlng Lhe chlld's unfamlllar mlnd and seeklng Lo even ouL lLs
dlsheveled emoLlons.
Slowly, never Laklng lLs eyes off 8llss, Lhe chlld goL Lo lLs feeL, sLood
Lhere swaylng a momenL, Lhen made a dash for Lhe sllenL, frozen roboL.
lL Lhrew lLs arms abouL Lhe sLurdy roboLlc leg as Lhough avld for Lhe
securlLy of lLs Louch.
1revlze sald, l suppose LhaL Lhe roboL ls lLs-nursemald-or careLaker. l
suppose a Solarlan can'L care for anoLher Solarlan, noL even a parenL for
a chlld."
eloraL sald, And l suppose Lhe chlld ls hermaphrodlLlc."
lL would have Lo be," sald 1revlze.
8llss, sLlll enLlrely preoccupled wlLh Lhe chlld, was approachlng lL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
173
slowly, hands held half upward, palms Loward herself, as Lhough
emphaslzlng LhaL Lhere was no lnLenLlon of selzlng Lhe small creaLure.
1he chlld was now sllenL, waLchlng Lhe approach, and holdlng on Lhe
more LlghLly Lo Lhe roboL.
8llss sald, 1here, chlld-warm, chlld-sofL, warm, comforLable, safe,
chlld-safe-safe."
She sLopped and, wlLhouL looklng round, sald ln a low volce, el,
speak Lo lL ln lLs language. 1ell lL we're roboLs come Lo Lake care of lL
because Lhe power falled."
8oboLs!" sald eloraL, shocked.
We musL be presenLed as roboLs. lL's noL afrald of roboLs. And lL's
never seen a human belng, maybe can'L even concelve of Lhem."
eloraL sald, l don'L know lf l can Lhlnk of Lhe rlghL expresslon. l
don'L know Lhe archalc word for `roboL.'
Say `roboL,' Lhen, el. lf LhaL doesn'L work, say `lron Lhlng.' Say
whaLever you can."
Slowly, word by word, eloraL spoke archalcally. 1he chlld looked aL
hlm, frownlng lnLensely, as Lhough Lrylng Lo undersLand.
1revlze sald, ?ou mlghL as well ask lL how Lo geL ouL, whlle you're aL
lL."
8llss sald, no. noL yeL. Confldence flrsL, Lhen lnformaLlon."
1he chlld, looklng now aL eloraL, slowly released lLs hold on Lhe
roboL and spoke ln a hlgh-plLched muslcal volce.
eloraL sald anxlously, lL's speaklng Loo qulckly for me."
8llss sald, Ask lL Lo repeaL more slowly. l'm dolng my besL Lo calm lL
and remove lLs fears."
eloraL, llsLenlng agaln Lo Lhe chlld, sald, l Lhlnk lL's asklng whaL
made !emby sLop. !emby musL be Lhe roboL."
Check and make sure, el."
eloraL spoke, Lhen llsLened, and sald, ?es, !emby ls Lhe roboL. 1he
chlld calls lLself lallom."
Cood!" 8llss smlled aL Lhe chlld, a lumlnous, happy smlle, polnLed Lo
lL, and sald, lallom. Cood lallom. 8rave lallom." She placed a hand on
her chesL and sald, 8llss."
1he chlld smlled. lL looked very aLLracLlve when lL smlled. 8llss," lL
sald, hlsslng Lhe s" a blL lmperfecLly.
1revlze sald, 8llss, lf you can acLlvaLe Lhe roboL, !emby, lL mlghL be
able Lo Lell us whaL we wanL Lo know. eloraL can speak Lo lL as easlly as
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
176
Lo Lhe chlld."
no," sald 8llss. 1haL would be wrong. 1he roboL's flrsL duLy ls Lo
proLecL Lhe chlld. lf lL ls acLlvaLed and lnsLanLly becomes aware of us,
aware of sLrange human belngs, lL may as lnsLanLly aLLack us. no sLrange
human belngs belong here. lf l am Lhen forced Lo lnacLlvaLe lL, lL can glve
us no lnformaLlon, and Lhe chlld, faced wlLh a second lnacLlvaLlon of Lhe
only parenL lL knows-Well, l [usL won'L do lL."
8uL we were Lold," sald eloraL mlldly, LhaL roboLs can'L harm
human belngs."
So we were," sald 8llss, buL we were noL Lold whaL klnd of roboLs
Lhese Solarlans have deslgned. And even lf Lhls roboL were deslgned Lo
do no harm, lL would have Lo make a cholce beLween lLs chlld, or Lhe
nearesL Lhlng Lo a chlld lL can have, and Lhree ob[ecLs whom lL mlghL noL
even recognlze as human belngs, merely as lllegal lnLruders. naLurally, lL
would choose Lhe chlld and aLLack us."
She Lurned Lo Lhe chlld agaln. lallow," she sald, 8llss." She polnLed,
el-1rev."
el. 1rev," sald Lhe chlld obedlenLly.
She came closer Lo Lhe chlld, her hands reachlng Loward lL slowly. lL
waLched her, Lhen Look a sLep backward.
Calm, lallom," sald 8llss. Cood, lallom. 1ouch, lallom. nlce,
lallom."
lL Look a sLep Loward her, and 8llss slghed. Cood, lallom."
She Louched lallom's bare arm, for lL wore, as lLs parenL had, only a
long robe, open ln fronL, and wlLh a lolncloLh beneaLh. 1he Louch was
genLle. She removed her arm, walLed, and made conLacL agaln, sLroklng
sofLly.
1he chlld's eyes half-closed under Lhe sLrong, calmlng effecL of 8llss's
mlnd.
8llss's hands moved up slowly, sofLly, scarcely Louchlng, Lo Lhe chlld's
shoulders, lLs neck, lLs ears, Lhen under lLs long brown halr Lo a polnL [usL
above and behlnd lLs ears.
Per hands dropped away Lhen, and she sald, 1he Lransducer-lobes
are sLlll small. 1he cranlal bone hasn'L developed yeL. 1here's [usL a
Lough layer of skln Lhere, whlch wlll evenLually expand ouLward and be
fenced ln wlLh bone afLer Lhe lobes have fully grown. -Whlch means lL
can'L, aL Lhe presenL Llme, conLrol Lhe esLaLe or even acLlvaLe lLs own
personal roboL. -Ask lL how old lL ls, el."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
177
eloraL sald, afLer an exchange, lL's fourLeen years old, lf l
undersLand lL rlghLly."
1revlze sald, lL looks more llke eleven."
8llss sald, 1he lengLh of Lhe years used on Lhls world may noL
correspond closely Lo SLandard CalacLlc ?ears. 8esldes, Spacers are
supposed Lo have exLended llfeLlmes and, lf Lhe Solarlans are llke Lhe
oLher Spacers ln Lhls, Lhey may also have exLended developmenLal
perlods. We can'L go by years, afLer all."
1revlze sald, wlLh an lmpaLlenL cllck of hls Longue, Lnough
anLhropology. We musL geL Lo Lhe surface and slnce we are deallng wlLh
a chlld, we may be wasLlng our Llme uselessly. lL may noL know Lhe rouLe
Lo Lhe surface. lL may noL ever have been on Lhe surface."
8llss sald, el!"
eloraL knew whaL she meanL and Lhere followed Lhe longesL
conversaLlon he had yeL had wlLh lallom.
llnally, he sald, 1he chlld knows whaL Lhe sun ls. lL says lL's seen lL. l
Lhlnk lL's seen Lrees. lL dldn'L acL as Lhough lL were sure whaL Lhe word
meanL -or aL leasL whaL Lhe word l used meanL-
?es, !anov," sald 1revlze, buL do geL Lo Lhe polnL."
l Lold lallow LhaL lf lL could geL us ouL Lo Lhe surface, LhaL mlghL
make lL posslble for us Lo acLlvaLe Lhe roboL. AcLually, l sald we would
acLlvaLe Lhe roboL. uo you suppose we mlghL?"
1revlze sald, We'll worry abouL LhaL laLer. uld lL say lL would gulde
us?"
?es. l LhoughL Lhe chlld would be more anxlous Lo do lL, you see, lf l
made LhaL promlse. l suppose we're runnlng Lhe rlsk of dlsappolnLlng lL-
Come," sald 1revlze, leL's geL sLarLed. All Lhls wlll be academlc lf we
are caughL underground."
eloraL sald someLhlng Lo Lhe chlld, who began Lo walk, Lhen
sLopped and looked back aL 8llss.
8llss held ouL her hand and Lhe Lwo Lhen walked hand ln hand.
l'm Lhe new roboL," she sald, smlllng sllghLly.
lL seems reasonably happy over LhaL," sald 1revlze.
lallom sklpped along and, brlefly, 1revlze wondered lf lL were happy
slmply because 8llss had labored Lo make lL so, or lf, added Lo LhaL, Lhere
was Lhe exclLemenL of vlslLlng Lhe surface and of havlng Lhree new
roboLs, or wheLher lL was exclLemenL aL Lhe LhoughL of havlng lLs !emby
fosLer-parenL back. noL LhaL lL maLLered-as long as Lhe chlld led Lhem.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
178
1here seemed no heslLaLlon ln Lhe chlld's progress. lL Lurned wlLhouL
pause whenever Lhere was a cholce of paLhs. uld lL really know where lL
was golng, or was lL all slmply a maLLer of a chlld's lndlfference? Was lL
slmply playlng a game wlLh no clear end ln slghL?
8uL 1revlze was aware, from Lhe sllghL burden on hls progress, LhaL
he was movlng uphlll, and Lhe chlld, bounclng self-lmporLanLly forward,
was polnLlng ahead and chaLLerlng.
1revlze looked aL eloraL, who cleared hls LhroaL and sald, l Lhlnk
whaL lL's saylng ls 'doorway."'
l hope your LhoughL ls correcL," sald 1revlze.
1he chlld broke away from 8llss, and was runnlng now. lL polnLed Lo
a porLlon of Lhe floorlng LhaL seemed darker Lhan Lhe secLlons
lmmedlaLely nelghborlng lL. 1he chlld sLepped on lL, [umplng up and
down a few Llmes, and Lhen Lurned wlLh a clear expresslon of dlsmay,
and spoke wlLh shrlll volublllLy.
8llss sald, wlLh a grlmace, l'll have Lo supply Lhe power. -1hls ls
wearlng me ouL."
Per face reddened a blL and Lhe llghLs dlmmed, buL a door opened
[usL ahead of lallom, who laughed ln soprano dellghL.
1he chlld ran ouL Lhe door and Lhe Lwo men followed. 8llss came
lasL, and looked back as Lhe llghLs [usL lnslde darkened and Lhe door
closed. She Lhen paused Lo caLch her breaLh, looklng raLher worn ouL.
Well," sald eloraL, we're ouL. Where's Lhe shlp?"
All of Lhem sLood baLhed ln Lhe sLlll lumlnous LwlllghL.
1revlze muLLered, lL seems Lo me LhaL lL was ln LhaL dlrecLlon."
lL seems so Lo me, Loo," sald 8llss. LeL's walk," and she held ouL her
hand Lo lallom.
1here was no sound excepL Lhose produced by Lhe wlnd and by Lhe
moLlons and calls of llvlng anlmals. AL one polnL Lhey passed a roboL
sLandlng moLlonless near Lhe base of a Lree, holdlng some ob[ecL of
uncerLaln purpose.
eloraL Look a sLep Loward lL ouL of apparenL curloslLy, buL 1revlze
sald, noL our buslness, !anov. Move on."
1hey passed anoLher roboL, aL a greaLer dlsLance, who had Lumbled.
1revlze sald, 1here are roboLs llLLered over many kllomeLers ln all
dlrecLlons, l suppose." And Lhen, LrlumphanLly, Ah, Lhere's Lhe shlp."
1hey hasLened Lhelr sLeps now, Lhen sLopped suddenly. lallow ralsed
lLs volce ln an exclLed squeak.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
179
Cn Lhe ground near Lhe shlp was whaL appeared Lo be an alr-vessel
of prlmlLlve deslgn, wlLh a roLor LhaL looked energy-wasLeful, and fraglle
besldes. SLandlng nexL Lo Lhe alr-vessel, and beLween Lhe llLLle parLy of
CuLworlders and Lhelr shlp, sLood four human flgures.
1oo laLe," sald 1revlze. We wasLed Loo much Llme. now whaL?"
eloraL sald wonderlngly, lour Solarlans7 lL can'L be. Surely Lhey
wouldn'L come lnLo physlcal conLacL llke LhaL. uo you suppose Lhose are
hololmages?"
1hey are Lhoroughly maLerlal," sald 8llss. l'm sure of LhaL. 1hey're
noL Solarlans elLher. 1here's no mlsLaklng Lhe mlnds. 1hey're roboLs."
33.
WLLL, 1PLn," sald 1revlze wearlly, onward!" Pe resumed hls walk
Loward Lhe shlp aL a calm pace and Lhe oLhers followed.
eloraL sald, raLher breaLhlessly, WhaL do you lnLend Lo do?"
lf Lhey're roboLs, Lhey've goL Lo obey orders."
1he roboLs were awalLlng Lhem, and 1revlze waLched Lhem narrowly
as Lhey came closer.
?es, Lhey musL be roboLs. 1helr faces, whlch looked as Lhough Lhey
were made of skln underlaln wlLh flesh, were curlously expresslonless.
1hey were dressed ln unlforms LhaL exposed no square cenLlmeLer of
skln ouLslde Lhe face. Lven Lhe hands were covered by Lhln, opaque
gloves.
1revlze gesLured casually, ln a fashlon LhaL was unquesLlonably a
brusque requesL LhaL Lhey sLep aslde.
1he roboLs dld noL move.
ln a low volce, 1revlze sald Lo eloraL, puL lL lnLo words, !anov. 8e
flrm."
eloraL cleared hls LhroaL and, puLLlng an unaccusLomed barlLone
lnLo hls volce, spoke slowly, gesLurlng Lhem aslde much as 1revlze had
done. AL LhaL, one of Lhe roboLs, who was perhaps a shade Laller Lhan
Lhe resL, sald someLhlng ln a cold and lnclslve volce.
eloraL Lurned Lo 1revlze. l Lhlnk he sald we were CuLworlders."
1ell hlm we are human belngs and musL be obeyed."
1he roboL spoke Lhen, ln pecullar buL undersLandable CalacLlc. l
undersLand you, CuLworlder. l speak CalacLlc. We are Cuardlan 8oboLs."
1hen you have heard me say LhaL we are human belngs and LhaL
you musL Lherefore obey us."
We are programmed Lo obey 8ulers only, CuLworlder. ?ou are noL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
180
8ulers and noL Solarlan. 8uler 8ander has noL responded Lo Lhe normal
momenL of ConLacL and we have come Lo lnvesLlgaLe aL close quarLers. lL
ls our duLy Lo do so. We flnd a spaceshlp noL of Solarlan manufacLure,
several CuLworlders presenL, and all 8ander roboLs lnacLlvaLed. Where ls
8uler 8ander?"
1revlze shook hls head and sald slowly and dlsLlncLly, We know
noLhlng of whaL you say. Cur shlp's compuLer ls noL worklng well. We
found ourselves near Lhls sLrange planeL agalnsL our lnLenLlons. We
landed Lo flnd our locaLlon. We found all roboLs lnacLlvaLed. We know
noLhlng of whaL mlghL have happened."
1haL ls noL a credlble accounL. lf all roboLs on Lhe esLaLe are
lnacLlvaLed and all power ls off, 8uler 8ander musL be dead. lL ls noL
loglcal Lo suppose LhaL by colncldence lL dled [usL as you landed. 1here
musL be some sorL of causal connecLlon."
1revlze sald, wlLh no seL purpose buL Lo confuse Lhe lssue and Lo
lndlcaLe hls own forelgner's lack of undersLandlng and, Lherefore, hls
lnnocence, 8uL Lhe power ls noL off. ?ou and Lhe oLhers are acLlve."
1he roboL sald, We are Cuardlan 8oboLs. We do noL belong Lo any
8uler. We belong Lo all Lhe world. We are noL 8uler-conLrolled buL are
nuclearpowered. l ask agaln, where ls 8uler 8ander?"
1revlze looked abouL hlm. eloraL appeared anxlous, 8llss was LlghL-
llpped buL calm. lallom was Lrembllng, buL 8llss's hand Louched Lhe
chlld's shoulder and lL sLlffened somewhaL and losL faclal expresslon.
(Was 8llss sedaLlng lL?)
1he roboL sald, Cnce agaln, and for Lhe lasL Llme, where ls 8uler
8ander?"
l do noL know," sald 1revlze grlmly.
1he roboL nodded and Lwo of hls companlons lefL qulckly. 1he roboL
sald, My fellow Cuardlans wlll search Lhe manslon. Meanwhlle, you wlll
be held for quesLlonlng. Pand me Lhose ob[ecLs you wear aL your slde."
1revlze Look a sLep backward. 1hey are harmless."
uo noL move agaln. l do noL quesLlon Lhelr naLure, wheLher harmful
or harmless. l ask for Lhem."
no."
1he roboL Look a qulck sLep forward, and hls arm flashed ouL Loo
qulckly for 1revlze Lo reallze whaL was happenlng. 1he roboL's hand was
on hls shoulder, Lhe grlp LlghLened and pushed downward. 1revlze wenL
Lo hls knees.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
181
1he roboL sald, 1hose ob[ecLs." lL held ouL lLs oLher hand.
no," gasped 1revlze.
8llss lunged forward, pulled Lhe blasLer ouL of lLs holsLer before
1revlze, clamped ln Lhe roboL's grlp, could do anyLhlng Lo prevenL her,
and held lL ouL Loward Lhe roboL. Pere, Cuardlan," she sald, and lf
you'll glve me a momenL-here's Lhe oLher. now release my companlon."
1he roboL, holdlng boLh weapons, sLepped back, and 1revlze rose
slowly Lo hls feeL, rubblng hls lefL shoulder vlgorously, face wlnclng wlLh
paln.
(lallow whlmpered sofLly, and eloraL plcked lL up ln dlsLracLlon, and
held lL LlghLly.)
8llss sald Lo 1revlze, ln a furlous whlsper, Why are you flghLlng hlm?
Pe can klll you wlLh Lwo flngers."
1revlze groaned and sald, beLween grlLLed LeeLh, Why don'L you
handle hlm.
l'm Lrylng Lo. lL Lakes Llme. Pls mlnd ls LlghL, lnLensely programmed,
and leaves no handle. l musL sLudy lL. ?ou play for Llme."
uon'L sLudy hls mlnd. !usL desLroy lL," sald 1revlze, almosL
soundlessly.
8llss looked qulckly Loward Lhe roboL. lL was sLudylng Lhe weapons
lnLenLly, whlle Lhe one oLher roboL LhaL sLlll remalned wlLh lL waLched
Lhe CuLworlders. nelLher seemed lnLeresLed ln Lhe whlsperlng LhaL was
golng on beLween 1revlze and 8llss.
8llss sald, no. no desLrucLlon. We kllled one dog and hurL anoLher
on Lhe flrsL world. ?ou know whaL happened on Lhls world." (AnoLher
qulck glance aL Lhe Cuardlan 8oboLs.) Cala does noL needlessly buLcher
llfe or lnLelllgence. l need Llme Lo work lL ouL peacefully."
She sLepped back and sLared aL Lhe roboL flxedly.
1he roboL sald, 1hese are weapons."
no," sald 1revlze.
?es," sald 8llss, buL Lhey are no longer useful. 1hey are dralned of
energy."
ls LhaL lndeed so? Why should you carry weapons LhaL are dralned
of energy? erhaps Lhey are noL dralned." 1he roboL held one of Lhe
weapons ln lLs flsL and placed lLs Lhumb accuraLely. ls Lhls Lhe way lL ls
acLlvaLed?"
?es," sald 8llss, lf you LlghLen Lhe pressure, lL would be acLlvaLed, lf
lL conLalned energy-buL lL does noL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
182
ls LhaL cerLaln?" 1he roboL polnLed Lhe weapon aL 1revlze. uo you
sLlll say LhaL lf l acLlvaLe lL now, lL wlll noL work?"
lL wlll noL work," sald 8llss.
1revlze was frozen ln place and unable Lo arLlculaLe. Pe had LesLed
Lhe blasLer afLer Pander had dralned lL and lL was LoLally dead, buL Lhe
roboL was holdlng Lhe neuronlc whlp. 1revlze had noL LesLed LhaL.
lf Lhe whlp conLalned even a small resldue of energy, Lhere would be
enough for a sLlmulaLlon of Lhe paln nerves, and whaL 1revlze would feel
would make Lhe grlp of Lhe roboL's hand seem Lo have been a paL of
affecLlon.
When he had been aL Lhe naval Academy, 1revlze had been forced
Lo Lake a mlld neuronlc whlpblow, as all cadeLs had had Lo. 1haL was [usL
Lo know whaL lL was llke. 1revlze felL no need Lo know anyLhlng more.
1he roboL acLlvaLed Lhe weapon and, for a momenL, 1revlze sLlffened
palnfully-and Lhen slowly relaxed. 1he whlp, Loo, was Lhoroughly
dralned.
1he roboL sLared aL 1revlze and Lhen Lossed boLh weapons Lo one
slde. Pow do Lhese come Lo be dralned of energy?" lL demanded. lf
Lhey are of no use, why do you carry Lhem?"
1revlze sald, l am accusLomed Lo Lhe welghL and carry Lhem even
when dralned."
1he roboL sald, 1haL does noL make sense. ?ou are all under
cusLody. ?ou wlll be held for furLher quesLlonlng, and, lf Lhe 8ulers so
declde, you wlll Lhen be lnacLlvaLed. -Pow does one open Lhls shlp? We
musL search lL."
lL wlll do you no good," sald 1revlze. ?ou won'L undersLand lL."
lf noL l, Lhe 8ulers wlll undersLand."
1hey wlll noL undersLand, elLher."
1hen you wlll explaln so LhaL Lhey wlll undersLand."
l wlll noL."
1hen you wlll be lnacLlvaLed."
My lnacLlvaLlon wlll glve you no explanaLlon, and l Lhlnk l wlll be
lnacLlvaLed even lf l explaln."
8llss muLLered, keep lL up. l'm beglnnlng Lo unravel Lhe worklngs of
lLs braln."
1he roboL lgnored 8llss. (uld she see Lo LhaL? LhoughL 1revlze, and
hoped savagely LhaL she had.)
keeplng lLs aLLenLlon flrmly on 1revlze, Lhe roboL sald, lf you make
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
183
dlfflculLles, Lhen we wlll parLlally lnacLlvaLe you. We wlll damage you and
you wlll Lhen Lell us whaL we wanL Lo know."
Suddenly, eloraL called ouL ln a half-sLrangled cry. WalL, you
cannoL do Lhls. -Cuardlan, you cannoL do Lhls."
l am under deLalled lnsLrucLlons," sald Lhe roboL quleLly. l can do
Lhls. Cf course, l shall do as llLLle damage as ls conslsLenL wlLh obLalnlng
lnformaLlon."
8uL you cannoL. noL aL all. l am an CuLworlder, and so are Lhese
Lwo companlons of mlne. 8uL Lhls chlld," and eloraL looked aL lallom,
whom he was sLlll carrylng, ls a Solarlan. lL wlll Lell you whaL Lo do and
you musL obey lL."
lallom looked aL eloraL wlLh eyes LhaL were open, buL seemed
empLy.
8llss shook her head, sharply, buL eloraL looked aL her wlLhouL any
slgn of undersLandlng.
1he roboL's eyes resLed brlefly on lallom. lL sald, 1he chlld ls of no
lmporLance. lL does noL have Lransducer-lobes."
lL does noL yeL have fully developed Lransducer-lobes," sald eloraL,
panLlng, buL lL wlll have Lhem ln Llme. lL ls a Solarlan chlld."
lL ls a chlld, buL wlLhouL fully developed Lransducer-lobes lL ls noL a
Solarlan. l am noL compelled Lo follow lLs orders or Lo keep lL from
harm."
8uL lL ls Lhe offsprlng of 8uler 8ander."
ls lL? Pow do you come Lo know LhaL?"
eloraL sLuLLered, as he someLlmes dld when overearnesL. Wh whaL
oLher chlld would be on Lhls esLaLe?"
Pow do you know Lhere aren'L a dozen?"
Pave you seen any oLhers?"
lL ls l who wlll ask Lhe quesLlons."
AL Lhls momenL, Lhe roboL's aLLenLlon shlfLed as Lhe second roboL
Louched lLs arm. 1he Lwo roboLs who had been senL Lo Lhe manslon
were reLurnlng aL a rapld run LhaL, neverLheless, had a cerLaln
lrregularlLy Lo lL.
1here was sllence Llll Lhey arrlved and Lhen one of Lhem spoke ln Lhe
Solarlan language-aL whlch all four of Lhe roboLs seemed Lo lose Lhelr
elasLlclLy. lor a momenL, Lhey appeared Lo wlLher, almosL Lo deflaLe.
eloraL sald, 1hey've found 8ander," before 1revlze could wave hlm
sllenL.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
184
1he roboL Lurned slowly and sald, ln a volce LhaL slurred Lhe syllables,
8uler 8ander ls dead. 8y Lhe remark you have [usL made, you show us
you were aware of Lhe facL. Pow dld LhaL come Lo be?"
Pow can l know?" sald 1revlze deflanLly.
?ou knew lL was dead. ?ou knew lL was Lhere Lo be found. Pow
could you know LhaL, unless you had been Lhere-unless lL was you LhaL
had ended Lhe llfe?" 1he roboL's enunclaLlon was already lmprovlng. lL
had endured and was absorblng Lhe shock.
1hen 1revlze sald, Pow could we have kllled 8ander? WlLh lLs
Lransducer-lobes lL could have desLroyed us ln a momenL."
Pow do you know whaL, or whaL noL, Lransducer-lobes could do?"
?ou menLloned Lhe Lransducer-lobes [usL now."
l dld no more Lhan menLlon Lhem. l dld noL descrlbe Lhelr properLles
or ablllLles."
1he knowledge came Lo us ln a dream."
1haL ls noL a credlble answer."
1revlze sald, 1o suppose LhaL we have caused Lhe deaLh of 8ander ls
noL credlble, elLher."
eloraL added, And ln any case, lf 8uler 8ander ls dead, Lhen 8uler
lallom now conLrols Lhls esLaLe. Pere Lhe 8uler ls, and lL ls lL whom you
musL obey."
l have already explalned," sald Lhe roboL, LhaL an offsprlng wlLh
undeveloped Lransducer-lobes ls noL a Solarlan. lL cannoL be a Successor,
Lherefore, AnoLher Successor, of Lhe approprlaLe age, wlll be flown ln as
soon as we reporL Lhls sad news."
WhaL of 8uler lallom?"
1here ls no 8uler lallom. 1here ls only a chlld and we have an
excess of chlldren. lL wlll be desLroyed."
8llss sald forcefully, ?ou dare noL. lL ls a chlld!"
lL ls noL l," sald Lhe roboL, who wlll necessarlly do Lhe acL and lL ls
cerLalnly noL l who wlll make Lhe declslon. 1haL ls for Lhe consensus of
Lhe 8ulers. ln Llmes of chlld-excess, however, l know well whaL Lhe
declslon wlll ln."
no. l say no."
lL wlll be palnless. -8uL anoLher shlp ls comlng. lL ls lmporLanL LhaL
we go lnLo whaL was Lhe 8ander manslon and seL up a holovlslon Councll
LhaL wlll supply a Successor and declde on whaL Lo do wlLh you. -Clve me
Lhe chlld."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
183
8llss snaLched Lhe semlcomaLose flgure of lallom from eloraL.
Poldlng lL LlghLly and Lrylng Lo balance lLs welghL on her shoulder, she
sald, uo noL Louch Lhls chlld."
Cnce agaln, Lhe roboL's arm shoL ouL swlfLly and lL sLepped forward,
reachlng for lallom. 8llss moved qulckly Lo one slde, beglnnlng her
moLlon well before Lhe roboL had begun lLs own. 1he roboL conLlnued Lo
move forward, however, as Lhough 8llss were sLlll sLandlng before lL.
Curvlng sLlffly downward, wlLh Lhe forward Llps of lLs feeL as Lhe plvoL, lL
wenL down on lLs face. 1he oLher Lhree sLood moLlonless, eyes
unfocused.
8llss was sobblng, parLly wlLh rage. l almosL had Lhe proper meLhod
of conLrol, and lL wouldn'L glve me Lhe Llme. l had no cholce buL Lo sLrlke
and now all four are lnacLlvaLed. -LeL's geL on Lhe shlp before Lhe oLher
shlp lands. l am Loo lll Lo face addlLlonal roboLs, now."

A81 llvL

MLLCMLnlA

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
186
Chapter 1C

Away from Solarla

36.

1PL LLAvlnC was a blur. 1revlze had gaLhered up hls fuLlle weapons,
had opened Lhe alrlock, and Lhey had Lumbled ln. 1revlze dldn'L noLlce
unLll Lhey were off Lhe surface LhaL lallom had been broughL ln as well.
1hey probably would noL have made lL ln Llme lf Lhe Solarlan use of
alrfllghL had noL been so comparaLlvely unsophlsLlcaLed. lL Look Lhe
approachlng Solarlan vessel an unconsclonable Llme Lo descend and
land. Cn Lhe oLher hand, lL Look vlrLually no Llme for Lhe compuLer of Lhe
lar SLar Lo Lake Lhe gravlLlc shlp verLlcally upward.
And alLhough Lhe cuL-off of Lhe gravlLaLlonal lnLeracLlon and,
Lherefore, of lnerLla wlped ouL Lhe oLherwlse unbearable effecLs of
acceleraLlon LhaL would have accompanled so speedy a Lakeoff, lL dld
noL wlpe ouL Lhe effecLs of alr reslsLance. 1he ouLer hull LemperaLure
rose aL a dlsLlncLly more rapld raLe Lhan navy regulaLlons (or shlp
speclflcaLlons, for LhaL maLLer) would have consldered sulLable.
As Lhey rose, Lhey could see Lhe second Solarlan shlp land and
several more approachlng. 1revlze wondered how many roboLs 8llss
could have handled, and declded Lhey would have been overwhelmed lf
Lhey had remalned on Lhe surface flfLeen mlnuLes longer.
Cnce ouL ln space (or space enough, wlLh only Lenuous wlsps of Lhe
planeLary exosphere around Lhem), 1revlze made for Lhe nlghLslde of
Lhe planeL. lL was a hop away, slnce Lhey had lefL Lhe surface as sunseL
was approachlng. ln Lhe dark, Lhe lar SLar would have a chance Lo cool
more rapldly, and Lhere Lhe shlp could conLlnue Lo recede from Lhe
surface ln a slow splral.
eloraL came ouL of Lhe room he shared wlLh 8llss. Pe sald, 1he
chlld ls sleeplng normally now. We've showed lL how Lo use Lhe LolleL
and lL had no Lrouble undersLandlng."
1haL's noL surprlslng. lL musL have had slmllar faclllLles ln Lhe
manslon."
l dldn'L see any Lhere and l was looklng," sald eloraL feellngly. We
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
187
dldn'L geL back on Lhe shlp a momenL Loo soon for me."
Cr any of us. 8uL why dld we brlng LhaL chlld on board?"
eloraL shrugged apologeLlcally. 8llss wouldn'L leL go. lL was llke
savlng a llfe ln reLurn for Lhe one she Look. She can'L bear-
l know," sald 1revlze.
eloraL sald, lL's a very oddly shaped chlld."
8elng hermaphrodlLlc, lL would have Lo be," sald 1revlze.
lL has LesLlcles, you know."
lL could scarcely do wlLhouL Lhem."
And whaL l can only descrlbe as a very small vaglna."
1revlze made a face. ulsgusLlng."
noL really, Colan," sald eloraL, proLesLlng. lL's adapLed Lo lLs
needs. lL only dellvers a ferLlllzed egg-cell, or a very Llny embryo, whlch
ls Lhen developed under laboraLory condlLlons, Lended, l dare say, by
roboLs."
And whaL happens lf Lhelr roboL-sysLem breaks down? lf LhaL
happens, Lhey would no longer be able Lo produce vlable young."
Any world would be ln serlous Lrouble lf lLs soclal sLrucLure broke
down compleLely."
noL LhaL l would weep unconLrollably over Lhe Solarlans."
Well," sald eloraL, l admlL lL doesn'L seem a very aLLracLlve world-
Lo us, l mean. 8uL LhaL's only Lhe people and Lhe soclal sLrucLure, whlch
are noL our Lype aL all, dear chap. 8uL subLracL Lhe people and Lhe
roboLs, and you have a world whlch oLherwlse-
MlghL fall aparL as Aurora ls beglnnlng Lo do," sald 1revlze. Pow's
8llss, !anov?"
Worn ouL, l'm afrald. She's sleeplng now. She had a very bad Llme,
Colan."
l dldn'L exacLly en[oy myself elLher."
1revlze closed hls eyes, and declded he could use some sleep hlmself
and would lndulge ln LhaL rellef as soon as he was reasonably cerLaln Lhe
Solarlans had no space capablllLy-and so far Lhe compuLer had reporLed
noLhlng of arLlfacLlLlous naLure ln space.
Pe LhoughL blLLerly of Lhe Lwo Spacer planeLs Lhey had vlslLed-hosLlle
wlld dogs on one-hosLlle hermaphrodlLlc loners on Lhe oLher-and ln
nelLher place Lhe LlnlesL hlnL as Lo Lhe locaLlon of LarLh. All Lhey had Lo
show for Lhe double vlslL was lallom.
Pe opened hls eyes. eloraL was sLlll slLLlng ln place aL Lhe oLher slde
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
188
of Lhe compuLer, waLchlng hlm solemnly.
1revlze sald, wlLh sudden convlcLlon, We should have lefL LhaL
Solarlan chlld behlnd."
eloraL sald, 1he poor Lhlng. 1hey would have kllled lL."
Lven so," sald 1revlze, lL belonged Lhere. lL's parL of LhaL socleLy.
8elng puL Lo deaLh because of belng superfluous ls Lhe sorL of Lhlng lL's
born Lo."
Ch, my dear fellow, LhaL's a hardhearLed way Lo look aL lL."
lL's a raLlonal way. We don'L know how Lo care for lL, and lL may
suffer more llngerlngly wlLh us and dle anyway. WhaL does lL eaL?"
WhaLever we do, l suppose, old man. AcLually, Lhe problem ls whaL
do we eaL? Pow much do we have ln Lhe way of supplles?"
lenLy. lenLy. Lven allowlng for our new passenger."
eloraL dldn'L look overwhelmed wlLh happlness aL Lhls remark. Pe
sald, lL's become a preLLy monoLonous dleL. We should have Laken
some lLems on board on Comporellon-noL LhaL Lhelr cooklng was
excellenL."
We couldn'L. We lefL, lf you remember, raLher hurrledly, as we lefL
Aurora, and as we lefL, ln parLlcular, Solarla. -8uL whaL's a llLLle
monoLony? lL spolls one's pleasure, buL lL keeps one allve."
Would lL be posslble Lo plck up fresh supplles lf we need Lo?"
AnyLlme, !anov. WlLh a gravlLlc shlp and hyperspaLlal englnes, Lhe
Calaxy ls a small place. ln days, we can be anywhere. lL's [usL LhaL half
Lhe worlds ln Lhe Calaxy are alerLed Lo waLch for our shlp and l would
raLher sLay ouL of Lhe way for a Llme."
: suppose LhaL's so. -8ander dldn'L seem lnLeresLed ln Lhe shlp."
lL probably wasn'L even consclously aware of lL. l suspecL LhaL Lhe
Solarlans long ago gave up space fllghL. 1helr prlme deslre ls Lo be lefL
compleLely alone and Lhey can scarcely en[oy Lhe securlLy of lsolaLlon lf
Lhey are forever movlng abouL ln space and adverLlslng Lhelr presence."
WhaL are we golng Lo do nexL, Colan?"
1revlze sald, We have a Lhlrd world Lo vlslL."
eloraL shook hls head. !udglng from Lhe flrsL Lwo, l don'L expecL
much from LhaL."
nor do l aL Lhe momenL, buL [usL as soon as l geL a llLLle sleep, l'm
golng Lo geL Lhe compuLer Lo ploL our course Lo LhaL Lhlrd world."
37.
18LvlZL slepL conslderably longer Lhan he had expecLed Lo, buL LhaL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
189
scarcely maLLered. 1here was nelLher day nor nlghL, ln any naLural
-sense, on board shlp, and Lhe clrcadlan rhyLhm never worked absoluLely
perfecLly. 1he hours were whaL Lhey were made Lo be, and lL wasn'L
uncommon for 1revlze and eloraL (and parLlcularly 8llss) Lo be
somewhaL ouL-of-sync as far as Lhe naLural rhyLhms of eaLlng and
sleeplng were concerned.
1revlze even speculaLed, ln Lhe course of hls scrapedown (Lhe
lmporLance of conservlng waLer made lL advlsable Lo scrape off Lhe suds
raLher Lhan rlnse Lhem off), abouL sleeplng anoLher hour or Lwo, when
he Lurned and found hlmself sLarlng aL lallom, who was as undressed as
he was.
Pe could noL help [umplng back, whlch, ln Lhe resLrlcLed area of Lhe
ersonal, was bound Lo brlng parL of hls body agalnsL someLhlng hard.
Pe grunLed-
lallom was sLarlng curlously aL hlm and was polnLlng aL 1revlze's
penls. WhaL lL sald was lncomprehenslble buL Lhe whole bearlng of Lhe
chlld seemed Lo bespeak a sense of dlsbellef. lor hls own peace of mlnd,
1revlze had no cholce buL Lo puL hls hands over hls penls.
1hen lallom sald, ln lLs hlgh-plLched volce, CreeLlngs."
1revlze sLarLed sllghLly aL Lhe chlld's unexpecLed use of CalacLlc, buL
Lhe word had Lhe sound of havlng been memorlzed.
lallom conLlnued, a palnsLaklng word aL a Llme, 8llss-say-you-
wash -me.
?es?" sald 1revlze. Pe puL hls hands on lallom's shoulders. ?ou-
sLay -here."
Pe polnLed downward aL Lhe floor and lallom, of course, looked
lnsLanLly aL Lhe place Lo whlch Lhe flnger polnLed. lL showed no
comprehenslon of Lhe phrase aL all.
uon'L move," sald 1revlze, holdlng Lhe chlld LlghLly by boLh arms,
presslng Lhem Loward Lhe body as Lhough Lo symbollze lmmoblllLy. Pe
hasLlly drled hlmself and puL on hls shorLs, and over Lhem hls Lrousers.
Pe sLepped ouL and roared, 8llss!"
lL was dlfflculL for anyone Lo be more Lhan four meLers from any one
else on Lhe shlp and 8llss came Lo Lhe door of her room aL once. She
sald, smlllng, Are you calllng me, 1revlze, or was LhaL Lhe sofL breeze
slghlng Lhrough Lhe wavlng grass?"
LeL's noL be funny, 8llss. WhaL ls LhaL?" Pe [erked hls Lhumb over
hls shoulder.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
190
8llss looked pasL hlm and sald, Well, lL looks llke Lhe young Solarlan
we broughL on board yesLerday."
?ou broughL on board. Why do you wanL me Lo wash lL?"
l should Lhlnk you'd wanL Lo. lL's a very brlghL creaLure. lL's plcklng
up CalacLlc words qulckly. lL never forgeLs once l explaln someLhlng. Cf
course, l'm helplng lL do so."
naLurally."
?es. l keep lL calm. l kepL lL ln a daze durlng mosL of Lhe dlsLurblng
evenLs on Lhe planeL. l saw Lo lL LhaL lL slepL on board shlp and l'm Lrylng
Lo dlverL lLs mlnd [usL a llLLle blL from lLs losL roboL, !emby, LhaL,
apparenLly, lL loved very much."
So LhaL lL ends up llklng lL here, l suppose."
l hope so. lL's adapLable because lL's young, and l encourage LhaL by
as much as l dare lnfluence lLs mlnd. l'm golng Lo Leach lL Lo speak
CalacLlc."
1hen you wash lL. undersLood?"
8llss shrugged. l wlll, lf you lnslsL, buL l would wanL lL Lo feel frlendly
wlLh each of us. lL would be useful Lo have each of us perform funcLlons.
Surely you can co-operaLe ln LhaL."
noL Lo Lhls exLenL. And when you flnlsh washlng lL, geL rld of lL. l
wanL Lo Lalk Lo you."
8llss sald, wlLh a sudden edge of hosLlllLy, Pow do you mean, geL rld
of lL?"
l don'L mean dump lL Lhrough Lhe alrlock. l mean, puL lL ln your
room. SlL lL down ln a corner. l wanL Lo Lalk aL you."
l'll be aL your servlce," she sald coldly.
Pe sLared afLer her, nurslng hls wraLh for Lhe momenL, Lhen moved
lnLo Lhe plloL-room, and acLlvaLed Lhe vlewscreen.
Solarla was a dark clrcle wlLh a curvlng crescenL of llghL aL Lhe lefL.
1revlze placed hls hands on Lhe desk Lo make conLacL wlLh Lhe compuLer
and found hls anger coollng aL once. Cne had Lo be calm Lo llnk mlnd
and compuLer effecLlvely and, evenLually, condlLloned reflex llnked
handhold and serenlLy.
1here were no arLlfacLlLlous ob[ecLs abouL Lhe shlp ln any dlrecLlon,
ouL as far as Lhe planeL lLself. 1he Solarlans (or Lhelr roboLs, mosL llkely)
could noL, or would noL, follow.
Cood enough. Pe mlghL as well geL ouL of Lhe nlghL-shadow, Lhen. lf
he conLlnued Lo recede, lL would, ln any case, vanlsh as Solarla's dlsc
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
191
grew smaller Lhan LhaL of Lhe more dlsLanL, buL much larger, sun LhaL lL
clrcled.
Pe seL Lhe compuLer Lo move Lhe shlp ouL of Lhe planeLary plane as
well, slnce LhaL would make lL posslble Lo acceleraLe wlLh greaLer safeLy.
1hey would Lhen more qulckly reach a reglon where space curvaLure
would be low enough Lo make Lhe !ump secure.
And, as ofLen on such occaslons, he fell Lo sLudylng Lhe sLars. 1hey
were almosL hypnoLlc ln Lhelr quleL changelessness. All Lhelr Lurbulence
and lnsLablllLy were wlped ouL by Lhe dlsLance LhaL lefL Lhem only doLs
of llghL.
Cne of Lhose doLs mlghL well be Lhe sun abouL whlch LarLh revolved-
Lhe orlglnal sun, under whose radlaLlon llfe began, and under whose
beneflcence humanlLy evolved.
Surely, lf Lhe Spacer worlds clrcled sLars LhaL were brlghL and
promlnenL members of Lhe sLellar famlly, and LhaL were neverLheless
unllsLed ln Lhe compuLer's CalacLlc map, Lhe same mlghL be Lrue of Lhe
sun.
Cr was lL only Lhe suns of Lhe Spacer worlds LhaL were omlLLed
because of some prlmeval LreaLy agreemenL LhaL lefL Lhem Lo
Lhemselves? Would LarLh's sun be lncluded ln Lhe CalacLlc map, buL noL
marked off from Lhe myrlads of sLars LhaL were sun-llke, yeL had no
hablLable planeL ln orblL abouL lLself?
1here were afLer all, some LhlrLy bllllon sun-llke sLars ln Lhe Calaxy,
and only abouL one ln a Lhousand had hablLable planeLs ln orblLs abouL
Lhem. 1here mlghL be a Lhousand such hablLable planeLs wlLhln a few
hundred parsecs of hls presenL poslLlon. Should he slfL Lhrough Lhe sun-
llke sLars one by one, searchlng for Lhem?
Cr was Lhe orlglnal sun noL even ln Lhls reglon of Lhe Calaxy? Pow
many oLher reglons were convlnced Lhe sun was one of Lhelr nelghbors,
LhaL Lhey were prlmeval SeLLlers-?
Pe needed lnformaLlon, and so far he had none.
Pe doubLed sLrongly wheLher even Lhe closesL examlnaLlon of Lhe
mlllennlal rulns on Aurora would glve lnformaLlon concernlng LarLh's
locaLlon. Pe doubLed even more sLrongly LhaL Lhe Solarlans could be
made Lo yleld lnformaLlon.
1hen, Loo, lf all lnformaLlon abouL LarLh had vanlshed ouL of Lhe
greaL Llbrary aL 1ranLor, lf no lnformaLlon abouL LarLh remalned ln Lhe
greaL CollecLlve Memory of Cala, Lhere seemed llLLle chance LhaL any
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
192
lnformaLlon LhaL mlghL have exlsLed on Lhe losL worlds of Lhe Spacers
would have been overlooked.
And lf he found LarLh's sun and, Lhen, LarLh lLself, by Lhe sheeresL
good forLune-would someLhlng force hlm Lo be unaware of Lhe facL?
Was LarLh's defense absoluLe? Was lLs deLermlnaLlon Lo remaln ln hldlng
unbreakable?
WhaL was he looklng for anyway?
Was lL LarLh? .Cr was lL Lhe flaw ln Seldon's lan LhaL he LhoughL (for
no clear reason) he mlghL flnd on LarLh?
Seldon's lan had been worklng for flve cenLurles now, and would
brlng Lhe human specles (so lL was sald) Lo safe harbor-aL lasL ln Lhe
womb of a Second CalacLlc Lmplre, greaLer Lhan Lhe llrsL, a nobler and a
freer one-and yeL he, 1revlze, had voLed agalnsL lL, and for Calaxla.
Calaxla would be one large organlsm, whlle Lhe Second CalacLlc
Lmplre would, however greaL ln slze and varleLy, be a mere unlon of
lndlvldual organlsms of mlcroscoplc slze ln comparlson wlLh lLself. 1he
Second CalacLlc Lmplre would be anoLher example of Lhe klnd of unlon
of lndlvlduals LhaL humanlLy had seL up ever slnce lL became humanlLy.
1he Second CalacLlc Lmplre mlghL be Lhe largesL and besL of Lhe specles,
buL lL would sLlll be buL one more member of LhaL specles.
lor Calaxla, a member of an enLlrely dlfferenL specles of
organlzaLlon, Lo be beLLer Lhan Lhe Second CalacLlc Lmplre, Lhere musL
be a flaw ln Lhe lan, someLhlng Lhe greaL Parl Seldon had hlmself
overlooked.
8uL lf lL were someLhlng Seldon had overlooked, how could 1revlze
correcL Lhe maLLer? Pe was noL a maLhemaLlclan, knew noLhlng,
absoluLely noLhlng, abouL Lhe deLalls of Lhe lan, would undersLand
noLhlng, furLhermore, even lf lL were explalned Lo hlm.
All he knew were Lhe assumpLlons-LhaL a greaL number of human
belngs be lnvolved and LhaL Lhey noL be aware of Lhe concluslons
reached. 1he flrsL assumpLlon was self-evldenLly Lrue, conslderlng Lhe
vasL populaLlon of Lhe Calaxy, and Lhe second had Lo be Lrue slnce only
Lhe Second loundaLloners knew Lhe deLalls of Lhe lan, and Lhey kepL lL
Lo Lhemselves securely enough.
1haL lefL an added unacknowledged assumpLlon, a Laken-for-granLed
assumpLlon, one so Laken for granLed lL was never menLloned nor
LhoughL of-and yeL one LhaL mlghL be false. An assumpLlon LhaL, lf lL
were false, would alLer Lhe grand concluslon of Lhe lan and make
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
193
Calaxla preferable Lo Lmplre.
8uL lf Lhe assumpLlon was so obvlous and so Laken for granLed LhaL lL
was never even expressed, how could lL be false? And lf no one ever
menLloned lL, or LhoughL of lL, how could 1revlze know lL was Lhere, or
have any ldea of lLs naLure even lf he guessed lLs exlsLence?
Was he Lruly 1revlze, Lhe man wlLh Lhe flawless lnLulLlon-as Cala
lnslsLed? uld he know Lhe rlghL Lhlng Lo do even when he dldn'L know
why he. was dolng lL?
now he was vlslLlng every Spacer world he knew abouL. -Was LhaL
Lhe rlghL Lhlng Lo do? uld Lhe Spacer worlds hold Lhe answer? Cr aL leasL
Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe answer?
WhaL was Lhere on Aurora buL rulns and wlld dogs? (And,
presumably, oLher feral creaLures. 8aglng bulls? Cvergrown raLs?
SLalklng green-eyed caLs?) Solarla was allve, buL whaL was Lhere on lL buL
roboLs and energy-Lransduclng human belngs? WhaL had elLher world Lo
do wlLh Seldon's lan unless Lhey conLalned Lhe secreL of Lhe locaLlon of
Lhe LarLh?
And lf Lhey dld, whaL had LarLh Lo do wlLh Seldon's lan? Was Lhls all
madness? Pad he llsLened Loo long and Loo serlously Lo Lhe fanLasy of
hls own lnfalllblllLy?
An overwhelmlng welghL of shame came over hlm and seemed Lo
press upon hlm Lo Lhe polnL where he could barely breaLhe. Pe looked aL
Lhe sLars -remoLe, uncarlng-and LhoughL: l musL be Lhe CreaL lool of Lhe
Calaxy.
38.
8LlSS'S volce broke ln on hlm. Well, 1revlze, why do you wanL Lo
see- ls anyLhlng wrong?" Per volce had LwlsLed lnLo sudden concern.
1revlze looked up and, for a momenL, found lL momenLarlly dlfflculL
Lo brush away hls mood. Pe sLared aL her, Lhen sald, no, no. noLhlng's
wrong. l-l was merely losL ln LhoughL. Lvery once ln a whlle, afLer all, l
flnd myself Lhlnklng." .
Pe was uneaslly aware LhaL 8llss could read hls emoLlons. Pe had
only her word LhaL she was volunLarlly absLalnlng from any overslghL of
hls mlnd.
She seemed Lo accepL hls sLaLemenL, however. She sald, eloraL ls
wlLh lallom, Leachlng lL CalacLlc phrases. 1he chlld seems Lo eaL whaL we
do wlLhouL undue ob[ecLlon. -8uL whaL do you wanL Lo see me abouL?"
Well, noL here,", sald 1revlze. 1he compuLer doesn'L need me aL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
194
Lhe momenL. lf you wanL Lo come lnLo my room, Lhe bed's made and
you can slL on lL whlle 1 slL on Lhe chalr. Cr vlce versa, lf you prefer."
lL doesn'L maLLer." 1hey walked Lhe shorL dlsLance Lo 1revlze's
room. She eyed hlm narrowly. ?ou don'L seem furlous anymore."
Checklng my mlnd?"
noL aL all. Checklng your face."
l'm noL furlous. l may lose my Lemper momenLarlly, now and Lhen,
buL LhaL's noL Lhe same as furlous. lf you don'L mlnd, Lhough, Lhere are
quesLlons l musL ask you."
8llss saL down on 1revlze's bed, holdlng herself erecL, and wlLh a
solemn expresslon on her wlde-cheeked face and ln her dark brown
eyes. Per shoulder-lengLh black halr was neaLly arranged and her sllm
hands were clasped loosely ln her lap. 1here was a falnL Lrace of
perfume abouL her.
1revlze smlled. ?ou've dolled yourself up. l suspecL you Lhlnk l won'L
yell qulLe so hard aL a young and preLLy glrl."
?ou can yell and scream all you wlsh lf lL wlll make you feel beLLer. l
[usL don'L wanL you yelllng and screamlng aL lallom."
l don'L lnLend Lo. ln facL, l don'L lnLend Lo yell and scream aL you.
Paven'L we declded Lo be frlends?"
Cala has never had anyLhlng buL feellngs of frlendshlp Loward you,
1revlze."
l'm noL Lalklng abouL Cala. l know you're parL of Cala and LhaL you
are Cala. SLlll Lhere's parL of you LhaL's an lndlvldual, aL leasL afLer a
fashlon. l'm Lalklng Lo Lhe lndlvldual. l'm Lalklng Lo someone named 8llss
wlLhouL regard -or wlLh as llLLle regard as posslble-Lo Cala. Paven'L we
declded Lo be frlends, 8llss?"
?es, 1revlze."
1hen how ls lL you delayed deallng wlLh Lhe roboLs on Solarla afLer
we had lefL Lhe manslon and reached Lhe shlp? l was humlllaLed and
physlcally hurL, yeL you dld noLhlng. Lven Lhough every momenL mlghL
brlng addlLlonal roboLs Lo Lhe scene and Lhe number mlghL overwhelm
us, you dld noLhlng."
8llss looked aL hlm serlously, and spoke as Lhough she were lnLenL
on explalnlng her acLlons raLher Lhan defendlng Lhem. l was noL dolng
noLhlng, 1revlze. l was sLudylng Lhe Cuardlan 8oboLs' mlnds, and Lrylng
Lo learn how Lo handle Lhem."
l know LhaL's whaL you were dolng. AL leasL you sald you were aL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
193
Lhe Llme. l [usL don'L see Lhe sense of lL. Why handle Lhe mlnds when
you were perfecLly capable of desLroylng Lhem-as you flnally dld?"
uo you Lhlnk lL so easy Lo desLroy an lnLelllgenL belng?"
1revlze's llps LwlsLed lnLo an expresslon of dlsLasLe. Come, 8llss. An
lnLelllgenL belng? lL was [usL a roboL."
!usL a roboL?" A llLLle passlon enLered her volce. 1haL's Lhe
argumenL always. !usL. !usL! Why should Lhe Solarlan, 8ander, have
heslLaLed Lo klll us? We were [usL human belngs wlLhouL Lransducers.
Why should Lhere be any heslLaLlon abouL leavlng lallom Lo lLs faLe? lL
was [usL a Solarlan, and an lmmaLure speclmen aL LhaL. lf you sLarL
dlsmlsslng anyone or anyLhlng you wanL Lo do away wlLh as [usL a Lhls or
[usL a LhaL, you can desLroy anyLhlng you wlsh. 1here are always
caLegorles you can flnd for Lhem."
1revlze sald, uon'L carry a perfecLly leglLlmaLe remark Lo exLremes
[usL Lo make lL seem rldlculous. 1he roboL was [usL a roboL. ?ou can'L
deny LhaL. lL was noL human. lL was noL lnLelllgenL ln our sense. lL was a
machlne mlmlcklng an appearance of lnLelllgence."
8llss sald, Pow easlly you can Lalk when you know noLhlng abouL lL.
l am Cala. ?es, l am 8llss, Loo, buL l am Cala. l am a world LhaL flnds
every aLom of lLself preclous and meanlngful, and every organlzaLlon of
aLoms even more preclous and meanlngful. l/we/Cala would noL llghLly
break down an organlzaLlon, Lhough we would gladly bulld lL lnLo
someLhlng sLlll more complex, provlded always LhaL LhaL would noL harm
Lhe whole.
1he hlghesL form of organlzaLlon we know produces lnLelllgence,
and Lo be wllllng Lo desLroy lnLelllgence requlres Lhe soresL need.
WheLher lL ls machlne lnLelllgence or blochemlcal lnLelllgence scarcely
maLLers. ln facL, Lhe Cuardlan 8oboL represenLed a klnd of lnLelllgence
l/we/Cala had never encounLered. 1o sLudy lL was wonderful. 1o desLroy
lL, unLhlnkable-excepL ln a momenL of crownlng emergency."
1revlze sald dryly, 1here were Lhree greaLer lnLelllgences aL sLake:
your own, LhaL of eloraL, Lhe human belng you love, and, lf you don'L
mlnd my menLlonlng lL, mlne."
lour! ?ou sLlll keep forgeLLlng Lo lnclude lallom. -1hey were noL yeL
aL sLake. So l [udged. See here- Suppose you were faced wlLh a palnLlng,
a greaL arLlsLlc masLerplece, Lhe exlsLence of whlch meanL deaLh Lo you.
All you had Lo do was Lo brlng a wlde brush of palnL slam-bang, and aL
random, across Lhe face of LhaL palnLlng and lL would be desLroyed
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
196
forever, and you would be safe. 8uL suppose, lnsLead, LhaL lf you sLudled
Lhe palnLlng carefully, and added [usL a Louch of palnL here, a speck
Lhere, scraped off a mlnuLe porLlon ln a Lhlrd place, and so on, you
would alLer Lhe palnLlng enough Lo avold deaLh, and yeL leave lL a
masLerplece. naLurally, Lhe revlslon couldn'L be done excepL wlLh Lhe
mosL palnsLaklng care. lL would Lake Llme, buL surely, lf LhaL Llme
exlsLed, you would Lry Lo save Lhe palnLlng as well as your llfe."
1revlze sald, erhaps. 8uL ln Lhe end you desLroyed Lhe palnLlng
pasL redempLlon. 1he wlde palnLbrush came down and wlped ouL-all Lhe
wonderful llLLle Louches of color and subLleLles of form and shape. And
you dld LhaL lnsLanLly when a llLLle hermaphrodlLe was aL rlsk, where our
danger and your own had noL moved you."
We CuLworlders were sLlll noL aL lmmedlaLe rlsk, whlle lallom, lL
seemed Lo me, suddenly was. l had Lo choose beLween Lhe Cuardlan
8oboLs and lallom, and, wlLh no Llme Lo lose, l had Lo choose lallom."
ls LhaL whaL lL was, 8llss? A qulck calculaLlon welghlng one mlnd
agalnsL anoLher, a qulck [udglng of Lhe greaLer complexlLy and Lhe
greaLer worLh?"
?es."
1revlze sald, Suppose l Lell you, lL was [usL a chlld LhaL was sLandlng
before you, a chlld LhreaLened wlLh deaLh. An lnsLlncLlve maLernallsm
grlpped you Lhen, and you saved lL where earller you were all calculaLlon
when only Lhree adulL llves were aL sLake."
8llss reddened sllghLly. 1here mlghL have been someLhlng llke LhaL
ln lL, buL lL was noL afLer Lhe fashlon of Lhe mocklng way ln whlch you
say lL. lL had raLlonal LhoughL behlnd lL, Loo."
l wonder. lf Lhere had been raLlonal LhoughL behlnd lL, you mlghL
have consldered LhaL Lhe chlld was meeLlng Lhe common faLe lnevlLable
ln lLs own socleLy. Who knows how many Lhousands of chlldren had
been cuL down Lo malnLaln Lhe low number Lhese Solarlans Lhlnk
sulLable Lo Lhelr world?"
1here's more Lo lL Lhan LhaL, 1revlze. 1he chlld would be kllled
because lL was Loo young Lo be a Successor, and LhaL was because lL had
a parenL who had dled premaLurely, and LhaL was because l had kllled
LhaL parenL."
AL a Llme when lL was klll or be kllled."
noL lmporLanL. l kllled Lhe parenL. l could noL sLand by and allow Lhe
chlld Lo be kllled for my deed. -8esldes, lL offers for sLudy a braln of a
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
197
klnd LhaL has never been sLudled by Cala."
A chlld's braln."
lL wlll noL remaln a chlld's braln. lL wlll furLher develop Lhe Lwo
Lransducer-lobes on elLher slde of Lhe braln. 1hose lobes glve a Solarlan
ablllLles LhaL all of Cala cannoL maLch. Slmply Lo keep a few llghLs llL, [usL
Lo acLlvaLe a devlce Lo open a door, wore me ouL. 8ander could have
kepL all Lhe power golng over an esLaLe as greaL ln complexlLy and
greaLer ln slze Lhan LhaL clLy we saw on Comporellon-and do lL even
whlle sleeplng."
1revlze sald, 1hen you see Lhe chlld as an lmporLanL blL of
fundamenLal braln research."
ln a way, yes."
1haL's noL Lhe way l feel. 1o me, lL seems we have Laken danger
aboard. CreaL danger."
uanger ln whaL way? lL wlll adapL perfecLly-wlLh my help. lL ls hlghly
lnLelllgenL, and already shows slgns of feellng affecLlon for us. lL wlll eaL
whaL we eaL, go where we go, and l/we/Cala wlll galn lnvaluable
knowledge concernlng lLs braln."
WhaL lf lL produces young? lL doesn'L need a maLe. lL ls lLs own
maLe."
lL won'L be of chlld-bearlng age for many years. 1he Spacers llved
for cenLurles and Lhe Solarlans had no deslre Lo lncrease Lhelr numbers.
uelayed reproducLlon ls probably bred lnLo Lhe populaLlon. lallom wlll
have no chlldren for a long Llme."
Pow do you know Lhls?"
l don'L know lL. l'm merely belng loglcal."
And l Lell you lallom wlll prove dangerous."
?ou don'L know LhaL. And you're noL belng loglcal, elLher."
l feel lL 8llss, wlLhouL reason. -AL Lhe momenL. And lL ls you, noL l,
who lnslsLs my lnLulLlon ls lnfalllble."
And 8llss frowned and looked uneasy.
39.
LLC8A1 paused aL Lhe door Lo Lhe plloL-room and looked lnslde ln a
raLher lll-aL-ease manner. lL was as Lhough he were Lrylng Lo declde
wheLher 1revlze was hard aL work or noL.
1revlze had hls hands on Lhe Lable, as he always dld when he made
hlmself parL of Lhe compuLer, and hls eyes were on Lhe vlewscreen.
eloraL [udged, Lherefore, he was aL work, and he walLed paLlenLly,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
198
Lrylng noL Lo move or, ln any way, dlsLurb Lhe oLher.
LvenLually, 1revlze looked up aL eloraL. lL was noL a maLLer of LoLal
awareness. 1revlze's eyes always seemed a blL glazed and unfocused
when he was ln compuLer-communlon, as Lhough he were looklng,
Lhlnklng, llvlng ln some oLher way Lhan a person usually dld.
8uL he nodded slowly aL eloraL, as Lhough Lhe slghL, peneLraLlng
wlLh dlfflculLy, dld, aL lasL, slugglshly lmpress lLself on Lhe opLlc lobes.
1hen, afLer a whlle, he llfLed hls hands and smlled and was hlmself agaln.
eloraL sald apologeLlcally, l'm afrald l'm geLLlng ln your way,
Colan." noL serlously, !anov. l was [usL LesLlng Lo see lf we were ready
for Lhe !ump. We are, [usL abouL, buL l Lhlnk l'll glve lL a few more hours,
[usL for luck."
uoes luck-or random facLors-have anyLhlng Lo do wlLh lL?"
An expresslon only," sald 1revlze, smlllng, buL random facLors do
have someLhlng Lo do wlLh lL, ln Lheory. -WhaL's on your mlnd?"
May l slL down?"
Surely, buL leL's go lnLo my room. Pow's 8llss?"
very well." Pe cleared hls LhroaL. She's sleeplng agaln. She musL
have her sleep, you undersLand."
l undersLand perfecLly. lL's Lhe hyperspaLlal separaLlon."
LxacLly, old chap."
And lallom?" 1revlze recllned on Lhe bed, leavlng eloraL Lhe chalr.
1hose books ouL of my llbrary LhaL you had your compuLer prlnL up
for me? 1he folk Lales? lL's readlng Lhem. Cf course, lL undersLands very
llLLle CalacLlc, buL lL seems Lo en[oy soundlng ouL Lhe words. Pe's-l keep
wanLlng Lo use Lhe mascullne pronoun for lL. Why do you suppose LhaL
ls, old fellow?"
1revlze shrugged. erhaps because you're mascullne yourself."
erhaps. lL's fearfully lnLelllgenL, you know."
l'm sure."
eloraL heslLaLed. l gaLher you're noL very fond of lallom."
noLhlng agalnsL lL personally, !anov. l've never had chlldren and l've
never been parLlcularly fond of Lhem generally. ?ou've had chlldren, l
seem Lo remember."
Cne son. -lL was a pleasure, l recall, havlng my son when he was a
llLLle boy. Maybe LhaL's why l wanL Lo use Lhe mascullne pronoun for
lallom. lL Lakes me back a quarLer of a cenLury or so."
l've no ob[ecLlon Lo your llklng lL, !anov."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
199
?ou'd llke hlm, Loo, lf you gave yourself a chance."
l'm sure l would, !anov, and maybe someday l wlll glve myself a
chance Lo do so."
eloraL heslLaLed agaln. l also know LhaL you musL geL Llred of
argulng wlLh 8llss."
AcLually, l don'L Lhlnk we'll be argulng much, !anov. She and l are
acLually geLLlng along qulLe well. We even had a reasonable dlscusslon
[usL Lhe oLher day-no shouLlng, no recrlmlnaLlon-abouL her delay ln
lnacLlvaLlng Lhe Cuardlan 8oboLs. She keeps savlng our llves, afLer all, so
l can'L very well offer her less Lhan frlendshlp, can l?"
?es, l see LhaL, buL l don'L mean argulng, ln Lhe sense of quarrellng. l
mean Lhls consLanL wrangle abouL Calaxla as opposed Lo lndlvlduallLy."
Ch, LhaL! l suppose LhaL wlll conLlnue-pollLely."
Would you mlnd, Colan, lf l Look up Lhe argumenL on her behalf?"
erfecLly all rlghL. uo you accepL Lhe ldea of Calaxla on your own, or
ls lL LhaL you slmply feel happler when you agree wlLh 8llss?"
PonesLly, on my own. l Lhlnk LhaL Calaxla ls whaL should be
forLhcomlng. ?ou yourself chose LhaL course of acLlon and l am
consLanLly becomlng more convlnced LhaL LhaL ls correcL."
8ecause l chose lL? 1haL's no argumenL. WhaLever Cala says, l may
be wrong, you know. So don'L leL 8llss persuade you lnLo Calaxla on LhaL
basls."
l don'L Lhlnk you are wrong. Solarla showed me LhaL, noL 8llss."
Pow?"
Well, Lo begln wlLh, we are lsolaLes, you and L"
Per Lerm, !anov. l prefer Lo Lhlnk of us as lndlvlduals."
A maLLer of semanLlcs, old chap. Call lL whaL you wlll, we are
enclosed ln our prlvaLe sklns surroundlng our prlvaLe LhoughLs, and we
Lhlnk flrsL and foremosL of ourselves. Self-defense ls our flrsL law of
naLure, even lf LhaL means harmlng everyone else ln exlsLence."
eople have been known Lo glve Lhelr llves for oLhers."
A rare phenomenon. Many more people have been known Lo
sacrlflce Lhe dearesL needs of oLhers Lo some foollsh whlm of Lhelr
own."
And whaL has LhaL Lo do wlLh Solarla?"
Why, on Solarla, we see whaL lsolaLes-or lndlvlduals, lf you prefer-
can become. 1he Solarlans can hardly bear Lo dlvlde a whole world
among Lhemselves. 1hey conslder llvlng a llfe of compleLe lsolaLlon Lo be
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
200
perfecL llberLy.
1hey have no yearnlng for even Lhelr own offsprlng, buL klll Lhem lf
Lhere are Loo many. 1hey surround Lhemselves wlLh roboL slaves Lo
whlch Lhey supply Lhe power, so LhaL lf Lhey dle, Lhelr whole huge esLaLe
symbollcally dles as well. ls Lhls admlrable, Colan? Can you compare lL ln
decency, klndness, and muLual concern wlLh Cala? -8llss has noL
dlscussed Lhls wlLh me aL all. lL ls my own feellng."
1revlze sald, And lL ls llke you Lo have LhaL feellng, !anov. l share lL. l
Lhlnk Solarlan socleLy ls horrlble, buL lL wasn'L always llke LhaL. 1hey are
descended from LarLhmen, and, more lmmedlaLely, from Spacers who
llved a much more normal llfe. 1he Solarlans chose a paLh, for one
reason or anoLher, whlch led Lo an exLreme, buL you can'L [udge by
exLremes. ln all Lhe Calaxy, wlLh lLs mllllons of lnhablLed worlds, ls Lhere
one you know LhaL now, or ln Lhe pasL, has had a socleLy llke LhaL of
Solarla, or even remoLely llke LhaL of Solarla? And would even Solarla
have such a socleLy lf lL were noL rlddled wlLh roboLs? ls lL concelvable
LhaL a socleLy of lndlvlduals could evolve Lo such a plLch of Solarlan
horror wlLhouL roboLs?"
eloraL's face LwlLched a llLLle. ?ou punch holes ln everyLhlng, Colan
or aL leasL l mean you don'L ever seem Lo be aL a loss ln defendlng Lhe
Lype of Calaxy you voLed agalnsL."
l won'L knock down everyLhlng. 1here ls a raLlonale for Calaxla and
when l flnd lL, l'll know lL, and l'll glve ln. Cr perhaps, more accuraLely, lf l
flnd lL.
uo you Lhlnk you mlghL noL?"
1revlze shrugged. Pow can l say? -uo you know why l'm walLlng a
few hours Lo make Lhe !ump, and why l'm ln danger of Lalklng myself
lnLo walLlng a few days?"
?ou sald lL would be safer lf we walLed."
?es, LhaL's whaL l sald, buL we'd be safe enough now. WhaL l really
fear ls LhaL Lhose Spacer worlds for whlch we have Lhe co-ordlnaLes wlll
fall us alLogeLher. We have only Lhree, and we've already used up Lwo,
narrowly escaplng deaLh each Llme. ln dolng so, we have sLlll noL galned
any hlnL as Lo LarLh's locaLlon, or even, ln acLual facL, LarLh's exlsLence.
now l face Lhe Lhlrd and lasL chance, and whaL lf lL, Loo, falls us?"
eloraL slghed. ?ou know Lhere are old folk Lales-one, ln -facL, exlsLs
among Lhose l gave lallom Lo pracLlce upon-ln whlch someone ls
allowed Lhree wlshes, buL only Lhree. 1hree seems Lo be a slgnlflcanL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
201
number ln Lhese Lhlngs, perhaps because lL ls Lhe flrsL odd number so
LhaL lL ls Lhe smallesL declslve number. ?ou know, Lwo ouL of Lhree wlns.
-1he polnL ls LhaL ln Lhese sLorles, Lhe wlshes are of no use. no one ever
wlshes correcLly, whlch, l have always supposed, ls anclenL wlsdom Lo
Lhe effecL LhaL Lhe saLlsfacLlon of your wanLs musL be earned, and noL-
Pe fell suddenly sllenL and abashed. l'm sorry, old man, buL l'm
wasLlng your Llme. l do Lend Lo raLLle on when l geL sLarLed on my
hobby."
l flnd you always lnLeresLlng, !anov. l am wllllng Lo see Lhe analogy.
We have been glven Lhree wlshes, and we have had Lwo and Lhey have
done us no good. now only one ls lefL. Somehow, l am sure of fallure
agaln and so l wlsh Lo posLpone lL. 1haL ls why l am puLLlng off Lhe !ump
as long as posslble."
WhaL wlll you do lf you do fall agaln? Co back Lo Cala? 1o
1ermlnus?"
Ch no," sald 1revlze ln a whlsper, shaklng hls head. 1he search
musL conLlnue-lf l only knew how."

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
202
Chapter 1?

uead laneL

60.

18LvlZL felL depressed. WhaL few vlcLorles he had had slnce Lhe
search began had never been deflnlLlve, Lhey had merely been Lhe
Lemporary sLavlng off of defeaL
now he had delayed Lhe !ump Lo Lhe Lhlrd of Lhe Spacer worlds Llll
he had spread hls unease Lo Lhe oLhers. When he flnally declded LhaL he
slmply musL Lell Lhe compuLer Lo move Lhe shlp Lhrough hyperspace,
eloraL was sLandlng solemnly ln Lhe doorway Lo Lhe plloL-room, and
8llss was [usL behlnd hlm and Lo one slde. Lven lallom was sLandlng
Lhere, gazlng aL 1revlze owllshly, whlle one hand grlpped 8llss's hand
LlghLly.
1revlze had looked up from Lhe compuLer and had sald, raLher
churllshly, CulLe Lhe famlly group!" buL LhaL was only hls own
dlscomforL speaklng.
Pe lnsLrucLed Lhe compuLer Lo !ump ln such a way as Lo reenLer
space aL a furLher dlsLance from Lhe sLar ln quesLlon Lhan was absoluLely
necessary. Pe Lold hlmself LhaL LhaL was because he was learnlng
cauLlon as a resulL of evenLs on Lhe flrsL Lwo Spacer worlds, buL he dldn'L
belleve LhaL. Well underneaLh, he knew, he was hoplng LhaL he would
arrlve. ln space aL a greaL enough dlsLance from Lhe sLar Lo be uncerLaln
as Lo wheLher lL dld or dld noL have a hablLable planeL. 1haL would glve
hlm a few more days of ln-space Lravel before he could flnd ouL, and
(perhaps) have Lo sLare blLLer defeaL ln Lhe face.
So now, wlLh Lhe famlly group" waLchlng, he drew a deep breaLh,
held lL, Lhen expelled lL ln a beLween-Lhe-llps whlsLle as he gave Lhe
compuLer lLs flnal lnsLrucLlon.
1he sLar-paLLern shlfLed ln a sllenL dlsconLlnulLy and Lhe vlewscreen
became barer, for he had been Laken lnLo a reglon ln whlch Lhe sLars
were somewhaL sparser. And Lhere, nearly ln Lhe cenLer, was a brlghLly
gleamlng sLar.
1revlze grlnned broadly, for Lhls was a vlcLory of sorLs. AfLer all, Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
203
Lhlrd
seL of co-ordlnaLes mlghL have been wrong and Lhere mlghL have
been no approprlaLe C-Lype sLar ln slghL. Pe glanced Loward Lhe oLher
Lhree, and sald, 1haL's lL. SLar number Lhree."
Are you sure?" asked 8llss sofLly.
WaLch!" sald 1revlze. l wlll swlLch Lo Lhe equl-cenLered vlew ln Lhe
compuLer's CalacLlc map, and lf LhaL brlghL sLar dlsappears, lL's noL
recorded on Lhe map, and lL's Lhe one we wanL."
1he compuLer responded Lo hls command, and Lhe sLar bllnked ouL
wlLhouL any prlor dlmmlng. lL was as Lhough lL had never been, buL Lhe
resL of Lhe sLarfleld remalned as lL was, ln subllme lndlfference.
We've goL lL," sald 1revlze.
And yeL he senL Lhe lar SLar forward aL llLLle more Lhan half Lhe
speed he mlghL easlly have malnLalned. 1here was sLlll Lhe quesLlon of
Lhe presence or absence of a hablLable planeL, and he was ln no hurry Lo
flnd ouL. Lven afLer Lhree days of approach, Lhere was sLlll noLhlng Lo be
sald abouL LhaL, elLher way.
Cr, perhaps, noL qulLe noLhlng. Clrcllng Lhe sLar was a large gas glanL.
lL was very far from lLs sLar and lL gleamed a very pale yellow on lLs
dayllghL slde, whlch Lhey could see, from Lhelr poslLlon, as a Lhlck
crescenL.
1revlze dld noL llke lLs looks, buL he Lrled noL Lo show lL and spoke as
maLLer-of-facLly as a guldebook. 1here's a blg gas glanL ouL Lhere," he
sald. lL's raLher specLacular. lL has a Lhln palr of rlngs and Lwo slzable
saLelllLes LhaL can be made ouL aL Lhe momenL."
8llss sald, MosL sysLems lnclude gas glanLs, don'L Lhey?"
?es, buL Lhls ls a raLher large one. !udglng from Lhe dlsLance of lLs
saLelllLes, and Lhelr perlods of revoluLlon, LhaL gas glanL ls almosL Lwo
Lhousand Llmes as masslve as a hablLable planeL would be."
WhaL's Lhe dlfference?" sald 8llss. Cas glanLs are gas glanLs and lL
doesn'L maLLer whaL slze Lhey are, does lL? 1hey're always presenL aL
greaL dlsLances from Lhe sLar Lhey clrcle, and none of Lhem are
hablLable, Lhanks Lo Lhelr slze and dlsLance. We [usL have Lo look closer
Lo Lhe sLar for a hablLable planeL."
1revlze heslLaLed, Lhen declded Lo place Lhe facLs on Lhe Lable. 1he
Lhlng ls," he sald, LhaL gas glanLs Lend Lo sweep a volume of planeLary
space clean. WhaL maLerlal Lhey don'L absorb lnLo Lhelr own sLrucLures
wlll coalesce lnLo falrly large bodles LhaL come Lo make up Lhelr saLelllLe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
204
sysLem. 1hey prevenL oLher coalescences aL even a conslderable
dlsLance from Lhemselves, so LhaL Lhe larger Lhe gas glanL, Lhe more
llkely lL ls Lo be Lhe only slzable planeL of a parLlcular sLar. 1here'll [usL be
Lhe gas glanL and asLerolds."
?ou mean Lhere ls no hablLable planeL here?"
1he larger Lhe gas glanL, Lhe smaller Lhe chance of a hablLable
planeL and LhaL gas glanL ls so masslve lL ls vlrLually a dwarf sLar."
eloraL sald, May we see lL?"
All Lhree now sLared aL Lhe screen (lallom was ln 8llss's room wlLh
Lhe [ books).
1he vlew was magnlfled Llll Lhe crescenL fllled Lhe screen. Crosslng
LhaL crescenL a dlsLance above cenLer was a Lhln dark llne, Lhe shadow of
Lhe rlng sysLem whlch could lLself be seen a small dlsLance beyond Lhe
planeLary surface as a gleamlng curve LhaL sLreLched lnLo Lhe dark slde a
shorL dlsLance before lL enLered Lhe shadow lLself.
1revlze sald, 1he planeL's axls of roLaLlon ls lncllned abouL LhlrLy-flve
degrees Lo lLs plane of revoluLlon, and lLs rlng ls ln Lhe planeLary
equaLorlal plane, of course, so LhaL Lhe sLar's llghL comes ln from below,
aL Lhls polnL ln lLs orblL, and casLs Lhe rlng's shadow well above Lhe
equaLor."
eloraL waLched rapLly. 1hose are Lhln rlngs."
8aLher above average slze, acLually," sald 1revlze.
Accordlng Lo legend, Lhe rlngs LhaL clrcle a gas glanL ln LarLh's
planeLary sysLem are much wlder, brlghLer, and more elaboraLe Lhan
Lhls one. 1he rlngs acLually dwarf Lhe gas glanL by comparlson."
l'm noL surprlsed," sald 1revlze. When a sLory ls handed on from
person Lo person for Lhousands of years, do you suppose lL shrlnks ln Lhe
Lelllng?"
8llss sald, lL's beauLlful. lf you waLch Lhe crescenL, lL seems Lo
wrlLhe and wrlggle before your eyes."
ALmospherlc sLorms," sald 1revlze. ?ou can generally see LhaL
more clearly lf you choose an approprlaLe wavelengLh of llghL. Pere, leL
me Lry." Pe placed hls hands on Lhe desk and ordered Lhe compuLer Lo
work lLs way Lhrough Lhe specLrum and sLop aL Lhe approprlaLe
wavelengLh.
1he mlldly llL crescenL wenL lnLo a wllderness of color LhaL shlfLed so
rapldly lL almosL dazed Lhe eyes LhaL Lrled Lo follow. llnally, lL seLLled
lnLo a red-orange, and, wlLhln Lhe crescenL, clear splrals _ drlfLed, colllng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
203
and uncolllng as Lhey moved.
unbellevable," muLLered eloraL.
uellghLful," sald 8llss.
CulLe bellevable, LhoughL 1revlze blLLerly, and anyLhlng buL
dellghLful. nelLher eloraL nor 8llss, losL ln Lhe beauLy, boLhered Lo Lhlnk
LhaL Lhe planeL Lhey admlred lowered Lhe chances of solvlng Lhe mysLery
1revlze was Lrylng Lo unravel. 8uL, Lhen, why should Lhey? 8oLh were
saLlsfled LhaL 1revlze's declslon had been correcL, and Lhey accompanled
hlm ln hls' search for cerLalnLy wlLhouL an emoLlonal bond Lo lL. lL was
useless Lo blame Lhem for LhaL.
Pe sald, 1he dark slde seems dark, buL lf our eyes were senslLlve Lo
Lhe range [usL a llLLle beyond Lhe usual long-wave llmlL, we would see lL
as a dull, deep, angry red. 1he planeL ls pourlng lnfrared radlaLlon ouL
lnLo space ln greaL quanLlLles because lL ls masslve enough Lo be almosL
red-hoL. lL's more Lhan a gas glanL, lL's 4 sub-sLar."
Pe walLed a llLLle longer and Lhen sald, And now leL's puL LhaL
ob[ecL ouL of our mlnd and look for Lhe hablLable planeL LhaL may exlsL."
erhaps lL does," sald eloraL, smlllng. uon'L glve up, old fellow."
l haven'L glven up," sald 1revlze, wlLhouL Lrue convlcLlon. 1he
formaLlon of planeLs ls Loo compllcaLed a maLLer for rules Lo be hard and
fasL. We speak only of probablllLles. WlLh LhaL monsLer ouL ln space, Lhe
probablllLles decrease, buL noL Lo zero."
8llss sald, Why don'L you Lhlnk of lL Lhls way? Slnce Lhe flrsL Lwo seLs
of co-ordlnaLes each gave you a hablLable planeL of Lhe Spacers, Lhen
Lhls Lhlrd seL, whlch has already glven you an approprlaLe sLar, should
glve you a hablLable planeL as well. Why speak of probablllLles?"
l cerLalnly hope you're rlghL," sald 1revlze, who dld noL feel aL all
consoled. now we wlll shooL ouL of Lhe planeLary plane and ln Loward
Lhe sLar."
1he compuLer Look care of LhaL almosL as soon as he had spoken hls
lnLenLlon. Pe saL back ln hls plloL's chalr and declded, once agaln, LhaL
Lhe one evll of plloLlng a gravlLlc shlp wlLh a compuLer so advanced was
LhaL one could never-never-plloL any oLher Lype of shlp agaln.
Could he ever agaln bear Lo do Lhe calculaLlons hlmself? Could he
bear Lo have Lo Lake acceleraLlon lnLo accounL, and llmlL lL Lo a
reasonable level? -ln all llkellhood, he would forgeL and pour on Lhe
energy Llll he and everyone on board were smashed agalnsL one lnLerlor
wall or anoLher.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
206
Well, Lhen, he would conLlnue Lo plloL Lhls one shlp-or anoLher
exacLly llke lL, lf he could even bear Lo make so much of a change-
always.
And because he wanLed Lo keep hls mlnd off Lhe quesLlon of Lhe
hablLable planeL, yes or no, he mused on Lhe facL LhaL he had dlrecLed
Lhe shlp Lo move above Lhe plane, raLher Lhan below. 8arrlng any
deflnlLe reason Lo go below a plane, plloLs almosL always chose Lo go
above. Why?
lor LhaL maLLer, why be so lnLenL on conslderlng one dlrecLlon above
and Lhe oLher below? ln Lhe symmeLry of space LhaL was pure
convenLlon.
!usL Lhe same, he was always aware of Lhe dlrecLlon ln whlch any
planeL under observaLlon roLaLed abouL lLs axls and revolved abouL lLs
sLar. When boLh were counLerclockwlse, Lhen Lhe dlrecLlon of one's
ralsed arm was norLh, and Lhe dlrecLlon of one's feeL was souLh. And
LhroughouL Lhe Calaxy, norLh was plcLured as above and souLh as below.
lL was pure convenLlon, daLlng back lnLo Lhe prlmeval mlsLs, and lL
was followed slavlshly. lf one looked aL a famlllar map wlLh souLh above,
one dldn'L recognlze lL. lL had Lo be Lurned abouL Lo make sense. And all
Lhlngs belng equal, one Lurned norLh-and above."
1revlze LhoughL of a baLLle foughL by 8el 8lose, Lhe lmperlal general
of Lhree cenLurles before, who had veered hls squadron below Lhe
planeLary plane aL a cruclal momenL, and caughL a squadron of vessels,
walLlng and unprepared. 1here were complalnLs LhaL lL had been an
unfalr maneuver-by Lhe losers, of course.
A convenLlon, so powerful and so prlmordlally old, musL have sLarLed
on LarLh-and LhaL broughL 1revlze's mlnd, wlLh a [erk, back Lo Lhe
quesLlon of Lhe hablLable planeL.
eloraL and 8llss conLlnued Lo waLch Lhe gas glanL as lL slowly Lurned
on Lhe vlewscreen ln a slow, slow back-somersaulL. 1he sunllL porLlon
spread and, as 1revlze kepL lLs specLrum flxed ln Lhe orange-red
wavelengLhs, Lhe sLorm-wrlLhlng of lLs surface became ever madder and
more hypnoLlc.
1hen lallom came wanderlng ln and 8llss declded lL musL Lake a nap
and LhaL so musL she.
1revlze sald Lo eloraL, who remalned, l have Lo leL go of Lhe gas
glanL, !anov. l wanL Lo have Lhe compuLer concenLraLe on Lhe search for
a gravlLaLlonal bllp of Lhe rlghL slze."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
207
Cf course, old fellow," sald eloraL.
8uL lL was more compllcaLed Lhan LhaL. lL was noL [usL a bllp of Lhe
rlghL slze LhaL Lhe compuLer had Lo search for, lL was one of Lhe rlghL slze
and aL Lhe rlghL dlsLance. lL would sLlll be several days before he could
be sure.
61.
18LvlZL walked lnLo hls room, grave, solemn-lndeed somber-and
sLarLed percepLlbly.
8llss was walLlng for hlm and lmmedlaLely nexL Lo her was lallow,
wlLh lLs lolncloLh and robe bearlng Lhe unmlsLakable fresh odor of
sLeamlng and vacupresslng. 1he youngsLer looked beLLer ln LhaL Lhan ln
one of 8llss's foreshorLened nlghLgowns.
8llss sald, l dldn'L wanL Lo dlsLurb you aL Lhe compuLer, buL now
llsLen. -Co on, lallow."
lallow sald, ln lLs hlgh-plLched muslcal volce, l greeL you, roLecLor
1revlze. lL ls wlLh greaL pleasure LhaL l am ap-ad-accompanylng you on
Lhls shlp Lhrough space. l am happy, Loo, for Lhe klndness of my frlends,
8llss and el."
lallow flnlshed and smlled preLLlly, and once agaln 1revlze LhoughL
Lo hlmself: uo l Lhlnk of lL as a boy or as a glrl or as boLh or as nelLher?
Pe nodded hls head. very well memorlzed. AlmosL perfecLly
pronounced."
noL aL all memorlzed," sald 8llss warmly. lallow composed Lhls
lLself and asked lf lL would be posslble Lo reclLe lL Lo you. l dldn'L even
know whaL lallow would say Llll l heard lL sald."
1revlze forced a smlle, ln LhaL case, very good lndeed." Pe noLlced
8llss avolded pronouns when she could.
8llss Lurned Lo lallow and sald, l Lold you 1revlze would llke lL. -now
go Lo el and you can have some more readlng lf you wlsh."
lallow ran off, and 8llss sald, lL's really asLonlshlng how qulckly
lallow ls plcklng up CalacLlc. 1he Solarlans musL have a speclal apLlLude
for languages. 1hlnk how 8ander spoke CalacLlc merely from hearlng lL
on hyperspaLlal communlcaLlons. 1hose bralns may be remarkable ln
ways oLher Lhan energy LransducLlon."
1revlze grunLed.
8llss sald, uon'L Lell me you sLlll don'L llke lallom."
l nelLher llke nor dlsllke. 1he creaLure slmply makes me uneasy. lor
one Lhlng, lL's a grlsly feellng Lo be deallng wlLh a hermaphrodlLe."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
208
8llss sald, Come, 1revlze, LhaL's rldlculous. lallom ls a perfecLly
accepLable llvlng creaLure. 1o a socleLy of hermaphrodlLes, Lhlnk how
dlsgusLlng you and l musL seem-males and females generally. Lach ls half
of a whole and, ln order Lo reproduce, Lhere musL be a Lemporary and
clumsy unlon."
uo you ob[ecL Lo LhaL, 8llss?"
uon'L preLend Lo mlsundersLand. l am Lrylng Lo vlew us from Lhe
hermaphrodlLlc sLandpolnL. 1o Lhem, lL musL seem repellenL ln Lhe
exLreme, Lo us, lL seems naLural. So lallom seems repellenL Lo you, buL
LhaL's [usL a shorLslghLed parochlal reacLlon."
lrankly," sald 1revlze, lL's annoylng noL Lo know Lhe pronoun Lo
use ln connecLlon wlLh Lhe creaLure. lL lmpedes LhoughL and
conversaLlon Lo heslLaLe forever aL Lhe pronoun."
8uL LhaL's Lhe faulL of our language," sald 8llss, and noL of lallom.
no human language has been devlsed wlLh hermaphrodlLlsm ln mlnd.
And l'm glad you broughL lL up, because l've been Lhlnklng abouL lL
myself. -Saylng `lL,' as 8ander lLself lnslsLed on dolng, ls no soluLlon. 1haL
ls a pronoun lnLended for ob[ecLs Lo whlch sex ls lrrelevanL, and Lhere ls
no pronoun aL all for ob[ecLs LhaL are sexually acLlve ln boLh senses. Why
noL [usL plck one of Lhe pronouns arblLrarlly, Lhen? l Lhlnk of lallom as a
glrl. She has Lhe hlgh volce of one, for one Lhlng, and she has Lhe
capaclLy of produclng young, whlch ls Lhe vlLal deflnlLlon of femlnlnlLy.
eloraL has agreed, why don'L you do so, Loo? LeL lL be `she' and 'her."'
1revlze shrugged. very well. lL wlll sound pecullar Lo polnL ouL LhaL
she has LesLlcles, buL very well."
8llss slghed. ?ou do have Lhls annoylng hablL of Lrylng Lo Lurn
everyLhlng lnLo a [oke, buL l know you are under Lenslon and l'll make
allowance for LhaL. !usL use Lhe femlnlne pronoun for lallom, please."
l wlll." 1revlze heslLaLed, Lhen, unable Lo reslsL, sald, lallom seems
more your surrogaLe-chlld every Llme l see you LogeLher. ls lL LhaL you
wanL a chlld and don'L Lhlnk !anov can glve you one?"
8llss's eyes opened wlde. Pe's noL Lhere for chlldren! uo you Lhlnk l
use hlm as a handy devlce Lo help me have a chlld? lL ls noL Llme for me
Lo have a chlld, ln any case. And when lL ls Llme, lL wlll have Lo be a Calan
chlld, someLhlng for whlch el doesn'L quallfy."
?ou mean !anov wlll have Lo be dlscarded?"
noL aL all. A Lemporary dlverslon, only. lL mlghL even be broughL
abouL by arLlflclal lnsemlnaLlon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
209
l presume you can only have a chlld when Cala's declslon ls LhaL one
ls' necessary, when Lhere ls a gap produced by Lhe deaLh of an already-
exlsLlng", Calan human fragmenL."
1haL ls an unfeellng way of puLLlng lL, buL lL ls Lrue enough. Cala
musL be well proporLloned ln all lLs parLs and relaLlonshlps."
As ln Lhe case of Lhe Solarlans."
8llss's llps pressed LogeLher and her face grew a llLLle whlLe. noL aL
all. " 1he Solarlans produce more Lhan Lhey need and desLroy Lhe excess.
We produce [usL whaL we need and Lhere ls never a necesslLy of
desLroylng-as you replace Lhe dylng ouLer layers of your skln by [usL
enough new growLh for renewal and by noL one cell more."
l see whaL you mean," sald 1revlze. l hope, by Lhe way, LhaL you
are conslderlng !anov's feellngs."
ln connecLlon wlLh a posslble chlld for me? 1haL has never come up
for dlscusslon, nor wlll lL."
no, l don'L mean LhaL. -lL sLrlkes me you are becomlng more and
more lnLeresLed ln lallom. !anov may feel neglecLed."
Pe's noL neglecLed, and he ls as lnLeresLed ln lallom as l am. She ls
anoLher polnL of muLual lnvolvemenL LhaL draws us even closer
LogeLher. Can lL be LhaL you are Lhe one who feels neglecLed?"
l?" Pe was genulnely surprlsed.
?es, you. l don'L undersLand lsolaLes any more Lhan you undersLand
Cala, buL l have a feellng LhaL you en[oy belng Lhe cenLral polnL of
aLLenLlon on Lhls shlp, and you may feel cuL ouL by lallom."
1haL's foollsh."
no more foollsh Lhan your suggesLlon LhaL l am' neglecLlng el."
1hen leL's declare a Lruce and sLop. l'll Lry Lo vlew lallom as a glrl,
and l shall noL worry excesslvely abouL you belng lnconslderaLe of
!anov's feellngs."
8llss smlled. 1hank you. All ls well, Lhen."
1revlze Lurned away, and 8llss Lhen sald, WalL!"
1revlze Lurned back and sald, [usL a blL wearlly, ?es?"
lL's qulLe clear Lo me, 1revlze, LhaL you're sad and depressed. l am
noL golng Lo probe your mlnd, buL you mlghL be wllllng Lo Lell me whaL's
wrong. ?esLerday, you sald Lhere was an approprlaLe planeL ln Lhls
sysLem and you seemed qulLe pleased. -lL's sLlll Lhere, l hope. 1he flndlng
hasn'L Lurned ouL Lo be mlsLaken, has lL?"
1here's an approprlaLe planeL ln Lhe sysLem, and lL's sLlll Lhere,"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
210
sald 1revlze.
ls lL Lhe rlghL slze?"
1revlze nodded. Slnce lL's approprlaLe, lL's of Lhe rlghL slze. And lL's
aL Lhe rlghL dlsLance from Lhe sLar as well."
Well, Lhen, whaL's wrong?"
We're close enough now Lo analyze Lhe aLmosphere. lL Lurns ouL
LhaL lL has none Lo speak of."
no aLmosphere?"
none Lo speak of. lL's a nonhablLable planeL, and Lhere ls no oLher
clrcllng Lhe sun LhaL has even Lhe remoLesL capaclLy for hablLablllLy. We
have come up wlLh zero on Lhls Lhlrd aLLempL."
62.
LLC8A1, looklng grave, was clearly unwllllng Lo lnLrude on 1revlze's
unhappy sllence. Pe waLched from Lhe door of Lhe plloL-room,
apparenLly hoplng LhaL 1revlze would lnlLlaLe a conversaLlon.
1revlze dld noL. lf ever a sllence seemed sLubborn, hls dld.
And flnally, eloraL could sLand lL no longer, and sald, ln a raLher
Llmld way, WhaL are we dolng?"
1revlze looked up, sLared aL eloraL for a momenL, Lurned away, and
Lhen sald, We're zerolng ln on Lhe planeL."
8uL slnce Lhere's no aLmosphere-
1he compuLer says Lhere's no aLmosphere. 1lll now, lL's always Lold
me whaL l've wanLed Lo hear and l've accepLed lL. now lL has Lold me
someLhlng l don'L wanL Lo hear, and l'm golng Lo check lL. lf Lhe
compuLer ls ever golng Lo be wrong, Lhls ls Lhe Llme l wanL lL Lo be
wrong."
uo you Lhlnk lL's wrong?"
no, l don'L."
Can you Lhlnk of any reason LhaL mlghL make lL wrong?"
no, l can'L."
1hen why are you boLherlng, Colan?"
And 1revlze flnally wheeled ln hls seaL Lo face eloraL, hls face
LwlsLed ln near-despalr, and sald, uon'L you see, !anov, LhaL l can'L
Lhlnk of anyLhlng else Lo do? We drew blanks on Lhe flrsL Lwo worlds as
far as LarLh's locaLlon ls concerned, and now Lhls world ls a blank. WhaL
do l do now? Wander from world Lo world, and peer abouL and say,
`ardon me. Where's LarLh?' LarLh has covered lLs Lracks Loo well.
nowhere has lL lefL any hlnL. l'm beglnnlng Lo Lhlnk LhaL lL wlll see Lo lL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
211
LhaL we're lncapable of plcklng up a hlnL even lf one exlsLs."
eloraL nodded, and sald, l've been Lhlnklng along Lhose llnes
myself. uo you mlnd lf we dlscuss lL? l know you're unhappy, old chap,
and don'L wanL Lo Lalk, so lf you wanL me Lo leave you alone, l wlll."
Co ahead, dlscuss lL," sald 1revlze, wlLh someLhlng LhaL was
remarkably llke a groan. WhaL have l goL beLLer Lo do Lhan llsLen?"
eloraL sald, 1haL doesn'L sound as Lhough you really wanL me Lo
Lalk, buL perhaps lL wlll do us good. lease sLop me aL any Llme lf you
declde you can sLand lL no longer. -lL seems Lo me, Colan, LhaL LarLh
need noL Lake only passlve and negaLlve measures Lo hlde lLself. lL need
noL merely wlpe ouL references Lo lLself. MlghL lL noL planL false
evldence and work acLlvely for obscurlLy ln LhaL fashlon?"
Pow do you mean?"
Well, we've heard of LarLh's radloacLlvlLy ln several places, and LhaL
sorL of Lhlng would be deslgned Lo make anyone break off any aLLempL
Lo locaLe lL. lf lL were Lruly radloacLlve, lL would be LoLally
unapproachable. ln all llkellhood, we would noL even be able Lo seL fooL
on lL. Lven roboL explorers, lf we had any, mlghL noL survlve Lhe
radlaLlon. So why look? And lf lL ls noL radloacLlve, lL remalns lnvlolaLe,
excepL for accldenLal approach, and even Lhen lL mlghL have oLher
means of masklng lLself."
1revlze managed a smlle. Cddly enough, !anov, LhaL LhoughL has
occurred Lo me. lL has even occurred Lo me LhaL LhaL lmprobable glanL
saLelllLe has been lnvenLed and planLed ln Lhe world's legends. As for Lhe
gas glanL wlLh Lhe monsLrous rlng sysLem, LhaL ls equally lmprobable and
may be equally planLed. lL ls all deslgned, perhaps, Lo have us look for
someLhlng LhaL doesn'L exlsL, so LhaL we go rlghL Lhrough Lhe correcL
planeLary sysLem, sLarlng aL LarLh and dlsmlsslng lL because, ln acLual
facL, lL lacks a large saLelllLe or a Lrlple-rlnged cousln or a radloacLlve
crusL. We don'L recognlze lL, Lherefore, and don'L dream we are looklng
aL lL. -l lmaglne worse, Loo."
eloraL looked downcasL. Pow can Lhere be worse?"
Laslly-when your mlnd geLs slck ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe nlghL and
beglns searchlng Lhe vasL realm of fanLasy for anyLhlng LhaL can deepen
despalr. WhaL lf LarLh's ablllLy Lo hlde ls ulLlmaLe? WhaL lf our mlnds can
be clouded? WhaL lf we can move rlghL pasL LarLh, wlLh lLs glanL saLelllLe
and wlLh lLs dlsLanL rlnged gas glanL, and never see any of lL? WhaL lf we
have already done so?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
212
8uL lf you belleve LhaL, why are we-?"
l don'L say l belleve LhaL. l'm Lalklng abouL mad fancles. We'll keep
on looklng."
eloraL heslLaLed, Lhen sald, lor how long, 1revlze? AL some polnL,
surely, we'll have Lo glve up."
never," sald 1revlze flercely. lf l have Lo spend Lhe resL of my llfe
golng from planeL Lo planeL and peerlng abouL and saylng, `lease, slr,
where's LarLh?' Lhen LhaL's whaL l'll do. AL any Llme, l can Lake you and
8llss and even lallom, lf you wlsh, back Lo Cala and Lhen Lake of on my
own."
Ch no. ?ou know l won'L leave you, Colan, and nelLher wlll 8llss.
We'll go planeL-hopplng wlLh you, lf we musL. 8uL why?"
'.8ecause l musL flnd LarLh, and because l wlll. l don'L know how, buL
l wlll. -now, look, l'm Lrylng Lo reach a poslLlon where l can sLudy Lhe
sunllL alde of Lhe planeL WlLhouL lLs sulL belng Loo close, so [usL leL me
be for a whlle."
eloraL fell sllenL, buL dld noL leave. Pe conLlnued Lo waLch whlle
1revlze sLudled Lhe planeLary lmage, more Lhan half ln dayllghL, on Lhe
screen. 1o eloraL, lL seemed feaLureless, buL he knew LhaL 1revlze,
bound Lo Lhe compuLer, saw lL under enhanced clrcumsLances.
1revlze whlspered, 1here's a haze."
1hen Lhere musL be an aLmosphere," blurLed ouL eloraL.
noL necessarlly much of one. noL enough Lo supporL llfe, buL
enough Lo supporL a Lhln wlnd LhaL wlll ralse dusL. lL's a well-known
characLerlsLlc of planeLs wlLh Lhln aLmospheres. 1here may even be
small polar lce caps. A llLLle waLer-lce condensed aL Lhe poles, you know.
1hls world ls Loo warm for solld carbon dloxlde. -l'll have Lo swlLch Lo
radar-mapplng. And lf l do LhaL l can work more easlly on Lhe nlghLslde."
8eally?"
?es. l should have Lrled lL flrsL, buL wlLh a vlrLually alrless and,
Lherefore, cloudless planeL, Lhe aLLempL. wlLh vlslble llghL seems so
naLural."
1revlze was sllenL for a long Llme, whlle Lhe vlewscreen grew fuzzy
wlLh radar-reflecLlons LhaL produced almosL Lhe absLracLlon of a planeL,
someLhlng LhaL an arLlsL of Lhe Cleonlan perlod mlghL have produced.
1hen he sald, Well-" emphaLlcally, holdlng Lhe sound for a whlle, and
was sllenL agaln.
eloraL sald, aL lasL, WhaL's Lhe `well' abouL?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
213
1revlze looked aL hlm brlefly. no craLers LhaL l can see."
no craLers? ls LhaL good?"
1oLally unexpecLed," sald 1revlze. Pls face broke lnLo a grln, And
very good. ln facL, posslbly magnlflcenL."
63.
lALLCM remalned wlLh her nose pressed agalnsL Lhe shlp's porLhole,
where a small segmenL of Lhe unlverse was vlslble ln Lhe preclse form ln
whlch Lhe eye saw lL, wlLhouL compuLer enlargemenL or enhancemenL.
8llss, who had been Lrylng Lo explaln lL all, slghed and sald ln a low
volce Lo eloraL, l don'L know how much she undersLands, el dear. 1o
her, her faLher's manslon and a small secLlon of Lhe esLaLe lL sLood upon
was all Lhe unlverse. l don'L Lhlnk she was ever ouL aL nlghL, or ever saw
Lhe sLars."
uo you really Lhlnk so?"
l really do. l dldn'L dare show her any parL of lL unLll she had enough
vocabulary Lo undersLand me [usL a llLLle-and how forLunaLe lL was LhaL
you could speak wlLh her ln her own language."
1he Lrouble ls l'm noL very good aL lL," sald eloraL apologeLlcally.
And Lhe unlverse ls raLher hard Lo grasp lf you come aL lL suddenly. She
sald Lo me LhaL lf Lhose llLLle llghLs are glanL worlds, each one [usL llke
Solarla-Lhey're much larger Lhan Solarla, of course-LhaL Lhey couldn'L
hang ln noLhlng. 1hey oughL Lo fall, she says."
And she's rlghL, [udglng by whaL she knows. She asks senslble
quesLlons, and llLLle by llLLle, she'll undersLand. AL leasL she's curlous and
she's noL frlghLened."
1he Lhlng ls, 8llss, l'm curlous, Loo. Look how Colan changed as
soon as he found ouL Lhere were no craLers on Lhe world we're headlng
for. l haven'L Lhe sllghLesL ldea whaL dlfference LhaL makes. uo you?"
noL a blL. SLlll he knows much more planeLology Lhan we do. We
can only assume he knows whaL he's dolng."
l wlsh l knew."
Well, ask hlm."
eloraL grlmaced. l'm always afrald l'll annoy hlm. l'm sure he Lhlnks
l oughL Lo know Lhese Lhlngs wlLhouL belng Lold."
8llss sald, 1haL's sllly, el. Pe has no heslLaLlon ln asklng you abouL
any aspecL of Lhe Calaxy's legends and myLhs whlch he Lhlnks mlghL be
useful. ?ou're always wllllng Lo answer and explaln, so why shouldn'L he
be? ?ou go ask hlm. lf lL annoys hlm, Lhen he'll have a chance Lo pracLlce
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
214
soclablllLy, and LhaL wlll be good for hlm."
Wlll you come wlLh me?"
no, of course noL. l wanL Lo sLay wlLh lallom and conLlnue Lo Lry Lo
geL Lhe concepL of Lhe unlverse lnLo her head. ?ou can always explaln lL
Lo me afLerward-once he explalns lL Lo you."
64.
LLC8A1 enLered Lhe plloL-room dlffldenLly. Pe was dellghLed Lo
noLe LhaL 1revlze was whlsLllng Lo hlmself and was clearly ln a good
mood.
Colan," he sald, as brlghLly as he could.
1revlze looked up. !anov! ?ou're always LlpLoelng ln as Lhough you
Lhlnk lL's agalnsL Lhe law Lo dlsLurb me. Close Lhe door and slL down. SlL
down! Look aL LhaL Lhlng."
Pe polnLed Lo Lhe planeL on Lhe vlewscreen, and sald, l haven'L
found more Lhan Lwo or Lhree craLers, each qulLe small."
uoes LhaL make a dlfference, Colan? 8eally?"
A dlfference? CerLalnly. Pow can you ask?"
eloraL gesLured helplessly. lL's all a mysLery Lo me. l was a hlsLory
ma[or aL college. l Look soclology and psychology ln addlLlon Lo hlsLory,
also languages and llLeraLure, mosLly anclenL, and speclallzed ln
myLhology ln graduaLe school. l never came near planeLology, or any of
Lhe physlcal sclences."
1haL's no crlme, !anov. l'd raLher you know whaL you know. ?our
faclllLy ln anclenL languages and ln myLhology has been of enormous use
Lo us. ?ou know LhaL. -And when lL comes Lo a maLLer of planeLology, l'll
Lake care of LhaL."
Pe wenL on, ?ou see, !anov, planeLs form Lhrough Lhe smashlng
LogeLher of smaller ob[ecLs. 1he lasL few ob[ecLs Lo colllde leave craLer
marks. oLenLlally, LhaL ls. lf Lhe planeL ls large enough Lo be a gas glanL,
lL ls essenLlally llquld under a gaseous aLmosphere and Lhe flnal
colllslons are [usL splashes and leave no marks.
Smaller planeLs whlch are solld, wheLher lcy or rocky, do show
craLer marks, and Lhese remaln lndeflnlLely unless an agency for removal
exlsLs. 1here are Lhree Lypes of removals.
llrsL, a world may have an lcy surface overlylng a llquld ocean. ln
LhaL case, any collldlng ob[ecL breaks Lhrough Lhe lce and splashes waLer.
8ehlnd lL Lhe lce refreezes and heals Lhe puncLure, so Lo speak. Such a
planeL, or saLelllLe, would have Lo be cold, and would noL be whaL we
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
213
would conslder a hablLable world.
Second, lf a planeL ls lnLensely acLlve, volcanlcally, Lhen a perpeLual
lava flow or ash fallouL ls forever fllllng ln and obscurlng any craLers LhaL
form. Powever, such a planeL or saLelllLe ls noL llkely Lo be hablLable
elLher.
q 1haL brlngs us Lo hablLable worlds as a Lhlrd case. Such worlds
may have polar lce caps, buL mosL of Lhe ocean musL be freely llquld.
1hey may have acLlve volcanoes, buL Lhese musL be sparsely dlsLrlbuLed.
Such worlds can nelLher heal craLers, nor flll Lhem ln. 1here are,
however, eroslon effecLs. Wlnd and flowlng waLer wlll erode craLers, and
lf Lhere ls llfe, Lhe acLlons of llvlng Lhlngs are sLrongly eroslve as well.
See?"
eloraL consldered LhaL, Lhen sald, 8uL, Colan, l don'L undersLand
you aL all. 1hls planeL we're approachlng-
We'll be landlng Lomorrow," sald 1revlze cheerfully.
1hls planeL we're approachlng doesn'L have an ocean."
Cnly some Lhln polar lce caps."
Cr much of an aLmosphere."
Cnly a hundredLh Lhe denslLy of Lhe aLmosphere on 1ermlnus."
Cr llfe."
noLhlng l can deLecL."
1hen whaL could have eroded away Lhe craLers?"
An ocean, an aLmosphere, and llfe," sald 1revlze. Look, lf Lhls
planeL had been alrless and waLerless from Lhe sLarL, any craLers LhaL
had been formed would sLlll exlsL and Lhe whole surface would be
craLered. 1he absence of craLers proves lL can'L have been alrless and
waLerless from Lhe sLarL, and may even have had a slzable aLmosphere
and ocean ln Lhe near pasL. 8esldes, Lhere are huge baslns, vlslble on Lhls
world, LhaL musL have held seas, and oceans once, Lo say noLhlng of Lhe
marks of rlvers LhaL are now dry. So you see Lhere was eroslon and LhaL
eroslon has ceased so shorL a Llme ago, LhaL new craLerlng has noL yeL
had Llme Lo accumulaLe."
eloraL looked doubLful. l may noL be a planeLologlsL, buL lL seems
Lo me LhaL lf a planeL ls large enough Lo hang on Lo a dense aLmosphere
for perhaps bllllons of years, lL lsn'L golng Lo suddenly lose lL, ls lL?"
l shouldn'L Lhlnk so," sald 1revlze. 8uL Lhls world undoubLedly held
llfe before lLs aLmosphere vanlshed, probably human llfe. My guess ls
LhaL lL was a Lerraformed world as almosL all Lhe human-lnhablLed
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
216
worlds of Lhe Calaxy are. 1he Lrouble ls LhaL we don'L really know whaL
lLs condlLlon was before human llfe arrlved, or whaL was done Lo lL ln
order Lo make lL comforLable for human belngs, or under whaL
condlLlons, acLually, llfe vanlshed. 1here may have been a caLasLrophe
LhaL sucked off Lhe aLmosphere and LhaL broughL abouL Lhe end of
human llfe. Cr Lhere may have been some sLrange lmbalance on Lhls
planeL LhaL human belngs conLrolled as long as Lhey were here and LhaL
wenL lnLo a vlclous cycle of aLmospherlc reducLlon once Lhey were gone.
Maybe we'll flnd Lhe answer when we land, or maybe we won'L. lL
doesn'L maLLer."
8uL surely nelLher does lL maLLer lf Lhere was llfe here once, lf Lhere
lsn'L now. WhaL's Lhe dlfference lf a planeL has always been
unlnhablLable, or ls only unlnhablLable now?"
lf lL ls only unlnhablLable now, Lhere wlll be rulns of Lhe one-Llme
lnhablLanLs."
1here were rulns on Aurora-
LxacLly, buL on Aurora Lhere had been LwenLy Lhousand years of
raln and snow, freezlng and Lhawlng, wlnd and LemperaLure change. And
Lhere was also llfe-don'L forgeL llfe: 1here may noL have been human
belngs Lhere, buL Lhere was plenLy of llfe. 8ulns can be eroded [usL as
craLers can. lasLer. And ln LwenLy Lhousand years, noL enough was lefL
Lo do us any good. -Pere on Lhls planeL, however, Lhere has been a
passage of Llme, perhaps LwenLy Lhousand years, perhaps less, wlLhouL
wlnd, or sLorm, or llfe. 1here has been LemperaLure change, l admlL, buL
LhaL's all. 1he rulns wlll be ln good shape."
unless," murmured eloraL doubLfully, Lhere are no rulns. ls lL
posslble LhaL Lhere was never any llfe on Lhe planeL, or never .any
human llfe aL any raLe, and LhaL Lhe loss of Lhe aLmosphere was due Lo
some evenL LhaL human belngs had noLhlng Lo do wlLh?"
no, no," sald 1revlze. ?ou can'L Lurn pesslmlsL on me, because lL
won'L work. Lven from here, l've spoLLed Lhe remalns of whaL l'm sure
was a clLy. -So we land Lomorrow."
63.
8LlSS sald, ln a worrled Lone, lallow ls convlnced we're golng Lo
Lake her back Lo !emby, her' roboL."
umm," sald 1revlze, sLudylng Lhe surface of Lhe world as lL slld back
under Lhe drlfLlng shlp. 1hen he looked up as Lhough he had heard Lhe
remark only afLer a delay. Well, lL was Lhe only parenL she knew, wasn'L
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
217
lL?"
?es, of course, buL she Lhlnks we've come back Lo Solarla."
uoes lL look llke Solarla?"
Pow would she know?"
1ell her lL's noL Solarla. Look, l'll glve you one or Lwo reference
bookfllms wlLh graphlc lllusLraLlons. Show her close-ups of a number of
dlfferenL lnhablLed worlds and explaln LhaL Lhere are mllllons of Lhem.
?ou'll have Llme for lL. l don'L know how long !anov and l wlll have Lo
wander around, once we plck a llkely LargeL and land."
?ou and !anov?"
?es. lallom can'L come wlLh us, even lf l wanLed her Lo, whlch l
would only wanL lf l were a madman. 1hls world requlres space sulLs,
8llss. 1here's no breaLhable alr. And we don'L have a space sulL LhaL
would flL lallom. So she and you sLay on Lhe shlp."
Why l1'
1revlze's llps sLreLched lnLo a humorless smlle. l admlL," he sald, l
would feel safer lf you were along, buL we can'L leave lallom on Lhls shlp
alone. She can do damage even lf she doesn'L mean Lo. l musL have
!anov wlLh me because he mlghL be able Lo make ouL whaLever archalc
wrlLlng Lhey have here. 1haL means you wlll have Lo sLay wlLh lallom. l
should Lhlnk you would wanL Lo."
8llss looked uncerLaln.
1revlze sald, Look. ?ou wanLed lallom along, when l dldn'L. l'm
convlnced she'll be noLhlng buL Lrouble. So-her presence lnLroduces
consLralnLs, and you'll have Lo ad[usL yourself Lo LhaL. She's here, so
you'll have Lo be here, Loo. 1haL's Lhe way lL ls."
8llss slghed. l suppose so."
Cood. Where's !anov?"
Pe's wlLh lallom."
very well. Co and Lake over. l wanL Lo Lalk Lo hlm."
1revlze was sLlll sLudylng Lhe planeLary surface when eloraL walked
ln, clearlng hls LhroaL Lo announce hls presence. Pe sald, ls anyLhlng
wrong, Colan?"
noL exacLly wrong, !anov. l'm [usL uncerLaln. 1hls ls a pecullar world
and l don'L know whaL happened Lo lL. 1he seas musL have been
exLenslve, [udglng from Lhe baslns lefL behlnd, buL Lhey were shallow. As
nearly as l can Lell from Lhe Lraces lefL behlnd, Lhls was a world of
desallnlzaLlon and canals-or perhaps Lhe seas weren'L very salLy. lf Lhey
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
218
weren'L very salLy, LhaL would accounL for Lhe absence of exLenslve salL
flaLs ln Lhe baslns. Cr else, when Lhe ocean was losL, Lhe salL conLenL was
losL wlLh lL-whlch cerLalnly makes lL look llke a human deed."
eloraL sald heslLanLly, Lxcuse my lgnorance abouL such Lhlngs,
Colan, buL does any of Lhls maLLer as far as whaL we are looklng for ls
concerned?"
l suppose noL, buL l can'L help belng curlous. lf l knew [usL how Lhls
planeL was Lerraformed lnLo human hablLablllLy and whaL lL was llke
before Lerraformlng, Lhen perhaps l would undersLand whaL has
happened Lo lL afLer lL was abandoned-or [usL before, perhaps. And lf we
dld know whaL happened Lo lL, we mlghL be forewarned agalnsL
unpleasanL surprlses."
WhaL klnd of surprlses? lL's a dead world, lsn'L lL?"
uead enough. very llLLle waLer, Lhln, unbreaLhable aLmosphere, and
8llss deLecLs no slgns of menLal acLlvlLy."
1haL should seLLle lL, l should Lhlnk."
Absence of menLal acLlvlLy doesn'L necessarlly lmply lack of llfe."
lL musL surely lmply lack of dangerous llfe."
l don'L know. -8uL LhaL's noL whaL l wanL Lo consulL you abouL.
1here are Lwo clLles LhaL mlghL do for our flrsL lnspecLlon. 1hey seem Lo
be ln excellenL shape, all Lhe clLles do. WhaLever desLroyed Lhe alr and
oceans dld noL seem Lo Louch Lhe clLles. Anyway, Lhose Lwo clLles are
parLlcularly large. 1he larger, however, seems Lo be shorL on empLy
space. 1here are spaceporLs far ln Lhe ouLsklrLs buL noLhlng ln Lhe clLy
lLself. 1he one noL so large does have empLy space, so lL wlll be easler Lo
come down ln lLs mldsL, Lhough noL ln formal spaceporLs-buL Lhen, who
would care abouL LhaL?"
eloraL grlmaced. uo you wanL me Lo make Lhe declslon, Colan?"
no, l'll make Lhe declslon. l [usL wanL your LhoughLs."
lor whaL Lhey're worLh, a large sprawllng clLy ls llkely Lo be a
commerclal or manufacLurlng cenLer. A smaller clLy wlLh open space ls
llkely Lo be an admlnlsLraLlve cenLer. lL's Lhe admlnlsLraLlve cenLer we'd
wanL. uoes lL have monumenLal bulldlngs?"
WhaL do you mean by a monumenLal bulldlng?"
eloraL smlled hls LlghL llLLle sLreLchlng of Lhe llps. l scarcely know.
lashlons change from world Lo world and from Llme Lo Llme. l suspecL,
Lhough, LhaL Lhey always look large, useless, and expenslve. -Llke Lhe
place where we were on Comporellon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
219
1revlze smlled ln hls Lurn. lL's hard Lo Lell looklng sLralghL down, and
when l geL a sldeways glance as we approach or leave, lL's Loo confuslng.
Why do you prefer Lhe admlnlsLraLlve cenLer?"
1haL's where we're llkely Lo flnd Lhe planeLary museum, llbrary,
archlves, unlverslLy, and so on."
Cood. 1haL's where we'll go, Lhen, Lhe smaller clLy. -And maybe
we'll flnd someLhlng. We've had Lwo mlsses, buL maybe we'll flnd
someLhlng Lhls Llme."
erhaps lL wlll be Lhree Llmes lucky."
1revlze ralsed hls eyebrows. Where dld you geL LhaL phrase?"
lL's an old one," sald eloraL. l found lL ln an anclenL legend. lL
means success on Lhe Lhlrd Lry, l should Lhlnk." '
1haL sounds rlghL," sald 1revlze. very well, Lhen-Lhree Llmes lucky,
!anov."

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
220
Chapter 15

Moss

66.

18LvlZL looked groLesque ln hls space sulL. 1he only parL of hlm LhaL
remalned ouLslde were hls holsLers-noL Lhe ones LhaL he sLrapped
around hls hlps ordlnarlly, buL more subsLanLlal ones LhaL were parL of
hls sulL. Carefully, he lnserLed Lhe blasLer ln Lhe rlghL-hand holsLer, Lhe
neuronlc whlp ln Lhe lefL. Agaln, Lhey had been recharged and Lhls Llme,
he LhoughL grlmly, noLhlng would Lake Lhem away from hlm.
8llss smlled. Are you golng Lo carry weapons even on a world
wlLhouL alr or- never mlnd! l won'L quesLlon your declslons."
1rer1 'C pald, Cood!" and Lurned Lo help eloraL ad[usL hls helmeL,
before donnlng hls Cwn.
eloraL, who had never worn a space sulL before, sald, raLher
plalnLlvely, Wlll l really be able Lo breaLhe ln Lhls Lhlng, Colan?"
l promlse you," sald 1revlze.
8llss waLched as Lhe flnal [olnLs were sealed, her arm abouL lallom's
shoulder. 1he young Solarlan sLared aL Lhe Lwo space-sulLed flgures ln
obvlous alarm. She was Lrembllng, and 8llss's arm squeezed her genLly
and reassurlngly.
1he alrlock door opened, and Lhe Lwo sLepped lnslde, Lhelr bloaLed
arms wavlng a farewell. lL closed. 1he malnlock door opened and Lhey
sLepped clumslly onLo Lhe soll of a dead world.
lL was dawn. 1he sky was clear, of course, and purpllsh ln color, buL
Lhe sun had noL yeL rlsen. Along Lhe llghLer horlzon where Lhe sun would
come, Lhere was a sllghL haze.
eloraL sald, lL's cold."
uo you feel cold?" sald 1revlze, wlLh surprlse. 1he sulLs were well
lnsulaLed and lf Lhere was a problem, now and Lhen, lL was wlLh Lhe
geLLlng rld of body heaL.
ebraL sald, noL aL all, buL look-" Pls radloed volce sounded
1revlze's ear, and hls flnger polnLed.
ln Lhe purpllsh llghL of dawn, Lhe crumbllng sLone fronL of Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
221
bulldlng Lhey were approachlng was sheaLhed ln hoar frosL.
1revlze sald, WlLh a Lhln aLmosphere, lL would geL colder aL nlghL
Lhan you would expecL, and warmer ln Lhe day. 8lghL now lL's Lhe
coldesL parL of` Lhe day and lL should Lake several hours before lL geLs
Loo hoL for us Lo remaln ln Lhe sun."
As Lhough Lhe word had been a caballsLlc lncanLaLlon, Lhe rlm of Lhe
sun appeared above Lhe horlzon.
uon'L look aL lL," sald 1revlze conversaLlonally. ?our face-plaLe ls
reflecLlve and ulLravloleL-opaque, buL lL would sLlll be dangerous."
Pe Lurned hls back Lo Lhe rlslng sun and leL hls long shadow fall on
Lhe bulldlng. 1he sunllghL was causlng Lhe frosL Lo dlsappear, even as he
waLched. lor a few momenLs, Lhe wall looked dark wlLh dampness and
Lhen LhaL dlsappeared, Loo.
1revlze sald, 1he bulldlngs don'L look as good down here as Lhey
looked from Lhe sky. 1hey're cracked and crumbllng. 1haL's Lhe resulL of
Lhe LemperaLure change, l suppose, and of havlng Lhe waLer Lraces
freeze and melL each nlghL and day for maybe as much as LwenLy
Lhousand years."
eloraL sald, 1here are leLLers engraved ln Lhe sLone above Lhe
enLrance, buL crumbllng has made Lhem dlfflculL Lo read."
Can you make lL ouL, !anov?"
A flnanclal lnsLlLuLlon of some sorL. AL leasL l make ouL a word
whlch may be 'bank."'
WhaL's LhaL?"
A bulldlng ln whlch asseLs were sLored, wlLhdrawn, Lraded,
lnvesLed, loaned-lf lL's whaL l Lhlnk lL ls."
A whole bulldlng devoLed Lo lL? no compuLers?"
WlLhouL compuLers Laklng over alLogeLher."
1revlze shrugged. Pe dld noL flnd Lhe deLalls of anclenL hlsLory
lnsplrlng.
1hey moved abouL, wlLh lncreaslng hasLe, spendlng less Llme aL sac
bulld lng. 1he sllence, Lhe deadness, was compleLely depresslng. 1he
slow mlllennlal-long collapse lnLo whlch Lhey had lnLruded made Lhe
place seem llke Lhe skeleLon of a clLy, wlLh everyLhlng gone buL Lhe
bones.
1hey were well up ln Lhe LemperaLe zone, buL 1revlze lmaglned he
could feel Lhe heaL of Lhe sun on hls back.
eloraL, abouL a hundred meLers Lo hls rlghL, sald sharply, Look aL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
222
LhaL."
1revlze's ears rang. Pe sald, uon'L shouL, !anov. l can hear your
whlspers clearly no maLLer how far away you are. WhaL ls lL?"
eloraL, hls volce moderaLlng aL once, sald, 1hls bulldlng ls Lhe `Pall
of Lhe Worlds.' AL leasL, LhaL's whaL l Lhlnk Lhe lnscrlpLlon reads."
1revlze [olned hlm. 8efore Lhem was a Lhree-sLory sLrucLure, Lhe llne
of lLs roof lrregular and loaded wlLh large fragmenLs of rock, as Lhough
some sculpLured ob[ecL LhaL had once sLood Lhere had fallen Lo pleces.
Are you sure?" sald 1revlze.
lf we go ln, we'll flnd ouL."
1hey cllmbed flve low, broad sLeps, and crossed a space-wasLlng
plaza. ln Lhe Lhln slr, Lhelr meLal-shod fooLsLeps made a whlsperlng
vlbraLlon raLher Lhan a sound.
l see whaL you mean by `large, useless, and expenslve,' " muLLered
1revlze.
1hey enLered a wlde and hlgh hall, wlLh sunllghL shlnlng Lhrough Lall
wlndows and lllumlnaLlng Lhe lnLerlor Loo harshly where lL sLruck and yeL
leavlng Lhlngs obscure ln Lhe shadow. 1he Lhln aLmosphere scaLLered
llLLle llghL.
ln Lhe cenLer was a larger Lhan llfe-slze human flgure ln whaL seemed
Lo be a synLheLlc sLone. Cne arm had fallen off. 1he oLher arm was
cracked aL Lhe shoulder and 1revlze felL LhaL lf he Lapped lL sharply LhaL
arm, Loo, would break off. Pe sLepped back as Lhough geLLlng Loo near
mlghL LempL hlm lnLo such unbearable vandallsm.
l wonder who LhaL ls?" sald 1revlze. no marklngs anywhere. l
suppose Lhose who seL lL up felL LhaL hls fame was so obvlous he needed
no ldenLlflcaLlon, buL now-" Pe felL hlmself ln danger of growlng
phllosophlcal and Lurned hls aLLenLlon away.
eloraL was looklng up, and 1revlze's glance followed Lhe angle of
eloraL's head. 1here were marklngs-carvlngs-on Lhe wall whlch 1revlze
could noL read.
Amazlng," sald eloraL. 1wenLy Lhousand years old, perhaps, and,
ln here, proLecLed somewhaL from sun and damp, Lhey're sLlll leglble."
noL Lo me," sald 1revlze.
lL's ln old scrlpL and ornaLe even for LhaL. LeL's see now-seven-one-
Lwo-" Pls volce dled away ln a mumble, and Lhen he spoke up agaln.
1here are flfLy names llsLed and Lhere are supposed Lo have been flfLy
Spacer worlds and Lhls ls `1he Pall of Lhe Worlds.' l assume Lhose are Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
223
names of Lhe flfLy Spacer worlds, probably ln Lhe order of esLabllshmenL.
Aurora ls flrsL and Solarla ls lasL. lf you'll noLlce, Lhere are seven
columns, wlLh seven names ln Lhe flrsL slx columns and Lhen elghL names
ln Lhe lasL. lL ls as Lhough Lhey had planned a seven-by-seven grld and
Lhen added Solarla afLer Lhe facL. My guess, old chap, ls LhaL LhaL llsL
daLes back Lo before Solarla was Lerraformed and populaLed."
And whlch one ls Lhls planeL we're sLandlng on? Can you Lell?"
eloraL sald, ?ou'll noLlce LhaL Lhe flfLh one down ln Lhe Lhlrd
column, Lhe nlneLeenLh ln order, ls lnscrlbed ln leLLers a llLLle larger Lhan
Lhe oLhers. 1he llsLers seem Lo have been self-cenLered enough Lo glve
Lhemselves some prlde of place. 8esldes-
WhaL does Lhe name read?"
As near as l can make ouL, lL says Melpomenla. lL's a name l'm
LoLally unfamlllar wlLh."
Could lL represenL LarLh?"
eloraL shook hls head vlgorously, buL LhaL wenL unseen lnslde hls
helmeL. Pe sald, 1here are dozens of words used for LarLh ln Lhe old
legends. Cala ls one of Lhem, as you know. So ls 1erra, and Lrda, and so
on. 1hey're all shorL. l don'L know of any long name used for lL, or
anyLhlng even resembllng a shorL verslon of Melpomenla."
1hen we're sLandlng on Melpomenla, and lL's noL LarLh."
?es. And besldes-as l sLarLed Lo say earller-an even beLLer lndlcaLlon
Lhan Lhe larger leLLerlng ls LhaL Lhe co-ordlnaLes of Melpomenla are
glven as 0, 0, 0, and you would expecL co-ordlnaLes Lo be referred Lo
one's own planeL."
Co-ordlnaLes?" 1revlze sounded dumbfounded. 1haL llsL glves Lhe
coordlnaLes, Loo?"
1hey glve Lhree flgures for each and l presume Lhose are co-
ordlnaLes. WhaL else can Lhey be?"
1revlze dld noL answer. Pe opened a small comparLmenL ln Lhe
porLlon of Lhe space sulL LhaL covered hls rlghL Lhlgh and Look ouL a
compacL devlce wlLh wlre connecLlng lL Lo Lhe comparLmenL. Pe puL lL
up Lo hls eyes and carefully focused lL on Lhe lnscrlpLlon on Lhe wall, hls
sheaLhed flngers maklng a dlfflculL [ob ouL of someLhlng LhaL would
ordlnarlly have been a momenL's work.
Camera?" asked eloraL unnecessarlly.
lL wlll feed Lhe lmage dlrecLly lnLo Lhe shlp's compuLer," sald
1revlze.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
224
Pe Look several phoLographs from dlfferenL angles, Lhen sald, WalL!
l've goL Lo geL hlgher. Pelp me, !anov."
eloraL clasped hls hands LogeLher, sLlrrup-fashlon, buL 1revlze
shook hls head. 1haL won'L supporL my welghL. CeL on your hands and
knees."
eloraL dld so, laborlously, and, as laborlously, 1revlze, havlng Lucked
Lhe camera lnLo lLs comparLmenL agaln, sLepped on eloraL's shoulders
and from Lhem on Lo Lhe pedesLal of Lhe sLaLue. Pe Lrled Lo rock Lhe
sLaLue carefully Lo [udge lLs flrmness, Lhen placed hls fooL on one benL
knee and used lL as a base for pushlng hlmself upward and caLchlng Lhe
armless shoulder. Wedglng hls Loes agalnsL some unevenness aL Lhe
chesL, he llfLed hlmself and, flnally, afLer several grunLs, managed Lo slL
on Lhe shoulder. 1o Lhose long-dead who had revered Lhe sLaLue and
whaL lL represenLed, whaL 1revlze dld would have seemed blasphemy,
and 1revlze was sufflclenLly lnfluenced by LhaL LhoughL Lo Lry Lo slL
llghLly.
?ou'll fall and hurL yourself," eloraL called ouL anxlously.
l'm noL golng Lo fall and hurL myself, buL you mlghL deafen me."
1revlze unslung hls camera and focused once more. Several more
phoLographs were Laken and Lhen he replaced Lhe camera yeL agaln and
carefully lowered hlmself Llll hls feeL Louched Lhe pedesLal. Pe [umped Lo
Lhe ground and Lhe vlbraLlon of hls conLacL was apparenLly Lhe flnal
push, for Lhe sLlll lnLacL arm crumbled, and produced a small heap of
rubble aL Lhe fooL of Lhe sLaLue. lL made vlrLually no nolse as lL fell.
1revlze froze, hls flrsL lmpulse belng LhaL of flndlng a place Lo hlde
before Lhe waLchman came and caughL hlm. Amazlng, he LhoughL
afLerward, how qulckly one rellves Lhe days of one's chlldhood ln a
slLuaLlon llke LhaL-when you've accldenLally broken someLhlng LhaL looks
lmporLanL. lL lasLed only a momenL, buL lL cuL deeply.
eloraL's volce was hollow, as beflLLed one who had wlLnessed and
even abeLLed an acL of vandallsm, buL he managed Lo flnd words of
comforL. lL's - lL's all rlghL, Colan. lL was abouL Lo come down by lLself,
anyway."
Pe walked over Lo Lhe pleces on Lhe pedesLal and floor as Lhough he
were golng Lo demonsLraLe Lhe polnL, reached ouL for one of Lhe larger
fragmenLs, and Lhen sald, Colan, come here."
1revlze approached and eloraL, polnLlng aL a plece of sLone LhaL had
clearly been Lhe porLlon of Lhe arm LhaL had been [olned Lo Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
223
shoulder, sald, WhaL ls Lhls?"
1revlze sLared. 1here was a paLch of fuzz, brlghL green ln color.
1revlze rubbed lL genLly wlLh hls sulLed flnger. lL scraped off wlLhouL
Lrouble.
lL looks a loL llke moss," he sald.
1he llfe-wlLhouL-mlnd LhaL you menLloned?"
l'm noL compleLely sure how far wlLhouL mlnd. 8llss, l lmaglne,
would lnslsL LhaL Lhls had consclousness, Loo-buL she would clalm Lhls
sLone also had lL."
eloraL sald, uo you suppose LhaL moss sLuff ls whaL's crumbllng Lhe
rock?"
1revlze sald, l wouldn'L be surprlsed lf lL helped. 1he world has
plenLy of sunllghL and lL has some waLer. Palf whaL aLmosphere lL has ls
waLer vapor. 1he resL ls nlLrogen and lnerL gases. !usL a Lrace of carbon
dloxlde, whlch would lead one Lo suppose Lhere's no planL llfe-buL lL
could be LhaL Lhe carbon dloxlde ls low because lL ls vlrLually all
lncorporaLed lnLo Lhe rocky crusL. now lf Lhls rock has some carbonaLe ln
lL, perhaps Lhls moss breaks lL down by secreLlng acld, and Lhen makes
use of Lhe carbon dloxlde generaLed. 1hls may be Lhe domlnanL
remalnlng form of llfe on Lhls planeL."
lasclnaLlng," sald eloraL.
undoubLedly," sald 1revlze, buL only ln a llmlLed way. 1he co-
ordlnaLes of Lhe Spacer worlds are raLher more lnLeresLlng buL whaL we
really wanL are Lhe co-ordlnaLes of LarLh. lf Lhey're noL here, Lhey may
be elsewhere ln Lhe bulldlng-or ln anoLher bulldlng. Come, !anov."
8uL you know-began eloraL.
no, no," sald 1revlze lmpaLlenLly. We'll Lalk laLer. We've goL Lo see
whaL else, lf anyLhlng, Lhls bulldlng can glve us. lL's geLLlng warmer." Pe
looked .Lhe small LemperaLure readlng on Lhe back of hls lefL glove.
Come, !anov."
1hey Lramped Lhrough Lhe rooms, walklng as genLly as posslble, noL
because Lhey were maklng sounds ln Lhe ordlnary sense, or because
Lhere was anyone Lo hear Lhem, buL because Lhey were a llLLle shy of
dolng furLher damage Lhrough vlbraLlon.
1hey klcked up some dusL, whlch moved a shorL way upward and
seLLled qulckly Lhrough Lhe Lhln alr, and Lhey lefL fooLmarks behlnd
Lhem.
Cccaslonally, ln some dlm corner, one or Lhe oLher would sllenLly
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
226
polnL ouL more samples of moss LhaL were growlng. 1here seemed a
llLLle comforL ln Lhe presence of llfe, however low ln Lhe scale,
someLhlng LhaL llfLed Lhe deadly, suffocaLlng feel of walklng Lhrough a
dead world, especlally one ln whlch arLlfacLs all abouL showed LhaL once,
long ago, lL had been an elaboraLely llvlng one.
And Lhen, eloraL sald, l Lhlnk Lhls musL be a llbrary."
1revlze looked abouL curlously. 1here were shelves and, as he looked
more narrowly, whaL Lhe corner of hls eye had dlsmlssed as mere
ornamenLaLlon, seemed as Lhough Lhey mlghL well be book-fllms.
Clngerly, he reached for one. 1hey were Lhlck and clumsy and Lhen he
reallzed Lhey were only cases. Pe fumbled wlLh hls Lhlck flngers Lo open
one, and lnslde he saw several dlscs. 1hey were Lhlck, Loo, and seemed
brlLLle, Lhough he dld noL LesL LhaL.
Pe sald, unbellevably prlmlLlve."
1housands of years old," sald eloraL apologeLlcally, as Lhough
defendlng Lhe old Melpomenlans agalnsL Lhe accusaLlon of reLarded
Lechnology.
1revlze polnLed Lo Lhe splne of Lhe fllm where Lhere were dlm
curllcues of Lhe ornaLe leLLerlng LhaL Lhe anclenLs had used. ls LhaL Lhe
LlLle? WhaL does lL say?"
eloraL sLudled lL. l'm noL really sure, old man. l Lhlnk one of Lhe
words
refers Lo mlcroscoplc llfe. lL's a word for `mlcroorganlsm,' perhaps. l
suspecL
Lhese are Lechnlcal mlcroblologlcal Lerms whlch l wouldn'L
undersLand even
ln SLandard CalacLlc." `
robably," sald 1revlze morosely. And, equally probably, lL
wouldn'L do us any good even lf we could read lL. We're noL lnLeresLed
ln germs.-uo me a favor, !anov. Clance Lhrough some of Lhese books
and see lf Lhere's anyLhlng Lhere wlLh an lnLeresLlng LlLle. Whlle you're
dolng LhaL, l'll look over Lhese book-vlewers."
ls LhaL whaL Lhey are?" sald eloraL, wonderlng. 1hey were squaL,
cublcal sLrucLures, Lopped by a slanLed screen and a curved exLenslon aL
Lhe Lop LhaL mlghL serve as an elbow resL or a place on whlch Lo puL an
elecLro-noLepad-lf Lhey had had such on Melpomenla.
1revlze sald, lf Lhls ls a llbrary, Lhey musL have book-vlewers of one
klnd or anoLher, and Lhls seems as Lhough lL mlghL sulL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
227
Pe brushed Lhe dusL off Lhe screen very glngerly and was relleved
LhaL Lhe screen, whaLever lL mlghL be made of, dld noL crumble aL hls
Louch. Pe manlpulaLed Lhe conLrols llghLly, one afLer anoLher. noLhlng
happened. Pe Lrled anoLher book-vlewer, Lhen anoLher, wlLh Lhe same
negaLlve resulLs.
Pe wasn'L surprlsed. Lven lf Lhe devlce were Lo remaln ln worklng
order for LwenLy mlllennla ln a Lhln aLmosphere and was reslsLanL Lo
waLer vapor, Lhere was sLlll Lhe quesLlon of Lhe power source. SLored
energy had a way of leaklng, no maLLer whaL was done Lo sLop lL. 1haL
was anoLher aspecL of Lhe all embraclng, lrreslsLlble second law of
Lhermodynamlcs.
eloraL was behlnd hlm. Colan?"
?es."
l have a book-fllm here-
WhaL klnd?"
l Lhlnk lL's a hlsLory of space fllghL."
erfecL buL lL won'L do us any good lf l can'L make Lhls vlewer
work."
Pls hands clenched ln frusLraLlon.
We could Lake Lhe fllm back Lo Lhe shlp."
l wouldn'L know how Lo adapL lL Lo our vlewer. lL wouldn'L flL and
our scannlng sysLem ls sure Lo be lncompaLlble."
8uL ls all LhaL really necessary, Colan? lf we-
lL ls really necessary, !anov. now don'L lnLerrupL me. l'm Lrylng Lo
declde whaL Lo do. l can Lry addlng power Lo Lhe vlewer. erhaps LhaL ls
all lL needs."
Where would you geL Lhe power?"
Well-" 1revlze drew hls weapons, looked aL Lhem brlefly, Lhen
seLLled hls blasLer back lnLo lLs holsLer. Pe cracked open hls neuronlc
whlp, and sLudled Lhe energy-supply level. lL was aL maxlmum.
1revlze Lhrew hlmself prone upon Lhe floor and reached behlnd Lhe
vlewer (he kepL assumlng LhaL was whaL lL was) and Lrled Lo push lL
forward. lL moved a small way and he sLudled whaL he found ln Lhe
process.
Cne of Lhose cables had Lo carry Lhe power supply and surely lL was
Lhe one LhaL came ouL of Lhe wall. 1here was no obvlous plug or [olnlng.
(Pow does one deal wlLh an allen and anclenL culLure where Lhe slmplesL
Laken-for granLed maLLers are made unrecognlzable?)
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
228
Pe pulled genLly aL Lhe cable, Lhen harder. Pe Lurned lL one way,
Lhen Lhe oLher. Pe pressed Lhe wall ln Lhe vlclnlLy of Lhe cable, and Lhe
cable ln Lhe vlclnlLy of Lhe wall. Pe Lurned hls aLLenLlon, as besL he could,
Lo Lhe halfhldden back of Lhe vlewer and noLhlng he could do Lhere
worked, elLher.
Pe pressed one hand agalnsL Lhe floor Lo ralse hlmself and, as he
sLood up, Lhe cable came wlLh hlm. WhaL he had done LhaL had
loosened lL, he hadn'L Lhe sllghLesL ldea.
lL dldn'L look broken or Lorn away. 1he end seemed qulLe smooLh
and lL had lefL a smooLh spoL ln Lhe wall where lL had been aLLached.
eloraL sald sofLly, Colan, may l-
1revlze waved a perempLory arm aL Lhe oLher. noL now, !anov.
leasel" Pe was suddenly aware of Lhe green maLerlal caklng Lhe creases
on hls lefL glove. Pe musL have plcked up some of Lhe moss behlnd Lhe
vlewer and crushed lL. Pls glove had a falnL dampness Lo lL, buL lL drled
as he waLched, and Lhe greenlsh sLaln grew brown.
Pe Lurned hls aLLenLlon Loward Lhe cable, sLarlng aL Lhe deLached
end carefully. Surely Lhere were Lwo small holes Lhere. Wlres could
enLer.
Pe saL on Lhe floor agaln and opened Lhe power unlL of hls neuronlc
whlp. Carefully, he depolarlzed one of Lhe wlres and cllcked lL loose. Pe
Lhen, slowly and dellcaLely, lnserLed lL lnLo Lhe hole, pushlng lL ln unLll lL
sLopped. When he Lrled genLly Lo wlLhdraw lL agaln, lL remalned puL, as
Lhough lL had been selzed. Pe suppressed hls flrsL lmpulse Lo yank lL ouL
agaln by force. Pe depolarlzed Lhe oLher wlre and pushed lL lnLo Lhe
oLher openlng. lL was concelvable LhaL LhaL would close Lhe clrculL and
supply Lhe vlewer wlLh power.
!anov," he sald, you've played abouL wlLh book-fllms of all klnds.
See lf you can work ouL a way of lnserLlng LhaL book lnLo Lhe vlewer."
ls lL really nece-
lease, !anov, you keep Lrylng Lo ask unnecessary quesLlons. We
only have so much Llme. l don'L wanL Lo have Lo walL far lnLo Lhe nlghL
for Lhe bulldlng Lo cool off Lo Lhe polnL where we can reLurn."
lL musL go ln Lhls way," sald !anov, buL-
Cood," sald 1revlze. lf lL's a hlsLory of space fllghL, Lhen lL wlll have
Lo begln wlLh LarLh, slnce lL was on LarLh LhaL space fllghL was lnvenLed.
LeL's see lf Lhls Lhlng works now."
eloraL, a llLLle fusslly, placed Lhe book-fllm lnLo Lhe obvlous
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
229
recepLacle and Lhen began sLudylng Lhe marklngs on Lhe varlous conLrols
for any hlnL as Lo dlrecLlon.
1revlze spoke ln a low volce, whlle walLlng, parLly Lo ease hls own
Lenslon. l suppose Lhere musL be roboLs on Lhls world, Loo-here and
Lhere-ln reasonable order Lo all appearances-gllsLenlng ln Lhe near-
vacuum. 1he Lrouble ls Lhelr power supply would long slnce have been
dralned, Loo, and, even lf repowered, whaL abouL Lhelr bralns? Levers
and gears mlghL wlLhsLand Lhe mlllennla, buL whaL abouL whaLever
mlcroswlLches or subaLomlc glzmos Lhey had ln Lhelr bralns? 1hey would
have Lo have deLerloraLed, and even lf Lhey had noL, whaL would Lhey
know abouL LarLh. WhaL would Lhey"
eloraL sald, 1he vlewer ls worklng, old chap. See here."
ln Lhe dlm llghL, Lhe book-vlewer screen began Lo fllcker. lL was only
falnL, buL 1revlze Lurned up Lhe power sllghLly on hls neuronlc whlp and
lL grew brlghLer. 1he Lhln alr abouL Lhem kepL Lhe area ouLslde Lhe shafLs
of sunllghL comparaLlvely dlm, so LhaL Lhe room was faded and shadowy,
and Lhe screen seemed Lhe brlghLer by conLrasL.
lL conLlnued Lo fllckeL, wlLh occaslonal shadows drlfLlng across Lhe
screen.
lL needs Lo be focused," sald 1revlze.
l know," sald eloraL, buL Lhls seems Lhe besL l can do. 1he fllm
lLself musL have deLerloraLed."
1he shadows came and wenL rapldly now, and perlodlcally Lhere
seemed someLhlng llke a falnL carlcaLure of prlnL. 1hen, for a momenL,
Lhere was sharpness and lL faded agaln.
CeL LhaL back and hold lL, !anov," sald 1revlze.
eloraL was already Lrylng. Pe passed lL golng backward, Lhen agaln
forward, and Lhen goL lL and held lL.
Lagerly, 1revlze Lrled Lo read lL, Lhen sald, ln frusLraLlon, Can you
make lL ouL, !anov?"
noL enLlrely," sald eloraL, squlnLlng aL Lhe screen. lL's abouL
Aurora. l can Lell LhaL much. l Lhlnk lL's deallng wlLh Lhe flrsL hyperspaLlal
expedlLlon-Lhe `prlme ouLpourlng,' lL says."
Pe wenL forward, and lL blurred and shadowed agaln. Pe sald flnally,
All Lhe pleces l can geL seem Lo deal wlLh Lhe Spacer worlds, Colan.
1here's noLhlng l can flnd abouL LarLh."
1revlze sald blLLerly, no, Lhere wouldn'L be. lL's all been wlped ouL
on Lhls world as lL has on 1ranLor. 1urn Lhe Lhlng off."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
230
8uL lL doesn'L maLLer-" began eloraL, Lurnlng lL off:
8ecause we can Lry oLher llbrarles? lL wlll be wlped ouL Lhere, Loo.
Lverywhere. uo you know-" Pe had looked aL eloraL as he spoke, and
now he sLared aL hlm wlLh a mlxLure of horror and revulslon. WhaL's
wrong wlLh your face-plaLe?" he asked.
67.
LLC8A1 auLomaLlcally llfLed hls gloved hand Lo hls face-plaLe and
Lhen Look lL away and looked aL lL.
WhaL ls lL?" he sald, puzzled. 1hen, he looked aL 1revlze and wenL
on, raLher squeaklly, 1here's someLhlng pecullar abouL your face-plaLe,
Colan."
1revlze looked abouL auLomaLlcally for a mlrror. 1here was none and
he would need a llghL lf Lhere were. Pe muLLered, Come lnLo Lhe
sunllghL, wlll you?"
Pe half-led, half-pulled eloraL lnLo Lhe shafL of sunllghL from Lhe
nearesL wlndow. Pe could feel lLs warmLh upon hls back desplLe Lhe
lnsulaLlng effecL of Lhe space sulL.
Pe sald, Look Loward Lhe sun, !anov, and close your eyes."
lL was aL once clear whaL was wrong wlLh Lhe face-plaLe. 1here was
moss growlng luxurlanLly where Lhe glass of Lhe face-plaLe meL Lhe
meLalllzed fabrlc of Lhe sulL lLself. 1he face-plaLe was rlmmed wlLh green
fuzzlness and 1revlze knew hls own was, Loo.
Pe brushed a flnger of hls glove across Lhe moss on eloraL's face-
plaLe. Some of lL came off, Lhe crushed green sLalnlng Lhe glove. Lven as
he waLched lL gllsLen ln Lhe sunllghL, however, lL seemed Lo grow sLlffer
and drler. Pe Lrled agaln, and Lhls Llme, Lhe moss crackled off. lL was
Lurnlng brown. Pe brushed Lhe edges of eloraL's face-plaLe agaln,
rubblng hard.
uo mlne, !anov," he sald. 1hen, laLer, uo l look clean? Cood, so do
you. -LeL's go. l don'L Lhlnk Lhere's more Lo do here."
1he sun was uncomforLably hoL ln Lhe deserLed alrless clLy. 1he
sLone bulldlngs gleamed brlghLly, almosL achlngly. 1revlze squlnLed as he
looked aL Lhem and, as far as posslble, walked on Lhe shady slde of Lhe
Lhoroughfares. Pe sLopped aL a crack ln one of Lhe bulldlng fronLs, one
wlde enough Lo sLlck hls llLLle flnger lnLo, gloved as lL was. Pe dld [usL
LhaL, looked aL lL, muLLered, Moss," and dellberaLely walked Lo Lhe end
of Lhe shadow and held LhaL flnger ouL ln Lhe sunllghL for a whlle.
Pe sald, Carbon dloxlde ls Lhe boLLleneck. Anywhere Lhey can geL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
231
carbon dloxlde-decaylng rock-anywhere-lL wlll grow. We're a good
source of carbon dloxlde, you know, probably rlcher Lhan anyLhlng else
on Lhls nearly dead planeL, and l suppose Lraces of Lhe gas leak ouL aL
Lhe boundary of Lhe face-plaLe."
So Lhe moss grows Lhere."
?es."
lL seemed a long walk back Lo Lhe shlp, much longer and, of course,
hoLLer Lhan Lhe one Lhey had Laken aL dawn. 1he shlp was sLlll ln Lhe
shade when Lhey goL Lhere, however, LhaL much 1revlze had calculaLed
correcLly, aL leasL.
eloraL sald, Look!"
1revlze saw. 1he boundarles of Lhe malnlock were ouLllned ln green
moss.
More leakage?" sald eloraL.
Cf course. lnslgnlflcanL amounLs, l'm sure, buL Lhls moss seems Lo
be a beLLer lndlcaLor of Lrace amounLs of carbon dloxlde Lhan anyLhlng l
ever heard of. lLs spores musL be everywhere and wherever a few
molecules of carbon dloxlde are Lo be found, Lhey sprouL." Pe ad[usLed
hls radlo for shlp's wavelengLh and sald, 8llss, can you hear me?"
8llss's volce sounded ln boLh seLs of oars. ?es. Are you ready Lo
come ln? Any luck?"
We're [usL ouLslde," sald 1revlze, buL don'L open Lhe lock. We'll
open lL from ouL here. 8epeaL, don'L open Lhe lock."
Why noL?"
8llss, [usL do as l ask, wlll you? We can have a long dlscusslon
afLerward."
1revlze broughL ouL hls blasLer and carefully lowered, lLs lnLenslLy Lo
mlnlmum, Lhen gazed aL lL uncerLalnly. Pe had never used lL aL
mlnlmum. Pe looked abouL hlm. 1here was noLhlng sulLably fraglle Lo
LesL lL on.
ln sheer desperaLlon, he Lurned lL on Lhe rocky hlllslde ln whose
shadow Lhe lur SLar lay. -1he LargeL dldn'L Lurn red-hoL. AuLomaLlcally,
he felL Lhe spoL he had hlL. uld 'lL feel warm? Pe couldn'L Lell wlLh any
degree of cerLalnLy Lhrough Lhe lnsulaLed fabrlc of hls sulL.
Pe heslLaLed agaln, Lhen LhoughL LhaL Lhe hull of Lhe shlp would be
as reslsLanL, wlLhln an order of magnlLude aL any raLe, as Lhe hlllslde. Pe
Lurned Lhe blasLer on Lhe rlm of Lhe lock and fllcked Lhe conLacL brlefly,
holdlng hls breaLh.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
232
Several cenLlmeLers of Lhe moss-llke growLh browned aL once. Pe
waved hls hand ln Lhe vlclnlLy of Lhe brownlng and even Lhe mlld breeze
seL up ln Lhe Lhln alr ln Lhls way sufflced Lo seL Lhe llghL skeleLal
remnanLs LhaL made up Lhe brown maLerlal Lo scaLLerlng.
uoes lL work?" sald eloraL anxlously.
?es, lL does," sald 1revlze. l Lurned Lhe blasLer lnLo a mlld heaL
ray."
Pe sprayed Lhe heaL all around Lhe edge of Lhe lock and Lhe green
vanlshed aL Lhe Louch. All of lL. Pe sLruck Lhe malnlock Lo creaLe a
vlbraLlon LhaL would knock off whaL remalned and a brown dusL fell Lo
Lhe ground-a dusL so flne LhaL lL even llngered ln Lhe Lhln aLmosphere,
buoyed up by wlsps of gas.
l Lhlnk we can open lL now," sald 1revlze, and, uslng hls wrlsL
conLrols, he Lapped ouL Lhe emlsslon of Lhe radlo-wave comblnaLlon LhaL
acLlvaLed Lhe openlng mechanlsm from lnslde. 1he lock gaped and had
noL opened more Lhan halfway when 1revlze sald, uon'L dawdle, !anov,
geL lnslde. -uon'L walL for Lhe sLeps. Cllmb ln."
1revlze followed, sprayed Lhe rlm of Lhe lock wlLh hls Loned-down
blasLer. Pe sprayed Lhe sLeps, Loo, once Lhey had lowered. Pe Lhen
slgnaled Lhe close_ of Lhe lock and kepL on spraylng Llll Lhey were LoLally
enclosed.
1revlze sald, We're ln Lhe lock, 8llss. We'll sLay here a few mlnuLes.
ConLlnue Lo do noLhlng!"
8llss's volce sald, Clve me a hlnL. Are you all rlghL? Pow ls el?"
el sald, l'm here, 8llss, and perfecLly well. 1here's noLhlng Lo worry
abouL."
lf you say so, el, buL Lhere'll have Lo be explanaLlons laLer. l hope
you know LhaL."
lL's a promlse," sald 1revlze, and acLlvaLed Lhe lock llghL.
1he Lwo space-sulLed flgures faced each oLher.
1revlze sald, We're pumplng ouL all Lhe planeLary alr we can, so leL's
[usL walL Llll LhaL's done."
WhaL abouL Lhe shlp alr? Are we golng Lo leL LhaL ln?"
noL for a whlle. l'm as anxlous Lo geL ouL of Lhe space sulL as you
are, !anov. l [usL wanL Lo make sure LhaL we geL rld of any spores LhaL
have enLered wlLh us-or upon us."
8y Lhe noL enLlrely saLlsfacLory lllumlnaLlon of Lhe lock llghL, 1revlze
Lurned hls blasLer on Lhe lnner meeLlng of lock and hull, spraylng Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
233
heaL meLhodlcally along Lhe floor, up and around, and back Lo Lhe floor.
now you, !anov."
eloraL sLlrred uneaslly, and 1revlze sald, ?ou may feel warm. lL
shouldn'L be any worse Lhan LhaL. lf lL grows uncomforLable, [usL say so."
Pe played Lhe lnvlslble beam over Lhe face-plaLe, Lhe edges
parLlcularly, Lhen, llLLle by llLLle, over Lhe resL of Lhe space sulL.
Pe muLLered, LlfL your arms, !anov." 1hen, 8esL your arms on my
shoulder, and llfL one fooL- l've goL Lo do Lhe soles-now Lhe oLher. -Are
you geLLlng Loo warm?"
eloraL sald, l'm noL exacLly baLhed ln cool breezes, Colan."
Well, Lhen, glve me a LasLe of my own medlclne. Co over me."
l've never held a blasLer."
?ou musL hold lL. Crlp lL so, and, wlLh your Lhumb, push LhaL llLLle
knob -and squeeze Lhe holsLer LlghLly. 8lghL. -now play lL over my face-
plaLe. Move lL sLeadlly, !anov, don'L leL lL llnger ln one place Loo long.
Cver Lhe resL of Lhe helmeL, Lhen down Lhe cheek and neck."
Pe kepL up Lhe dlrecLlons, and when he had been heaLed
everywhere and was ln an uncomforLable persplraLlon as a resulL, he
Look back Lhe blasLer and sLudled Lhe energy level.
More Lhan half gone," he sald, and sprayed Lhe lnLerlor of Lhe lock
meLhodlcally, back and forLh over Lhe wall, Llll Lhe blasLer was empLled
of lLs charge, havlng lLself heaLed markedly Lhrough lLs rapld and
susLalned dlscharge. Pe Lhen resLored lL Lo lLs holsLer.
Cnly Lhen dld he slgnal for enLry lnLo Lhe shlp. Pe welcomed Lhe hlss
and feel of alr comlng lnLo Lhe lock as Lhe lnner door opened. lLs
coolness and lLs convecLlve powers would carry off Lhe warmLh of Lhe
space sulL far more qulckly Lhan radlaLlon alone would do. lL mlghL have
been lmaglnaLlon, buL he felL Lhe coollng effecL aL once. lmaglnaLlon or
noL, he welcomed LhaL, Loo.
Cff wlLh your sulL, !anov, and leave lL ouL here ln Lhe lock," sald
1revlze.
lf you don'L mlnd," sald eloraL, a shower ls whaL l would llke Lo
have before anyLhlng else."
noL before anyLhlng else. ln facL, before LhaL, and before you can
empLy your bladder, even, l suspecL you wlll have Lo Lalk Lo 8llss."
8llss was walLlng for Lhem, of course, and wlLh a look of concern on
her face. 8ehlnd her, peeplng ouL, was lallom, wlLh her hands cluLchlng
flrmly aL 8llss's lefL arm.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
234
WhaL happened?" 8llss asked severely. WhaL's been golng on?"
Cuardlng agalnsL lnfecLlon," sald 1revlze dryly, so l'll be Lurnlng on
Lhe ulLravloleL radlaLlon. 8reak ouL Lhe dark glasses. lease don'L delay."
WlLh ulLravloleL added Lo Lhe wall lllumlnaLlon, 1revlze Look off hls
molsL garmenLs one by one and shook Lhem ouL, Lurnlng Lhem ln one
dlrecLlon and anoLher.
!usL a precauLlon," he sald. ?ou do lL, Loo, !anov. -And, 8llss, l'll
have Lo peel alLogeLher. lf LhaL wlll make you uncomforLable, sLep lnLo
Lhe nexL room."
8llss sald, lL wlll nelLher make me uncomforLable, nor embarrass
me. l have a good noLlon of whaL you look llke, and lL wlll surely presenL
me wlLh noLhlng new. -WhaL lnfecLlon?"
!usL a llLLle someLhlng LhaL, glven lLs own way," sald 1revlze, wlLh a
dellberaLe alr of lndlfference, could do greaL damage Lo humanlLy, l
Lhlnk."
68.
l1 was all done. 1he ulLravloleL llghL had done lLs parL. Cfflclally,
accordlng Lo Lhe complex fllms of lnformaLlon and lnsLrucLlons LhaL had
come wlLh Lhe lar SLar when 1revlze had flrsL gone aboard back on
1ermlnus, Lhe llghL was Lhere preclsely for purposes of dlslnfecLlon.
1revlze suspecLed, however, LhaL Lhe LempLaLlon was always Lhere, and
someLlmes ylelded Lo, Lo use lL for developlng a fashlonable Lan for
Lhose who were from worlds where Lans were fashlonable. 1he llghL
was, however, dlslnfecLlng, however used.
1hey Look Lhe shlp up lnLo space and 1revlze maneuvered lL as close
Lo Melpomenla's sun as he mlghL wlLhouL maklng Lhem all unpleasanLly
uncomforLable, Lurnlng and LwlsLlng Lhe vessel so as Lo make sure LhaL
lLs enLlre surface was drenched ln ulLravloleL.
llnally, Lhey rescued Lhe Lwo space sulLs LhaL had been lefL ln Lhe
lock and examlned Lhem unLll even 1revlze was saLlsfled.
All LhaL," sald 8llss, aL lasL, for moss. lsn'L LhaL whaL you sald lL was,
1revlze? Moss?"
l call lL moss," sald 1revlze, because LhaL's whaL lL remlnded me of.
l'm noL a boLanlsL, however. All l can say ls LhaL lL's lnLensely green and
can probably make do on very llLLle llghL-energy."
Why very llLLle?"
1he moss ls senslLlve Lo ulLravloleL and can'L grow, or even survlve,
ln dlrecL lllumlnaLlon. lLs spores are everywhere and lL grows ln hldden
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
233
corners, ln cracks ln sLaLuary, on Lhe boLLom surface of sLrucLures,
feedlng on Lhe energy of scaLLered phoLons of llghL wherever Lhere ls a
source of carbon dloxlde."
8llss sald, l Lake lL you Lhlnk Lhey're dangerous."
1hey mlghL well be. lf some of Lhe spores were cllnglng Lo us when
we enLered, or swlrled ln wlLh us, Lhey would flnd lllumlnaLlon ln plenLy
wlLhouL Lhe harmful ulLravloleL. 1hey would flnd ample waLer and an
unendlng supply of carbon dloxlde."
Cnly 0.03 percenL of our aLmosphere," sald 8llss.
A greaL deal Lo Lhem-and 4 percenL ln our exhaled breaLh. WhaL lf
spores grew ln our nosLrlls, and on our skln? WhaL lf Lhey decomposed
and desLroyed our food? WhaL lf Lhey produced Loxlns LhaL kllled us?
Lven lf we labored Lo klll Lhem buL lefL some spores allve, Lhey would be
enough, when carrled Lo anoLher world by us, Lo lnfesL lL, and from Lhere
be carrled Lo oLher worlds. Who knows whaL damage Lhey mlghL do?"
8llss shook her head. Llfe ls noL necessarlly dangerous because lL ls
dlfferenL. ?ou are so ready Lo klll."
1haL's Cala speaklng," sald 1revlze.
Cf course lL ls, buL l hope l make sense, neverLheless. 1he moss ls
adapLed Lo Lhe condlLlons of Lhls world. !usL as lL makes use of llghL ln
small quanLlLles buL ls kllled by large, lL makes use of occaslonal Llny
whlffs of carbon dloxlde and may be kllled by large amounLs. lL may noL
be capable of survlvlng on any world buL Melpomenla."
Would you wanL me Lo Lake a chance on LhaL?" demanded 1revlze.
8llss shrugged. very well. uon'L be defenslve. l see your polnL. 8elng
an lsolaLe, you probably had no cholce buL Lo do whaL you dld."
1revlze would have answered, buL lallom's clear hlgh-plLched volce
broke ln, ln her own language.
1revlze sald Lo eloraL, WhaL's she saylng?"
eloraL began, WhaL lallom ls saylng-
lallom, however, as Lhough rememberlng a momenL Loo laLe LhaL
her own language was noL easlly undersLood, began agaln. Was Lhere
!emby Lhere where you were?"
1he words were pronounced meLlculously, and 8llss beamed.
uoesn'L she speak CalacLlc well? And ln almosL no Llme."
1revlze sald, ln a low volce, l'll mess lL up lf l Lry, buL you explaln Lo
her, 8llss, LhaL we found no roboLs on Lhe planeL."
l'll explaln lL," sald eloraL. Come, lallom." Pe placed a genLle arm
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
236
abouL Lhe youngsLer's shoulders. Come Lo our room and l'll geL you
anoLher book Lo read."
A book? AbouL !emby?"
noL exacLly-" And Lhe door closed behlnd Lhem.
?ou know," sald 1revlze, looklng afLer Lhem lmpaLlenLly, we wasLe
our Llme playlng nursemald Lo LhaL chlld."
WasLe? ln whaL way does lL lnLerfere wlLh your search for LarLh,
1revlze? -ln no way. laylng nursemald esLabllshes communlcaLlon,
however, allays fear, supplles love. Are Lhese achlevemenLs noLhlng?"
1haL's Cala speaklng agaln."
?es," sald 8llss. LeL us be pracLlcal, Lhen. We have vlslLed Lhree of
Lhe old Spacer worlds and we have galned noLhlng."
1revlze nodded. 1rue enough."
ln facL, we have found each one dangerous, haven'L we? Cn Aurora,
Lhere were feral dogs, on Solarla, sLrange and dangerous human belngs,
on Melpomenla, a LhreaLenlng moss. ApparenLly, Lhen, when a world ls
lefL Lo lLself, wheLher lL conLalns human belngs or noL, lL becomes
dangerous Lo Lhe lnLersLellar communlLy."
?ou can'L conslder, LhaL a general rule."
1hroe ouL of Lhroe cerLalnly seems lmpresslve."
And how does lL lmpress you, 8llss?"
l'll Lell you. lease llsLen Lo me wlLh an open mlnd. lf you have
mllllons of lnLeracLlng worlds ln Lhe Calaxy, as ls, of course, Lhe affll case,
and lf. each ls made up enLlrely of lsolaLes, as Lhey are, Lhen on each
world, human belngs are domlnanL and can force Lhelr wlll on
nonhuman llfe-forms, on Lhe lnanlmaLe geologlcal background, and even
on each oLher. 1he Calaxy ls, Lhen, a very prlmlLlve and fumbllng and
mlsfuncLlonlng Calaxla. 1he beglnnlngs of a unlL. uo you see whaL l
mean?"
l see whaL you're Lrylng Lo say-buL LhaL doesn'L mean l'm golng Lo
agree wlLh you when you're done saylng lL."
!usL llsLen Lo me. Agree or noL, as you please, buL llsLen. 1he only
way Lhe Calaxy wlll work .ls as a proLo-Calaxla, and Lhe less proLo and
Lhe more Calaxla, Lhe beLLer. 1he CalacLlc Lmplre was an aLLempL aL a
sLrong proLo-Calaxla, and when lL fell aparL, Llmes grew rapldly worse
and Lhere was Lhe consLanL drlve Lo sLrengLhen Lhe proLo-Calaxla
concepL. 1he loundaLlon ConfederaLlon ls such an aLLempL. So was Lhe
Mule's Lmplre. So ls Lhe Lmplre Lhe Second loundaLlon ls plannlng. 8uL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
237
even lf Lhere were no such Lmplres or ConfederaLlons, even lf -Lhe
enLlre Calaxy were ln Lurmoll, lL would be a connecLed Lurmoll, wlLh
each world lnLeracLlng, even lf only hosLllely, wlLh every oLher. 1haL
would, ln lLself, be a klnd of unlon and lL would noL yeL be Lhe worsL
case."
WhaL would be Lhe worsL, Lhen?"
?ou know Lhe answer Lo LhaL, 1revlze. ?ou've seen lL. lf a human-
lnhablLed world breaks up compleLely, ls Lruly lsolaLe, and lf lL loses all
lnLeracLlon wlLh oLher human worlds, lL develops-mallgnanLly."
A cancer, Lhen?"
?es. lsn'L Solarla [usL LhaL? lLs hand ls agalnsL all worlds. And on lL,
Lhe hand of each lndlvldual ls agalnsL Lhose of all oLhers. ?ou've seen lL.
And lf human belngs dlsappear alLogeLher, Lhe lasL Lrace of dlsclpllne
goes. 1he each-agalnsL-each becomes unreasonlng, as wlLh Lhe dogs, or
ls merely an elemenLal force as wlLh Lhe moss. ?ou see, l suppose, LhaL
Lhe closer we are Lo Calaxla, Lhe beLLer Lhe socleLy. Why, Lhen, sLop aL
anyLhlng shorL of Calaxla?"
lor a whlle, 1revlze sLared sllenLly aL 8llss. l'm Lhlnklng abouL lL. 8uL
why Lhls assumpLlon LhaL dosage ls a one-way Lhlng, LhaL lf a llLLle ls
good, a loL ls beLLer, and all Lhere ls ls besL of all? uldn'L you yourself
polnL ouL LhaL lL's posslble Lhe moss ls adapLed Lo very llLLle carbon
dloxlde so LhaL a plenLlful supply mlghL klll lL? A human belng Lwo
meLers Lall ls beLLer off Lhan one who ls one meLer Lall, buL ls also beLLer
off Lhan one who ls Lhree meLers Lall. A mouse lsn'L beLLer off, lf lL ls
expanded Lo Lhe slze of an elephanL. Pe wouldn'L llve. nor would an
elephanL be beLLer off reduced Lo Lhe slze of a mouse.
1here's naLural slze, a naLural complexlLy, some opLlmum quallLy
for everyLhlng, wheLher sLar or aLom, and lL's cerLalnly Lrue of llvlng
Lhlngs and llvlng socleLles. l don'L say Lhe old CalacLlc Lmplre was ldeal,
and l csfa cerLalnly see saws ln Lhe loundaLlon ConfederaLlon, buL rm
noL prey say LhaL because LoLal lsolaLlon ls bad, LoLal unlflcaLlon ls good.
1he eaLs: may boLh be equally horrlble, and an old-fashloned CalacLlc
Lmplre, however lmperfecL, may be Lhe besL we can do."
8llss shook her head. l wonder lf you belleve yourself, 1revlze. Are
you golng Lo argue LhaL a vlrus and a human belng are equally
unsaLlsfacLory, and wlsh Lo seLLle for someLhlng ln-beLween-llke a sllme
mold?"
no. 8uL l mlghL argue LhaL a vlrus and a superhuman belng are
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
238
equally unsaLlsfacLory, and wlsh Lo seLLle for someLhlng ln-beLween-llke
an ordlnary person. -1here ls, however, no polnL ln argulng. l wlll have
my soluLlon when l flnd LarLh. Cn Melpomenla, we found Lhe co-
ordlnaLes of forLy-seven oLher Spacer worlds."
And you'll vlslL Lhem all?"
Lvery one, lf l have Lo."
8lsklng Lhe dangers on each."
?es, lf LhaL's whaL lL Lakes Lo flnd LarLh."
eloraL had emerged from Lhe room wlLhln whlch he had lefL lallow,
and seemed abouL Lo say someLhlng when he was caughL up ln Lhe
rapld-flre exchange beLween 8llss and 1revlze. Pe sLared from one Lo
Lhe oLher as Lhey spoke ln Lurn.
Pow long would lL Lake?" asked 8llss.
Powever long lL Lakes," sald 1revlze, and we oughL flnd whaL we
need on y Lhe nexL one we vlslL."
Cr on none of Lhem."
1haL we cannoL know Llll we search."
And now, aL lasL, eloraL managed Lo lnserL a word. 8uL why look,
Colan? We have Lhe answer."
1revlze waved an lmpaLlenL hand ln Lhe dlrecLlon of eloraL, checked
Lhe
moLlon, Lurned hls head, and sald blankly, WhaL?" "'
l sald we have Lhe answer. l Lrled Lo Lell you Lhls on Melpomenla aL
leasL flve Llmes, buL you were so wrapped up ln whaL you were dolng-
WhaL answer do we have? WhaL are you Lalklng abouL?"
AbouL LarLh. l Lhlnk we know where LarLh ls."

A81 Slx - ALPA

Chapter 1H
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
239

1he CenLer of Lhe Worlds

69.

18LvlZL sLared aL eloraL for a long momenL, and wlLh an expresslon
of clear dlspleasure. 1hen he sald, ls Lhere someLhlng you saw LhaL l dld
noL, and LhaL you dld noL Lell me abouL?"
no," answered eloraL mlldly. ?ou saw lL and, as l [usL sald, l Lrled
Lo explaln, buL you were ln no mood Lo llsLen Lo me."
Well, Lry agaln."
8llss sald, uon'L bully hlm, 1revlze."
l'm noL bullylng hlm. l'm asklng for lnformaLlon. And don'L you baby
hlm."
lease," sald eloraL, llsLen Lo me, wlll you, and noL Lo each oLher. -
uo you remember, Colan, LhaL we dlscussed early aLLempLs Lo dlscover
Lhe orlgln of Lhe human specles? ?arlff's pro[ecL? ?ou know, Lrylng Lo
ploL Lhe Llmes of seLLlemenL of varlous planeLs on Lhe assumpLlon LhaL
planeLs would be seLLled ouLward from Lhe world of orlgln ln all
dlrecLlons allke. 1hen, as we moved from newer Lo older planeLs, we
would approach Lhe world of orlgln from all dlrecLlons."
1revlze nodded lmpaLlenLly. WhaL l remember ls LhaL lL dldn'L work
because Lhe daLes of seLLlemenL were noL rellable."
1haL's rlghL, old fellow. 8uL Lhe worlds LhaL ?arlff was worklng wlLh
were parL of Lhe second expanslon of Lhe human race. 8y Lhen,
hyperspaLlal Lravel was far advanced, and seLLlemenL musL have grown
qulLe ragged. Leapfrogglng very long dlsLances was very slmple and
seLLlemenL dldn'L necessarlly proceed ouLward ln radlal symmeLry. 1haL
surely added Lo Lhe problem of unrellable daLes of seLLlemenL.
8uL [usL Lhlnk for a momenL, Colan, of Lhe Spacer worlds. 1hey were
ln Lhe flrsL wave of seLLlemenL. PyperspaLlal Lravel was less advanced
Lhen, and Lhere was probably llLLle or no leapfrogglng. Whereas mllllons
of worlds were seLLled, perhaps chaoLlcally, durlng Lhe second
expanslon, only flfLy were seLLled, probably ln an orderly manner, ln Lhe
flrsL. Whereas Lhe mllllons of worlds of Lhe second expanslon were
seLLled over a perlod of LwenLy Lhousand years, Lhe flfLy of Lhe flrsL
expanslon were seLLled over a perlod of a few cenLurles-almosL
lnsLanLaneously, ln comparlson. 1hose flfLy, Laken LogeLher, should exlsL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
240
ln roughly spherlcal symmeLry abouL Lhe world of orlgln.
We have Lhe co-ordlnaLes of Lhe flfLy worlds. ?ou phoLographed
Lhem, remember, from Lhe sLaLue. WhaLever or whoever lL ls LhaL ls
desLroylng lnformaLlon LhaL concerns LarLh, elLher overlooked Lhose co-
ordlnaLes, or dldn'L sLop Lo Lhlnk LhaL Lhey would glve us Lhe lnformaLlon
we need. All you have Lo do, Colan, ls Lo ad[usL Lhe co-ordlnaLes Lo allow
for Lhe lasL LwenLy Lhousand years of sLellar moLlons, Lhen flnd Lhe
cenLer of Lhe sphere. ?ou'll end up falrly close Lo LarLh's sun, or aL leasL
Lo where lL was LwenLy Lhousand years ago."
1revlze's mouLh had fallen sllghLly open durlng Lhe reclLal and lL Look
a few momenLs for hlm Lo close lL afLer eloraL was done. Pe sald, now
why dldn'L l Lhlnk of LhaL?"
l Lrled Lo Lell you whlle we were sLlll on Melpomenla."
l'm sure you dld. l apologlze, !anov, for refuslng Lo llsLen. 1he facL ls
lL dldn'L occur Lo me LhaL-" Pe paused ln embarrassmenL.
eloraL chuckled quleLly, 1haL l could have anyLhlng of lmporLance
Lo say. l suppose LhaL ordlnarlly l wouldn'L, buL Lhls was someLhlng ln my
own fleld, you see. l am sure LhaL, as a general rule, you'd be perfecLly
[usLlfled ln noL llsLenlng Lo me."
never," sald 1revlze. 1haL's noL so, !anov. l feel llke a fool, and l
well deserve Lhe feellng. My apologles agaln-and l musL now geL Lo Lhe
compuLer."
Pe and eloraL walked lnLo Lhe plloL-room, and eloraL, as always,
waLched wlLh a comblnaLlon of marvellng and lncredullLy as 1revlze's
hands seLLled down upon Lhe desk, and he became whaL was almosL a
slngle man compuLer organlsm.
l'll have Lo make cerLaln assumpLlons, !anov," sald 1revlze, raLher
blankfaced from compuLer-absorpLlon. l have Lo assume LhaL Lhe flrsL
number ls a dlsLance ln parsecs, and LhaL Lhe oLher Lwo numbers are
angles ln radlans, Lhe flrsL belng up and down, so Lo speak, and Lhe
oLher, rlghL and lefL. l have Lo assume LhaL Lhe use of plus and mlnus ln
Lhe case of Lhe angles ls CalacLlc SLandard and LhaL Lhe zero-zero-zero
mark ls Melpomenla's sun."
1haL sounds falr enough," sald eloraL.
uoes lL? 1here are slx posslble ways of arranglng Lhe numbers, four
posslble ways of arranglng Lhe slgns, dlsLances may be ln llghL-years
raLher Lhan parsecs, Lhe angles ln degrees, raLher Lhan radlans. 1haL's
nlneLy-slx dlferenL varlaLlons rlghL Lhere. Add Lo LhaL, Lhe polnL LhaL lf
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
241
Lhe dlsLances are llghLyears, l'm uncerLaln as Lo Lhe lengLh of Lhe year
used. Add also Lhe facL LhaL l don'L know Lhe acLual convenLlons used Lo
measure Lhe angles-from Lhe Melpomenlan equaLor ln one case, l
suppose, buL whaL's Lhelr prlme merld-
eloraL frowned. now you make lL sound hopeless."
noL hopeless. Aurora and Solarla are lncluded ln Lhe llsL, and l know
where Lhey are ln space. l'll use Lhe co-ordlnaLes, and see lf l can locaLe
Lhem. lf l end up ln Lhe wrong place, l wlll ad[usL Lhe co-ordlnaLes unLll
Lhey glve me Lhe rlghL place, and LhaL wlll Lell me whaL mlsLaken
assumpLlons l am maklng as far as Lhe sLandards governlng Lhe co-
ordlnaLes are concerned. Cnce my assumpLlons are correcLed, l can look
for Lhe cenLer of Lhe sphere."
WlLh all Lhe posslblllLles for change, won'L lL make lL dlfflculL Lo
declde whaL Lo do?"
WhaL?" sald 1revlze. Pe was lncreaslngly absorbed. 1hen, when
eloraL repeaLed Lhe quesLlon, he sald, Ch well, chances are LhaL Lhe
co-ordlnaLes follow Lhe CalacLlc SLandard and ad[usLlng for an unknown
prlme merldlan lsn'L dlfflculL. 1hese sysLems for locaLlng polnLs ln space
were worked ouL long ago, and mosL asLronomers are preLLy confldenL
Lhey even anLedaLe lnLersLellar Lravel. Puman belngs are very
conservaLlve ln some ways and vlrLually never change numerlcal
convenLlons once Lhey grow used Lo Lhem. 1hey even come Lo mlsLake
Lhem for laws of naLure, l Lhlnk. -Whlch ls [usL as well, for lf every world
had lLs own convenLlons of measuremenL LhaL changed every cenLury, l
honesLly Lhlnk sclenLlflc endeavor would sLall and come Lo a permanenL
sLop."
Pe was obvlously worklng whlle he was Lalklng, for hls words came
halLlngly. And now he muLLered, 8uL quleL now." .
AfLer LhaL, hls face grew furrowed and concenLraLed unLll, afLer
several mlnuLes, he leaned back and drew a long breaLh. Pe sald quleLly,
1he convenLlons hold. l've locaLed Aurora. 1here's no quesLlon abouL lL.
-See?"
eloraL sLared aL Lhe fleld of sLars, and aL Lhe brlghL one near Lhe
cenLer and sald, Are you sure?"
1revlze sald, My own oplnlon doesn'L maLLer. 1he compuLer ls sure.
We've vlslLed Aurora, afLer all. We have lLs characLerlsLlcs-lLs dlameLer,
mass, lumlnoslLy, LemperaLure, specLral deLalls, Lo say noLhlng of Lhe
paLLern of nelghborlng sLars. 1he compuLer says lL's Aurora."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
242
1hen l suppose we musL Lake lLs word for lL."
8elleve me, we musL. LeL me ad[usL Lhe vlewscreen and Lhe
compuLer can geL Lo work. lL has Lhe flfLy seLs of co-ordlnaLes and lL wlll
use Lhem one aL a Llme."
1revlze was worklng on Lhe screen as he spoke. 1he compuLer
worked ln Lhe four dlmenslons of space-Llme rouLlnely, buL, for human
lnspecLlon, Lhe vlewscreen was rarely needed ln more Lhan Lwo
dlmenslons. now Lhe screen seemed Lo unfold lnLo a dark volume as
deep as lL, was Lall and broad. 1revlze dlmmed Lhe room llghLs almosL
LoLally Lo make Lhe vlew of sLar-shlne easler Lo observe.
lL wlll begln now," he whlspered.
A momenL laLer, a sLar appeared-Lhen anoLher-Lhen anoLher. 1he
vlew on Lhe screen shlfLed wlLh every addlLlon so LhaL all mlghL be
lncluded. lL was as Lhough space was movlng backward from Lhe eye so
LhaL a more and more panoramlc vlew could be Laken.. Comblne LhaL
wlLh shlfLs up or down, rlghL or lefL-
LvenLually, flfLy doLs of llghL appeared, hoverlng ln Lhree-
dlmenslonal space.
1revlze sald, l would have appreclaLed a beauLlful spherlcal
arrangemenL, buL Lhls looks llke Lhe skeleLon of a snowball LhaL had
been paLLed lnLo shape ln a blg hurry, ouL of snow LhaL was Loo hard and
grlLLy."
uoes LhaL ruln everyLhlng?"
lL lnLroduces some dlfflculLles, buL LhaL can'L be helped, l suppose.
1he sLars Lhemselves aren'L unlformly dlsLrlbuLed, and cerLalnly
hablLable planeLs aren'L, so Lhere are bound Lo be unevennesses ln Lhe
esLabllshmenL of new worlds. 1he compuLer wlll ad[usL each of Lhose
doLs Lo lLs presenL poslLlon, allowlng for lLs llkely moLlon ln Lhe lasL
LwenLy Lhousand years-even ln LhaL Llme lL won'L mean much of an
ad[usLmenL-and Lhen flL Lhem all lnLo a `besLsphere.' lL wlll flnd a
spherlcal surface, ln oLher words, from whlch Lhe dlsLance of all Lhe doLs
ls a mlnlmum. 1hen we flnd Lhe cenLer of Lhe sphere, and LarLh should
be falrly close Lo LhaL cenLer. Cr so we hope. -lL won'L Lake long."
70.
l1 ulun'1. 1revlze, who was used Lo accepLlng mlracles from Lhe
compuLer, found hlmself asLonlshed aL how llLLle Llme lL Look.
1revlze had lnsLrucLed Lhe compuLer Lo sound a sofL, reverberaLlng
noLe upon decldlng upon Lhe co-ordlnaLes of Lhe besL-cenLer. 1here was
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
243
no reason for LhaL, excepL for Lhe saLlsfacLlon of hearlng lL and knowlng
LhaL perhaps Lhe search had been ended.
1he sound came ln a maLLer of mlnuLes, and was llke Lhe genLle
sLroklng of a mellow gong. lL swelled Llll Lhey could feel Lhe vlbraLlon
physlcally, and Lhen slowly faded.
8llss appeared aL Lhe door almosL aL once. WhaL's LhaL?" she asked,
her eyes blg. An emergency?"
1revlze sald, noL aL all."
eloraL added eagerly, We may have locaLed LarLh, 8llss. 1haL
sound was Lhe compuLer's way of saylng so."
She walked lnLo Lhe room. l mlghL have been warned."
1revlze sald, l'm sorry, 8llss. l dldn'L mean lL Lo be qulLe LhaL loud."
lallom had followed 8llss lnLo Lhe room and sald, Why was Lhere
LhaL sound, 8llss?"
l see she's curlous, Loo," sald 1revlze. Pe saL back, feellng dralned.
1he nexL sLep was Lo Lry Lhe flndlng on Lhe real Calaxy, Lo focus on Lhe
coordlnaLes of Lhe cenLer of Lhe Spacer worlds and see lf a C-Lype sLar
was acLually presenL. Cnce agaln, he was relucLanL Lo Lake Lhe obvlous
sLep, unable Lo make hlmself puL Lhe posslble soluLlon Lo Lhe acLual LesL.
?es," sald 8llss. Why shouldn'L she? She's as human as we are."
Per parenL wouldn'L have LhoughL so," sald 1revlze absLracLedly. l
worry abouL Lhe kld. She's bad news."
ln whaL way has she proven so?" demanded 8llss.
1revlze spread hls arms. !usL a feellng."
8llss gave hlm a dlsdalnful look, and Lurned Lo lallom. We are Lrylng
Lo locaLe LarLh, lallom." ,
WhaL's LarLh?"
AnoLher world, buL a speclal one. lL's Lhe world our ancesLors came
from. uo you know whaL Lhe word `ancesLors' means from your readlng,
lallom?"
uoes lL mean ?" 8uL Lhe lasL word was noL ln CalacLlc.
eloraL sald, 1haL's an archalc word for `ancesLors,' 8llss. Cur word
`forebears' ls closer Lo lL."
very well," sald 8llss, wlLh a sudden brllllanL smlle. LarLh ls Lhe
world where our forebears came from, lallom. ?ours and mlne and el's
and 1revlze's."
?ours, 8llss-and mlne also." lallom sounded puzzled. 8oLh of
Lhem?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
244
1here's [usL one seL of forebears," sald 8llss. We had Lhe same
forebears, all of us."
1revlze sald, lL sounds Lo me as Lhough Lhe chlld knows very well
LhaL she's dlfferenL from us."
8llss sald Lo 1revlze ln a low volce, uon'L say LhaL. She musL be
made Lo see she lsn'L. noL ln essenLlals."
Permaphrodlsm ls essenLlal, l should Lhlnk."
l'm Lalklng abouL Lhe mlnd."
1ransducer-lobes are essenLlal, Loo."
now, 1revlze, don'L be dlfflculL. She's lnLelllgenL and human
regardless of deLalls."
She Lurned Lo lallom, her volce rlslng Lo lLs normal level. 1hlnk
quleLly abouL Lhls, lallom, and see whaL lL means Lo you. ?our forebears
and mlne were Lhe same. All Lhe people on all Lhe worlds-many, many
worlds-all had Lhe same forebears, and Lhose forebears llved orlglnally
on Lhe world named LarLh. 1haL means we're all relaLlves, doesn'L lL? -
now go back Lo our room and Lhlnk of LhaL."
lallom, afLer besLowlng a LhoughLful look on 1revlze, Lurned and ran
off, hasLened on by 8llss's affecLlonaLe slap on her backslde.
8llss Lurned Lo 1revlze, and sald, lease, 1revlze, promlse me you
won'L make any commenLs ln her hearlng LhaL wlll lead her Lo Lhlnk she's
dlfferenL from us."
1revlze sald, l promlse. l have no wlsh Lo lmpede or subverL Lhe
educaLlonal procedure, buL, you know, she ls dlfferenL from us."
ln ways. As l'm dlfferenL from you, and as el ls."
uon'L be nalve, 8llss. 1he dlfferences ln lallom's case are much
greaLer."
A llLLle greaLer. 1he slmllarlLles are vasLly more lmporLanL. She, and
her people, wlll be parL of Calaxla some day, and a very useful parL, l'm
sure."
All rlghL. We won'L argue." Pe Lurned Lo Lhe compuLer wlLh clear
relucLance. And meanwhlle, l'm afrald l have Lo check Lhe supposed
poslLlon of LarLh ln real space."
Afrald?"
Well," 1revlze llfLed hls shoulders ln whaL he hoped was a half-
humorous way, whaL lf Lhere's no sulLable sLar near Lhe place?"
1hen Lhere lsn'L," sald 8llss.
l'm wonderlng lf Lhere's any polnL ln checklng lL ouL now. We won'L
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
243
be able Lo make a !ump for several days."
And you'll be spendlng Lhem agonlzlng over Lhe posslblllLles. llnd
ouL now. WalLlng won'L change maLLers."
1revlze saL Lhere wlLh hls llps compressed for a momenL, Lhen sald,
?ou're rlghL. very well, Lhen-here goes."
Pe Lurned Lo Lhe compuLer, placed hls hands on Lhe handmarks on
Lhe desk, and Lhe vlewscreen wenL dark.
8llss sald, l'll leave you, Lhen. l'll make you nervous lf l sLay." She
lefL, wlLh a wave of her hand.
1he Lhlng ls," he muLLered, LhaL we're golng Lo be checklng Lhe
compuLer's CalacLlc map flrsL and even lf LarLh's sun ls ln Lhe calculaLed
poslLlon, Lhe map should noL lnclude lL. 8uL we'll Lhen-
Pls volce Lralled off ln asLonlshmenL as Lhe vlewscreen flashed wlLh a
background of sLars. 1hese were falrly numerous and dlm, wlLh an
occaslonal brlghLer one sparkllng here and Lhere, well scaLLered over Lhe
face of Lhe screen. 8uL qulLe close Lo Lhe cenLer was a sLar LhaL was
brlghLer Lhan all Lhe resL.
We've goL lL," sald eloraL [ubllanLly. We've goL lL, old chap. Look
how brlghL lL ls."
Any sLar aL cenLered co-ordlnaLes would look brlghL," sald 1revlze,
clearly Lrylng Lo flghL off any lnlLlal [ubllaLlon LhaL mlghL prove
unfounded. 1he vlew, afLer all, ls presenLed from a dlsLance of a parsec
from Lhe cenLered co-ordlnaLes. SLlll, LhaL cenLered sLar cerLalnly lsn'L a
red dwarf, or a red glanL, or a hoL blue-whlLe. WalL for lnformaLlon, Lhe
compuLer ls checklng lLs daLa banks."
1here was sllence for a few seconds and Lhen 1revlze sald, SpecLral
class C-2." AnoLher pause, Lhen, ulameLer, 1.4 mllllon kllomeLers-mass,
1.02 Llmes LhaL of 1ermlnus's sun-surface LemperaLure, 6,000 absoluLe-
roLaLlon slow, [usL under LhlrLy days-no unusual acLlvlLy or lrregularlLy."
eloraL sald, lsn'L all LhaL Lyplcal of Lhe klnd of sLar abouL whlch
hablLable planeLs are Lo be found?"
1yplcal," sald 1revlze, noddlng ln Lhe dlmness. And, Lherefore,
whaL we'd expecL LarLh's sun Lo be llke. lf LhaL ls where llfe developed,
Lhe sun of LarLh would have seL Lhe orlglnal sLandard."
So Lhere ls a reasonable chance LhaL Lhere would be a hablLable
planeL clrcllng lL."
We don'L have Lo speculaLe abouL LhaL," sald 1revlze, who sounded
puzzled lndeed over Lhe maLLer. 1he CalacLlc map llsLs lL as possesslng a
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
246
planeL wlLh human llfe-buL wlLh a quesLlon mark."
eloraL's enLhuslasm grew. 1haL's exacLly whaL we would expecL,
Colan. 1he llfe-bearlng planeL ls Lhere, buL Lhe aLLempL Lo hlde Lhe facL
obscures daLa concernlng lL and leaves Lhe makers of Lhe map Lhe
compuLer uses uncerLaln."
no, LhaL's whaL boLhers me," sald 1revlze. 1haL's noL whaL we
should expecL. We should expecL far more Lhan LhaL. Conslderlng Lhe
efflclency wlLh whlch daLa concernlng LarLh has been wlped ouL, Lhe
makers of Lhe map should noL have known LhaL llfe exlsLs ln Lhe sysLem,
leL alone human llfe. 1hey should noL even have known LarLh's sun
exlsLs. 1he Spacer worlds aren'L on Lhe map. Why should LarLh's sun
be?"
Well, lL's Lhere, [usL Lhe same. WhaL's Lhe use of argulng Lhe facL?
WhaL oLher lnformaLlon abouL Lhe sLar ls glven?"
A name." -
Ah! WhaL ls lL?"
Alpha."
1here was a shorL pause, Lhen eloraL sald eagerly, 1haL's lL, old
man. 1haL's Lhe flnal blL of evldence. Conslder Lhe meanlng."
uoes lL have a meanlng?" sald 1revlze. lL's [usL a name Lo me, and
an odd one. lL doesn'L sound CalacLlc."
lL lsn'L CalacLlc. lL's ln a prehlsLorlc language of LarLh, Lhe same one
LhaL gave us Cala as Lhe name of 8llss's planeL."
WhaL does Alpha mean, Lhen?"
Alpha ls Lhe flrsL leLLer of Lhe alphabeL of LhaL anclenL language.
1haL ls one of Lhe mosL flrmly aLLesLed scraps of knowledge we have
abouL lL. ln anclenL Llmes, `alpha' was someLlmes used Lo mean Lhe flrsL
of anyLhlng. 1o call a sun `Alpha,' lmplles LhaL lL's Lhe flrsL sun. And
wouldn'L Lhe flrsL sun be Lhe one around whlch a planeL revolved LhaL
was Lhe flrsL planeL Lo bear human ,llfe-LarLh?"
Are you sure of LhaL?"
AbsoluLely," sald eloraL.
ls Lhere anyLhlng ln early legends.-you're Lhe myLhologlsL, afLer all-
LhaL glves LarLh's sun some very unusual aLLrlbuLe?"
no, how can Lhere be? lL has Lo be sLandard by deflnlLlon, and Lhe
characLerlsLlcs Lhe compuLer has glven us aLe as sLandard as posslble, l
lmaglne. Aren'L Lhey?"
LarLh's sun ls a slngle sLar, l suppose?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
247
eloraL sald, Well, of course! As far as l know, all lnhablLed worlds
orblL slngle sLars."
So l would have LhoughL myself," sald 1revlze. 1he Lrouble ls LhaL
LhaL sLar ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe vlewscreen ls noL a slngle sLar, lL ls a blnary.
1he brlghLer of Lhe Lwo sLars maklng up Lhe blnary ls lndeed sLandard
and lL ls LhaL one for whlch Lhe compuLer supplled us wlLh daLa. Clrcllng
LhaL sLar wlLh a perlod of roughly elghLy years, however, ls anoLher sLar
wlLh a mass four flfLhs LhaL of Lhe brlghLer one. We can'L see Lhe Lwo as
separaLe sLars wlLh Lhe unalded eye, buL lf l were Lo enlarge Lhe vlew,
l'm sure we would."
Are you cerLaln of LhaL, Colan?" sald eloraL, Laken aback.
lL's whaL Lhe compuLer ls Lelllng me. And lf we are looklng aL a
blnary sLar, Lhen lL's noL LarLh's sun. lL can'L be."
71.
18LvlZL broke conLacL wlLh Lhe compuLer, and Lhe llghLs brlghLened.
1haL was Lhe slgnal, apparenLly, for 8llss Lo reLurn, wlLh lallow
Lagglng afLer her. Well, Lhen, whaL are Lhe resulLs?" she asked.
1revlze sald Lonelessly, SomewhaL dlsappolnLlng. Where l expecLed
Lo flnd LarLh's sun, l found a blnary sLar, lnsLead. LarLh's sun ls a slngle
sLar, so Lhe one cenLered ls noL lL."
eloraL sald, now whaL, Colan?"
1revlze shrugged. l dldn'L really expecL Lo see LarLh's sun cenLered.
Lven Lhe Spacers wouldn'L seLLle worlds ln such a way as Lo seL up an
exacL sphere. Aurora, Lhe oldesL of Lhe Spacer worlds, mlghL have senL
ouL seLLlers of lLs own and LhaL may have dlsLorLed Lhe sphere, Loo.
1hen, Loo, LarLh's sun may noL have moved aL preclsely Lhe average
veloclLy of Lhe Spacer worlds."
eloraL sald, So Lhe LarLh can be anywhere. ls LhaL whaL you're
saylng?"
no. noL qulLe `anywhere.' All Lhese posslble sources of error can'L
amounL Lo much. LarLh's sun musL be ln Lhe vlclnlLy of Lhe co-ordlnaLes.
1he sLar we've spoLLed almosL exacLly aL Lhe co-ordlnaLes musL be a
nelghbor of LarLh's sun. lL's sLarLllng LhaL Lhere should be a nelghbor
LhaL so closely resembles LarLh's sun-excepL for belng a blnary-buL LhaL
musL be Lhe case."
8uL we would see LarLh's sun on Lhe map, Lhen, wouldn'L we? l
mean, near Alpha?"
no, for l'm cerLaln LarLh's sun lsn'L on Lhe map aL all. lL was LhaL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
248
whlch shook my confldence when we flrsL spled Alpha. 8egardless of
how much lL mlghL resemble LarLh's sun, Lhe mere facL LhaL lL was on
Lhe map made me suspecL lL was noL Lhe real Lhlng."
Well, Lhen," sald 8llss. Why noL concenLraLe on Lhe same co-
ordlnaLes ln real space? 1hen, lf Lhere ls any brlghL sLar close Lo Lhe
cenLer, a sLar LhaL does noL exlsL ln Lhe compuLer's map, and lf lL ls very
much llke Alpha ln lLs properLles, buL ls slngle, mlghL lL noL be LarLh's
sun?"
1revlze slghed. lf all LhaL were so, l'd be wllllng Lo wager half my
forLune, such as lL ls, LhaL clrcllng LhaL sLar you speak of would be Lhe
planeL LarLh. -Agaln, l heslLaLe Lo Lry."
8ecause you mlghL fall?"
1revlze nodded. Powever," he sald, [usL glve me a momenL or Lwo
Lo caLch my breaLh, and l'll force myself Lo do so."
And whlle Lhe Lhree adulLs looked aL each oLher, lallow approached
Lhe compuLer-desk and sLared curlously aL Lhe handmarks upon lL. She
reached ouL her own hand LenLaLlvely Loward Lhe marklngs, and 1revlze
blocked Lhe moLlon wlLh a swlfL ouLLhrusLlng of hls own arm and a
sharp, MusLn'L Louch, lallow."
1he young Solarlan seemed sLarLled, and reLreaLed Lo Lhe comforL of
8llss's enclrcllng arm.
eloraL sald, We musL face lL, Colan. WhaL lf you flnd noLhlng ln real
space?"
1hen we wlll be forced Lo go back Lo Lhe earller plan," sald 1revlze,
and vlslL each of Lhe forLy-seven Spacer worlds ln Lurn."
And lf LhaL ylelds noLhlng, Colan?"
1revlze shook hls head ln annoyance, as Lhough Lo prevenL LhaL
LhoughL from Laklng Loo deep a rooL. SLarlng down aL hls knees, he sald
abrupLly, 1hen l wlll Lhlnk of someLhlng else."
8uL whaL lf Lhere ls no world of forebears aL all?"
1revlze looked up sharply aL Lhe Lreble volce. Who sald LhaL?" he
asked.
lL was a useless quesLlon. 1he momenL of dlsbellef faded, and he
knew very well who Lhe quesLloner was.
l dld," sald lallow.
1revlze looked aL her wlLh a sllghL frown. uld you undersLand Lhe
conversaLlon?"
lallow sald, ?ou are looklng for Lhe world of forebears, buL you
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
249
haven'L found lL yeL. Maybe Lhere lsn'L no such world."
Any such world," sald 8llss sofLly.
no, lallow," sald 1revlze serlously. 1here has been a very blg efforL
Lo hlde lL. 1o Lry so hard Lo hlde someLhlng means Lhere ls someLhlng
Lhere Lo hlde. uo you undersLand whaL l am saylng?"
?es," sald lallow. ?ou do noL leL me Louch Lhe hands on Lhe deck.
8ecause you do noL leL me do LhaL means lL would be lnLeresLlng Lo
Louch Lhem."
Ah, buL noL for you, lallom. -8llss, you are creaLlng a monsLer LhaL
wlll desLroy us all. uon'L ever leL her ln here unless l'm aL Lhe desk. And
even Lhen, Lhlnk Lwlce, wlll you?"
1he small byplay, however, seemed Lo have shaken hlm ouL of hls
lrresoluLlon. Pe sald, Cbvlously, l had beLLer geL Lo work. lf l [usL slL
here, uncerLaln as Lo whaL Lo do, LhaL llLLle frlghL wlll Lake over Lhe shlp."
1he llghLs dlmmed, and 8llss sald ln a low volce, ?ou promlsed,
1revlze. uo noL call her a monsLer or a frlghL ln her hearlng."
1hen keep an eye on her, and Leach her some manners. 1ell her
chlldren should be never heard and seldom seen."
8llss frowned. ?our aLLlLude Loward chlldren ls slmply appalllng,
1revlze."
Maybe, buL Lhls ls noL Lhe Llme Lo dlscuss Lhe maLLer."
1hen he sald, ln Lones ln whlch saLlsfacLlon and rellef were equally
represenLed, 1here's Alpha agaln ln real space. -And Lo lLs lefL, and
sllghLly upward, ls almosL as brlghL a sLar and one LhaL lsn'L ln Lhe
compuLer's CalacLlc map. 1haL ls LarLh's sun. l'll wager all my forLune on
lL."
72.
WLLL, now," sald 8llss, we won'L Lake any parL of your forLune lf
you lose, so why noL seLLle Lhe maLLer ln a forLhrlghL manner? LeL's vlslL
Lhe sLar as soon as you can make Lhe !ump."
1revlze shook hls head. no. 1hls Llme lL's noL a maLLer of
lrresoluLlon or fear. lL's a maLLer of belng careful. 1hree Llmes we've
vlslLed an unknown world and Lhree Llmes we've come up agalnsL
someLhlng unexpecLedly dangerous. And Lhree Llmes, moreover, we've
had Lo leave LhaL world ln a hurry. 1hls Llme Lhe maLLer ls ulLlmaLely
cruclal and l wlll noL play my cards ln lgnorance agaln, or aL leasL ln any
more lgnorance Lhan l can help. So far, all we have are vague sLorles
abouL radloacLlvlLy, and LhaL ls noL enough. 8y an odd chance LhaL no
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
230
one could have anLlclpaLed, Lhere ls a planeL wlLh human llfe abouL a
parsec from LarLh-
uo we really know LhaL Alpha has a planeL wlLh human llfe on lL?"
puL ln eloraL. ?ou sald Lhe compuLer placed a quesLlon mark afLer
LhaL."
Lven so," sald 1revlze, lL's worLh Lrylng. Why noL Lake a look aL lL?
lf lL does lndeed have human belngs on lL, leL us flnd ouL whaL Lhey know
abouL LarLh. lor Lhem, afLer all, LarLh ls noL a dlsLanL Lhlng of legend, lL
ls a nelghbor world, brlghL and promlnenL ln Lhelr sky."
8llss sald LhoughLfully, lL's noL a bad ldea. lL occurs Lo me LhaL lf
Alpha ls lnhablLed and lf Lhe lnhablLanLs are noL your Lhoroughly Lyplcal
lsolaLes, Lhey may be frlendly, and we mlghL be able Lo geL some decenL
food for a change."
And meeL some pleasanL people," sald 1revlze. uon'L forgeL LhaL.
Wlll lL be all rlghL wlLh you, !anov?"
eloraL sald, ?ou make Lhe declslon, old chap. Wherever you go, l
wlll go, Loo.
lallom sald suddenly, Wlll we flnd !emby?"
8llss sald hasLlly, before 1revlze could answer, We wlll look for lL,
lallom."
And Lhen 1revlze sald, lL's seLLled Lhen. Cn Lo Alpha."
73.
1wo 8lC sLars," sald lallom, polnLlng Lo Lhe vlewscreen.
1haL's rlghL," sald 1revlze. 1wo of Lhem. -8llss, do keep an eye on
her. l don'L wanL her flddllng wlLh anyLhlng."
She's fasclnaLed by machlnery," sald 8llss.
?es, l know she ls," sald 1revlze, buL l'm noL fasclnaLed by her
fasclnaLlon. -1hough Lo Lell you Lhe LruLh, l'm as fasclnaLed as she ls aL
seelng Lwo sLars LhaL brlghL ln Lhe vlewscreen aL Lhe same Llme."
1he Lwo sLars were brlghL enough Lo seem Lo be on Lhe polnL of
showlng a dlsc-each of Lhem. 1he screen had auLomaLlcally lncreased
fllLraLlon denslLy ln order Lo remove Lhe hard radlaLlon and dlm Lhe llghL
of Lhe brlghL sLars so as Lo avold reLlnal damage. As a resulL, few oLher
sLars were brlghL enough Lo be noLlceable, and Lhe Lwo LhaL were
relgned ln haughLy near-lsolaLlon.
1he Lhlng ls," sald 1revlze, l've never been Lhls close Lo a blnary
sysLem before."
?ou haven'L?" sald eloraL, open asLonlshmenL ln hls volce. Pow ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
231
LhaL posslble?"
1revlze laughed. l've been around, !anov, buL l'm noL Lhe CalacLlc
rover you Lhlnk l am."
eloraL sald, l was never ln space aL all Llll l meL you, Colan, buL l
always LhoughL LhaL anyone who dld manage Lo geL lnLo space-
Would go everywhere. l know. 1haL's naLural enough. 1he Lrouble
wlLh planeL-bound people ls LhaL no maLLer how much Lhelr mlnd may
Lell Lhem oLherwlse, Lhelr lmaglnaLlons [usL can'L Lake ln Lhe Lrue slze of
Lhe Calaxy. We could Lravel all our llves and leave mosL of Lhe Calaxy
unpeneLraLed and unLouched. 8esldes, no one ever goes Lo blnarles."
Why noL?" sald 8llss, frownlng. We on Cala know llLLle asLronomy
compared Lo Lhe Lravellng lsolaLes of Lhe Calaxy, buL l'm under Lhe
lmpresslon LhaL blnarles aren'L rare."
1hey're noL," sald 1revlze. 1here are subsLanLlally more blnarles
Lhan Lhere are slngle sLars. Powever, Lhe formaLlon of Lwo sLars ln close
assoclaLlon upseLs Lhe ordlnary processes of planeLary formaLlon.
8lnarles have less planeLary maLerlal Lhan slngle sLars do. Such planeLs
as do form abouL Lhem ofLen have relaLlvely unsLable orblLs and are very
rarely of a Lype LhaL ls reasonably hablLable.
Larly explorers, l lmaglne, sLudled many blnarles aL close range buL,
afLer a whlle, for seLLlemenL purposes, Lhey soughL ouL only slngles. And,
of course, once you have a densely seLLled Calaxy, vlrLually all Lravel
lnvolves Lrade and communlcaLlons and ls carrled on beLween lnhablLed
worlds clrcllng slngle sLars. ln perlods of mlllLary acLlvlLy, l suppose bases
were someLlmes seL up on small, oLherwlse-unlnhablLed worlds clrcllng
one of Lhe sLars of a blnary LhaL happened Lo be sLraLeglcally placed, buL
as hyperspaLlal Lravel came Lo be perfecLed, such bases were no longer
necessary."
eloraL sald humbly, .lL's amazlng how much l don'L know."
1revlze merely grlnned. uon'L leL LhaL lmpress you, !anov. When l
was ln Lhe navy, we llsLened Lo an lncredlble number of lecLures on
ouLmoded mlllLary LacLlcs LhaL no one ever planned, or lnLended Lo use,
and were [usL Lalked abouL ouL of lnerLla. l was [usL raLLllng off a blL of
one of Lhem. -Conslder all you know abouL myLhology, folklore, and
archalc languages LhaL l don'L know, and LhaL only you and a very few
oLhers do know."
8llss sald, ?es, buL Lhose Lwo sLars make up a blnary sysLem and one
of Lhem has an lnhablLed planeL clrcllng lL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
232
We hope lL does, 8llss," sald 1revlze. LveryLhlng has lLs excepLlons.
And wlLh an offlclal quesLlon mark ln Lhls case, whlch makes lL more
puzzllng. -no, lallom, Lhose knobs are noL Loys. -8llss, elLher keep her ln
handcuffs, or Lake her ouL."
She won'L hurL anyLhlng," sald 8llss defenslvely, buL pulled Lhe
Solarlan youngsLer Lo herself [usL Lhe same. lf you're so lnLeresLed ln
LhaL hablLable planeL, why aren'L we Lhere already?"
lor one Lhlng," sald 1revlze, l'm [usL human enough Lo wanL Lo see
Lhls slghL of a blnary sysLem aL close quarLers. 1hen, Loo, l'm [usL human
enough Lo be cauLlous. As l've already explalned, noLhlng has happened
slnce we lefL Cala LhaL would encourage me Lo be anyLhlng buL
cauLlous."
eloraL sald, Whlch one of Lhose sLars ls Alpha, Colan?"
We won'L geL losL, !anov. 1he compuLer knows exacLly whlch one ls
Alpha, and, for LhaL maLLer, so do we. lL's Lhe hoLLer and yellower of Lhe
Lwo because lL's Lhe larger. now Lhe one on Lhe rlghL has a dlsLlncL
orange Llnge Lo lLs llghL, raLher llke Aurora's sun, lf you recall. uo you
noLlce?"
?es, now LhaL you call lL Lo my aLLenLlon."
very well. 1haL's Lhe smaller one. -WhaL's Lhe second leLLer of LhaL
anclenL language you speak of?"
eloraL LhoughL a momenL, and sald, 8eLa."
1hen leL's call Lhe orange one 8eLa and Lhe yellow-whlLe one Alpha,
and lL's Alpha we're headlng for rlghL now."
Chapter 1S
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
233

new LarLh

74.

lCu8 LAnL1S," muLLered 1revlze. All are small, plus a Lralllng off
of asLerolds. no gas glanLs."
eloraL sald, uo you flnd LhaL dlsappolnLlng?"
noL really. lL's expecLed. 8lnarles LhaL clrcle each oLher aL small
dlsLances can have no planeLs clrcllng one of Lhe sLars. laneLs can clrcle
Lhe cenLer of gravlLy of boLh, buL lL's very unllkely LhaL Lhey would be
hablLable-Loo far away.
Cn Lhe oLher hand lf Lhe blnarles are reasonably separaLe, Lhere can
be planeLs ln sLable orblLs abouL each, lf Lhey are close enough Lo one or
Lhe oLher of Lhe sLars. 1hese Lwo sLars, accordlng Lo Lhe compuLer's daLa
bank, have an average separaLlon of 3.3 bllllon kllomeLers and even aL
perlasLron, when Lhey are closesL LogeLher, are abouL 1.7 bllllon
kllomeLers aparL. A planeL ln an orblL of less Lhan 200 mllllon kllomeLers
from elLher sLar would be sLably slLuaLed, buL Lhere can be no planeL
wlLh a larger orblL. 1haL means no gas glanLs slnce Lhey would have Lo be
farLher away from a sLar, buL whaL's Lhe dlfference? Cas glanLs aren'L
hablLable, anyway."
8uL one of Lhose four planeLs mlghL be hablLable."
AcLually Lhe second planeL ls Lhe only real posslblllLy. lor one Lhlng,
lL's Lhe only one of Lhem large enough Lo have an aLmosphere."
1hey approached Lhe second planeL rapldly and over a perlod of Lwo
days lLs lmage expanded, aL flrsL wlLh a ma[esLlc and measured swelllng.
And Lhen, when Lhere was no slgn of any shlp emerglng Lo lnLercepL
Lhem, wlLh lncreaslng and almosL frlghLenlng speed. ,
1he lar SLar was movlng swlfLly along a Lemporary orblL a Lhousand
kllomeLers above Lhe cloud cover, when 1revlze sald grlmly, l see why
Lhe compuLer's memory banks puL a quesLlon mark afLer Lhe noLaLlon
LhaL lL was lnhablLed. 1here's no clear slgn of radlaLlon, elLher llghL ln Lhe
nlghL-hemlsphere, or radlo anywhere."
Me cloud cover seems preLLy Lhlck," sald eloraL.
1haL should noL blank ouL radlo radlaLlon."
1hey waLched Lhe planeL wheellng below Lhem, a symphony ln
swlrllng whlLe clouds, Lhrough occaslonal gaps of whlch a blulsh wash
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
234
lndlcaLed ocean.
1revlze sald, 1he cloud level ls falrly heavy for an lnhablLed world. lL
mlghL be a raLher gloomy one. -WhaL boLhers me mosL," he added, as
Lhey plunged once more lnLo Lhe nlghL-shadow, ls LhaL no space
sLaLlons have halled us."
1he way Lhey dld back aL Comporellon, you mean?" sald eloraL.
1he way Lhey would ln any lnhablLed world. We would have Lo sLop
for Lhe usual checkup on papers, frelghL, lengLh of sLay, and so on."
8llss sald, erhaps we mlssed Lhe hall for some reason."
Cur compuLer would have recelved lL aL any wavelengLh Lhey mlghL
have cared Lo use. And we've been sendlng ouL our own slgnals, buL
have roused no one and noLhlng as a resulL. ulpplng under Lhe cloud
layer wlLhouL communlcaLlng wlLh sLaLlon offlclals vlolaLes space
courLesy, buL l don'L see LhaL we have a cholce."
1he lar SLar slowed, and sLrengLhened lLs anLlgravlLy accordlngly, so
as Lo malnLaln lLs helghL. lL came ouL lnLo Lhe sunllghL agaln, and slowed
furLher. 1revlze, ln co-ordlnaLlon wlLh Lhe compuLer, found a slzable
break ln Lhe clouds. 1he shlp sank and passed Lhrough lL. 8eneaLh Lhem
heaved Lhe ocean ln whaL musL have been a fresh breeze. lL lay,
wrlnkled, several kllomeLers below, Lhem, falnLly sLrlped ln llnes of froLh.
1hey flew ouL of Lhe sunllL paLch and under Lhe cloud cover. 1he
expanse of waLer lmmedlaLely beneaLh Lhem Lurned a slaLe-gray, and
Lhe LemperaLure dropped noLlceably.
lallom, sLarlng aL Lhe vlewscreen, spoke ln her own consonanL-rlch
language for a few momenLs, Lhen shlfLed Lo CalacLlc. Per volce
Lrembled. WhaL ls LhaL whlch l see beneaLh?"
1haL ls an ocean," sald 8llss sooLhlngly. lL ls a very large mass of
waLer."
Why does lL noL dry up?"
8llss looked aL 1revlze, who sald, 1here's Loo much waLer for lL Lo
dry u. 9L
lallom sald ln a half-choked manner, l don'L wanL all LhaL waLer. LeL
us go away." And Lhen she shrleked, Lhlnly, as Lhe lar SLar moved
Lhrough a paLch of sLorm clouds so LhaL Lhe vlewscreen Lurned mllky and
was sLreaked wlLh Lhe mark of ralndrops.
1he llghLs ln Lhe plloL-room dlmmed and Lhe shlp's moLlon became
sllghLly [erky.
1revlze looked up ln surprlse and crled ouL. 8llss, your lallow ls old
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
233
enough Lo Lransduce. She's uslng elecLrlc power Lo Lry Lo manlpulaLe Lhe
conLrols. SLop her!"
8llss puL her arms abouL lallom, and hugged her LlghLly, lL's all rlghL,
lallom, lL's all rlghL. 1here's noLhlng Lo be afrald of. lL's [usL anoLher
world, LhaL's all. 1here are many llke Lhls."
lallom relaxed somewhaL buL conLlnued Lo Lremble.
8llss sald Lo 1revlze, 1he chlld has never seen an ocean, and
perhaps, for all l know, never experlenced fog or raln. Can'L you be
sympaLheLlc?"
noL lf she Lampers wlLh Lhe shlp. She's a danger Lo all of us, Lhen.
1ake her lnLo your room and calm her down."
8llss nodded curLly.
eloraL sald, l'll come wlLh you, 8llss."
no, no, el," she responded. ?ou sLay here. l'll sooLhe lallom and
you sooLhe 1revlze." And she lefL.
l don'L need sooLhlng," growled 1revlze Lo eloraL. l'm sorry lf l
flew off Lhe handle, buL we can'L have a chlld playlng wlLh Lhe conLrols,
can we?"
Cf course we can'L," sald eloraL, buL 8llss was caughL by surprlse.
She can conLrol lallom, who ls really remarkably well behaved for a chlld
Laken from her home and her-her roboL, and Lhrown, wllly-nllly, lnLo a
llfe she doesn'L undersLand."
l know. lL wasn'L l who wanLed Lo Lake her along, remember. lL was
8llss's ldea."
?es, buL Lhe chlld would have been kllled, lf we hadn'L Laken her."
Well, l'll apologlze Lo 8llss laLer on. 1o Lhe chlld, Loo."
8uL he was sLlll frownlng, and eloraL sald genLly, Colan, old chap, ls
Lhere anyLhlng else boLherlng you?"
1he ocean," sald 1revlze. 1hey had long emerged from Lhe raln
sLorm, buL Lhe clouds perslsLed.
WhaL's wrong wlLh lL?" asked eloraL.
1here's Loo much of lL, LhaL's all."
eloraL looked blank, and 1revlze sald, wlLh a snap, no land. We
haven'L seen any land. 1he aLmosphere ls perfecLly normal, oxygen and
nlLrogen ln decenL proporLlons, so Lhe planeL has Lo be englneered, and
Lhere has Lo be planL llfe Lo malnLaln Lhe oxygen level. ln Lhe naLural
sLaLe, such aLmospheres do noL occur-excepL, presumably, on LarLh,
where lL developed, who knows how. 8uL, Lhen, on englneered planeLs
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
236
Lhere are always reasonable amounLs of dry land, up Lo one Lhlrd of Lhe
whole, and never less Lhan a flfLh. So how can Lhls planeL be englneered,
and lack land?"
eloraL sald, erhaps, slnce Lhls planeL ls parL of a blnary sysLem, lL
ls compleLely aLyplcal. Maybe lL wasn'L englneered, buL evolved an
aLmosphere ln ways LhaL never prevall on planeLs abouL slngle sLars.
erhaps llfe developed lndependenLly here, as lL once dld on LarLh, buL
only sea llfe."
Lven lf we were Lo admlL LhaL," sald 1revlze, lL would do us no
Cood.
1here's no way llfe ln Lhe sea can develop a Lechnology. 1echnology
ls always based on flre, and flre ls lmposslble ln Lhe sea. A llfe-bearlng
planeL wlLhouL Lechnology ls noL whaL we're looklng for."
l reallze LhaL, buL l'm only conslderlng ldeas. AfLer all, as far as we
know, Lechnology only developed once-on LarLh. Lverywhere else, Lhe
SeLLlers broughL lL wlLh Lhem. ?ou can'L say Lechnology ls `always'
anyLhlng, lf you only have one case Lo sLudy."
1ravel Lhrough Lhe sea requlres sLreamllnlng. Sea llfe cannoL have
lrregular ouLllnes and appendages such as hands."
Squlds have LenLacles."
1revlze sald, l admlL we are allowed Lo speculaLe, buL lf you're
Lhlnklng of lnLelllgenL squld-llke creaLures evolvlng lndependenLly
somewhere ln Lhe Calaxy, and developlng a Lechnology noL based on
flre, you're supposlng someLhlng noL aL all llkely, ln my oplnlon."
ln your oplnlon, " sald eloraL genLly.
Suddenly, 1revlze laughed. very well, !anov. l see you're loglc-
chopplng ln order Lo geL even wlLh me for speaklng harshly Lo 8llss, and
you're dolng a good [ob. l promlse you LhaL lf we flnd no land, we wlll
examlne Lhe sea as besL we can Lo see lf we can flnd your clvlllzed
squlds."
As he spoke, Lhe shlp plunged lnLo Lhe nlghL-shadow agaln, and Lhe
vlewscreen Lurned black.
eloraL wlnced. l keep wonderlng," he sald. ls Lhls safe?"
ls whaL safe, !anov?"
8aclng Lhrough Lhe dark llke Lhls. We mlghL dlp, and dlve lnLo Lhe
ocean, and be desLroyed lnsLanLly."
CulLe lmposslble, !anov. 8eally! 1he compuLer keeps us Lravellng
along a gravlLaLlonal llne of force. ln oLher words, lL remalns always aL a
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
237
consLanL lnLenslLy of Lhe planeLary gravlLaLlonal force whlch means lL
keeps us aL a nearly consLanL helghL above sea level."
8uL how hlgh?"
nearly flve kllomeLers."
1haL doesn'L really console me, Colan. MlghL we noL reach land and
smash lnLo a mounLaln we don'L see?"
We don'L see, buL shlp's radar wlll see lL, and Lhe compuLer wlll
gulde Lhe shlp around or over Lhe mounLaln."
WhaL lf Lhere's level land, Lhen? We'll mlss lL ln Lhe dark."
no, !anov, we won'L. 8adar reflecLed from waLer ls noL aL all llke
radar reflecLed from land. WaLer ls essenLlally flaL, land ls rough. lor LhaL
reason, reflecLlon from land ls subsLanLlally more chaoLlc Lhan reflecLlon
from waLer. 1he compuLer wlll know Lhe dlfference and lL wlll leL me
know lf Lhere's land ln vlew. Lven lf lL were day and Lhe planeL were sun-
llL, Lhe compuLer mlghL well deLecL land before l would."
1hey fell sllenL and, ln a couple of hours, Lhey were back ln dayllghL,
wlLh an empLy ocean agaln rolllng beneaLh Lhem monoLonously, buL
occaslonally lnvlslble when Lhey passed Lhrough one of Lhe numerous
sLorms. ln one sLorm, Lhe wlnd drove Lhe lar SLar ouL of lLs paLh. 1he
compuLer gave way, 1revlze explalned, ln order Lo prevenL an
unnecessary wasLe of energy and Lo mlnlmlze Lhe chance of physlcal
damage. 1hen, when Lhe Lurbulence had passed, Lhe compuLer eased
Lhe shlp back lnLo lLs paLh.
robably Lhe edge of a hurrlcane," sald 1revlze.
eloraL sald, See here, old chap, we're [usL Lravellng wesL Lo easL-or
easL Lo wesL. All we're examlnlng ls Lhe equaLor."
1revlze sald, 1haL would be foollsh, wouldn'L lL? We're followlng a
greaL-clrcle rouLe norLhwesL-souLheasL. 1haL Lakes us Lhrough Lhe
Lroplcs and boLh LemperaLe zones and each Llme we repeaL Lhe clrcle,
Lhe paLh moves wesLward, as Lhe planeL roLaLes on lLs axls beneaLh us.
We're meLhodlcally crlsscrosslng Lhe world. 8y now, slnce we haven'L hlL
land, Lhe chances of a slzable conLlnenL are less Lhan one ln Len,
accordlng Lo Lhe compuLer, and of a slzable lsland less Lhan one ln four,
wlLh Lhe chances golng down each clrcle we make."
?ou know whaL l would have done," sald eloraL slowly, as Lhe nlghL
hemlsphere engulfed Lhem agaln. l'd have sLayed well away from Lhe
planeL and swepL Lhe enLlre hemlsphere faclng me wlLh radar. 1he
clouds wouldn'L have maLLered, would Lhey?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
238
1revlze sald, And Lhen zoom Lo Lhe oLher slde and do Lhe same
Lhere. Cr [usL leL Lhe planeL Lurn once. -1haL's hlndslghL, !anov. Who
would expecL Lo approach a hablLable planeL wlLhouL sLopplng aL a
sLaLlon and belng glven a paLh-or belng excluded? And lf one wenL under
Lhe cloud layer wlLhouL sLopplng aL a sLaLlon, who would expecL noL Lo
flnd land almosL aL once? PablLable planeLs are-land!"
Surely noL all land," sald eloraL.
l'm noL Lalklng abouL LhaL," sald 1revlze, ln sudden exclLemenL. l'm
saylng we've found land! CuleL!"
1hen, wlLh a resLralnL LhaL dld noL succeed ln hldlng hls exclLemenL,
1revlze placed hls hands on Lhe desk and became parL of Lhe compuLer.
Pe sald, lL's an lsland abouL Lwo hundred and flfLy kllomeLers long and
slxLy-flve kllomeLers wlde, more or less. erhaps flfLeen Lhousand square
kllomeLers ln area or LhereabouL. noL large, buL respecLable. More Lhan
a doL on Lhe map. WalL-
1he llghLs ln Lhe plloL-room dlmmed and wenL ouL.
WhaL are we dolng?" sald eloraL, auLomaLlcally whlsperlng as
Lhough darkness were someLhlng fraglle LhaL musL noL be shaLLered.
WalLlng for our eyes Lo undergo dark-adapLaLlon. 1he shlp ls
hoverlng over Lhe lsland. !usL waLch. uo you see anyLhlng?"
no- LlLLle specks of llghL, maybe. l'm noL sure."
l see Lhem, Loo. now l'll Lhrow ln Lhe Lelescoplc lam."
And Lhere was llghL! Clearly vlslble. lrregular paLches of lL.
lL's lnhablLed," sald 1revlze. lL may be Lhe only lnhablLed porLlon of
Lhe pesL-,
WhaL do we do?"-
We walL for dayLlme. 1haL glves us a few hours ln whlch we can
resL."
MlghL Lhey noL aLLack us?"
WlLh whaL? l deLecL almosL no radlaLlon excepL vlslble llghL and
lnfrared. lL's lnhablLed and Lhe lnhablLanLs are clearly lnLelllgenL. 1hey
have a Lechnology, buL obvlously a preelecLronlc one, so l don'L Lhlnk
Lhere's anyLhlng Lo worry abouL up here. lf l should be wrong, Lhe
compuLer wlll warn me ln plenLy of Llme."
And once dayllghL comes?"
We'll land, of course."
73.
1PL? CAML down when Lhe flrsL rays of Lhe mornlng sun shone
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
239
Lhrough a break ln Lhe clouds Lo reveal parL of Lhe lsland-freshly green,
wlLh lLs lnLerlor marked by a llne of low, rolllng hllls sLreLchlng lnLo Lhe
purpllsh dlsLance.
As Lhey dropped closer, Lhey could see lsolaLed copses of Lrees and
occaslonal orchards, buL for Lhe mosL parL Lhere were well-kepL farms.
lmmedlaLely below Lhem, on Lhe souLheasLern shore of Lhe lsland was a
sllvery beach backed by a broken llne of boulders, and beyond lL was a
sLreLch of lawn. 1hey caughL a gllmpse of an occaslonal house, buL Lhese
dld noL clusLer lnLo anyLhlng llke a Lown.
LvenLually, Lhey made ouL a dlm neLwork of roads, sparsely llned by
dwelllng places, and Lhen, ln Lhe cool mornlng slr, Lhey spled an slr-car ln
Lhe far dlsLance. 1hey could only Lell lL was an au-car, and noL a blrd, by
Lhe manner of lLs maneuverlng. lL was Lhe flrsL lndublLable slgn of
lnLelllgenL llfe ln acLlon Lhey had yeL seen on Lhe planeL.
lL could be an auLomaLed vehlcle, lf Lhey could manage LhaL wlLhouL
elecLronlcs," sald 1revlze.
8llss sald, lL mlghL well be. lL seems Lo me LhaL lf Lhere were a
human belng aL Lhe conLrols, lL would be headlng for us. We musL be
qulLe a slghL-a vehlcle slnklng downward wlLhouL Lhe use of braklng [eLs
of rockeL flre."
A sLrange slghL on any planeL," sald 1revlze LhoughLfully. 1here
can'L be many worlds LhaL have ever wlLnessed Lhe descenL of a gravlLlc
space-vessel. -1he beach would make a flne landlng place, buL lf Lhe
wlnds blow l don'L wanL Lhe shlp lnundaLed. l'll make for Lhe sLreLch of
grass on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe boulders."
AL leasL," sald eloraL, a gravlLlc shlp won'L scorch prlvaLe properLy
ln descendlng."
uown Lhey came genLly on Lhe four broad pads LhaL had moved
slowly ouLward durlng Lhe lasL sLage. 1hese pressed down lnLo Lhe soll
under welghL of Lhe shlp.
eloraL .sald, l'm afrald we'll .leave marks, Lhough."
AL leasL," sald 8llss, and Lhere was LhaL ln her volce LhaL was noL en
approvlng, Lhe cllmaLe ls evldenLly equable. -l would even say, warm."
A human belng was on Lhe grass, waLchlng Lhe shlp descend and
showlng no evldence of fear or surprlse. 1he look on her face showed
only rapL lnLeresL.
She wore very llLLle, whlch accounLed for 8llss's esLlmaLe of Lhe c Per
sandals seemed Lo be of canvas, and abouL her hlps was a wraparound
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
260
sklrL wlLh a flowered paLLern. 1here were no leg-coverlngs and Lhere was
noLhlng above her walsL.
Per halr was black, long, and very glossy, descendlng almosL Lo her
walsL, Per skln color was a pale brown and her eyes were narrow.
1revlze scanned Lhe surroundlngs and Lhere was no oLher human
belng ln slghL. Pe shrugged and sald, Well, lL's early mornlng and Lhe
lnhablLanLs may be mosLly lndoors, or even asleep. SLlll, l wouldn'L say lL
was a well-populaLed area."
Pe Lurned Lo Lhe oLhers and sald, l'll go ouL and Lalk Lo Lhe woman,
lf she,' speaks anyLhlng comprehenslble. 1he resL of you-
l should Lhlnk," sald 8llss flrmly, LhaL we mlghL as well all sLep ouL.
1haL woman looks compleLely harmless and, ln any case, l wanL Lo
sLreLch my legs and breaLhe planeLary alr, and perhaps arrange for
planeLary food. l wanL lallow Lo geL Lhe feel of a world agaln, Loo, and l
Lhlnk el would llke Lo examlne Lhe woman aL closer range."
Who? l?" sald eloraL, Lurnlng falnLly plnk. noL aL all, 8llss, buL l am
Lhe llngulsL of our llLLle parLy."
1revlze shrugged. Come one, come all. SLlll, Lhough she may look
harmless, l lnLend Lo Lake my weapons wlLh me."
l doubL," sald 8llss, LhaL you wlll be much LempLed Lo use Lhem on
LhaL young woman."
1revlze grlnned. She ls aLLracLlve, lsn'L she?"
1revlze lefL Lhe shlp flrsL, Lhen 8llss, wlLh one hand swung backward
Lo enclose lallom's, who carefully made her way down Lhe ramp afLer
8llss. eloraL was lasL.
1he black-halred young woman conLlnued Lo waLch wlLh lnLeresL.
She dld noL back away an lnch.
1revlze muLLered, Well, leL's Lry."
Pe held hls arms away from hls weapons and sald, l greeL you."
1he young woman consldered LhaL for a momenL, and sald, l greeL
Lhee and l greeL Lhy companlons."
eloraL sald [oyfully, Pow wonderful! She speaks Classlcal CalacLlc
and wlLh a correcL accenL."'
l undersLand her, Loo," sald 1revlze, osclllaLlng one hand Lo lndlcaLe
hls undersLandlng wasn'L perfecL. l hope she undersLands me."
Pe sald, smlllng, and assumlng a frlendly expresslon, We come from
across space. We come from anoLher world."
1haL ls well," sald Lhe young woman, ln her clear soprano. Comes
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
261
Lhy shlp from Lhe Lmplre?"
lL comes from a far sLar, and Lhe shlp ls named lar SLar.
1he young woman looked up aL Lhe leLLerlng on Lhe shlp. ls LhaL
whaL LhaL sayeLh? lf LhaL be so, and lf Lhe flrsL leLLer ls an l, Lhen,
behold, lL ls lmprlnLed backward."
1revlze was abouL Lo ob[ecL, buL eloraL, ln an ecsLasy of [oy, sald,
She's rlghL. 1he leLLer l dld reverse lLself abouL Lwo Lhousand years ago.
WhaL a marvelous chance Lo sLudy Classlcal CalacLlc ln deLall and as a
llvlng language."
1revlze sLudled Lhe young woman carefully. She was noL much more
Lhan 1.3 meLers ln helghL, and her breasLs, Lhough shapely, were small.
?eL she dld noL seem unrlpe. 1he nlpples were large and Lhe areolae
dark, Lhough LhaL mlghL be Lhe resulL of her brownlsh skln color.
Pe sald, My name ls Colan 1revlze, my frlend ls !anov eloraL, Lhe
woman ls 8llss, and Lhe chlld ls lallom."
ls lL Lhe cusLom, Lhen, on Lhe far sLar from whlch you come, LhaL Lhe
men be glven a double name? l am Plroko, daughLer of Plroko."
And your faLher?" lnLerposed eloraL suddenly.
1o whlch Plroko replled wlLh an lndlfferenL shrug of her shoulder,
Pls name, so sayeLh my moLher, ls Smool, buL lL ls of no lmporLance. l
know hlm noL."
And where are Lhe oLhers?" asked 1revlze. ?ou seem Lo be Lhe
only one Lo be here Lo greeL us."
Plroko sald, Many men are aboard Lhe flshboaLs, many women are
ln Lhe flelds. l Lake hollday Lhese lasL Lwo days and so am forLunaLe
enough Lo see Lhls greaL Lhlng. ?eL people are curlous and Lhe shlp wlll
have been seen as lL descended, even from a dlsLance. CLhers wlll be
here soon."
Are Lhere many oLhers on Lhls lsland?"
1here are more Lhan a score and flve Lhousand," sald Plroko wlLh
obvlous prlde.
And are Lhere oLher lslands ln Lhe ocean?"
CLher lslands, good slr?" She seemed puzzled.
1revlze Look LhaL as answer enough. 1hls was Lhe one spoL on Lhe
enLlre planeL LhaL was lnhablLed by human belngs.
Pe sald, WhaL do you call your world?"
lL ls Alpha, good slr. We are LaughL LhaL Lhe whole name ls Alpha
CenLaurl, lf LhaL has more meanlng Lo Lhee, buL we call lL Alpha only and,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
262
see, lL ls a falr-vlsaged world."
A whaL world?" sald 1revlze, Lurnlng blankly Lo eloraL.
A beauLlful world, she means," sald eloraL.
1haL lL ls," sald 1revlze, aL leasL here, and aL Lhls momenL." Pe
looked up aL Lhe mlld blue mornlng sky, wlLh lLs occaslonal drlfL of
clouds. ?ou have a nlce sunny day, Plroko, buL l lmaglne Lhere aren'L
many of Lhose on Alpha."
Plroko sLlffened. As many as we wlsh, slr. 1he clouds may come
when we need raln, buL on mosL days lL seemeLh good Lo us LhaL Lhe sky
ls falr above. Surely a goodly sky and a quleL wlnd are much Lo be
deslred on Lhose days when Lhe flshboaLs are aL sea."
uo your people conLrol Lhe weaLher, Lhen, Plroko?"
uld we noL, Slr Colan 1revlze, we would be soggy wlLh raln."
8uL how do you do LhaL?"
noL belng a Lralned englneer, slr, l cannoL Lell Lhee."
And whaL mlghL be Lhe name of Lhls lsland on whlch you and your
people llve?" sald 1revlze, flndlng hlmself Lrapped ln Lhe ornaLe sound of
Classlcal CalacLlc (and wonderlng desperaLely lf he had Lhe con[ugaLlons
rlghL).
Plroko sald, We call our heavenly lsland ln Lhe mldsL of Lhe vasL sea
of waLers new LarLh."
AL whlch 1revlze and eloraL sLared aL each oLher wlLh surprlse and
dellghL.
1PL8L was no Llme Lo follow up on Lhe sLaLemenL. CLhers were
arrlvlng. uozens. 1hey musL conslsL of Lhose, 1revlze LhoughL, who were
noL on Lhe shlps or ln Lhe flelds, and who were noL from Loo far away.
1hey came on fooL for Lhe mosL parL, Lhough Lwo ground-cars were ln
evldence-raLher old and clumsy.
Clearly, Lhls was a low-Lechnology socleLy, and yeL Lhey conLrolled
Lhe weaLher. lL was well known LhaL Lechnology was noL necessarlly all
of a plece, LhaL lack of advance ln some dlrecLlons dld noL necessarlly
exclude conslderable advance ln oLhers-buL surely Lhls example of
uneven developmenL was unusual.
Cf Lhose who were now waLchlng Lhe shlp, aL leasL half were elderly
men and women, Lhere were also Lhree or four chlldren. Cf Lhe resL,
more were women Lhan men. none showed any fear or uncerLalnLy
whaLever.
1revlze sald ln a low volce Lo 8llss, Are you manlpulaLlng Lhem?
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
263
1hey seem-serene."
l'm noL ln Lhe leasL manlpulaLlng Lhem," sald 8llss. l never Louch
mlnds unless l musL. lL's lallom l'm concerned wlLh."
lew as Lhe newcomers were Lo anyone who had experlenced Lhe
crowds of curloslLy-seekers on any normal world ln Lhe Calaxy, Lhey
were a mob Lo lallom, Lo whom Lhe Lhree adulLs on Lhe lar SLar had
been someLhlng Lo grow accusLomed Lo. lallom was breaLhlng rapldly
and shallowly, and her eyes were half-closed. AlmosL, she seemed ln
shock.
8llss was sLroklng her, sofLly and rhyLhmlcally, and maklng sooLhlng
sounds. 1revlze was cerLaln LhaL she was dellcaLely accompanylng lL all
by an lnflnlLely genLle rearrangemenL of menLal flbrlls.
lallom Look ln a sudden deep breaLh, almosL a gasp, and shook
herself, ln whaL was perhaps an lnvolunLary shudder. She ralsed her
head and looked aL Lhose presenL wlLh someLhlng approachlng
normallLy and Lhen burled her head ln Lhe space beLween 8llss's arm
and body.
8llss leL her remaln so, whlle her arm, enclrcllng lallom's shoulder,
LlghLened perlodlcally as Lhough Lo lndlcaLe her own proLecLlve presence
over and over.
eloraL seemed raLher awesLruck, as hls eyes wenL from one Alphan
Lo anoLher. Pe sald, Colan, Lhey dlffer so among Lhemselves."
1revlze had noLlced LhaL, Loo. 1here were varlous shades of skln and
halr color, lncludlng one brllllanL redhead wlLh blue eyes and freckled
skln. AL leasL Lhree apparenL adulLs were as shorL as Plroko, and one or
Lwo were Laller Lhan 1revlze. A number of boLh sexes had eyes
resembllng Lhose of Plroko, and 1revlze remembered LhaL on Lhe
Leemlng commerclal planeLs of Lhe llll secLor, such eyes were
characLerlsLlc of Lhe populaLlon, buL he had never vlslLed LhaL secLor.
All Lhe Alphans wore noLhlng above Lhe walsL and among Lhe women
Lhe breasLs all seemed Lo be small. 1haL was Lhe mosL nearly unlform of
all Lhe bodlly characLerlsLlcs LhaL he could see.
8llss sald suddenly, Mlss Plroko, my youngsLer ls noL accusLomed Lo
Lravel Lhrough space and she ls absorblng more novelLy Lhan she can
easlly manage. Would lL be posslble for her Lo slL down and, perhaps,
have someLhlng Lo eaL and drlnk?"
Plroko looked puzzled, and eloraL repeaLed whaL 8llss had sald ln
Lhe more ornaLe CalacLlc of Lhe mld-lmperlal perlod.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
264
Plroko's hand Lhen flew Lo her mouLh and she sank Lo her knees
gracefully. l crave your pardon, respecLed madam," she sald. l have
noL LhoughL of Lhls chlld's needs, nor of Lhlne. 1he sLrangeness of Lhls
evenL has Loo occupled me. WouldsL Lhou-would you all-as vlslLors and
guesLs, enLer Lhe refecLory for mornlng meal? May we [oln you and
serve as hosLs?"
8llss sald, 1haL ls klnd of you." She spoke slowly and pronounced
Lhe words carefully, hoplng Lo make Lhem easler Lo undersLand. lL
would be beLLer, Lhough, lf you alone served as hosLess, for Lhe sake of
Lhe comforL of Lhe chlld who ls unaccusLomed Lo belng wlLh many
people aL once."
Plroko rose Lo her feeL. lL shall be as Lhou hasL sald."
She led Lhem, ln lelsurely manner, across Lhe grass. CLher Alphans
edged closer. 1hey seemed parLlcularly lnLeresLed ln Lhe cloLhlng of Lhe
newcomers. 1revlze removed hls llghL [ackeL, and handed lL Lo a man
who had sldled Loward hlm and had lald a quesLlng flnger upon lL.
Pere," he sald, look lL over, buL reLurn lL." 1hen he sald Lo Plroko.
See LhaL l geL lL back, Mlss Plroko."
Cf a sureLy, lL wlll be backhanded, respecLed slr." She nodded her
head gravely.
1revlze smlled and walked on. Pe was more comforLable wlLhouL Lhe
[ackeL ln Lhe llghL, mlld breeze.
Pe had deLecLed no vlslble weapons on Lhe persons of any of Lhose
abouL hlm, and he found lL lnLeresLlng LhaL no one seemed Lo show any
fear or dlscomforL over 1revlze's. 1hey dld noL even show curloslLy
concernlng Lhem. lL mlghL well be LhaL Lhey were noL aware of Lhe
ob[ecLs as weapons aL all. lrom whaL 1revlze had so far seen, Alpha
mlghL well be a world uLLerly wlLhouL vlolence.
A woman, havlng moved rapldly forward, so as Lo be a llLLle ahead of
8llss, Lurned Lo examlne her blouse mlnuLely, Lhen sald, PasL Lhou
breasLs, respecLed madam?"
And, as Lhough unable Lo walL for an answer, she placed her hand
llghLly on 8llss's chesL.
8llss smlled and sald, As Lhou hasL dlscovered, l have. 1hey are
perhaps noL as shapely as Lhlne, buL l hlde Lhem noL for LhaL reason. Cn
my world, lL ls noL flLLlng LhaL Lhey be uncovered."
She whlspered ln an aslde Lo eloraL, Pow do you llke Lhe way l'm
geLLlng Lhe hang of Classlcal CalacLlc?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
263
?ou dld LhaL very well, 8llss," sald eloraL.
1he dlnlng room was a large one wlLh long Lables Lo whlch were
aLLached long benches on elLher slde. Clearly, Lhe Alphans aLe
communlLy-fashlon.
1revlze felL a pang of consclence. 8llss's requesL for prlvacy had
reserved Lhls space for flve people and forced Lhe Alphans generally Lo
remaln ln exlle ouLslde. A number, however, placed Lhemselves aL a
respecLful dlsLance from Lhe wlndows (whlch were no more Lhan gaps ln
Lhe wall, unfllled even by screens), presumably so LhaL Lhey mlghL waLch
Lhe sLrangers eaL.
lnvolunLarlly, he wondered whaL would happen lf lL were Lo raln.
Surely, Lhe raln would come only when lL was needed, llghL and mlld,
conLlnulng wlLhouL slgnlflcanL wlnd Llll enough had fallen. Moreover, lL
would always come aL known Llmes so LhaL Lhe Alphans would be ready
for lL, 1revlze lmaglned.
1he wlndow he was faclng looked ouL Lo sea, and far ouL aL Lhe
horlzon lL seemed Lo 1revlze LhaL he could make ouL a bank of clouds
slmllar Lo Lhose LhaL so nearly fllled Lhe skles everywhere buL over Lhls
llLLle spoL of Lden.
1here were advanLages Lo weaLher conLrol.
LvenLually, Lhey were served by a young woman on LlpLoelng feeL.
1hey were noL asked for Lhelr cholce, buL were merely served. 1here was
a small glass of mllk, a larger of grape [ulce, a sLlll larger of waLer. Lach
dlner recelved Lwo large poached eggs, wlLh sllvers of whlLe cheese on
Lhe slde. Lach also had a large plaLLer of brolled flsh and small roasLed
poLaLoes, resLlng on cool, green leLLuce leaves.
8llss looked wlLh dlsmay aL Lhe quanLlLy of food before her and was
clearly aL a loss where Lo begln. lallom had no such Lrouble. She drank
Lhe grape [ulce LhlrsLlly and wlLh clear evldence of approval, Lhen
chewed away aL Lhe flsh and poLaLoes. She was abouL Lo use her flngers
for Lhe purpose, buL 8llss held up a large spoon wlLh Llned ends LhaL
could serve as a fork as well, and lallom accepLed lL.
eloraL smlled hls saLlsfacLlon and cuL lnLo Lhe eggs aL once.
1revlze, saylng, now Lo be remlnded whaL real eggs LasLe llke,"
followed sulL.
Plroko, forgeLLlng Lo eaL her own breakfasL ln her dellghL aL Lhe
manner ln whlch Lhe oLhers aLe (for even 8llss flnally began, wlLh
obvlous rellsh), sald, aL lasL, ls lL well?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
266
lL ls well," sald 1revlze, hls volce somewhaL muffled. 1hls lsland has
no shorLage of food, apparenLly. -Cr do you serve us more Lhan you
should, ouL of pollLeness?"
Plroko llsLened wlLh lnLenL eyes, and seemed Lo grasp Lhe meanlng,
for she sald, no, no, respecLed slr. Cur land ls bounLlful, our sea even
more so. Cur ducks glve eggs, our goaLs boLh cheese and mllk. And Lhere
are our gralns. Above all, our sea ls fllled wlLh counLless varleLles of flsh
ln numberless quanLlLy. 1he whole Lmplre could eaL aL our Lables and
consume noL Lhe flsh of our sea."
1revlze smlled dlscreeLly. Clearly, Lhe young Alphan had noL Lhe
smallesL ldea of Lhe Lrue slze of Lhe Calaxy.
Pe sald, ?ou call Lhls lsland new LarLh, Plroko. Where, Lhen, mlghL
Cld LarLh be?"
She looked aL hlm ln bewlldermenL. Cld LarLh, say you? l crave
pardon, respecLed slr. l Lake noL Lhy meanlng."
1revlze sald, 8efore Lhere was a new LarLh, your people musL have
llved elsewhere. Where was Lhls elsewhere from whlch Lhey came?"
l know naughL of LhaL, respecLed slr," she sald, wlLh Lroubled
gravlLy. 1hls land has been mlne all my llfe, and my moLher's and
grandmoLher's before me, and, l doubL noL, Lhelr grandmoLher's and
greaL-grandmoLher's before Lhem. Cf any oLher land, l know naughL."
8uL," sald 1revlze, descendlng Lo genLle argumenLaLlon, you speak
of Lhls land as new LarLh. Why do you call lL LhaL?"
8ecause, respecLed slr," she replled, equally genLle, LhaL ls whaL lL
ls called by all slnce Lhe mlnd of woman goeLh noL Lo Lhe conLrary."
8uL lL ls new LarLh, and Lherefore, a laLer LarLh. 1here musL be an
Cld LarLh, a former one, for whlch lL was named. Lach mornlng Lhere ls a
new day, and LhaL lmplles LhaL earller Lhere had exlsLed an old day.
uon'L you see LhaL Lhls musL be so?"
nay, respecLed slr. l know only whaL Lhls land ls called. l know of
naughL else, nor do l follow Lhls reasonlng of Lhlne whlch sounds very
much llke whaL we call here chop-loglc. l mean no offense."
And 1revlze shook hls head and felL defeaLed.
77.
18LvlZL leaned Loward eloraL, and whlspered, Wherever we go,
whaLever we do, we geL no lnformaLlon."
We know where LarLh ls, so whaL does lL maLLer?" sald eloraL,
dolng llLLle more Lhan move hls llps.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
267
l wanL Lo know someLhlng abouL lL."
She's very young. Scarcely a reposlLory of lnformaLlon."
1revlze LhoughL abouL LhaL, Lhen nodded. 8lghL, !anov."
Pe Lurned Lo Plroko and sald, Mlss Plroko, you haven'L asked us
why we are here ln your land?"
Plroko's eyes fell, and she sald, 1haL would be buL scanL courLesy
unLll you have all eaLen and resLed, respecLed slr."
8uL we have eaLen, or almosL so, and we have recenLly resLed, so l
shall Lell you why we are here. My frlend, ur. eloraL, ls a scholar on our
world, a learned man. Pe ls a myLhologlsL. uo you know whaL LhaL
means?"
nay, respecLed slr, l do noL."
Pe sLudles old Lales as Lhey are Lold on dlfferenL worlds. Cld Lales
are known as myLhs or legends and Lhey lnLeresL ur. eloraL. Are Lhere
learned ones on new LarLh who know Lhe old Lales of Lhls world?"
Plroko's forehead creased sllghLly lnLo a frown of LhoughL. She sald,
1hls ls noL a maLLer ln whlch l am myself skllled. We have an old man ln
Lhese parLs who loves Lo Lalk of anclenL days. Where he may have
learned Lhese Lhlngs, l know noL, and meLhlnks he may have spun hls
noLlons ouL of alr, or heard Lhem from oLhers who dld so spln. 1hls ls
perhaps Lhe maLerlal whlch Lhy learned companlon would hear, yeL l
would noL mlslead Lhee. lL ls ln my mlnd," she looked Lo rlghL and lefL as
Lhough unwllllng Lo be overheard, LhaL Lhe old man ls buL a praLer,
Lhough many llsLen wllllngly Lo hlm."
1revlze nodded. Such praLlng ls whaL we wlsh. Would lL be posslble
for you Lo Lake my frlend Lo Lhls old man-
Monolee he calls hlmself."
-Lo Monolee, Lhen. And do you Lhlnk Monolee would be wllllng Lo
speak Lo my frlend?"
Pe? Wllllng Lo speak?" sald Plroko scornfully. 1hou musL ask,
raLher, lf he be ever ready Lo cease from speaklng. Pe ls buL a man, and
wlll Lherefore speak, lf allowed, Llll a forLnlghL hence, wlLh no pause. l
mean no offense, respecLed slr."
no offense Laken. Would you lead my frlend Lo Monolee now?"
1haL may anyone do aL any Llme. 1he anclenL ls ever home and ever
ready Lo greeL an ear."
1revlze sald, And perhaps an older woman would be wllllng Lo come
and slL wlLh Madam 8llss. She has Lhe chlld Lo care for and cannoL move
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
268
abouL Loo much. lL would please her Lo have company, for women, as
you know, are fond of-
raLlng?" sald Plroko, clearly amused. Why, so men say, alLhough l
have observed LhaL men are always Lhe greaLer babblers. LeL Lhe men
reLurn from Lhelr flshlng, and one wlll vle wlLh anoLher ln Lelllng greaLer
fllghLs of fancy concernlng Lhelr caLches. none wlll mark Lhem nor
belleve, buL Lhls wlll noL sLop Lhem, elLher. 8uL enough of my praLlng,
Loo. -l wlll have a frlend of my moLher's, one whom l can see Lhrough
Lhe wlndow, sLay wlLh Madam 8llss and Lhe chlld, and before LhaL she
wlll gulde your frlend, Lhe respecLed docLor, Lo Lhe aged Monolee. lf
your frlend wlll hear as avldly as Monolee wlll praLe, Lhou wllL scarcely
parL Lhem ln Lhls llfe. WllL Lhou pardon my absence a momenL?"
When she had lefL, 1revlze Lurned Lo eloraL and sald, LlsLen, geL
whaL you can ouL of Lhe old man, and 8llss, you flnd ouL whaL you can
from whoever sLays wlLh you. WhaL you wanL ls anyLhlng abouL LarLh."
And you?" sald 8llss. WhaL wlll you do?"
l wlll remaln wlLh Plroko, and Lry Lo flnd a Lhlrd source."
8llss smlled. Ah yes. el wlll be wlLh Lhls old man, l wlLh an old
woman. ?ou wlll force yourself Lo remaln wlLh Lhls feLchlngly unclad
young woman. lL seems a reasonable dlvlslon of labor."
As lL happens, 8llss, lL ls reasonable."
8uL you don'L flnd lL depresslng LhaL Lhe reasonable dlvlslon of labor
should work ouL so, l suppose."
no, l don'L. Why should l?"
Why should you, lndeed?"
Plroko was back, and saL down agaln. lL ls all arranged. 1he
respecLed ur. eloraL wlll be Laken Lo Monolee, and Lhe respecLed
Madam 8llss, LogeLher wlLh her chlld, wlll have company. May l be
granLed, Lhen, respecLed Slr 1revlze, Lhe boon of furLher conversaLlon
wlLh Lhee, mayhap of Lhls Cld LarLh of whlch Lhou-
raLesL?" asked 1revlze.
nay," sald Plroko, laughlng. 8uL Lhou dosL well Lo mock me. l
showed Lhee buL dlscourLesy ere now ln answerlng Lhy quesLlon on Lhls
maLLer. l would faln make amends."
1revlze Lurned Lo eloraL. laln?"
8e eager," sald eloraL sofLly.
1revlze sald, Mlss Plroko, l felL no dlscourLesy, buL lf lL wlll make
you feel beLLer, l wlll gladly speak wlLh you."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
269
klndly spoken. l Lhank Lhee," sald Plroko, rlslng.
1revlze rose, Loo. 8llss," he sald, make sure !anov remalns safe."
Leave LhaL Lo me. As for you, you have your-" She nodded Loward
hls holsLers.
l don'L Lhlnk l'll need Lhem," sald 1revlze uncomforLably.
Pe followed Plroko ouL of Lhe dlnlng room. 1he sun was hlgher ln Lhe
sky now and Lhe LemperaLure was sLlll warmer. 1here was an
oLherworldly smell as always. 1revlze remembered lL had been falnL on
Comporellon, a llLLle musLy on Aurora, and raLher dellghLful on Solarla.
(Cn Melpomenla, Lhey were ln space sulLs where one ls only aware of
Lhe smell of one's own body.) ln every case, lL dlsappeared ln a maLLer of
hours as Lhe osmlc cenLers of Lhe nose grew saLuraLed.
Pere, on Alpha, Lhe odor was a pleasanL grassy fragrance under Lhe
warmlng effecL of Lhe sun, and 1revlze felL a blL annoyed, knowlng LhaL
Lhls, Loo, would soon dlsappear.
1hey were approachlng a small sLrucLure LhaL seemed Lo be bullL of a
pale plnk plasLer.
1hls," sald Plroko, ls my home. lL used Lo belong Lo my moLher's
younger slsLer."
She walked ln and moLloned 1revlze Lo follow. 1he door was open or,
1revlze noLlced as he passed Lhrough, lL would be more accuraLe Lo say
Lhere was no door.
1revlze sald, WhaL do you do when lL ralns?"
We are ready. lL wlll raln Lwo days hence, for Lhree hours ere dawn,
when lL ls coolesL, and when lL wlll molsLen Lhe soll mosL powerfully.
1hen l have buL Lo draw Lhls curLaln, boLh heavy and waLer-repellenL,
across Lhe door."
She dld so as she spoke. lL seemed made of a sLrong canvas-llke
maLerlal.
l wlll leave lL ln place now," she wenL on. All wlll Lhen know l am
wlLhln buL noL avallable, for l sleep or am occupled ln maLLers of
lmporLance."
lL doesn'L seem much of a guardlan of prlvacy."
Why should lL noL be? See, Lhe enLrance ls covered."
8uL anyone could shove lL aslde."
WlLh dlsregard of Lhe wlshes of Lhe occupanL?" Plroko looked
shocked. Are such Lhlngs done on Lhy world? lL would be barbarous."
1revlze grlnned. l only asked."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
270
She led hlm lnLo Lhe second of Lwo rooms, and, aL her lnvlLaLlon, he
seaLed hlmself ln a padded chalr. 1here was someLhlng clausLrophoblc
abouL Lhe blocklsh smallness and empLlness of Lhe rooms, buL Lhe house
seemed deslgned for llLLle more Lhan secluslon and resL. 1he wlndow
openlngs were small and near Lhe celllng, buL Lhere were dull mlrror
sLrlps ln a careful paLLern along Lhe walls, whlch reflecLed llghL dlffusely.
1here were sllLs ln Lhe loor from whlch a genLle, cool breeze upllfLed.
1revlze saw no slgns of arLlflnal llghLlng and wondered lf Alphans had Lo
wake aL sunrlse and go Lo bed aL sunseL.
Pe was abouL Lo ask, buL Plroko spoke flrsL, saylng, ls Madam 8llss
Lhy woman companlon?"
1revlze sald cauLlously, uo you mean by LhaL, ls she my sexual
parLner?"
Plroko colored. l pray Lhee, have regard for Lhe decencles of pollLe
conversaLlon, buL l do mean prlvaLe pleasanLry."
no, she ls Lhe woman companlon of my learned frlend."
8uL Lhou arL Lhe younger, and Lhe more goodly."
Well, Lhank you for your oplnlon, buL lL ls noL 8llss's oplnlon. She
llkes ur. eloraL much more Lhan she does me."
1haL much surprlses me. Wlll he noL share?"
l have noL asked hlm wheLher he would, buL l'm sure he wouldn'L.
nor would l wanL hlm Lo."
Plroko nodded her head wlsely. l know. lL ls her fundamenL."
Per fundamenL?"
1hou knowesL. 1hls." And she slapped her own dalnLy rear end.
Ch, LhaL! l undersLand you. ?es, 8llss ls generously proporLloned ln
her pelvlc anaLomy." Pe made a curvlng gesLure wlLh hls hands and
wlnked. (And Plroko laughed.)
1revlze sald, neverLheless, a greaL many men en[oy LhaL klnd of
generoslLy of flgure."
l cannoL belleve so. Surely lL would be a sorL of gluLLony Lo wlsh
excess of LhaL whlch ls pleasanL ln moderaLlon. WouldsL Lhou Lhlnk more
of me lf my breasLs were masslve and dangllng, wlLh nlpples polnLlng Lo
Loes? l have, ln good sooLh, seen such, yeL have l noL seen men flock Lo
Lhem. 1he poor women so affllcLed musL needs cover Lhelr
monsLroslLles-as Madam 8llss does."
Such overslze wouldn'L aLLracL me, elLher, Lhough l am sure LhaL
8llss doesn'L cover her breasLs for any lmperfecLlon Lhey may have."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
271
1hou dosL noL, Lhen, dlsapprove of my vlsage or form?"
l would be a madman Lo do so. ?ou are beauLlful."
And whaL dosL Lhou for pleasanLrles on Lhls shlp of Lhlne, as Lhou
fllLLesL from one world Lo Lhe nexL-Madam 8llss belng denled Lhee?"
noLhlng, Plroko. 1here's noLhlng Lo do. l Lhlnk of pleasanLrles on
occaslon and LhaL has lLs dlscomforLs, buL we who Lravel Lhrough space
know well LhaL Lhere are Llmes when we musL do wlLhouL. We make up
for lL aL oLher Llmes."
lf lL be a dlscomforL, how may LhaL be removed?"
l experlence conslderably more dlscomforL slnce you've broughL up
Lhe sub[ecL. l don'L Lhlnk lL would be pollLe Lo suggesL how l mlghL be
comforLed."
Would lL be dlscourLesy, were l Lo suggesL a way?"
lL would depend enLlrely on Lhe naLure of Lhe suggesLlon."
l would suggesL LhaL we be pleasanL wlLh each oLher."
uld you brlng me here, Plroko, LhaL lL mlghL come Lo Lhls?"
Plroko sald, wlLh a pleased smlle, ?es. lL would be boLh my hosLess-
duLy of courLesy, and lL would be my wlsh, Loo."
lf LhaL's Lhe case, l wlll admlL lL ls my wlsh, Loo. ln facL, l would llke
very much Lo obllge you ln Lhls. l would be-uh faln Lo do Lhee pleasure."

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
272
Chapter 1U

1he Muslc lesLlval

78.

LunCP was ln Lhe same dlnlng room ln whlch Lhey had had
breakfasL. lL was full of Alphans, and wlLh Lhem were 1revlze and
eloraL, made Lhoroughly welcome. 8llss and lallom aLe separaLely, and
more or less prlvaLely, ln a small annex.
1here were several varleLles of flsh, LogeLher wlLh soup ln whlch
Lhere were sLrlps of whaL mlghL well have been bolled kld. Loaves of
bread were Lhere for Lhe sllclng, buLLer and [am for Lhe spreadlng. A
salad, large and dlffuse, came afLerward, and Lhere was a noLable
absence of any desserL, alLhough frulL [ulces were passed abouL ln
apparenLly lnexhausLlble plLchers. 8oLh loundaLloners were forced Lo be
absLemlous afLer Lhelr heavy breakfasL, buL everyone else seemed Lo eaL
freely.
Pow do Lhey keep from geLLlng faL?" wondered eloraL ln a low
volce.
1revlze shrugged. LoLs of physlcal labor, perhaps."
lL was clearly a socleLy ln whlch decorum aL meals was noL greaLly
valued. 1here was a mlscellaneous hubbub of shouLlng, laughlng, and
Lhumplng on Lhe Lable wlLh Lhlck, obvlously unbreakable, cups. Women
were as loud and raucous as men, albelL ln hlgher plLch.
eloraL wlnced, buL 1revlze, who now (Lemporarlly, aL leasL) felL no
Lrace of Lhe dlscomforL he had spoken of Lo Plroko, felL boLh relaxed and
good-naLured.
Pe sald, AcLually, lL has lLs pleasanL slde. 1hese are people who
appear Lo en[oy llfe and who have few, lf any, cares. WeaLher ls whaL
Lhey make lL and food ls unlmaglnably plenLlful. 1hls ls a golden age for
Lhem LhaL slmply conLlnues and conLlnues."
Pe had Lo shouL Lo make hlmself heard, and eloraL shouLed back,
8uL lL's so nolsy."
1hey're used Lo lL."
l don'L see how Lhey can undersLand each oLher ln Lhls rloL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
273
CerLalnly, lL was all losL on Lhe Lwo loundaLloners. 1he queer
pronunclaLlon and Lhe archalc grammar and word order of Lhe Alphan
language made lL lmposslble Lo undersLand aL Lhe lnLense sound levels.
1o Lhe loundaLloners, lL was llke llsLenlng Lo Lhe sounds of a zoo ln
frlghL.
lL was noL Llll afLer lunch LhaL Lhey re[olned 8llss ln a small sLrucLure,
whlch 1revlze found Lo be raLher lnconslderably dlfferenL from Plroko's
quarLers, and whlch had been asslgned Lhem as Lhelr own Lemporary
llvlng quarLers. lallom was ln Lhe second room, enormously relleved Lo
be alone, accordlng Lo 8llss, and aLLempLlng Lo nap.
eloraL looked aL Lhe door-gap ln Lhe wall and sald uncerLalnly,
1here's very llLLle prlvacy here. Pow can we speak freely?"
l assure you," sald 1revlze, LhaL once we pull Lhe canvas barrler
across Lhe door, we won'L be dlsLurbed. 1he canvas makes lL
lmpeneLrable by all Lhe force of soclal cusLom."
eloraL glanced aL Lhe hlgh, open wlndows. We can be overheard."
We need noL shouL. 1he Alphans won'L eavesdrop. Lven when Lhey
sLood ouLslde Lhe wlndows of Lhe dlnlng room aL breakfasL, Lhey
remalned aL a respecLful dlsLance."
8llss smlled. ?ou've learned so much abouL Alphan cusLoms ln Lhe
Llme you spenL alone wlLh genLle llLLle Plroko, and you've galned such
confldence ln Lhelr respecL for prlvacy. WhaL happened?"
1revlze sald, lf you're aware LhaL Lhe Lendrlls of my mlnd have
undergone a change for Lhe beLLer and can guess Lhe reason, l can only
ask you Lo leave my mlnd alone."
?ou know very well LhaL Cala wlll noL Louch your mlnd under any
clrcumsLances shorL of llfe-crlsls, and you know why. SLlll, l'm noL
menLally bllnd. l could sense whaL happened a kllomeLer away. ls Lhls
your lnvarlable cusLom on space voyages, my eroLomanlac frlend?"
LroLomanlac? Come, 8llss. 1wlce on Lhls enLlre Lrlp. 1wlce!"
We were only on Lwo worlds LhaL had funcLlonlng human females
on Lhem. 1wo ouL of Lwo, and we had only been a few hours on each."
?ou are well aware l had no cholce on Comporellon."
1haL makes sense. l remember whaL she looked llke." lor a few
momenLs, 8llss dlssolved ln laughLer. 1hen she sald, ?eL l don'L Lhlnk
Plroko held you helpless ln her mlghLy grlp, or lnfllcLed her lrreslsLlble
wlll on your crlnglng body."
Cf course noL. l was perfecLly wllllng. 8uL lL was her suggesLlon, [usL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
274
Lhe same."
eloraL sald, wlLh [usL a Llnge of envy ln hls volce, uoes Lhls happen
Lo you all Lhe Llme, Colan?"
Cf course lL musL, el," sald 8llss. Women are helplessly drawn Lo
hlm."
l wlsh LhaL were so," sald 1revlze, buL lL lsn'L. And l'm glad lL lsn'L-l
do have oLher Lhlngs l wanL Lo do ln llfe. !usL Lhe same, ln Lhls case l was
lrreslsLlble. AfLer all, -we were Lhe flrsL people from anoLher world LhaL
Plroko had ever seen or, apparenLly, LhaL anyone now allve on Alpha
had ever seen: l gaLhered from Lhlngs she leL sllp, casual remarks, LhaL
she had Lhe raLher exclLlng noLlon LhaL l mlghL be dlfferenL from
Alphans, elLher anaLomlcally or ln my Lechnlque. oor Lhlng. l'm -afrald
she was dlsappolnLed."
Ch?" sald 8llss. Were you?"
no," sald 1revlze. l have been on a number of worlds and l have
had my experlences. And whaL l had dlscovered ls LhaL people are
people and sex ls sex, wherever one goes. lf Lhere are noLlceable
dlfferences, Lhey are usually boLh Lrlvlal and unpleasanL. 1he perfumes
l've encounLered ln my Llme! l remember when a young woman slmply
couldn'L manage unless Lhere was muslc loudly played, muslc LhaL
conslsLed of a desperaLe screechlng sound. So she played Lhe muslc and
Lhen l couldn'L manage. l assure you-lf lL's Lhe same old Lhlng, Lhen l'm
saLlsfled."
Speaklng of muslc," sald 8llss, we are lnvlLed Lo a muslcale afLer
dlnner. A very formal Lhlng, apparenLly, LhaL ls belng held ln our honor. l
gaLher Lhe Alphans are very proud of Lhelr muslc."
1revlze grlmaced. 1helr prlde wlll ln no way make Lhe muslc sound
beLLer Lo our ears."
Pear me ouL," sald 8llss. l gaLher LhaL Lhelr prlde ls LhaL Lhey play
experLly on very archalc lnsLrumenLs. very archalc. We may geL some
lnformaLlon abouL LarLh by way of Lhem."
1revlze's eyebrows shoL up. An lnLeresLlng LhoughL. And LhaL
remlnds me LhaL boLh of you may already have lnformaLlon. !anov, dld
you see Lhls Monolee LhaL Plroko Lold us abouL?"
lndeed l dld," sald eloraL. l was wlLh hlm for Lhree hours and
Plroko dld noL exaggeraLe. lL was a vlrLual monologue on hls parL and
when l lefL Lo come Lo lunch, he clung Lo me and would noL leL me go
unLll l promlsed Lo reLurn whenever l could ln order LhaL l mlghL llsLen Lo
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
273
hlm some more."
And dld he say anyLhlng of lnLeresL?"
Well, he, Loo-llke everybody else-lnslsLed LhaL LarLh was Lhoroughly
and murderously radloacLlve, LhaL Lhe ancesLors of Lhe Alphans were Lhe
lasL Lo leave and LhaL lf Lhey hadn'L, Lhey would have dled. -And, Colan,
he was so emphaLlc LhaL l couldn'L help bellevlng hlm. l'm convlnced
LhaL LarLh ls dead, and LhaL our enLlre search ls, afLer all, useless."
79.
18LvlZL saL back ln hls chalr, sLarlng aL eloraL, who was slLLlng on a
narrow coL. 8llss, havlng rlsen from where she had been slLLlng nexL Lo
eloraL, looked from one Lo Lhe oLher.
llnally, 1revlze sald, LeL me be Lhe [udge as Lo wheLher our search ls
useless or noL, !anov. 1ell me whaL Lhe garrulous old man had Lo say Lo
you ln brlef, of course."
eloraL sald, l Look noLes as Monolee spoke. lL helped relnforce my
role a scholar, buL l don'L have Lo refer Lo Lhem. Pe was qulLe sLream-of-
consclousness ln hls speaklng. Lach Lhlng he sald would remlnd hlm of
someLhlng else, buL, of course, l have spenL my llfe Lrylng Lo organlze
lnformaLlon ln Lhe search of Lhe relevanL and slgnlflcanL, so LhaL lL's
second naLure for me now Lo be able Lo condense a long and lncoherenL
dlscourse-
1revlze sald genLly, lnLo someLhlng [usL as long and lncoherenL? 1o
Lhe polnL, dear !anov."
eloraL cleared hls LhroaL uneaslly. ?es, cerLalnly, old chap. l'11 Lry
Lo make a connecLed and chronologlcal Lale ouL of lL. LarLh was Lhe
orlglnal home of humanlLy and of mllllons of specles of planLs and
anlmals. lL conLlnued so for counLless years unLll hyperspaLlal Lravel was
lnvenLed. 1hen Lhe Spacer worlds were founded. 1hey broke away from
LarLh, developed Lhelr own culLures, and came Lo desplse and oppress
Lhe moLher planeL.
AfLer a couple of cenLurles of Lhls, LarLh managed Lo regaln lLs
freedom, Lhough Monolee dld noL explaln Lhe exacL manner ln whlch
Lhls was done, and l dared noL ask quesLlons, even lf he had glven me a
chance Lo lnLerrupL, whlch he dld noL, for LhaL mlghL merely have senL
hlm lnLo new byways. Pe dld menLlon a culLure-hero named Lll[ah 8aley,
buL Lhe references were so characLerlsLlc of Lhe hablL of aLLrlbuLlng Lo
one flgure Lhe accompllshmenLs of generaLlons LhaL Lhere was llLLle
value ln aLLempLlng Lo-
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
276
8llss sald, ?es, el dear, we undersLand LhaL parL."
Agaln, eloraL paused ln mldsLream and reconsldered. Cf course.
My apologles. LarLh lnlLlaLed a second wave of seLLlemenLs, foundlng
many new worlds ln a new fashlon. 1he new group of SeLLlers proved
more vlgorous Lhan Lhe Spacers, ouLpaced Lhem, defeaLed Lhem,
ouLlasLed Lhem, and, evenLually, esLabllshed Lhe CalacLlc Lmplre. uurlng
Lhe course of Lhe wars beLween Lhe SeLLlers and Lhe Spacers-no, noL
wars, for he used Lhe word 'confllcL,' belng very careful abouL LhaL-Lhe
LarLh became radloacLlve."
1revlze sald, wlLh clear annoyance, 1haL's rldlculous, !anov. Pow
can a world become radloacLlve? Lvery world ls very sllghLly radloacLlve
Lo one degree or anoLher from Lhe momenL of formaLlon, and LhaL
radloacLlvlLy slowly decays. lL doesn'L become radloacLlve."
eloraL shrugged. l'm only Lelllng you whaL he sald. And he was only
Lelllng me whaL he had heard-from someone who only Lold hlm whaL he
had heard-and so on. lL's folk-hlsLory, Lold and reLold over Lhe
generaLlons, wlLh who knows whaL dlsLorLlons creeplng ln aL each
reLelllng."
l undersLand LhaL, buL are Lhere no books, documenLs, anclenL
hlsLorles whlch have frozen Lhe sLory aL an early Llme and whlch could
glve us someLhlng more accuraLe Lhan Lhe presenL Lale?"
AcLually, l managed Lo ask LhaL quesLlon, and Lhe answer ls no. Pe
sald vaguely LhaL Lhere were books abouL lL ln anclenL Llmes and LhaL
Lhey had long ago been losL, buL LhaL whaL he was Lelllng us was whaL
had been ln Lhose books."
?es, well dlsLorLed. lL's Lhe same sLory. ln every world we go Lo, Lhe
records of LarLh have, ln one way or anoLher, dlsappeared. -Well, how
dld he say Lhe radloacLlvlLy began on LarLh?"
Pe dldn'L, ln any deLall. 1he closesL he came Lo saylng so was LhaL
Lhe Spacers were responslble, buL Lhen l gaLhered LhaL Lhe Spacers were
Lhe demons on whom Lhe people of LarLh blamed all mlsforLune. 1he
radloacLlvlLy-
A clear volce overrode hlm here. 8llss, am l a Spacer?"
lallom was sLandlng ln Lhe narrow doorway beLween Lhe Lwo rooms,
halr Lousled and Lhe nlghLgown she was wearlng (deslgned Lo flL 8llss's
more ample proporLlons) havlng slld off one shoulder Lo reveal an
undeveloped breasL. 8llss sald, We worry abouL eavesdroppers ouLslde
and we forgeL Lhe one lnslde. -now, lallom, why do you say LhaL?" She
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
277
rose and walked Loward Lhe youngsLer.
lallom sald, l don'L have whaL Lhey have," she polnLed aL Lhe Lwo
men, or whaL you have, 8llss. l'm dlfferenL. ls LhaL because l'm a
Spacer?"
?ou are, lallom," sald 8llss sooLhlngly, buL llLLle dlfferences don'L
maLLer. Come back Lo bed."
lallom became submlsslve as she always dld when 8llss wllled her Lo
be so. She Lurned and sald, Am l a demon? WhaL ls a demon?"
8llss sald over her shoulder, WalL one momenL for me. l'll be rlghL
back."
She was, wlLhln flve mlnuLes. She was shaklng her head. She'll be
sleeplng now Llll l wake her. l should have done LhaL before, l suppose,
buL any modlflcaLlon of Lhe mlnd musL be Lhe resulL of necesslLy." She
added defenslvely, l can'L have her brood on Lhe dlfferences beLween
her genlLal equlpmenL and ours."
eloraL sald, Someday she'll have Lo know she's hermaphrodlLlc."
Someday," sald 8llss, buL noL now. Co on wlLh Lhe sLory, el."
?es," sald 1revlze, before someLhlng else lnLerrupLs us."
Well, LarLh became radloacLlve, or aL leasL lLs crusL dld. AL LhaL
Llme, LarLh had had an enormous populaLlon LhaL was cenLered ln huge
clLles LhaL exlsLed for Lhe mosL parL underground-
now, LhaL," puL ln 1revlze, ls surely noL so. lL musL be local
paLrloLlsm glorlfylng Lhe golden age of a planeL, and Lhe deLalls were
slmply a dlsLorLlon of 1ranLor ln lLs golden age, when lL was Lhe lmperlal
caplLal of a Calaxy-wlde sysLem of worlds."
eloraL paused, Lhen sald, 8eally, Colan, you musLn'L Leach me my
buslness. We myLhologlsLs know very well LhaL myLhs and legends
conLaln borrowlngs, moral lessons, naLure cycles, and a hundred oLher
dlsLorLlng lnfluences, and we labor Lo cuL Lhem away and geL Lo whaL
mlghL be a kernel of LruLh. ln facL, Lhese same Lechnlques musL be
applled Lo Lhe mosL sober hlsLorles, for no one wrlLes Lhe clear and
apparenL LruLh-lf such a Lhlng can even be sald Lo exlsL. lor now, l'm
Lelllng you more or less whaL Monolee Lold me, Lhough l suppose l am
addlng dlsLorLlons of my own, Lry as l mlghL noL Lo do so."
Well, well," sald 1revlze. Co on, !anov. l meanL no offense."
And l've Laken none. 1he huge clLles, assumlng Lhey exlsLed,
crumbled and shrank as Lhe radloacLlvlLy slowly grew more lnLense unLll
Lhe populaLlon was buL a remnanL of whaL lL had been, cllnglng
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
278
precarlously Lo reglons LhaL were relaLlvely radlaLlon-free. 1he
populaLlon was kepL down by rlgld blrLh conLrol and by Lhe euLhanasla
of people over slxLy."
Porrlble," sald 8llss lndlgnanLly.
undoubLedly," sald eloraL, buL LhaL ls whaL Lhey dld, accordlng Lo
Monolee, and LhaL mlghL be Lrue, for lL ls cerLalnly noL compllmenLary Lo
Lhe LarLhpeople and lL ls noL llkely LhaL an uncompllmenLary lle would be
made up. 1he LarLhpeople, havlng been desplsed and oppressed by Lhe
Spacers, were now desplsed and oppressed by Lhe Lmplre, Lhough here
we may have exaggeraLlon Lhere ouL of self-plLy, whlch ls a very
seducLlve emoLlon. 1here ls Lhe case-
?es, yes, eloraL, anoLher Llme. lease go on wlLh LarLh."
l beg your pardon. 1he Lmplre, ln a flL of benevolence, agreed Lo
subsLlLuLe lmporLed radlaLlon-free soll and Lo carL away Lhe
conLamlnaLed soll. needless Lo say, LhaL was an enormous Lask whlch
Lhe Lmplre soon Llred of, especlally as Lhls perlod (lf my guess ls rlghL)
colnclded wlLh Lhe fall of kandar v, afLer whlch Lhe Lmplre had many
more Lhlngs Lo worry abouL Lhan LarLh.
1he radloacLlvlLy conLlnued Lo grow more lnLense, Lhe populaLlon
conLlnued Lo fall, and flnally Lhe Lmplre, ln anoLher flL of benevolence,
offered Lo LransplanL Lhe remnanL of Lhe populaLlon Lo a new world of
Lhelr own-Lo Lhls world, ln shorL.
AL an earller perlod, lL seems an expedlLlon had sLocked Lhe ocean
so LhaL by Lhe Llme 'Lhe plans for Lhe LransplanLaLlon of LarLhpeople
were belng developed, Lhere was a full oxygen aLmosphere and an
ample supply of food on Alpha. nor dld any of Lhe worlds of Lhe CalacLlc
Lmplre coveL Lhls world because Lhere ls a cerLaln naLural anLlpaLhy Lo
planeLs LhaL clrcle sLars of a blnary sysLem. 1here are so few sulLable
planeLs ln such a sysLem, l suppose, LhaL even sulLable ones are re[ecLed
because of Lhe assumpLlon LhaL Lhere musL be someLhlng wrong wlLh
Lhem. 1hls ls a common LhoughL-fashlon. 1here ls Lhe well-known case,
for lnsLance, of-
LaLer wlLh Lhe well-known case, !anov," sald 1revlze. Cn wlLh Lhe
LransplanLaLlon."
WhaL remalned," sald eloraL, hurrylng hls words a llLLle, was Lo
prepare a land-base. 1he shallowesL parL of Lhe ocean was found and
sedlmenL was ralsed from deeper parLs Lo add Lo Lhe shallow sea-
boLLom and, flnally, Lo produce Lhe lsland of new LarLh. 8oulders and
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
279
coral were dredged up and added Lo Lhe lsland. Land planLs were seeded
so LhaL rooL sysLems mlghL help make Lhe new land flrm. Agaln, Lhe
Lmplre had seL lLself an enormous Lask. erhaps conLlnenLs were
planned aL flrsL, buL by Lhe Llme Lhls one lsland was produced, Lhe
Lmplre's momenL of benevolence had passed.
WhaL was lefL of LarLh's populaLlon was broughL here. 1he Lmplre's
fleeLs carrled off lLs men and machlnery, and Lhey never reLurned. 1he
LarLhpeople, llvlng on new LarLh, found Lhemselves ln compleLe
lsolaLlon."
1revlze sald, CompleLe? uld Monolee say LhaL no one from
elsewhere ln Lhe Calaxy has ever come here Llll we dld?"
AlmosL compleLe," sald eloraL. 1here ls noLhlng Lo come here for,
l suppose, even lf we seL aslde Lhe supersLlLlous dlsLasLe for blnary
sysLems. Cccaslonally, aL long lnLervals, a shlp would come, as ours dld,
buL lL would evenLually leave and Lhere has never been a follow-up. And
LhaL's lL."
1revlze sald, uld you ask Monolee where LarLh was locaLed?"
Cf course l asked LhaL. Pe dldn'L know."
Pow can he know so much abouL LarLh's hlsLory wlLhouL knowlng
where lL ls locaLed?"
l asked hlm speclflcally, Colan, lf Lhe sLar LhaL was only a parsec or
so dlsLanL from Alpha mlghL be Lhe sun abouL whlch LarLh revolved. Pe
dldn'L know whaL a parsec was, and l sald lL was a shorL dlsLance,
asLronomlcally speaklng. Pe sald, shorL or long, he dld noL know where
LarLh was locaLed and he dldn'L know anyone who knew, and, ln hls
oplnlon, lL was wrong Lo Lry Lo flnd lL. lL should be allowed, he sald, Lo
move endlessly Lhrough space ln peace."
1revlze sald, uo you agree wlLh hlm?"
eloraL shook hls head sorrowfully. noL really. 8uL he sald LhaL aL
Lhe raLe Lhe radloacLlvlLy conLlnued Lo lncrease, Lhe planeL musL have
become LoLally unlnhablLable noL long afLer Lhe LransplanLaLlon Look
place and LhaL by now lL musL be burnlng lnLensely so LhaL no one can
approach."
nonsense," sald 1revlze flrmly. A planeL cannoL become
radloacLlve and, havlng done so, conLlnuously lncrease ln radloacLlvlLy.
8adloacLlvlLy can only decrease."
8uL Monolee ls so sure of lL. So many people we've Lalked Lo on
varlous worlds unlLe ln Lhls-LhaL LarLh ls radloacLlve. Surely, lL ls useless
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
280
Lo go on."
80.
18LvlZL drew a deep breaLh, Lhen sald, ln a carefully conLrolled
volce, nonsense, !anov. 1haL's noL Lrue."
eloraL sald, Well, now, old chap, you musLn'L belleve someLhlng
[usL because you wanL Lo belleve lL."
My wanLs have noLhlng Lo do wlLh lL. ln world afLer world we flnd all
records of LarLh wlped ouL. Why should Lhey be. wlped ouL lf Lhere ls
noLhlng Lo hlde, lf LarLh ls a dead, radloacLlve world LhaL cannoL be
approached?"
l don'L know, Colan."
?es, you do. When we were approachlng Melpomenla, you sald LhaL
Lhe radloacLlvlLy mlghL be Lhe oLher slde of Lhe coln. uesLroy records Lo
remove accuraLe lnformaLlon, supply Lhe Lale of radloacLlvlLy Lo lnserL
lnaccuraLe lnformaLlon. 8oLh would dlscourage any aLLempL Lo flnd
LarLh, and we musLn'L be deluded lnLo dlscouragemenL."
8llss sald, AcLually, you seem Lo Lhlnk Lhe nearby sLar ls LarLh's sun.
Why, Lhen, conLlnue Lo argue Lhe quesLlon of radloacLlvlLy? WhaL does lL
maLLer? Why noL slmply go Lo Lhe nearby sLar and see lf lL ls LarLh, and,
lf so, whaL lL ls llke?"
1revlze sald, 8ecause Lhose on LarLh musL be, ln Lhelr way,
exLraordlnarlly powerful, and l would prefer Lo approach wlLh some
knowledge of Lhe world and lLs lnhablLanLs. As lL ls, slnce l conLlnue Lo
remaln lgnoranL of LarLh, approachlng lL ls dangerous. lL ls my noLlon
LhaL l leave Lhe resL of you here on Alpha and LhaL l proceed Lo LarLh by
myself. Cne llfe ls qulLe enough Lo rlsk."
no, Colan," sald eloraL earnesLly. 8llss and Lhe chlld mlghL walL
here, buL l musL go wlLh you. l have been searchlng for LarLh slnce
before you were born and l cannoL sLay behlnd when Lhe goal ls so close,
whaLever dangers mlghL LhreaLen."
8llss and Lhe chlld wlll noL walL here," sald 8llss. l am Cala, and
Cala can proLecL us even agalnsL LarLh."
l hope you're rlghL," sald 1revlze gloomlly, buL Cala could noL
prevenL Lhe ellmlnaLlon of all early memorles of LarLh's role ln lLs
foundlng."
1haL was done ln Cala's early hlsLory when lL was noL yeL well
organlzed, noL yeL advanced. MaLLers are dlfferenL now."
l hope LhaL ls so. -Cr ls lL LhaL you have galned lnformaLlon abouL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
281
LarLh Lhls mornlng LhaL we don'L have? l dld ask LhaL you speak Lo some
of Lhe older women LhaL mlghL be avallable here."
And so l dld."
1revlze sald, And whaL dld you flnd ouL?"
noLhlng abouL LarLh. 1here ls a LoLal blank Lhere."
Ah."
8uL Lhey are advanced bloLechnologlsLs." ,
Ch?"
Cn Lhls small lsland, Lhey have grown and LesLed lnnumerable
sLralns of planLs and anlmals and deslgned a sulLable ecologlcal balance,
sLable and self. supporLlng, desplLe Lhe few specles wlLh whlch Lhey
began. 1hey have lmproved on Lhe ocean llfe LhaL Lhey found when Lhey
arrlved here a few Lhousand years ago, lncreaslng Lhelr nuLrlLlve value
and lmprovlng Lhelr LasLe. lL ls Lhelr bloLechnology LhaL has made Lhls
world such a cornucopla of plenLy. 1hey have plans for Lhemselves, Loo."
WhaL klnd of plans?"
8llss sald, 1hey know perfecLly well Lhey cannoL reasonably expecL
Lo expand Lhelr range under presenL clrcumsLances, conflned as Lhey are
Lo Lhe one small paLch of land LhaL exlsLs on Lhelr world, buL Lhey dream
of becomlng amphlblous."
Cf becomlng whaL?"
Amphlblous. 1hey plan Lo develop gllls ln addlLlon Lo lungs. 1hey
dream of belng able Lo spend subsLanLlal perlods of Llme underwaLer, of
flndlng shallow reglons and bulldlng sLrucLures on Lhe ocean boLLom. My
lnformanL was qulLe glowlng abouL lL buL she admlLLed LhaL Lhls had
been a goal of Lhe Alphans for some cenLurles now and LhaL llLLle, lf any,
progress has been made."
1revlze sald, 1haL's Lwo flelds ln whlch Lhey mlghL be more
advanced Lhan we are, weaLher conLrol and bloLechnology. l wonder
whaL Lhelr Lechnlques are."
We'd have Lo flnd speclallsLs," sald 8llss, and Lhey mlghL noL be
wllllng Lo Lalk abouL lL."
1revlze sald, lL's noL our prlmary concern here, buL lL would clearly
pay Lhe loundaLlon Lo aLLempL Lo learn from Lhls mlnlaLure world."
eloraL sald, We manage Lo conLrol Lhe weaLher falrly well on
1ermlnus, as lL ls."
ConLrol ls good on many worlds," sald 1revlze, buL always lL's a
maLLer of Lhe world as a whole. Pere Lhe Alphans conLrol Lhe weaLher of
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
282
a small porLlon of Lhe world and Lhey musL have Lechnlques we don'L
have. -AnyLhlng else, 8llss?"
Soclal lnvlLaLlons. 1hese appear Lo be a hollday-maklng people, ln
whaLever Llme Lhey can Lake from farmlng and flshlng. AfLer dlnner,
LonlghL Lhere'll be a muslc fesLlval. l Lold you abouL LhaL already.
1omorrow, durlng Lhe day, Lhere wlll be a beach fesLlval. ApparenLly, all
around Lhe rlm of Lhe lsland Lhere wlll be a congregaLlon of everyone
who can geL away from Lhe flelds ln order LhaL Lhey mlghL en[oy Lhe
waLer and celebraLe Lhe sun, slnce lL wlll be ralnlng Lhe nexL day. ln Lhe
mornlng, Lhe flshlng fleeL wlll come back, beaLlng Lhe raln, and by
evenlng Lhere wlll be a food fesLlval, sampllng Lhe caLch."
eloraL groaned. 1he meals are ample enough as lL ls. WhaL would a
food fesLlval be llke?"
l gaLher LhaL lL wlll feaLure noL quanLlLy, buL varleLy. ln any case, all
four of us are lnvlLed Lo parLlclpaLe ln all Lhe fesLlvals, especlally Lhe
muslc fesLlval LonlghL."
Cn Lhe anLlque lnsLrumenLs?" asked 1revlze.
1haL's rlghL."
WhaL makes Lhem anLlque, by Lhe way? rlmlLlve compuLers?"
no, no. 1haL's Lhe polnL. lL lsn'L elecLronlc muslc aL all, buL
mechanlcal. 1hey descrlbed lL Lo me. 1hey scrape sLrlngs, blow ln Lubes,
and bang on surfaces."
l hope you're maklng LhaL up," sald 1revlze, appalled.
no, l'm noL. And l undersLand LhaL your Plroko wlll be blowlng on
one of Lhe Lubes-l forgeL lLs name-and you oughL Lo be able Lo endure
LhaL."
As for myself," sald eloraL, l would love Lo go. l know very llLLle
abouL prlmlLlve muslc and l would llke Lo hear lL."
She ls noL `my Plroko,' " sald 1revlze coldly. 8uL are Lhe
lnsLrumenLs of Lhe Lype once used on LarLh, do you suppose?"
So l gaLhered," sald 8llss. AL leasL Lhe Alphan women sald Lhey
were deslgned long before Lhelr ancesLors came here."
ln LhaL case," sald 1revlze, lL may be worLh llsLenlng Lo all LhaL
scraplng, LooLllng, and banglng, for whaLever lnformaLlon lL mlghL
concelvably yleld concernlng LarLh."
81.
CuuL? enough, lL was lallom who was mosL exclLed aL Lhe prospecL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
283
of a muslcal evenlng. She and 8llss had baLhed ln Lhe small ouLhouse
behlnd Lhelr quarLers. lL had a baLh wlLh runnlng waLer, hoL and cold (or,
raLher, warm and cool), a washbowl, and a commode. lL was LoLally
clean and usable and, ln Lhe laLe afLernoon sun, lL was even well llL and
cheerful. As always, lallom was fasclnaLed wlLh 8llss's breasLs and 8llss
was reduced Lo saylng (now LhaL lallom undersLood CalacLlc) LhaL on
her world LhaL was Lhe way people were. 1o whlch lallom sald,
lnevlLably, Why?" and 8llss, afLer some LhoughL, decldlng Lhere was no
senslble way of answerlng, reLurned Lhe unlversal reply, 8ecause!"
When Lhey were done, 8llss helped lallom puL on Lhe undergarmenL
supplled Lhem by Lhe Alphans and worked ouL Lhe sysLem whereby Lhe
sklrL wenL on over lL. Leavlng lallom uncloLhed from Lhe walsL up
seemed reasonable enough. She herself, whlle maklng use of Alphan
garmenLs below Lhe walsL (raLher LlghL abouL Lhe hlps), puL on her own
blouse. lL seemed sllly Lo be Loo lnhlblLed Lo expose breasLs ln a socleLy
where all women dld, especlally slnce her own were noL large and were
as shapely as any she had seen buL-Lhere lL was.
1he Lwo men Look Lhelr Lurn aL Lhe ouLhouse nexL, 1revlze muLLerlng
Lhe usual male complalnL concernlng Lhe Llme Lhe women had Laken.
8llss Lurned lallom abouL Lo make sure Lhe sklrL would hold ln place
over her boylsh hlps and buLLocks. She sald, lL's a very preLLy sklrL,
lallom. uo you llke lL?"
lallom sLared aL lL ln a mlrror and sald, ?es, l do. Won'L l be cold
wlLh noLhlng on, Lhough?" and she ran her hands down her bare chesL.
l don'L Lhlnk so, lallom. lL's qulLe warm on Lhls world."
?ou have someLhlng on."
?es, l do. 1haL's how lL ls on my world. now, lallom, we're golng Lo
be wlLh a greaL many Alphans durlng dlnner and afLerward. uo you Lhlnk
you can bear LhaL?"
lallom looked dlsLressed, and 8llss wenL on, l wlll slL on your rlghL
slde and l wlll hold you. el wlll slL on Lhe oLher slde, and 1revlze wlll slL
across Lhe Lable from you. We won'L leL anyone Lalk Lo you, and you
won'L have Lo Lalk Lo anyone."
l'll Lry, 8llss," lallom plped ln her hlghesL Lones.
1hen afLerward," sald 8llss, some Alphans wlll make muslc for us ln
Lhelr own speclal way. uo you know whaL muslc ls?" She hummed ln Lhe
besL lmlLaLlon of elecLronlc harmony LhaL she could.
lallom's face llL up. ?ou mean " 1he lasL word was ln her own
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
284
language, and she bursL lnLo song.
8llss's eyes wldened. lL was a beauLlful Lune, even Lhough lL was
wlld, and rlch ln Lrllls. 1haL's rlghL. Muslc," she sald.
lallom sald exclLedly, !emby made"-she heslLaLed, Lhen declded Lo
use Lhe CalacLlc word-muslc all Lhe Llme. lL made muslc on a " Agaln a
word ln her own language.
8llss repeaLed Lhe word doubLfully, Cn a feeful?"
lallom laughed. noL feeful,
WlLh boLh words [uxLaposed llke LhaL, 8llss could hear Lhe dlfference,
buL she despalred of reproduclng Lhe second. She sald, WhaL does lL
look llke?"
lallom's as yeL llmlLed vocabulary ln CalacLlc dld noL sufflce for an
accuraLe descrlpLlon, and her gesLures dld noL produce any shape clearly
ln 8llss's mlnd.
Pe showed me how Lo use Lhe " lallom sald proudly. l used
my
flngers [usL Lhe way !emby dld, buL lL sald LhaL soon l wouldn'L have
Lo."
1haL's wonderful, dear," sald 8llss. AfLer dlnner, we'll see lf Lhe
Alphans are as good as your !emby was."
lallom's eyes sparkled and pleasanL LhoughLs of whaL was Lo follow
carrled her Lhrough a lavlsh dlnner desplLe Lhe crowds and laughLer and
nolse all abouL her. Cnly once, when a dlsh was accldenLally upseL,
seLLlng off shrleks of exclLemenL falrly close Lo Lhem, dld lallom look
frlghLened, and 8llss prompLly held her close ln a warm and proLecLlve
hug.
l wonder lf we can arrange Lo eaL by ourselves," she muLLered Lo
eloraL. CLherwlse, we'll have Lo geL off Lhls world. lL's bad enough
eaLlng all Lhls lsolaLe anlmal proLeln, buL l musL be able Lo do lL ln
peace."
lL's only hlgh splrlLs," sald eloraL, who would have endured
anyLhlng wlLhln reason LhaL he felL came under Lhe headlng of prlmlLlve
behavlor and bellefs.
-And Lhen Lhe dlnner was over, and Lhe announcemenL came LhaL
Lhe muslc fesLlval would soon begln.
82.
1PL PALL ln whlch Lhe muslc fesLlval was Lo be held was abouL as
large as Lhe dlnlng room, and Lhere were foldlng seaLs (raLher
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
283
uncomforLable, 1revlze found ouL) for abouL a hundred flfLy people. As
honored guesLs, Lhe vlslLors were led Lo Lhe fronL row, and varlous
Alphans commenLed pollLely and favorably on Lhelr cloLhes.
8oLh men were bare above Lhe walsL and 1revlze LlghLened hls
abdomlnal muscles whenever he LhoughL of lL and sLared down, on
occaslon, wlLh complacenL self-admlraLlon aL hls dark-halred chesL.
eloraL, ln hls ardenL observaLlon of everyLhlng abouL hlm, was
lndlfferenL Lo hls own appearance. 8llss's blouse drew coverL sLares of
puzzlemenL buL noLhlng was sald concernlng lL.
1revlze noLed LhaL Lhe hall was only abouL half-full and LhaL Lhe large
ma[orlLy of Lhe audlence were women, slnce, presumably, so many men
were ouL Lo sea.
eloraL nudged 1revlze and whlspered, 1hey have elecLrlclLy."
1revlze looked aL Lhe verLlcal Lubes on Lhe walls, and aL oLhers on Lhe
celllng. 1hey were sofLly lumlnous.
lluorescence," he sald. CulLe prlmlLlve."
?es, buL Lhey do Lhe [ob, and we've goL Lhose Lhlngs ln our rooms
and ln Lhe ouLhouse. l LhoughL Lhey were [usL decoraLlve. lf we can flnd
ouL how Lo work Lhem, we won'L have Lo sLay ln Lhe dark."
8llss sald lrrlLably, 1hey mlghL have Lold us."
eloraL sald, 1hey LhoughL we'd know, LhaL anyone would know."
lour women now emerged from behlnd screens and seaLed
Lhemselves ln a group ln Lhe space aL Lhe fronL. Lach held an lnsLrumenL
of varnlshed wood of a slmllar shape, buL one LhaL was noL easlly
descrlbable. 1he lnsLrumenLs were chlefly dlfferenL ln slze. Cne was
qulLe small, Lwo somewhaL larger, and Lhe fourLh conslderably larger.
Lach woman also held a long rod ln Lhe oLher hand.
1he audlence whlsLled sofLly as Lhey came ln, ln response Lo whlch
Lhe four women bowed. Lach had a sLrlp of gauze bound falrly LlghLly
across Lhe breasLs as Lhough Lo keep Lhem from lnLerferlng wlLh Lhe
lnsLrumenL.
1revlze, lnLerpreLlng Lhe whlsLles as slgns of approval, or of pleased
anLlclpaLlon, felL lL only pollLe Lo add hls own. AL LhaL, lallom added a
Lrlll LhaL was far more Lhan a whlsLle and LhaL was beglnnlng Lo aLLracL
aLLenLlon when pressure from 8llss's hand sLopped her.
1hree of Lhe women, wlLhouL preparaLlon, puL Lhelr lnsLrumenLs
under Lhelr chlns, whlle Lhe largesL of Lhe lnsLrumenLs remalned
beLween Lhe legs of Lhe fourLh woman and resLed on Lhe floor. 1he long
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
286
rod ln Lhe rlghL hand of each was sawed across Lhe sLrlngs sLreLchlng
nearly Lhe lengLh of Lhe lnsLrumenL, whlle Lhe flngers of Lhe lefL hand
shlfLed rapldly along Lhe upper ends of Lhose sLrlngs.
1hls, LhoughL 1revlze, was Lhe scraplng" he had expecLed, buL lL
dldn'L sound llke scraplng aL all. 1here was a sofL and melodlous
successlon of noLes, each lnsLrumenL dolng someLhlng of lLs own and Lhe
whole fuslng pleasanLly.
lL lacked Lhe lnflnlLe complexlLy of elecLronlc muslc ("real muslc," as
1revlze could noL help buL Lhlnk of lL) and Lhere was a dlsLlncL sameness
Lo lL. SLlll, as Llme passed, and hls ear grew accusLomed Lo Lhls odd
sysLem of sound, he began Lo plck ouL subLleLles. lL was wearlsome Lo
have Lo do so, and he LhoughL, longlngly, of Lhe clamor and
maLhemaLlcal preclslon and purlLy of Lhe real Lhlng, buL lL occurred Lo
hlm LhaL lf he llsLened Lo Lhe muslc of Lhese slmple wooden devlces long
enough he mlghL well grow Lo llke lL.
lL was noL Llll Lhe concerL was some forLy-flve mlnuLes old LhaL
Plroko sLepped ouL. She noLlced 1revlze ln Lhe fronL row aL once and
smlled aL hlm. Pe [olned Lhe audlence ln Lhe sofL whlsLle of approval
wlLh a whole hearL. She looked beauLlful ln a long and mosL elaboraLe
sklrL, a large flower ln her halr, and noLhlng aL all over her breasLs slnce
(apparenLly) Lhere was no danger of Lhelr lnLerference wlLh Lhe
lnsLrumenL.
Per lnsLrumenL proved Lo be a dark wooden Lube abouL Lwo Lhlrds of
a meLer long and nearly Lwo cenLlmeLers Lhlck. She llfLed Lhe lnsLrumenL
Lo her llps and blew across an openlng near one end, produclng a Lhln,
sweeL noLe LhaL wavered ln plLch as her flngers manlpulaLed meLal
ob[ecLs along Lhe lengLh of Lhe Lube.
AL Lhe flrsL sound, lallom cluLched aL 8llss's arm and sald, 8llss,
LhaL's a " and Lhe word sounded llke feeful" Lo 8llss.
8llss shook her head flrmly aL lallom, who sald, ln a lower volce, 8uL
lL ls!"
CLhers were looklng ln lallom's dlrecLlon. 8llss puL her hand flrmly
over lallom's mouLh, and leaned down Lo muLLer an almosL subllmlnally
forceful CuleL!" lnLo her ear.
lallom llsLened Lo Plroko's playlng quleLly LhereafLer, buL her flngers
moved spasmodlcally, as Lhough Lhey were operaLlng Lhe ob[ecLs along
Lhe lengLh of Lhe lnsLrumenL.
1he flnal player ln Lhe concerL was an elderly man who had an
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
287
lnsLrumenL wlLh fluLed sldes suspended over hls shoulders. Pe pulled lL
ln and ouL whlle one hand flashed across a successlon of whlLe and dark
ob[ecLs aL one end, presslng Lhem down ln groups.
1revlze found Lhls sound parLlcularly wearlng, raLher barbarlc, and
unpleasanLly llke Lhe memory of Lhe barklng of Lhe dogs on Aurora-noL
LhaL Lhe sound was llke barklng, buL Lhe emoLlons lL gave rlse Lo were
slmllar. 8llss looked as Lhough she would llke Lo place her hands over her
ears, and eloraL had a frown on hls face. Cnly lallom seemed Lo en[oy
lL, for she was Lapplng her fooL llghLly, and 1revlze, when he noLlced
LhaL, reallzed, Lo hls own surprlse, LhaL Lhere was a beaL Lo Lhe muslc
LhaL maLched lallom's fooLfall.
lL came Lo an end aL lasL and Lhere was a perfecL sLorm of whlsLllng,
wlLh lallom's Lrlll clearly heard above lL all.
1hen Lhe audlence broke up lnLo small conversaLlonal groups and
became as loud and raucous as Alphans seemed Lo be on all publlc
occaslons. 1he varlous lndlvlduals who had played ln Lhe concerL sLood
abouL ln fronL of Lhe room and spoke Lo Lhose people who came up Lo
congraLulaLe Lhem.
lallom evaded 8llss's grasp and ran up Lo Plroko.
Plroko," she crled ouL, gasplngly. LeL me see Lhe
1he whaL, dear one?" sald Plroko.
1he Lhlng you made Lhe muslc wlLh."
Ch." Plroko laughed. 1haL's a fluLe, llLLle one."
May l see lL?"
Well." Plroko opened a case and Look ouL Lhe lnsLrumenL. lL was ln
Lhree parLs, buL she puL lL LogeLher qulckly, held lL Loward lallom wlLh
Lhe mouLhplece near her llps, and sald, 1here, blow Lhou Lhy breaLh
across Lhls."
l know. l know," sald lallom eagerly, and reached for Lhe fluLe.
AuLomaLlcally, Plroko snaLched lL away and held lL hlgh. 8low, chlld,
buL Louch noL."
lallom seemed dlsappolnLed. May l [usL look aL lL, Lhen? l won'L
Louch lL."
CerLalnly, dear one."
She held ouL Lhe fluLe agaln and lallom sLared aL lL earnesLly.
And Lhen, Lhe fluorescenL llghLlng ln Lhe room dlmmed very sllghLly,
and Lhe sound of a fluLe's noLe, a llLLle uncerLaln and waverlng, made
lLself heard.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
288
Plroko, ln surprlse, nearly dropped Lhe fluLe, and lallom crled ouL, l
dld lL. l dld lL. !emby sald someday l could do lL."
Plroko sald, Was lL Lhou LhaL made Lhe sound?"
?es, l dld. l dld."
8uL how dldsL Lhou do so, chlld?"
8llss sald, red wlLh embarrassmenL, l'm sorry, Plroko. l'll Lake her
away."
no," sald Plroko. l wlsh her Lo do lL agaln." -
A few of Lhe nearesL Alphans had gaLhered Lo waLch. lallom
furrowed her brow as Lhough Lrylng hard. 1he fluorescenLs dlmmed
raLher more Lhan before, and agaln Lhere was Lhe noLe of Lhe fluLe, Lhls
Llme pure and sLeady. 1hen lL became erraLlc as Lhe meLal ob[ecLs along
Lhe lengLh of Lhe fluLe moved of
Lhelr own accord.
lL's a llLLle dlfferenL from Lhe " lallom sald, a llLLle breaLhlessly,
as Lhough Lhe breaLh LhaL had been acLlvaLlng Lhe fluLe had been her
own lnsLead of power-drlven alr.
eloraL sald Lo 1revlze, She musL be geLLlng Lhe energy from Lhe
elecLrlc currenL LhaL feeds Lhe fluorescenLs."
1ry agaln," sald Plroko ln a choked volce.
lallom closed her eyes. 1he noLe was sofLer now and under flrmer
conLrol. 1he fluLe played by lLself, maneuvered by no flngers, buL moved
by dlsLanL energy, Lransduced Lhrough Lhe sLlll lmmaLure lobes of
lallom's braln. 1he noLes whlch began as almosL random seLLled lnLo a
muslcal successlon and now everyone ln Lhe hall had gaLhered around
Plroko and lallom, as Plroko held Lhe fluLe genLly wlLh Lhumb and
foreflnger aL elLher end, and lallom, eyes closed, dlrecLed Lhe currenL of
alr and Lhe movemenL of Lhe keys.
lL's Lhe plece l played," whlspered Plroko.
l remember lL," sald lallom, noddlng her head sllghLly, Lrylng noL Lo
break her concenLraLlon.
1hou dldsL noL mlss a noLe," sald Plroko, when lL was done.
8uL lL's noL rlghL, Plroko. ?ou dldn'L do lL rlghL."
8llss sald, lallow! 1haL's noL pollLe. ?ou musLn'L-
lease," sald Plroko perempLorlly, do noL lnLerfere. Why ls lL noL
rlghL, chlld?"
8ecause l would play lL dlfferenLly."
Show me, Lhen."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
289
Agaln Lhe fluLe played, buL ln more compllcaLed fashlon, for Lhe
forces LhaL pushed Lhe keys dld so more qulckly, ln more rapld
successlon and ln more elaboraLe comblnaLlons Lhan before. 1he muslc
was more complex, and lnflnlLely more emoLlonal and movlng. Plroko
sLood rlgld and Lhere was noL a sound Lo be heard anywhere ln Lhe
room.
Lven afLer lallom had flnlshed playlng, Lhere was noL a sound unLll
Plroko drew a deep breaLh and sald, LlLLle one, hasL Lhou ever played
LhaL before?"
no," sald lallom, before Lhls l could only use my flngers, and l can'L
do my flngers llke LhaL." 1hen, slmply and wlLh no Lrace of vaunLlng, no
one can."
CansL Lhou play anyLhlng else?"
l can make someLhlng up."
uosL Lhou mean-lmprovlse?"
lallom frowned aL Lhe word and looked Loward 8llss. 8llss nodded
and lallom sald, ?es."
lease do so, Lhen," sald Plroko.
lallom paused and LhoughL for a mlnuLe or Lwo, Lhen began slowly,
ln a very slmple successlon of noLes, Lhe whole belng raLher dreamy. 1he
fluorescenL llghLs dlmmed and brlghLened as Lhe amounL of power
exerLed lnLenslfled and faded. no one seemed Lo noLlce, for lL seemed
Lo be Lhe effecL of Lhe muslc raLher Lhan Lhe cause, as Lhough a ghosLly
elecLrlcal splrlL were obeylng Lhe dlcLaLes of Lhe sound waves.
1he comblnaLlon of noLes Lhen repeaLed lLself a blL more loudly,
Lhen a blL more complexly, Lhen ln varlaLlons LhaL, wlLhouL ever loslng
Lhe clearly heard baslc comblnaLlon, became more sLlrrlng and more
exclLlng unLll lL was almosL lmposslble Lo breaLhe. And flnally, lL
descended much more rapldly Lhan lL had ascended and dld so wlLh Lhe
effecL of a swooplng dlve LhaL broughL Lhe llsLeners Lo ground level even
whlle Lhey sLlll reLalned Lhe feellng LhaL Lhey were hlgh ln Lhe alr.
1here followed sheer pandemonlum LhaL spllL Lhe alr, and even
1revlze, who was used Lo a LoLally dlfferenL klnd of muslc, LhoughL sadly,
And now 17'11 never hear LhaL agaln."
When a mosL relucLanL quleL had reLurned, Plroko held ouL her fluLe.
Pere, lallow, Lhls ls Lhlne!"
lallom reached for lL eagerly, buL 8llss caughL hold of Lhe chlld's
ouLsLreLched arm and sald, We can'L Lake lL, Plroko. lL's a valuable
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
290
lnsLrumenL."
l have anoLher, 8llss. noL qulLe as good, buL LhaL ls how lL should be.
1hls lnsLrumenL belongeLh Lo Lhe person who playeLh lL besL. never have
l heard such muslc and lL would be wrong for me Lo own an lnsLrumenL l
cannoL use Lo full poLenLlal. Would LhaL l knew how Lhe lnsLrumenL
could be made Lo play wlLhouL belng Louched." lallom Look Lhe fluLe
and, wlLh an expresslon of deep conLenL, held lL LlghLly Lo her chesL.
83.
LACP Cl Lhe Lwo rooms of Lhelr quarLers were llL by one fluorescenL
llghL. 1he ouLhouse had a Lhlrd. 1he llghLs were dlm, and were
uncomforLable Lo read by, buL aL leasL Lhe rooms were no longer dark.
?eL Lhey now llngered ouLslde. 1he sky was full of sLars, someLhlng
LhaL was always fasclnaLlng Lo a naLlve of 1ermlnus, where Lhe nlghL sky
was all buL sLarless and ln whlch only Lhe falnL foreshorLened cloud of
Lhe Calaxy was promlnenL.
Plroko had accompanled Lhem back Lo Lhelr chambers for fear Lhey
would geL losL ln Lhe dark, or LhaL Lhey would sLumble. All Lhe way back,
she held lallom's hand, and Lhen, afLer llghLlng Lhe fluorescenLs for
Lhem, remalned ouLslde wlLh Lhem, sLlll cluLchlng aL Lhe youngsLer.
8llss Lrled agaln, for lL was clear Lo her LhaL Plroko was ln a sLaLe of a
dlfflculL confllcL of emoLlons. 8eally, Plroko, we cannoL Lake your fluLe."
no, lallom musL have lL." 8uL she seemed on edge [usL Lhe same.
1revlze conLlnued Lo look aL Lhe sky. 1he nlghL was Lruly dark, a
darkness LhaL was scarcely affecLed by Lhe Lrlckle of llghL from Lhelr own
chambers, and much less so by Lhe Llny sparks of oLher houses farLher
off. Pe sald, Plroko, do you see LhaL sLar LhaL ls so brlghL? WhaL ls lL
called?" Plroko looked up casually and sald, wlLh no greaL appearance of
lnLeresL, 1haL's Lhe Companlon."
Why ls lL called LhaL?"
lL clrcleLh our sun every elghLy SLandard ?ears. lL ls an evenlng sLar
aL Lhls Llme of year. 1hou cansL see lL ln dayLlme, Loo, when lL lleLh
above Lhe horlzon."
Cood, LhoughL 1revlze. She's noL LoLally lgnoranL of asLronomy. Pe
sald, uo you know LhaL Alpha has anoLher companlon, a very small, dlm
one LhaL's much much farLher away Lhan LhaL brlghL sLar. ?ou can'L see lL
wlLhouL a Lelescope." (Pe hadn'L seen lL hlmself, hadn'L boLhered Lo
search for lL, buL Lhe shlp's compuLer had Lhe lnformaLlon ln lLs memory
banks.)
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
291
She sald lndlfferenLly, We were Lold LhaL ln school."
8uL now whaL abouL LhaL one? ?ou see Lhose slx sLars ln a zlgzag
llne?"
Plroko sald, 1haL ls Casslopela."
8eally?" sald 1revlze, sLarLled. Whlch sLar?"
All of Lhem. 1he whole zlgzag. lL ls Casslopela." .
Why ls lL called LhaL?"
l lack Lhe knowledge. l know noLhlng of asLronomy, respecLed
1revlze."
uo you see Lhe lowermosL sLar ln Lhe zlgzag, Lhe one LhaL's brlghLer
Lhan Lhe oLher sLars? WhaL ls LhaL?"
lL ls a sLar. l know noL lLs name."
8uL excepL for Lhe Lwo companlon sLars, lL's Lhe closesL of all Lhe
sLars Lo Alpha. lL ls only a parsec away."
Plroko sald, SayesL Lhou so? l know LhaL noL."
MlghL lL noL be Lhe sLar abouL whlch LarLh revolves?"
Plroko looked aL Lhe sLar wlLh a falnL flash of lnLeresL. l know noL. l
have never heard any person say so."
uon'L you Lhlnk lL mlghL be?"
Pow can l say? none knoweLh where LarLh mlghL be. l-l musL leave
Lhee, now. l wlll be Laklng my shlfL ln Lhe flelds Lomorrow mornlng
before Lhe beach fesLlval. l'll see you all Lhere, rlghL afLer lunch. ?es?
?es?"
CerLalnly, Plroko."
She lefL suddenly, half-runnlng ln Lhe dark. 1revlze looked afLer her,
Lhen followed Lhe oLhers lnLo Lhe dlmly llL coLLage.
Pe sald, Can you Lell wheLher she was lylng abouL LarLh, 8llss?"
8llss shook her head. l don'L Lhlnk she was. She ls under enormous
Lenslon, someLhlng l was noL aware of unLll afLer Lhe concerL. lL exlsLed
before you asked her abouL Lhe sLars."
8ecause she gave away her fluLe, Lhen?"
erhaps. l can'L Lell." She Lurned Lo lallom. now, lallom, l wanL
you Lo go lnLo your room. When you're ready for bed, go Lo Lhe
ouLhouse, use Lhe poLLy, Lhen wash your hands, your face, and your
LeeLh."
l would llke Lo play Lhe fluLe, 8llss."
!usL for a llLLle whlle, and very quleLly. uo you undersLand, lallom?
And you musL sLop when l Lell you Lo."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
292
?es, 8llss."
1he Lhree were now alone, 8llss ln Lhe one chalr and Lhe men slLLlng
each on hls coL.
8llss sald, ls Lhere any polnL ln sLaylng on Lhls planeL any longer?"
1revlze shrugged. We never dld geL Lo dlscuss LarLh ln connecLlon
wlLh Lhe anclenL lnsLrumenLs, and we mlghL flnd someLhlng Lhere. lL
mlghL also pay Lo walL for Lhe flshlng fleeL Lo reLurn. 1he men mlghL
know someLhlng Lhe sLay-aL-homes don'L."
very unllkely, l Lhlnk," sald 8llss. Are you sure lL's noL Plroko's dark
eyes LhaL hold you?"
1revlze sald lmpaLlenLly, l don'L undersLand, 8llss. WhaL have you Lo
do wlLh whaL l choose Lo do? Why do you seem Lo arrogaLe Lo yourself
Lhe rlghL of slLLlng ln moral [udgmenL on me?"
l'm noL concerned wlLh your morals. 1he maLLer affecLs our
expedlLlon. ?ou wanL Lo flnd LarLh so LhaL you can flnally declde wheLher
you are rlghL ln chooslng Calaxla over lsolaLe worlds. l wanL you Lo so
declde. ?ou say you need Lo vlslL LarLh Lo make Lhe declslon and you
seem Lo be convlnced LhaL LarLh revolves abouL LhaL brlghL sLar ln Lhe
sky. LeL us go Lhere, Lhen. l admlL lL would be useful Lo have some
lnformaLlon abouL lL before we go, buL lL ls clear Lo me LhaL Lhe
lnformaLlon ls noL forLhcomlng here. l do noL wlsh Lo remaln slmply
because you en[oy Plroko."
erhaps we'll leave," sald 1revlze. LeL me Lhlnk abouL lL, and
Plroko wlll play no parL ln my declslon, l assure you."
eloraL sald, l feel we oughL Lo move on Lo LarLh, lf only Lo see
wheLher lL ls radloacLlve or noL. l see no polnL ln walLlng longer."
Are you sure lL's noL 8llss's dark eyes LhaL drlve you?" sald 1revlze, a
blL splLefully. 1hen, almosL aL once, no, l Lake LhaL back, !anov. l was
[usL belng chlldlsh. SLlll-Lhls ls a charmlng world, qulLe aparL from Plroko,
and l musL say LhaL under oLher clrcumsLances, l would be LempLed Lo
remaln lndeflnlLely. -uon'L you Lhlnk, 8llss, LhaL Alpha desLroys your
Lheory abouL lsolaLes?"
ln whaL way?" asked 8llss.
?ou've been malnLalnlng LhaL every Lruly lsolaLed world Lurns
dangerous and hosLlle."
Lven Comporellon," sald 8llss evenly, whlch ls raLher ouL of Lhe
maln currenL of CalacLlc acLlvlLy for all LhaL lL ls, ln Lheory, an AssoclaLed
ower of Lhe loundaLlon lederaLlon."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
293
8uL noL Alpha. 1hls world ls LoLally lsolaLed, buL can you complaln of
Lhelr frlendllness and hosplLallLy? 1hey feed us, cloLhe us, shelLer us, puL
on fesLlvals ln our honor, urge us Lo sLay on. WhaL faulL ls Lhere Lo flnd
wlLh Lhem?"
none, apparenLly. Plroko even glves you her body."
1revlze sald angrlly, 8llss, whaL boLhers you abouL LhaL? She dldn'L
glve me her body. We gave each oLher our bodles. lL was enLlrely
muLual, enLlrely pleasurable. nor can you say LhaL you heslLaLe Lo glve
your body as lL sulLs you."
lease, 8llss," sald eloraL. Colan ls enLlrely rlghL. 1here ls no
reason Lo ob[ecL Lo hls prlvaLe pleasures."
As long as Lhey don'L affecL us," sald 8llss obduraLely.
1hey do noL affecL us," sald 1revlze. We wlll leave, l assure you. A
delay Lo search furLher for lnformaLlon wlll noL be long."
?eL l don'L LrusL lsolaLes," sald 8llss, even when Lhey come bearlng
glfLs."
1revlze flung up hls arms. 8each a concluslon, Lhen LwlsL Lhe
evldence Lo flL. Pow llke a-
uon'L say lL," sald 8llss dangerously. l am noL a woman. l am Cala.
lL ls Cala, noL l, who ls uneasy."
1here ls no reason Lo-" And aL LhaL polnL Lhere was a scraLchlng aL
Lhe door.
1revlze froze. WhaL's LhaL?" he sald, ln a low volce.
8llss shrugged llghLly. Cpen Lhe door and see. ?ou Lell us Lhls ls a
klndly world LhaL offers no danger."
neverLheless, 1revlze heslLaLed, unLll a sofL volce from Lhe oLher slde
of Lhe door called ouL sofLly, lease. lL ls "
lL was Plroko's volce. 1revlze Lhrew Lhe door open.
Plroko enLered qulckly. Per cheeks were weL.
Close Lhe door," she gasped.
WhaL ls lL?" asked 8llss.
Plroko cluLched aL 1revlze. l could noL sLay away. l Lrled, buL l
endured lL noL. Co Lhou, and all of you. 1ake Lhe youngsLer wlLh you
qulckly. 1ake Lhe shlp away-away from Alpha-whlle lL ls yeL dark."
8uL why?" asked 1revlze.
8ecause else wllL Lhou dle, and all of you."
84.
1PL 1P8LL CuLworlders sLared frozenly aL Plroko for a long momenL.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
294
1hen 1revlze sald, Are you saylng your people wlll klll us?"
Plroko sald, as Lhe Lears rolled down her cheeks, 1hou arL already
on Lhe road Lo deaLh, respecLed 1revlze. And Lhe oLhers wlLh you. -Long
ago, Lhose of learnlng devlsed a vlrus, harmless Lo us, buL deadly Lo
CuLworlders. We have been made lmmune." She shook 1revlze's arm ln
dlsLracLlon. 1hou arL lnfecLed."
Pow?"
When we had our pleasure. lL ls one way."
1revlze sald, 8uL l feel enLlrely well."
1he vlrus ls as yeL lnacLlve. lL wlll be made acLlve when Lhe flshlng
fleeL reLurns. 8y our laws, all musL declde on such a Lhlng-even Lhe men.
All wlll surely declde lL musL be done, and we keep you here Llll LhaL
Llme, Lwo mornlngs hence. Leave now whlle lL ls yeL dark and none
suspecLs."
8llss sald sharply, Why do your people do Lhls?"
lor our safeLy. We are few and have much. We do noL wlsh
CuLworlders Lo lnLrude. lf one comeLh and Lhen reporLeLh our loL, oLhers
wlll come, and so when, once ln a long whlle, a shlp arrlveLh, we musL
make cerLaln lL leaveLh noL."
8uL Lhen," sald 1revlze, why do you warn us away?"
Ask noL Lhe reason. -nay, buL l wlll Lell you, slnce l hear lL agaln.
LlsLen-
lrom Lhe nexL room, Lhey could hear lallom playlng sofLly-and
lnflnlLely sweeLly.
Plroko sald, l cannoL bear Lhe desLrucLlon of LhaL muslc, for Lhe
young one wlll also dle."
1revlze sald sLernly, ls LhaL why you gave Lhe fluLe Lo lallom?
8ecause you knew you would have lL once agaln when she was dead?"
Plroko looked horrlfled. nay, LhaL was noL ln my mlnd. And when lL
came Lo mlnd aL lengLh, l knew lL musL noL be done. Leave wlLh Lhe
chlld, and wlLh her, Lake Lhe fluLe LhaL l may never see lL more. 1hou wllL
be safe back ln space and, lefL lnacLlve, Lhe vlrus now ln Lhy body wlll dle
afLer a Llme. ln reLurn, l ask LhaL none of you ever speak of Lhls world,
LhaL none else may know of lL."
We wlll noL speak of lL," sald 1revlze.
Plroko looked up. ln a lower volce, she sald, May l noL klss Lhee
once ere Lhou leavesL?"
1revlze sald, no. l have been lnfecLed once and surely LhaL ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
293
enough." And Lhen, a llLLle less roughly, he added, uon'L cry. eople wlll
ask why you are crylng and you'll be unable Lo reply. -l'll forglve whaL
you dld Lo me ln vlew of your presenL efforL Lo save us."
Plroko sLralghLened, carefully wlped her cheeks wlLh Lhe back of her
hands, Look a deep breaLh, and sald, l Lhank Lhee for LhaL," and lefL
qulckly.
1revlze sald, We wlll puL ouL Lhe llghL, and we wlll walL awhlle, and
Lhen we wlll leave. -8llss, Lell lallom Lo sLop playlng her lnsLrumenL.
8emember Lo Lake Lhe fluLe, of course. -1hen we wlll make our way Lo
Lhe shlp, lf we can flnd lL ln Lhe dark."
l wlll flnd lL," sald 8llss. CloLhlng of mlne ls on board and, however
dlmly, LhaL, Loo, ls Cala. Cala wlll have no Lrouble flndlng Cala." And
she vanlshed lnLo her room Lo collecL lallom.
eloraL sald, uo you suppose LhaL Lhey've managed Lo damage our
shlp ln order Lo keep us on Lhe planeL?"
1hey lack Lhe Lechnology Lo do lL," sald 1revlze grlmly. When 8llss
emerged, holdlng lallom by Lhe hand, 1revlze puL ouL Lhe llghLs.
1hey saL quleLly ln Lhe dark for whaL seemed half Lhe nlghL, and
mlghL have been half an hour. 1hen 1revlze slowly and sllenLly opened
Lhe door. 1he sky seemed a blL more cloudy, buL sLars shone. Plgh ln Lhe
sky now was Casslopela, wlLh whaL mlghL be LarLh's sun burnlng brlghLly
aL lLs lower Llp. 1he alr was sLlll and Lhere was no sound.
Carefully, 1revlze sLepped ouL, moLlonlng Lhe oLhers Lo follow. Cne
of hls hands dropped, almosL auLomaLlcally, Lo Lhe buLL of hls neuronlc
whlp. Pe was sure he would noL have Lo use lL, buL-
8llss Look Lhe lead, holdlng eloraL's hand, who held 1revlze's. 8llss's
oLher hand held lallom, and la11om's oLher hand held Lhe fluLe. leellng
genLly wlLh her feeL ln Lhe nearly LoLal darkness, 8llss gulded Lhe oLhers
Loward where she felL, very weakly, Lhe Cala-ness of her cloLhlng on
board Lhe lar SLar.

A81 SLvLn - LA81P
Chapter 1W

8adloacLlve?

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
296
83.

1PL lar SLar Look off quleLly, rlslng slowly Lhrough Lhe aLmosphere,
leavlng Lhe dark lsland below. 1he few falnL doLs of llghL beneaLh Lhem
dlmmed and vanlshed, and as Lhe aLmosphere grew Lhlnner wlLh helghL,
Lhe shlp's speed grew greaLer, and Lhe doLs of llghL ln Lhe sky above
Lhem grew more numerous and brlghLer.
LvenLually, Lhey looked down upon Lhe planeL, Alpha, wlLh only a
crescenL lllumlnaLed and LhaL crescenL largely wreaLhed ln clouds.
eloraL sald, l suppose Lhey don'L have an acLlve space Lechnology.
1hey can'L follow us."
l'm noL sure LhaL LhaL cheers me up much," sald 1revlze, hls face
dour, hls volce dlshearLened. l'm lnfecLed."
8uL wlLh an lnacLlve sLraln," sald 8llss.
SLlll, lL can be made acLlve. 1hey had a meLhod. WhaL ls Lhe
meLhod?" 8llss shrugged. Plroko sald Lhe vlrus, lefL lnacLlve, would
evenLually dle ln a body unadapLed Lo lL-as yours ls."
?es?" sald 1revlze angrlly. Pow does she know LhaL? lor LhaL
maLLer, how do l know LhaL Plroko's sLaLemenL wasn'L a self-consollng
lle? And lsn'L lL posslble LhaL Lhe meLhod of acLlvaLlon, whaLever lL ls,
mlghL noL be dupllcaLed naLurally? A parLlcular chemlcal, a Lype of
radlaLlon, a-a-who knows whaL? l may slcken suddenly, and Lhen Lhe
Lhree of you would dle, Loo. Cr lf lL happens afLer we have reached a
populaLed world, Lhere may be a vlclous pandemlc whlch fleelng
refugees would carry Lo oLher worlds." Pe looked aL 8llss. ls Lhere
someLhlng you can do abouL lL?" Slowly, 8llss shook her head. noL
easlly. 1here are paraslLes maklng up Cala-mlcroorganlsms, worms. 1hey
are a benlgn parL of Lhe ecologlcal balance. 1hey llve and conLrlbuLe Lo
Lhe world consclousness, buL never overgrow. 1hey llve wlLhouL dolng
noLlceable harm. 1he Lrouble ls, 1revlze, Lhe vlrus LhaL affecLs you ls noL
parL of Cala."
?ou say `noL easlly,"' sald 1revlze, frownlng. under Lhe
clrcumsLances, can you Lake Lhe Lrouble Lo do lL even Lhough lL mlghL be
dlfflculL? Can you locaLe Lhe vlrus ln me and desLroy lL? Can you, falllng
LhaL, aL leasL sLrengLhen my defenses?"
uo you reallze whaL you ask, 1revlze? l am noL acqualnLed wlLh Lhe
mlcroscoplc flora of your body. l mlghL noL easlly Lell a vlrus ln Lhe cells
of your body from Lhe normal genes lnhablLlng Lhem. lL would be even
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
297
more dlfflculL Lo dlsLlngulsh beLween vlruses your body ls accusLomed Lo
and Lhose wlLh whlch Plroko lnfecLed you. l wlll Lry Lo do lL, 1revlze, buL
lL wlll Lake Llme and l may noL succeed."
1ake Llme," sald 1revlze. 1ry."
CerLalnly," sald 8llss.
eloraL sald, lf Plroko Lold Lhe LruLh, 8llss, you mlghL be able Lo flnd
vlruses LhaL seem Lo be already dlmlnlshlng ln vlLallLy, and you could
acceleraLe Lhelr decllne."
l could do LhaL," sald 8llss. lL ls a good LhoughL."
?ou won'L weaken?" sald 1revlze. ?ou wlll have Lo desLroy preclous
blLs of llfe when you klll Lhose vlruses, you know."
?ou are belng sardonlc, 1revlze," sald 8llss coolly, buL, sardonlc or
noL, you are polnLlng ouL a Lrue dlfflculLy. SLlll, l can scarcely fall Lo puL
you ahead of Lhe vlrus. l wlll klll Lhem lf l have Lhe chance, never fear.
AfLer all, even lf l fall Lo conslder you"-and her mouLh LwlLched as
Lhough she were represslng a smlle-Lhen cerLalnly eloraL and lallom
are also aL rlsk, and you mlghL feel more confldence ln my feellng for
Lhem Lhan ln my feellng for you. ?ou mlghL even remember LhaL l myself
am aL rlsk."
l have no falLh ln your self-love," muLLered 1revlze. ?ou're
perfecLly ready Lo glve up your llfe for some hlgh moLlve. l'll accepL your
concern for eloraL, however." 1hen, he sald, l don'L hear lallom's
fluLe. ls anyLhlng wrong wlLh her?"
no," sald 8llss. She's asleep. A perfecLly naLural sleep LhaL l had
noLhlng Lo do wlLh. And l would suggesL LhaL, afLer you work ouL Lhe
!ump Lo Lhe sLar we Lhlnk ls LarLh's sun, we all do llkewlse. l need lL
badly and l suspecL you do, Loo, 1revlze."
?es, lf l can manage. -?ou were rlghL, you know, 8llss."
AbouL whaL, 1revlze?"
AbouL lsolaLes. new LarLh was noL a paradlse, however much lL
mlghL have seemed llke one. 1haL hosplLallLy-all LhaL ouLgolng
frlendllness aL flrsL -was Lo puL us off our guard, so LhaL one of us mlghL
be easlly lnfecLed. And all Lhe hosplLallLy afLerward, Lhe fesLlvals of Lhls
and LhaL, were deslgned Lo keep us Lhere Llll Lhe flshlng fleeL reLurned
and Lhe acLlvaLlon could be carrled Lhrough. And lL would have worked
buL for lallom and her muslc. lL mlghL be you were rlghL Lhere, Loo."
AbouL lallom?"
?es. l dldn'L wanL Lo Lake her along, and l've never been happy wlLh
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
298
her belng on Lhe shlp. lL was your dolng, 8llss, LhaL we have her here and
lL was she who, unwlLLlngly, saved us. And yeL-
And yeL whaL?"
uesplLe LhaL, l'm sLlll uneasy aL lallom's presence. l don'L know
why."
lf lL wlll make you feel beLLer, 1revlze, l don'L know LhaL we can lay
all Lhe credlL aL lallom's feeL. Plroko advanced lallom's muslc as her
excuse for commlLLlng whaL Lhe oLher Alphans would surely conslder Lo
be an acL of Lreason. She may even have belleved Lhls, buL Lhere was
someLhlng ln her mlnd ln addlLlon, someLhlng LhaL l vaguely deLecLed
buL could noL surely ldenLlfy, someLhlng LhaL perhaps she was ashamed
Lo leL emerge lnLo her consclous mlnd. l am under Lhe lmpresslon LhaL
she felL a warmLh for you, and would noL wllllngly see you dle,
regardless of lallom and her muslc."
uo you really Lhlnk so?" sald 1revlze, smlllng sllghLly for Lhe flrsL
Llme slnce Lhey had lefL Alpha.
l Lhlnk so. ?ou musL have a cerLaln proflclency aL deallng wlLh
women. ?ou persuaded MlnlsLer Llzalor Lo allow us Lo Lake our shlp and
leave Comporellon, and you helped lnfluence Plroko Lo save our llves.
CredlL where lL's due."
1revlze smlled more broadly. Well, lf you say so. -Cn Lo LarLh,
Lhen." Pe dlsappeared lnLo Lhe plloL-room wlLh a sLep LhaL was almosL
[aunLy.
eloraL, llngerlng behlnd, sald, ?ou sooLhed hlm afLer all, dldn'L you,
8llss?"
no, eloraL, l never Louched hls mlnd."
?ou cerLalnly dld when you pampered hls male vanlLy so
ouLrageously."
LnLlrely lndlrecL," sald 8llss, smlllng.
Lven so, Lhank you, 8llss."
86.
Al1L8 1PL !ump, Lhe sLar LhaL mlghL well be LarLh's sun was sLlll a
LenLh of a parsec away. lL was Lhe brlghLesL ob[ecL ln Lhe sky by far, buL lL
was sLlll no more Lhan a sLar.
1revlze kepL lLs llghL fllLered for ease of vlewlng, and sLudled lL
somberly.
Pe sald, 1here seems no doubL LhaL lL ls Lhe vlrLual Lwln of Alpha,
Lhe sLar LhaL new LarLh clrcles. ?eL Alpha ls ln Lhe compuLer map and
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
299
Lhls sLar ls noL. We don'L have a name for Lhls sLar, we aren'L glven lLs
sLaLlsLlcs, we lack any lnformaLlon concernlng lLs planeLary sysLem, lf lL
has one." eloraL sald, lsn'L LhaL whaL we would expecL lf LarLh clrcles
Lhls sun? Such a blackouL of lnformaLlon would flL wlLh Lhe facL LhaL all
lnformaLlon abouL LarLh seems Lo have been ellmlnaLed."
?es, buL lL could also mean LhaL lL's a Spacer world LhaL [usL
happened noL Lo be on Lhe llsL on Lhe wall of Lhe Melpomenlan bulldlng.
We can'L be alLogeLher sure LhaL LhaL llsL was compleLe. Cr Lhls sLar
could be wlLhouL planeLs and Lherefore perhaps noL worLh llsLlng on a
compuLer map whlch ls prlmarlly used for mlllLary and commerclal
purposes. -!anov, ls Lhere any legend LhaL Lells of LarLh's sun belng a
mere parsec or so from a Lwln of lLself."
eloraL shook hls head. l'm sorry, Colan, buL no such legend occurs
Lo me. 1here may be one, Lhough. My memory lsn'L perfecL. l'll search
for lL."
lL's noL lmporLanL. ls Lhere any name glven Lo LarLh's sun?"
Some dlfferenL names are glven. l lmaglne Lhere musL be a name ln
each of Lhe dlfferenL languages."
l keep forgeLLlng LhaL LarLh had many languages."
lL musL have had. lL's Lhe only way of maklng sense ouL of many of
Lhe legends."
1revlze sald peevlshly, Well, Lhen, whaL do we do? We can'L Lell
anyLhlng abouL Lhe planeLary sysLem from Lhls dlsLance, and we have Lo
move closer. l would llke Lo be cauLlous, buL Lhere's such a Lhlng as
excesslve and unreasonlng cauLlon, and l see no evldence of posslble
danger. resumably anyLhlng powerful enough Lo wlpe Lhe Calaxy clean
of lnformaLlon abouL LarLh may be powerful enough Lo wlpe us ouL even
aL Lhls dlsLance lf Lhey serlously dld noL wlsh Lo be locaLed, buL noLhlng's
happened. lL lsn'L raLlonal Lo sLay here forever on Lhe mere posslblllLy
LhaL someLhlng mlghL happen lf we move closer, ls lL?" 8llss sald, l Lake
lL Lhe compuLer deLecLs noLhlng LhaL mlghL be lnLerpreLed as
dangerous."
When l say l see no evldence of posslble danger, lL's Lhe compuLer l'm
relylng on. l cerLalnly can'L see anyLhlng wlLh Lhe unalded eye. l wouldn'L
expecL Lo."
1hen l Lake lL you're [usL looklng for supporL ln maklng whaL you
conslder a rlsky declslon. All rlghL, Lhen. l'm wlLh you. We haven'L come
Lhls far ln order Lo Lurn back for no reason, have we?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
300
no," sald 1revlze. WhaL do you say, eloraL?"
eloraL sald, l'm wllllng Lo move on, lf only ouL of curloslLy. lL would
be unbearable Lo go back wlLhouL knowlng lf we have found LarLh."
Well, Lhen," sald 1revlze, we're all agreed."
noL all," sald eloraL. 1here's lallom."
1revlze looked asLonlshed. Are you suggesLlng we consulL Lhe chlld?
Cf whaL value would her oplnlon be even lf she had one? 8esldes, all she
would wanL would be Lo geL back Lo her own world."
Can you blame her for LhaL?" asked 8llss warmly.
And because Lhe maLLer of lallom had arlsen, 1revlze became aware
of her fluLe, whlch was soundlng ln a raLher sLlrrlng march rhyLhm.
LlsLen Lo her," he sald. Where has she ever heard anyLhlng ln
march rhyLhm?"
erhaps !emby played marches on Lhe fluLe for her."
1revlze shook hls head. l doubL lL. uance rhyLhms, l should Lhlnk,
lullables. -LlsLen, lallom makes me uneasy. She learns Loo qulckly."
l help her," sald 8llss. 8emember LhaL. And she's very lnLelllgenL
and she has been exLraordlnarlly sLlmulaLed ln Lhe Llme she's been wlLh
us. new sensaLlons have flooded her mlnd. She's seen space, dlfferenL
worlds, many people, all for Lhe flrsL Llme."
lallom's march muslc grew wllder and more rlchly barbarlc.
1revlze slghed and sald, Well, she's here, and she's produclng muslc
LhaL seems Lo breaLhe opLlmlsm, and dellghL ln advenLure. l'll Lake LhaL
as her voLe ln favor of movlng ln more closely. LeL us do so cauLlously,
Lhen, and check Lhls sun's planeLary sysLem."
lf any," sald 8llss.
1revlze smlled Lhlnly. 1here's a planeLary sysLem. lL's a beL. Choose
your sum."
87.
?ou LCSL," sald 1revlze absLracLedly. Pow much money dld you
declde Lo beL?"
none. l never accepLed Lhe wager," sald 8llss.
!usL as well. l wouldn'L llke Lo accepL Lhe money, anyway."
1hey were some 10 bllllon kllomeLers from Lhe sun. lL was sLlll sLar-
llke, buL lL was nearly 1/4,000 as brlghL as Lhe average sun would have
been when vlewed from Lhe surface of a hablLable planeL.
We can see Lwo planeLs under magnlflcaLlon, rlghL now," sald
1revlze. lrom Lhelr measured dlameLers and from Lhe specLrum of Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
301
reflecLed llghL, Lhey are clearly gas glanLs."
1he shlp was well ouLslde Lhe planeLary plane, and 8llss and eloraL,
sLarlng over 1revlze's shoulder aL Lhe vlewscreen, found Lhemselves
looklng aL Lwo Llny crescenLs of greenlsh llghL. 1he smaller was ln Lhe
somewhaL Lhlcker phase of Lhe Lwo.
1revlze sald, !anov! lL ls correcL, lsn'L lL, LhaL LarLh's sun ls suppose
Lo have four gas glanLs."
Accordlng Lo Lhe legends. ?es," sald eloraL.
1he nearesL of Lhe four Lo Lhe sun ls Lhe largesL, and Lhe second
nearesL has rlngs. 8lghL?"
Large promlnenL rlngs, Colan. ?es. !usL Lhe same, old chap, you
have Lo allow for exaggeraLlon ln Lhe Lelllng and reLelllng of a legend. lf
we should noL flnd a planeL wlLh an exLraordlnary rlng sysLem, l don'L
Lhlnk we oughL Lo leL LhaL counL serlously agalnsL Lhls belng LarLh's sLar."
neverLheless, Lhe Lwo we see may be Lhe farLhesL, and Lhe Lwo
nearer ones may well be on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe sun and Loo far .Lo be
easlly locaLed agalnsL Lhe background of sLars. We'll have Lo move sLlll
closer-and beyond Lhe sun Lo Lhe oLher slde."
Can LhaL be done ln Lhe presence of Lhe sLar's nearby mass?"
WlLh reasonable cauLlon, Lhe compuLer can do lL, l'm sure. lf lL
[udges Lhe danger Lo be Loo greaL, however, lL wlll refuse Lo budge us,
and we can Lhen move ln cauLlous, smaller sLeps."
Pls mlnd dlrecLed Lhe compuLer-and Lhe sLarfleld on Lhe vlewscreen
changed. 1he sLar brlghLened sharply and Lhen moved off Lhe
vlewscreen as Lhe compuLer, followlng dlrecLlons, scanned Lhe sky for
anoLher gas glanL. lL dld so successfully.
All Lhree onlookers sLlffened and sLared, whlle 1revlze's mlnd, almosL
helpless wlLh asLonlshmenL, fumbled aL Lhe compuLer Lo dlrecL furLher
magnlflcaLlon.
lncredlble," gasped 8llss.
88.
A CAS glanL was ln vlew, seen aL an angle LhaL allowed mosL of lL Lo
be sunllL. AbouL lL, Lhere curved a broad and brllllanL rlng of maLerlal,
Llpped so as Lo caLch Lhe sunllghL on Lhe slde belng vlewed. lL was
brlghLer Lhan Lhe planeL lLself and along lL, one Lhlrd of Lhe way ln
Loward Lhe planeL, was a narrow, dlvldlng llne.
1revlze Lhrew ln a requesL for maxlmum enhancemenL and Lhe rlng
became rlngleLs, narrow and concenLrlc, gllLLerlng ln Lhe sunllghL. Cnly a
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
302
porLlon of Lhe rlng sysLem was vlslble on Lhe vlewscreen and Lhe planeL
lLself had moved o$: A furLher dlrecLlon from 1revlze and one corner of
Lhe screen marked lLself off and showed, wlLhln lLself, a mlnlaLure of Lhe
planeL and rlngs under lesser magnlflcaLlon.
ls LhaL sorL of Lhlng common?" asked 8llss, awed.
no," sald 1revlze. AlmosL every gas glanL has rlngs of debrls, buL
Lhey Lend Lo be falnL and narrow. l once saw one ln whlch Lhe rlngs were
narrow, buL qulLe brlghL. 8uL l never saw anyLhlng llke Lhls, or heard of
lL, elLher." eloraL sald, 1haL's clearly Lhe rlnged glanL Lhe legends speak
of. lf Lhls ls really unlque-
8eally unlque, as far as l know, or as far as Lhe compuLer knows,"
sald 1revlze.
1hen Lhls musL be Lhe planeLary sysLem conLalnlng LarLh. Surely, no
one could lnvenL such a planeL. lL would have had Lo have been seen Lo
be descrlbed."
1revlze sald, l'm prepared Lo belleve [usL abouL anyLhlng your
legends say now. 1hls ls Lhe slxLh planeL and LarLh would be Lhe Lhlrd?"
8lghL, Colan."
1hen l would say we were less Lhan 1.3 bllllon kllomeLers from
LarLh, and we haven'L been sLopped. Cala sLopped us when we
approached."
8llss sald, ?ou were closer Lo Cala when you were sLopped."
Ah," sald 1revlze, buL lL's my oplnlon LarLh ls more powerful Lhan
Cala, and l Lake Lhls Lo be a good slgn. lf we are noL sLopped, lL may be
LhaL LarLh does noL ob[ecL Lo our approach."
Cr LhaL Lhere ls no LarLh," sald 8llss.
uo you care Lo beL Lhls Llme?" asked 1revlze grlmly.
WhaL l Lhlnk 8llss means," puL ln eloraL, ls LhaL LarLh may be
radloacLlve as everyone seems Lo Lhlnk, and LhaL no one sLops us
because Lhere ls no llfe on Lhe LarLh."
no," sald 1revlze vlolenLly. l'll belleve everyLhlng LhaL's sald abouL
LarLh, buL LhaL. We'll [usL close ln on LarLh and see for ourselves. And l
have Lhe feellng we won'L be sLopped."
89.
1PL CAS glanLs were well behlnd. An asLerold belL lay [usL lnslde Lhe
gas glanL nearesL Lhe sun. (1haL gas glanL was Lhe largesL and mosL
masslve, [usL as Lhe legends sald.)
lnslde Lhe asLerold belL were four planeLs.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
303
1revlze sLudled Lhem carefully. 1he Lhlrd ls Lhe largesL. 1he slze ls
approprlaLe .and Lhe dlsLance from Lhe sun ls approprlaLe. lL could be
hablLable." eloraL caughL whaL seemed Lo be a noLe of uncerLalnLy ln
1revlze's words.
Pe sald, uoes lL have an aLmosphere?"
Ch yes," sald 1revlze. 1he second, Lhlrd, and fourLh planeLs all have
aLmospheres. And, as ln Lhe old chlldren's Lale, Lhe second's ls Loo
dense, Lhe fourLh's ls noL dense enough, buL Lhe Lhlrd's ls [usL rlghL."
uo you Lhlnk lL mlghL be LarLh, Lhen?"
1hlnk?" sald 1revlze almosL exploslvely. l don'L have Lo Lhlnk. lL ls
LarLh. lL has Lhe glanL saLelllLe you Lold me of."
lL has?" And eloraL's face broke lnLo a wlder smlle Lhan any LhaL
1revlze had ever seen upon lL.
AbsoluLely! Pere, look aL lL under maxlmum magnlflcaLlon."
eloraL saw Lwo crescenLs, one dlsLlncLly larger and brlghLer Lhan Lhe
oLher.
ls LhaL smaller one Lhe saLelllLe?" he asked.
?es. lL's raLher farLher from Lhe planeL Lhan one mlghL expecL buL
lL's deflnlLely revolvlng abouL lL. lL's only Lhe slze of a small planeL, ln
facL, lL's smaller Lhan any of Lhe four lnner planeLs clrcllng Lhe sun. SLlll,
lL's large for a saLelllLe. lL's aL leasL Lwo Lhousand kllomeLers ln dlameLer,
whlch makes lL ln Lhe slze range of Lhe large saLelllLes LhaL revolve abouL
gas glanLs."
no larger?" eloraL seemed dlsappolnLed. 1hen lL's noL a glanL
saLelllLe?"
?es, lL ls. A saLelllLe wlLh a dlameLer of Lwo Lo Lhree Lhousand
kllomeLers LhaL ls clrcllng an enormous gas glanL ls one Lhlng. 1haL same
saLelllLe clrcllng a small, rocky hablLable planeL ls qulLe anoLher. 1haL
saLelllLe has a dlameLer over a quarLer LhaL of LarLh. Where have you
heard of such near-parlLy lnvolvlng a hablLable planeL?"
eloraL sald Llmldly, l know very llLLle of such Lhlngs."
1revlze sald, 1hen Lake my word for lL, !anov. lL's unlque. We're
looklng aL someLhlng LhaL ls pracLlcally a double planeL, and Lhere are
few hablLable planeLs LhaL have anyLhlng more Lhan pebbles orblLlng
Lhem. !anov, lf you conslder LhaL gas glanL wlLh lLs enormous rlng sysLem
ln slxLh place, and Lhls planeL wlLh lLs enormous saLelllLe ln Lhlrd-boLh of
whlch your legends Lold you abouL, agalnsL all credlblllLy, before you
ever saw Lhem-Lhen LhaL world you're looklng aL musL be LarLh. lL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
304
cannoL concelvably be anyLhlng else. We've found lL, !anov, we've found
lL."
90.
1PL? WL8L on Lhe second day of Lhelr coasLlng progress Loward
LarLh, and 8llss yawned over Lhe dlnner meal. She sald, lL seems Lo me
we've spenL more Llme coasLlng Loward and away from planeLs Lhan
anyLhlng else. We've spenL weeks aL lL, llLerally."
arLly," sald 1revlze, LhaL's because !umps are dangerous Loo close
Lo a sLar. And ln Lhls case, we're movlng very slowly because l do noL
wlsh Lo advance lnLo posslble danger Loo qulckly."
l LhoughL you sald you had Lhe feellng we would noL be sLopped."
So l do, buL l don'L wanL Lo sLake everyLhlng on a feellng." 1revlze
looked aL Lhe conLenLs of Lhe spoon before puLLlng lL lnLo hls mouLh and
sald, ?ou know, l mlss Lhe flsh we had on Alpha. We only had Lhree
meals Lhere."
A plLy," agreed eloraL.
Well," sald 8llss, we vlslLed flve worlds and had Lo leave each one
of Lhem so hurrledly LhaL we never had Llme Lo add Lo our food supplles
and lnLroduce varleLy. Lven when Lhe world had food Lo offer, as dld
Comporellon and Alpha, and, presumably-
She dld noL compleLe Lhe senLence, for lallom, looklng up qulckly,
flnlshed lL for her. Solarla? Could you geL no food Lhere? 1here ls plenLy
of food Lhere. As much as on Alpha. And beLLer, Loo."
l know LhaL, lallom," sald 8llss. 1here was [usL no Llme."
lallom sLared aL her solemnly. Wlll l ever see !emby agaln, 8llss?
1ell me Lhe LruLh." 8llss sald, ?ou may, lf we reLurn Lo Solarla."
Wlll we ever reLurn Lo Solarla?"
8llss heslLaLed. l cannoL say."
now we go Lo LarLh, ls LhaL rlghL? lsn'L LhaL Lhe planeL where you
say we all orlglnaLe?"
Where our forebears orlglnaLed," sald 8llss.
l can say 'ancesLors,"' sald lallom.
?es, we are golng Lo LarLh."
8llss sald llghLly, Wouldn'L anyone wlsh Lo see Lhe world of Lhelr
ancesLors?"
l Lhlnk Lhere's more Lo lL. ?ou all seem so concerned."
8uL we've never been Lhere before. We don'L know whaL Lo
expecL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
303
l Lhlnk lL ls more Lhan LhaL."
8llss smlled. ?ou've flnlshed eaLlng, lallom dear, so why noL go Lo
Lhe room and leL us have a llLLle serenade on your fluLe. ?ou're playlng lL
more beauLlfully all Lhe Llme. Come, come." She gave lallom an
acceleraLlng paL on Lhe rear end, and off lallom wenL, Lurnlng only once
Lo glve 1revlze a LhoughLful look. 1revlze looked afLer her wlLh clear
dlsLasLe. uoes LhaL Lhlng read mlnds?"
uon'L call her a `Lhlng,' 1revlze," sald 8llss sharply.
uoes she read mlnds? ?ou oughL Lo be able Lo Lell."
no, she doesn'L. nor can Cala. nor can Lhe Second loundaLloners.
8eadlng mlnds ln Lhe sense of overhearlng a conversaLlon, or maklng ouL
preclse ldeas ls noL someLhlng LhaL can be done now, or ln Lhe
foreseeable fuLure. We can deLecL, lnLerpreL, and, Lo some exLenL,
manlpulaLe emoLlons, buL LhaL ls noL Lhe same Lhlng aL all."
Pow do you know she can'L do Lhls Lhlng LhaL supposedly can'L be
done?"
8ecause as you have [usL sald, l oughL Lo be able Lo Lell."
erhaps she ls manlpulaLlng you so LhaL you remaln lgnoranL of Lhe
facL LhaL she can." 8llss rolled her eyes upward. 8e reasonable, 1revlze.
Lven lf she had unusual ablllLles, she could do noLhlng wlLh me for l am
noL 8llss, l am Cala. ?ou keep forgeLLlng. uo you know Lhe menLal lnerLla
represenLed by an enLlre planeL? uo you Lhlnk one lsolaLe, however
LalenLed, can overcome LhaL?"
?ou don'L know everyLhlng, 8llss, so don'L be overconfldenL," sald
1revlze sullenly. 1haL Lh- She has been wlLh us noL very long. l couldn'L
learn anyLhlng buL Lhe rudlmenLs of a language ln LhaL Llme, yeL she
already speaks CalacLlc perfecLly and wlLh vlrLually a full vocabulary. ?es,
l know you've been helplng her, buL l wlsh you would sLop."
l Lold you l was helplng her, buL l also Lold you she's fearfully
lnLelllgenL. lnLelllgenL enough so LhaL l would llke Lo have her parL of
Cala. lf we can gaLher her ln, lf she's sLlll young enough, we mlghL learn
enough abouL Lhe Solarlans Lo absorb LhaL enLlre world evenLually. lL
mlghL well be useful Lo us."
uoes lL occur Lo you LhaL Lhe Solarlans are paLhologlcal lsolaLes
even by my sLandards?"
1hey wouldn'L sLay so as parL of Cala."
l Lhlnk you're wrong, 8llss. l Lhlnk LhaL Solarlan chlld ls dangerous
and LhaL we should geL rld of her."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
306
Pow? uump her Lhrough Lhe alrlock? klll her, chop her up, and add
her Lo our food supply?"
eloraL sald, Ch, 8llss."
And 1revlze sald, 1haL's dlsgusLlng, and compleLely uncalled for." Pe
llsLened for a momenL. 1he fluLe was soundlng wlLhouL flaw or waver,
and Lhey had been Lalklng ln half-whlspers. When Lhls ls all over, we've
goL Lo reLurn her Lo Solarla, and make sure LhaL Solarla ls forever cuL off
from Lhe Calaxy. My own feellng ls LhaL lL should be desLroyed. l dlsLrusL
and fear lL." 8llss LhoughL awhlle and sald, 1revlze, l know LhaL you have
Lhe knack of comlng Lo a rlghL declslon, buL l also know you have been
anLlpaLheLlc Lo lallom from Lhe sLarL. l suspecL LhaL may [usL be because
you were humlllaLed on Solarla and have Laken a vlolenL haLred Lo Lhe
planeL and lLs lnhablLanLs as a resulL. Slnce l musL noL Lamper wlLh your
mlnd, l can'L Lell LhaL for sure. lease remember LhaL lf we had noL Laken
lallom wlLh us, we would be on Alpha rlghL now-dead and, l presume,
burled."
l know LhaL, 8llss, buL even so-
And her lnLelllgence ls Lo be admlred, noL envled."
l do noL envy her. l fear her."
Per lnLelllgence?"
1revlze llcked hls llps LhoughLfully. no, noL qulLe."
WhaL, Lhen?"
l don'L know. 8llss, lf l knew whaL l feared, l mlghL noL have Lo fear
lL. lL's someLhlng l don'L qulLe undersLand." Pls volce lowered, as Lhough
he were speaklng Lo hlmself. 1he Calaxy seems Lo be crowded wlLh
Lhlngs l don'L undersLand. Why dld l choose Cala? Why musL l flnd
LarLh? ls Lhere a mlsslng assumpLlon ln psychohlsLory? lf Lhere ls, whaL ls
lL? And on Lop of all LhaL, why does lallom make me uneasy?"
8llss sald, unforLunaLely, l can'L answer Lhose quesLlons." She rose,
and lefL Lhe room.
eloraL looked afLer her, Lhen sald, Surely Lhlngs aren'L LoLally black,
Colan. We're geLLlng closer and closer Lo LarLh and once we reach lL all
mysLerles may be solved. And so far noLhlng seems Lo be maklng any
efforL Lo sLop us from reachlng lL."
1revlze's eyes fllckered Loward eloraL and he sald ln a low volce, l
wlsh someLhlng would."
eloraL sald, ?ou do? Why should you wanL LhaL?"
lrankly, l'd welcome a slgn of llfe."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
307
eloraL's eyes opened wlde. Pave you found LhaL LarLh ls
radloacLlve afLer all?"
noL qulLe. 8uL lL ls warm. A blL warmer Lhan l would have
expecLed."
ls LhaL bad?"
noL necessarlly. lL may be raLher warm buL LhaL wouldn'L make lL
necessarlly unlnhablLable. 1he cloud cover ls Lhlck and lL ls deflnlLely
waLer vapor, so LhaL Lhose clouds, LogeLher wlLh a coplous waLer ocean,
could Lend Lo keep Lhlngs llvable desplLe Lhe LemperaLure we calculaLed
from mlcrowave emlsslon. l can'L be sure, yeL. lL's [usL LhaL-
?es, Colan?"
Well, lf LarLh were radloacLlve, LhaL mlghL well accounL for lLs belng
warmer Lhan expecLed."
8uL LhaL doesn'L argue Lhe reverse, does lL? lf lL's warmer Lhan
expecLed, LhaL doesn'L mean lL musL be radloacLlve."
no. no, lL doesn'L." 1revlze managed Lo force a smlle. no use
broodlng, !anov. ln a day or Lwo, l'll be able Lo Lell more abouL lL and
we'll know for sure."
91.
lALLCM was slLLlng on Lhe coL ln deep LhoughL when 8llss came lnLo
Lhe room. lallom looked up brlefly, Lhen down agaln.
8llss sald quleLly, WhaL's Lhe maLLer, lallom?"
lallom sald, Why does 1revlze dlsllke me so much, 8llss?"
WhaL makes you Lhlnk he dlsllkes you."
Pe looks aL me lmpaLlenLly- ls LhaL Lhe word?"
lL mlghL be Lhe word."
Pe looks aL me lmpaLlenLly when l am near hlm. Pls face always
LwlsLs a llLLle."
1revlze ls havlng a hard Llme, lallom."
8ecause he's looklng for LarLh?"
?es."
lallom LhoughL awhlle, Lhen sald, Pe ls parLlcularly lmpaLlenL when l
Lhlnk someLhlng lnLo movlng."
8llss's llps LlghLened. now, lallom, dldn'L l Lell you you musL noL do
LhaL, especlally when 1revlze ls presenL?"
Well, lL was yesLerday, rlghL here ln Lhls room, and he was ln Lhe
doorway and l dldn'L noLlce. l dldn'L know he was waLchlng. lL was [usL
one of el's book-fllms, anyway, and l was Lrylng Lo make lL sLand on one
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
308
Llp. l wasn'L dolng any harm."
lL makes hlm nervous, lallom, and l wanL you noL Lo do lL, wheLher
he's waLchlng or noL."
uoes lL make hlm nervous because he can'L do lL?"
erhaps."
Can you do lL?"
8llss shook her head slowly. no, l can'L."
lL doesn'L make you nervous when l do lL. lL doesn'L make el
nervous, elLher."
eople are dlfferenL."
l know," sald lallom, wlLh a sudden hardness LhaL surprlsed 8llss
and caused her Lo frown.
WhaL do you know, lallow?"
l'm dlfferenL."
Cf course, l [usL sald so. eople are dlfferenL."
My shape ls dlfferenL. l can move Lhlngs."
1haL's Lrue."
lallow sald, wlLh a shade of rebelllousness, l musL move Lhlngs.
1revlze should noL be angry wlLh me for LhaL, and you should noL sLop
me."
8uL why musL you move Lhlngs?"
lL ls pracLlce. Lxerceez. -ls LhaL Lhe rlghL word?"
noL qulLe. Lxerclse."
?es. !emby always sald l musL Lraln my-my-
1ransducer-lobes?"
?es. And make Lhem sLrong. 1hen, when l was grown up, l could
power all Lhe roboLs. Lven !emby."
lallow, who dld power all Lhe roboLs lf you dld noL?"
8ander." lallom sald lL very maLLer-of-facLly.
uld you know 8ander?"
Cf course. l vlewed hlm many Llmes. l was Lo be Lhe nexL esLaLe-
head. 1he 8ander esLaLe would become Lhe lallom esLaLe. !emby Lold
me so."
?ou mean 8ander came Lo your-
lallom's mouLh made a perfecL C of shock. She sald ln a choked
volce, 8ander would never come Lo-" 1he youngsLer ran ouL of breaLh
and panLed a blL, Lhen sald, l vlewed 8ander's lmage."
8llss asked heslLanLly, Pow dld 8ander LreaL you?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
309
lallom looked aL 8llss wlLh a falnLly puzzled eye. 8ander would ask
me lf l needed anyLhlng, lf l was comforLable. 8uL !emby was always
near me so l never needed anyLhlng and l was always comforLable."
Per head benL and she sLared aL Lhe floor. 1hen she placed her
hands over her eyes and sald, 8uL !emby sLopped. l Lhlnk lL was because
8andersLopped, Loo."
8llss sald, Why do you say LhaL?"
l've been Lhlnklng abouL lL. 8ander powered all Lhe roboLs, and lf
!emby sLopped, and all Lhe oLher roboLs, Loo, lL musL be LhaL 8ander
sLopped. lsn'L LhaL so?"
8llss was sllenL.
lallow sald, 8uL when you Lake me back Lo Solarla l wlll power
!emby and all Lhe resL of Lhe roboLs, and l wlll be happy agaln."
She was sobblng.
8llss sald, Aren'L you happy wlLh us, lallom? !usL a llLLle?
SomeLlmes?"
lallom llfLed her Lear-sLalned face Lo 8llss and her volce Lrembled as
she shook her head and sald, l wanL !emby."
ln an agony of sympaLhy, 8llss Lhrew her arms abouL Lhe youngsLer.
Ch, lallom, how l wlsh l could brlng you and !emby LogeLher agaln,"
and was suddenly aware LhaL she was weeplng, Loo.
92.
LLC8A1 enLered and found Lhem so. Pe halLed ln mld-sLep and
sald, WhaL's Lhe maLLer?"
8llss deLached herself and fumbled for a small Llssue so LhaL she
mlghL wlpe her eyes. She shook her head, and eloraL aL once sald, wlLh
helghLened concern, 8uL whaL's Lhe maLLer?"
8llss sald, lallow, [usL resL a llLLle. l'll Lhlnk of someLhlng Lo make
Lhlngs a llLLle beLLer for you. 8emember-l love you [usL Lhe same way
LhaL !emby dld."
She selzed eloraL's elbow and rushed hlm ouL lnLo Lhe llvlng room,
saylng, lL's noLhlng, el. -noLhlng."
lL's lallom, Lhough, lsn'L lL? She sLlll mlsses !emby."
1errlbly. And Lhere's noLhlng we can do abouL lL. l can Lell her LhaL l
love her-and, LruLhfully, l do. Pow can you help lovlng a chlld so
lnLelllgenL and genLle? -learfully lnLelllgenL. 1revlze Lhlnks Loo
lnLelllgenL. She's seen 8ander ln her Llme, you know-or vlewed lL, raLher,
as a holographlc lmage. She's noL moved by LhaL memory, however,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
310
she's very cold and maLLer-of-facL abouL lL, and l can undersLand why.
1here was only Lhe facL LhaL 8ander was owner of Lhe esLaLe and LhaL
lallom would be Lhe nexL owner LhaL bound Lhem. no oLher relaLlonshlp
aL all."
uoes lallom undersLand LhaL 8ander ls her faLher?"
Per moLher. lf we agree LhaL lallom ls Lo be regarded as femlnlne,
so ls 8ander."
LlLher way, 8llss dear. ls lallow aware of Lhe parenLal relaLlonshlp?"
l don'L know LhaL she would undersLand whaL LhaL ls. She may, of
course, buL she gave no hlnL. Powever, el, she has reasoned ouL LhaL
8ander ls dead, for lL's dawned on her LhaL !emby's lnacLlvaLlon musL be
Lhe resulL of power loss and slnce 8ander supplled Lhe power- 1haL
frlghLens me."
eloraL sald LhoughLfully, Why should lL, 8llss? lL's only a loglcal
lnference, afLer all."
AnoLher loglcal lnference can be drawn from LhaL deaLh. ueaLhs
musL be few and far dlsLanL on Solarla wlLh lLs long-llved and lsolaLed
Spacers. Lxperlence of naLural deaLh musL be a llmlLed one for any of
Lhem, and probably absenL alLogeLher for a Solarlan chlld of lallom's
age. lf lallom conLlnues Lo Lhlnk of 8ander's deaLh, she's golng Lo begln
Lo wonder why 8ander dled, and Lhe facL LhaL lL happened when we
sLrangers were on Lhe planeL wlll surely lead her Lo Lhe obvlous cause
and effecL."
1haL we kllled 8ander?"
lL wasn'L we who kllled 8ander, el. lL was l.
She couldn'L guess LhaL."
8uL l would have Lo Lell her LhaL. She ls annoyed wlLh 1revlze as lL ls,
and he ls clearly Lhe leader of Lhe expedlLlon. She would Lake lL for
granLed LhaL lL would be he who would have broughL abouL Lhe deaLh of
8ander, and how could l allow 1revlze Lo bear Lhe blame un[usLly?"
WhaL would lL maLLer, 8llss? 1he chlld feels noLhlng for her
faLhmoLher. Cnly for her roboL, !emby."
8uL Lhe deaLh of Lhe moLher meanL Lhe deaLh of her roboL, Loo. l
almosL dld own up Lo my responslblllLy. l was sLrongly LempLed."
Why?"
So l could explaln lL my way. So l could sooLhe her, foresLall her own
dlscovery of Lhe facL ln a reasonlng process LhaL would work lL ouL ln a
way LhaL would offer no [usLlflcaLlon for lL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
311
8uL Lhere was [usLlflcaLlon. lL was self-defense. ln a momenL, we all
would have been dead, lf you had noL acLed."
lL's whaL l would have sald, buL l could noL brlng myself Lo explaln. l
was afrald she wouldn'L belleve me."
eloraL shook hls head. Pe sald, slghlng, uo you suppose lL mlghL
have been beLLer lf we had noL broughL her? 1he slLuaLlon makes you so
unhappy."
no," sald 8llss angrlly, don'L say LhaL. lL would have made me
lnflnlLely more unhappy Lo have Lo slL here rlghL now and remember
LhaL we had lefL an lnnocenL chlld behlnd Lo be slaughLered mercllessly
because of whaL we had done."
lL's Lhe way of lallom's world."
now, el, don'L fall lnLo 1revlze's way of Lhlnklng. lsolaLes flnd lL
posslble Lo accepL such Lhlngs and Lhlnk no more abouL lL. 1he way of
Cala ls Lo save llfe, however, noL desLroy lL-or Lo slL ldly by whlle lL ls
desLroyed. Llfe of all klnds musL, we all know, consLanLly be comlng Lo
an end ln order LhaL oLher llfe mlghL endure, buL never uselessly, never
Lo no end. 8ander's deaLh, Lhough unavoldable, ls hard enough Lo bear,
lallom's would have been pasL all bounds."
Ah well," sald eloraL, l suppose you're rlghL. -And ln any case, lL ls
noL Lhe problem of lallom concernlng whlch l've come Lo see you. lL's
1revlze."
WhaL abouL 1revlze?"
8llss, l'm worrled abouL hlm. Pe's walLlng Lo deLermlne Lhe facLs
abouL LarLh, and l'm noL sure he can wlLhsLand Lhe sLraln."
l don'L fear for hlm. l suspecL he has a sLurdy and sLable mlnd."
We all have our llmlLs. LlsLen, Lhe planeL LarLh ls warmer Lhan he
expecLed lL Lo be, he Lold me so. l suspecL LhaL he Lhlnks lL may be Loo
warm for llfe, Lhough he's clearly Lrylng Lo Lalk hlmself lnLo bellevlng
LhaL's noL so."
Maybe he's rlghL. Maybe lL's noL Loo warm for llfe."
Also, he admlLs lL's posslble LhaL Lhe warmLh mlghL posslbly arlse
from a radloacLlve crusL, buL he ls refuslng Lo belleve LhaL also. -ln a day
or Lwo, we'll be close enough so LhaL Lhe LruLh of Lhe maLLer wlll be
unmlsLakable. WhaL lf LarLh ls radloacLlve?"
1hen he'll have Lo accepL Lhe facL."
8uL-l don'L know how Lo say Lhls, or how Lo puL lL ln menLal Lerms.
WhaL lf hls mlnd-
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
312
8llss walLed, Lhen sald wryly, 8lows a fuse?"
?es. 8lows a fuse. Shouldn'L you do someLhlng now Lo sLrengLhen
hlm? keep hlm level and under conLrol, so Lo speak?"
no, el. l can'L belleve he's LhaL fraglle, and Lhere ls a flrm Calan
declslon LhaL hls mlnd musL noL be Lampered wlLh."
8uL LhaL's Lhe very polnL. Pe has Lhls unusual `rlghLness,' or
whaLever you wanL Lo call lL. 1he shock of hls enLlre pro[ecL falllng Lo
noLhlngness aL Lhe momenL when lL seems successfully concluded may
noL desLroy hls braln, buL lL may desLroy hls `rlghLness.' lL's a very
unusual properLy he has. MlghL lL noL be unusually fraglle, Loo?"
8llss remalned for a momenL ln LhoughL. 1hen she shrugged. Well,
perhaps l'll keep an eye on hlm."
93.
lC8 1PL nexL LhlrLy-slx hours, 1revlze was vaguely aware LhaL 8llss
and, Lo a lesser degree, eloraL, Lended Lo dog hls fooLsLeps. SLlll, LhaL
was noL uLLerly unusual ln a shlp as compacL as Lhelrs, and he had oLher
Lhlngs on hls mlnd.
now, as he saL aL Lhe compuLer, he was aware of Lhem sLandlng [usL
lnslde Lhe doorway. Pe looked up aL Lhem, hls face blank.
Well?" he sald, ln a very quleL volce.
eloraL sald, raLher awkwardly, Pow are you, Colan?"
1revlze sald, Ask 8llss. She's been sLarlng aL me lnLenLly for hours.
She musL be poklng Lhrough my mlnd. -Aren'L you, 8llss?"
no, l am noL," sald 8llss evenly, buL lf you feel Lhe need for my
help, l can Lry. -uo you wanL my help?"
no, why should l? Leave me alone. 8oLh of you."
eloraL sald, lease Lell us whaL's golng on."
Cuess!"
ls LarLh-
?es, lL ls. WhaL everyone lnslsLed on Lelllng us ls perfecLly Lrue."
1revlze gesLured aL Lhe vlewscreen, where LarLh presenLed lLs nlghLslde
and was ecllpslng Lhe sun. lL was a solld clrcle of black agalnsL Lhe sLarry
sky, lLs clrcumference ouLllned by a broken orange curve.
eloraL sald, ls LhaL orange Lhe radloacLlvlLy?"
no. !usL refracLed sunllghL Lhrough Lhe aLmosphere. lL would be a
solld orange clrcle lf Lhe aLmosphere weren'L so cloudy. We can'L see Lhe
radloacLlvlLy. 1he varlous radlaLlons, even Lhe gamma rays, are absorbed
by Lhe aLmosphere. Powever, Lhey do seL up secondary radlaLlons,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
313
comparaLlvely feeble ones, buL Lhe compuLer can deLecL Lhem. 1hey're
sLlll lnvlslble Lo Lhe eye, buL Lhe compuLer can produce a phoLon of
vlslble llghL for each parLlcle or wave of radlaLlon lL recelves and puL
LarLh lnLo false color. Look."
And Lhe black clrcle glowed wlLh a falnL, bloLchy blue.
Pow much radloacLlvlLy ls Lhere?" asked 8llss, ln a low volce.
Lnough Lo slgnlfy LhaL no human llfe can exlsL Lhere?"
no llfe of any klnd," sald 1revlze. 1he planeL ls unlnhablLable. 1he
lasL bacLerlum, Lhe lasL vlrus, ls long gone."
Can we explore lL?" sald eloraL. l mean, ln space sulLs."
lor a few hours-before we come down wlLh lrreverslble radlaLlon
slckness."
1hen whaL do we do, Colan?"
uo?" 1revlze looked aL eloraL wlLh LhaL same expresslonless face.
uo you know whaL l would llke Lo do? l would llke Lo Lake you and 8llss-
and Lhe chlld-back Lo Cala and leave you all Lhere forever. 1hen l would
llke Lo go back Lo 1ermlnus and hand back Lhe shlp. 1hen l would llke Lo
reslgn from Lhe Councll, whlch oughL Lo make Mayor 8ranno very happy.
1hen l would llke Lo llve on my penslon and leL Lhe Calaxy go as lL wlll. l
won'L care abouL Lhe Seldon lan, or abouL Lhe loundaLlon, or abouL Lhe
Second loundaLlon, or abouL Cala. 1he Calaxy can choose lLs own paLh.
lL wlll lasL my Llme and why should l care a snap as Lo whaL happens
afLerward?"
Surely, you don'L mean lL, Colan," sald eloraL urgenLly.
1revlze sLared aL hlm for a whlle, and Lhen he drew a long breaLh.
no, l don'L, buL, oh, how l wlsh l could do exacLly whaL l have [usL
ouLllned Lo you."
never mlnd LhaL. WhaL wlll you do?"
keep Lhe shlp ln orblL abouL Lhe LarLh, resL, geL over Lhe shock of all
Lhls, and Lhlnk of whaL Lo do nexL. LxcepL LhaL-
?es?"
And 1revlze blurLed ouL, WhaL can l do nexL? WhaL ls Lhere furLher
Lo look for? WhaL ls Lhere furLher Lo flnd?"
Chapter @T

1he nearby World
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
314

94.

lC8 lour successlve meals, eloraL and 8llss had seen 1revlze only aL
meals. uurlng Lhe resL of Lhe Llme, he was elLher ln Lhe plloL-room or ln
hls bedroom. AL mealLlmes, he was sllenL. Pls llps remalned pressed
LogeLher and he aLe llLLle.
AL Lhe fourLh meal, however, lL seemed Lo eloraL LhaL some of Lhe
unusual gravlLy had llfLed from 1revlze's counLenance. eloraL cleared
hls LhroaL Lwlce, as Lhough preparlng Lo say someLhlng and Lhen
reLreaLlng.
llnally, 1revlze looked up aL hlm and sald, Well?"
Pave you-have you LhoughL lL ouL, Colan?"
Why do you ask?"
?ou seem less gloomy."
l'm noL less gloomy, buL l have been Lhlnklng. Peavlly."
May we know whaL?" asked eloraL.
1revlze glanced brlefly ln 8llss's dlrecLlon. She was looklng flrmly aL
her plaLe, malnLalnlng a careful sllence, as Lhough cerLaln LhaL eloraL
would geL furLher Lhan she aL Lhls senslLlve momenL.
1revlze sald, Are you also curlous, 8llss?"
She ralsed her eyes for a momenL. ?es. CerLalnly."
lallom klcked a leg of Lhe Lable moodlly, and sald, Pave we found
LarLh?"
8llss squeezed Lhe youngsLer's shoulder. 1revlze pald no aLLenLlon.
Pe sald, WhaL we musL sLarL wlLh ls a baslc facL. All lnformaLlon
concernlng LarLh has been removed on varlous worlds. 1haL ls bound Lo
brlng us Lo an lnescapable concluslon. SomeLhlng on LarLh ls belng
hldden. And yeL, by observaLlon, we see LhaL LarLh ls radloacLlvely
deadly, so LhaL anyLhlng on lL ls auLomaLlcally hldden. no one can land
on lL, and from Lhls dlsLance, when we are qulLe near Lhe ouLer edge of
Lhe magneLosphere and would noL care Lo approach LarLh any more
closely, Lhere ls noLhlng for us Lo flnd."
Can you be sure of LhaL?" asked 8llss sofLly.
l have spenL my Llme aL Lhe compuLer, analyzlng LarLh ln every way
lL and l can. 1here ls noLhlng. WhaL's more, l feel Lhere ls noLhlng. Why,
Lhen, has daLa concernlng Lhe LarLh been wlped ouL? Surely, whaLever
musL be hldden ls more effecLlvely hldden now Lhan anyone can easlly
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
313
lmaglne, and Lhere need be no human glldlng of Lhls parLlcular plece of
gold."
lL may be," sald eloraL, LhaL Lhere was lndeed someLhlng hldden
on LarLh aL a Llme when lL had noL yeL grown so severely radloacLlve as
Lo preclude vlslLors. eople on LarLh may Lhen have feared LhaL
someone mlghL land and flnd Lhls whaLever-lL-ls. lL was Lhen LhaL LarLh
Lrled Lo remove lnformaLlon concernlng lLself. WhaL we have now ls a
vesLlglal remnanL of LhaL lnsecure Llme."
no, l don'L Lhlnk so," sald 1revlze. 1he removal of lnformaLlon from
Lhe lmperlal Llbrary aL 1ranLor seems Lo have Laken place very recenLly."
Pe Lurned suddenly Lo 8llss, Am l rlghL?"
8llss sald evenly, l/we/Cala gaLhered LhaL much from Lhe Lroubled
mlnd of Lhe Second loundaLloner Cendlbal, when he, you, and l had Lhe
meeLlng wlLh Lhe Mayor of 1ermlnus."
1revlze sald, So whaLever musL have had Lo be hldden because
Lhere exlsLed Lhe chance of flndlng lL musL sLlll be ln hldlng now, and
Lhere musL be danger of flndlng lL now desplLe Lhe facL LhaL LarLh ls
radloacLlve."
Pow ls LhaL posslble?" asked eloraL anxlously.
Conslder," sald 1revlze. WhaL lf whaL was on LarLh ls no longer on
LarLh, buL was removed when Lhe radloacLlve danger grew greaLer? ?eL
Lhough Lhe secreL ls no longer on LarLh, lL may be LhaL lf we can flnd
LarLh, we would be able Lo reason ouL Lhe place where Lhe secreL has
been Laken. lf LhaL were so, LarLh's whereabouLs would sLlll have Lo be
hldden."
lallom's volce plped up agaln. 8ecause lf we can'L flnd LarLh, 8llss
says you'll Lake me back Lo !emby."
1revlze Lurned Loward lallom and glared-and 8llss sald, ln a low
volce, l Lold you we mlghL, lallom. We'll Lalk abouL lL laLer. 8lghL now,
go Lo your room and read, or play Lhe fluLe, or anyLhlng else you wanL Lo
do. Co-go."
lallom, frownlng sulklly, lefL Lhe Lable.
eloraL sald, 8uL how can you say LhaL, Colan? Pere we are. We've
locaLed LarLh. Can we now deduce where whaLever lL ls mlghL be lf lL
lsn'L on LarLh?"
lL Look a momenL for 1revlze Lo geL over Lhe momenL of lll humor
lallom had lnduced. 1hen, he sald, Why noL? lmaglne Lhe radloacLlvlLy
of LarLh's crusL growlng sLeadlly worse. 1he populaLlon would be
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
316
decreaslng sLeadlly Lhrough deaLh and emlgraLlon, and Lhe secreL,
whaLever lL ls, would be ln lncreaslng danger. Who would remaln Lo
proLecL lL? LvenLually, lL would have Lo be shlfLed Lo anoLher world, or
Lhe use of-whaLever lL was-would be losL Lo LarLh. l suspecL Lhere would
be relucLance Lo move lL and lL ls llkely LhaL lL would be done more or
less aL Lhe lasL mlnuLe. now, Lhen, !anov, remember Lhe old man on
new LarLh who fllled your ears wlLh hls verslon of LarLh's hlsLory?"
Monolee?"
?es. Pe. uld he noL say ln reference Lo Lhe esLabllshmenL of new
LarLh LhaL whaL was lefL of LarLh's populaLlon was broughL Lo Lhe
planeL?"
eloraL sald, uo you mean, old chap, LhaL whaL we're searchlng for
ls now on new LarLh? 8roughL Lhere by Lhe lasL of LarLh's populaLlon Lo
leave?"
1revlze sald, MlghL LhaL noL be so? new LarLh ls scarcely beLLer
known Lo Lhe Calaxy ln general Lhan LarLh ls, and Lhe lnhablLanLs are
susplclously eager Lo keep all CuLworlders away."
We were Lhere," puL ln 8llss. We dldn'L flnd anyLhlng."
We weren'L looklng for anyLhlng buL Lhe whereabouLs of LarLh."
eloraL sald, ln a puzzled way, 8uL we're looklng for someLhlng wlLh
a hlgh Lechnology, someLhlng LhaL can remove lnformaLlon from under
Lhe nose of Lhe Second loundaLlon lLself, and even from under Lhe nose-
excuse me, 8llss-of Cala. 1hose people on new LarLh may be able Lo
conLrol Lhelr paLch of weaLher and may have some Lechnlques of
bloLechnology aL Lhelr dlsposal, buL l Lhlnk you'll admlL LhaL Lhelr level of
Lechnology ls, on Lhe whole, qulLe low."
8llss nodded. l agree wlLh el."
1revlze sald, We're [udglng from very llLLle. We never dld see Lhe
men of Lhe flshlng fleeL. We never saw any parL of Lhe lsland buL Lhe
small paLch we landed on. WhaL mlghL we have found lf we had
explored more Lhoroughly? AfLer all, we dldn'L recognlze Lhe fluorescenL
llghLs Llll we saw Lhem ln acLlon, and lf lL appeared LhaL Lhe Lechnology
was low, appeared, l say-
?es?" sald 8llss, clearly unconvlnced.
1haL could be parL of Lhe vell lnLended Lo obscure Lhe LruLh."
lmposslble," sald 8llss.
lmposslble? lL was you who Lold me, back on Cala, LhaL aL 1ranLor,
Lhe larger clvlllzaLlon was dellberaLely held aL a level of low Lechnology
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
317
ln order Lo hlde Lhe small kernel of Second loundaLloners. Why mlghL
noL Lhe same sLraLegy be used on new LarLh?"
uo you suggesL, Lhen, LhaL we reLurn Lo new LarLh and face
lnfecLlon agaln-Lhls Llme Lo have lL acLlvaLed? Sexual lnLercourse ls
undoubLedly a parLlcularly pleasanL mode of lnfecLlon, buL lL may noL be
Lhe only one."
1revlze shrugged. l am noL eager Lo reLurn Lo new LarLh, buL we
may have Lo."
May! AfLer all, Lhere ls anoLher posslblllLy."
WhaL ls LhaL?"
new LarLh clrcles Lhe sLar Lhe people call Alpha. 8uL Alpha ls parL of
a blnary sysLem. MlghL Lhere noL be a hablLable planeL clrcllng Alpha's
companlon as well?"
1oo dlm, l should Lhlnk," sald 8llss, shaklng her head. 1he
companlon ls only a quarLer as brlghL as Alpha ls."
ulm, buL noL Loo dlm. lf Lhere ls a planeL falrly close Lo Lhe sLar, lL
mlghL do."
eloraL sald, uoes Lhe compuLer say anyLhlng abouL any planeLs for
Lhe companlon?"
1revlze smlled grlmly. l checked LhaL. 1here are flve planeLs of
moderaLe slze. no gas glanLs."
And are any of Lhe flve planeLs hablLable?"
1he compuLer glves no lnformaLlon aL all abouL Lhe planeLs, oLher
Lhan Lhelr number, and Lhe facL LhaL Lhey aren'L large."
Ch," sald eloraL deflaLed.
1revlze sald, 1haL's noLhlng Lo be dlsappolnLed abouL. none of Lhe
Spacer worlds are Lo be found ln Lhe compuLer aL all. 1he lnformaLlon on
Alpha lLself ls mlnlmal. 1hese Lhlngs are hldden dellberaLely and lf
almosL noLhlng ls known abouL Alpha's companlon, LhaL mlghL almosL be
regarded as a good slgn."
1hen," sald 8llss, ln a buslness-llke manner, whaL you are plannlng
Lo do ls Lhls-vlslL Lhe companlon and, lf LhaL draws a blank, reLurn Lo
Alpha lLself."
?es. And Lhls Llme when we reach Lhe lsland of new LarLh, we wlll
be prepared. We wlll examlne Lhe enLlre lsland meLlculously before
landlng and, 8llss, l expecL you Lo use your menLal ablllLles Lo shleld-
And aL LhaL momenL, Lhe lar SLar lurched sllghLly, as Lhough lL had
undergone a shlp-slzed hlccup, and 1revlze crled ouL, halfway beLween
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
318
anger and perplexlLy, Who's aL Lhe conLrols?"
And even as he asked, he knew very well who was.
93.
lALLCM, aL Lhe compuLer console, was compleLely absorbed. Per
small, longflngered hands were sLreLched wlde ln order Lo flL Lhe falnLly
gleamlng handmarks on Lhe desk. lallom's hands seemed Lo slnk lnLo
Lhe maLerlal of Lhe desk, even Lhough lL was clearly felL Lo be hard and
sllppery.
She had seen 1revlze hold hls hands so on a number of occaslons,
and she hadn'L seen hlm do more Lhan LhaL, Lhough lL was qulLe plaln Lo
her LhaL ln so dolng he conLrolled Lhe shlp.
Cn occaslon, lallom had seen 1revlze close hls eyes, and she closed
hers now. AfLer a momenL or Lwo, lL was almosL as Lhough she heard a
falnL, far-off volce-far off, buL soundlng ln her own head, Lhrough (she
dlmly reallzed) her Lransducer-lobes. 1hey were even more lmporLanL
Lhan her hands. She sLralned Lo make ouL Lhe words.
lnsLrucLlons, lL sald, almosL pleadlngly. WhaL are your lnsLrucLlons?
lallom dldn'L say anyLhlng. She had never wlLnessed 1revlze saylng
anyLhlng Lo Lhe compuLer-buL she knew whaL lL was LhaL she wanLed
wlLh all her hearL. She wanLed Lo go back Lo Solarla, Lo Lhe comforLlng
endlessness of Lhe manslon, Lo !emby-!emby-!emby-
She wanLed Lo go Lhere and, as she LhoughL of Lhe world she loved,
she lmaglned lL vlslble on Lhe vlewscreen as she had seen oLher worlds
she dldn'L wanL. She opened her eyes and sLared aL Lhe vlewscreen
wllllng some oLher world Lhere Lhan Lhls haLeful LarLh, Lhen sLarlng aL
whaL she saw, lmaglnlng lL Lo be Solarla. She haLed Lhe empLy Calaxy Lo
whlch she had been lnLroduced agalnsL her wlll. 1ears came Lo her eyes,
and Lhe shlp Lrembled.
She could feel LhaL Lremble, and she swayed a llLLle ln response.
And Lhen she heard loud sLeps ln Lhe corrldor ouLslde and, when she
opened her eyes, 1revlze's face, dlsLorLed, fllled her vlslon, blocklng ouL
Lhe vlewscreen, whlch held all she wanLed. Pe was shouLlng someLhlng,
buL she pald no aLLenLlon. lL was he who had Laken her from Solarla by
kllllng 8ander, and lL was he who was prevenLlng her from reLurnlng by
Lhlnklng only of LarLh, and she was noL golng Lo llsLen Lo hlm.
She was golng Lo Lake Lhe shlp Lo Solarla, and, wlLh Lhe lnLenslLy of
her resolve, lL Lrembled agaln.
96.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
319
8LlSS cluLched wlldly aL 1revlze's arm. uon'L! uon'L!"
She clung sLrongly, holdlng hlm back, whlle eloraL sLood, confused
and frozen, ln Lhe background.
1revlze was shouLlng, 1ake your hands off Lhe compuLer! -8llss,
don'L geL ln my way. l don'L wanL Lo hurL you."
8llss sald, ln a Lone LhaL seemed almosL exhausLed, uon'L offer
vlolence Lo Lhe chlld. l'd have Lo hurL you-agalnsL all lnsLrucLlons."
1revlze's eyes darLed wlldly from lallom Lo 8llss. Pe sald, 1hen you
geL her off, 8llss. now!"
8llss pushed hlm away wlLh surprlslng sLrengLh (drawlng lL, 1revlze
LhoughL afLerward, from Cala, perhaps).
lallom," she sald, llfL your hands."
no," shrleked lallom. l wanL Lhe shlp Lo go Lo Solarla. l wanL lL Lo
go Lhere. 1here." She nodded Loward Lhe vlewscreen wlLh her head,
unwllllng Lo leL even one hand release lLs pressure on Lhe desk for Lhe
purpose.
8uL 8llss reached for Lhe chlld's shoulders and, as her hands Louched
lallom, Lhe youngsLer began Lo Lremble.
8llss's volce grew sofL. now, lallom, Lell Lhe compuLer Lo be as lL
was and come wlLh me. Come wlLh me." Per hands sLroked Lhe chlld,
who collapsed ln an agony of weeplng.
lallom's hands lefL Lhe desk, and 8llss, caLchlng her under Lhe
armplLs, llfLed her lnLo a sLandlng poslLlon. She Lurned her, held her
flrmly agalnsL her breasL, and allowed Lhe chlld Lo smoLher her
wrenchlng sobs Lhere.
8llss sald Lo 1revlze, who was now sLandlng dumbly ln Lhe doorway,
SLep ouL of Lhe way, 1revlze, and don'L Louch elLher of us as we pass."
1revlze sLepped qulckly Lo one slde.
8llss paused a momenL, saylng ln a low volce Lo 1revlze, l had Lo geL
lnLo her mlnd for a momenL. lf l've caused any damage, l won'L forglve
you easlly."
lL was 1revlze's lmpulse Lo Lell her he dldn'L care a cublc mllllmeLer
of vacuum for lallom's mlnd, LhaL lL was Lhe compuLer for whlch he
feared. AgalnsL Lhe concenLraLed glare of Cala, however (surely lL wasn'L
only 8llss whose sole expresslon could lnsplre Lhe momenL of cold Lerror
he felL), he kepL sllenL.
Pe remalned sllenL for a percepLlble perlod, and moLlonless as well,
afLer 8llss and lallom had dlsappeared lnLo Lhelr room. Pe remalned so,
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
320
ln facL, unLll eloraL sald sofLly, Colan, are you all rlghL? She dldn'L hurL
you, dld she?"
1revlze shook hls head vlgorously, as Lhough Lo shake off Lhe Louch
of paralysls LhaL had affllcLed hlm. l'm all rlghL. 1he real quesLlon ls
wheLher LhaL's all rlghL." Pe saL down aL Lhe compuLer console, hls
hands resLlng on Lhe Lwo handmarks whlch lallom's hands had so
recenLly covered.
Well?" sald eloraL anxlously.
1revlze shrugged. lL seems Lo respond normally. l mlghL concelvably
flnd someLhlng wrong laLer on, buL Lhere's noLhlng LhaL seems off now."
1hen, more angrlly, 1he compuLer should noL comblne effecLlvely wlLh
any hands oLher Lhan mlne, buL ln LhaL hermaphrodlLe's case, lL wasn'L
Lhe hands alone. lL was Lhe Lransducer-lobes, l'm sure-
8uL whaL made Lhe shlp shake? lL shouldn'L do LhaL, should lL?"
no. lL's a gravlLlc shlp and we shouldn'L have Lhese lnerLlal effecLs.
8uL LhaL she-monsLer-" Pe paused, looklng angry agaln.
?es?"
l suspecL she faced Lhe compuLer wlLh Lwo self-conLradlcLory
demands, and each wlLh such force LhaL Lhe compuLer had no cholce buL
Lo aLLempL Lo do boLh Lhlngs aL once. ln Lhe aLLempL Lo do Lhe
lmposslble, Lhe compuLer musL have released Lhe lnerLla-free condlLlon
of Lhe shlp momenLarlly. AL leasL LhaL's whaL l Lhlnk happened."
And Lhen, somehow, hls face smooLhed ouL. And LhaL mlghL be a
good Lhlng, Loo, for lL occurs Lo me now LhaL all my Lalk abouL Alpha
CenLaurl and lLs companlon was flapdoodle. l know now where LarLh
musL have Lransferred lLs secreL."
97.
LLC8A1 sLared, Lhen lgnored Lhe flnal remark and wenL back Lo an
earller puzzle. ln whaL way dld lallom ask for Lwo self-conLradlcLory
Lhlngs?"
Well, she sald she wanLed Lhe shlp Lo go Lo Solarla."
?es. Cf course, she would."
8uL whaL dld she mean by Solarla? She can'L recognlze Solarla from
space. She's never really seen lL from space. She was asleep when we
lefL LhaL world ln a hurry. And desplLe her readlngs ln your llbrary,
LogeLher wlLh whaLever 8llss has Lold her, l lmaglne she can'L really
grasp Lhe LruLh of a Calaxy of hundreds of bllllons of sLars and mllllons of
populaLed planeLs. 8roughL up, as she was, underground and alone, lL ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
321
all she can do Lo grasp Lhe bare concepL LhaL Lhere are dlfferenL
worlds-buL how many? 1wo? 1hree? lour? 1o her any world she sees ls
llkely Lo be Solarla, and glven Lhe sLrengLh of her wlshful Lhlnklng, ls
Solarla. And slnce l presume 8llss has Lrled Lo quleL her by hlnLlng LhaL lf
we don'L flnd LarLh, we'll Lake her back Lo Solarla, she may even have
worked up Lhe noLlon LhaL Solarla ls close Lo LarLh."
8uL how can you Lell Lhls, Colan? WhaL makes you Lhlnk lL's so?"
She as much as Lold us so, !anov, when we bursL ln upon her. She
crled ouL LhaL she wanLed Lo go Lo Solarla and Lhen added `Lhere-Lhere,'
noddlng her head aL Lhe vlewscreen. And whaL ls on Lhe vlewscreen?
LarLh's saLelllLe. lL wasn'L Lhere when l lefL Lhe machlne before dlnner,
LarLh was. 8uL lallom musL have plcLured Lhe saLelllLe ln her mlnd when
she asked for Solarla, and Lhe compuLer, ln response, musL Lherefore
have focused on Lhe saLelllLe. 8elleve me, !anov, l know how Lhls
compuLer works. Who would know beLLer?"
eloraL looked aL Lhe Lhlck crescenL of llghL on Lhe vlewscreen and
sald LhoughLfully, lL was called `moon' ln aL leasL one of LarLh's
languages, 'Luna,' ln anoLher language. robably many oLher names,
Loo. -lmaglne Lhe confuslon, old chap, on a world wlLh numerous
languages-Lhe mlsundersLandlngs, Lhe compllcaLlons, Lhe-
Moon?" sald 1revlze. Well, LhaL's slmple enough. -1hen, Loo, come
Lo Lhlnk of lL, lL may be LhaL Lhe chlld Lrled, lnsLlncLlvely, Lo move Lhe
shlp by means of lLs Lransducer-lobes, uslng Lhe shlp's own energy-
source, and LhaL may have helped produce Lhe momenLary lnerLlal
confuslon. -8uL none of LhaL maLLers, !anov. WhaL does maLLer ls LhaL all
Lhls has broughL Lhls moon -yes, l llke Lhe name-Lo Lhe screen and
magnlfled lL, and Lhere lL sLlll ls. l'm looklng aL lL now, and wonderlng."
Wonderlng whaL, Colan?"
AL Lhe slze of lL. We Lend Lo lgnore saLelllLes, !anov. 1hey're such
llLLle Lhlngs, when Lhey exlsL aL all. 1hls one ls dlfferenL, Lhough. lL's a
world. lL has a dlameLer of abouL LhlrLy-flve hundred kllomeLers."
A world? Surely you wouldn'L call lL a world. lL can'L be hablLable.
Lven a LhlrLy-flve-hundred-kllomeLer dlameLer ls Loo small. lL has no
aLmosphere. l can Lell LhaL [usL looklng aL lL. no clouds. 1he clrcular
curve agalnsL space ls sharp, so ls Lhe lnner curve LhaL bounds Lhe llghL
and dark hemlsphere."
1revlze nodded, ?ou're geLLlng Lo be a seasoned space Lraveler,
!anov. ?ou're rlghL. no alr. no waLer. 8uL LhaL only means Lhe moon's
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
322
noL hablLable on lLs unproLecLed surface. WhaL abouL underground?"
underground?" sald eloraL doubLfully.
?es. underground. Why noL? LarLh's clLles were underground, you
Lell me. We know LhaL 1ranLor was underground. Comporellon has much
of lLs caplLal clLy underground. 1he Solarlan manslons were almosL
enLlrely underground. lL's a very common sLaLe of affalrs."
8uL, Colan, ln every one of Lhese cases, people were llvlng on a
hablLable planeL. 1he surface was hablLable, Loo, wlLh an aLmosphere
and wlLh an ocean. ls lL posslble Lo llve underground when Lhe surface ls
unlnhablLable?"
Come, !anov, Lhlnk! Where are we llvlng rlghL now? 1he lar SLar ls a
Llny world LhaL has an unlnhablLable surface. 1here's no alr or waLer on
Lhe ouLslde. ?eL we llve lnslde ln perfecL comforL. 1he Calaxy ls full of
space sLaLlons and space seLLlemenLs of lnflnlLe varleLy, Lo say noLhlng of
spaceshlps, and Lhey're all unlnhablLable excepL for Lhe lnLerlor.
Conslder Lhe moon a glganLlc spaceshlp."
WlLh a crew lnslde?"
?es. Mllllons of people, for all we. know, and planLs and anlmals,
and an advanced Lechnology. -Look, !anov, doesn'L lL make sense? lf
LarLh, ln lLs lasL days, could send ouL a parLy of SeLLlers Lo a planeL
orblLlng Alpha CenLaurl, and lf, posslbly wlLh lmperlal help, Lhey could
aLLempL Lo Lerraform lL, seed lLs oceans, bulld dry land where Lhere was
none, could LarLh noL also send a parLy Lo lLs saLelllLe and Lerraform lLs
lnLerlor?"
eloraL sald relucLanLly, l suppose so."
lL would be done. lf LarLh has someLhlng Lo hlde, why send lL over a
parsec away, when lL could be hldden on a world less Lhan a hundred
mllllonLh Lhe dlsLance Lo Alpha. And Lhe moon would be a more efflclenL
hldlng place from Lhe psychologlcal sLandpolnL. no one would Lhlnk of
saLelllLes ln connecLlon wlLh llfe. lor LhaL maLLer l dldn'L. WlLh Lhe moon
an lnch before my nose, my LhoughLs wenL harlng off Lo Alpha. lf lL
hadn'L been for lallom-" Pls llps LlghLened, and he shook hls head. l
suppose l'll have Lo credlL her for LhaL. 8llss surely wlll lf l don'L."
eloraL sald, 8uL see here, old man, lf Lhere's someLhlng hldlng
under Lhe surface of Lhe moon, how do we flnd lL? 1here musL be
mllllons of square kllomeLers of surface-
8oughly forLy mllllon."
And we would have Lo lnspecL all of LhaL, looklng for whaL? An
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
323
openlng? Some sorL of alrlock?"
1revlze sald, uL LhaL way, lL would seem raLher a Lask, buL we're
noL [usL looklng for ob[ecLs, we're looklng for llfe, and for lnLelllgenL llfe
aL LhaL. And we've goL 8llss, and deLecLlng lnLelllgence ls her LalenL, lsn'L
lL?"
98.
8LlSS looked aL 1revlze accuslngly. l've flnally goL her Lo sleep. l had
Lhe hardesL Llme. She was wlld. lorLunaLely, l don'L Lhlnk l've damaged
her."
1revlze sald coldly, ?ou mlghL Lry removlng her flxaLlon on !emby,
you know, slnce l cerLalnly have no lnLenLlon of ever golng back Lo
Solarla."
!usL remove her flxaLlon, ls LhaL lL? WhaL do you know abouL such
Lhlngs, 1revlze? ?ou've never sensed a mlnd. ?ou haven'L Lhe falnLesL
ldea of lLs complexlLy. lf you knew anyLhlng aL all abouL lL, you wouldn'L
Lalk abouL removlng a flxaLlon as Lhough lL were [usL a maLLer of
scooplng [am ouL of a [ar."
Well, weaken lL aL leasL."
l mlghL weaken lL a blL, afLer a monLh of careful deLhreadlng."
WhaL do you mean, deLhreadlng?"
1o someone who doesn'L know, lL can'L be explalned."
WhaL are you golng Lo do wlLh Lhe chlld, Lhen?"
l don'L know yeL, lL wlll Lake a loL of conslderaLlon."
ln LhaL case," sald 1revlze, leL me Lell you whaL we're golng Lo do
wlLh Lhe shlp."
l know whaL you're golng Lo do. lL's back Lo new LarLh and anoLher
Lry aL Lhe lovely Plroko, lf she'll promlse noL Lo lnfecL you Lhls Llme."
1revlze kepL hls face expresslonless. Pe sald, no, as a maLLer of facL.
l've changed my mlnd. We're golng Lo Lhe moon-whlch ls Lhe name of
Lhe saLelllLe, accordlng Lo !anov."
1he saLelllLe? 8ecause lL's Lhe nearesL world aL hand? l hadn'L
LhoughL of LhaL."
nor l. nor would anyone have LhoughL of lL. nowhere ln Lhe Calaxy
ls Lhere a saLelllLe worLh Lhlnklng abouL-buL Lhls saLelllLe, ln belng large,
ls unlque. WhaL's more, LarLh's anonymlLy covers lL as well. Anyone who
can'L flnd Lhe LarLh can'L flnd Lhe moon, elLher."
ls lL hablLable?"
noL on Lhe surface, buL lL ls noL radloacLlve, noL aL all, so lL lsn'L
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
324
absoluLely unlnhablLable. lL may have llfe-lL may be Leemlng wlLh llfe, ln
facL-under Lhe surface. And, of course, you'll be able Lo Lell lf LhaL's so,
once we geL close enough."
8llss shrugged. l'll Lry. -8uL, Lhen, whaL made you suddenly Lhlnk of
Lrylng Lhe saLelllLe?"
1revlze sald quleLly, SomeLhlng lallom dld when she was aL Lhe
conLrols."
8llss walLed, as Lhough expecLlng more, Lhen shrugged agaln.
WhaLever lL was, l suspecL you wouldn'L have goLLen Lhe lnsplraLlon lf
you had followed your own lmpulse and kllled her."
l had no lnLenLlon of kllllng her, 8llss."
8llss waved her hand. All rlghL. LeL lL be. Are we movlng Loward Lhe
moon now?"
?es. As a maLLer of cauLlon, l'm noL golng Loo fasL, buL lf all goes
well, we'll be ln lLs vlclnlLy ln LhlrLy hours."
99.
1PL MCCn was a wasLeland. 1revlze waLched Lhe brlghL dayllL
porLlon drlfLlng pasL Lhem below. lL was a monoLonous panorama of
craLer rlngs and mounLalnous areas, and of shadows black agalnsL Lhe
sunllghL. 1here were subLle color changes ln Lhe soll and occaslonal
slzable sLreLches of flaLness, broken by small craLers.
As Lhey approached Lhe nlghLslde, Lhe shadows grew longer and
flnally fused LogeLher. lor a whlle, behlnd Lhem, peaks gllLLered ln Lhe
sun, llke faL sLars, far ouLshlnlng Lhelr breLhren ln Lhe sky. 1hen Lhey
dlsappeared and below was only Lhe falnLer llghL of Lhe LarLh ln Lhe sky,
a large blulsh-whlLe sphere, a llLLle more Lhan half full. 1he shlp flnally
ouLran Lhe LarLh, Loo, whlch sank beneaLh Lhe horlzon so LhaL under
Lhem was unrelleved blackness, and above only Lhe falnL powderlng of
sLars, whlch, Lo 1revlze, who had been broughL up on Lhe sLarless world
of 1ermlnus, was always mlracle enough.
1hen, new brlghL sLars appeared ahead, flrsL [usL one or Lwo, Lhen
oLhers, expandlng and Lhlckenlng and flnally coalesclng. And aL once
Lhey passed Lhe LermlnaLor lnLo Lhe dayllL slde. 1he sun rose wlLh
lnfernal splendor, whlle Lhe vlewscreen shlfLed away from lL aL once and
polarlzed Lhe glare of Lhe ground beneaLh.
1revlze could see qulLe well LhaL lL was useless Lo hope Lo flnd any
way lnLo Lhe lnhablLed lnLerlor (lf LhaL exlsLed) by mere eye lnspecLlon of
Lhls perfecLly enormous world.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
323
Pe Lurned Lo look aL 8llss, who saL beslde hlm. She dld noL look aL
Lhe vlewscreen, lndeed, she kepL her eyes closed. She seemed Lo have
collapsed lnLo Lhe chalr raLher Lhan Lo be slLLlng ln lL.
1revlze, wonderlng lf she were asleep, sald sofLly, uo -you deLecL
anyLhlng else?"
8llss shook her head very sllghLly. no," she whlspered. 1here was
[usL LhaL falnL whlff. ?ou'd beLLer Lake me back Lhere. uo you know
where LhaL reglon was?"
1he compuLer knows."
lL was llke zerolng ln on a LargeL, shlfLlng Lhls way and LhaL and Lhen
flndlng lL. 1he area ln quesLlon was sLlll deep ln Lhe nlghLslde and, excepL
LhaL Lhe LarLh shone falrly low ln Lhe sky and gave Lhe surface a ghosLly
ashen glow beLween Lhe shadows, Lhere was noLhlng Lo make ouL, even
Lhough Lhe llghL ln Lhe plloL-room had been blacked ouL for beLLer
vlewlng.
eloraL had approached and was sLandlng anxlously ln Lhe doorway.
Pave we found anyLhlng?". he asked, ln a husky whlsper.
1revlze held up hls hand for sllence. Pe was waLchlng 8llss. Pe knew
lL would be days before sunllghL would reLurn Lo Lhls spoL on Lhe moon,
buL he also knew LhaL for whaL 8llss was Lrylng Lo sense, llghL of any klnd
was lrrelevanL.
She sald, lL's Lhere."
Are you sure?"
?es."
And lL's Lhe only spoL?"
lL's Lhe only spoL l've deLecLed. Pave you been over every parL of
Lhe moon's surface?"
We've been over a respecLable fracLlon of lL."
Well, Lhen, ln LhaL respecLable fracLlon, Lhls ls all l have deLecLed.
lL's sLronger now, as Lhough lL has deLecLed us and lL doesn'L seem
dangerous. 1he feellng l geL ls a welcomlng one."
Are you sure?"
lL's Lhe feellng l geL."
eloraL sald, Could lL be faklng Lhe feellng?"
8llss sald, wlLh a Lrace of hauLeur, l would deLecL a fake, l assure
you."
1revlze muLLered someLhlng abouL overconfldence, Lhen sald, WhaL
you deLecL ls lnLelllgence, l hope."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
326
l deLecL sLrong lnLelllgence. LxcepL-" And an odd noLe enLered her
volce.
LxcepL whaL?"
Ssh. uon'L dlsLurb me. LeL me concenLraLe." 1he lasL word was a
mere moLlon of her llps.
1hen she sald, ln falnL elaLed surprlse, lL's noL human."
noL human," sald 1revlze, ln much sLronger surprlse. Are we
deallng wlLh roboLs agaln? As on Solarla?"
no." 8llss was smlllng. lL's noL qulLe roboLlc, elLher."
lL has Lo be one or Lhe oLher."
nelLher." She acLually chuckled. lL's noL human, and yeL lL's noL llke
any roboL l've deLecLed before."
eloraL sald, l would llke Lo see LhaL." Pe nodded hls head
vlgorously, hls eyes wlde wlLh pleasure. lL would be exclLlng. SomeLhlng
new."
SomeLhlng new," muLLered 1revlze wlLh a sudden llfL of hls own
splrlLs-and a flash of unexpecLed lnslghL seemed Lo lllumlnaLe Lhe
lnLerlor of hls skull.
100.
uCWn 1PL? sank Lo Lhe moon's surface, ln whaL was almosL
[ubllaLlon. Lven lallom had [olned Lhem now and, wlLh Lhe
abandonmenL of a youngsLer, was hugglng herself wlLh unbearable [oy
as Lhough she were Lruly reLurnlng Lo Solarla.
As for 1revlze, he felL wlLhln hlmself a Louch of sanlLy Lelllng hlm LhaL
lL was sLrange LhaL LarLh-or whaLever of LarLh was on Lhe moon-whlch
had Laken such measures Lo keep off all oLhers, should now be Laklng
measures Lo draw Lhem ln. Could Lhe purpose be Lhe same ln elLher
way? Was lL a case of lf you can'L make Lhem avold you, draw Lhem ln
and desLroy Lhem?" LlLher way, would noL LarLh's secreL remaln
unLouched?
8uL LhaL LhoughL faded and drowned ln Lhe flood of [oy LhaL
deepened sLeadlly as Lhey came closer Lo Lhe moon's surface. ?eL over
and beyond LhaL, he managed Lo cllng Lo Lhe momenL of lllumlnaLlon
LhaL had reached hlm [usL before Lhey had begun Lhelr glldlng dlve Lo Lhe
surface of Lhe LarLh's saLelllLe.
Pe seemed Lo have no doubL as Lo where Lhe shlp was golng. 1hey
were [usL above Lhe Lops of Lhe rolllng hllls now, and 1revlze, aL Lhe
compuLer, felL no need Lo do anyLhlng. lL was as Lhough he and Lhe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
327
compuLer, boLh, were belng gulded, and he felL only an enormous
euphorla aL havlng Lhe welghL of responslblllLy Laken away from hlm.
1hey were slldlng parallel Lo Lhe ground, Loward a cllff LhaL ralsed lLs
menaclng helghL as a barrler agalnsL Lhem, a barrler gllsLenlng falnLly ln
LarLh-shlne and ln Lhe llghL-beam of Lhe lar SLar. 1he approach of
cerLaln colllslon seemed Lo mean noLhlng Lo 1revlze, and lL was wlLh no
surprlse whaLever LhaL he became aware LhaL Lhe secLlon of cllff dlrecLly
ahead had fallen away and LhaL a corrldor, gleamlng ln arLlflclal llghL,
had opened before Lhem.
1he shlp slowed Lo a crawl, apparenLly of lLs own accord, and flLLed
neaLly lnLo Lhe openlng-enLerlng-slldlng along- 1he openlng closed
behlnd lL, and anoLher Lhen opened before lL. 1hrough Lhe second
openlng wenL Lhe shlp, lnLo a glganLlc hall LhaL seemed Lhe hollowed
lnLerlor of a mounLaln.
1he shlp halLed and all aboard rushed Lo Lhe alrlock eagerly. lL
occurred Lo none of Lhem, noL even Lo 1revlze, Lo check. wheLher Lhere
mlghL be a breaLhable aLmosphere ouLslde-or any aLmosphere aL all.
1here was alr, however. lL was breaLhable and lL was comforLable.
1hey looked abouL Lhemselves wlLh Lhe pleased alr of people who had
somehow come home and lL was only afLer a whlle LhaL Lhey became
aware of a man who was walLlng pollLely for Lhem Lo approach.
Pe was Lall, and hls expresslon was grave. Pls halr was bronze ln
color, and cuL shorL. Pls cheekbones were broad, hls eyes were brlghL,
and hls cloLhlng was raLher afLer Lhe fashlon one saw ln anclenL hlsLory
books. AlLhough he seemed sLurdy and vlgorous Lhere was, [usL Lhe
same, an alr of wearlness abouL hlm-noL ln anyLhlng LhaL one could see,
buL raLher ln someLhlng appeallng Lo no recognlzable sense.
lL was lallom who reacLed flrsL. WlLh a loud, whlsLllng scream, she
ran Loward Lhe man, wavlng her arms and crylng, !emby! !emby!" ln a
breaLhless fashlon.
She never slackened her pace, and when she was close enough, Lhe
man sLooped and llfLed her hlgh ln Lhe alr. She Lhrew her arms abouL hls
neck, sobblng, and sLlll gasplng, !emby!"
1he oLhers approached more soberly and 1revlze sald, slowly and
dlsLlncLly (could Lhls man undersLand CalacLlc?), We ask pardon, slr.
1hls chlld has losL her proLecLor and ls searchlng for lL desperaLely. Pow
lL came Lo fasLen on you ls a puzzle Lo us, slnce lL ls seeklng a roboL, a
mechanlcal-
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
328
1he man spoke for Lhe flrsL Llme. Pls volce was uLlllLarlan raLher Lhan
muslcal, and Lhere was a falnL alr of archalsm cllnglng Lo lL, buL he spoke
CalacLlc wlLh perfecL ease.
l greeL you all ln frlendshlp," he sald-and he seemed unmlsLakably
frlendly, even Lhough hls face conLlnued Lo remaln flxed ln lLs expresslon
of gravlLy. As for Lhls chlld," he wenL on, she shows perhaps a greaLer
percepLlvlLy Lhan you Lhlnk, for l am a roboL. My name ls uaneel
Cllvaw."

Chapter @1

1he Search Lnds

101.

18LvlZL found hlmself ln a compleLe sLaLe of dlsbellef. Pe had
recovered from Lhe odd euphorla he had felL [usL before and afLer Lhe
landlng on Lhe moon-a euphorla, he now suspecLed, LhaL had been
lmposed on hlm by Lhls self-sLyled roboL who now sLood before hlm.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
329
1revlze was sLlll sLarlng, and ln hls now perfecLly sane and unLouched
mlnd, he remalned losL ln asLonlshmenL. Pe had Lalked ln asLonlshmenL,
made conversaLlon ln asLonlshmenL, scarcely undersLood whaL he sald
or heard as he searched for someLhlng ln Lhe appearance of Lhls
apparenL man, ln hls behavlor, ln hls manner of speaklng, LhaL bespoke
Lhe roboL.
no wonder, LhoughL 1revlze, LhaL 8llss had deLecLed someLhlng LhaL
was nelLher human nor roboL, buL, LhaL was, ln eloraL's words,
someLhlng new." !usL as well, of course, for lL had Lurned 1revlze's
LhoughLs lnLo anoLher and more enllghLenlng channel-buL even LhaL was
now crowded lnLo Lhe back of hls mlnd.
8llss and lallom had wandered off Lo explore Lhe grounds. lL had
been 8llss's suggesLlon, buL lL seemed Lo 1revlze LhaL lL came afLer a
llghLnlng-qulck glance had been exchanged beLween herself and uaneel.
When lallom refused and asked Lo sLay wlLh Lhe belng she perslsLed ln
calllng !emby, a grave word from uaneel and a llfL of Lhe flnger was
enough Lo cause her Lo LroL off aL once. 1revlze and eloraL remalned.
1hey are noL loundaLloners, slrs," sald Lhe roboL, as Lhough LhaL
explalned lL all. Cne ls Cala and one ls a Spacer."
1revlze remalned sllenL whlle Lhey were led Lo slmply deslgned chalrs
under a Lree. 1hey seaLed Lhemselves, aL a gesLure from Lhe roboL, and
when he saL down, Loo, ln a perfecLly human movemenL, 1revlze sald,
Are you Lruly a roboL?"
1ruly, slr," sald uaneel.
eloraL's face seemed Lo shlne wlLh [oy. Pe sald, 1here are
references Lo a roboL named uaneel ln Lhe old legends. Are you named
ln hls honor?"
l am LhaL roboL," sald uaneel. lL ls noL a legend."
Ch no," sald eloraL. lf you are LhaL roboL, you would have Lo be
Lhousands of years old."
1wenLy Lhousand," sald uaneel quleLly.
eloraL seemed abashed aL LhaL, and glanced aL 1revlze, who sald,
wlLh a Louch of anger, lf you are a roboL, l order you Lo speak
LruLhfully."
l do noL need Lo be Lold Lo speak LruLhfully, slr. l musL do so. ?ou
are faced Lhen, slr, wlLh Lhree alLernaLlves. LlLher l am a man who ls
lylng Lo you, or l am a roboL who has been programmed Lo belleve LhaL lL
ls LwenLy Lhousand years old buL, ln facL, ls noL, or l am a roboL who ls
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
330
LwenLy Lhousand years old. ?ou musL declde whlch alLernaLlve Lo
accepL."
1he maLLer may declde lLself wlLh conLlnued conversaLlon," sald
1revlze dryly. lor LhaL maLLer, lL ls hard Lo belleve LhaL Lhls ls Lhe
lnLerlor of Lhe moon. nelLher Lhe llghL"-he looked up as he sald LhaL, for
Lhe llghL was preclsely LhaL of sofL, dlffuse sunllghL, Lhough no sun was ln
Lhe sky, and, for LhaL maLLer, no sky was clearly vlslble-nor Lhe gravlLy
seems credlble. 1hls world should have a surface gravlLy of less Lhan
0.2g."
1he normal surface gravlLy would be 0.16g acLually, slr. lL ls bullL up,
however, by Lhe same forces LhaL glve you, on your shlp, Lhe sensaLlon
of normal gravlLy, even when you are ln free fall, or under acceleraLlon.
CLher energy needs, lncludlng Lhe llghL, are also meL gravlLlcally, Lhough
we use solar energy where LhaL ls convenlenL. Cur maLerlal needs are all
supplled by Lhe moon's soll, excepL for Lhe llghL elemenLs-hydrogen,
carbon, and nlLrogen-whlch Lhe moon does noL possess. We obLaln
Lhose by capLurlng an occaslonal comeL. Cne such capLure a cenLury ls
more Lhan enough Lo supply our needs."
l Lake lL LarLh ls useless as a source of supply."
unforLunaLely, LhaL ls so, slr. Cur poslLronlc bralns are as senslLlve
Lo radloacLlvlLy as human proLelns are."
?ou use Lhe plural, and Lhls manslon before us seems, large,
beauLlful, and elaboraLe-aL leasL as seen from Lhe ouLslde. 1here are
Lhen oLher belngs on Lhe moon. Pumans? 8oboLs?"
?es, slr. We have a compleLe ecology on Lhe moon and a vasL and
complex hollow wlLhln whlch LhaL ecology exlsLs. 1he lnLelllgenL belngs
are all roboLs, however, more or less llke myself. ?ou wlll see none of
Lhem, however. As for Lhls manslon, lL ls used by myself only and lL ls an
esLabllshmenL LhaL ls modeled exacLly on one l used Lo llve ln LwenLy
Lhousand years ago."
Whlch you remember ln deLall, do you?" .
erfecLly, slr. l was manufacLured, and exlsLed for a Llme-how brlef
a Llme lL seems Lo me, now-on Lhe Spacer world of Aurora."
1he one wlLh Lhe-" 1revlze paused.
?es, slr. 1he one wlLh Lhe dogs."
?ou know abouL LhaL?"
?es, slr."
Pow do you come Lo be here, Lhen, lf you llved aL flrsL on Aurora?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
331
Slr, lL was Lo prevenL Lhe creaLlon of a radloacLlve LarLh LhaL l came
here ln Lhe very beglnnlngs of Lhe seLLlemenL of Lhe Calaxy. 1here was
anoLher roboL wlLh me, named Clskard, who could sense and ad[usL
mlnds."
As 8llss can?"
?es, slr. We falled, ln a way, and Clskard ceased Lo operaLe. 8efore
Lhe cessaLlon, however, he made lL posslble for me Lo have hls LalenL
and lefL lL Lo me Lo care for Lhe Calaxy, for LarLh, parLlcularly."
Why LarLh, parLlcularly?"
ln parL because of a man named Lll[ah 8aley, an LarLhman."
eloraL puL ln exclLedly, Pe ls Lhe culLure-hero l menLloned some
Llme ago, Colan."
A culLure-hero, slr?"
WhaL ur. eloraL means," sald 1revlze, ls LhaL he ls a person Lo
whom much was aLLrlbuLed, and who may have been an amalgamaLlon
of many men ln acLual hlsLory, or who may be an lnvenLed person
alLogeLher."
uaneel consldered for a momenL, and Lhen sald, qulLe calmly, 1haL
ls noL so, slrs. Lll[ah 8aley was a real man and he was one man. l do noL
know whaL your legends say of hlm, buL ln acLual hlsLory, Lhe Calaxy
mlghL never have been seLLled wlLhouL hlm. ln hls honor, l dld my besL
Lo salvage whaL l could of LarLh afLer lL began Lo Lurn radloacLlve. My
fellow-roboLs were dlsLrlbuLed over Lhe Calaxy ln an efforL Lo lnfluence a
person here-a person Lhere. AL one Llme l maneuvered a beglnnlng Lo
Lhe recycllng of LarLh's soll. AL anoLher much laLer Llme, l maneuvered a
beglnnlng Lo Lhe Lerraformlng of a world clrcllng Lhe nearby sLar, now
called Alpha. ln nelLher case was l Lruly successful. l could never ad[usL
human mlnds enLlrely as l wlshed, for Lhere was always Lhe chance LhaL l
mlghL do harm Lo Lhe varlous humans who were ad[usLed. l was bound,
you see-and am bound Lo Lhls day-by Lhe Laws of 8oboLlcs."
?es?"
lL dld noL necessarlly Lake a belng wlLh uaneel's menLal power Lo
deLecL uncerLalnLy ln LhaL monosyllable.
1he llrsL Law," he sald, ls Lhls, slr: `A roboL may noL ln[ure a human
belng or, Lhrough lnacLlon, allow a human belng Lo come Lo harm.' 1he
Second Law: `A roboL musL obey Lhe orders glven lL by human belngs
excepL where such orders would confllcL wlLh Lhe llrsL Law.' 1he 1hlrd
Law: `A roboL musL proLecL lLs own exlsLence, as long as such proLecLlon
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
332
does noL confllcL wlLh Lhe llrsL or Second Law.'-naLurally, l glve you
Lhese laws ln Lhe approxlmaLlon of language. ln acLual facL Lhey
represenL compllcaLed maLhemaLlcal conflguraLlons of our poslLronlc
braln-paLhs."
uo you flnd lL dlfflculL Lo deal wlLh Lhose Laws?"
l musL, slr. 1he llrsL Law ls an absoluLe LhaL almosL forblds Lhe use
of my menLal LalenLs alLogeLher. When deallng wlLh Lhe Calaxy lL ls noL
llkely LhaL any course of acLlon wlll prevenL harm alLogeLher. Always,
some people, perhaps many people, wlll suffer so LhaL a roboL musL
choose mlnlmum harm. ?eL, Lhe complexlLy of posslblllLles ls such LhaL lL
Lakes Llme Lo make LhaL cholce and one ls, even Lhen, never cerLaln."
l see LhaL," sald 1revlze.
All Lhrough CalacLlc hlsLory," sald uaneel, l Lrled Lo amelloraLe Lhe
worsL aspecLs of Lhe sLrlfe and dlsasLer LhaL perpeLually made lLself felL
ln Lhe Calaxy. l may have succeeded, on occaslon, and Lo some exLenL,
buL lf you know your CalacLlc hlsLory, you wlll know LhaL l dld noL
succeed ofLen, or by much."
1haL much l know," sald 1revlze, wlLh a wry smlle.
!usL before Clskard's end, he concelved of a roboLlc law LhaL
superseded even Lhe flrsL. We called lL Lhe 'ZeroLh Law' ouL of an
lnablllLy Lo Lhlnk of any oLher name LhaL made sense. 1he ZeroLh Law ls:
`A roboL may noL ln[ure humanlLy or, Lhrough lnacLlon, allow humanlLy
Lo come Lo harm.' 1hls auLomaLlcally means LhaL Lhe llrsL Law musL be
modlfled Lo be: 'A roboL may noL ln[ure a human belng, or, Lhrough
lnacLlon, allow a human belng Lo come Lo harm, excepL where LhaL
would confllcL wlLh Lhe ZeroLh Law.' And slmllar modlflcaLlons musL be
made ln Lhe Second and 1hlrd Laws."
1revlze frowned. Pow do you declde whaL ls ln[urlous, or noL
ln[urlous, Lo humanlLy as a whole?"
reclsely, slr," sald uaneel. ln Lheory, Lhe ZeroLh Law was Lhe
answer Lo our problems. ln pracLlce, we could never declde. A human
belng ls a concreLe ob[ecL. ln[ury Lo a person can be esLlmaLed and
[udged. PumanlLy ls an absLracLlon. Pow do we deal wlLh lL?"
l don'L know," sald 1revlze.
WalL," sald eloraL. ?ou could converL humanlLy lnLo a slngle
organlsm. Cala."
1haL ls whaL l Lrled Lo do, slr. l englneered Lhe foundlng of Cala. lf
humanlLy could be made a slngle organlsm, lL would become a concreLe
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
333
ob[ecL, and lL could be dealL wlLh. lL was, however, noL as easy Lo creaLe
a superorganlsm as l had hoped. ln Lhe flrsL place, lL could noL be done
unless human belngs valued Lhe superorganlsm more Lhan Lhelr
lndlvlduallLy, and l had Lo flnd a mlnd-casL LhaL would allow LhaL. lL was a
long Llme before l LhoughL of Lhe Laws of 8oboLlcs."
Ah, Lhen, Lhe Calans are roboLs. l had suspecLed LhaL from Lhe
sLarL."
ln LhaL case, you suspecLed lncorrecLly, slr. 1hey are human belngs,
buL Lhey have bralns flrmly lnculcaLed wlLh Lhe equlvalenL of Lhe Laws of
8oboLlcs. 1hey have Lo value llfe, really value lL. -And even afLer LhaL was
done, Lhere remalned a serlous flaw. A superorganlsm conslsLlng of
human belngs only ls unsLable. lL cannoL be seL up. CLher anlmals musL
be added-Lhen planLs-Lhen Lhe lnorganlc world. 1he smallesL
superorganlsm LhaL ls Lruly sLable ls an enLlre world, and a world large
enough and complex enough Lo have a sLable ecology. lL Look a long
Llme Lo undersLand Lhls, and lL ls only ln Lhls lasL cenLury LhaL Cala was
fully esLabllshed and LhaL lL became ready Lo move on Loward Calaxla-
and, even so, LhaL wlll Lake a long Llme, Loo. erhaps noL as long as Lhe
road already Lraveled, however, slnce we now know Lhe rules."
8uL you needed me Lo make Lhe declslon for you. ls LhaL lL,
uaneel?"
?es, slr. 1he Laws of 8oboLlcs would noL allow me, nor Cala, Lo
make Lhe declslon and chance harm Lo humanlLy. And meanwhlle, flve
cenLurles ago, when 3L seemed LhaL l would never work ouL meLhods for
geLLlng round all Lhe dlfflculLles LhaL sLood ln Lhe way of esLabllshlng
Cala, l Lurned Lo Lhe second-besL and helped brlng abouL Lhe
developmenL of Lhe sclence of psychohlsLory."
l mlghL have guessed LhaL," mumbled 1revlze. ?ou know, uaneel,
l'm beglnnlng Lo belleve you are LwenLy Lhousand years old."
1hank you, slr."
eloraL sald, WalL a whlle. l Lhlnk l see someLhlng. Are you parL of
Cala yourself, uaneel? Would LhaL be how you knew abouL Lhe dogs on
Aurora? 1hrough 8llss?"
uaneel sald, ln a way, slr, you are correcL. l am assoclaLed wlLh Cala,
Lhough l am noL parL of lL."
1revlze's eyebrows wenL up. 1haL sounds llke Comporellon, Lhe
world we vlslLed lmmedlaLely afLer leavlng Cala. lL lnslsLs lL ls noL parL of
Lhe loundaLlon ConfederaLlon, buL ls only assoclaLed wlLh lL."
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
334
Slowly, uaneel nodded. l suppose LhaL analogy ls apL, slr. l can, as
an assoclaLe of Cala, make myself aware of whaL Cala ls aware of-ln Lhe
person of Lhe woman, 8llss, for lnsLance. Cala, however, cannoL make
lLself aware of whaL l am aware of, so LhaL l malnLaln my freedom of
acLlon. 1haL freedom of acLlon ls necessary unLll Calaxla ls well
esLabllshed."
1revlze looked sLeadlly aL Lhe roboL for a momenL, Lhen sald, And
dld you use your awareness Lhrough 8llss ln order Lo lnLerfere wlLh
evenLs on our [ourney Lo mold Lhem Lo your beLLer llklng?"
uaneel slghed ln a curlously human fashlon. l could noL do much,
slr. 1he Laws of 8oboLlcs always hold me back. -And yeL, l llghLened Lhe
load on 8llss's mlnd, Laklng a small amounL of added responslblllLy on
myself, so LhaL she mlghL deal wlLh Lhe wolves of Aurora and Lhe Spacer
on Solarla wlLh greaLer dlspaLch and wlLh less harm Lo herself. ln
addlLlon, l lnfluenced Lhe woman on Comporellon and Lhe one on new
LarLh, Lhrough 8llss, ln order Lo have Lhem look wlLh favor on you, so
LhaL you mlghL conLlnue on your [ourney."
1revlze smlled, half-sadly. l oughL Lo have known lL wasn'L L"
uaneel accepLed Lhe sLaLemenL wlLhouL lLs rueful self-deprecaLlon.
Cn Lhe conLrary, slr," he sald, lL was you ln conslderable parL. Lach of
Lhe Lwo women looked wlLh favor upon you from Lhe sLarL. l merely
sLrengLhened Lhe lmpulse already presenL-abouL all one can safely do
under Lhe sLrlcLures of Lhe Laws of 8oboLlcs. 8ecause of Lhose sLrlcLures-
and for oLher reasons as well-lL was only wlLh greaL dlfflculLy LhaL l
broughL you here, and only lndlrecLly. l was ln greaL danger aL several
polnLs of loslng you."
And now l am here," sald 1revlze. WhaL ls lL you wanL of me? 1o
conflrm my declslon ln favor of Calaxla?"
uaneel's face, always expresslonless, somehow managed Lo seem
despalrlng. no, slr. 1he mere declslon ls no longer enough. l broughL
you here, as besL l could ln my presenL condlLlon, for someLhlng far
more desperaLe. l am dylng."
102.
L8PAS lL was because of Lhe maLLer-of-facL way ln whlch uaneel
sald lL, or perhaps because a llfeLlme of LwenLy Lhousand years made
deaLh seem no Lragedy Lo one doomed Lo llve less Lhan half a percenL of
LhaL perlod, buL, ln any case, 1revlze felL no sLlr of sympaLhy.
ule? Can a machlne dle?"
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
333
l can cease Lo exlsL, slr. Call lL by whaLever word you wlsh. l am old.
noL one senLlenL belng ln Lhe Calaxy LhaL was allve when l was flrsL
glven consclousness ls sLlll allve Loday, noLhlng organlc, noLhlng roboLlc.
Lven l myself lack conLlnulLy."
ln whaL way?"
1here ls no physlcal parL of my body, slr, LhaL has escaped
replacemenL, noL only once buL many Llmes. Lven my poslLronlc braln
has been replaced on flve dlfferenL occaslons. Lach Llme Lhe conLenLs of
my earller braln were eLched lnLo Lhe newer one Lo Lhe lasL poslLron.
Lach Llme, Lhe new braln had a greaLer capaclLy and complexlLy Lhan Lhe
old, so LhaL Lhere was room for more memorles, and for fasLer declslon
and acLlon. 8uL-
8uL?"
1he more advanced and complex Lhe braln, Lhe more unsLable lL ls,
and Lhe more qulckly lL deLerloraLes. My presenL braln ls a hundred
Lhousand Llmes as senslLlve as my flrsL, and has Len mllllon Llmes Lhe
capaclLy, buL whereas my flrsL braln endured for over Len Lhousand
years, Lhe presenL one ls buL slx hundred years old and ls unmlsLakably
senescenL. WlLh every memory of LwenLy Lhousand years perfecLly
recorded and wlLh a perfecL recall mechanlsm ln place, Lhe braln ls fllled.
1here ls a rapldly decllnlng ablllLy Lo reach declslons, an even more
rapldly decllnlng ablllLy Lo LesL and lnfluence mlnds aL hyperspaLlal
dlsLances. nor can l deslgn a slxLh braln. lurLher mlnlaLurlzaLlon wlll run
agalnsL Lhe blank wall of Lhe uncerLalnLy prlnclple, and furLher
complexlLy wlll buL assure decay almosL aL once."
eloraL seemed desperaLely Lroubled. 8uL surely, uaneel, Cala can
carry on wlLhouL you. now LhaL 1revlze has [udged and selecLed Calaxla-

1he process slmply Look Loo long, slr," sald uaneel, as always
beLraylng no emoLlon. l had Lo walL for Cala Lo be fully esLabllshed,
desplLe Lhe unanLlclpaLed dlfflculLles LhaL arose. 8y Lhe Llme a human
belng-Mr. 1revlze-was locaLed who was capable of maklng Lhe key
declslon, lL was Loo laLe. uo noL Lhlnk, however, LhaL l Look no measure
Lo lengLhen my llfe span. LlLLle by llLLle l have reduced my acLlvlLles, ln
order Lo conserve whaL l could for emergencles. When l could no longer
rely on acLlve measures Lo preserve Lhe -lsolaLlon of Lhe LarLh/moon
sysLem, l adopLed passlve ones. Cver a perlod of years, Lhe humanlform
roboLs LhaL have been worklng wlLh me have been, one by one, called
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
336
home. 1helr lasL Lasks have been Lo remove all references Lo LarLh ln Lhe
planeLary archlves. And wlLhouL myself and my fellow-roboLs ln full play,
Cala wlll lack Lhe essenLlal Lools Lo carry Lhrough Lhe developmenL of
Calaxla ln less Lhan an lnordlnaLe perlod of Llme."
And you knew all Lhls," sald 1revlze, when l made my declslon?"
A subsLanLlal Llme before, slr," sald uaneel. Cala, of course, dld noL
know."
8uL Lhen," sald 1revlze angrlly, whaL was Lhe use of carrylng
Lhrough Lhe charade? WhaL good has lL been? Lver slnce my declslon, l
have scoured Lhe Calaxy, searchlng for LarLh and whaL l LhoughL of as lLs
'secreL'-noL knowlng Lhe secreL was you-ln order LhaL l mlghL conflrm
Lhe declslon. Well, l have conflrmed lL. l know now LhaL Calaxla ls
absoluLely essenLlal-and lL appears Lo be all for noLhlng. Why could you
noL have lefL Lhe Calaxy Lo lLself -and me Lo myself?"
uaneel sald, 8ecause, slr, l have been searchlng for a way ouL, and l
have been carrylng on ln Lhe hope LhaL l mlghL flnd one. l Lhlnk l have.
lnsLead of replaclng my braln wlLh yeL anoLher poslLronlc one, whlch ls
lmpracLlcal, l mlghL merge lL wlLh a human braln lnsLead, a human braln
LhaL ls noL affecLed by Lhe 1hree Laws, and wlll noL only add capaclLy Lo
my braln, buL add a whole new level of ablllLles as well. 1haL ls why l
have broughL you here."
1revlze looked appalled. ?ou mean you plan Lo merge a human
braln lnLo yours? Pave Lhe human braln lose lLs lndlvlduallLy so LhaL you
can achleve a Lwo-braln Cala?"
?es, slr. lL would noL make me lmmorLal, buL lL mlghL enable me Lo
llve long enough Lo esLabllsh Calaxla."
And you broughL me here for LhaL? ?ou wanL my lndependence of
Lhe 1hree Laws and my sense of [udgmenL made parL of you aL Lhe prlce
of my lndlvlduallLy? -no!"
uaneel sald, ?eL you sald a momenL ago LhaL Calaxla ls essenLlal for
Lhe welfare of Lhe human-
Lven lf lL ls, lL would Lake a long Llme Lo esLabllsh, and l would
remaln an lndlvldual ln my llfeLlme. Cn Lhe oLher hand, lf lL were
esLabllshed rapldly, Lhere would be a CalacLlc loss of lndlvlduallLy and
my own loss would be parL of an unlmaglnably greaLer whole. l would,
however, cerLalnly never consenL Lo lose my lndlvlduallLy whlle Lhe resL
of Lhe Calaxy reLalns Lhelrs."
uaneel sald, lL ls, Lhen, as l LhoughL. ?our braln would noL merge
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
337
well and, ln any case, lL would serve a beLLer purpose lf you reLalned an
lndependenL [udgmenLal ablllLy."
When dld you change your mlnd? ?ou sald LhaL lL was for merglng
LhaL you broughL me here."
?es, and only by uslng Lhe fullesL exLenL of my greaLly dlmlnlshed
powers. SLlll, when l sald, '1haL ls why l have broughL you here,' please
remember LhaL ln CalacLlc SLandard, Lhe word 'you' represenLs Lhe
plural as well as Lhe slngular. l was referrlng Lo all of you."
eloraL sLlffened ln hls seaL. lndeed? 1ell me Lhen, uaneel, would a
human braln LhaL was merged wlLh your braln share ln all your
memorles-all LwenLy Lhousand years of lL, back Lo legendary Llmes?"
CerLalnly, slr."
eloraL drew a long breaLh. 1haL would fulflll a llfeLlme search, and
lL ls someLhlng l would gladly glve up my lndlvlduallLy for. lease leL me
have Lhe prlvllege of sharlng your braln."
1revlze asked sofLly, And 8llss? WhaL abouL her?"
eloraL heslLaLed for no more Lhan a momenL. 8llss wlll
undersLand," he sald. She wlll, ln any case, be beLLer off wlLhouL me-
afLer a whlle."
uaneel shook hls head. ?our offer, ur. eloraL, ls a generous one,
buL l cannoL accepL lL. ?our braln ls an old one and lL cannoL survlve for
more Lhan Lwo or Lhree decades aL besL, even ln a merger wlLh my own.
l need someLhlng else. -See!" Pe polnLed and sald, l've called her back."
8llss was reLurnlng, walklng happlly, wlLh a bounce Lo her sLeps.
eloraL rose convulslvely Lo hls feeL. 8llss! Ch no!"
uo noL be alarmed, ur. eloraL," sald uaneel. l cannoL use 8llss.
1haL would merge me wlLh Cala, and l musL remaln lndependenL of
Cala, as l have already explalned."
8uL ln LhaL case," sald eloraL, who-
And 1revlze, looklng aL Lhe sllm flgure runnlng afLer 8llss, sald, 1he
roboL has wanLed lallom all along, !anov."
103.
8rass reLurned, smlllng, clearly ln a sLaLe of greaL pleasure.
We couldn'L pass beyond Lhe bounds of Lhe esLaLe," she sald, buL lL
all remlnded me very much of Solarla. lallom, of course, ls convlnced lL
ls Solarla. l asked her lf she dldn'L Lhlnk LhaL uaneel had an appearance
dlfferenL from LhaL of !emby-afLer all, !emby was meLalllc-and lallom
sald, `no, noL really.' l don'L know whaL she meanL by `noL really."'
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
338
She looked across Lo Lhe mlddle dlsLance where lallom was now
playlng her fluLe for a grave uaneel, whose head nodded ln Llme. 1he
sound reached Lhem, Lhln, clear, and lovely.
uld you know she Look Lhe fluLe wlLh her when we lefL Lhe shlp?"
asked 8llss. l suspecL we won'L be able Lo geL her away from uaneel for
qulLe a whlle."
1he remark was meL wlLh a heavy sllence, and 8llss looked aL Lhe
Lwo men ln qulck alarm. WhaL's Lhe maLLer?"
1revlze gesLured genLly ln eloraL's dlrecLlon. lL was up Lo hlm, Lhe
gesLure seemed Lo say.
eloraL cleared hls LhroaL and sald, AcLually, 8llss, l Lhlnk LhaL
lallom wlll be sLaylng wlLh uaneel permanenLly."
lndeed?" 8llss, frownlng, made as Lhough Lo walk ln uaneel's
dlrecLlon, buL eloraL caughL her arm. 8llss dear, you can'L. Pe's more
powerful Lhan Cala even now, and lallom musL sLay wlLh hlm lf Calaxla
ls Lo come lnLo exlsLence. LeL me explaln-and, Colan, please correcL me
lf l geL anyLhlng wrong."
8llss llsLened Lo Lhe accounL, her expresslon slnklng lnLo someLhlng
close Lo despalr.
1revlze sald, ln an aLLempL aL cool reason, ?ou see how lL ls, 8llss.
1he chlld ls a Spacer and uaneel was deslgned and puL LogeLher by
Spacers. 1he chlld was broughL up by a roboL and knew noLhlng else on
an esLaLe as empLy as Lhls one. 1he chlld has LransducLlve powers whlch
uaneel wlll need, and she wlll llve for Lhree or four cenLurles, whlch may
be whaL ls requlred for Lhe consLrucLlon of Calaxla."
8llss sald, her cheeks flushed and her eyes molsL, l suppose LhaL Lhe
roboL maneuvered our Lrlp Lo LarLh ln such a way as Lo make us pass
Lhrough Solarla ln order Lo plck up a chlld for hls use."
1revlze shrugged. Pe may slmply have Laken advanLage of Lhe
opporLunlLy. l don'L Lhlnk hls powers are sLrong enough aL Lhe momenL
Lo make compleLe puppeLs of us aL hyperspaLlal dlsLances."
no. lL was purposeful. Pe made cerLaln LhaL l would feel sLrongly
aLLracLed Lo Lhe chlld so LhaL l would Lake her wlLh me, raLher Lhan leave
her Lo be kllled, LhaL l would proLecL her even agalnsL you when you
showed noLhlng buL resenLmenL and annoyance aL her belng wlLh us."
1revlze sald, 1haL mlghL [usL as easlly have been your Calan eLhlcs,
whlch uaneel could have sLrengLhened a blL, l suppose. Come, 8llss,
Lhere's noLhlng Lo be galned. Suppose you could Lake lallom away.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
339
Where could you Lhen Lake her LhaL would make her as happy as she ls
here? Would you Lake her back Lo Solarla where she would be kllled
qulLe plLllessly, Lo some crowded world where she would slcken and dle,
Lo Cala, where she would wear her hearL ouL longlng for !emby, on an
endless voyage Lhrough Lhe Calaxy, where she would Lhlnk LhaL every
world we came across was her Solarla? And would you flnd a subsLlLuLe
for uaneel's use so LhaL Calaxla could be consLrucLed?"
8llss was sadly sllenL.
eloraL held ouL hls hand Lo her, a blL Llmldly. 8llss," he sald, l
volunLeered Lo have my braln fused wlLh uaneel's. Pe wouldn'L Lake lL
because he sald l was Loo old. l wlsh he had, lf LhaL would have saved
lallom for you."
8llss Look hls hand and klssed lL. 1hank you, el, buL Lhe prlce would
be Loo hlgh, even for lallom." She Look a deep breaLh, and Lrled Lo
smlle. erhaps, when we geL back Lo Cala, room wlll be found ln Lhe
global organlsm for a chlld for me-and l wlll place lallom ln Lhe syllables
of lLs name."
And now uaneel, as Lhough aware LhaL Lhe maLLer was seLLled, was
walklng Loward Lhem, wlLh lallom sklpplng along aL hls slde.
1he youngsLer broke lnLo a run and reached Lhem flrsL. She sald Lo
8llss, 1hank you, 8llss, for Laklng me home Lo !emby agaln and for
Laklng care of me whlle we were on Lhe shlp. l shall always remember
you." 1hen she flung herself aL 8llss and Lhe Lwo held each oLher LlghLly.
l hope you wlll always be happy," sald 8llss. l wlll remember you,
Loo, lallom dear," and released her wlLh relucLance.
lallom Lurned Lo eloraL, and sald, 1hank you, Loo, el, for leLLlng
me read your book-fllms." 1hen, wlLhouL an addlLlonal word, and afLer a
Lrace of heslLaLlon, Lhe Lhln, glrllsh hand was exLended Lo 1revlze. Pe
Look lL for a momenL, Lhen leL lL go.
Cood luck, lallom," he muLLered.
uaneel sald, l Lhank you all, slrs and madam, for whaL you have
done, each ln your own way. ?ou are free Lo go now, for your search ls
ended. As for my own work, lL wlll be ended, Loo, soon enough, and
successfully now."
8uL 8llss sald, WalL, we are noL qulLe Lhrough. We don'L know yeL
wheLher 1revlze ls sLlll of Lhe mlnd LhaL Lhe proper fuLure for humanlLy ls
Calaxla, as opposed Lo a vasL conglomeraLlon of lsolaLes."
uaneel sald, Pe has already made LhaL clear a whlle ago, madam.
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
340
Pe has declded ln favor of Calaxla."
8llss's llps LlghLened. l'd raLher hear LhaL from hlm. -Whlch ls lL Lo
be, 1revlze?"
1revlze sald calmly, Whlch do you wanL lL Lo be, 8llss? lf l declde
agalnsL Calaxla, you may geL lallom back."
8llss sald, l am Cala. l musL know your declslon, and lLs reason, for
Lhe sake of Lhe LruLh and noLhlng else."
uaneel sald, 1ell her, slr. ?our mlnd, as Cala ls aware, ls unLouched."
And 1revlze sald, 1he declslon ls for Calaxla. 1here ls no furLher
doubL ln my mlnd on LhaL polnL."
104.
8llss remalned moLlonless for Lhe Llme one mlghL Lake Lo counL Lo
flfLy aL a moderaLe raLe, as Lhough she were allowlng Lhe lnformaLlon Lo
reach all parLs of Cala, and Lhen she sald, Why?"
1revlze sald, LlsLen Lo me. l knew from Lhe sLarL LhaL Lhere were Lwo
posslble fuLures for humanlLy-Calaxla, or else Lhe Second Lmplre of
Seldon's lan. And lL seemed Lo me LhaL Lhose Lwo posslble fuLures were
muLually excluslve. We couldn'L have Calaxla unless, for some reason,
Seldon's lan had some fundamenLal flaw ln lL.
unforLunaLely, l knew noLhlng abouL Seldon's lan excepL for Lhe
Lwo axloms on whlch lL ls based: one, LhaL Lhere be lnvolved a large
enough number of human belngs Lo allow humanlLy Lo be LreaLed
sLaLlsLlcally as a group of lndlvlduals lnLeracLlng randomly, and second,
LhaL humanlLy noL know Lhe resulLs of psychohlsLorlcal concluslons
before Lhe resulLs are achleved.
Slnce l had already declded ln favor of Calaxla, l felL l musL be
subllmlnally aware of flaws ln Seldon's lan, and Lhose flaws could only
be ln Lhe axloms, whlch were all l knew of Lhe plan. ?eL l could see
noLhlng wrong wlLh Lhe axloms. l sLrove, Lhen, Lo flnd LarLh, feellng LhaL
LarLh could noL be so Lhoroughly hldden for no purpose. l had Lo flnd ouL
whaL LhaL purpose was.
l had no real reason Lo expecL Lo flnd a soluLlon once l found LarLh,
buL l was desperaLe and could Lhlnk of noLhlng else Lo do. -And perhaps
uaneel's deslre for a Solarlan chlld helped drlve me.
ln any case, we flnally reached LarLh, and Lhen Lhe moon, and 8llss
deLecLed uaneel's mlnd, whlch he, of course, was dellberaLely reachlng
ouL Lo her. She descrlbed LhaL mlnd as nelLher qulLe human nor qulLe
roboLlc. ln hlndslghL, LhaL proved Lo make sense, for uaneel's braln ls far
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
341
advanced beyond any roboL LhaL ever exlsLed, and would noL be sensed
as slmply roboLlc. nelLher would lL be sensed as human, however.
eloraL referred Lo lL as 'someLhlng new' and LhaL served as a Lrlgger for
`someLhlng new' of my own, a new LhoughL.
!usL as, long ago, uaneel and hls colleague worked ouL a fourLh law
of roboLlcs LhaL was more fundamenLal Lhan Lhe oLher Lhree, so l could
suddenly see a Lhlrd baslc axlom of psychohlsLory LhaL was more
fundamenLal Lhan Lhe oLher Lwo, a Lhlrd axlom so fundamenLal LhaL no
one ever boLhered Lo menLlon lL.
Pere lL ls. 1he Lwo known axloms deal wlLh human belngs, and Lhey
are based on Lhe unspoken axlom LhaL human belngs are Lhe only
lnLelllgenL specles ln Lhe Calaxy, and Lherefore Lhe only organlsms
whose acLlons are slgnlflcanL ln Lhe developmenL of socleLy and hlsLory.
1haL ls Lhe unsLaLed axlom: LhaL Lhere ls only one specles of lnLelllgence
ln Lhe Calaxy and LhaL lL ls Pomo Saplens. lf Lhere were 'someLhlng,
new:' lf Lhere were oLher specles of lnLelllgence wldely dlfferenL ln
naLure, Lhen Lhelr behavlor would noL be descrlbed accuraLely by Lhe
maLhemaLlcs of psychohlsLory and Seldon's lan would have no
meanlng. uo you see?"
1revlze was almosL shaklng wlLh Lhe earnesL deslre Lo make hlmself
undersLood. uo you see?" he repeaLed.
eloraL sald, ?es, l see, buL as devll's advocaLe, old chap-
?es? Co on."
Puman belngs are Lhe only lnLelllgences ln Lhe Calaxy."
8oboLs?" sald 8llss. Caln?"
eloraL LhoughL awhlle, Lhen sald heslLanLly-, 8oboLs have played
no slgnlflcanL role ln human hlsLory slnce Lhe dlsappearance of Lhe
Spacers. Cala has played no slgnlflcanL role unLll very recenLly. 8oboLs
are Lhe creaLlon of human belngs, and Cala ls Lhe creaLlon of roboLs-and
boLh roboLs and Cala, lnsofar as Lhey musL be bound by Lhe 1hree Laws,
have no cholce buL Lo yleld Lo human wlll. uesplLe Lhe LwenLy Lhousand
years uaneel has labored, and Lhe long developmenL of Cala, a slngle
word from Colan 1revlze, a human belng, would puL an end Lo boLh
Lhose labors and LhaL developmenL. lL follows, Lhen, LhaL humanlLy ls Lhe
only slgnlflcanL specles of lnLelllgence ln Lhe Calaxy, and psychohlsLory-
remalns valld."
1he only form of lnLelllgence ln Lhe Calaxy," repeaLed 1revlze
slowly. l agree. ?eL we speak so much and so ofLen of Lhe Calaxy LhaL lL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
342
ls all buL lmposslble for us Lo see LhaL Lhls ls noL enough. 1he Calaxy ls
noL Lhe unlverse. 1here are oLher galaxles."
eloraL and 8llss sLlrred uneaslly. uaneel llsLened wlLh benlgn
gravlLy, hls hand slowly sLroklng lallom's halr.
1revlze sald, LlsLen Lo me agaln. !usL ouLslde Lhe Calaxy are Lhe
Magellanlc Clouds, where no human shlp has ever peneLraLed. 8eyond
LhaL are oLher small galaxles, and noL very far away ls Lhe glanL
Andromeda Calaxy, larger Lhan our own. 8eyond LhaL are galaxles by Lhe
bllllons.
Cur own Calaxy has developed only one specles of an lnLelllgence
greaL enough Lo develop a Lechnologlcal socleLy, buL whaL do we know
of Lhe oLher galaxles? Curs may be aLyplcal. ln some of Lhe oLhers-
perhaps even ln allLhere may be many compeLlng lnLelllgenL specles,
sLruggllng wlLh each oLher, and each lncomprehenslble Lo us. erhaps lL
ls Lhelr muLual sLruggle LhaL preoccuples Lhem, buL whaL lf, ln some
galaxy, one specles galns domlnaLlon over Lhe resL and Lhen has Llme Lo
conslder Lhe posslblllLy of peneLraLlng oLher galaxles.
PyperspaLlally, Lhe Calaxy ls a polnL-and so ls all Lhe unlverse. We
have noL vlslLed any oLher galaxy, and, as far as we know, no lnLelllgenL
specles from anoLher galaxy has ever vlslLed us-buL LhaL sLaLe of affalrs
may end someday. And lf Lhe lnvaders come, Lhey are bound Lo flnd
ways of Lurnlng some human belngs agalnsL oLher human belngs. We
have so long had only ourselves Lo flghL LhaL we are used Lo such
lnLerneclne quarrels. An lnvader LhaL flnds us dlvlded agalnsL ourselves
wlll domlnaLe us all, or desLroy us all. 1he only Lrue defense ls Lo
produce Calaxla, whlch cannoL be Lurned agalnsL lLself and whlch can
meeL lnvaders wlLh maxlmum power."
8llss sald, 1he plcLure you palnL ls a frlghLenlng one. Wlll we have
Llme Lo form Calaxla?"
1revlze looked up, as Lhough Lo peneLraLe Lhe Lhlck layer of
moonrock LhaL separaLed hlm from Lhe surface and from space, as
Lhough Lo force hlmself Lo see Lhose far dlsLanL galaxles, movlng slowly
Lhrough unlmaglnable vlsLas of space.
Pe sald, ln all human hlsLory, no oLher lnLelllgence has lmplnged on
us, Lo our knowledge. 1hls need only conLlnue a few more cenLurles,
perhaps llLLle more Lhan one Len LhousandLh of Lhe Llme clvlllzaLlon has
already exlsLed, and we wlll be safe. AfLer all," and here 1revlze felL a
sudden Lwlnge of Lrouble, whlch he forced hlmself Lo dlsregard, lL ls noL
1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-
343
as Lhough we had Lhe enemy already here and among us."
And he dld noL look down Lo meeL Lhe broodlng eyes of lallom-
hermaphrodlLlc, LransducLlve, dlfferenL-as Lhey resLed, unfaLhomably,
on hlm.

1<12:CTI=:TE=E>SI<1
(((.a&s?.ou.co-