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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Indirection
+
+Author: Everett B. Cole
+
+Illustrator: Freas
+
+Release Date: November 5, 2007 [EBook #23339]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIRECTION ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                        INDIRECTION
+
+   _The best way to keep a secret is to publish it in a
+ quite unbelievable form--and insist that it is the truth._
+
+                     BY EVERETT B. COLE
+
+                    Illustrated by Freas
+
+
+Elwar Forell leaned back in his chair, looking about the small dining
+salon. The usual couples were there, he noticed. Of course, the faces
+were different from those of last evening, but the poses were similar.
+And the people were there for the same reasons. They were enjoying the
+food and drinks, just as many others had enjoyed them before. But like
+all those others, their greater enjoyment was in the company of one
+another. Forell glanced at the vacant chair across the table from him
+and sighed.
+
+It would be nice, he thought, if-- But any arrangement involving a
+permanent companion would be hardly practical under his circumstances.
+After all, prudence dictated limits.
+
+He picked up his cup and drained it, then leaned back and beckoned the
+waiter over.
+
+"The reckoning, please," he ordered.
+
+He looked again at the letter on the table before him, then folded it
+and put it in his pocket. It was well, he thought. His latest book of
+fairy tales and fantasy had enjoyed good acceptance. And the check in
+the letter had been of satisfactory size. He smiled to himself. There
+were compensations in this job of his. It seemed to be profitable to
+have a purpose other than the obvious and usual one.
+
+He paid his bill and left the restaurant, to walk slowly along the
+street, enjoying the mild, spring air.
+
+As he passed a sidewalk café, a man beckoned from one of the tables.
+
+"Oh, Forell," he called. "I was hoping I'd see you this evening." He
+held up a book.
+
+"Just finished your 'Tales of the Sorcerers,'" he added. "Some of those
+yarns of yours seem almost real."
+
+Elwar Forell nodded. They should, he thought. Factual material, however
+disguised, often shines through its fictional background. And he had an
+inexhaustible source of material, drawn from many sources. He twisted
+his face into a gratified smile.
+
+"That's my objective," he said aloud. "I do all in my power to place the
+reader inside the story."
+
+Charo Andorra nodded. "It's the secret of good fiction, I know," he
+admitted, "and every storyteller tries to do it. But I seem to see more
+than that in your stuff. There's an almost believable pattern." He
+hesitated. "You know, while I'm reading it, I can almost see beings of
+superior powers walking the earth. And sometimes, I visualize us working
+with them." He laughed shortly.
+
+"Of course, I may be more credulous and imaginative than most. Probably
+why I'm a critic. And I really should know better." He looked down at
+the book in his hands.
+
+"But that stuff of yours can be mighty convincing." He tilted his head.
+"Somehow, I can't help but look at some of the old legends--and some of
+the things that have happened in more recent years, too. Can't help but
+wonder if we actually are babes of the cosmos, and if we haven't been
+visited and watched by some form of extra-planetary life at one time or
+another."
+
+Forell looked closely at his friend. Andorra, he knew, was a clear
+thinker in his own right. And he just might start a serious
+analysis--and publish it. He grimaced. It wasn't time for that, he knew.
+Many years must pass before it would be time.
+
+He placed a hand on the back of Andorra's chair, remembering the words
+of one of the teachers.
+
+_"Remember, Elwar," he had been told, "your objective is clear, but your
+methods must be most indirect--even unclear. Some things you must
+obscure in a mass of obviously imaginative detail, while you bring
+others to the fore. You must hint. You must suggest. You should never
+fully explain or deny. And you must never be guilty of definite, direct
+falsehood._
+
+_"There may come a time when you will be directly questioned--when
+discovery of your real background and purpose seems imminent, and you
+will have to take positive action. For such an eventuality, I cannot
+outline any steps, or even any definite plan of action, since I neither
+fully understand many of the factors involved, nor have any way of
+knowing the circumstances which may arise. You'll have to prepare
+yourself for almost anything, always keeping in mind the peculiarities
+and capabilities of your own people."_
+
+It looked as though the time might have come. If Andorra, a clever,
+influential critic, should guess at the real background and the sources
+of the Forell tales, and if he should misunderstand the motives behind
+those tales, he would probably publish his thoughts. And those thoughts
+would be widely read. Many would smile as they read and regard the thing
+as a hoax. But others might start their own analyses. And some of those
+might come to highly undesirable conclusions and cause undesirable,
+even disastrous, reactions. It would be many generations before clear
+explanations could be made and definite principles outlined without
+causing misunderstanding and serious damage. The Forell tales were
+evasive and preparatory as well as vaguely instructive.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+He recovered his self-discipline and waved his hand negligently.
+
+"You know, Charo," he said laughingly, "I've been thinking along similar
+lines for a long while. Of course, you know I must have built up some
+sort of fantasy world to base my yarns on?"
+
+Andorra nodded. "That's obvious. I've been wondering about some of your
+basic theory. Like to see your notes some time."
+
+Forell spread his hands. "You're quite welcome to look them over," he
+said. "Come on up to my rooms now." He smiled. "As a matter of fact,
+I've been doing a little extension on my dream world. Built up a little
+sketch a while ago, and I'm not just sure what to do with it."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+As they entered the study, Forell walked across to his desk. He fumbled
+for a few seconds under the desk, then opened a drawer. For a moment, he
+paused, looking inside, then pulled out a thin folder. Again, he
+hesitated. At last, he picked a small, metallic object from the drawer
+and held it in his left hand.
+
+"Might need this," he told himself. "If I'm wrong, it'll take a sector
+patrolman to straighten out the mess. And I could be wrong--two ways."
+
+Casually, he placed his left hand in his pocket, then he turned toward
+Andorra, holding out the folder.
+
+"Here," he said. "See what you think of this one."
+
+Andorra opened the folder, taking out a few sheets of paper. He read for
+a moment, then looked up quizzically.
+
+"A little different from your usual style, isn't it?"
+
+Forell nodded, watching the man tensely. "I'm trying something new," he
+said. "Go ahead and read it, then tell me what you think."
+
+He busied himself with a bottle and glasses.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+INFORMAL MEMO
+
+                                                            130-263
+ From: Explorations Officer, Sector Nine
+ To: Ecological Officer
+ Subject: Incident Report
+
+Enclosed is the file on that recent occurrence on Planet 3-G3-9/4871,
+consisting of the certificates and statements of the various officers
+and guardsmen concerned, together with a digest of the interrogation of
+Elwar Forell, a young planetary native, who appears to have been the
+instigator.
+
+It seems to me that something is seriously wrong with our system of
+operation, at least on the subject planet. After all, our operations
+have the purpose of research and observation, with a view to protection
+and development. Certainly, we cannot create chaos. And knowledge of our
+existence by very young cultures would certainly cause just that. We've
+got to clear this up in a hurry. The Elder Galactics are most certain to
+be unhappy about it in any event, and I don't like to make them unhappy.
+
+Obviously, there was a chain of errors, and some of our people concerned
+will have to be reassigned for further training, but that's just the
+beginning. I've recalled all the observers from this planet, pending
+reorganization, and we've got to come up with an answer that'll prevent
+further occurrences of this nature, as well as covering this affair on
+the planet concerned.
+
+I realize that the situation has some of the elements of comedy, and I
+presume that it will eventually be regarded with considerable amusement,
+but right at the moment, my sense of humor is working very poorly.
+
+I have a few ideas of my own, but would like to have your
+recommendations and those of other section officers before I make any
+final decision or report. I am calling a conference on this incident at
+280.1000, so make a full investigation on this, and give me some
+practical recommendation as soon as possible.
+
+                                        CIJORN
+ 6 enclosures
+
+
+STATEMENT
+
+I, Florand Anremdor, am assigned to the Communications Branch,
+Exploratory Section, Sector Nine.
+
+At 261.0196, I was on duty in the emergency communications room at
+Increment Four. A call came in from Resident Station number fourteen,
+Planet 3-G3-9/4871, requesting emergency condensation over the immediate
+station area. Co-ordinates were not given and I checked the planetary
+co-ordinates with the call sign and the Communications List. I added
+these to the message and forwarded the request to the Patrol Duty
+Officer for his action.
+
+There was no visual on the call, but the voice sounded urgent. I relayed
+the request without requiring special authentication, since the station
+was precisely on the correct settings, no inimical culture is known to
+be operating in this sector, and the coded call was correct. At the
+time, I had no way of suspecting that this was not a genuine emergency
+call.
+
+                                        Florand Anremdor
+                                        Comm. 1/c
+
+
+CERTIFICATE
+
+I, Captain Binkar Morancos, am assigned to the 334th Vector, which is
+presently under the orders of the Commander, Sector Nine.
+
+I was assigned as Sector Patrol Duty Officer at 261.0200, when a message
+was relayed from Increment Four, requesting emergency condensation on a
+planet in that increment. I checked the co-ordinates and data furnished,
+consulted the situation chart, and instructed Cruiser P-4730, Captain
+Klorantel commanding, to carry out the mission.
+
+Since the message came through normal channels, I had no doubt as to its
+authenticity, and treated it as routine. I felt that the cruiser
+commander could deal with the matter at his discretion.
+
+                                        Binkar Morancos
+                                        Capt. StG(C)
+
+
+CERTIFICATE
+
+I, Captain Corrondao Klorantel, am in command of the Stellar Guard
+Cruiser _Myloren_, number P-4730. I am assigned to duty with the 334th
+Vector, which is operating in Sector Nine.
+
+The _Myloren_ was on routine patrol in the Fourth Increment at 261.0203,
+when a message was received from Sector Headquarters, giving
+co-ordinates on Planet 3-G3-9/4871, with a request for emergency
+condensation. I proceeded to the subject planet and took position
+outside the atmosphere. Visual checks failed to show any emergency
+condition on the surface, though a burned-out area was noted in the
+forest a short distance to the planetary south of the station concerned.
+A call was made to the resident station, requesting clarification of the
+request, and the answer proved to be unsatisfactory.
+
+There was no visual transmission, and the voice was strongly accented.
+The message gave insufficient data for action, contained no
+identification, and was in improper form for station-to-ship contact. I
+decided to make contact by other means, and shifted my secondary
+communicator to the guardsman's personal settings, requesting further
+information, suitable identification, and confirmation of the request.
+Guardsman Jaeger immediately informed me that the call was spurious,
+stating that he was away from his station, and that he would return
+immediately. During the conversation, I noted that full condensation was
+taking place to atmospheric limits.
+
+I called Auxiliary, and Technician Melran stated that his control
+circuits were inoperative and that he was tracing the difficulty. He
+cleared the trouble, but condensation had already been established and
+precipitation had commenced. I ordered re-absorption, which was started
+as soon as repairs had been accomplished.
+
+At the request of Guardsman Jaeger, we stood by to render aid if
+necessary, maintaining contact with his station. At 0572, Jaeger
+requested immediate evacuation for himself and for one other person. I
+entered atmosphere, made planetfall with nullified visibility, and took
+off the guardsman and a young native. During the evacuation, I noted a
+number of natives armed with various implements, who were attempting to
+break their way into the station. Guardsman Jaeger fired his demolitions
+as he left, firing the screen generator with his last flare. For a few
+minutes, the natives fell back before the flames, but they were entering
+the station by the time we cleared the planet. It is believed that the
+installation was completely destroyed.
+
+                                        Corrondao Klorantel
+                                        Capt. StG(C)
+                                        Commanding P-4730
+
+
+STATEMENT
+
+I, Danaeo Melran, am assigned to the Patrol Cruiser _Myloren_, number
+P-4730, for duty.
+
+At 261.0204, I was on duty in Auxiliary Equipment when Captain Klorantel
+called, informing me that a request had come in for emergency
+condensation. He told me to set up and await execution order. I preset
+two forward radiators for forty kilometers at low condensation, with a
+three kilometer radius at surface. I then put the controls on automatic
+trigger, notified the captain, and went on with my normal duties. At
+0221, we came out of trans-light, and I adjusted my equipment for
+slow-drive operation.
+
+At 0223, my indicators showed activity on the forward radiators. I
+checked and discovered that full power was being applied. Attempts to
+override the automatics were unsuccessful, and while I was attempting to
+clear the trouble, the captain called again, saying that the request was
+false, and asking why I had turned the radiators on. I told him that the
+controls were jammed, and he instructed me to make repairs and set up
+re-absorption.
+
+I discovered a short between the automatic trigger and the ship's
+secondary communication antenna. After clearing this, I found trouble in
+the control section of the condensation driver. The automatic trigger
+had become fused, and the control paths were shorted to full-drive
+throughout. The sub-assemblies were replaced and trouble cleared by
+0300. I then set up re-absorption as ordered.
+
+                                        Danaeo Melran
+                                        Eq Tech 3/c
+
+
+STATEMENT
+
+I, Franz Jaeger, am Resident Guardsman at Station Fourteen, Planet
+3-G3-9/4871.
+
+I have been assigned to my station for eight planetary years for survey
+and observation duty. During the past five years, I have employed Elwar
+Forell, the son of a local peasant, to keep the living quarters clean
+and to do general work about the station. I have never discussed the
+possibilities of extra-planetary civilization with him, and I have been
+careful to exclude him from knowledge of my technical equipment, which I
+have kept in a secure room in accordance with regulations. I have
+presented myself to him, as well as to all the villagers in my area, as
+a scholar, tired of city life, and desirous of a quiet existence.
+
+There has been a drought in part of my area for the entire season. We
+have suffered from one forest fire and there is a strong possibility of
+others. Crops are doing very badly, and the peasants have been
+complaining bitterly. This is not an unheard-of situation, but it has
+caused considerable discomfort and worry, since there is a very definite
+threat of famine. There have been numerous attempts to obtain rain by
+occult means, and I have been personally approached on the matter. For
+some time, the villagers in the immediate area of the station have
+regarded me as a sorcerer, and I have been asked to cast a spell to
+cause rain.
+
+I had considered a request for light condensation, but had hesitated to
+make such a request, since I felt that rain closely following the
+villagers' petition to me would confirm their supernatural beliefs,
+which I have attempted to discourage.
+
+At 261.0223, I was on a routine tour of my area. I received a call from
+the cruiser _Myloren_, Captain Klorantel commanding, asking for further
+information on a request for emergency condensation. I informed him that
+I had made no such request, adding that a light rain would be desirable
+if he were in position and prepared to radiate.
+
+During the conversation with Captain Klorantel, I noted that the sky was
+darkening. There were several flashes of lightning, and I felt the signs
+of imminent, heavy rain. I promptly started back to my station.
+
+Upon my arrival, I discovered that Elwar had managed to open the
+communications room and had been using the equipment. He was extremely
+frightened, and made incoherent remarks about talking to a demon. When I
+attempted to question him as to how he had opened the room, and where he
+had learned the operation of the communications equipment, he became
+hysterical and I could find out precisely nothing.
+
+By this time, it was raining violently. There was a high wind. Several
+trees had been blown down and lightning was frequent. A flood was
+starting down the mountainside toward the village, threatening severe
+damage. It was quite apparent that crops, such as they were, would be
+almost completely destroyed.
+
+At the time, I could do little to remedy the situation. I re-established
+contact with the cruiser, informed Captain Klorantel of the situation,
+and requested that he stand by. I then turned on my viewsphere to keep
+watch on the village from the communications room. Since Elwar had been
+in the room on several previous occasions, I saw no reason for excluding
+him. On the contrary, I thought it would be advisable to keep him with
+me, since I felt that he would be seriously injured if he were turned
+loose in the village. I do not believe he would have survived the fury
+of the villagers, who had taken shelter, and were watching the
+destruction of their crops.
+
+The flood had become a torrent, which overflowed the banks of the
+village brook, tore at the bridge, and swept through the lanes. In the
+fields, grain was beaten into the ground and it was clear that the
+villagers would have little or no harvest to celebrate during the
+approaching festival. The wind grew in force, lashing at the tall
+festival pole, which bent, crashed down in the village square, and
+partially demolished the front of the inn.
+
+During this period, there was no human activity, since everyone had
+taken what shelter he could find.
+
+At 0448, the rain slackened, the wind died down, and people started
+gathering in the square. For a time, they milled about, wading through
+the ebbing flood. They examined the damage, then they gathered in
+groups, talking earnestly.
+
+The dry wind came up at 0510, and by 0550, the entire village was on the
+march toward my station. Their intentions were quite easy to determine.
+They were armed with pitchforks, scythes, axes, and other tools which
+could be converted to offensive use. I established a protective screen,
+but realized that to set up a permanent defense would be impractical and
+even harmful. I therefore called the cruiser, requesting evacuation for
+myself and for young Forell. Prior to evacuation, I demolished all my
+fixed equipment, so that the only things left for the villagers to find
+when they entered the station were damaged remains of those things
+normal for a recluse scholar of their era.
+
+                                        Franz Jaeger
+                                        Observer 2/c
+
+
+INFORMAL MEMO
+
+                                                            130-265
+
+ From: Evaluations Officer
+ To: Explorations Officer
+ Subject: Interrogation
+
+Enclosed is a digest of the interrogation of one, Elwar Forell, who was
+evacuated from forty-eight seventy-one, in company with Guardsman
+Jaeger. This boy was abjectly terrified and had to be calmed several
+times during questioning. He was pitiably hysterical when recalling his
+conversation with Captain Klorantel, who, you will remember, is a
+capriform humanoid.
+
+The subject appears to be an intelligent specimen of his race, and when
+he had conquered his hysteria, was extremely co-operative, showing
+active interest in his surroundings. I believe he would be able to
+assimilate training, and would make a valuable addition to the Stellar
+Guard. I recommend his retention and training.
+
+If Elwar is a typical "son of a simple peasant," and if the planet from
+which he comes has any considerable number of "simple peasants" with
+sons like him, I can foresee some strangely interesting problems in
+connection with further dealings on that planet.
+
+                                        FONZEC
+ 1 enclosure
+
+
+DIGEST
+
+Interrogation of Elwar Forell, native of Planet 3-G3-9/4871.
+
+"My Masters, I did mean no harm, but only good. I have long known that
+my master was possessed of power denied to most men. When I was
+apprenticed to him five years ago, I thought I would one day learn some
+of the dark secrets of the hidden worlds, but never did my master
+mention aught of those secrets he so surely knew. He taught me only of
+those things known to the scholars. He told me of reading, of writing,
+and of ciphering, and taught me many facts of our world which are known
+to the learned. I wished to know of many other things, but of these he
+was silent. Even so, I am grateful for his teachings, for how else could
+the son of a simple peasant gain the knowledge of the scholars?
+
+"I saw that my master often repaired to a room which I was never allowed
+to enter. This room he cleaned himself. And he always entered in the
+greatest of secrecy, being quite cross with me when I once betrayed
+curiosity. I remained curious, however, and fell at last to watching him
+in secret as he opened the door.
+
+"He slid aside a secret panel, then turned a wheel this way and that,
+finally pushing a handle. I watched, at last learning to what numbers he
+did turn the wheel, and how he pushed the handle. During his absences, I
+went sometimes to that room of magic, and I read the books of power,
+though there was much I could not read, since much of the writing was in
+strange tongues and I dared not ask my master the meanings of the
+strange words. But for his own convenience, my master had written many
+instructions plainly. And these, I read.
+
+"I did learn that there were powers beyond those of men. I learned that
+these strange instruments on the table did have strange ability to call
+forth demons and spirits, but never until that day did I dare touch
+other than the books and papers. And those I took great care to restore
+to their original condition.
+
+"For three months past, my father's land and the fields of his neighbors
+have been dry. During this time, there has been no rain, nor hint of
+rain, and the peasants have cried out for relief. They have appealed
+even to my master, who has told them that he has no strange powers--that
+he can do naught to call up rain. But they did not believe him, nor did
+I, Elwar, who knew better than this. I had seen the books of power, and
+I knew the demons could cause the skies to deliver water if rightly
+asked. So, I visited the room of magic upon the occasions of my master's
+absence. And I tried to decipher his writings that I might find the
+means to ask for the skies to open. Always, when I felt my master's
+presence approaching, I left the room, taking care to properly lock the
+door and to hide all evidence of my entry.
+
+"On that day of direful events, I found a paper in my master's hand. It
+mentioned fire in the forests. It mentioned rain. And it had on it words
+of power.
+
+"For a time, I practiced the strange syllables. Many times did I speak
+them aloud, then I pressed the bosses on the table, as shown by one of
+the books. There was a light. Then, the great ball glowed with color, to
+show me the first demon.
+
+"He spoke. And I conquered my fear, to repeat the syllables I had
+labored to learn. Once again, he spoke, and I could not understand him.
+I could think of nothing but to say again those words which I hoped
+would bring the rain we so badly needed. I took my hands from the bosses
+and stood, wondering what would happen. The ball became dark.
+
+"I stood, waiting. And nothing happened. Finally, thinking nothing was
+to occur, I turned and started to leave the room. Then, a great voice
+spoke. Again, the wall was alight. Within it was a fearsome demon who
+glared at me ferociously and demanded something in that tongue of power.
+I could not think. I stood, trembling fearfully. And he spoke again.
+Then did I repeat again the words I had learned, and ran from the room.
+
+"It became dark. The lightnings flashed, and the rain fell, and my
+master came, but not as I had ever seen him before. He did not walk from
+the forest as was his wont, but appeared before me from the air. I
+started back in fright, for now I was certain beyond doubt that he was a
+man of great wizardry. I thought he would beat me, or possibly cast me
+under a spell.
+
+"Never has he beaten me, always saying that it was wrong to beat an
+apprentice, and that those who so did were lacking in their senses. And
+this is but another proof of his sorcery, for who, other than a
+sorcerer, could handle his servants without beating them?
+
+"I dared do nothing other than to tell him of my misdoing, and he
+rushed to the room, taking me with him. He pressed the bosses, turning
+one that I had not known of, and the demon appeared again and talked
+with him. Then, my master made strange passes about the instruments and
+the village was shown in the ball.
+
+"At last the rain stopped. A wind blew--hot and dry, as from the
+pit--and the people came and did try by violence to enter. But they
+could not. At last, the great machine came, and though we could not at
+first see it, we entered and were carried away through the sky.
+
+"The people watched the house burn, then entered, to scatter the ashes.
+
+"And I am here, and afraid."
+
+       *       *       *
+
+Doer Kweiros flipped off the playback and gazed at the unresponsive
+wall. He rubbed the back of his head, looked at the viewsphere, then
+checked the playback index and tapped the rewind.
+
+"Oh, me," he complained sorrowfully, "how do we get into these things?"
+
+He looked toward the communicator controls unhappily, then reached out
+and dialed a number. The sphere lit and an alert face looked at him
+inquiringly.
+
+"How is that Forell boy?"
+
+"Soaking up information like a sponge, sir."
+
+Kweiros nodded. "Gathered he might," he remarked. "Send him up here,
+will you? And have Jaeger come with him."
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+Kweiros snapped the communicator off, sat back to drum idly on his desk,
+then got up and walked over to his master file control board. He glanced
+at the index, then punched out a sequence on the buttons. There was a
+subdued hum and a door opened. Kweiros reached into the compartment, to
+take out several tape reels. He glanced at them, nodded, and went back
+to the desk, where he spread them out and looked from one to another.
+Finally, he selected one of the smaller reels and started to thread it
+into the playback.
+
+There was a light tap on the door and he looked up.
+
+"So soon? Come in."
+
+A tall, sharp-featured guardsman entered and stood at attention. Beside
+him was a boy, who looked curiously and a little fearfully at the
+officer, who waved to chairs.
+
+"Sit down, both of you. I'm not going to claw you. Just want to go over
+a few things. I've some ideas, but I want to be sure of a couple of
+points." The captain glanced at the reels before him.
+
+"One thing puzzles me, Jaeger. Why did you have notes in the planetary
+language in your communications room?"
+
+Jaeger stirred uneasily. "I started doing that some time ago, sir," he
+explained. "You see, their language is quite dissimilar to either my own
+or to Galactica, and I have yet to learn to think in it. I wanted to
+avoid any possibility of lapsing away from it, so I translated my
+instructions and notes, hoping to keep myself constantly reminded to
+refrain from using Galactica at any time." He spread his hands. "I
+suppose--"
+
+Kweiros waved. "Logical, I presume," he admitted. "Anyway, that's done,
+and we can't do much about it now. Now for another thing." He glanced at
+the tape reels. "I noticed that the villagers in your area regarded you
+as a sorcerer. What cause did they have to form such an opinion?"
+
+"None, sir, that I know of." Jaeger shook his head.
+
+Kweiros looked at the boy. "Elwar?"
+
+"Why, all the village knew it, Master." The boy shook his head. "One had
+but to be near Master Jaeger for a time, and he could feel the power,
+just as I can feel it now." He shook his head again. "But it is very
+strong, Master. You must be one of the ones of truly great power."
+
+Kweiros looked speculatively at Jaeger.
+
+"I understood they were nontelepaths. All the reports agree on that."
+
+"Definitely, sir, they are. They're absolutely mute. Not a trace of
+radiation, even when they're close. And they don't receive. You can try
+it now, sir. It's just like punching into space itself. No resistance,
+no reflection, just nothing."
+
+"Shield?"
+
+"No, sir. Just no indication. Makes me feel as though I were in free
+space with a dead drive."
+
+       *       *       *
+
+Kweiros looked for a moment at Jaeger, then sent out a probing thought,
+searching for some indication of mental activity from the boy. But there
+was nothing. It wasn't anything like a shield, he thought. It seemed
+more like an infinite baffle.
+
+But there was some reaction. The boy shrank back in terror.
+
+"Please, Master," he begged. "Do not place me under enchantment." He
+held up his hands in a peculiar gesture.
+
+"What made you do that?" Kweiros raised a hand slowly, palm out. "I have
+no intention of harming you."
+
+"But I could feel you, trying to cast me under a spell."
+
+"You ... felt me?"
+
+"To be sure, Master, just as I have felt the same power from my master,
+Jaeger. But this was far stronger. It hurt. And it seemed as though you
+wanted me to do something."
+
+Kweiros nodded. "I think I'm getting an idea," he remarked. "And it
+scares me a little. They're not really nontelepathic, any more than the
+Kierawelans, for example, are nonvocal. I think we've got something here
+that's almost unique in the galaxy." He rubbed his neck. "Excuse me a
+few minutes. I want to check something in one of these tapes."
+
+Jaeger nodded and leaned back in his chair, looking curiously at the boy
+beside him, then back at his superior, who had selected a tape reel. He
+threaded it into the playing heads, put on a headband, and snapped a
+switch. Jaeger and the boy watched as Kweiros leaned back.
+
+The officer's face became vacant, then twisted, seeming to reflect
+painful mental effort. Slowly, he leaned forward again, touching another
+switch. Then, he sank back, to concentrate on his thoughts.
+
+Jaeger looked again at the boy, who was sitting tensely, his hands
+gripping the arms of his chair, his eyes fastened fearfully on the
+officer before him. As Jaeger watched, Elwar half rose from his chair,
+then sank back, his face appearing to mirror Kweiros' efforts.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+At last, Kweiros sat up. Shakily, he removed his headband and snapped
+the playback off.
+
+"Long time since I checked that tape," he said. "Pretty rugged stuff,
+and highly speculative. Always gives me a headache." He shook his head
+as he looked at Elwar.
+
+"And this makes it even worse. It was bad enough as pure speculation,
+but we've got something real here. Something rough. For one thing, we
+have got a planet where no one but native operatives stand a chance of
+working. For another we--" He cupped his chin in his hands and examined
+Elwar closely.
+
+"Do you really want to learn the secrets you looked for in the books,
+youngster? Do you still want the secrets you first thought you might
+learn?"
+
+The boy seemed to withdraw a little. "I have a great fear," he admitted
+tremulously.
+
+"You haven't been injured or mistreated, have you?"
+
+"No, Master, but--" Elwar looked toward the door.
+
+"And you won't be," he was told reassuringly. "Now you just go ahead on
+back to your quarters."
+
+       *       *       *
+
+As the door closed, Kweiros turned to Jaeger.
+
+"Think we'll put you on special assignment. For the next few cycles,
+you'll act as a private tutor. Then you can go back to Main Base with
+Elwar while they give him his training."
+
+Jaeger raised his eyebrows. "Yes, sir," he said doubtfully. "You think
+the boy will develop?"
+
+Kweiros nodded. "I'm quite sure of it," he said. "And he's got a big job
+ahead of him. He may be instrumental in preventing a major disaster." He
+waved at the tape reels.
+
+"I got that little tape out just on an off chance," he added. "Didn't
+really expect to find anything, but--" He flipped his hands out.
+"Anyway, I pulled it." He leaned forward, looking at Jaeger.
+
+"We may have run into a second, or even third growth culture," he said
+slowly. "Once, before some ancient war of destruction, the people of
+this planet might have been normally telepathic." He closed his eyes for
+an instant. "Possibly they were unable to use their telepathic power.
+And equally possibly, they could have had a highly developed mechanical
+civilization. Something went wrong." He waved at the tape reel.
+
+"In this reconstruction, there's an hypothesis on just such a situation.
+Here, a race reaches high development and wrecks itself--leaving no
+trace of its accomplishments. Growth starts over from the most meager of
+beginnings. Survival becomes a matter of the most bitter conflict, with
+everyone becoming a hunter and being hunted in his turn. In this
+situation, detection of an enemy becomes vital." He grinned wryly. "Can
+you imagine what would happen to someone who radiated his thoughts?"
+
+Jaeger ran a finger over his lips. "He'd be easy to locate," he mused.
+"And he'd have a hard time evading an enemy."
+
+"Precisely." Kweiros nodded. "And he'd never be able to approach his
+prey. In short, he'd fail to survive. Complete telepathic blankness
+would have a high survival value. But an ability to detect mental
+radiation would still be a big help." He waved a hand.
+
+"So, a race like this one could evolve. And the author of this tape
+extrapolated from there. A normal telepathic reception will be
+accompanied, by a slight feedback. A completely black body, however,
+will neither radiate nor feed back. It merely absorbs energy and, unless
+it's super-imposed on a reflective background, it leaves no trace. Since
+nothing in nature other than a telepathic mind can reflect telepathy, no
+background would survive for long." He frowned a little.
+
+"Of course, no mind we are familiar with could act as a telepathically
+black body, but this author hypothesized a race that could do just
+that--plus. There's a further hypothesis of an ability to detect and
+localize radiations as such, without bothering to resolve them."
+
+"Sounds like just what we have here," Jaeger admitted.
+
+"It does, doesn't it?" Kweiros nodded. "And there's a further
+extrapolation. Some of the members or the elder races have speculated on
+a sort of second-order telepathy, undetectable to the normal telepath,
+but capable of noting normal radiation. And some of the speculations
+seem to make sense--though they're a little confusing. If you don't have
+a specific sense, it's difficult to visualize it, or even to speculate
+on its presence." He drew a deep breath.
+
+"That leads us into a real problem. Our people roamed around this planet
+for several cycles this time. And there may have been others before us,
+who didn't record their visits, other than in the minds and legends of
+the natives. And there may be other legends from that other, older
+culture." He shrugged.
+
+"We picked up what we could on the culture, but we didn't get the full
+story on them. And we've probably left a thousand legends behind us,
+including that beautiful mess at your station." He grinned.
+
+"Right now, their folklore is loaded with sorcerers, warlocks, wizards,
+and what not. After all, whatever their past is, they're primitive now.
+So those stories are going to grow and continue. Eventually, long before
+they really develop a stabilized ethic, someone's going to collate that
+whole mess. And do you know what he'll come up with?"
+
+"Us?"
+
+"Us, yes. Us, in a distorted form." Kweiros nodded emphatically. "They
+will come to a full realization that there are advanced entities running
+around the cosmos, entities that have all kinds of mysterious powers.
+And they'll invent still more powers and characteristics--mostly bad."
+He spread his hands, then laid them on the desk in front of him.
+
+       *       *       *
+
+"That way, they could develop a hopeless, planet-wide trauma--a sort of
+super inferiority complex--and they could contract on themselves, devote
+their time to an intensive study of demonology, and very possibly come
+apart at the seams.
+
+"Or, they could do something else. I was watching Elwar while I was
+checking that tape. Did you notice anything peculiar?"
+
+"He seemed disturbed."
+
+"As though he were sensing my thoughts?"
+
+"Something like that. But--"
+
+Kweiros nodded. "But I had a shield up. You could detect no trace of
+mental action. Right?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"That's what I thought." Kweiros shook his head and looked closely at
+Jaeger.
+
+"Can you imagine," he added, "a primitive race with the power to detect
+a galactic by his thoughts? And can you imagine that power developing
+until that detection is possible at interstellar ranges, with members
+of that race being able to pick up faint impressions from received
+thoughts--distorted impressions? And can you imagine that same race,
+ignorant of the humanic equations, devoid of a stable ethic,
+superstitious, distrustful and fearful of advanced entities? They would
+be undetectable by normal telepathic means, you know. And suppose they
+were disposed to destroy what they could not understand." He frowned.
+
+Jaeger looked back at him, his eyes becoming wide. Suddenly, his gaze
+defocused and he looked aside, to stare unseeingly at the floor.
+
+"Something's got to be done, sir," he said reluctantly.
+
+Kweiros nodded. "Something's got to be done," he agreed. "Of course,
+there's another side to the picture. If this race develops and learns,
+they'll be just as valuable to the galaxy as they would otherwise be
+dangerous." He looked toward the door.
+
+"And our boy out there is one of the few who can help in this situation.
+He's going to have to work out counter stories--amusing stories--about
+all those magical creatures his people tell about. He's going to have to
+hint at the possibilities of close co-ordination and co-operation
+between members of his own species. And he's going to have to suggest
+the possibility of friendly co-operation between his species and
+others." He drew a deep breath.
+
+"And he's going to have to do all this without taking any risk of
+exposing the existence of other, more advanced species in the galaxy."
+He brushed a hand across his head, then pressed the back of his neck,
+kneading the skin.
+
+"These stories of his, he'll have to publish. He'll have to get them
+circulated all over his planet, if he can. Possibly we can give him some
+indirect help, but he's going to have to carry a good share of the load.
+
+"He knows his own people as we could never hope to. And he'll have to be
+thoroughly educated, so he can say what he wants to. And he'll have to
+be fully aware of the humanic equations and all their connotations. If
+he's to have any direct help, he'll have to choose his helpers from
+among his own people, and he'll have to choose carefully." Kweiros
+thrust at his temple with the heel of a hand, then shook his head
+violently.
+
+"Somehow, he's going to have to accentuate any legends he may be able to
+find which present a favorable light on co-ordination and co-operation,
+and he'll have to invent more. And all those other legends--the ones
+which treat of superstition and destructive force--will have to be
+reduced to the realm of the storybook, submerged under a layer of amused
+condemnation, and kept there. All these things, that youngster is going
+to have to do.
+
+"It's your job to help teach him."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Forell watched his friend closely as the critic laid aside the last
+page.
+
+Andorra sat for a moment, his head cocked in thought. Then, he picked up
+the last page and looked at it again. Finally, he laid the sheet aside.
+He looked at his friend with a wry smile, then picked up his wineglass,
+looking at it quizzically.
+
+"Do you always give your own name to one of your characters?"
+
+Forell's grip tightened on the small object in his hand.
+
+"Oh, sure," he said. "Gives me a better identification. If I can get
+into the story, it's easier to draw the reader in." He forced a casual
+smile. "I'll change that name later, of course."
+
+"I see what you mean." Andorra sipped from his glass.
+
+"You know," he added, "a couple of hours ago, I was almost ready to get
+excited about the idea of a cosmos full of super beings. And I even
+might have dreamed up something like this myself--and more than half
+believed it." He shook his head.
+
+"But when a fantasist like yourself comes up with it, and makes it look
+so nicely possible, the idea almost looks foolish. After all, Elwar, if
+you actually were the guy in that little sketch of yours, you'd hardly
+be asking me to read it, now would you?" He looked down at the papers,
+then raised his head again, frowning.
+
+"'He'll have to choose his helpers from among his own people,'" he
+quoted. "'All these things, that youngster is going to have to do.'" He
+sipped again from his glass, keeping a searching gaze on his friend.
+
+"And on the other hand, if your story here should be true, you just
+might be asking me to read it, for one reason or another." He raised his
+glass, examining the bright liquid within it.
+
+Elwar tensed, his hand coming part way out of his pocket.
+
+Suddenly, Andorra set the glass down and leaned forward, hands gripping
+his knees.
+
+"Tell me, Elwar," he begged, "this isn't a hoax, is it? Surely, no one
+could be so warped as to present a friend with something like this and
+then to laugh it off?"
+
+Forell drew a deep breath and examined his companion closely. At last,
+his left hand relaxed a little.
+
+"It's no hoax," he admitted.
+
+Andorra sighed and leaned back.
+
+"And you can use help? You're asking me?"
+
+He paused, waiting as Forell nodded, then spread his hands.
+
+"You know," he said, "it shouldn't take me too long to fix it so I would
+not be missed too much for a few years." He looked at the wall.
+
+"It must be quite a training course."
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note:
+
+    This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ January
+    1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
+    copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
+    typographical errors have been corrected without note.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole
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+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole
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+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Indirection
+
+Author: Everett B. Cole
+
+Illustrator: Freas
+
+Release Date: November 5, 2007 [EBook #23339]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIRECTION ***
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+Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
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+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+
+<h1><big>INDIRECTION</big></h1>
+
+<p class="tease"><big>The best way</big> to keep a secret is to publish it in a
+quite unbelievable form&mdash;and insist that it is the truth.</p>
+
+<h2>BY EVERETT B. COLE</h2>
+
+<p class="illo">Illustrated by Freas</p>
+
+
+<p>Elwar Forell leaned back in his
+chair, looking about the small dining
+salon. The usual couples were there,
+he noticed. Of course, the faces were
+different from those of last evening,
+but the poses were similar. And the
+people were there for the same reasons.
+They were enjoying the food
+and drinks, just as many others had
+enjoyed them before. But like all
+those others, their greater enjoyment
+was in the company of one another.
+Forell glanced at the vacant chair
+across the table from him and sighed.</p>
+
+<p>It would be nice, he thought, if&mdash; But
+any arrangement involving a permanent
+companion would be hardly
+practical under his circumstances.
+After all, prudence dictated limits.</p>
+
+<p>He picked up his cup and drained
+it, then leaned back and beckoned
+the waiter over.</p>
+
+<p>"The reckoning, please," he ordered.</p>
+
+<p>He looked again at the letter on
+the table before him, then folded it
+and put it in his pocket. It was well,
+he thought. His latest book of fairy
+tales and fantasy had enjoyed good
+acceptance. And the check in the
+letter had been of satisfactory size.
+He smiled to himself. There were
+compensations in this job of his. It
+seemed to be profitable to have a
+purpose other than the obvious and
+usual one.</p>
+
+<p>He paid his bill and left the restaurant,
+to walk slowly along the
+street, enjoying the mild, spring air.</p>
+
+<p>As he passed a sidewalk caf&eacute;, a
+man beckoned from one of the tables.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, Forell," he called. "I was
+hoping I'd see you this evening." He
+held up a book.</p>
+
+<p>"Just finished your 'Tales of the
+Sorcerers,'" he added. "Some of
+those yarns of yours seem almost
+real."</p>
+
+<p>Elwar Forell nodded. They should,
+he thought. Factual material, however
+disguised, often shines through
+its fictional background. And he had
+an inexhaustible source of material,
+drawn from many sources. He twisted
+his face into a gratified smile.</p>
+
+<p>"That's my objective," he said
+aloud. "I do all in my power to place
+the reader inside the story."</p>
+
+<p>Charo Andorra nodded. "It's the
+secret of good fiction, I know," he
+admitted, "and every storyteller tries
+to do it. But I seem to see more than
+that in your stuff. There's an almost
+believable pattern." He hesitated.
+"You know, while I'm reading it, I
+can almost see beings of superior
+powers walking the earth. And sometimes,
+I visualize us working with
+them." He laughed shortly.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course, I may be more credulous
+and imaginative than most.
+Probably why I'm a critic. And I
+really should know better." He looked
+down at the book in his hands.</p>
+
+<p>"But that stuff of yours can be
+mighty convincing." He tilted his
+head. "Somehow, I can't help but
+look at some of the old legends&mdash;and
+some of the things that have
+happened in more recent years, too.
+Can't help but wonder if we actually
+are babes of the cosmos, and if we
+haven't been visited and watched by
+some form of extra-planetary life at
+one time or another."</p>
+
+<p>Forell looked closely at his friend.
+Andorra, he knew, was a clear
+thinker in his own right. And he just
+might start a serious analysis&mdash;and
+publish it. He grimaced. It wasn't
+time for that, he knew. Many years
+must pass before it would be time.</p>
+
+<p>He placed a hand on the back of
+Andorra's chair, remembering the
+words of one of the teachers.</p>
+
+<p><i>"Remember, Elwar," he had been
+told, "your objective is clear, but
+your methods must be most indirect&mdash;even
+unclear. Some things you
+must obscure in a mass of obviously
+imaginative detail, while you bring
+others to the fore. You must hint.
+You must suggest. You should never
+fully explain or deny. And you must
+never be guilty of definite, direct
+falsehood.</i></p>
+
+<p><i>"There may come a time when you
+will be directly questioned&mdash;when
+discovery of your real background
+and purpose seems imminent, and
+you will have to take positive action.
+For such an eventuality, I cannot outline
+any steps, or even any definite
+plan of action, since I neither fully
+understand many of the factors involved,
+nor have any way of knowing
+the circumstances which may arise.
+You'll have to prepare yourself for
+almost anything, always keeping in
+mind the peculiarities and capabilities
+of your own people."</i></p>
+
+<p>It looked as though the time might
+have come. If Andorra, a clever, influential
+critic, should guess at the
+real background and the sources of
+the Forell tales, and if he should
+misunderstand the motives behind
+those tales, he would probably publish
+his thoughts. And those thoughts
+would be widely read. Many would
+smile as they read and regard the
+thing as a hoax. But others might
+start their own analyses. And some
+of those might come to highly undesirable
+conclusions and cause undesirable,
+even disastrous, reactions.
+It would be many generations before
+clear explanations could be made and
+definite principles outlined without
+causing misunderstanding and serious
+damage. The Forell tales were evasive
+and preparatory as well as vaguely
+instructive.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 684px;">
+<img src="images/001.png" width="684" height="550" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>He recovered his self-discipline
+and waved his hand negligently.</p>
+
+<p>"You know, Charo," he said
+laughingly, "I've been thinking along
+similar lines for a long while. Of
+course, you know I must have built
+up some sort of fantasy world to
+base my yarns on?"</p>
+
+<p>Andorra nodded. "That's obvious.
+I've been wondering about some of
+your basic theory. Like to see your
+notes some time."</p>
+
+<p>Forell spread his hands. "You're
+quite welcome to look them over,"
+he said. "Come on up to my rooms
+now." He smiled. "As a matter of
+fact, I've been doing a little extension
+on my dream world. Built up a little
+sketch a while ago, and I'm not just
+sure what to do with it."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>As they entered the study, Forell
+walked across to his desk. He fumbled
+for a few seconds under the
+desk, then opened a drawer. For a
+moment, he paused, looking inside,
+then pulled out a thin folder. Again,
+he hesitated. At last, he picked a
+small, metallic object from the
+drawer and held it in his left hand.</p>
+
+<p>"Might need this," he told himself.
+"If I'm wrong, it'll take a sector
+patrolman to straighten out the mess.
+And I could be wrong&mdash;two ways."</p>
+
+<p>Casually, he placed his left hand
+in his pocket, then he turned toward
+Andorra, holding out the folder.</p>
+
+<p>"Here," he said. "See what you
+think of this one."</p>
+
+<p>Andorra opened the folder, taking
+out a few sheets of paper. He read
+for a moment, then looked up quizzically.</p>
+
+<p>"A little different from your usual
+style, isn't it?"</p>
+
+<p>Forell nodded, watching the man
+tensely. "I'm trying something new,"
+he said. "Go ahead and read it, then
+tell me what you think."</p>
+
+<p>He busied himself with a bottle
+and glasses.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p class="hd1">INFORMAL MEMO</p>
+
+<p class="rgt">130-263</p>
+
+<p class="lhead">From: Explorations Officer, Sector Nine<br />
+To: Ecological Officer<br />
+Subject: Incident Report</p>
+
+<p>Enclosed is the file on that recent
+occurrence on Planet 3-G3-9/4871,
+consisting of the certificates and statements
+of the various officers and
+guardsmen concerned, together with
+a digest of the interrogation of Elwar
+Forell, a young planetary native, who
+appears to have been the instigator.</p>
+
+<p>It seems to me that something is
+seriously wrong with our system of
+operation, at least on the subject
+planet. After all, our operations have
+the purpose of research and observation,
+with a view to protection and
+development. Certainly, we cannot
+create chaos. And knowledge of our
+existence by very young cultures
+would certainly cause just that. We've
+got to clear this up in a hurry. The
+Elder Galactics are most certain to
+be unhappy about it in any event,
+and I don't like to make them unhappy.</p>
+
+<p>Obviously, there was a chain of
+errors, and some of our people concerned
+will have to be reassigned for
+further training, but that's just the
+beginning. I've recalled all the observers
+from this planet, pending
+reorganization, and we've got to come
+up with an answer that'll prevent
+further occurrences of this nature, as
+well as covering this affair on the
+planet concerned.</p>
+
+<p>I realize that the situation has some
+of the elements of comedy, and I
+presume that it will eventually be
+regarded with considerable amusement,
+but right at the moment, my
+sense of humor is working very
+poorly.</p>
+
+<p>I have a few ideas of my own, but
+would like to have your recommendations
+and those of other section officers
+before I make any final decision
+or report. I am calling a conference
+on this incident at 280.1000, so make
+a full investigation on this, and give
+me some practical recommendation as
+soon as possible.</p>
+
+<p class="author">CIJORN</p>
+
+<p class="lhead">6 enclosures</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">STATEMENT</p>
+
+<p>I, Florand Anremdor, am assigned
+to the Communications Branch, Exploratory
+Section, Sector Nine.</p>
+
+<p>At 261.0196, I was on duty in the
+emergency communications room at
+Increment Four. A call came in from
+Resident Station number fourteen,
+Planet 3-G3-9/4871, requesting
+emergency condensation over the immediate
+station area. Co-ordinates
+were not given and I checked the
+planetary co-ordinates with the call
+sign and the Communications List. I
+added these to the message and forwarded
+the request to the Patrol
+Duty Officer for his action.</p>
+
+<p>There was no visual on the call,
+but the voice sounded urgent. I
+relayed the request without requiring
+special authentication, since the station
+was precisely on the correct settings,
+no inimical culture is known
+to be operating in this sector, and
+the coded call was correct. At the
+time, I had no way of suspecting that
+this was not a genuine emergency
+call.</p>
+
+<p class="author">Florand Anremdor<br />
+Comm. 1/c</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">CERTIFICATE</p>
+
+<p>I, Captain Binkar Morancos, am
+assigned to the 334th Vector, which
+is presently under the orders of the
+Commander, Sector Nine.</p>
+
+<p>I was assigned as Sector Patrol
+Duty Officer at 261.0200, when a
+message was relayed from Increment
+Four, requesting emergency condensation
+on a planet in that increment.
+I checked the co-ordinates and data
+furnished, consulted the situation
+chart, and instructed Cruiser P-4730,
+Captain Klorantel commanding, to
+carry out the mission.</p>
+
+<p>Since the message came through
+normal channels, I had no doubt as
+to its authenticity, and treated it as
+routine. I felt that the cruiser commander
+could deal with the matter at
+his discretion.</p>
+
+<p class="author">Binkar Morancos<br />
+Capt. StG(C)</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">CERTIFICATE</p>
+
+<p>I, Captain Corrondao Klorantel,
+am in command of the Stellar Guard
+Cruiser <i>Myloren</i>, number P-4730. I
+am assigned to duty with the 334th
+Vector, which is operating in Sector
+Nine.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Myloren</i> was on routine patrol
+in the Fourth Increment at 261.0203,
+when a message was received from
+Sector Headquarters, giving co-ordinates
+on Planet 3-G3-9/4871, with
+a request for emergency condensation.
+I proceeded to the subject planet
+and took position outside the atmosphere.
+Visual checks failed to show
+any emergency condition on the surface,
+though a burned-out area was
+noted in the forest a short distance
+to the planetary south of the station
+concerned. A call was made to the
+resident station, requesting clarification
+of the request, and the answer
+proved to be unsatisfactory.</p>
+
+<p>There was no visual transmission,
+and the voice was strongly accented.
+The message gave insufficient data
+for action, contained no identification,
+and was in improper form for
+station-to-ship contact. I decided to
+make contact by other means, and
+shifted my secondary communicator
+to the guardsman's personal settings,
+requesting further information, suitable
+identification, and confirmation
+of the request. Guardsman Jaeger
+immediately informed me that the
+call was spurious, stating that he was
+away from his station, and that he
+would return immediately. During
+the conversation, I noted that full
+condensation was taking place to
+atmospheric limits.</p>
+
+<p>I called Auxiliary, and Technician
+Melran stated that his control circuits
+were inoperative and that he
+was tracing the difficulty. He cleared
+the trouble, but condensation had already
+been established and precipitation
+had commenced. I ordered re-absorption,
+which was started as soon
+as repairs had been accomplished.</p>
+
+<p>At the request of Guardsman Jaeger,
+we stood by to render aid if
+necessary, maintaining contact with
+his station. At 0572, Jaeger requested
+immediate evacuation for himself and
+for one other person. I entered atmosphere,
+made planetfall with nullified
+visibility, and took off the
+guardsman and a young native. During
+the evacuation, I noted a number
+of natives armed with various implements,
+who were attempting to break
+their way into the station. Guardsman
+Jaeger fired his demolitions as
+he left, firing the screen generator
+with his last flare. For a few minutes,
+the natives fell back before the
+flames, but they were entering the
+station by the time we cleared the
+planet. It is believed that the installation
+was completely destroyed.</p>
+
+<p class="author">Corrondao Klorantel<br />
+Capt. StG(C)<br />
+Commanding P-4730</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">STATEMENT</p>
+
+<p>I, Danaeo Melran, am assigned to
+the Patrol Cruiser <i>Myloren</i>, number
+P-4730, for duty.</p>
+
+<p>At 261.0204, I was on duty in
+Auxiliary Equipment when Captain
+Klorantel called, informing me that
+a request had come in for emergency
+condensation. He told me to set up
+and await execution order. I preset
+two forward radiators for forty kilometers
+at low condensation, with a
+three kilometer radius at surface. I
+then put the controls on automatic
+trigger, notified the captain, and went
+on with my normal duties. At 0221,
+we came out of trans-light, and I
+adjusted my equipment for slow-drive
+operation.</p>
+
+<p>At 0223, my indicators showed activity
+on the forward radiators. I
+checked and discovered that full
+power was being applied. Attempts
+to override the automatics were unsuccessful,
+and while I was attempting
+to clear the trouble, the captain
+called again, saying that the request
+was false, and asking why I had
+turned the radiators on. I told him
+that the controls were jammed, and
+he instructed me to make repairs
+and set up re-absorption.</p>
+
+<p>I discovered a short between the
+automatic trigger and the ship's secondary
+communication antenna. After
+clearing this, I found trouble in the
+control section of the condensation
+driver. The automatic trigger had
+become fused, and the control paths
+were shorted to full-drive throughout.
+The sub-assemblies were replaced
+and trouble cleared by 0300. I then
+set up re-absorption as ordered.</p>
+
+<p class="author">Danaeo Melran<br />
+Eq Tech 3/c</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">STATEMENT</p>
+
+<p>I, Franz Jaeger, am Resident
+Guardsman at Station Fourteen,
+Planet 3-G3-9/4871.</p>
+
+<p>I have been assigned to my station
+for eight planetary years for survey
+and observation duty. During the
+past five years, I have employed
+Elwar Forell, the son of a local peasant,
+to keep the living quarters clean
+and to do general work about the
+station. I have never discussed the
+possibilities of extra-planetary civilization
+with him, and I have been
+careful to exclude him from knowledge
+of my technical equipment,
+which I have kept in a secure room
+in accordance with regulations. I
+have presented myself to him, as well
+as to all the villagers in my area, as
+a scholar, tired of city life, and desirous
+of a quiet existence.</p>
+
+<p>There has been a drought in part
+of my area for the entire season. We
+have suffered from one forest fire
+and there is a strong possibility of
+others. Crops are doing very badly,
+and the peasants have been complaining
+bitterly. This is not an unheard-of
+situation, but it has caused considerable
+discomfort and worry, since
+there is a very definite threat of
+famine. There have been numerous
+attempts to obtain rain by occult
+means, and I have been personally
+approached on the matter. For some
+time, the villagers in the immediate
+area of the station have regarded me
+as a sorcerer, and I have been asked
+to cast a spell to cause rain.</p>
+
+<p>I had considered a request for light
+condensation, but had hesitated to
+make such a request, since I felt that
+rain closely following the villagers'
+petition to me would confirm their
+supernatural beliefs, which I have
+attempted to discourage.</p>
+
+<p>At 261.0223, I was on a routine
+tour of my area. I received a call
+from the cruiser <i>Myloren</i>, Captain
+Klorantel commanding, asking for
+further information on a request for
+emergency condensation. I informed
+him that I had made no such request,
+adding that a light rain would be
+desirable if he were in position and
+prepared to radiate.</p>
+
+<p>During the conversation with Captain
+Klorantel, I noted that the sky
+was darkening. There were several
+flashes of lightning, and I felt the
+signs of imminent, heavy rain. I
+promptly started back to my station.</p>
+
+<p>Upon my arrival, I discovered that
+Elwar had managed to open the communications
+room and had been using
+the equipment. He was extremely
+frightened, and made incoherent remarks
+about talking to a demon.
+When I attempted to question him as
+to how he had opened the room, and
+where he had learned the operation
+of the communications equipment, he
+became hysterical and I could find out
+precisely nothing.</p>
+
+<p>By this time, it was raining violently.
+There was a high wind. Several
+trees had been blown down and
+lightning was frequent. A flood was
+starting down the mountainside toward
+the village, threatening severe
+damage. It was quite apparent that
+crops, such as they were, would be
+almost completely destroyed.</p>
+
+<p>At the time, I could do little to
+remedy the situation. I re-established
+contact with the cruiser, informed
+Captain Klorantel of the situation,
+and requested that he stand by. I
+then turned on my viewsphere to
+keep watch on the village from the
+communications room. Since Elwar
+had been in the room on several
+previous occasions, I saw no reason
+for excluding him. On the contrary,
+I thought it would be advisable to
+keep him with me, since I felt that
+he would be seriously injured if he
+were turned loose in the village. I
+do not believe he would have survived
+the fury of the villagers, who
+had taken shelter, and were watching
+the destruction of their crops.</p>
+
+<p>The flood had become a torrent,
+which overflowed the banks of the
+village brook, tore at the bridge, and
+swept through the lanes. In the fields,
+grain was beaten into the ground and
+it was clear that the villagers would
+have little or no harvest to celebrate
+during the approaching festival. The
+wind grew in force, lashing at the
+tall festival pole, which bent, crashed
+down in the village square, and partially
+demolished the front of the
+inn.</p>
+
+<p>During this period, there was no
+human activity, since everyone had
+taken what shelter he could find.</p>
+
+<p>At 0448, the rain slackened, the
+wind died down, and people started
+gathering in the square. For a time,
+they milled about, wading through
+the ebbing flood. They examined the
+damage, then they gathered in
+groups, talking earnestly.</p>
+
+<p>The dry wind came up at 0510,
+and by 0550, the entire village was
+on the march toward my station.
+Their intentions were quite easy to
+determine. They were armed with
+pitchforks, scythes, axes, and other
+tools which could be converted to
+offensive use. I established a protective
+screen, but realized that to set up
+a permanent defense would be impractical
+and even harmful. I therefore
+called the cruiser, requesting
+evacuation for myself and for young
+Forell. Prior to evacuation, I demolished
+all my fixed equipment, so that
+the only things left for the villagers
+to find when they entered the station
+were damaged remains of those
+things normal for a recluse scholar of
+their era.</p>
+
+<p class="author">Franz Jaeger<br />
+Observer 2/c</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">INFORMAL MEMO</p>
+
+<p class="rgt">130-265</p>
+
+<p class="lhead">From: Evaluations Officer<br />
+To: Explorations Officer<br />
+Subject: Interrogation</p>
+
+<p>Enclosed is a digest of the interrogation
+of one, Elwar Forell, who
+was evacuated from forty-eight
+seventy-one, in company with
+Guardsman Jaeger. This boy was
+abjectly terrified and had to be calmed
+several times during questioning.
+He was pitiably hysterical when recalling
+his conversation with Captain
+Klorantel, who, you will remember,
+is a capriform humanoid.</p>
+
+<p>The subject appears to be an intelligent
+specimen of his race, and when
+he had conquered his hysteria, was
+extremely co-operative, showing active
+interest in his surroundings. I
+believe he would be able to assimilate
+training, and would make a valuable
+addition to the Stellar Guard. I recommend
+his retention and training.</p>
+
+<p>If Elwar is a typical "son of a
+simple peasant," and if the planet
+from which he comes has any considerable
+number of "simple peasants"
+with sons like him, I can
+foresee some strangely interesting
+problems in connection with further
+dealings on that planet.</p>
+
+<p class="author">FONZEC</p>
+
+<p class="lhead">1 enclosure</p>
+
+
+<p class="hd1">DIGEST</p>
+
+<p>Interrogation of Elwar Forell, native
+of Planet 3-G3-9/4871.</p>
+
+<p>"My Masters, I did mean no harm,
+but only good. I have long known
+that my master was possessed of
+power denied to most men. When I
+was apprenticed to him five years
+ago, I thought I would one day learn
+some of the dark secrets of the hidden
+worlds, but never did my master
+mention aught of those secrets he so
+surely knew. He taught me only of
+those things known to the scholars.
+He told me of reading, of writing,
+and of ciphering, and taught me
+many facts of our world which are
+known to the learned. I wished to
+know of many other things, but of
+these he was silent. Even so, I am
+grateful for his teachings, for how
+else could the son of a simple peasant
+gain the knowledge of the
+scholars?</p>
+
+<p>"I saw that my master often repaired
+to a room which I was never
+allowed to enter. This room he cleaned
+himself. And he always entered
+in the greatest of secrecy, being quite
+cross with me when I once betrayed
+curiosity. I remained curious, however,
+and fell at last to watching him
+in secret as he opened the door.</p>
+
+<p>"He slid aside a secret panel, then
+turned a wheel this way and that,
+finally pushing a handle. I watched,
+at last learning to what numbers he
+did turn the wheel, and how he pushed
+the handle. During his absences,
+I went sometimes to that room of
+magic, and I read the books of
+power, though there was much I
+could not read, since much of the
+writing was in strange tongues and
+I dared not ask my master the meanings
+of the strange words. But for his
+own convenience, my master had
+written many instructions plainly.
+And these, I read.</p>
+
+<p>"I did learn that there were powers
+beyond those of men. I learned
+that these strange instruments on the
+table did have strange ability to call
+forth demons and spirits, but never
+until that day did I dare touch other
+than the books and papers. And those
+I took great care to restore to their
+original condition.</p>
+
+<p>"For three months past, my father's
+land and the fields of his neighbors
+have been dry. During this time,
+there has been no rain, nor hint of
+rain, and the peasants have cried out
+for relief. They have appealed even
+to my master, who has told them that
+he has no strange powers&mdash;that he
+can do naught to call up rain. But
+they did not believe him, nor did I,
+Elwar, who knew better than this. I
+had seen the books of power, and
+I knew the demons could cause the
+skies to deliver water if rightly asked.
+So, I visited the room of magic
+upon the occasions of my master's
+absence. And I tried to decipher his
+writings that I might find the means
+to ask for the skies to open. Always,
+when I felt my master's presence approaching,
+I left the room, taking
+care to properly lock the door and
+to hide all evidence of my entry.</p>
+
+<p>"On that day of direful events, I
+found a paper in my master's hand.
+It mentioned fire in the forests. It
+mentioned rain. And it had on it
+words of power.</p>
+
+<p>"For a time, I practiced the strange
+syllables. Many times did I speak
+them aloud, then I pressed the bosses
+on the table, as shown by one of the
+books. There was a light. Then, the
+great ball glowed with color, to show
+me the first demon.</p>
+
+<p>"He spoke. And I conquered my
+fear, to repeat the syllables I had
+labored to learn. Once again, he
+spoke, and I could not understand
+him. I could think of nothing but
+to say again those words which I
+hoped would bring the rain we so
+badly needed. I took my hands from
+the bosses and stood, wondering
+what would happen. The ball became
+dark.</p>
+
+<p>"I stood, waiting. And nothing
+happened. Finally, thinking nothing
+was to occur, I turned and started to
+leave the room. Then, a great voice
+spoke. Again, the wall was alight.
+Within it was a fearsome demon who
+glared at me ferociously and demanded
+something in that tongue of
+power. I could not think. I stood,
+trembling fearfully. And he spoke
+again. Then did I repeat again the
+words I had learned, and ran from
+the room.</p>
+
+<p>"It became dark. The lightnings
+flashed, and the rain fell, and my
+master came, but not as I had ever
+seen him before. He did not walk
+from the forest as was his wont, but
+appeared before me from the air. I
+started back in fright, for now I was
+certain beyond doubt that he was a
+man of great wizardry. I thought he
+would beat me, or possibly cast me
+under a spell.</p>
+
+<p>"Never has he beaten me, always
+saying that it was wrong to beat an
+apprentice, and that those who so
+did were lacking in their senses. And
+this is but another proof of his sorcery,
+for who, other than a sorcerer,
+could handle his servants without
+beating them?</p>
+
+<p>"I dared do nothing other than to
+tell him of my misdoing, and he
+rushed to the room, taking me with
+him. He pressed the bosses, turning
+one that I had not known of, and
+the demon appeared again and talked
+with him. Then, my master made
+strange passes about the instruments
+and the village was shown in the ball.</p>
+
+<p>"At last the rain stopped. A wind
+blew&mdash;hot and dry, as from the pit&mdash;and
+the people came and did try
+by violence to enter. But they could
+not. At last, the great machine came,
+and though we could not at first see
+it, we entered and were carried away
+through the sky.</p>
+
+<p>"The people watched the house
+burn, then entered, to scatter the
+ashes.</p>
+
+<p>"And I am here, and afraid."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%; visibility: hidden;' />
+
+<p>Doer Kweiros flipped off the playback
+and gazed at the unresponsive
+wall. He rubbed the back of his head,
+looked at the viewsphere, then checked
+the playback index and tapped
+the rewind.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, me," he complained sorrowfully,
+"how do we get into these
+things?"</p>
+
+<p>He looked toward the communicator
+controls unhappily, then reached
+out and dialed a number. The sphere
+lit and an alert face looked at him
+inquiringly.</p>
+
+<p>"How is that Forell boy?"</p>
+
+<p>"Soaking up information like a
+sponge, sir."</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros nodded. "Gathered he
+might," he remarked. "Send him up
+here, will you? And have Jaeger
+come with him."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir."</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros snapped the communicator
+off, sat back to drum idly on his
+desk, then got up and walked over
+to his master file control board. He
+glanced at the index, then punched
+out a sequence on the buttons. There
+was a subdued hum and a door opened.
+Kweiros reached into the compartment,
+to take out several tape
+reels. He glanced at them, nodded,
+and went back to the desk, where he
+spread them out and looked from one
+to another. Finally, he selected one
+of the smaller reels and started to
+thread it into the playback.</p>
+
+<p>There was a light tap on the door
+and he looked up.</p>
+
+<p>"So soon? Come in."</p>
+
+<p>A tall, sharp-featured guardsman
+entered and stood at attention. Beside
+him was a boy, who looked curiously
+and a little fearfully at the officer,
+who waved to chairs.</p>
+
+<p>"Sit down, both of you. I'm not
+going to claw you. Just want to go
+over a few things. I've some ideas,
+but I want to be sure of a couple of
+points." The captain glanced at the
+reels before him.</p>
+
+<p>"One thing puzzles me, Jaeger.
+Why did you have notes in the planetary
+language in your communications
+room?"</p>
+
+<p>Jaeger stirred uneasily. "I started
+doing that some time ago, sir," he
+explained. "You see, their language
+is quite dissimilar to either my own
+or to Galactica, and I have yet to
+learn to think in it. I wanted to
+avoid any possibility of lapsing away
+from it, so I translated my instructions
+and notes, hoping to keep myself
+constantly reminded to refrain
+from using Galactica at any time."
+He spread his hands. "I suppose&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros waved. "Logical, I presume,"
+he admitted. "Anyway, that's
+done, and we can't do much about it
+now. Now for another thing." He
+glanced at the tape reels. "I noticed
+that the villagers in your area regarded
+you as a sorcerer. What cause did
+they have to form such an opinion?"</p>
+
+<p>"None, sir, that I know of." Jaeger
+shook his head.</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros looked at the boy.
+"Elwar?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why, all the village knew it,
+Master." The boy shook his head.
+"One had but to be near Master
+Jaeger for a time, and he could feel
+the power, just as I can feel it now."
+He shook his head again. "But it is
+very strong, Master. You must be
+one of the ones of truly great power."</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros looked speculatively at
+Jaeger.</p>
+
+<p>"I understood they were nontelepaths.
+All the reports agree on that."</p>
+
+<p>"Definitely, sir, they are. They're
+absolutely mute. Not a trace of radiation,
+even when they're close. And
+they don't receive. You can try it
+now, sir. It's just like punching into
+space itself. No resistance, no reflection,
+just nothing."</p>
+
+<p>"Shield?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir. Just no indication. Makes
+me feel as though I were in free
+space with a dead drive."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%; visibility: hidden;' />
+
+<p>Kweiros looked for a moment at
+Jaeger, then sent out a probing
+thought, searching for some indication
+of mental activity from the boy.
+But there was nothing. It wasn't anything
+like a shield, he thought. It
+seemed more like an infinite baffle.</p>
+
+<p>But there was some reaction. The
+boy shrank back in terror.</p>
+
+<p>"Please, Master," he begged. "Do
+not place me under enchantment."
+He held up his hands in a peculiar
+gesture.</p>
+
+<p>"What made you do that?" Kweiros
+raised a hand slowly, palm out.
+"I have no intention of harming
+you."</p>
+
+<p>"But I could feel you, trying to
+cast me under a spell."</p>
+
+<p>"You ... felt me?"</p>
+
+<p>"To be sure, Master, just as I
+have felt the same power from my
+master, Jaeger. But this was far
+stronger. It hurt. And it seemed as
+though you wanted me to do something."</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros nodded. "I think I'm getting
+an idea," he remarked. "And it
+scares me a little. They're not really
+nontelepathic, any more than the
+Kierawelans, for example, are nonvocal.
+I think we've got something
+here that's almost unique in the
+galaxy." He rubbed his neck. "Excuse
+me a few minutes. I want to check
+something in one of these tapes."</p>
+
+<p>Jaeger nodded and leaned back in
+his chair, looking curiously at the
+boy beside him, then back at his
+superior, who had selected a tape
+reel. He threaded it into the playing
+heads, put on a headband, and
+snapped a switch. Jaeger and the
+boy watched as Kweiros leaned back.</p>
+
+<p>The officer's face became vacant,
+then twisted, seeming to reflect painful
+mental effort. Slowly, he leaned
+forward again, touching another
+switch. Then, he sank back, to concentrate
+on his thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>Jaeger looked again at the boy,
+who was sitting tensely, his hands
+gripping the arms of his chair, his
+eyes fastened fearfully on the officer
+before him. As Jaeger watched, Elwar
+half rose from his chair, then
+sank back, his face appearing to
+mirror Kweiros' efforts.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 700px;">
+<img src="images/002.png" width="700" height="518" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>At last, Kweiros sat up. Shakily, he
+removed his headband and snapped
+the playback off.</p>
+
+<p>"Long time since I checked that
+tape," he said. "Pretty rugged stuff,
+and highly speculative. Always gives
+me a headache." He shook his head
+as he looked at Elwar.</p>
+
+<p>"And this makes it even worse. It
+was bad enough as pure speculation,
+but we've got something real here.
+Something rough. For one thing, we
+have got a planet where no one but
+native operatives stand a chance of
+working. For another we&mdash;" He
+cupped his chin in his hands and
+examined Elwar closely.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you really want to learn the
+secrets you looked for in the books,
+youngster? Do you still want the
+secrets you first thought you might
+learn?"</p>
+
+<p>The boy seemed to withdraw a
+little. "I have a great fear," he admitted
+tremulously.</p>
+
+<p>"You haven't been injured or mistreated,
+have you?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, Master, but&mdash;" Elwar looked
+toward the door.</p>
+
+<p>"And you won't be," he was told
+reassuringly. "Now you just go ahead
+on back to your quarters."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%; visibility: hidden;' />
+
+<p>As the door closed, Kweiros turned
+to Jaeger.</p>
+
+<p>"Think we'll put you on special
+assignment. For the next few cycles,
+you'll act as a private tutor. Then
+you can go back to Main Base with
+Elwar while they give him his training."</p>
+
+<p>Jaeger raised his eyebrows. "Yes,
+sir," he said doubtfully. "You think
+the boy will develop?"</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros nodded. "I'm quite sure
+of it," he said. "And he's got a big
+job ahead of him. He may be instrumental
+in preventing a major
+disaster." He waved at the tape reels.</p>
+
+<p>"I got that little tape out just on
+an off chance," he added. "Didn't
+really expect to find anything, but&mdash;"
+He flipped his hands out. "Anyway,
+I pulled it." He leaned forward,
+looking at Jaeger.</p>
+
+<p>"We may have run into a second,
+or even third growth culture," he
+said slowly. "Once, before some ancient
+war of destruction, the people
+of this planet might have been normally
+telepathic." He closed his eyes
+for an instant. "Possibly they were
+unable to use their telepathic power.
+And equally possibly, they could have
+had a highly developed mechanical
+civilization. Something went wrong."
+He waved at the tape reel.</p>
+
+<p>"In this reconstruction, there's an
+hypothesis on just such a situation.
+Here, a race reaches high development
+and wrecks itself&mdash;leaving no
+trace of its accomplishments. Growth
+starts over from the most meager of
+beginnings. Survival becomes a matter
+of the most bitter conflict, with
+everyone becoming a hunter and being
+hunted in his turn. In this situation,
+detection of an enemy becomes
+vital." He grinned wryly. "Can you
+imagine what would happen to someone
+who radiated his thoughts?"</p>
+
+<p>Jaeger ran a finger over his lips.
+"He'd be easy to locate," he mused.
+"And he'd have a hard time evading
+an enemy."</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely." Kweiros nodded.
+"And he'd never be able to approach
+his prey. In short, he'd fail to survive.
+Complete telepathic blankness
+would have a high survival value.
+But an ability to detect mental radiation
+would still be a big help." He
+waved a hand.</p>
+
+<p>"So, a race like this one could
+evolve. And the author of this tape
+extrapolated from there. A normal
+telepathic reception will be accompanied,
+by a slight feedback. A completely
+black body, however, will
+neither radiate nor feed back. It
+merely absorbs energy and, unless it's
+super-imposed on a reflective background,
+it leaves no trace. Since nothing
+in nature other than a telepathic
+mind can reflect telepathy, no background
+would survive for long." He
+frowned a little.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course, no mind we are familiar
+with could act as a telepathically
+black body, but this author hypothesized
+a race that could do just that&mdash;plus.
+There's a further hypothesis of
+an ability to detect and localize radiations
+as such, without bothering to
+resolve them."</p>
+
+<p>"Sounds like just what we have
+here," Jaeger admitted.</p>
+
+<p>"It does, doesn't it?" Kweiros
+nodded. "And there's a further extrapolation.
+Some of the members or
+the elder races have speculated on a
+sort of second-order telepathy, undetectable
+to the normal telepath, but
+capable of noting normal radiation.
+And some of the speculations seem
+to make sense&mdash;though they're a little
+confusing. If you don't have a specific
+sense, it's difficult to visualize it, or
+even to speculate on its presence."
+He drew a deep breath.</p>
+
+<p>"That leads us into a real problem.
+Our people roamed around this
+planet for several cycles this time.
+And there may have been others before
+us, who didn't record their
+visits, other than in the minds and
+legends of the natives. And there
+may be other legends from that
+other, older culture." He shrugged.</p>
+
+<p>"We picked up what we could on
+the culture, but we didn't get the full
+story on them. And we've probably
+left a thousand legends behind us,
+including that beautiful mess at your
+station." He grinned.</p>
+
+<p>"Right now, their folklore is loaded
+with sorcerers, warlocks, wizards,
+and what not. After all, whatever
+their past is, they're primitive now.
+So those stories are going to grow
+and continue. Eventually, long before
+they really develop a stabilized ethic,
+someone's going to collate that whole
+mess. And do you know what he'll
+come up with?"</p>
+
+<p>"Us?"</p>
+
+<p>"Us, yes. Us, in a distorted form."
+Kweiros nodded emphatically. "They
+will come to a full realization that
+there are advanced entities running
+around the cosmos, entities that have
+all kinds of mysterious powers. And
+they'll invent still more powers and
+characteristics&mdash;mostly bad." He
+spread his hands, then laid them on
+the desk in front of him.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%; visibility: hidden;' />
+
+<p>"That way, they could develop a
+hopeless, planet-wide trauma&mdash;a sort
+of super inferiority complex&mdash;and
+they could contract on themselves,
+devote their time to an intensive
+study of demonology, and very possibly
+come apart at the seams.</p>
+
+<p>"Or, they could do something else.
+I was watching Elwar while I was
+checking that tape. Did you notice
+anything peculiar?"</p>
+
+<p>"He seemed disturbed."</p>
+
+<p>"As though he were sensing my
+thoughts?"</p>
+
+<p>"Something like that. But&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros nodded. "But I had a
+shield up. You could detect no trace
+of mental action. Right?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"That's what I thought." Kweiros
+shook his head and looked closely
+at Jaeger.</p>
+
+<p>"Can you imagine," he added, "a
+primitive race with the power to
+detect a galactic by his thoughts? And
+can you imagine that power developing
+until that detection is possible at
+interstellar ranges, with members of
+that race being able to pick up faint
+impressions from received thoughts&mdash;distorted
+impressions? And can
+you imagine that same race, ignorant
+of the humanic equations, devoid of
+a stable ethic, superstitious, distrustful
+and fearful of advanced entities?
+They would be undetectable by normal
+telepathic means, you know. And
+suppose they were disposed to destroy
+what they could not understand." He
+frowned.</p>
+
+<p>Jaeger looked back at him, his eyes
+becoming wide. Suddenly, his gaze
+defocused and he looked aside, to
+stare unseeingly at the floor.</p>
+
+<p>"Something's got to be done, sir,"
+he said reluctantly.</p>
+
+<p>Kweiros nodded. "Something's got
+to be done," he agreed. "Of course,
+there's another side to the picture. If
+this race develops and learns, they'll
+be just as valuable to the galaxy as
+they would otherwise be dangerous."
+He looked toward the door.</p>
+
+<p>"And our boy out there is one of
+the few who can help in this situation.
+He's going to have to work out
+counter stories&mdash;amusing stories&mdash;about
+all those magical creatures his
+people tell about. He's going to have
+to hint at the possibilities of close
+co-ordination and co-operation between
+members of his own species.
+And he's going to have to suggest
+the possibility of friendly co-operation
+between his species and others."
+He drew a deep breath.</p>
+
+<p>"And he's going to have to do all
+this without taking any risk of exposing
+the existence of other, more
+advanced species in the galaxy." He
+brushed a hand across his head, then
+pressed the back of his neck, kneading
+the skin.</p>
+
+<p>"These stories of his, he'll have to
+publish. He'll have to get them circulated
+all over his planet, if he can.
+Possibly we can give him some indirect
+help, but he's going to have to
+carry a good share of the load.</p>
+
+<p>"He knows his own people as we
+could never hope to. And he'll have
+to be thoroughly educated, so he can
+say what he wants to. And he'll have
+to be fully aware of the humanic
+equations and all their connotations.
+If he's to have any direct help, he'll
+have to choose his helpers from
+among his own people, and he'll
+have to choose carefully." Kweiros
+thrust at his temple with the heel of
+a hand, then shook his head violently.</p>
+
+<p>"Somehow, he's going to have to
+accentuate any legends he may be
+able to find which present a favorable
+light on co-ordination and co-operation,
+and he'll have to invent more.
+And all those other legends&mdash;the
+ones which treat of superstition and
+destructive force&mdash;will have to be
+reduced to the realm of the storybook,
+submerged under a layer of
+amused condemnation, and kept
+there. All these things, that youngster
+is going to have to do.</p>
+
+<p>"It's your job to help teach him."</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Forell watched his friend closely
+as the critic laid aside the last page.</p>
+
+<p>Andorra sat for a moment, his
+head cocked in thought. Then, he
+picked up the last page and looked
+at it again. Finally, he laid the sheet
+aside. He looked at his friend with a
+wry smile, then picked up his wineglass,
+looking at it quizzically.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you always give your own
+name to one of your characters?"</p>
+
+<p>Forell's grip tightened on the small
+object in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, sure," he said. "Gives me a
+better identification. If I can get into
+the story, it's easier to draw the
+reader in." He forced a casual smile.
+"I'll change that name later, of
+course."</p>
+
+<p>"I see what you mean." Andorra
+sipped from his glass.</p>
+
+<p>"You know," he added, "a couple
+of hours ago, I was almost ready to
+get excited about the idea of a cosmos
+full of super beings. And I even
+might have dreamed up something
+like this myself&mdash;and more than half
+believed it." He shook his head.</p>
+
+<p>"But when a fantasist like yourself
+comes up with it, and makes it
+look so nicely possible, the idea almost
+looks foolish. After all, Elwar,
+if you actually were the guy in that
+little sketch of yours, you'd hardly
+be asking me to read it, now would
+you?" He looked down at the papers,
+then raised his head again, frowning.</p>
+
+<p>"'He'll have to choose his helpers
+from among his own people,'" he
+quoted. "'All these things, that
+youngster is going to have to do.'"
+He sipped again from his glass, keeping
+a searching gaze on his friend.</p>
+
+<p>"And on the other hand, if your
+story here should be true, you just
+might be asking me to read it, for
+one reason or another." He raised his
+glass, examining the bright liquid
+within it.</p>
+
+<p>Elwar tensed, his hand coming
+part way out of his pocket.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly, Andorra set the glass
+down and leaned forward, hands
+gripping his knees.</p>
+
+<p>"Tell me, Elwar," he begged, "this
+isn't a hoax, is it? Surely, no one
+could be so warped as to present a
+friend with something like this and
+then to laugh it off?"</p>
+
+<p>Forell drew a deep breath and
+examined his companion closely. At
+last, his left hand relaxed a little.</p>
+
+<p>"It's no hoax," he admitted.</p>
+
+<p>Andorra sighed and leaned back.</p>
+
+<p>"And you can use help? You're
+asking me?"</p>
+
+<p>He paused, waiting as Forell
+nodded, then spread his hands.</p>
+
+<p>"You know," he said, "it shouldn't
+take me too long to fix it so I would
+not be missed too much for a few
+years." He looked at the wall.</p>
+
+<p>"It must be quite a training
+course."</p>
+
+
+<p class="theend">THE END</p>
+
+<div class="trans1"><b>Transcriber's Note:</b><br />
+This etext was produced from <i>Astounding Science Fiction</i> January
+1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
+copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
+typographical errors have been corrected without note.</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Indirection
+
+Author: Everett B. Cole
+
+Illustrator: Freas
+
+Release Date: November 5, 2007 [EBook #23339]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIRECTION ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                        INDIRECTION
+
+   _The best way to keep a secret is to publish it in a
+ quite unbelievable form--and insist that it is the truth._
+
+                     BY EVERETT B. COLE
+
+                    Illustrated by Freas
+
+
+Elwar Forell leaned back in his chair, looking about the small dining
+salon. The usual couples were there, he noticed. Of course, the faces
+were different from those of last evening, but the poses were similar.
+And the people were there for the same reasons. They were enjoying the
+food and drinks, just as many others had enjoyed them before. But like
+all those others, their greater enjoyment was in the company of one
+another. Forell glanced at the vacant chair across the table from him
+and sighed.
+
+It would be nice, he thought, if-- But any arrangement involving a
+permanent companion would be hardly practical under his circumstances.
+After all, prudence dictated limits.
+
+He picked up his cup and drained it, then leaned back and beckoned the
+waiter over.
+
+"The reckoning, please," he ordered.
+
+He looked again at the letter on the table before him, then folded it
+and put it in his pocket. It was well, he thought. His latest book of
+fairy tales and fantasy had enjoyed good acceptance. And the check in
+the letter had been of satisfactory size. He smiled to himself. There
+were compensations in this job of his. It seemed to be profitable to
+have a purpose other than the obvious and usual one.
+
+He paid his bill and left the restaurant, to walk slowly along the
+street, enjoying the mild, spring air.
+
+As he passed a sidewalk cafe, a man beckoned from one of the tables.
+
+"Oh, Forell," he called. "I was hoping I'd see you this evening." He
+held up a book.
+
+"Just finished your 'Tales of the Sorcerers,'" he added. "Some of those
+yarns of yours seem almost real."
+
+Elwar Forell nodded. They should, he thought. Factual material, however
+disguised, often shines through its fictional background. And he had an
+inexhaustible source of material, drawn from many sources. He twisted
+his face into a gratified smile.
+
+"That's my objective," he said aloud. "I do all in my power to place the
+reader inside the story."
+
+Charo Andorra nodded. "It's the secret of good fiction, I know," he
+admitted, "and every storyteller tries to do it. But I seem to see more
+than that in your stuff. There's an almost believable pattern." He
+hesitated. "You know, while I'm reading it, I can almost see beings of
+superior powers walking the earth. And sometimes, I visualize us working
+with them." He laughed shortly.
+
+"Of course, I may be more credulous and imaginative than most. Probably
+why I'm a critic. And I really should know better." He looked down at
+the book in his hands.
+
+"But that stuff of yours can be mighty convincing." He tilted his head.
+"Somehow, I can't help but look at some of the old legends--and some of
+the things that have happened in more recent years, too. Can't help but
+wonder if we actually are babes of the cosmos, and if we haven't been
+visited and watched by some form of extra-planetary life at one time or
+another."
+
+Forell looked closely at his friend. Andorra, he knew, was a clear
+thinker in his own right. And he just might start a serious
+analysis--and publish it. He grimaced. It wasn't time for that, he knew.
+Many years must pass before it would be time.
+
+He placed a hand on the back of Andorra's chair, remembering the words
+of one of the teachers.
+
+_"Remember, Elwar," he had been told, "your objective is clear, but your
+methods must be most indirect--even unclear. Some things you must
+obscure in a mass of obviously imaginative detail, while you bring
+others to the fore. You must hint. You must suggest. You should never
+fully explain or deny. And you must never be guilty of definite, direct
+falsehood._
+
+_"There may come a time when you will be directly questioned--when
+discovery of your real background and purpose seems imminent, and you
+will have to take positive action. For such an eventuality, I cannot
+outline any steps, or even any definite plan of action, since I neither
+fully understand many of the factors involved, nor have any way of
+knowing the circumstances which may arise. You'll have to prepare
+yourself for almost anything, always keeping in mind the peculiarities
+and capabilities of your own people."_
+
+It looked as though the time might have come. If Andorra, a clever,
+influential critic, should guess at the real background and the sources
+of the Forell tales, and if he should misunderstand the motives behind
+those tales, he would probably publish his thoughts. And those thoughts
+would be widely read. Many would smile as they read and regard the thing
+as a hoax. But others might start their own analyses. And some of those
+might come to highly undesirable conclusions and cause undesirable,
+even disastrous, reactions. It would be many generations before clear
+explanations could be made and definite principles outlined without
+causing misunderstanding and serious damage. The Forell tales were
+evasive and preparatory as well as vaguely instructive.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+He recovered his self-discipline and waved his hand negligently.
+
+"You know, Charo," he said laughingly, "I've been thinking along similar
+lines for a long while. Of course, you know I must have built up some
+sort of fantasy world to base my yarns on?"
+
+Andorra nodded. "That's obvious. I've been wondering about some of your
+basic theory. Like to see your notes some time."
+
+Forell spread his hands. "You're quite welcome to look them over," he
+said. "Come on up to my rooms now." He smiled. "As a matter of fact,
+I've been doing a little extension on my dream world. Built up a little
+sketch a while ago, and I'm not just sure what to do with it."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+As they entered the study, Forell walked across to his desk. He fumbled
+for a few seconds under the desk, then opened a drawer. For a moment, he
+paused, looking inside, then pulled out a thin folder. Again, he
+hesitated. At last, he picked a small, metallic object from the drawer
+and held it in his left hand.
+
+"Might need this," he told himself. "If I'm wrong, it'll take a sector
+patrolman to straighten out the mess. And I could be wrong--two ways."
+
+Casually, he placed his left hand in his pocket, then he turned toward
+Andorra, holding out the folder.
+
+"Here," he said. "See what you think of this one."
+
+Andorra opened the folder, taking out a few sheets of paper. He read for
+a moment, then looked up quizzically.
+
+"A little different from your usual style, isn't it?"
+
+Forell nodded, watching the man tensely. "I'm trying something new," he
+said. "Go ahead and read it, then tell me what you think."
+
+He busied himself with a bottle and glasses.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+INFORMAL MEMO
+
+                                                            130-263
+ From: Explorations Officer, Sector Nine
+ To: Ecological Officer
+ Subject: Incident Report
+
+Enclosed is the file on that recent occurrence on Planet 3-G3-9/4871,
+consisting of the certificates and statements of the various officers
+and guardsmen concerned, together with a digest of the interrogation of
+Elwar Forell, a young planetary native, who appears to have been the
+instigator.
+
+It seems to me that something is seriously wrong with our system of
+operation, at least on the subject planet. After all, our operations
+have the purpose of research and observation, with a view to protection
+and development. Certainly, we cannot create chaos. And knowledge of our
+existence by very young cultures would certainly cause just that. We've
+got to clear this up in a hurry. The Elder Galactics are most certain to
+be unhappy about it in any event, and I don't like to make them unhappy.
+
+Obviously, there was a chain of errors, and some of our people concerned
+will have to be reassigned for further training, but that's just the
+beginning. I've recalled all the observers from this planet, pending
+reorganization, and we've got to come up with an answer that'll prevent
+further occurrences of this nature, as well as covering this affair on
+the planet concerned.
+
+I realize that the situation has some of the elements of comedy, and I
+presume that it will eventually be regarded with considerable amusement,
+but right at the moment, my sense of humor is working very poorly.
+
+I have a few ideas of my own, but would like to have your
+recommendations and those of other section officers before I make any
+final decision or report. I am calling a conference on this incident at
+280.1000, so make a full investigation on this, and give me some
+practical recommendation as soon as possible.
+
+                                        CIJORN
+ 6 enclosures
+
+
+STATEMENT
+
+I, Florand Anremdor, am assigned to the Communications Branch,
+Exploratory Section, Sector Nine.
+
+At 261.0196, I was on duty in the emergency communications room at
+Increment Four. A call came in from Resident Station number fourteen,
+Planet 3-G3-9/4871, requesting emergency condensation over the immediate
+station area. Co-ordinates were not given and I checked the planetary
+co-ordinates with the call sign and the Communications List. I added
+these to the message and forwarded the request to the Patrol Duty
+Officer for his action.
+
+There was no visual on the call, but the voice sounded urgent. I relayed
+the request without requiring special authentication, since the station
+was precisely on the correct settings, no inimical culture is known to
+be operating in this sector, and the coded call was correct. At the
+time, I had no way of suspecting that this was not a genuine emergency
+call.
+
+                                        Florand Anremdor
+                                        Comm. 1/c
+
+
+CERTIFICATE
+
+I, Captain Binkar Morancos, am assigned to the 334th Vector, which is
+presently under the orders of the Commander, Sector Nine.
+
+I was assigned as Sector Patrol Duty Officer at 261.0200, when a message
+was relayed from Increment Four, requesting emergency condensation on a
+planet in that increment. I checked the co-ordinates and data furnished,
+consulted the situation chart, and instructed Cruiser P-4730, Captain
+Klorantel commanding, to carry out the mission.
+
+Since the message came through normal channels, I had no doubt as to its
+authenticity, and treated it as routine. I felt that the cruiser
+commander could deal with the matter at his discretion.
+
+                                        Binkar Morancos
+                                        Capt. StG(C)
+
+
+CERTIFICATE
+
+I, Captain Corrondao Klorantel, am in command of the Stellar Guard
+Cruiser _Myloren_, number P-4730. I am assigned to duty with the 334th
+Vector, which is operating in Sector Nine.
+
+The _Myloren_ was on routine patrol in the Fourth Increment at 261.0203,
+when a message was received from Sector Headquarters, giving
+co-ordinates on Planet 3-G3-9/4871, with a request for emergency
+condensation. I proceeded to the subject planet and took position
+outside the atmosphere. Visual checks failed to show any emergency
+condition on the surface, though a burned-out area was noted in the
+forest a short distance to the planetary south of the station concerned.
+A call was made to the resident station, requesting clarification of the
+request, and the answer proved to be unsatisfactory.
+
+There was no visual transmission, and the voice was strongly accented.
+The message gave insufficient data for action, contained no
+identification, and was in improper form for station-to-ship contact. I
+decided to make contact by other means, and shifted my secondary
+communicator to the guardsman's personal settings, requesting further
+information, suitable identification, and confirmation of the request.
+Guardsman Jaeger immediately informed me that the call was spurious,
+stating that he was away from his station, and that he would return
+immediately. During the conversation, I noted that full condensation was
+taking place to atmospheric limits.
+
+I called Auxiliary, and Technician Melran stated that his control
+circuits were inoperative and that he was tracing the difficulty. He
+cleared the trouble, but condensation had already been established and
+precipitation had commenced. I ordered re-absorption, which was started
+as soon as repairs had been accomplished.
+
+At the request of Guardsman Jaeger, we stood by to render aid if
+necessary, maintaining contact with his station. At 0572, Jaeger
+requested immediate evacuation for himself and for one other person. I
+entered atmosphere, made planetfall with nullified visibility, and took
+off the guardsman and a young native. During the evacuation, I noted a
+number of natives armed with various implements, who were attempting to
+break their way into the station. Guardsman Jaeger fired his demolitions
+as he left, firing the screen generator with his last flare. For a few
+minutes, the natives fell back before the flames, but they were entering
+the station by the time we cleared the planet. It is believed that the
+installation was completely destroyed.
+
+                                        Corrondao Klorantel
+                                        Capt. StG(C)
+                                        Commanding P-4730
+
+
+STATEMENT
+
+I, Danaeo Melran, am assigned to the Patrol Cruiser _Myloren_, number
+P-4730, for duty.
+
+At 261.0204, I was on duty in Auxiliary Equipment when Captain Klorantel
+called, informing me that a request had come in for emergency
+condensation. He told me to set up and await execution order. I preset
+two forward radiators for forty kilometers at low condensation, with a
+three kilometer radius at surface. I then put the controls on automatic
+trigger, notified the captain, and went on with my normal duties. At
+0221, we came out of trans-light, and I adjusted my equipment for
+slow-drive operation.
+
+At 0223, my indicators showed activity on the forward radiators. I
+checked and discovered that full power was being applied. Attempts to
+override the automatics were unsuccessful, and while I was attempting to
+clear the trouble, the captain called again, saying that the request was
+false, and asking why I had turned the radiators on. I told him that the
+controls were jammed, and he instructed me to make repairs and set up
+re-absorption.
+
+I discovered a short between the automatic trigger and the ship's
+secondary communication antenna. After clearing this, I found trouble in
+the control section of the condensation driver. The automatic trigger
+had become fused, and the control paths were shorted to full-drive
+throughout. The sub-assemblies were replaced and trouble cleared by
+0300. I then set up re-absorption as ordered.
+
+                                        Danaeo Melran
+                                        Eq Tech 3/c
+
+
+STATEMENT
+
+I, Franz Jaeger, am Resident Guardsman at Station Fourteen, Planet
+3-G3-9/4871.
+
+I have been assigned to my station for eight planetary years for survey
+and observation duty. During the past five years, I have employed Elwar
+Forell, the son of a local peasant, to keep the living quarters clean
+and to do general work about the station. I have never discussed the
+possibilities of extra-planetary civilization with him, and I have been
+careful to exclude him from knowledge of my technical equipment, which I
+have kept in a secure room in accordance with regulations. I have
+presented myself to him, as well as to all the villagers in my area, as
+a scholar, tired of city life, and desirous of a quiet existence.
+
+There has been a drought in part of my area for the entire season. We
+have suffered from one forest fire and there is a strong possibility of
+others. Crops are doing very badly, and the peasants have been
+complaining bitterly. This is not an unheard-of situation, but it has
+caused considerable discomfort and worry, since there is a very definite
+threat of famine. There have been numerous attempts to obtain rain by
+occult means, and I have been personally approached on the matter. For
+some time, the villagers in the immediate area of the station have
+regarded me as a sorcerer, and I have been asked to cast a spell to
+cause rain.
+
+I had considered a request for light condensation, but had hesitated to
+make such a request, since I felt that rain closely following the
+villagers' petition to me would confirm their supernatural beliefs,
+which I have attempted to discourage.
+
+At 261.0223, I was on a routine tour of my area. I received a call from
+the cruiser _Myloren_, Captain Klorantel commanding, asking for further
+information on a request for emergency condensation. I informed him that
+I had made no such request, adding that a light rain would be desirable
+if he were in position and prepared to radiate.
+
+During the conversation with Captain Klorantel, I noted that the sky was
+darkening. There were several flashes of lightning, and I felt the signs
+of imminent, heavy rain. I promptly started back to my station.
+
+Upon my arrival, I discovered that Elwar had managed to open the
+communications room and had been using the equipment. He was extremely
+frightened, and made incoherent remarks about talking to a demon. When I
+attempted to question him as to how he had opened the room, and where he
+had learned the operation of the communications equipment, he became
+hysterical and I could find out precisely nothing.
+
+By this time, it was raining violently. There was a high wind. Several
+trees had been blown down and lightning was frequent. A flood was
+starting down the mountainside toward the village, threatening severe
+damage. It was quite apparent that crops, such as they were, would be
+almost completely destroyed.
+
+At the time, I could do little to remedy the situation. I re-established
+contact with the cruiser, informed Captain Klorantel of the situation,
+and requested that he stand by. I then turned on my viewsphere to keep
+watch on the village from the communications room. Since Elwar had been
+in the room on several previous occasions, I saw no reason for excluding
+him. On the contrary, I thought it would be advisable to keep him with
+me, since I felt that he would be seriously injured if he were turned
+loose in the village. I do not believe he would have survived the fury
+of the villagers, who had taken shelter, and were watching the
+destruction of their crops.
+
+The flood had become a torrent, which overflowed the banks of the
+village brook, tore at the bridge, and swept through the lanes. In the
+fields, grain was beaten into the ground and it was clear that the
+villagers would have little or no harvest to celebrate during the
+approaching festival. The wind grew in force, lashing at the tall
+festival pole, which bent, crashed down in the village square, and
+partially demolished the front of the inn.
+
+During this period, there was no human activity, since everyone had
+taken what shelter he could find.
+
+At 0448, the rain slackened, the wind died down, and people started
+gathering in the square. For a time, they milled about, wading through
+the ebbing flood. They examined the damage, then they gathered in
+groups, talking earnestly.
+
+The dry wind came up at 0510, and by 0550, the entire village was on the
+march toward my station. Their intentions were quite easy to determine.
+They were armed with pitchforks, scythes, axes, and other tools which
+could be converted to offensive use. I established a protective screen,
+but realized that to set up a permanent defense would be impractical and
+even harmful. I therefore called the cruiser, requesting evacuation for
+myself and for young Forell. Prior to evacuation, I demolished all my
+fixed equipment, so that the only things left for the villagers to find
+when they entered the station were damaged remains of those things
+normal for a recluse scholar of their era.
+
+                                        Franz Jaeger
+                                        Observer 2/c
+
+
+INFORMAL MEMO
+
+                                                            130-265
+
+ From: Evaluations Officer
+ To: Explorations Officer
+ Subject: Interrogation
+
+Enclosed is a digest of the interrogation of one, Elwar Forell, who was
+evacuated from forty-eight seventy-one, in company with Guardsman
+Jaeger. This boy was abjectly terrified and had to be calmed several
+times during questioning. He was pitiably hysterical when recalling his
+conversation with Captain Klorantel, who, you will remember, is a
+capriform humanoid.
+
+The subject appears to be an intelligent specimen of his race, and when
+he had conquered his hysteria, was extremely co-operative, showing
+active interest in his surroundings. I believe he would be able to
+assimilate training, and would make a valuable addition to the Stellar
+Guard. I recommend his retention and training.
+
+If Elwar is a typical "son of a simple peasant," and if the planet from
+which he comes has any considerable number of "simple peasants" with
+sons like him, I can foresee some strangely interesting problems in
+connection with further dealings on that planet.
+
+                                        FONZEC
+ 1 enclosure
+
+
+DIGEST
+
+Interrogation of Elwar Forell, native of Planet 3-G3-9/4871.
+
+"My Masters, I did mean no harm, but only good. I have long known that
+my master was possessed of power denied to most men. When I was
+apprenticed to him five years ago, I thought I would one day learn some
+of the dark secrets of the hidden worlds, but never did my master
+mention aught of those secrets he so surely knew. He taught me only of
+those things known to the scholars. He told me of reading, of writing,
+and of ciphering, and taught me many facts of our world which are known
+to the learned. I wished to know of many other things, but of these he
+was silent. Even so, I am grateful for his teachings, for how else could
+the son of a simple peasant gain the knowledge of the scholars?
+
+"I saw that my master often repaired to a room which I was never allowed
+to enter. This room he cleaned himself. And he always entered in the
+greatest of secrecy, being quite cross with me when I once betrayed
+curiosity. I remained curious, however, and fell at last to watching him
+in secret as he opened the door.
+
+"He slid aside a secret panel, then turned a wheel this way and that,
+finally pushing a handle. I watched, at last learning to what numbers he
+did turn the wheel, and how he pushed the handle. During his absences, I
+went sometimes to that room of magic, and I read the books of power,
+though there was much I could not read, since much of the writing was in
+strange tongues and I dared not ask my master the meanings of the
+strange words. But for his own convenience, my master had written many
+instructions plainly. And these, I read.
+
+"I did learn that there were powers beyond those of men. I learned that
+these strange instruments on the table did have strange ability to call
+forth demons and spirits, but never until that day did I dare touch
+other than the books and papers. And those I took great care to restore
+to their original condition.
+
+"For three months past, my father's land and the fields of his neighbors
+have been dry. During this time, there has been no rain, nor hint of
+rain, and the peasants have cried out for relief. They have appealed
+even to my master, who has told them that he has no strange powers--that
+he can do naught to call up rain. But they did not believe him, nor did
+I, Elwar, who knew better than this. I had seen the books of power, and
+I knew the demons could cause the skies to deliver water if rightly
+asked. So, I visited the room of magic upon the occasions of my master's
+absence. And I tried to decipher his writings that I might find the
+means to ask for the skies to open. Always, when I felt my master's
+presence approaching, I left the room, taking care to properly lock the
+door and to hide all evidence of my entry.
+
+"On that day of direful events, I found a paper in my master's hand. It
+mentioned fire in the forests. It mentioned rain. And it had on it words
+of power.
+
+"For a time, I practiced the strange syllables. Many times did I speak
+them aloud, then I pressed the bosses on the table, as shown by one of
+the books. There was a light. Then, the great ball glowed with color, to
+show me the first demon.
+
+"He spoke. And I conquered my fear, to repeat the syllables I had
+labored to learn. Once again, he spoke, and I could not understand him.
+I could think of nothing but to say again those words which I hoped
+would bring the rain we so badly needed. I took my hands from the bosses
+and stood, wondering what would happen. The ball became dark.
+
+"I stood, waiting. And nothing happened. Finally, thinking nothing was
+to occur, I turned and started to leave the room. Then, a great voice
+spoke. Again, the wall was alight. Within it was a fearsome demon who
+glared at me ferociously and demanded something in that tongue of power.
+I could not think. I stood, trembling fearfully. And he spoke again.
+Then did I repeat again the words I had learned, and ran from the room.
+
+"It became dark. The lightnings flashed, and the rain fell, and my
+master came, but not as I had ever seen him before. He did not walk from
+the forest as was his wont, but appeared before me from the air. I
+started back in fright, for now I was certain beyond doubt that he was a
+man of great wizardry. I thought he would beat me, or possibly cast me
+under a spell.
+
+"Never has he beaten me, always saying that it was wrong to beat an
+apprentice, and that those who so did were lacking in their senses. And
+this is but another proof of his sorcery, for who, other than a
+sorcerer, could handle his servants without beating them?
+
+"I dared do nothing other than to tell him of my misdoing, and he
+rushed to the room, taking me with him. He pressed the bosses, turning
+one that I had not known of, and the demon appeared again and talked
+with him. Then, my master made strange passes about the instruments and
+the village was shown in the ball.
+
+"At last the rain stopped. A wind blew--hot and dry, as from the
+pit--and the people came and did try by violence to enter. But they
+could not. At last, the great machine came, and though we could not at
+first see it, we entered and were carried away through the sky.
+
+"The people watched the house burn, then entered, to scatter the ashes.
+
+"And I am here, and afraid."
+
+       *       *       *
+
+Doer Kweiros flipped off the playback and gazed at the unresponsive
+wall. He rubbed the back of his head, looked at the viewsphere, then
+checked the playback index and tapped the rewind.
+
+"Oh, me," he complained sorrowfully, "how do we get into these things?"
+
+He looked toward the communicator controls unhappily, then reached out
+and dialed a number. The sphere lit and an alert face looked at him
+inquiringly.
+
+"How is that Forell boy?"
+
+"Soaking up information like a sponge, sir."
+
+Kweiros nodded. "Gathered he might," he remarked. "Send him up here,
+will you? And have Jaeger come with him."
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+Kweiros snapped the communicator off, sat back to drum idly on his desk,
+then got up and walked over to his master file control board. He glanced
+at the index, then punched out a sequence on the buttons. There was a
+subdued hum and a door opened. Kweiros reached into the compartment, to
+take out several tape reels. He glanced at them, nodded, and went back
+to the desk, where he spread them out and looked from one to another.
+Finally, he selected one of the smaller reels and started to thread it
+into the playback.
+
+There was a light tap on the door and he looked up.
+
+"So soon? Come in."
+
+A tall, sharp-featured guardsman entered and stood at attention. Beside
+him was a boy, who looked curiously and a little fearfully at the
+officer, who waved to chairs.
+
+"Sit down, both of you. I'm not going to claw you. Just want to go over
+a few things. I've some ideas, but I want to be sure of a couple of
+points." The captain glanced at the reels before him.
+
+"One thing puzzles me, Jaeger. Why did you have notes in the planetary
+language in your communications room?"
+
+Jaeger stirred uneasily. "I started doing that some time ago, sir," he
+explained. "You see, their language is quite dissimilar to either my own
+or to Galactica, and I have yet to learn to think in it. I wanted to
+avoid any possibility of lapsing away from it, so I translated my
+instructions and notes, hoping to keep myself constantly reminded to
+refrain from using Galactica at any time." He spread his hands. "I
+suppose--"
+
+Kweiros waved. "Logical, I presume," he admitted. "Anyway, that's done,
+and we can't do much about it now. Now for another thing." He glanced at
+the tape reels. "I noticed that the villagers in your area regarded you
+as a sorcerer. What cause did they have to form such an opinion?"
+
+"None, sir, that I know of." Jaeger shook his head.
+
+Kweiros looked at the boy. "Elwar?"
+
+"Why, all the village knew it, Master." The boy shook his head. "One had
+but to be near Master Jaeger for a time, and he could feel the power,
+just as I can feel it now." He shook his head again. "But it is very
+strong, Master. You must be one of the ones of truly great power."
+
+Kweiros looked speculatively at Jaeger.
+
+"I understood they were nontelepaths. All the reports agree on that."
+
+"Definitely, sir, they are. They're absolutely mute. Not a trace of
+radiation, even when they're close. And they don't receive. You can try
+it now, sir. It's just like punching into space itself. No resistance,
+no reflection, just nothing."
+
+"Shield?"
+
+"No, sir. Just no indication. Makes me feel as though I were in free
+space with a dead drive."
+
+       *       *       *
+
+Kweiros looked for a moment at Jaeger, then sent out a probing thought,
+searching for some indication of mental activity from the boy. But there
+was nothing. It wasn't anything like a shield, he thought. It seemed
+more like an infinite baffle.
+
+But there was some reaction. The boy shrank back in terror.
+
+"Please, Master," he begged. "Do not place me under enchantment." He
+held up his hands in a peculiar gesture.
+
+"What made you do that?" Kweiros raised a hand slowly, palm out. "I have
+no intention of harming you."
+
+"But I could feel you, trying to cast me under a spell."
+
+"You ... felt me?"
+
+"To be sure, Master, just as I have felt the same power from my master,
+Jaeger. But this was far stronger. It hurt. And it seemed as though you
+wanted me to do something."
+
+Kweiros nodded. "I think I'm getting an idea," he remarked. "And it
+scares me a little. They're not really nontelepathic, any more than the
+Kierawelans, for example, are nonvocal. I think we've got something here
+that's almost unique in the galaxy." He rubbed his neck. "Excuse me a
+few minutes. I want to check something in one of these tapes."
+
+Jaeger nodded and leaned back in his chair, looking curiously at the boy
+beside him, then back at his superior, who had selected a tape reel. He
+threaded it into the playing heads, put on a headband, and snapped a
+switch. Jaeger and the boy watched as Kweiros leaned back.
+
+The officer's face became vacant, then twisted, seeming to reflect
+painful mental effort. Slowly, he leaned forward again, touching another
+switch. Then, he sank back, to concentrate on his thoughts.
+
+Jaeger looked again at the boy, who was sitting tensely, his hands
+gripping the arms of his chair, his eyes fastened fearfully on the
+officer before him. As Jaeger watched, Elwar half rose from his chair,
+then sank back, his face appearing to mirror Kweiros' efforts.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+At last, Kweiros sat up. Shakily, he removed his headband and snapped
+the playback off.
+
+"Long time since I checked that tape," he said. "Pretty rugged stuff,
+and highly speculative. Always gives me a headache." He shook his head
+as he looked at Elwar.
+
+"And this makes it even worse. It was bad enough as pure speculation,
+but we've got something real here. Something rough. For one thing, we
+have got a planet where no one but native operatives stand a chance of
+working. For another we--" He cupped his chin in his hands and examined
+Elwar closely.
+
+"Do you really want to learn the secrets you looked for in the books,
+youngster? Do you still want the secrets you first thought you might
+learn?"
+
+The boy seemed to withdraw a little. "I have a great fear," he admitted
+tremulously.
+
+"You haven't been injured or mistreated, have you?"
+
+"No, Master, but--" Elwar looked toward the door.
+
+"And you won't be," he was told reassuringly. "Now you just go ahead on
+back to your quarters."
+
+       *       *       *
+
+As the door closed, Kweiros turned to Jaeger.
+
+"Think we'll put you on special assignment. For the next few cycles,
+you'll act as a private tutor. Then you can go back to Main Base with
+Elwar while they give him his training."
+
+Jaeger raised his eyebrows. "Yes, sir," he said doubtfully. "You think
+the boy will develop?"
+
+Kweiros nodded. "I'm quite sure of it," he said. "And he's got a big job
+ahead of him. He may be instrumental in preventing a major disaster." He
+waved at the tape reels.
+
+"I got that little tape out just on an off chance," he added. "Didn't
+really expect to find anything, but--" He flipped his hands out.
+"Anyway, I pulled it." He leaned forward, looking at Jaeger.
+
+"We may have run into a second, or even third growth culture," he said
+slowly. "Once, before some ancient war of destruction, the people of
+this planet might have been normally telepathic." He closed his eyes for
+an instant. "Possibly they were unable to use their telepathic power.
+And equally possibly, they could have had a highly developed mechanical
+civilization. Something went wrong." He waved at the tape reel.
+
+"In this reconstruction, there's an hypothesis on just such a situation.
+Here, a race reaches high development and wrecks itself--leaving no
+trace of its accomplishments. Growth starts over from the most meager of
+beginnings. Survival becomes a matter of the most bitter conflict, with
+everyone becoming a hunter and being hunted in his turn. In this
+situation, detection of an enemy becomes vital." He grinned wryly. "Can
+you imagine what would happen to someone who radiated his thoughts?"
+
+Jaeger ran a finger over his lips. "He'd be easy to locate," he mused.
+"And he'd have a hard time evading an enemy."
+
+"Precisely." Kweiros nodded. "And he'd never be able to approach his
+prey. In short, he'd fail to survive. Complete telepathic blankness
+would have a high survival value. But an ability to detect mental
+radiation would still be a big help." He waved a hand.
+
+"So, a race like this one could evolve. And the author of this tape
+extrapolated from there. A normal telepathic reception will be
+accompanied, by a slight feedback. A completely black body, however,
+will neither radiate nor feed back. It merely absorbs energy and, unless
+it's super-imposed on a reflective background, it leaves no trace. Since
+nothing in nature other than a telepathic mind can reflect telepathy, no
+background would survive for long." He frowned a little.
+
+"Of course, no mind we are familiar with could act as a telepathically
+black body, but this author hypothesized a race that could do just
+that--plus. There's a further hypothesis of an ability to detect and
+localize radiations as such, without bothering to resolve them."
+
+"Sounds like just what we have here," Jaeger admitted.
+
+"It does, doesn't it?" Kweiros nodded. "And there's a further
+extrapolation. Some of the members or the elder races have speculated on
+a sort of second-order telepathy, undetectable to the normal telepath,
+but capable of noting normal radiation. And some of the speculations
+seem to make sense--though they're a little confusing. If you don't have
+a specific sense, it's difficult to visualize it, or even to speculate
+on its presence." He drew a deep breath.
+
+"That leads us into a real problem. Our people roamed around this planet
+for several cycles this time. And there may have been others before us,
+who didn't record their visits, other than in the minds and legends of
+the natives. And there may be other legends from that other, older
+culture." He shrugged.
+
+"We picked up what we could on the culture, but we didn't get the full
+story on them. And we've probably left a thousand legends behind us,
+including that beautiful mess at your station." He grinned.
+
+"Right now, their folklore is loaded with sorcerers, warlocks, wizards,
+and what not. After all, whatever their past is, they're primitive now.
+So those stories are going to grow and continue. Eventually, long before
+they really develop a stabilized ethic, someone's going to collate that
+whole mess. And do you know what he'll come up with?"
+
+"Us?"
+
+"Us, yes. Us, in a distorted form." Kweiros nodded emphatically. "They
+will come to a full realization that there are advanced entities running
+around the cosmos, entities that have all kinds of mysterious powers.
+And they'll invent still more powers and characteristics--mostly bad."
+He spread his hands, then laid them on the desk in front of him.
+
+       *       *       *
+
+"That way, they could develop a hopeless, planet-wide trauma--a sort of
+super inferiority complex--and they could contract on themselves, devote
+their time to an intensive study of demonology, and very possibly come
+apart at the seams.
+
+"Or, they could do something else. I was watching Elwar while I was
+checking that tape. Did you notice anything peculiar?"
+
+"He seemed disturbed."
+
+"As though he were sensing my thoughts?"
+
+"Something like that. But--"
+
+Kweiros nodded. "But I had a shield up. You could detect no trace of
+mental action. Right?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"That's what I thought." Kweiros shook his head and looked closely at
+Jaeger.
+
+"Can you imagine," he added, "a primitive race with the power to detect
+a galactic by his thoughts? And can you imagine that power developing
+until that detection is possible at interstellar ranges, with members
+of that race being able to pick up faint impressions from received
+thoughts--distorted impressions? And can you imagine that same race,
+ignorant of the humanic equations, devoid of a stable ethic,
+superstitious, distrustful and fearful of advanced entities? They would
+be undetectable by normal telepathic means, you know. And suppose they
+were disposed to destroy what they could not understand." He frowned.
+
+Jaeger looked back at him, his eyes becoming wide. Suddenly, his gaze
+defocused and he looked aside, to stare unseeingly at the floor.
+
+"Something's got to be done, sir," he said reluctantly.
+
+Kweiros nodded. "Something's got to be done," he agreed. "Of course,
+there's another side to the picture. If this race develops and learns,
+they'll be just as valuable to the galaxy as they would otherwise be
+dangerous." He looked toward the door.
+
+"And our boy out there is one of the few who can help in this situation.
+He's going to have to work out counter stories--amusing stories--about
+all those magical creatures his people tell about. He's going to have to
+hint at the possibilities of close co-ordination and co-operation
+between members of his own species. And he's going to have to suggest
+the possibility of friendly co-operation between his species and
+others." He drew a deep breath.
+
+"And he's going to have to do all this without taking any risk of
+exposing the existence of other, more advanced species in the galaxy."
+He brushed a hand across his head, then pressed the back of his neck,
+kneading the skin.
+
+"These stories of his, he'll have to publish. He'll have to get them
+circulated all over his planet, if he can. Possibly we can give him some
+indirect help, but he's going to have to carry a good share of the load.
+
+"He knows his own people as we could never hope to. And he'll have to be
+thoroughly educated, so he can say what he wants to. And he'll have to
+be fully aware of the humanic equations and all their connotations. If
+he's to have any direct help, he'll have to choose his helpers from
+among his own people, and he'll have to choose carefully." Kweiros
+thrust at his temple with the heel of a hand, then shook his head
+violently.
+
+"Somehow, he's going to have to accentuate any legends he may be able to
+find which present a favorable light on co-ordination and co-operation,
+and he'll have to invent more. And all those other legends--the ones
+which treat of superstition and destructive force--will have to be
+reduced to the realm of the storybook, submerged under a layer of amused
+condemnation, and kept there. All these things, that youngster is going
+to have to do.
+
+"It's your job to help teach him."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Forell watched his friend closely as the critic laid aside the last
+page.
+
+Andorra sat for a moment, his head cocked in thought. Then, he picked up
+the last page and looked at it again. Finally, he laid the sheet aside.
+He looked at his friend with a wry smile, then picked up his wineglass,
+looking at it quizzically.
+
+"Do you always give your own name to one of your characters?"
+
+Forell's grip tightened on the small object in his hand.
+
+"Oh, sure," he said. "Gives me a better identification. If I can get
+into the story, it's easier to draw the reader in." He forced a casual
+smile. "I'll change that name later, of course."
+
+"I see what you mean." Andorra sipped from his glass.
+
+"You know," he added, "a couple of hours ago, I was almost ready to get
+excited about the idea of a cosmos full of super beings. And I even
+might have dreamed up something like this myself--and more than half
+believed it." He shook his head.
+
+"But when a fantasist like yourself comes up with it, and makes it look
+so nicely possible, the idea almost looks foolish. After all, Elwar, if
+you actually were the guy in that little sketch of yours, you'd hardly
+be asking me to read it, now would you?" He looked down at the papers,
+then raised his head again, frowning.
+
+"'He'll have to choose his helpers from among his own people,'" he
+quoted. "'All these things, that youngster is going to have to do.'" He
+sipped again from his glass, keeping a searching gaze on his friend.
+
+"And on the other hand, if your story here should be true, you just
+might be asking me to read it, for one reason or another." He raised his
+glass, examining the bright liquid within it.
+
+Elwar tensed, his hand coming part way out of his pocket.
+
+Suddenly, Andorra set the glass down and leaned forward, hands gripping
+his knees.
+
+"Tell me, Elwar," he begged, "this isn't a hoax, is it? Surely, no one
+could be so warped as to present a friend with something like this and
+then to laugh it off?"
+
+Forell drew a deep breath and examined his companion closely. At last,
+his left hand relaxed a little.
+
+"It's no hoax," he admitted.
+
+Andorra sighed and leaned back.
+
+"And you can use help? You're asking me?"
+
+He paused, waiting as Forell nodded, then spread his hands.
+
+"You know," he said, "it shouldn't take me too long to fix it so I would
+not be missed too much for a few years." He looked at the wall.
+
+"It must be quite a training course."
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note:
+
+    This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ January
+    1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
+    copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
+    typographical errors have been corrected without note.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Indirection, by Everett B. Cole
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