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diff --git a/23799-h/23799-h.htm b/23799-h/23799-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d931cf6 --- /dev/null +++ b/23799-h/23799-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1628 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Cry from a Far Planet, by Tom Godwin + </title> + + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + h1,h2 {text-align: left;} + + hr {width: 33%; margin: 2em auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .blockquot{margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-bottom: 2em; clear: both;} + + .rgt {text-align: right;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center; + font-weight: bold; font-size: small;} + + .trans1 {border: solid 1px; margin: 3em 15%; padding: 1em; text-align: justify;} + + img {border: none} + + p.cap:first-letter {float: left; margin-right: .05em; padding-top: .05em; + font-size: 300%; line-height: .8em;} + + .dcap {text-transform: uppercase;} + + .illo {margin-bottom: 3em; margin-top: 2em; font-size: smaller; font-weight: bold;} + .tease {line-height: 1.5em; word-spacing: .3em;} + .hrtse {width: 14em; margin: 0 auto;} + .theend {text-align: right; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 2em;} + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Cry from a Far Planet, by Tom Godwin + +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: Cry from a Far Planet + +Author: Tom Godwin + +Illustrator: Martinez + +Release Date: December 10, 2007 [EBook #23799] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRY FROM A FAR PLANET *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figright" style="width: 545px;"> +<img src="images/001.png" width="545" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +Was the cat native to the planet, or to his imagination?</div> + +<h1>CRY FROM A<br /> +FAR PLANET</h1> + +<h2><small>By TOM GODWIN</small></h2> + +<p class="illo">ILLUSTRATOR MARTINEZ</p> + +<hr class="hrtse" /> + +<p class="tease"><i>The problem of separating the +friends from the enemies was +a major one in the conquest of +space as many a dead spacer +could have testified. A tough +job when you could see an +alien and judge appearances; +far tougher when they were +only whispers on the wind.</i></p> + +<hr class="hrtse" /> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>A smile of friendship is a baring +of the teeth. So is a snarl of +menace. It can be fatal to mistake +the latter for the former.</i></p> + +<p><i>Harm an alien being only under +circumstances of self-defense.</i></p> + +<p><i>TRUST NO ALIEN BEING +UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.</i></p> + +<p class="rgt">—From <i>Exploration Ship's Handbook</i>.</p></div> + + + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">He listened</span> in the silence +of the Exploration ship's +control room. He heard nothing +but that was what bothered +him; an ominous quiet when +there should have been a multitude +of sounds from the nearby +village for the viewscreen's audio-pickups +to transmit. And it +was more than six hours past +the time when the native, +Throon, should have come to sit +with him outside the ship as +they resumed the laborious attempt +to learn each other's language.</p> + + + + + +<p>The viewscreen was black in +the light of the control room, +even though it was high noon +outside. The dull red sun was +always invisible through the +world's thick atmosphere and to +human eyes full day was no +more than a red-tinged darkness.</p> + +<p>He switched on the ship's +outside floodlights and the viewscreen +came to bright white life, +showing the empty glades reaching +away between groves of +purple alien trees. He noticed, +absently, that the trees seemed +to have changed a little in color +since his arrival.</p> + +<p>The village was hidden from +view by the outer trees but +there should have been some activity +in the broad area visible +to him. There was none, not +even along the distant segment +of what should have been a busy +road. The natives were up to +something and he knew, from +hard experience on other alien +worlds, that it would be nothing +good. It would be another misunderstanding +of some kind and +he didn't know enough of their +incomprehensible language to +ask them what it was—</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Suddenly, as it always came, +he felt someone or something +standing close behind him and +peering over his shoulder. He +dropped his hand to the blaster +he had taken to wearing at all +times and whirled.</p> + +<p>Nothing was behind him. +There never was. The control +room was empty, with no hiding +place for anything, and the door +was closed, locked by the remote-control +button beside him. There +was nothing.</p> + +<p>The sensation of being watched +faded, as though the watcher +had withdrawn to a greater distance. +It was perhaps the hundredth +time within six days that +he had felt the sensation. And +when he slept at night something +came to nuzzle at his +mind; faceless, formless, utterly +alien. For the past three nights +he had not let the blaster get +beyond quick reach of his hand, +even when in bed.</p> + +<p>But whatever it was, it could +not be on the ship. He had +searched the ship twice, a methodical +compartment-by-compartment +search that had found +nothing. It had to be the work +of the natives from outside the +ship. Except....</p> + +<p>Why, if the natives were +telepathic, did the one called +Throon go through the weary +pretense of trying to learn a mutually +understandable form of +communication?</p> + +<p>There was one other explanation, +which he could not accept: +that he was following in the +footsteps of Will Garret of Ship +Nine who had deliberately gone +into a white sun two months +after the death of his twin +brother.</p> + +<p>He looked at the chair beside +his own, Johnny's chair, which +would forever be empty, and his +thoughts went back down the +old, bitter paths. The Exploration +Board had been wrong when +they thought the close bond between +identical twins would +make them the ideal two-man +crews for the lonely, lifetime +journeys of the Exploration +Ships. Identical twins were too +close; when one of them died, +the other died in part with him.</p> + +<p>They had crossed a thousand +light-years of space together, he +and Johnny, when they came to +the bleak planet that he would +name Johnny's World. He should +never have let Johnny go alone +up the slope of the honey-combed +mountain—but Johnny had +wanted to take the routine record +photographs of the black, +tiger-like beasts which they had +called cave cats and the things +had seemed harmless and shy, +despite their ferocious appearance.</p> + +<p>"I'm taking them a sack of +food that I think they might +like," Johnny had said. "I want +to try to get some good close-up +shots of them."</p> + +<p>Ten minutes later he heard +the distant snarl of Johnny's +blaster. He ran up the mountainside, +knowing already that he +was too late. He found two of +the cave cats lying where Johnny +had killed them. Then he +found Johnny, at the foot of a +high cliff. He was dead, his neck +broken by the fall. Scattered all +around him from the torn sack +was the food he had wanted to +give to the cats.</p> + +<p>He buried Johnny the next +day, while a cold wind moaned +under a lead-gray sky. He built +a monument for him; a little +mound of frosty stones that only +the wild animals would ever +see—</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>A chime rang, high and clear, +and the memories were shattered. +The orange light above the +hyperspace communicator was +flashing; the signal that meant +the Exploration Board was calling +him from Earth.</p> + +<p>He flipped the switch and said, +"Paul Jameson, Exploration +Ship One."</p> + +<p>The familiar voice of Brender +spoke:</p> + +<p>"It's been some time since +your preliminary report. Is +everything all right?"</p> + +<p>"In a way," he answered. "I +was going to give you the detailed +report tomorrow."</p> + +<p>"Give me a brief sketch of it +now."</p> + +<p>"Except for their short brown +fur, the natives are humanoid in +appearance. But there are basic +differences. Their body temperature +is cool, like their climate. +Their vision range is from just +within the visible red on into the +infrared. They'll shade their +eyes from the light of anything +as hot as boiling water but +they'll look square into the +ship's floodlights and never see +them."</p> + +<p>"And their knowledge of science?" +Brender asked.</p> + +<p>"They have a good understanding +of it, but along lines +entirely different from what our +own were at their stage of development. +For example: they +power their machines with +chemicals but there is no steam, +heat, or exhaust."</p> + +<p>"That's what we want to find—worlds +where branches of research +unknown to our science +are being explored. How about +their language?"</p> + +<p>"No progress with it yet." He +told Brender of the silence in +the village and added, "Even if +Throon should show up I could +not ask him what was wrong. +I've learned a few words but +they have so many different +definitions that I can't use +them."</p> + +<p>"I know," Brender said. "Variable +and unrelated definitions, +undetectable shades of inflection—and +sometimes a language that +has no discernibly separate +words. The Singer brothers of +Ship Eight ran into the latter. +We've given them up as lost."</p> + +<p>"The Singers—dead?" he exclaimed. +"Good God—it's been +only a month since the Ramon +brothers were killed."</p> + +<p>"The circumstances were +similar," Brender said. "They +always are. There is no way the +Exploration men can tell the +natives that they mean them no +harm and the suspicion of the +natives grows into dangerous +hostility. The Singers reported +the natives on that world to be +both suspicious and possessing +powerful weapons. The Singers +were proceeding warily, their +own weapons always at hand. +But, somehow, the natives +caught them off-guard—their +last report was four months +ago."</p> + +<p>There was a silence, then +Brender added, "Their ship was +the ninth—and we had only fifteen."</p> + +<p>He did not reply to the implications +of Brender's statement. +It was obvious to them all what +the end of the Plan would be. +What it had to be.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>It had been only three years +since the fifteen heavily armed +Exploration ships set out to +lead the way for Terran expansion +across the galaxy; to answer +a cry from far planets, and +to find all the worlds that held +intelligent life. That was the +ultimate goal of the Plan: to +accumulate and correlate all the +diverse knowledge of all the intelligent +life-forms in the galaxy. +Among the achievements +resulting from that tremendous +mass of data would be a ship's +drive faster even than hyperspace; +the Third Level Drive +which would bring all the galaxies +of the universe within +reach.</p> + +<p>And now nine ships were gone +out of fifteen and nineteen men +out of thirty....</p> + +<p>"The communication barrier," +Brender said. "The damned +communication barrier has been +the cause behind the loss of +every ship. And there is nothing +we can do about it. We're +stymied by it...."</p> + +<p>The conversation was terminated +shortly afterward and he +moved about the room restlessly, +wishing it was time to lift ship +again. With Johnny not there +the dark world was like a +smothering tomb. He would like +to leave it behind and drive +again into the star clouds of the +galaxy; drive on and on into +them—</p> + +<p>A ghostly echo touched his +mind; restless, poignantly yearning. +He swung to face the locked +door, knowing there could be +nothing behind it. The first real +fear came to him as he did so. +The thing was lonely—the thing +that watched him was as lonely +as he was....</p> + +<p>What else could any of it be +but the product of a mind in the +first stage of insanity?</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The natives came ten minutes +later.</p> + +<p>The viewscreen showed their +chemically-powered vehicle +emerge from the trees and roll +swiftly across the glade. Four +natives were in it while a fifth +one lay on the floor, apparently +badly injured.</p> + +<p>The vehicle stopped a short +distance in front of the airlock +and he recognized the native on +the floor. It was Throon, the one +with whom he had been exchanging +language lessons.</p> + +<p>They were waiting for him +when he emerged from the ship, +pistol-like weapons in their belts +and grim accusation in their +manner.</p> + +<p>Throon was muttering unintelligibly, +unconscious. His skin, +where not covered by the brown +fur, was abnormal in appearance. +He was dying.</p> + +<p>The leader of the four indicated +Throon and said in a quick, +brittle voice: "<i>Ko reegar feen +no-dran!</i>"</p> + +<p>Only one word was familiar: +<i>Ko</i>, which meant "you" and +"yesterday" and a great many +other things. The question was +utterly meaningless to him.</p> + +<p>He dropped his hand a little +nearer his blaster as the leader +spoke again; a quick succession +of unknown words that ended +with a harshly demanding "<i>kreson!</i>"</p> + +<p><i>Kreson</i> meant "now," or "very +quickly." All the other words +were unfamiliar to him. They +waited, the grim menace about +them increasing when he did not +answer. He tried in vain to find +some way of explaining to them +he was not responsible for +Throon's sickness and could not +cure it.</p> + +<p>Then he saw the spray of +leaves that had caught on the +corner of the vehicle when it +came through the farther trees.</p> + +<p>They were of a deep purple +color. All the trees around the +ship were almost gray by contrast.</p> + +<p>Which meant that he <i>was</i> responsible +for Throon's condition.</p> + +<p>The cold white light of the +ship's floodlights, under which +he and Throon had sat for day +after day, contained radiations +that went through the violet and +far into the ultraviolet. To the +animal and vegetable life of the +dark world such radiations were +invisibly short and deadly.</p> + +<p>Throon was dying of hard-radiation +sickness.</p> + +<p>It was something he should +have foreseen and avoided—and +that would not have happened +had he accepted old Throon's +pantomimed invitation, in the +beginning, to go with him into +the village to work at the language +study. There he would +have used a harmless battery +lamp for illumination ... but +there was no certainty that the +natives were not planning to lay +a trap for him in the village and +he had refused to go.</p> + +<p>It did not matter—there was +a complex radiation-neutralizer +and cell-reconstructor in the ship +which would return Throon to +full, normal health a few hours +after he was placed in its chamber.</p> + +<p>He turned to the leader of the +four natives and motioned from +Throon to the airlock. "Go—there," +he said in the native language.</p> + +<p>"<i>Bron!</i>" the leader answered. +The word meant "No" and there +was a determination in the way +he said it that showed he would +not move from it.</p> + +<p>At the end of five minutes his +attempts to persuade them to +take Throon into the ship had +increased their suspicion of his +motives to the point of critical +danger. If only he could tell them +<i>why</i> he wanted Throon taken +into the ship ... But he could +not and would have to take +Throon by first disposing of the +four without injuring them. +This he could do by procuring +one of the paralyzing needle-guns +from the ship.</p> + +<p>He took a step toward the ship +and spoke the words that to the +best of his knowledge meant: "I +come back."</p> + +<p>"<i>Feswin ilt k'la.</i>"</p> + +<p>Their reply was to snatch at +their weapons in desperate +haste, even as the leader uttered +a hoarse word of command. He +brought up the blaster with the +quick motion that long training +had perfected and their weapons +were only half drawn when +his warning came:</p> + +<p>"<i>Bron!</i>"</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>They froze, but did not release +their weapons. He walked +backward to the airlock, his +blaster covering them, the tensely +waiting manner in which +they watched his progress telling +him that the slightest relaxation +of his vigilance would mean his +death. He did not let the muzzle +of the blaster waver until he was +inside the airlock and the outer +door had slid shut.</p> + +<p>He was sure that the natives +would be gone when he returned. +And he was sure of another +thing: That whatever he had +said to them, it was not what he +had thought he was saying.</p> + +<p>He saw that the glade was +empty when he opened the airlock +again. At the same time a +bomb-like missile struck the +ship just above the airlock and +exploded with a savage crash. +He jabbed the <i>Close</i> button and +the door clicked shut barely in +advance of three more missiles +which hammered at its impervious +armor.</p> + +<p>So that, he thought wearily, +is that.</p> + +<p>He laid the useless needle-gun +aside. The stage was past when +he could hope to use it. He could +save Throon only by killing some +of the others—or he could lift +ship and leave Throon to die. +Either action would make the +natives hate and fear Terrans; +a hatred and fear that would be +there to greet all future Terran +ships.</p> + +<p>That was not the way a race +gave birth to peaceful galactic +empire, was not the purpose behind +the Plan. But always, +wherever the Exploration men +went, they encountered the deadly +barrier; the intangible, unassailable +communication barrier. +With the weapons an Exploration +man carried in his +ship he had the power to destroy +a world—but not the power to +ask the simple questions that +would prevent fatal misunderstandings.</p> + +<p>And before another three +years had passed the last Exploration +man would die, the last +Exploration ship would be lost.</p> + +<p>He felt the full force of hopelessness +for the first time. When +Johnny had been alive it had +been different; Johnny, who had +laughed whenever the outlook +was the darkest and said, "<i>We'll +find a way, Paul—</i>"</p> + +<p>The thought broke as suddenly, +unexpectedly, he felt that +Johnny was very near. With the +feeling came the soft enclosure +of a dream-like peace in which +Johnny's death was vague and +faraway; only something that +had happened in another dream. +He knew, without wondering +why, that Johnny was in the control +room.</p> + +<p>A part of his mind tried to +reject the thought as an illusion. +He did not listen—he did not +want to listen. He ran to the +ship's elevator, stumbling like +one not fully awake. Johnny was +waiting for him in the control +room—alive—alive—</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>He spoke as he stepped into +the control room:</p> + +<p>"Johnny—"</p> + +<p>Something moved at the control +board, black and alien, +standing tall as a man on short +hind legs. Yellow eyes blazed in +a feline face.</p> + +<p>It was a cave cat, like the +ones that had killed Johnny.</p> + +<p>Realization was a wrenching +shock and a terrible disillusionment. +Johnny was not waiting +for him—not alive—</p> + +<p>He brought up the blaster, the +dream-like state gone. The paw +of the cave cat flashed out and +struck the ship's master light +switch with a movement faster +than his own. The room was instantly, +totally, dark.</p> + +<p>He fired and pale blue fire +lanced across the room, to reveal +that the cave cat was gone. +He fired again, quickly and immediately +in front of him. The +pale beam revealed only the +ripped metal floor.</p> + +<p>"<i>I am not where you think.</i>"</p> + +<p>The words spoke clearly in his +mind but there was no directional +source. He held his breath, listening +for the whisper of padded +feet as the cave cat flashed in +for the kill, and made a swift +analysis of the situation.</p> + +<p>The cave cat was telepathic +and highly intelligent and had +been on the ship all the time. It +and the others had wanted the +ship and had killed Johnny to +reduce opposition to the minimum. +He, himself, had been permitted +to live until the cave cat +learned from his mind how to +operate the almost-automatic +controls. Now, he had served his +purpose—</p> + +<p>"<i>You are wrong.</i>"</p> + +<p>Again there was no way he +could determine the direction +from which the thought came. +He listened again, and wondered +why it had not waylaid him at +the door.</p> + +<p>Its thought came:</p> + +<p>"<i>I had to let you see me or +you would not have believed I +existed. It was only here that I +could extinguish all lights and +have time to speak before you +killed me. I let you think your +brother was here....</i>" There was +a little pause. "<i>I am sorry. I +am sorry. I should have used +some other method of luring you +here.</i>"</p> + +<p>He swung the blaster toward +what seemed to be a faint sound +near the astrogator unit across +the room.</p> + +<p>"<i>We did not intend to kill +your brother.</i>"</p> + +<p>He did not believe it and did +not reply.</p> + +<p>"<i>When we made first telepathic +contact with him, he +jerked up his blaster and fired. +In his mind was the conviction +that we had pretended to be +harmless animals so that we +could catch him off-guard and +kill him. One of us leaped at him +as he fired the second time, to +knock the blaster from his hand. +We needed only a few minutes +in which to explain—but he +would not trust us that long. +There was a misjudgment of +distance and he was knocked off +the cliff.</i>"</p> + +<p>Again he did not reply.</p> + +<p>"<i>We did not intend to kill your +brother</i>," the thought came, +"<i>but you do not believe me</i>."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>He spoke for the first time. +"No, I don't believe you. You are +physically like cats and cats +don't misjudge distances. Now, +you want something from me before +you try to kill me, too. What +is it?"</p> + +<p>"<i>I will have to tell you of my +race for you to understand. We +call ourselves the Varn, in so far +as it can be translated into a +spoken word, and we are a very +old race. In the beginning we did +not live in caves but there came +a long period of time, for thousands +of years, when the climate +on our world was so violent that +we were forced to live in the +caves. It was completely dark +there but our sense of smell became +very acute, together with +sufficient sensitivity to temperature +changes that we could detect +objects in our immediate vicinity. +There were subterranean +plants in the caves and food was +no problem.</i>"</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"<i>We had always been slightly +telepathic and it was during our +long stay in the caves that our +intelligence and telepathic powers +became fully developed. We +had only our minds—physical +science is not created in dark +caves with clumsy paws.</i></p> + +<p>"<i>The time finally came when +we could leave the caves but it +was of little help to us. There +were no resources on our world +but earth and stone and the thin +grass of the plains. We wondered +about the universe and we +knew the stars were distant +suns because one of our own suns +became a star each winter. We +studied as best we could but we +could see the stars only as the +little wild animals saw them. +There was so much we wanted +to learn and by then we were +past our zenith and already dying +out. But our environment +was a prison from which we +could never escape.</i></p> + +<p>"<i>When your ship arrived we +thought we might soon be free. +We wanted to ask you to take +some of us with you and arrange +for others of your race to stop +by on our world. But you dismissed +us as animals, useful +only for making warm fur +coats, because we lived in caves +and had no science, no artifacts—nothing. +You had the power to +destroy us and we did not know +what your reaction would be +when you learned we were intelligent +and telepathic. A telepathic +race must have a high +code of ethics and never intrude +unwanted—but would you have +believed that?</i>"</p> + +<p>He did not answer.</p> + +<p>"<i>The death of your brother +changed everything. You were +going to leave so soon that there +would be no time to learn more +about you. I hid on the ship so +I could study you and wait until +I could prove to you that you +needed me. Now, I can—Throon +is dying and I can give you the +proper words of explanation that +will cause the others to bring +him into the ship.</i>"</p> + +<p>"Your real purpose—what is +it?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"<i>To show you that men need +the Varn. You want to explore +the galaxy, and learn. So do the +Varn. You have the ships and +we have the telepathic ability +that will end the communication +problem. Your race and mine +can succeed only if we go together.</i>"</p> + +<p>He searched for the true, and +hidden, purpose behind the Varn +proposal and saw what it would +have to be.</p> + +<p>"The long-range goal—you +failed to mention that ... your +ultimate aim."</p> + +<p>"<i>I know what you are thinking. +How can I prove you wrong—now?</i>"</p> + +<p>There was no way for the +Varn to prove him wrong, nor +for him to prove the treachery +behind the Varn proposal. The +proof would come only with +time, when the Terran-Varn co-operation +had transformed Terrans +into a slave race.</p> + +<p>The Varn spoke again. "<i>You +refuse to believe I am sincere?</i>"</p> + +<p>"I would be a naive fool to +believe you."</p> + +<p>"<i>It will be too late to save +Throon unless we act very quickly. +I have told you why I am +here. There is nothing more I +can do to convince you but be +the first to show trust. When I +switch on the lights it will be +within your power to kill me.</i>"</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The Varn was gambling its +life in a game in which he would +be gambling the Plan and his +race. It was a game he would +end at the first sound of movement +from the astrogator unit +across the room....</p> + +<p>"<i>I have been here beside you +all the time.</i>"</p> + +<p>A furry paw brushed his face, +claws flicked gently but grimly +reminding along his throat.</p> + +<p>He whirled and fired. He was +too late—the Varn had already +leaped silently away and the +beam found only the bare floor. +Then the lights came on, glaringly +bright after the darkness, +and he saw the Varn.</p> + +<p>It was standing by the control +board, its huge yellow eyes +watching him. He brought the +blaster into line with it, his finger +on the firing stud. It waited, +not moving or shrinking from +what was coming. The translucent +golden eyes looked at him +and beyond him, as though they +saw something not in the room. +He wondered if it was in contact +with its own kind on +Johnny's World and was telling +them it had made the gamble for +high stakes, and had lost.</p> + +<p>It was not afraid—not asking +for mercy....</p> + +<p>The killing of it was suddenly +an act without savor. It was +something he would do in the +immediate future but first he +would let it live long enough to +save Throon.</p> + +<p>He motioned with the blaster +and said, "Lead the way to the +airlock."</p> + +<p>"<i>And afterward—you will kill +me?</i>"</p> + +<p>"Lead the way," he repeated +harshly.</p> + +<p>It said no more but went +obediently past him and trotted +down the corridor like a great, +black dog.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>He stood in the open airlock, +the Varn against the farther +wall where he had ordered it to +stand. Throon was in the radiation +chamber and he had held +his first intelligible conversation +with the natives that day.</p> + +<p>The Varn was facing into the +red-black gloom outside the +lighted airlock, where the departing +natives could be heard +crossing the glade. "<i>Their +thoughts no longer hold fear +and suspicion</i>," it said. "<i>The misunderstanding +is ended.</i>"</p> + +<p>He raised the muzzle of the +blaster in his hand. The black +head lifted and the golden eyes +looked up at him.</p> + +<p>"I made you no promise," he +said.</p> + +<p>"<i>I could demand none.</i>"</p> + +<p>"I can't stop to take you back +to your own world and I can't +leave you alive on this one—with +what you've learned from +my mind you would have the natives +build the Varn a disintegrator-equipped +space fleet equal +to our own ships."</p> + +<p>"<i>We want only to go with +you.</i>"</p> + +<p>He told it what he wanted it +to know before he killed it, wondering +why he should care:</p> + +<p>"I would like to believe you +are sincere—and you know why +I don't dare to. Trusting a telepathic +race would be too dangerous. +The Varn would know +everything we knew and only the +Varn would be able to communicate +with each new alien race. +We would have to believe what +the Varn told us—we would +have to trust the Varn to see for +us and speak for us and not deceive +us as we went across the +galaxy. And then, in the end, +Terrans would no longer be +needed except as a subject race. +They would be enslaved.</p> + +<p>"We would have laid the +groundwork for an empire—the +Varn Empire."</p> + +<p>There was a silence, in which +his words hung like something +cold and invisible between them.</p> + +<p>Then the Varn asked, very +quietly:</p> + +<p>"<i>Why is the Plan failing?</i>"</p> + +<p>"You already know," he said. +"Because of the barrier—the +communication barrier that +causes aliens to misunderstand +the intentions of Exploration +men and fear them."</p> + +<p>"<i>There is no communication +barrier between you and I—yet +you fear me and are going to +kill me.</i>"</p> + +<p>"I have to kill you. You represent +a danger to my race."</p> + +<p>"<i>Isn't that the same reason +why aliens kill Exploration men?</i>"</p> + +<p>He did not answer and its +thought came, quickly, "<i>How +does an Exploration man appear +to the natives of alien worlds?</i>"</p> + +<p>How did he appear?... He +landed on their world in a ship +that could smash it into oblivion; +he stepped out of his ship +carrying weapons that could +level a city; he represented +irresistible power for destruction +and he trusted no one and +nothing.</p> + +<p>And in return he hoped to find +welcome and friendship and co-operation....</p> + +<p>"<i>There</i>," the Varn said, "<i>is +your true barrier—your own distrust +and suspicion. You, yourselves, +create it on each new +world. Now you are going to +erect it between my race and +yours by killing me and advising +the Exploration Board to +quarantine my world and never +let another ship land there.</i>"</p> + +<p>Again there was a silence as +he thought of what the Varn +had said and of what it had said +earlier: "<i>We are a very old race....</i>" +There was wisdom in the +Varn's analysis of the cause of +the Plan's failure and with the +Varn to vanquish the communication +stalemate, the new approach +could be tried. They +could go a long way together, +men and Varn, a long, long +way....</p> + +<p>Or they could create the Varn +Empire ... and how could he +know which it would be?</p> + +<p>How could anyone know—except +the telepathic Varn?</p> + +<p>The muzzle of the blaster had +dropped and he brought it back +up. He forced the dangerous indecision +aside, knowing he would +have to kill the Varn at once or +he might weaken again, and said +harshly to it:</p> + +<p>"The risk is too great. I want +to believe you—but all your talk +of trust and good intentions is +only talk and my race would be +the only one that had to trust."</p> + +<p>He touched the firing stud as +the last thought of the Varn +came:</p> + +<p>"<i>Let me speak once more.</i>"</p> + +<p>He waited, the firing stud cold +and metallic under his finger.</p> + +<p>"<i>You are wrong. We have already +set the example of faith +in you by asking to go with you. +I told you we did not intend to +hurt your brother and I told you +we saw the stars only as the +little wild animals saw them. +The years in the dark caves—you +do not understand—</i>"</p> + +<p>The eyes of the Varn looked +into his and beyond him; beautiful, +expressionless, like polished +gold.</p> + +<p>"<i>The Varn are blind.</i>"</p> + + +<p class="theend">THE END</p> + + + +<div class="trans1"><b>Transcriber's Note:</b><br /> + +This etext was produced from <i>Amazing Science Fiction Stories</i> +September 1958. 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> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cry from a Far Planet, by Tom Godwin + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRY FROM A FAR PLANET *** + +***** This file should be named 23799-h.htm or 23799-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/7/9/23799/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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