diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32641-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 172848 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32641-h/32641-h.htm | 2382 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32641-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 0 -> 37098 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32641-h/images/illus.jpg | bin | 0 -> 98144 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32641.txt | 2178 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 32641.zip | bin | 0 -> 36523 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
9 files changed, 4576 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/32641-h.zip b/32641-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e8a644b --- /dev/null +++ b/32641-h.zip diff --git a/32641-h/32641-h.htm b/32641-h/32641-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3651872 --- /dev/null +++ b/32641-h/32641-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2382 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Earthsmith, by Milton Lesser. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.linenum { + position: absolute; + top: auto; + left: 4%; +} /* poetry number */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.sidenote { + width: 20%; + padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; + padding-right: .5em; + margin-left: 1em; + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; + color: black; + background: #eeeeee; + border: dashed 1px; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + +.bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + +.br {border-right: solid 2px;} + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.u {text-decoration: underline;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +.figright { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: + 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +.poem { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + text-align: left; +} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 { + display: block; + margin-left: 0em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i2 { + display: block; + margin-left: 2em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i4 { + display: block; + margin-left: 4em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Earthsmith, by Milton Lesser + +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: Earthsmith + +Author: Milton Lesser + +Release Date: June 1, 2010 [EBook #32641] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EARTHSMITH *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + + +<h1>EARTHSMITH</h1> + +<h2>By Milton Lesser</h2> + +<p>[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of +Science and Fantasy January 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any +evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="sidenote">Nobody at the Interstellar Space School had ever heard of +Earth so naturally they treated Smith with contempt—or was it an innate +fear?...</div> + + +<p>Someone in the crowd tittered when the big ungainly creature reached the +head of the line.</p> + +<p>"Name?"</p> + +<p>The creature swayed back and forth foolishly, supporting the bulk of his +weight first on one extremity and then on the other. His face which had +a slight rosy tint anyway got redder.</p> + +<p>"Come, come. Planet? Name?" The registrar was only a machine, but the +registrar could assume an air of feminine petulance. "We want to keep +the line moving, so if you will please—"</p> + +<p>The creature drew a deep breath and let the two words come out in a +rush. "Earth, Smith," he said. Being nervous, he could not modulate his +voice. Unable to modulate his voice, he heard the words come out too +deep, too loud.</p> + +<p>"Did you hear that voice?" demanded the man who had tittered. "On a cold +wet night they say the karami of Caulo boom like that. And look at +Earthsmith. Just look at him. I ask you, what can they accept at the +school and still call it a school? Hey you, Earthsmith, what courses +will you take?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know," the creature confessed. "That's what I'm here for. I +don't even know what they teach at the school."</p> + +<p>"He doesn't know." More tittering.</p> + +<p>The registrar took all this in impassively, said: "What planet, +Earthsmith?"</p> + +<p>The creature was still uncomfortable. "Earth. Only my name is not +Earthsmith. Smith—"</p> + +<p>The titterer broke into a loud guffaw. "Earthsmith doesn't even know +what planet he's from. Good old Earthsmith." He was a small thin man, +this titterer, with too-bright eyes, vaguely purple skin, and a +well-greased shock of stiff green hair.</p> + +<p>Smith squared his wide shoulders and looked into the colored lights of +the registrar. "It's a mistake. My name is Smith."</p> + +<p>"What planet, Smith?"</p> + +<p>"Earth. The planet Earth." Smith had a rosy, glistening bald head and a +hairless face. A little bead of sweat rolled into his left eye and made +him blink. He rubbed his eye.</p> + +<p>"Age?" The machine had a way of asking questions suddenly, and Smith +just stared.</p> + +<p>"Tell me your age. Age. How old are you?"</p> + +<p>Smith wanted to sit down, only there were no chairs. Just the room with +its long line of people behind him, and the machine up front. The +registrar.</p> + +<p>"I'm twenty-seven."</p> + +<p>"Twenty-seven what?"</p> + +<p>"You asked me my age. I'm twenty-seven years old, and three months."</p> + +<p>Except for the clicking of the machine, there was a silence. The voice +of the machine, feminine again, seemed confused when it spoke. "I cannot +correlate years, Smith of Earth. How old are you?"</p> + +<p>It wasn't an ordeal, really, but Smith felt more uncomfortable every +moment. Was the machine making fun of him? If it were, then it had an +ally in the crowd, because the man who had tittered was laughing again, +the green shock of hair on his head bobbing up and down.</p> + +<p>"Earthsmith doesn't even know how old he is. Imagine."</p> + +<p>The machine, which was more feminine than not, asked Smith how far the +planet Earth was from its primary, and what the orbital speed of the +planet was. Smith told her, but again the terminology was not capable of +correlation.</p> + +<p>"Unclassified as to age, Smith. It's not important. I wonder, are you +dominant or receptive?"</p> + +<p>"I'm a man. Male. Dom—"</p> + +<p>"That doesn't matter. Smith, tell me, how long has it been since anyone +from the planet Earth has attended the school?"</p> + +<p>Smith said he didn't know, but, to his knowledge, no one from Earth had +ever been here. "We don't get around much any more. It's not that we +can't. We just go and then we don't like it, so we come back to Earth."</p> + +<p>"Well, from the looks of you I would say you are a receptive. Very +definitely receptive, Smith." Given sufficient data, the registrar could +not be wrong. Given sufficient data the registrar could tell you +anything you wanted to know, provided the answer could be arrived at +from the data itself. "The male and female distinction no longer holds, +of course. On some planets the female is dominant, on some she's not. +It's generally according to the time of colonization, Smith. When was +Earth colonized?"</p> + +<p>"It wasn't."</p> + +<p>"What do you mean, it wasn't?"</p> + +<p>"We were always there. We colonized the rest of the galaxy. Long ago."</p> + +<p>The registrar clicked furiously, expressed itself still more femininely +this time. "Oh, that planet! You certainly are the first, Smith. The +very first here at the school. Room 4027, dominant companion." Neuter +voice again. "That's all, Smith of Earth. Next."</p> + +<p>The vaguely purple-skinned man stood before the registrar, winked at the +flashing lights. "You know, now I can see what they mean when we're told +of a missing link in the chain between man and animal. Old +Earthsmith...."</p> + +<p>"Name?" said the machine.</p> + +<p>The man pointed at Smith, shook with silent laughter. The back of +Smith's head, which could not properly be called bald because he had +never had any hair on it, was very red.</p> + +<p>"Name's Jorak."</p> + +<p>"Planet?" demanded the fully neuter machine.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>There was the red star, a monstrous blotch of crimson swollen and +brooding on the horizon and filling a quarter of the sky. There was the +fleck of white high up near the top of the red giant, its white-dwarf +companion in transit. These were the high jagged crags, falling off +suddenly to the sundered, frothy sea with its blood-red sun-track fading +to pink and finally to gray far away on either side.</p> + +<p>Smith watched the waves break far below him, and he almost stumbled when +someone tapped his shoulder.</p> + +<p>"That was mean of the man named Jorak." She might have been a woman of +Earth, except that she was too thin, cast in a too-delicate mould. Yet +beautiful.</p> + +<p>Smith shrugged, felt the heat rise to his face and knew that he must +have looked like a mirror for the red sun.</p> + +<p>"Is that really a blush, Smith? Are you blushing?"</p> + +<p>He nodded. "I can't help it. I—"</p> + +<p>"Don't be foolish. I don't want you to stop. I think it looks nice."</p> + +<p>Smith rubbed his pate, watched the hot wind blow the girl's yellow hair +about her face. "They tell me my great great grandfather had a little +fringe of hair around his head. I've seen pictures."</p> + +<p>"How nice—"</p> + +<p>"If you're trying to make fun of me, please go away. It wasn't nice, it +was ugly. Either you have hair or you don't. The men of Earth used to +have it, long ago. The women still do."</p> + +<p>She changed the subject. "I'll bet you think this place is ugly, Smith."</p> + +<p>Smith shook his head. "No, it's stark. If you like things that way, it +isn't really ugly. But Earth is a planet of green rolling hills and soft +rains and—you're making fun of me."</p> + +<p>"You say that again and I'll take it as an insult." She smiled. "We have +our green rolling hills on Bortinot, only it's cold. I like it here +because it's warm. And, of course, I have a lot to learn at school."</p> + +<p>"Would you think I'm stupid if I ask you what?"</p> + +<p>"No. And you were really serious in there when you said you didn't know +what they teach."</p> + +<p>"How could I know? I'm the first student here from Earth. Every five +years—say, twenty times during the course of one lifetime—we get the +application. This time the government finally decided someone should go. +Me."</p> + +<p>"Well, they teach just about everything that could be of value in a +transtellar culture."</p> + +<p>"What?"</p> + +<p>"Things like astrogation and ethics—"</p> + +<p>"I caught the school express at a Denebian planet. Someone told me there +that the school is decadent."</p> + +<p>She smiled up at him. "Deneb is a slothful place, then. It is true that +the school never stands still, changing its courses to meet the demands +of a changing society. If Deneb cannot keep pace with the changes, that +could explain the feeling. Right now they'll be concentrating in dreams +and dream-empathy, in some of the newer Garlonian dances, Sarchian +cooking for the receptives and Wortan fighting for the dominants. Quite +a virile program, Smith, provided one is up to it."</p> + +<p>"What happened to your astrogation and ethics?"</p> + +<p>"That? Oh, that's just a catch-all phrase. Your courses will depend on +such things as your D or R classifications—"</p> + +<p>"It makes me laugh a little," Smith admitted. "But they've classified me +as a receptive. I guess they know what they're doing. Still—"</p> + +<p>"You think you're strong, eh?"</p> + +<p>"Well, I didn't see anyone in the registrar's room who would worry me +very much in a fight."</p> + +<p>"Society is sophisticated, Smith. There's more to strength than mere +brawn. What sort of psi-powers have they cultivated on the planet +Earth?"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>In a general sense, but in a general sense only, Smith knew what she +meant. "Well, there's hypnotism, and some people play at telepathy and +clairvoyance. Nothing much, really."</p> + +<p>"That isn't much, my friend."</p> + +<p>"Why? What else is there?" Smith smiled for the first time. "I didn't +know—" He shook his head, suddenly, to clear it. He felt tilted. He +looked and he saw that everything was straight, but still he felt +tilted. He tried to right himself, and down he went. On his stomach he +lay, his legs twisted under him a little. Foolishly, he tried to get up. +He couldn't.</p> + +<p>"There's that." The girl laughed. "Suggestion without the need for +hypnotism."</p> + +<p>Smith stood up, said, "I see what you mean."</p> + +<p>"Think so?"</p> + +<p>It began to rain. A brisk wind came up abruptly, and off in the distance +Smith heard the roar of thunder. It came closer. Still closer. Like in a +straight line. Smith watched the lightnings prance.</p> + +<p>"We'd better get back to the school!" he cried. He didn't think she +could hear his voice above the thunder. He started to shout again, but +lightning crackled before his eyes. Between him and the girl. Something +rumbled, and Smith started to fall. They had been blasted off the crag, +and now they hurtled down through the sheets of hot rain....</p> + +<p>"Feel yourself," the girl told him. The huge crimson sun still sat on +the horizon. The air was hot and warm and Smith was dry.</p> + +<p>"Suggestion," she smiled again. "Most of us have it to some degree, but +we of Bortinot have it still more. Still think you should be a +dominant?"</p> + +<p>"Well—" The girl's face swam before his eyes. Lovely. Smith took a step +forward, reached out and placed his big hands on her shoulders.</p> + +<p>"Well what?" She was smiling.</p> + +<p>"What's your name?"</p> + +<p>"Geria."</p> + +<p>His lips were big and hers were little, if full. He quivered as he +kissed her. "I love you, Geria."</p> + +<p>"I know it," she said.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"The reason I went outside to watch the sea," Smith said, "was because I +didn't know how to get to room 4027. I didn't want to ask anyone, not +after—"</p> + +<p>"That makes sense. I'll take you, Smith. I'm just down the hall from +you, anyway."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Geria." Smith wondered how he knew her name was Geria. Nice +name. "What happened after I thought there was a storm, Geria?" Smith +suppressed a smile.</p> + +<p>"Oh, nothing much. I just planted another suggestion in your mind. For +now you've forgotten, but you will remember. Shall we go?"</p> + +<p>They walked back down the path from the top of the crag, and soon Smith +saw other students in groups of two and three. Ahead was the long low +school, a dull rectangle of metal perhaps two miles long and half as +wide. With Geria, Smith entered through one of the hundreds of doorways +and followed her wordlessly up a mechanical staircase.</p> + +<p>They flashed past many landings, and after a time Smith followed the +girl across one of them and into a long hall.</p> + +<p>"Simple," she said. "You have the twenty-seventh room here on the +fortieth floor. Mine is room eighteen. Will we be seeing more of each +other, Smith?"</p> + +<p>"As much as you'd like," he said, but it made him feel foolish. He had +merely spoken to the girl for a few minutes, and yet he could not quite +fathom his emotions. To some extent she had made him feel the same as +had the man Jorak, and yet she liked him. She wanted to see more of him. +She said so.</p> + +<p>"Smith, you're blushing again. I tell you what: if you can do that every +day, then I will see you every day. It's so nice and—unaffected."</p> + +<p>Was that the word she really had in mind? Smith remembered once when he +was little, a farmer had come to the city and everyone had called him an +ancient word which they said came from a still more ancient name. Rube +they had called him. Rube. He didn't like it. He had had a fight, Smith +recalled, and a big plateglass window was broken. He went to jail for a +few weeks on the moon, and after that he didn't come to the city any +more. Smith was little at the time, but he had never forgotten the look +on the farmer's face when the security officers took him off to the moon +rocket.</p> + +<p>Had he known it, Jorak would have used the word rube, but what about +Geria?</p> + +<p>The green number on the white door was painted sharply—4027. "Here's my +room," Smith said. He tried an indifferent wave, but it hardly worked, +and he began to blush again.</p> + +<p>Geria skipped lightly down the hall, and he couldn't see her face to +tell if she were smiling. He shrugged, opened the door.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"Earthsmith! Oh, no ... I come half way across the galaxy to get here, +so what are the odds against any particular room mate? Huge, that's +what. But I got me—hello, Earthsmith."</p> + +<p>It was the purple man, Jorak. He had just recently greased his shock of +bright green hair, and he had turned away from the mirror when Smith +opened the door. Now he turned back to the tinted glass and held his +head at various angles.</p> + +<p>"Well, can you change rooms if you want to?" Smith asked pleasantly.</p> + +<p>"You're not going to chase me out of my own room, Earthsmith. You can +change if you'd like. Not me."</p> + +<p>"All right if you want me to I'll change."</p> + +<p>"If I want you to! Don't pass the blame to me, Earthsmith. I didn't say +a thing about changing, not me. Don't you think I'm good enough for +you?"</p> + +<p>"I don't care one way or the other," Smith said. "I suggested you change +because I thought you'd be happier that way. Look, I'll mind my own +business and pretend you are not even here. How's that?"</p> + +<p>"Pretend I'm not here? Like cepheid you will. If you want to be ornery, +Smith, or Earthsmith, or whatever your name is, I'll give you plenty to +be ornery about. I'm a dominant, you know, so just watch out."</p> + +<p>"I'll change if that will make you happy." Smith didn't want any +trouble. He still felt more than a little strange and out of place here, +and a fight with Jorak wouldn't help matters. Briefly, he wondered what +sort of psi-powers Jorak possessed.</p> + +<p>The purple man stood up. "What kind of a slap in the face is that? We +haven't even started courses or anything. You think I'd need you to help +me with my work or something?"</p> + +<p>"No, I'm quite sure you wouldn't. But I'll change my room, anyway. I'll +probably get in your way—"</p> + +<p>"Well, <i>I</i> wouldn't get into <i>your</i> hair, satellite-head! If you think +you're going to leave here and say I started a fight or something.... My +father made quite a record for himself here at the school, and I'll have +to beat it, of course."</p> + +<p>"Of course," Smith agreed, but he did not really know why.</p> + +<p>"Are you implying anyone, just anyone, could top my father's record, +Earthsmith? Not a man from Gyra ever did it, and intellectually Gyra is +top planet in its own sector. Not a woman from Bortinot came close, but +then, you probably don't even know where Bortinot is."</p> + +<p>Smith said no, he didn't, but he had just met a woman from Bortinot. +Perhaps if he changed the subject....</p> + +<p>Jorak ran his fingers up along each side of his shock of hair. They came +away greasy green. "Exquisite, those women of Bortinot. But then, you +probably wouldn't appreciate them, eh, Earthsmith?"</p> + +<p>Smith said that he could appreciate them very well indeed, especially +since, except for a few minor structural differences, they looked like +women of Earth. It was a mistake, and the muscles in Jorak's cheeks +began to twitch.</p> + +<p>"I say they look exquisite, you say they look like women of Earth. Which +is it, Earthsmith? Not both, surely—a contradiction in terms. I believe +you're trying to provoke me."</p> + +<p>Smith sighed. He wanted no trouble—they had spent a year with him on +Earth, indoctrinating that. He was to be a paragon at the school, as +Earth's first student there, he had to be a paragon—even if he turned +out to be more awkward in this situation than the farmer on Earth +everyone had called Rube.</p> + +<p>"I think I will go to sleep," Smith said.</p> + +<p>"Why, don't you men of Earth ever eat, Smith?"</p> + +<p>Smith said yes, they ate, but he wasn't very hungry now. As a matter of +fact, he was ravenously hungry, but he did not relish the idea of going +to some public eating place either with Jorak or alone. His heart began +to beat a little faster when he thought that he might meet Geria if he +did, but then he felt the heat rise up his neck and into his cheeks. +He'd hardly know what to say to her, and besides, he knew there was +something he should remember but couldn't quite. No, he'd skip dinner +this first day at the school.</p> + +<p>Now he watched Jorak open the door and step into the hallway, and for a +moment he heard gay voices and the shuffling of many feet, and Jorak's +voice louder than the rest: "Kard of Shilon! How long has it been? I can +remember that day near Raginsdild...."</p> + +<p>Smith turned to the window, and for a long time he sat watching the fat +red sun.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>He got up early and he showered, and then he heard a clicking sound. Two +cards had been deposited in a tray from a slot in the wall. At the top +of one were the words "Jorak of Gyra," and Smith's name and planet were +printed on the other. He picked it up and began to read, and then Jorak +sat up and took the other card.</p> + +<p>"Programs," said Jorak. "Everyone takes transtellar history, of course, +and a section or two in the humanities. My electives are Wortan fighting +and dream-empathy."</p> + +<p>Smith smiled. "Me too—same program. I suppose we'll be in class +together, Jorak."</p> + +<p>"Rather stupid," the purple man observed. "They've given you a +dominant's program. But then, I remember you questioned your receptive +classification, and the registrar's known to do this on occasion, just +to put you in your place. You'll be in Garlonian dancing in a few days, +Earthsmith."</p> + +<p>"Well, I sure hope not. I didn't come here to learn how to dance—"</p> + +<p>"Hah! So what? If you're an R you'll learn how to dance and like it. +Cook, too. There's no such thing as a misfit at the school, not +permanently. They'll find you out soon enough, Earthsmith. Hmmm, wait +till Kard of Shilon finds out what they've put in Wortan. Kard's top man +in his sector, and it's just possible they'll pair you off with him.</p> + +<p>"Well, you going to eat this morning? I'd hate to see you in Wortan +without a good meal in you. But I suppose it really wouldn't help, +anyway. Coming, Earthsmith?"</p> + +<p>There weren't any people out in the hall this early, and Smith breathed +more easily when they moved in a direction opposite that of Geria's +room. Soon they had descended a score of levels, and the moving ramp +became more crowded. Smith tried to ignore the eager hum of +conversation, but it was all around him. He realized he should be +feeling that way too. But you couldn't drum up a student's eager +appetite within yourself, not when you didn't feel that way, not when +your entire planet waited to see how you made out here and you felt +unsure of yourself, even in such simple things as eating.</p> + +<p>That part of it at least turned out better than Smith had hoped. There +were eggs, and while he was sure he would not recognize the fowl if he +saw it, he could at least order his over-light and get something +familiar. And there were long strips of fatty meat which almost could +have been bacon, except Smith was sure the pig wouldn't be a pig at all.</p> + +<p>And Smith was lost in the hordes of white men, green men, purple, orange +and brown, and no one paid him too much attention. Jorak busied himself +remembering old times with a gruff burly orange man named Kard, whose +planet was Shilon, and Smith ate in silence. Once he thought he saw +Geria far off at another table, but it could have been his imagination, +and when he looked again she was gone.</p> + +<p>Home, Smith always had been a quick eater, but now he found himself +pawing at his food. Soon the great dining room began to clear. Jorak and +Kard leaned back in their chairs, watching Smith.</p> + +<p>Jorak yawned. "How long does it take you to breakfast?"</p> + +<p>"Different rate of digestion on Earth," Kard suggested.</p> + +<p>"Don't be foolish. Earthsmith's in no hurry to attend his first class, +so he's loafing. Right, Earthsmith?"</p> + +<p>Smith mumbled something about unfamiliar food under his breath, and +Jorak said, "Well, no matter. We'll give you another moment or two, +Earthsmith. Then we'll have to be going. We all three have transtellar +history, you know."</p> + +<p>Smith knew it all too well. Gyra and Bortinot and Shilon were so many +names to him and he silently cursed Earth's provincial histories. For +those here at the school, the three names and a hundred others might be +magical stepping stones to the culture, the lore, the history of a +galaxy—but all Smith knew now was that Jorak came from Gyra, and so +some of Gyra's people at least must be purple, that Geria came from +Bortinot where the women were D and the men were R and where the women +looked like those of Earth, that Kard, finally, came from a place that +bore the name Shilon, where some of the men at least were orange. But +Shilon could have been anyplace from the hub to the fringe, Gyra might +swim dizzily out near Ophiuchus or it might be the new culture name for +one of Earth's near neighbors. And Bortinot—he wished he knew more +about Bortinot.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>The instructor of transtellar history was a little fat man with a round +gold face and green eyes that blinked too much. He wore the tight black +uniform of the instructor and his green armband proclaimed his subject +to be history. He smiled too much, too vacantly, as if he had been +practicing it a long time and now forgot what it really meant.</p> + +<p>"Greetings!" he cried jovially, after everyone had been seated on the +long low benches around the room. "I bring you history. No one is to +talk unless I tell him to. Everyone is to listen unless I tell him not +to. Clear?" He smiled.</p> + +<p>No one said anything.</p> + +<p>"Excellent. History encompasses thousands of years and countless cubic +parsecs. Only the big things count. We will forget the little things. +Little things belong to little people and we of the school are the elite +of a transtellar culture. Questions?"</p> + +<p>There were none.</p> + +<p>"Good, because I have some. What would you say was the first event of +importance? Luog of Panden, talk."</p> + +<p>Said green-skinned Luog, a very young Pandenian: "You mean ever?"</p> + +<p>"I would have specified had I meant otherwise. Yes, ever. Talk, Luog of +Panden."</p> + +<p>"Well—"</p> + +<p>"Halt a moment, please. Who thinks the question is a relative one which +cannot properly be answered? I clair it is Brandog of Hulpin."</p> + +<p>An albino woman three seats down from Smith flushed. "I am sorry," she +said.</p> + +<p>"Who told you to talk now? This is not Hulpin, Brandog. The course is +intensive. You must concentrate. Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. +No extraneous thoughts." The instructor smiled. "Luog of Panden, talk."</p> + +<p>Smith felt the little beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The +instructor could read minds—and how many of these others could? They +just sat there as if it were the most natural thing in the world....</p> + +<p>Only Brandog of Hulpin seemed ruffled, and it would be many moments +before her albino skin looked again like soft alabaster. But no one +seemed to notice. Luog was saying, "—exodus from the prehistoric Sirian +worlds to the first culture in the Denebian system, the Var one. More +than ten thousand Vars ago."</p> + +<p>"Satisfactory for a Receptive, Luog of Panden," the instructor smiled. +"The Dominants would go back a bit further and talk of the Sirian wars, +but that much is a matter of opinion, since the wars are largely +mythical, anyway. And so we have set the stage for history. We have—"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Smith wanted to get up indignantly and tell the instructor, tell them +all, what the most glorious epochs of history really were. You would +find it in the museums of earth, on the plaques and in the statues and +on the old old records of Earth. There was a lot Smith wanted to tell +them because there was so much only he could tell them, so much they had +forgotten.</p> + +<p>But he merely sat and stared politely at the black-uniformed instructor. +You don't show yourself as a provincial—what was the word?—rube, not +when your culture, while temporarily the oldest, is in a lot of ways the +most neophite of them all.</p> + +<p>You just sat and stared, looking interested.</p> + +<p>The instructor's voice cut into his thoughts, "Earth of Smith—"</p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth," he said, automatically.</p> + +<p>"I did not tell you to talk, Smith of Earth. And if your card says Earth +of Smith, how am I to know? A mistake, yes—but an understandable one. +I'm a historian, and I have heard of neither planet. Where is this +Earth? Talk, Smith!"</p> + +<p>He stood up, although it wasn't really necessary, and he could feel his +knees trembling slightly. "Earth is a few parsecs from Sirius, and +Sirius I think you know."</p> + +<p>"I know Sirius. Now talk!"</p> + +<p>"What is it you want me to say? I don't feel much like talking—"</p> + +<p>"Yet you speak so loud that the room fairly rocks with it. I wanted you +to tell us why you did not agree with the answer just now rendered. It +is, I feel, a good one. Talk."</p> + +<p>"Then I agree, it is a good one." Smith did not want to get involved. He +wanted to be a good, quietly efficient student. Nothing more. But he +forgot that the instructor could read minds.</p> + +<p>"You lie, Smith of Earth. I won't go into it any further, because it is +your privilege if you want to lie. But you are not to listen for the +remainder of this lecture. Do not listen."</p> + +<p>Smith nodded, cursed himself mentally because he had made such a mess of +things here at his very first lecture, and headed for the door.</p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth! Just where under the red sun do you think you are +going?"</p> + +<p>"You told me not to listen, so—"</p> + +<p>"I didn't say talk. Talk now."</p> + +<p>"—so I'm leaving the room."</p> + +<p>"No one leaves until the lecture has been concluded. Sit if you will, or +stand, but stay here. And do not listen."</p> + +<p>Smith nodded, turned back to the row of benches dumbly. He found a place +next to Brandog of Hulpin, sat near the albino woman. Down the bench, he +saw Jorak grinning broadly. Smith did not know how he was going to sit +there without listening, but he decided he'd better not ask that +question now.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"This is your course in Wortan fighting," boomed the giant of an +instructor. "Dominants only, or such Receptives as question their +classification." The instructor's massive face was beefy, the color of +new-spilled blood, and the muscles rippled and bulged and seethed under +his black uniform.</p> + +<p>"Me for this!" confided Kard of Shilon, slapping Smith's back. "Perhaps +Jorak has told you that I am not without ability on the Wortan mats."</p> + +<p>Smith hardly heard him. Two dozen paces across the room, on the other +side of the circle that surrounded the instructor, stood Geria, hands on +hips, lips soft-smiling when she saw Smith, silver tunic to her knees, +yellow hair hanging free to shoulders.</p> + +<p>"Join me, Smith of Earth?" she called, and knees watery again, Smith +made his way around the circle.</p> + +<p>While Jorak gaped, Geria took Smith's hand when they met half way around +the circle, and she smiled up at him. "I wouldn't have believed it, but +you're blushing again. Earth trait, Smith?"</p> + +<p>"No, not really," he stammered.</p> + +<p>The slim girl was about to say something, but the instructor cleared his +throat ominously, and the room became silent again. "Now, then," +declared the giant, "there's no trick to fighting with psi-powers. +Anyone can do that, and the women of Bortinot, as you know, are +particularly adept. But the people of Wortan have no such powers, and +they must depend on tooth and nail, on sinew and bone and animal +cunning. Such is the way the Wortanians do battle—and, purely for +sport, such is the way of Wortan fighting. Any questions?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," Geria told him, "I have one. Are we not permitted to use any +psi-powers?"</p> + +<p>"None. They disqualify you."</p> + +<p>"Well, then I suppose I must withdraw from the course. I can't be +expected to stand up to a man physically. I'm not built that way—and +very few women are, Dominant or Receptive."</p> + +<p>Smith had not expected this, but now he felt a warm glow in his breast. +He almost wanted to put his arm about the woman's shoulders, +protectively. How could such a delicate beautiful thing be expected to +fight?</p> + +<p>The instructor said, "I won't argue with you. I can't remember a woman +ever lasting in Wortan fighting, but if they're Dominants they're +automatically entered. The rest of you can do like—"</p> + +<p>The words came out before Smith could stop them. "In that case, can +anyone tell me the difference between a Dominant and a Receptive?"</p> + +<p>There was a lot of laughter in the room, and Smith thought it would have +been the same had he, as a child, asked the difference between boy and +girl. "Ah, old Earthsmith!" he heard Jorak's voice. "Everytime he opens +his mouth new wisdom spews forth."</p> + +<p>Pale eyes looked out of the instructor's blood-red face. "Obviously, +you're joking. I'm here to answer questions, among other things, but you +couldn't be serious."</p> + +<p>And Smith heard his own dull voice reply:</p> + +<p>"No, certainly not. I was only joking."</p> + +<p>Said Geria, "Silly, a Dominant has more psi-powers, that's all. But you +really didn't know, did you?"</p> + +<p>"There are no psi-powers on Earth to speak of," Smith reminded her.</p> + +<p>"Hmm, very true. In that case, maybe you're all Receptives—male and +female. But don't feel too badly, Smith; Wortan's the same way, and +Wortan has a first-rate culture. Look: they even have an instructor here +at the school."</p> + +<p>The instructor of Wortan fighting was a Wortanian, of course. And here, +in Wortan fighting, Smith might feel at home. But he hardly expected to +excel at the school by breaking someone's back, or pinning him +helplessly to the Wortan mat. Suddenly he found himself thinking of +Earth, thinking of the trust that had been put in him as Earth's first +student at the school. But his thoughts did not remain there long—his +eyes took in the soft yellow of Geria's hair, and Earth faded far away.</p> + +<p>"—volunteers," the instructor was saying. "Does anyone want to step on +the mat with me for a fall or two?"</p> + +<p>"I recommend Earthsmith," came Jorak's voice. "Positively—Earthsmith's +your man."</p> + +<p>Smith felt his face becoming very red again, but Geria nudged him with +an elbow. "Go ahead, Smith—why not? You told me once you didn't fear +anyone in the room of the registrar, not in physical combat. Go ahead."</p> + +<p>"I know, but—"</p> + +<p>"Go ahead, Smith. Show me."</p> + +<p>He could do that. Yes, he could show her. But what if he were +wrong—they might know a trick or two that would make him look foolish. +And he wouldn't want that, not in front of Geria. "I am tired," he said. +"I didn't sleep well last night."</p> + +<p>The instructor rescued him. "I didn't ask you to recommend. I asked for +volunteers. But you who spoke, what's your name?"</p> + +<p>"I am Jorak of Gyra," said Jorak, purple face paling.</p> + +<p>"You'll do. On the mat, man of Gyra."</p> + +<p>Jorak stepped forward, slowly, in no hurry to meet the giant. Smith +heard Kard's mocking laugh. "Ho, Jorak—he'll tear you in half. Now if +he had asked for a man of Shilon ... a real man...."</p> + +<p>And still laughing, the Shilonian heaved mightily with both his hands +and sent Jorak stumbling out onto the mat. The man of Gyra fell and +skidded on his stomach, turned over once and finally came up into a +sitting position at the instructor's feet. Kard was grinning, but Jorak +saw nothing funny in what had happened. He stood up slowly, wheezing, +and his gaze raked the circle. It flicked past Kard rapidly, kept going, +poised a moment on Geria, then reached Smith. Jorak shook his fist. "All +right, Earthsmith, I'll get you for this."</p> + +<p>Geria smiled. "I would say that you have an enemy there."</p> + +<p>The instructor bellowed a warning and came for Jorak.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>For some reason Smith found he couldn't keep his eyes off the fray, and +he found his own breath coming in ragged gasps. Geria watched with a +dispassionate interest. "Poor man of Gyra," she said. "It might be a +different story if he could use some of his psi-powers. The men of Gyra +have a little of that, you know."</p> + +<p>"Well, why can't he?"</p> + +<p>"He'd be disqualified, shamed—and maybe worse. I never knew that +psi-powers were not permitted on the Wortan mat, but I did know that the +rules must be adhered to rigidly."</p> + +<p>The instructor's massive body stood between them and Jorak, and one of +the great arms circled the man of Gyra's neck. Jorak's purple face +glared straight at Smith, and his body thrashed and wriggled furiously, +like a snake, head held fast by a forked stick. Abruptly, the instructor +stepped back and let go. Jorak fell and lay writhing on the mat, legs +and arms pounding.</p> + +<p>"Brute strength is what we want in Wortan," said the instructor, +smoothing his black uniform.</p> + +<p>Said Kard of Shilon: "You outweigh Jorak, but I see your point. I wonder +how you would do with a man of Shilon."</p> + +<p>The instructor smiled. "Well, we will pair off now. You can select me, +if you wish. Those who want to drop out of the course, step back from +the circle. We need room—"</p> + +<p>All the women moved away, slowly, reluctantly. They were Dominants, +every one, and Smith sensed they longed to use their psi-powers. Some of +them trembled nervously from the exhibition they had seen, some wiped +sweat from white and pink and green brow. One tall albino woman seemed +hesitant, stepped back toward the circle, but she backed away again when +a gold man big as Kard of Shilon strode forward eagerly.</p> + +<p>Against the wall stood the dozen women, rapt eyes intent on the men as +they paired off. And this, Smith thought bitterly, is culture. This is +what Earth had missed by closing its star lanes. Well, Earth....</p> + +<p>"Don't sulk, Smith of Earth," Geria told him, and Smith realized, +shamefully, that he had slunk off with the women. "I say there is +something glorious about fighting tooth and nail. Not depraved, +certainly, unless you insist on judging it by a hidebound ethic. Go back +to the mats, Smith—for me."</p> + +<p>He looked long at the woman, saw no guile in her eyes. Who was he to +judge? Could he dare pass judgment on a society that had left Earth +behind a score of thousand years ago? The men of Earth hadn't sent him +here, half way across the galaxy to do that.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>He turned and walked stiffly to the mats. By now the men had paired off +two and two, stood facing each other in pairs. Kard of Shilon and the +thick-thewed instructor, great gold man and chunky red, reed-slender +green man and giant orange, albinos two like alabaster statues.</p> + +<p>From the circle came Jorak, hands to bruised neck. He stopped, looked +Smith up and down grimly, smiled. "You have no partner, Earthsmith?"</p> + +<p>"I'm looking for one."</p> + +<p>"Well, look no more. I am tired and hurt, but I'd like to join you on +the mat." He shrugged. "Of course, if you're afraid—"</p> + +<p>Smith still did not feel like fighting. It might as well be Jorak as any +other—he certainly had more reason to fight Jorak. Vaguely, it seemed a +needless expenditure of energy. But he had done it again: he had put the +shoe on the wrong foot—he, Smith, stood up for judgment, not the +school. "Good enough, Jorak," he said.</p> + +<p>In a moment, the instructor signaled them all to begin, and Smith had +one brief look at the dozen pairs of men, grappling, heard the +instructor shout, "one fall, and one fall only!" And then Jorak was upon +him.</p> + +<p>Jorak seemed for all the world like a snake, writhing and twisting with +a deceptive sinewy strength. But calmly Smith stepped out of his reach, +cuffing his ears roundly when he came too close.</p> + +<p>"You're afraid, afraid, afraid!" Jorak taunted. "Fight!"</p> + +<p>Smith shrugged. If he did not want to fight, he did not want to. But the +women hooted, and they were hooting him, all but Geria who remained +glumly silent.</p> + +<p>"This is getting me nowhere," Jorak hissed. "You're making me look like +a fool, Earthsmith." Perspiration bathed the purple face, stained the +sides of Jorak's tunic darkly.</p> + +<p>And then he smiled. Smith felt giddy, hardly could keep his legs under +him, yet hardly had Jorak touched him. Then the man of Gyra was using +his psi-powers, despite the sanction. Oddly, Smith felt detached from it +all. Let him use his powers then—that would end it. Let him....</p> + +<p>"Fight back, Smith!" Geria cried.</p> + +<p>Jorak's powers were not like the woman's. He could induce giddiness, +yes, but not in any overpowering quantities. Smith swayed foolishly, +tipped first to left, then to right, stood for a moment with arms at +sides. Jorak rushed upon him and struck out with both fists, and Smith +stumbled back half a dozen steps, crashed into a pair of struggling +figures, was dimly aware that both fell.</p> + +<p>Jorak came on, cocky, confident, and Smith rocked for a moment on the +balls of his feet. Once and once only he lashed out with his right arm, +smeared Jorak's nose flat against his face. Jorak toppled backward and +fell, writhing.</p> + +<p>Smith looked around him, panting. The other contestants ceased their +struggles, and the instructor said:</p> + +<p>"Someone has used psi. I don't know who, but someone—"</p> + +<p>Jorak pointed weakly, said, "Earthsmith!"</p> + +<p>"Snap judgment," the instructor admitted. "Your word only. Still, you +alone were bested, Jorak of Gyra—and, hah, that makes twice, doesn't +it?"</p> + +<p>"Once with psi," said Jorak.</p> + +<p>"You sure?"</p> + +<p>"I ought to know what hit me! He held me rigid, I tell you, and then he +struck me. What could I do? I ask you, what?"</p> + +<p>Smith knew that the instructor could read minds—with limitations. He +knew the psi-power had been used, but he did not know who had used it.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Jorak wiped the blood from his face with the back of one hand. "Listen," +he confided, "Earthsmith is a savage, really and truly, of the planet +Earth. Terribly barbaric. Obviously, he'd have no compunctions against +dirty fighting."</p> + +<p>"Well—" said the instructor.</p> + +<p>"There's only one thing wrong with all this," Smith told him. "Nobody on +Earth uses psi-power."</p> + +<p>Jorak slapped his hand against the mat. "Then you admit that there are +psi-powers on Earth?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," Smith said. "There are psi-powers on Earth." Things were +happening to Smith. He felt vague stirrings inside of him, and he +dampered them.</p> + +<p>"There. He admits it," Jorak said. "The men of Earth are not without +their psi-powers, and Smith or Earthsmith—I still don't know the +barbarian's name—used them on me." He shook his fist. "You just can't +trust these barbarians."</p> + +<p>The instructor still did not seem sure of himself, but there were angry +mutterings in the crowd, and the albino woman who had almost but not +quite joined the fighters said, "Let me try a fall with him. Probably I +would lose, but we of Nugat can perceive the psi-powers readily."</p> + +<p>Smith stormed away from her, felt hot anger rushing through him. "I +wouldn't fight with a woman."</p> + +<p>Jorak taunted, "He's afraid she'll discover—"</p> + +<p>"Nothing! I'm afraid of nothing, Jorak. I just won't fight a woman." He +was shouting now, and he couldn't help it. Again, there was the odd +feeling that part of his mind at least stood away from all this, +observing, shaking its head and telling him to curb his temper.</p> + +<p>A hand lay heavily on his shoulder, big gnarled, orange. "Kard of Shilon +would like a fall with you, Earthsmith of Earth. Perhaps I am not as +subtle as the woman from Nugat, but still I think I could tell."</p> + +<p>The instructor nodded, and Kard spun Smith around, kept him spinning +with a short chopping blow to his jaw. Smith hardly felt it. But +something told him deep inside his whirling brain to fall, fall, +fall—and the faintest shadow of a smile flickered across Jorak's lips.</p> + +<p>Win or lose—what was the difference? Those who could would feel the +psi-powers, and Smith would be their man.</p> + +<p>By crotch and collar he caught the huge man of Shilon, lifted him. +Kard's arms and legs flailed air, helplessly. He bellowed as Smith began +to whirl, slowly at first, but then faster. Up he raised the great +orange hulk, held it aloft on outstretched arms for one moment—hurled +it.</p> + +<p>Arms and legs still flailing wildly, Kard struck the mat, seemed almost +to bounce, landed in a heap atop Jorak.</p> + +<p>Geria jumped up and down delightedly, but the woman of Nugat scowled. +"Psi," she said. "I felt it."</p> + +<p>"As did I," admitted the instructor. "Faintly. Smith of Earth—"</p> + +<p>"Don't tell me you didn't see me use my arms then, just my arms?"</p> + +<p>"Kard appeared awful helpless—"</p> + +<p>"I felt the psi," said the woman of Nugat.</p> + +<p>"And I," a man agreed.</p> + +<p>"As I said," Jorak declared smugly, "when you bring a barbarian to the +school you must expect barbarous behavior. Oh well," he stifled a yawn, +"I'll get my nose fixed, of course, but this sort of thing could +continue. Unpleasant, is it not?"</p> + +<p>The instructor nodded slowly, dismissed class.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"Did you or didn't you, Smith?"</p> + +<p>"What do you think, Geria?"</p> + +<p>"I'd say no, but I did feel the psi when you threw Kard."</p> + +<p>"That was Jorak—and he used it on me."</p> + +<p>"Not very strong then, because I remember how readily I—"</p> + +<p>"Look, Geria. What's the difference? They've made up their minds, and I +can't do a thing about it. I didn't use the psi, I can tell you that and +you'll believe me. But it doesn't matter, really. They're convinced. +What happens next?"</p> + +<p>The woman of Bortinot frowned. "I don't know. They could expel you +possibly. You forget I'm new at the school, too. Let's forget all about +it. You will, anyway, in dream empathy."</p> + +<p>It was easy for her to say that, but Smith couldn't forget. The more he +had tried to convince them he had not employed the psi-power, could not +employ it, the more they thought that he did. He was of Earth—primitive +by their standards, a barbarian. They had said so. Culture had leaped +past Earth in all directions, had leaped so far that he could not even +recognize it as such, had encompassed the stars and broad new concepts +as big as the parsecs of space between the stars. How could he +understand—ever?</p> + +<p>Or was there anything to understand? If he could take everything at its +face value, if he could trust his own judgment, this was not culture at +all. But he had forgotten again: his judgment didn't matter. He was +being judged, not the school.</p> + +<p>"—be strictly a neophyte in dream empathy," Geria was saying. "But not +me. I've had my share of it on Bortinot, and they'll be pairing us off, +experienced and novice. I'll take you as a partner if you'd like, +Smith."</p> + +<p>"You bet I'd like it!" He felt genuinely cheerful again, quite suddenly. +Geria was the one bright spot at the school, and at least he had that. +And yet there was something he could not remember, something pushing +against the fringes of consciousness, and it concerned Geria. What +actually had happened yesterday on the crags? He could remember, +remember—but he couldn't at all, not really, and somehow he knew that +the most important item of all remained tantalizingly close, yet just +beyond his immediate reach.</p> + +<p>He said, "Just what is this dream empathy?"</p> + +<p>"Now you <i>are</i> joking."</p> + +<p>"No. I don't know a thing about it."</p> + +<p>"What do you people of Earth do for entertainment?"</p> + +<p>"Well, we talk, or we dance, or we play games, ride horses, take walks +in the country, see a show—anything anyone else does, I guess."</p> + +<p>"No one else does any of that, because d.e.'s a lot better. You know +anything about dreams, Smith?"</p> + +<p>"A little. Very little. They've always been something of a mystery on +Earth."</p> + +<p>"Well, do you read or watch the telios on Earth?"</p> + +<p>"Of course. But it's strictly local stuff on Earth. That's why I'm +here."</p> + +<p>"Well, if it's fiction, why do you read?"</p> + +<p>"Excitement I guess. Interest, suspense. I watch the hero, I struggle +with him, succeed when he does if the book's a good one—"</p> + +<p>"Exactly. You go into empathy with him. Smith—how would you like to do +that—with me?"</p> + +<p>"Hunh?"</p> + +<p>"Take a dream. I dream it, not you. It's a good one, under control. A +vivid dream, more real than life itself in a lot of ways, emotions +highlighted, maintained, increased—and exactly what I want to dream +because I know we'll both like it.</p> + +<p>"I dream it, not you. But you feel it with me. You grow tired of your +own thoughts, so you switch in on someone else's. Control there. +Gorgeous dreams, fantastic dreams, even horrible ones, if both would +like it. Complete empathy—in a dream world.</p> + +<p>"Then later, when you're experienced, you dream and I emp. How does it +sound, Smith?"</p> + +<p>He smiled. "Not much privacy. But I'd be a liar if I said I wouldn't +want to take a peek at your dreams, Geria. It sounds fine."</p> + +<p>Geria laughed softly, a lilting feminine sound. "It's a little more +private than that, provided I know what I'm doing. There's a control. I +can dream what I want, and can restrict it. You'll see."</p> + +<p>Smith very much wanted to see. Almost, he forgot about Jorak and the +psi-power. But briefly in his mind he saw the black uniformed giant from +Wortan, felt again the flailing Kard raised high overhead, saw +accusation in the woman of Nugat's eyes....</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>They lay on two adjacent couches, Smith and the woman of Bortinot. A +bare cubicle of a room with just the two couches in it. A door, now +closed, led into a room in which they had received their instructions. +But Smith hardly had listened. Geria knew the game well enough, and he'd +let it go at that. The rasping voice of the female instructor had +annoyed him, anyway, but he noticed that she was a woman of Bortinot, +not beautiful like Geria, but of her planet nonetheless.</p> + +<p>"Psi-powers again," Geria told him. "Hypnotism and telepathy mostly. +You'll see...."</p> + +<p>Something which looked like a candle-flame seen through a long dark tube +flickered from the ceiling. It came closer, steadied, flickered no more. +Smith couldn't draw his eyes away from it.</p> + +<p>"You're asleep," Geria told him, matter-of-factly.</p> + +<p>He was. Not really, because in sleep there was a lack of awareness. But +he could not move and everything was dark and he could only think.</p> + +<p>He felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. A mind without a body, in complete +darkness. The tingle of awareness which you hardly regard as such +because it always is with you was gone. Nothing.</p> + +<p>And then it returned. He felt his heart beating again. His ear itched +and he scratched it. He shifted his left arm which had fallen asleep.</p> + +<p>Oddly, the ceiling light had moved. It had been just to the right of +center—now it was just to the left, flickering again, retreating. It +was gone.</p> + +<p>He turned over on his left side, sleepily, contentedly—on the brink of +real sleep. Geria knew what she was doing. He'd rest. He looked—at his +own sleeping figure!</p> + +<p>Madness toyed with the edges of his mind, gained inroads, made him look +again. The silent figure to his left—himself. He raised his hands, felt +the hair, long, flowing, billowing about his head—looked down, could +see the gentle rounded rise of breast.</p> + +<p>A voice nibbled at consciousness, repeated itself, became clearer, +laughing: "<i>We will go to sleep now, Smith. How does it feel to be here +with me? Let's dream. Dream—</i>"</p> + +<p>The voice reassured, and Smith-Geria relaxed, slept.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p><i>He, Geria of Bortinot—really she, then—stood on a hill. A weathered +hill and aged, on a frigid world where winds of winter raged and howled +and battered mountains into submissive mounds. Fearful place, grim and +almost dead it was—and yet he liked it. Smiling, he stood atop the hill +and bade the tempest strike. The winds hurled him headlong and he +stumbled, but he felt elated, wild and free, part of the elements that +did battle there in that country of the weathered hills. And there were +others and they were men. They came up the hill and they tried to take +him in their arms, strong men and fair, but he ran laughing with the +wind. His identity faded in that wind, was torn to tatters by it—left +only was Geria of Bortinot, her feelings, her thoughts, but his +awareness.</i></p> + +<p><i>She stumbled, fell, turned over and over, much too slowly. Winds still +howled, but above her here at hill's bottom. Wraiths of fog swirled in +eddying gusts, came closer and faded, appeared again and swept away.</i></p> + +<p><i>She cried a name because the fog brought her an image and the name and +the image were one.</i> "Smith of Earth, of Earth, of Earth...." <i>And he +came to her, this image, on a charger, an animal much too thick through +the shoulders to be a horse, with three pairs of legs. Low out of saddle +he leaned, graceful, handsome bald head pink with excitement. He +clutched at her, lifted her through the mists, above them. The +six-legged horse soared high, above the hills, above the winds, carried +her higher and higher. Smith stroked her yellow hair, kissed her. She +tingled....</i></p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"Wake up Smith! Up, come on now, the class is over for today."</p> + +<p>He stirred. The dream—Gods of Earth, what a dream!</p> + +<p>"Well, how'd you like it? See what I mean about dream empathy, Smith? +Beats everything, doesn't it?"</p> + +<p>Smith hardly heard her. They say dreams fulfill wishes, they say—and +what was it Geria had dreamed? Suddenly, it was very important to Smith, +terribly important, more important than anything, because he remembered, +without knowing how or why, what had happened yesterday on the crags.</p> + +<p>"Geria," he said. He tried to make his voice soft, but it boomed loudly, +almost startled her.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing. Why nothing is the matter. You remember yesterday on the crag, +Geria?"</p> + +<p>She nodded.</p> + +<p>"And your dream—Geria?"</p> + +<p>Again, the casual nod.</p> + +<p>"Geria, I—I love you. I think I want to marry you. I think—"</p> + +<p>He stopped. She looked at him for what seemed a long time but really was +only a few seconds, and then she grinned. There was nothing malicious +about it, Smith knew, just a grin. It spread, and the woman of Bortinot +began to laugh. Softly at first, but soon she was laughing very hard and +Smith felt foolish. He wanted very much to be out of there, any place +but in that room, but he did not know for sure that he knew how to +operate the door.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Smith, Smith," she said, "if you could see yourself now. But I +suppose I deserve it. I planted the suggestion, you fought it, now +you're pretending. All right, I admit defeat. But stop now; you should +see your face."</p> + +<p>Serious. She was serious. She thought he was joking. Post-suggestively +you tried to get someone to do something—anything, and it was very very +funny if they did. Funnier yet if they didn't, because then they beat +you at your own game, made fun of you, laughed at you, but eventually +with you. Of course it was like that, let her think it was like that.</p> + +<p>He smiled. "All right, I'll—stop."</p> + +<p>And together, laughing, they walked out of the room. Smith was surprised +to find he had no trouble at all with the door.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Jorak had a friendly smile for Smith when he entered their room. +"There's a card for you in the box, Smith. Read it." Jorak, it seemed, +had stopped playing with his name.</p> + +<p>Smith took the card, read it. "<i>Smith of Earth, report to Registrar at +once.</i>"</p> + +<p>"You know why, don't you?" Jorak asked him. But the smile was no longer +friendly.</p> + +<p>"How should I know?"</p> + +<p>"Trouble, that's what. But you asked for it. Psi and Wortan don't mix, +barbarian."</p> + +<p>Smith was glad when he hardly felt any impulse to strike the purple man. +But he said, mocking Jorak's own tones, "Don't provoke me," and Jorak +cowered in a corner.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Smith looked into the banks of the Registrar's lights, spoke into the +speaker. "Smith of Earth," he said. This time his voice didn't boom with +loudness. And it didn't seem to matter much anymore.</p> + +<p>And this time, the Registrar's voice wasn't so femininely petulant. It +sounded masculine, authoritative.</p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth. Item. Garnot of Jlob feels you are an inferior history +student, recommends withdrawal from the school.</p> + +<p>"Item: Sog-chafka of Wortan announces your wanton use of psi-powers in +Wortan fighting, recommends clemency because you are a barbarian.</p> + +<p>"Item: Kard of Shilon wants to meet you in Wortan again. Promises to +kill you.</p> + +<p>"Item: both Jorak of Gyra and Geria of Bortinot have questioned your +mentality, want you tested."</p> + +<p>Vaguely Smith listened. He felt removed, resigned. But then certain +words struck hard....</p> + +<p>"<i> ... Geria of Bortinot questions your mentality....</i></p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth. Are you listening?"</p> + +<p>"I'm listening," Smith said.</p> + +<p>"I feel you have two choices," the Registrar said. "We can request your +withdrawal from the school, or we can keep you here under observation +and give you an exhaustive battery of tests. The decision is in your +hands."</p> + +<p>"<i> ... Geria of Bortinot questions your mentality....</i>"</p> + +<p>"<i> ... the decision is in your hands.</i>"</p> + +<p>Jorak moved, slipped along the wall. His face was sneering and fearful +too. The purple mask of his face seemed to swim before Smith's eyes like +something seen through watered glass. Smith was pacing. He felt the +emotions beginning to work yeastily and he longed to take that face and +twist it off its snaky neck.</p> + +<p>"You had better go back to Earth, Smith," Jorak said. "Wherever it is."</p> + +<p>Abruptly, Smith felt the tendons writhing between his hands. He lifted. +He held the squirming figure off the floor, held it there and looked +into it curiously.</p> + +<p>"You'd better use some of your psi-power, my little green friend," Smith +said, "While you can."</p> + +<p>The green face was turning purple. Words choked off somewhere down in +the tubular length of the neck. Smith could feel it now! He could feel +it! And he knew. The desperate tendrils of psi-power flailing out. And +Smith began to smile.</p> + +<p>"I could tell you some things, Jorak. You have some psi-power, but that +and anything else you've got, including some very bad features, you got +them all from Earth. You got the germs for it all a long time back. And +what you have left is just something that's a kind of left-over after a +few thousand years. The Earth has forgotten more psi-power, friend, than +you'll ever have."</p> + +<p>Jorak's eyes popped. Veins were coloring thickly through them.</p> + +<p>"You're here to learn something, Jorak. Listen. We developed psi-power +on Earth so long ago we don't bother remembering when it was."</p> + +<p>Smith felt the power all right. Latent psi-power, dormant and unused and +unneeded and uninteresting for aeons.</p> + +<p>He threw Jorak into the corner. Jorak curled up there, sucking in air +and rubbing his bruised neck.</p> + +<p>"We had it. We threw it away," Smith said. "We had a defense against it +too. But we don't use psi, or the defense anymore. We outgrew it. It had +its day and then we forgot about it, Jorak. Why? We lost interest. +Individual sanctity was better. Privacy of the human mind was something +a lot more to be desired than being able to pry into someone else's +brain, or vice versa. But you take a lot of pride, Jorak, in having a +little residue floating around."</p> + +<p>Smith grinned more widely. It was funny in a way, and sad too. And he +didn't particularly care about pushing it any further.</p> + +<p>"<i> ... the decision is in your hands.</i>"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>He wished his thoughts would organize, fuse somehow with the stirring, +rebelling emotions. Integration right now was vital. You lose, or you're +not equal to something. And a really top-notch defense-mechanism will +turn the whole thing around and say IT is not equal to YOU. That's a +danger. And of that he was afraid.</p> + +<p>Could he, should he, pass judgment? On a culture that had left Earth +wallowing in the cosmic back-waters? Twice, thrice, he had tried to pass +that judgment, but he could not. He should be judged, theoretically, not +the school.</p> + +<p>So what if their concept of history was primitive, basking in its own +importance, ignoring the philosophical precepts upon which the social +sciences are based? Surely they had reason, and he shouldn't +question....</p> + +<p>And if they valued Wortan fighting above all else ... if it made their +women look like eager animals waiting to see the blood spill ... how +could he question? Why should he dare assume that the whole culture was +depraved, simply because he regarded it that way by Earth standards?</p> + +<p>And their dream empathy was enjoyable, he had to admit that—but it was +too enjoyable. No wonder Earth had dropped that sort of thing long ago. +It was a good gimmick to divert attention from important things. It was +also regressive, a kind of sick introversion. It was decadence, an +invasion of privacy, an offense against the dignity of human privacy of +the mind—the individual's last precarious citadel.</p> + +<p>He jumped a little when the Registrar barked: "Your decision, Smith of +Earth."</p> + +<p>He smiled at the bank of lights. He had broad duties. He had a duty to +Earth. And an indirect duty to the Galaxy. He should report all this. +And Earth should try to do something to bring many worlds out of sloth, +decadence, regression and inverted self-importance.</p> + +<p>But first of all, a man had a duty to himself, his own psychic health. +Maybe the two weren't inseparable either. Maybe Earth would share the +humiliation if he, Smith, suffered its scars to remain on him.</p> + +<p>He wanted to consider himself as more than a mere projection of Earth, +more than a mere symbol. He was of Earth, sure. But first of all he was +Smith. Just plain Smith. A guy with a human spirit, with dignity that +could be affronted and had been here.</p> + +<p>He thought of Geria, of what that dream empathy had suggested. He felt +her lips again, the softly curving line of her hips under the silver +tunic to her knees, the yellow hair falling free to shoulders....</p> + +<p>"Your decision, Smith of Earth," the Registrar's voice was louder.</p> + +<p>"I'm not going back to Earth," said Smith softly. "Yet."</p> + +<p>He watched Jorak slipping up the side of the wall, then rushing out the +exit.</p> + +<p>Smith went to the exit too, then into the hall. He started walking down +it, and the smile clung to his lips like an old memory.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>From the monochromatic light harmonies playing softly from the walls, +from the abstract gentleness of music that never stopped filtering +through the gardens and over the mists of fountains, from the +ever-coruscating and subdued twilight that surrounded the school—from +these things, Smith extracted the tone of decadence, the static, +hidebound turning of a wheel upon itself.</p> + +<p>The women from Bortinot stared oddly at him as his bulk, high and broad +passed near. He heard their whispers ... "barbarian ... savage...."</p> + +<p>His smile broadened. The cycle closed. Strange, how the old became +decadent, and the young revolted and itself became sophisticated and +sick, and the old became young again and the old values turned fresh and +clear like a tree blooming out of winter's snow.</p> + +<p>The sounds of voices died abruptly as Smith went in. Faces turned ... +Brandog of Hulpin with the albino skin like alabaster; Luog the young, +green-skinned Pandenian ... varieties of form and color ... the white, +pink, orange and green brows. But there was the sameness of inversion +and static culture.</p> + +<p>Mouths gaped as Smith strode up to the front of the class room in +transtellar history and looked curiously at the little man with the +round gold face and green eyes that still blinked too much, and who, +even now, smiled too much, too vacantly, as if he had been practicing a +long time and had forgotten what it meant.</p> + +<p>But Garnot of Jlob's smile was slightly strained now and his face had a +pale look, under its sheath of gold.</p> + +<p>"What a boorish intrusion," the instructor said. His voice got higher. +"The entire school knows of course, Earth of Smith...."</p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth," Smith said softly.</p> + +<p>"Whatever it is, the entire school knows that already you have disgraced +yourself and your planet—which was to be expected. And that I have +recommended your withdrawal from the school as an inferior student."</p> + +<p>"And so," Smith said.</p> + +<p>"Therefore, it should be obvious that you are not particularly welcome +as a member of this class. Surely you have not chosen to remain, and +even if you have, it should be obvious that you will not be part of any +class of mine until you have successfully passed certain tests, and have +been kept under observation. Need I add that after you have taken these +tests, we will not be expecting you to remain...."</p> + +<p>Several students tittered.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to talk now, Garnot of Jlob," Smith said. "You asked me +questions earlier. Now I'm going to answer them."</p> + +<p>"But I did not...."</p> + +<p>"They're questions that should be answered, even though I'm not at all +sure that there's enough free-thought here to grasp the real meaning of +what I'm going to say."</p> + +<p>"I did not tell you to talk."</p> + +<p>"I'm Smith of Earth, and this is supposedly a free institution. On Earth +I wasn't accustomed to being told when I could talk, when I could +listen, when I could think. You asked me once where Earth is. I'll tell +you."</p> + +<p>"But I do not care and...."</p> + +<p>"Earth, interstellarly speaking, is a few parsecs from Sirius. +Spaceo-graphically speaking, it isn't very important where it is, not +really. Historically, it was at the apex of civilized culture before +Jlob ever existed except as a steaming carboniferous swamp peopled +largely by a species of amphibian. Socio-psychologically, Earth is a few +aeons ahead of the worlds so badly represented here."</p> + +<p>"You have not been told to talk!" screamed Garnot of Jlob.</p> + +<p>"But you are supposed to listen," Smith insisted. A gasp sounded through +the room. "You asked what was the first interstellar event of +importance. I'm going to tell you." He turned so that he was looking at +the class. "It wasn't the exodus from the prehistoric Sirian worlds to +the first culture in the Denebian system. Nor was it the Sirian wars. +Those things didn't set the stage for Interstellar history. Interstellar +history had already begun and grown old on the planet Earth, half a +million years before...."</p> + +<p>An intensity boiled up through the wick of Smith's body. "The question +itself is shallow, meaningless in an academic sense. It was asked only +to be answered in such a way as to reinforce egotistical concepts of +culture. The most important event in Interstellar history was when men +on the planet Earth developed speech perhaps, or some other event even +long before that ... and started the scientific process that led finally +to the most glorious epoch in history. And what was that? I can remember +with pride the engravings of the first proud Earth ships that blasted +off for the Centaurian system aeons ago. And other pictures of the early +days of the new Centaurian culture, and still others. Of discontent and +over-population. And the migration to Sirius.</p> + +<p>"Or even earlier, of the stern, thin-lipped face of Matthew Merkle whose +tincan of a spaceship carved a loop in space around the Moon—a +satellite of Earth—and returned.</p> + +<p>"You think of history in terms of challenge and response, and the +earlier challenges were the most significant ones. It was harder to get +a spaceship across a mere quarter of a million miles to the Moon then, +than it is to send it, translight, to the farthest star today."</p> + +<p>Garnot of Jlob was quivering. His face had a deep purplish cast.</p> + +<p>Smith turned completely around, his back to the instructor.</p> + +<p>"If you want the truth about interstellar history, my friends, come to +Earth. That was where it started. That's where anything decent about it +has remained. And I'm not at all sure that Earth isn't where it will end +... if it ever really ends."</p> + +<p>Half way to the exit, he turned to Garnot of Jlob. "You can stop trying +to use psi-power to make me shut up, you pompous phony."</p> + +<p>Laughing softly, Smith went out and down the hall. Behind him he heard a +loud coughing as though someone was choking.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>The word had spread before him to the room where Sog-chafka of Wortan, +and Kard of Shilon, and the crowd waited. The two giants were on the +mats and around the rows of up-circling benches, were the eager, hungry +faces of the women of Bortinot. The Dominants, their lips moist and +slightly open and their eyes shiny with anticipation.</p> + +<p>Geria stared at him, her body shifting slightly, her lips apart and her +teeth shining white, eyes glistening. He remembered how the kiss had +been. He smiled at her. She seemed scornful now, a little sad, pitying, +as he walked onto the mats.</p> + +<p>"Ah, Earthsmith," boomed the instructor. His massive blood-colored face +was shiny as he stood there, muscles rippling and seething under the +black uniform. Kard of Shilon grinned. The spectators laughed as Smith +tripped on the mat and almost sprawled.</p> + +<p>Kard of Shilon said, "I'm going to kill you, Earthsmith."</p> + +<p>Smith said, "That's an odd way to express your elite tastes, Kard, but I +can understand how you feel. Earth knew a lot of killing in its day."</p> + +<p>To Sog-chafka, Smith said, "You accused me of using psi-power in Wortan +fighting. It was kind of you to recommend clemency. However, I deny the +accusation."</p> + +<p>"He has psi-power," screamed Jorak of Gyra from the top bench. He shook +green fists.</p> + +<p>"You said only a few Earthmen had psi-power," Sog-chafka said.</p> + +<p>"I didn't. I said it's never used on Earth. There's a difference."</p> + +<p>"You said you...."</p> + +<p>"Didn't use it," Smith said. "What psi-power you have, came from Earth. +We of Earth developed it. But it's been a long time since we have +bothered with it. But though I'm a little bit rusty now, I'll show +you—"</p> + +<p>None of them ever knew what a dreadful moment that was for Smith ... who +knew his capacity for psi-power, but had never bothered to use it +before.</p> + +<p>He concentrated.</p> + +<p>Twenty Dominant women of Bortinot fell writhing on the mats.</p> + +<p>They writhed for a while, then got up and sat down again. Perspiration +was heavy on their faces, and they panted heavily, and their eyes were +slightly glazed with psychic shock.</p> + +<p>Smith's head ached. But he would never show it. He was rusty all right.</p> + +<p>Sog-chafka and Kard shifted once and seemed uneasy.</p> + +<p>Smith said. "I did that to demonstrate a point, which is that if I want +to use psi-power here, I'll not fool around with any puny amount of it +such as I was accused of doing earlier. I prefer fighting the Wortan +way. Psi-power fighting is pretty unhealthy stuff. Minds getting all +wrapped up together in combat. It's finally like beating yourself...."</p> + +<p>Smith laughed at the two giants. "Well," he said.</p> + +<p>Kard rushed. Smith dropped to hands and knees, pinched Kard's legs, held +them perpendicular from the knees down. Kard's rushing weight carried +his body on over. His knees popped. He screamed and fell moaning on the +mat.</p> + +<p>Sog-chafka was already rushing and he tried to duck as Smith lunged +upward. The sound in the room was cracking and sharp. Sog-chafka, the +instructor in Wortan fighting, stumbled back and his thick arms dug at +the air and a laxness showed under the skin-tight black uniform. Blood +ran on the mats as Sog-chafka refused to go down any further than his +knees. His head hung loosely and he slowly raised his blood-shot eyes.</p> + +<p>His massive face twisted. Kard of Shilon lay groaning a little, nursing +dislocated knees.</p> + +<p>Sog-chafka remained bent, powerful thighs driving as his toes dug into +the mat in a pounding, hurtling running dive, head down, hands reaching. +It was a ferocious thing to see. Smith could hear the gasps of +anticipation as he waited.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Smith chopped down with cupped hands as he stepped aside. He brought his +knee up into Sog-chafka's face and the instructor spun crazily across +the mat, his body sinking lower and lower and finally sliding forward on +his belly and lying there without moving at all. "Brute strength," Smith +said, "is what you want on Wortan."</p> + +<p>Smith glanced at Geria. "As you said earlier, Geria, there's something +glorious about fighting tooth and nail. That's what you said."</p> + +<p>Smith's foot was jerked from under him as Kard heaved. Smith's heavy +body thudded on the mat. Before he could twist around, Kard's powerful +arm was around his throat. Smith's wind was cut off. He felt his eyes +bulge, and he knew that Kard would kill him. "I think, Earthsmith, it +only right you should come down here with me!"</p> + +<p>Smith put his right hand under Kard's right elbow. He clenched Kard's +right wrist with the other hand. He pushed up with his right hand, +heaved down with his left. Kard screamed a second time as his elbow +popped.</p> + +<p>He had to let go or his arm would break, so he let go. As Kard rolled +free, Smith aimed for that vital point just to the left of the tip of +Kard's chin. The back of Kard's head thudded on the mat, his eyes rolled +up.</p> + +<p>Smith got to his feet. He could hear Jorak of Gyra yelling. "He used +psi! He used psi!"</p> + +<p>Smith hated to acquire another headache, but he felt this had to be +done. He concentrated on Jorak who started to sweat. Then Jorak came +down to the mats and began to writhe and hop around in a weird and +formless dance. Round and round the mats Jorak danced, his face working +fitfully.</p> + +<p>Sog-chafka was on one knee. His face was swelling and blood ran from his +chin. He grinned and a broken tooth fell out. He looked up at the row of +spectators. "He didn't use any psi on me. I guess you could say it +wasn't necessary."</p> + +<p>There was no applause from the spectators. There was a kind of bitter +ferment working, a wonderment and a suspicion and a dull kind of shock +that blanks out facing unpleasant truths.</p> + +<p>Smith started past the first row, then stopped and looked down at the +woman. He'd miss her, she had seen to that, and she had only been +jesting. He'd think of how it might have been, at another time, in +another way—but he'd forget in time. You forgot and you grew. +Especially, when you had a job to do.</p> + +<p>"There's one thing this school has," he said, "that Earth doesn't have +... and never did ... and probably never will. And that is Geria of +Bortinot."</p> + +<p>When he went out, she was staring after him with an odd expression he +couldn't identify. And behind her, Jorak of Gyra danced round and round +the mats.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>The Registrar's lights blinked with what might almost have been +nervousness.</p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth. Item: Garnot of Jlob has withdrawn his recommendation +that you leave the school. However, his transtellar history class will +have a new instructor for a week. His name is Khrom of Khaldmar.</p> + +<p>"Item: Sog-chafka of Wortan withdraws his accusation that you used +psi-power in Wortan fighting. Wortan fighting classes have been dropped +for two weeks.</p> + +<p>"Item: Kard of Shilon does not wish to meet you again in Wortan.</p> + +<p>"Item: Jorak of Gyra and Geria of Bortinot do not question your +mentality and formally request that you release Jorak from psi-power +suggestion which is causing Jorak to dance himself to death."</p> + +<p>Smith listened rather absently and then went to the window and looked +out over the strange landscape.</p> + +<p>"Smith of Earth ... as yet you have not taken the battery of tests here, +and the tests will determine your stay here. The choice is yours. We can +request your withdrawal from the school, or we can keep you here. Your +Dominant classification has been thoroughly validated. We are sure you +would be happy here, and the tests will be presented in such a way that +you will...."</p> + +<p>Well, he hadn't let himself down. He'd defended his integrity as a human +being. But he'd been told not to let Earth down.</p> + +<p>Well, would he be letting Earth down by leaving? Would he be? If he +returned and said that the galaxy had a school but we'd better not send +students because the school is decadent—could Earth stand up in the +face of its pricked bubble?</p> + +<p>What is, and what is not, letting your planet down? Smith knew it for an +almost meaningless phrase, standing here before the clicking Registrar. +The important thing was to learn, for from learning are sowed the seeds +of progress, and surely he had learned.</p> + +<p>Yes, he had learned a great deal about the Galactic culture.</p> + +<p>The Registrar's voice droned on, being very logical and again petulant +in a feminine way. It was a compliant machine. It got along well, +maintaining a nice balance, with everyone. With Dominants it became +slightly recessive. With Receptives, it was just a little bit Dominant.</p> + +<p>He watched the monstrous blotch of the red star, swelling and crimson, +old and fading, yet filling a quarter of the sky, like a fat old man, +getting fatter while his brain rotted away in his skull.</p> + +<p>He turned as the door opened. His breath shortened as she came toward +him. Smith rubbed his bald pate, and felt the heat rise to his face.</p> + +<p>"You made a fool of me, Smith," she whispered. "Now you're blushing ... +and that's just an act isn't it? You're still making a fool of me."</p> + +<p>"No," he said. "The way I felt about you and the things I said, I meant +them. I still do."</p> + +<p>"But you let me use that psi-power on you ... and ... and if you'd +wanted to ... you could have...." He stared. She was sobbing a little.</p> + +<p>He had felt it before, but the feeling was strong enough now to motivate +action. He put his arms about her, protectively. He looked out the +window at the cragged horizon and the dying red star behind.</p> + +<p>"The psi-power," he said. "I didn't realize I had it then. When you used +it ... and later, the dream-empathy, it stirred up a lot of old +capacities. I wasn't trying to fool anyone. I love you, Geria of +Bortinot. And I'm not fooling...."</p> + +<p>"<i>Your decision, Smith of Earth....</i>"</p> + +<p>Well, he had learned a great deal about Galactic culture, so what should +he do? A duty to Earth, to civilization. He had learned:</p> + +<p>... That the superior cultures out here among the stars were a myth.</p> + +<p>... That something had gone haywire in the startrails, that everyone you +met was either psychotic or highly neurotic by Earth standards.</p> + +<p>... That the exceptions might be the hope of the Galaxy. But they were +very few.</p> + +<p>... That Earth had better seek out the reasons for all this, try to +eliminate them at their sources if possible, but certainly keep them +from contaminating the home planet.</p> + +<p>... That Earth had a big job, but if he came back and reported and +worked at it, he might convince Earth she was up to it.</p> + +<p>That was one way.</p> + +<p>"<i>Your decision, Smith of Earth, the battery of tests or....</i>"</p> + +<p>She was looking up at him. "Well?"</p> + +<p>"What do you think, Geria?"</p> + +<p>She put her face against his chest. "Whatever you decide," she +whispered. "You're the Dominant...."</p> + +<p>He smiled at the banks of lights. "When's the next ship for Deneb?" he +asked. "We're going back to Earth."</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Earthsmith, by Milton Lesser + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EARTHSMITH *** + +***** This file should be named 32641-h.htm or 32641-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/6/4/32641/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan 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. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +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 + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/32641-h/images/cover.jpg b/32641-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d3a350b --- /dev/null +++ b/32641-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/32641-h/images/illus.jpg b/32641-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..945a7c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/32641-h/images/illus.jpg diff --git a/32641.txt b/32641.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1fa4e3b --- /dev/null +++ b/32641.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2178 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Earthsmith, by Milton Lesser + +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: Earthsmith + +Author: Milton Lesser + +Release Date: June 1, 2010 [EBook #32641] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EARTHSMITH *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + EARTHSMITH + + By Milton Lesser + +[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of +Science and Fantasy January 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any +evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] + + +[Sidenote: Nobody at the Interstellar Space School had ever heard of +Earth so naturally they treated Smith with contempt--or was it an innate +fear?...] + + +Someone in the crowd tittered when the big ungainly creature reached the +head of the line. + +"Name?" + +The creature swayed back and forth foolishly, supporting the bulk of his +weight first on one extremity and then on the other. His face which had +a slight rosy tint anyway got redder. + +"Come, come. Planet? Name?" The registrar was only a machine, but the +registrar could assume an air of feminine petulance. "We want to keep +the line moving, so if you will please--" + +The creature drew a deep breath and let the two words come out in a +rush. "Earth, Smith," he said. Being nervous, he could not modulate his +voice. Unable to modulate his voice, he heard the words come out too +deep, too loud. + +"Did you hear that voice?" demanded the man who had tittered. "On a cold +wet night they say the karami of Caulo boom like that. And look at +Earthsmith. Just look at him. I ask you, what can they accept at the +school and still call it a school? Hey you, Earthsmith, what courses +will you take?" + +"I don't know," the creature confessed. "That's what I'm here for. I +don't even know what they teach at the school." + +"He doesn't know." More tittering. + +The registrar took all this in impassively, said: "What planet, +Earthsmith?" + +The creature was still uncomfortable. "Earth. Only my name is not +Earthsmith. Smith--" + +The titterer broke into a loud guffaw. "Earthsmith doesn't even know +what planet he's from. Good old Earthsmith." He was a small thin man, +this titterer, with too-bright eyes, vaguely purple skin, and a +well-greased shock of stiff green hair. + +Smith squared his wide shoulders and looked into the colored lights of +the registrar. "It's a mistake. My name is Smith." + +"What planet, Smith?" + +"Earth. The planet Earth." Smith had a rosy, glistening bald head and a +hairless face. A little bead of sweat rolled into his left eye and made +him blink. He rubbed his eye. + +"Age?" The machine had a way of asking questions suddenly, and Smith +just stared. + +"Tell me your age. Age. How old are you?" + +Smith wanted to sit down, only there were no chairs. Just the room with +its long line of people behind him, and the machine up front. The +registrar. + +"I'm twenty-seven." + +"Twenty-seven what?" + +"You asked me my age. I'm twenty-seven years old, and three months." + +Except for the clicking of the machine, there was a silence. The voice +of the machine, feminine again, seemed confused when it spoke. "I cannot +correlate years, Smith of Earth. How old are you?" + +It wasn't an ordeal, really, but Smith felt more uncomfortable every +moment. Was the machine making fun of him? If it were, then it had an +ally in the crowd, because the man who had tittered was laughing again, +the green shock of hair on his head bobbing up and down. + +"Earthsmith doesn't even know how old he is. Imagine." + +The machine, which was more feminine than not, asked Smith how far the +planet Earth was from its primary, and what the orbital speed of the +planet was. Smith told her, but again the terminology was not capable of +correlation. + +"Unclassified as to age, Smith. It's not important. I wonder, are you +dominant or receptive?" + +"I'm a man. Male. Dom--" + +"That doesn't matter. Smith, tell me, how long has it been since anyone +from the planet Earth has attended the school?" + +Smith said he didn't know, but, to his knowledge, no one from Earth had +ever been here. "We don't get around much any more. It's not that we +can't. We just go and then we don't like it, so we come back to Earth." + +"Well, from the looks of you I would say you are a receptive. Very +definitely receptive, Smith." Given sufficient data, the registrar could +not be wrong. Given sufficient data the registrar could tell you +anything you wanted to know, provided the answer could be arrived at +from the data itself. "The male and female distinction no longer holds, +of course. On some planets the female is dominant, on some she's not. +It's generally according to the time of colonization, Smith. When was +Earth colonized?" + +"It wasn't." + +"What do you mean, it wasn't?" + +"We were always there. We colonized the rest of the galaxy. Long ago." + +The registrar clicked furiously, expressed itself still more femininely +this time. "Oh, that planet! You certainly are the first, Smith. The +very first here at the school. Room 4027, dominant companion." Neuter +voice again. "That's all, Smith of Earth. Next." + +The vaguely purple-skinned man stood before the registrar, winked at the +flashing lights. "You know, now I can see what they mean when we're told +of a missing link in the chain between man and animal. Old +Earthsmith...." + +"Name?" said the machine. + +The man pointed at Smith, shook with silent laughter. The back of +Smith's head, which could not properly be called bald because he had +never had any hair on it, was very red. + +"Name's Jorak." + +"Planet?" demanded the fully neuter machine. + + * * * * * + +There was the red star, a monstrous blotch of crimson swollen and +brooding on the horizon and filling a quarter of the sky. There was the +fleck of white high up near the top of the red giant, its white-dwarf +companion in transit. These were the high jagged crags, falling off +suddenly to the sundered, frothy sea with its blood-red sun-track fading +to pink and finally to gray far away on either side. + +Smith watched the waves break far below him, and he almost stumbled when +someone tapped his shoulder. + +"That was mean of the man named Jorak." She might have been a woman of +Earth, except that she was too thin, cast in a too-delicate mould. Yet +beautiful. + +Smith shrugged, felt the heat rise to his face and knew that he must +have looked like a mirror for the red sun. + +"Is that really a blush, Smith? Are you blushing?" + +He nodded. "I can't help it. I--" + +"Don't be foolish. I don't want you to stop. I think it looks nice." + +Smith rubbed his pate, watched the hot wind blow the girl's yellow hair +about her face. "They tell me my great great grandfather had a little +fringe of hair around his head. I've seen pictures." + +"How nice--" + +"If you're trying to make fun of me, please go away. It wasn't nice, it +was ugly. Either you have hair or you don't. The men of Earth used to +have it, long ago. The women still do." + +She changed the subject. "I'll bet you think this place is ugly, Smith." + +Smith shook his head. "No, it's stark. If you like things that way, it +isn't really ugly. But Earth is a planet of green rolling hills and soft +rains and--you're making fun of me." + +"You say that again and I'll take it as an insult." She smiled. "We have +our green rolling hills on Bortinot, only it's cold. I like it here +because it's warm. And, of course, I have a lot to learn at school." + +"Would you think I'm stupid if I ask you what?" + +"No. And you were really serious in there when you said you didn't know +what they teach." + +"How could I know? I'm the first student here from Earth. Every five +years--say, twenty times during the course of one lifetime--we get the +application. This time the government finally decided someone should go. +Me." + +"Well, they teach just about everything that could be of value in a +transtellar culture." + +"What?" + +"Things like astrogation and ethics--" + +"I caught the school express at a Denebian planet. Someone told me there +that the school is decadent." + +She smiled up at him. "Deneb is a slothful place, then. It is true that +the school never stands still, changing its courses to meet the demands +of a changing society. If Deneb cannot keep pace with the changes, that +could explain the feeling. Right now they'll be concentrating in dreams +and dream-empathy, in some of the newer Garlonian dances, Sarchian +cooking for the receptives and Wortan fighting for the dominants. Quite +a virile program, Smith, provided one is up to it." + +"What happened to your astrogation and ethics?" + +"That? Oh, that's just a catch-all phrase. Your courses will depend on +such things as your D or R classifications--" + +"It makes me laugh a little," Smith admitted. "But they've classified me +as a receptive. I guess they know what they're doing. Still--" + +"You think you're strong, eh?" + +"Well, I didn't see anyone in the registrar's room who would worry me +very much in a fight." + +"Society is sophisticated, Smith. There's more to strength than mere +brawn. What sort of psi-powers have they cultivated on the planet +Earth?" + + * * * * * + +In a general sense, but in a general sense only, Smith knew what she +meant. "Well, there's hypnotism, and some people play at telepathy and +clairvoyance. Nothing much, really." + +"That isn't much, my friend." + +"Why? What else is there?" Smith smiled for the first time. "I didn't +know--" He shook his head, suddenly, to clear it. He felt tilted. He +looked and he saw that everything was straight, but still he felt +tilted. He tried to right himself, and down he went. On his stomach he +lay, his legs twisted under him a little. Foolishly, he tried to get up. +He couldn't. + +"There's that." The girl laughed. "Suggestion without the need for +hypnotism." + +Smith stood up, said, "I see what you mean." + +"Think so?" + +It began to rain. A brisk wind came up abruptly, and off in the distance +Smith heard the roar of thunder. It came closer. Still closer. Like in a +straight line. Smith watched the lightnings prance. + +"We'd better get back to the school!" he cried. He didn't think she +could hear his voice above the thunder. He started to shout again, but +lightning crackled before his eyes. Between him and the girl. Something +rumbled, and Smith started to fall. They had been blasted off the crag, +and now they hurtled down through the sheets of hot rain.... + +"Feel yourself," the girl told him. The huge crimson sun still sat on +the horizon. The air was hot and warm and Smith was dry. + +"Suggestion," she smiled again. "Most of us have it to some degree, but +we of Bortinot have it still more. Still think you should be a +dominant?" + +"Well--" The girl's face swam before his eyes. Lovely. Smith took a step +forward, reached out and placed his big hands on her shoulders. + +"Well what?" She was smiling. + +"What's your name?" + +"Geria." + +His lips were big and hers were little, if full. He quivered as he +kissed her. "I love you, Geria." + +"I know it," she said. + + * * * * * + +"The reason I went outside to watch the sea," Smith said, "was because I +didn't know how to get to room 4027. I didn't want to ask anyone, not +after--" + +"That makes sense. I'll take you, Smith. I'm just down the hall from +you, anyway." + +"Thank you, Geria." Smith wondered how he knew her name was Geria. Nice +name. "What happened after I thought there was a storm, Geria?" Smith +suppressed a smile. + +"Oh, nothing much. I just planted another suggestion in your mind. For +now you've forgotten, but you will remember. Shall we go?" + +They walked back down the path from the top of the crag, and soon Smith +saw other students in groups of two and three. Ahead was the long low +school, a dull rectangle of metal perhaps two miles long and half as +wide. With Geria, Smith entered through one of the hundreds of doorways +and followed her wordlessly up a mechanical staircase. + +They flashed past many landings, and after a time Smith followed the +girl across one of them and into a long hall. + +"Simple," she said. "You have the twenty-seventh room here on the +fortieth floor. Mine is room eighteen. Will we be seeing more of each +other, Smith?" + +"As much as you'd like," he said, but it made him feel foolish. He had +merely spoken to the girl for a few minutes, and yet he could not quite +fathom his emotions. To some extent she had made him feel the same as +had the man Jorak, and yet she liked him. She wanted to see more of him. +She said so. + +"Smith, you're blushing again. I tell you what: if you can do that every +day, then I will see you every day. It's so nice and--unaffected." + +Was that the word she really had in mind? Smith remembered once when he +was little, a farmer had come to the city and everyone had called him an +ancient word which they said came from a still more ancient name. Rube +they had called him. Rube. He didn't like it. He had had a fight, Smith +recalled, and a big plateglass window was broken. He went to jail for a +few weeks on the moon, and after that he didn't come to the city any +more. Smith was little at the time, but he had never forgotten the look +on the farmer's face when the security officers took him off to the moon +rocket. + +Had he known it, Jorak would have used the word rube, but what about +Geria? + +The green number on the white door was painted sharply--4027. "Here's my +room," Smith said. He tried an indifferent wave, but it hardly worked, +and he began to blush again. + +Geria skipped lightly down the hall, and he couldn't see her face to +tell if she were smiling. He shrugged, opened the door. + + * * * * * + +"Earthsmith! Oh, no ... I come half way across the galaxy to get here, +so what are the odds against any particular room mate? Huge, that's +what. But I got me--hello, Earthsmith." + +It was the purple man, Jorak. He had just recently greased his shock of +bright green hair, and he had turned away from the mirror when Smith +opened the door. Now he turned back to the tinted glass and held his +head at various angles. + +"Well, can you change rooms if you want to?" Smith asked pleasantly. + +"You're not going to chase me out of my own room, Earthsmith. You can +change if you'd like. Not me." + +"All right if you want me to I'll change." + +"If I want you to! Don't pass the blame to me, Earthsmith. I didn't say +a thing about changing, not me. Don't you think I'm good enough for +you?" + +"I don't care one way or the other," Smith said. "I suggested you change +because I thought you'd be happier that way. Look, I'll mind my own +business and pretend you are not even here. How's that?" + +"Pretend I'm not here? Like cepheid you will. If you want to be ornery, +Smith, or Earthsmith, or whatever your name is, I'll give you plenty to +be ornery about. I'm a dominant, you know, so just watch out." + +"I'll change if that will make you happy." Smith didn't want any +trouble. He still felt more than a little strange and out of place here, +and a fight with Jorak wouldn't help matters. Briefly, he wondered what +sort of psi-powers Jorak possessed. + +The purple man stood up. "What kind of a slap in the face is that? We +haven't even started courses or anything. You think I'd need you to help +me with my work or something?" + +"No, I'm quite sure you wouldn't. But I'll change my room, anyway. I'll +probably get in your way--" + +"Well, _I_ wouldn't get into _your_ hair, satellite-head! If you think +you're going to leave here and say I started a fight or something.... My +father made quite a record for himself here at the school, and I'll have +to beat it, of course." + +"Of course," Smith agreed, but he did not really know why. + +"Are you implying anyone, just anyone, could top my father's record, +Earthsmith? Not a man from Gyra ever did it, and intellectually Gyra is +top planet in its own sector. Not a woman from Bortinot came close, but +then, you probably don't even know where Bortinot is." + +Smith said no, he didn't, but he had just met a woman from Bortinot. +Perhaps if he changed the subject.... + +Jorak ran his fingers up along each side of his shock of hair. They came +away greasy green. "Exquisite, those women of Bortinot. But then, you +probably wouldn't appreciate them, eh, Earthsmith?" + +Smith said that he could appreciate them very well indeed, especially +since, except for a few minor structural differences, they looked like +women of Earth. It was a mistake, and the muscles in Jorak's cheeks +began to twitch. + +"I say they look exquisite, you say they look like women of Earth. Which +is it, Earthsmith? Not both, surely--a contradiction in terms. I believe +you're trying to provoke me." + +Smith sighed. He wanted no trouble--they had spent a year with him on +Earth, indoctrinating that. He was to be a paragon at the school, as +Earth's first student there, he had to be a paragon--even if he turned +out to be more awkward in this situation than the farmer on Earth +everyone had called Rube. + +"I think I will go to sleep," Smith said. + +"Why, don't you men of Earth ever eat, Smith?" + +Smith said yes, they ate, but he wasn't very hungry now. As a matter of +fact, he was ravenously hungry, but he did not relish the idea of going +to some public eating place either with Jorak or alone. His heart began +to beat a little faster when he thought that he might meet Geria if he +did, but then he felt the heat rise up his neck and into his cheeks. +He'd hardly know what to say to her, and besides, he knew there was +something he should remember but couldn't quite. No, he'd skip dinner +this first day at the school. + +Now he watched Jorak open the door and step into the hallway, and for a +moment he heard gay voices and the shuffling of many feet, and Jorak's +voice louder than the rest: "Kard of Shilon! How long has it been? I can +remember that day near Raginsdild...." + +Smith turned to the window, and for a long time he sat watching the fat +red sun. + + * * * * * + +He got up early and he showered, and then he heard a clicking sound. Two +cards had been deposited in a tray from a slot in the wall. At the top +of one were the words "Jorak of Gyra," and Smith's name and planet were +printed on the other. He picked it up and began to read, and then Jorak +sat up and took the other card. + +"Programs," said Jorak. "Everyone takes transtellar history, of course, +and a section or two in the humanities. My electives are Wortan fighting +and dream-empathy." + +Smith smiled. "Me too--same program. I suppose we'll be in class +together, Jorak." + +"Rather stupid," the purple man observed. "They've given you a +dominant's program. But then, I remember you questioned your receptive +classification, and the registrar's known to do this on occasion, just +to put you in your place. You'll be in Garlonian dancing in a few days, +Earthsmith." + +"Well, I sure hope not. I didn't come here to learn how to dance--" + +"Hah! So what? If you're an R you'll learn how to dance and like it. +Cook, too. There's no such thing as a misfit at the school, not +permanently. They'll find you out soon enough, Earthsmith. Hmmm, wait +till Kard of Shilon finds out what they've put in Wortan. Kard's top man +in his sector, and it's just possible they'll pair you off with him. + +"Well, you going to eat this morning? I'd hate to see you in Wortan +without a good meal in you. But I suppose it really wouldn't help, +anyway. Coming, Earthsmith?" + +There weren't any people out in the hall this early, and Smith breathed +more easily when they moved in a direction opposite that of Geria's +room. Soon they had descended a score of levels, and the moving ramp +became more crowded. Smith tried to ignore the eager hum of +conversation, but it was all around him. He realized he should be +feeling that way too. But you couldn't drum up a student's eager +appetite within yourself, not when you didn't feel that way, not when +your entire planet waited to see how you made out here and you felt +unsure of yourself, even in such simple things as eating. + +That part of it at least turned out better than Smith had hoped. There +were eggs, and while he was sure he would not recognize the fowl if he +saw it, he could at least order his over-light and get something +familiar. And there were long strips of fatty meat which almost could +have been bacon, except Smith was sure the pig wouldn't be a pig at all. + +And Smith was lost in the hordes of white men, green men, purple, orange +and brown, and no one paid him too much attention. Jorak busied himself +remembering old times with a gruff burly orange man named Kard, whose +planet was Shilon, and Smith ate in silence. Once he thought he saw +Geria far off at another table, but it could have been his imagination, +and when he looked again she was gone. + +Home, Smith always had been a quick eater, but now he found himself +pawing at his food. Soon the great dining room began to clear. Jorak and +Kard leaned back in their chairs, watching Smith. + +Jorak yawned. "How long does it take you to breakfast?" + +"Different rate of digestion on Earth," Kard suggested. + +"Don't be foolish. Earthsmith's in no hurry to attend his first class, +so he's loafing. Right, Earthsmith?" + +Smith mumbled something about unfamiliar food under his breath, and +Jorak said, "Well, no matter. We'll give you another moment or two, +Earthsmith. Then we'll have to be going. We all three have transtellar +history, you know." + +Smith knew it all too well. Gyra and Bortinot and Shilon were so many +names to him and he silently cursed Earth's provincial histories. For +those here at the school, the three names and a hundred others might be +magical stepping stones to the culture, the lore, the history of a +galaxy--but all Smith knew now was that Jorak came from Gyra, and so +some of Gyra's people at least must be purple, that Geria came from +Bortinot where the women were D and the men were R and where the women +looked like those of Earth, that Kard, finally, came from a place that +bore the name Shilon, where some of the men at least were orange. But +Shilon could have been anyplace from the hub to the fringe, Gyra might +swim dizzily out near Ophiuchus or it might be the new culture name for +one of Earth's near neighbors. And Bortinot--he wished he knew more +about Bortinot. + + * * * * * + +The instructor of transtellar history was a little fat man with a round +gold face and green eyes that blinked too much. He wore the tight black +uniform of the instructor and his green armband proclaimed his subject +to be history. He smiled too much, too vacantly, as if he had been +practicing it a long time and now forgot what it really meant. + +"Greetings!" he cried jovially, after everyone had been seated on the +long low benches around the room. "I bring you history. No one is to +talk unless I tell him to. Everyone is to listen unless I tell him not +to. Clear?" He smiled. + +No one said anything. + +"Excellent. History encompasses thousands of years and countless cubic +parsecs. Only the big things count. We will forget the little things. +Little things belong to little people and we of the school are the elite +of a transtellar culture. Questions?" + +There were none. + +"Good, because I have some. What would you say was the first event of +importance? Luog of Panden, talk." + +Said green-skinned Luog, a very young Pandenian: "You mean ever?" + +"I would have specified had I meant otherwise. Yes, ever. Talk, Luog of +Panden." + +"Well--" + +"Halt a moment, please. Who thinks the question is a relative one which +cannot properly be answered? I clair it is Brandog of Hulpin." + +An albino woman three seats down from Smith flushed. "I am sorry," she +said. + +"Who told you to talk now? This is not Hulpin, Brandog. The course is +intensive. You must concentrate. Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. +No extraneous thoughts." The instructor smiled. "Luog of Panden, talk." + +Smith felt the little beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The +instructor could read minds--and how many of these others could? They +just sat there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.... + +Only Brandog of Hulpin seemed ruffled, and it would be many moments +before her albino skin looked again like soft alabaster. But no one +seemed to notice. Luog was saying, "--exodus from the prehistoric Sirian +worlds to the first culture in the Denebian system, the Var one. More +than ten thousand Vars ago." + +"Satisfactory for a Receptive, Luog of Panden," the instructor smiled. +"The Dominants would go back a bit further and talk of the Sirian wars, +but that much is a matter of opinion, since the wars are largely +mythical, anyway. And so we have set the stage for history. We have--" + + * * * * * + +Smith wanted to get up indignantly and tell the instructor, tell them +all, what the most glorious epochs of history really were. You would +find it in the museums of earth, on the plaques and in the statues and +on the old old records of Earth. There was a lot Smith wanted to tell +them because there was so much only he could tell them, so much they had +forgotten. + +But he merely sat and stared politely at the black-uniformed instructor. +You don't show yourself as a provincial--what was the word?--rube, not +when your culture, while temporarily the oldest, is in a lot of ways the +most neophite of them all. + +You just sat and stared, looking interested. + +The instructor's voice cut into his thoughts, "Earth of Smith--" + +"Smith of Earth," he said, automatically. + +"I did not tell you to talk, Smith of Earth. And if your card says Earth +of Smith, how am I to know? A mistake, yes--but an understandable one. +I'm a historian, and I have heard of neither planet. Where is this +Earth? Talk, Smith!" + +He stood up, although it wasn't really necessary, and he could feel his +knees trembling slightly. "Earth is a few parsecs from Sirius, and +Sirius I think you know." + +"I know Sirius. Now talk!" + +"What is it you want me to say? I don't feel much like talking--" + +"Yet you speak so loud that the room fairly rocks with it. I wanted you +to tell us why you did not agree with the answer just now rendered. It +is, I feel, a good one. Talk." + +"Then I agree, it is a good one." Smith did not want to get involved. He +wanted to be a good, quietly efficient student. Nothing more. But he +forgot that the instructor could read minds. + +"You lie, Smith of Earth. I won't go into it any further, because it is +your privilege if you want to lie. But you are not to listen for the +remainder of this lecture. Do not listen." + +Smith nodded, cursed himself mentally because he had made such a mess of +things here at his very first lecture, and headed for the door. + +"Smith of Earth! Just where under the red sun do you think you are +going?" + +"You told me not to listen, so--" + +"I didn't say talk. Talk now." + +"--so I'm leaving the room." + +"No one leaves until the lecture has been concluded. Sit if you will, or +stand, but stay here. And do not listen." + +Smith nodded, turned back to the row of benches dumbly. He found a place +next to Brandog of Hulpin, sat near the albino woman. Down the bench, he +saw Jorak grinning broadly. Smith did not know how he was going to sit +there without listening, but he decided he'd better not ask that +question now. + + * * * * * + +"This is your course in Wortan fighting," boomed the giant of an +instructor. "Dominants only, or such Receptives as question their +classification." The instructor's massive face was beefy, the color of +new-spilled blood, and the muscles rippled and bulged and seethed under +his black uniform. + +"Me for this!" confided Kard of Shilon, slapping Smith's back. "Perhaps +Jorak has told you that I am not without ability on the Wortan mats." + +Smith hardly heard him. Two dozen paces across the room, on the other +side of the circle that surrounded the instructor, stood Geria, hands on +hips, lips soft-smiling when she saw Smith, silver tunic to her knees, +yellow hair hanging free to shoulders. + +"Join me, Smith of Earth?" she called, and knees watery again, Smith +made his way around the circle. + +While Jorak gaped, Geria took Smith's hand when they met half way around +the circle, and she smiled up at him. "I wouldn't have believed it, but +you're blushing again. Earth trait, Smith?" + +"No, not really," he stammered. + +The slim girl was about to say something, but the instructor cleared his +throat ominously, and the room became silent again. "Now, then," +declared the giant, "there's no trick to fighting with psi-powers. +Anyone can do that, and the women of Bortinot, as you know, are +particularly adept. But the people of Wortan have no such powers, and +they must depend on tooth and nail, on sinew and bone and animal +cunning. Such is the way the Wortanians do battle--and, purely for +sport, such is the way of Wortan fighting. Any questions?" + +"Yes," Geria told him, "I have one. Are we not permitted to use any +psi-powers?" + +"None. They disqualify you." + +"Well, then I suppose I must withdraw from the course. I can't be +expected to stand up to a man physically. I'm not built that way--and +very few women are, Dominant or Receptive." + +Smith had not expected this, but now he felt a warm glow in his breast. +He almost wanted to put his arm about the woman's shoulders, +protectively. How could such a delicate beautiful thing be expected to +fight? + +The instructor said, "I won't argue with you. I can't remember a woman +ever lasting in Wortan fighting, but if they're Dominants they're +automatically entered. The rest of you can do like--" + +The words came out before Smith could stop them. "In that case, can +anyone tell me the difference between a Dominant and a Receptive?" + +There was a lot of laughter in the room, and Smith thought it would have +been the same had he, as a child, asked the difference between boy and +girl. "Ah, old Earthsmith!" he heard Jorak's voice. "Everytime he opens +his mouth new wisdom spews forth." + +Pale eyes looked out of the instructor's blood-red face. "Obviously, +you're joking. I'm here to answer questions, among other things, but you +couldn't be serious." + +And Smith heard his own dull voice reply: + +"No, certainly not. I was only joking." + +Said Geria, "Silly, a Dominant has more psi-powers, that's all. But you +really didn't know, did you?" + +"There are no psi-powers on Earth to speak of," Smith reminded her. + +"Hmm, very true. In that case, maybe you're all Receptives--male and +female. But don't feel too badly, Smith; Wortan's the same way, and +Wortan has a first-rate culture. Look: they even have an instructor here +at the school." + +The instructor of Wortan fighting was a Wortanian, of course. And here, +in Wortan fighting, Smith might feel at home. But he hardly expected to +excel at the school by breaking someone's back, or pinning him +helplessly to the Wortan mat. Suddenly he found himself thinking of +Earth, thinking of the trust that had been put in him as Earth's first +student at the school. But his thoughts did not remain there long--his +eyes took in the soft yellow of Geria's hair, and Earth faded far away. + +"--volunteers," the instructor was saying. "Does anyone want to step on +the mat with me for a fall or two?" + +"I recommend Earthsmith," came Jorak's voice. "Positively--Earthsmith's +your man." + +Smith felt his face becoming very red again, but Geria nudged him with +an elbow. "Go ahead, Smith--why not? You told me once you didn't fear +anyone in the room of the registrar, not in physical combat. Go ahead." + +"I know, but--" + +"Go ahead, Smith. Show me." + +He could do that. Yes, he could show her. But what if he were +wrong--they might know a trick or two that would make him look foolish. +And he wouldn't want that, not in front of Geria. "I am tired," he said. +"I didn't sleep well last night." + +The instructor rescued him. "I didn't ask you to recommend. I asked for +volunteers. But you who spoke, what's your name?" + +"I am Jorak of Gyra," said Jorak, purple face paling. + +"You'll do. On the mat, man of Gyra." + +Jorak stepped forward, slowly, in no hurry to meet the giant. Smith +heard Kard's mocking laugh. "Ho, Jorak--he'll tear you in half. Now if +he had asked for a man of Shilon ... a real man...." + +And still laughing, the Shilonian heaved mightily with both his hands +and sent Jorak stumbling out onto the mat. The man of Gyra fell and +skidded on his stomach, turned over once and finally came up into a +sitting position at the instructor's feet. Kard was grinning, but Jorak +saw nothing funny in what had happened. He stood up slowly, wheezing, +and his gaze raked the circle. It flicked past Kard rapidly, kept going, +poised a moment on Geria, then reached Smith. Jorak shook his fist. "All +right, Earthsmith, I'll get you for this." + +Geria smiled. "I would say that you have an enemy there." + +The instructor bellowed a warning and came for Jorak. + + * * * * * + +For some reason Smith found he couldn't keep his eyes off the fray, and +he found his own breath coming in ragged gasps. Geria watched with a +dispassionate interest. "Poor man of Gyra," she said. "It might be a +different story if he could use some of his psi-powers. The men of Gyra +have a little of that, you know." + +"Well, why can't he?" + +"He'd be disqualified, shamed--and maybe worse. I never knew that +psi-powers were not permitted on the Wortan mat, but I did know that the +rules must be adhered to rigidly." + +The instructor's massive body stood between them and Jorak, and one of +the great arms circled the man of Gyra's neck. Jorak's purple face +glared straight at Smith, and his body thrashed and wriggled furiously, +like a snake, head held fast by a forked stick. Abruptly, the instructor +stepped back and let go. Jorak fell and lay writhing on the mat, legs +and arms pounding. + +"Brute strength is what we want in Wortan," said the instructor, +smoothing his black uniform. + +Said Kard of Shilon: "You outweigh Jorak, but I see your point. I wonder +how you would do with a man of Shilon." + +The instructor smiled. "Well, we will pair off now. You can select me, +if you wish. Those who want to drop out of the course, step back from +the circle. We need room--" + +All the women moved away, slowly, reluctantly. They were Dominants, +every one, and Smith sensed they longed to use their psi-powers. Some of +them trembled nervously from the exhibition they had seen, some wiped +sweat from white and pink and green brow. One tall albino woman seemed +hesitant, stepped back toward the circle, but she backed away again when +a gold man big as Kard of Shilon strode forward eagerly. + +Against the wall stood the dozen women, rapt eyes intent on the men as +they paired off. And this, Smith thought bitterly, is culture. This is +what Earth had missed by closing its star lanes. Well, Earth.... + +"Don't sulk, Smith of Earth," Geria told him, and Smith realized, +shamefully, that he had slunk off with the women. "I say there is +something glorious about fighting tooth and nail. Not depraved, +certainly, unless you insist on judging it by a hidebound ethic. Go back +to the mats, Smith--for me." + +He looked long at the woman, saw no guile in her eyes. Who was he to +judge? Could he dare pass judgment on a society that had left Earth +behind a score of thousand years ago? The men of Earth hadn't sent him +here, half way across the galaxy to do that. + + * * * * * + +He turned and walked stiffly to the mats. By now the men had paired off +two and two, stood facing each other in pairs. Kard of Shilon and the +thick-thewed instructor, great gold man and chunky red, reed-slender +green man and giant orange, albinos two like alabaster statues. + +From the circle came Jorak, hands to bruised neck. He stopped, looked +Smith up and down grimly, smiled. "You have no partner, Earthsmith?" + +"I'm looking for one." + +"Well, look no more. I am tired and hurt, but I'd like to join you on +the mat." He shrugged. "Of course, if you're afraid--" + +Smith still did not feel like fighting. It might as well be Jorak as any +other--he certainly had more reason to fight Jorak. Vaguely, it seemed a +needless expenditure of energy. But he had done it again: he had put the +shoe on the wrong foot--he, Smith, stood up for judgment, not the +school. "Good enough, Jorak," he said. + +In a moment, the instructor signaled them all to begin, and Smith had +one brief look at the dozen pairs of men, grappling, heard the +instructor shout, "one fall, and one fall only!" And then Jorak was upon +him. + +Jorak seemed for all the world like a snake, writhing and twisting with +a deceptive sinewy strength. But calmly Smith stepped out of his reach, +cuffing his ears roundly when he came too close. + +"You're afraid, afraid, afraid!" Jorak taunted. "Fight!" + +Smith shrugged. If he did not want to fight, he did not want to. But the +women hooted, and they were hooting him, all but Geria who remained +glumly silent. + +"This is getting me nowhere," Jorak hissed. "You're making me look like +a fool, Earthsmith." Perspiration bathed the purple face, stained the +sides of Jorak's tunic darkly. + +And then he smiled. Smith felt giddy, hardly could keep his legs under +him, yet hardly had Jorak touched him. Then the man of Gyra was using +his psi-powers, despite the sanction. Oddly, Smith felt detached from it +all. Let him use his powers then--that would end it. Let him.... + +"Fight back, Smith!" Geria cried. + +Jorak's powers were not like the woman's. He could induce giddiness, +yes, but not in any overpowering quantities. Smith swayed foolishly, +tipped first to left, then to right, stood for a moment with arms at +sides. Jorak rushed upon him and struck out with both fists, and Smith +stumbled back half a dozen steps, crashed into a pair of struggling +figures, was dimly aware that both fell. + +Jorak came on, cocky, confident, and Smith rocked for a moment on the +balls of his feet. Once and once only he lashed out with his right arm, +smeared Jorak's nose flat against his face. Jorak toppled backward and +fell, writhing. + +Smith looked around him, panting. The other contestants ceased their +struggles, and the instructor said: + +"Someone has used psi. I don't know who, but someone--" + +Jorak pointed weakly, said, "Earthsmith!" + +"Snap judgment," the instructor admitted. "Your word only. Still, you +alone were bested, Jorak of Gyra--and, hah, that makes twice, doesn't +it?" + +"Once with psi," said Jorak. + +"You sure?" + +"I ought to know what hit me! He held me rigid, I tell you, and then he +struck me. What could I do? I ask you, what?" + +Smith knew that the instructor could read minds--with limitations. He +knew the psi-power had been used, but he did not know who had used it. + + * * * * * + +Jorak wiped the blood from his face with the back of one hand. "Listen," +he confided, "Earthsmith is a savage, really and truly, of the planet +Earth. Terribly barbaric. Obviously, he'd have no compunctions against +dirty fighting." + +"Well--" said the instructor. + +"There's only one thing wrong with all this," Smith told him. "Nobody on +Earth uses psi-power." + +Jorak slapped his hand against the mat. "Then you admit that there are +psi-powers on Earth?" + +"Yes," Smith said. "There are psi-powers on Earth." Things were +happening to Smith. He felt vague stirrings inside of him, and he +dampered them. + +"There. He admits it," Jorak said. "The men of Earth are not without +their psi-powers, and Smith or Earthsmith--I still don't know the +barbarian's name--used them on me." He shook his fist. "You just can't +trust these barbarians." + +The instructor still did not seem sure of himself, but there were angry +mutterings in the crowd, and the albino woman who had almost but not +quite joined the fighters said, "Let me try a fall with him. Probably I +would lose, but we of Nugat can perceive the psi-powers readily." + +Smith stormed away from her, felt hot anger rushing through him. "I +wouldn't fight with a woman." + +Jorak taunted, "He's afraid she'll discover--" + +"Nothing! I'm afraid of nothing, Jorak. I just won't fight a woman." He +was shouting now, and he couldn't help it. Again, there was the odd +feeling that part of his mind at least stood away from all this, +observing, shaking its head and telling him to curb his temper. + +A hand lay heavily on his shoulder, big gnarled, orange. "Kard of Shilon +would like a fall with you, Earthsmith of Earth. Perhaps I am not as +subtle as the woman from Nugat, but still I think I could tell." + +The instructor nodded, and Kard spun Smith around, kept him spinning +with a short chopping blow to his jaw. Smith hardly felt it. But +something told him deep inside his whirling brain to fall, fall, +fall--and the faintest shadow of a smile flickered across Jorak's lips. + +Win or lose--what was the difference? Those who could would feel the +psi-powers, and Smith would be their man. + +By crotch and collar he caught the huge man of Shilon, lifted him. +Kard's arms and legs flailed air, helplessly. He bellowed as Smith began +to whirl, slowly at first, but then faster. Up he raised the great +orange hulk, held it aloft on outstretched arms for one moment--hurled +it. + +Arms and legs still flailing wildly, Kard struck the mat, seemed almost +to bounce, landed in a heap atop Jorak. + +Geria jumped up and down delightedly, but the woman of Nugat scowled. +"Psi," she said. "I felt it." + +"As did I," admitted the instructor. "Faintly. Smith of Earth--" + +"Don't tell me you didn't see me use my arms then, just my arms?" + +"Kard appeared awful helpless--" + +"I felt the psi," said the woman of Nugat. + +"And I," a man agreed. + +"As I said," Jorak declared smugly, "when you bring a barbarian to the +school you must expect barbarous behavior. Oh well," he stifled a yawn, +"I'll get my nose fixed, of course, but this sort of thing could +continue. Unpleasant, is it not?" + +The instructor nodded slowly, dismissed class. + + * * * * * + +"Did you or didn't you, Smith?" + +"What do you think, Geria?" + +"I'd say no, but I did feel the psi when you threw Kard." + +"That was Jorak--and he used it on me." + +"Not very strong then, because I remember how readily I--" + +"Look, Geria. What's the difference? They've made up their minds, and I +can't do a thing about it. I didn't use the psi, I can tell you that and +you'll believe me. But it doesn't matter, really. They're convinced. +What happens next?" + +The woman of Bortinot frowned. "I don't know. They could expel you +possibly. You forget I'm new at the school, too. Let's forget all about +it. You will, anyway, in dream empathy." + +It was easy for her to say that, but Smith couldn't forget. The more he +had tried to convince them he had not employed the psi-power, could not +employ it, the more they thought that he did. He was of Earth--primitive +by their standards, a barbarian. They had said so. Culture had leaped +past Earth in all directions, had leaped so far that he could not even +recognize it as such, had encompassed the stars and broad new concepts +as big as the parsecs of space between the stars. How could he +understand--ever? + +Or was there anything to understand? If he could take everything at its +face value, if he could trust his own judgment, this was not culture at +all. But he had forgotten again: his judgment didn't matter. He was +being judged, not the school. + +"--be strictly a neophyte in dream empathy," Geria was saying. "But not +me. I've had my share of it on Bortinot, and they'll be pairing us off, +experienced and novice. I'll take you as a partner if you'd like, +Smith." + +"You bet I'd like it!" He felt genuinely cheerful again, quite suddenly. +Geria was the one bright spot at the school, and at least he had that. +And yet there was something he could not remember, something pushing +against the fringes of consciousness, and it concerned Geria. What +actually had happened yesterday on the crags? He could remember, +remember--but he couldn't at all, not really, and somehow he knew that +the most important item of all remained tantalizingly close, yet just +beyond his immediate reach. + +He said, "Just what is this dream empathy?" + +"Now you _are_ joking." + +"No. I don't know a thing about it." + +"What do you people of Earth do for entertainment?" + +"Well, we talk, or we dance, or we play games, ride horses, take walks +in the country, see a show--anything anyone else does, I guess." + +"No one else does any of that, because d.e.'s a lot better. You know +anything about dreams, Smith?" + +"A little. Very little. They've always been something of a mystery on +Earth." + +"Well, do you read or watch the telios on Earth?" + +"Of course. But it's strictly local stuff on Earth. That's why I'm +here." + +"Well, if it's fiction, why do you read?" + +"Excitement I guess. Interest, suspense. I watch the hero, I struggle +with him, succeed when he does if the book's a good one--" + +"Exactly. You go into empathy with him. Smith--how would you like to do +that--with me?" + +"Hunh?" + +"Take a dream. I dream it, not you. It's a good one, under control. A +vivid dream, more real than life itself in a lot of ways, emotions +highlighted, maintained, increased--and exactly what I want to dream +because I know we'll both like it. + +"I dream it, not you. But you feel it with me. You grow tired of your +own thoughts, so you switch in on someone else's. Control there. +Gorgeous dreams, fantastic dreams, even horrible ones, if both would +like it. Complete empathy--in a dream world. + +"Then later, when you're experienced, you dream and I emp. How does it +sound, Smith?" + +He smiled. "Not much privacy. But I'd be a liar if I said I wouldn't +want to take a peek at your dreams, Geria. It sounds fine." + +Geria laughed softly, a lilting feminine sound. "It's a little more +private than that, provided I know what I'm doing. There's a control. I +can dream what I want, and can restrict it. You'll see." + +Smith very much wanted to see. Almost, he forgot about Jorak and the +psi-power. But briefly in his mind he saw the black uniformed giant from +Wortan, felt again the flailing Kard raised high overhead, saw +accusation in the woman of Nugat's eyes.... + + * * * * * + +They lay on two adjacent couches, Smith and the woman of Bortinot. A +bare cubicle of a room with just the two couches in it. A door, now +closed, led into a room in which they had received their instructions. +But Smith hardly had listened. Geria knew the game well enough, and he'd +let it go at that. The rasping voice of the female instructor had +annoyed him, anyway, but he noticed that she was a woman of Bortinot, +not beautiful like Geria, but of her planet nonetheless. + +"Psi-powers again," Geria told him. "Hypnotism and telepathy mostly. +You'll see...." + +Something which looked like a candle-flame seen through a long dark tube +flickered from the ceiling. It came closer, steadied, flickered no more. +Smith couldn't draw his eyes away from it. + +"You're asleep," Geria told him, matter-of-factly. + +He was. Not really, because in sleep there was a lack of awareness. But +he could not move and everything was dark and he could only think. + +He felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. A mind without a body, in complete +darkness. The tingle of awareness which you hardly regard as such +because it always is with you was gone. Nothing. + +And then it returned. He felt his heart beating again. His ear itched +and he scratched it. He shifted his left arm which had fallen asleep. + +Oddly, the ceiling light had moved. It had been just to the right of +center--now it was just to the left, flickering again, retreating. It +was gone. + +He turned over on his left side, sleepily, contentedly--on the brink of +real sleep. Geria knew what she was doing. He'd rest. He looked--at his +own sleeping figure! + +Madness toyed with the edges of his mind, gained inroads, made him look +again. The silent figure to his left--himself. He raised his hands, felt +the hair, long, flowing, billowing about his head--looked down, could +see the gentle rounded rise of breast. + +A voice nibbled at consciousness, repeated itself, became clearer, +laughing: "_We will go to sleep now, Smith. How does it feel to be here +with me? Let's dream. Dream--_" + +The voice reassured, and Smith-Geria relaxed, slept. + + * * * * * + +_He, Geria of Bortinot--really she, then--stood on a hill. A weathered +hill and aged, on a frigid world where winds of winter raged and howled +and battered mountains into submissive mounds. Fearful place, grim and +almost dead it was--and yet he liked it. Smiling, he stood atop the hill +and bade the tempest strike. The winds hurled him headlong and he +stumbled, but he felt elated, wild and free, part of the elements that +did battle there in that country of the weathered hills. And there were +others and they were men. They came up the hill and they tried to take +him in their arms, strong men and fair, but he ran laughing with the +wind. His identity faded in that wind, was torn to tatters by it--left +only was Geria of Bortinot, her feelings, her thoughts, but his +awareness. + +She stumbled, fell, turned over and over, much too slowly. Winds still +howled, but above her here at hill's bottom. Wraiths of fog swirled in +eddying gusts, came closer and faded, appeared again and swept away. + +She cried a name because the fog brought her an image and the name and +the image were one._ "Smith of Earth, of Earth, of Earth...." _And he +came to her, this image, on a charger, an animal much too thick through +the shoulders to be a horse, with three pairs of legs. Low out of saddle +he leaned, graceful, handsome bald head pink with excitement. He +clutched at her, lifted her through the mists, above them. The +six-legged horse soared high, above the hills, above the winds, carried +her higher and higher. Smith stroked her yellow hair, kissed her. She +tingled...._ + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + +"Wake up Smith! Up, come on now, the class is over for today." + +He stirred. The dream--Gods of Earth, what a dream! + +"Well, how'd you like it? See what I mean about dream empathy, Smith? +Beats everything, doesn't it?" + +Smith hardly heard her. They say dreams fulfill wishes, they say--and +what was it Geria had dreamed? Suddenly, it was very important to Smith, +terribly important, more important than anything, because he remembered, +without knowing how or why, what had happened yesterday on the crags. + +"Geria," he said. He tried to make his voice soft, but it boomed loudly, +almost startled her. + +"What's the matter?" + +"Nothing. Why nothing is the matter. You remember yesterday on the crag, +Geria?" + +She nodded. + +"And your dream--Geria?" + +Again, the casual nod. + +"Geria, I--I love you. I think I want to marry you. I think--" + +He stopped. She looked at him for what seemed a long time but really was +only a few seconds, and then she grinned. There was nothing malicious +about it, Smith knew, just a grin. It spread, and the woman of Bortinot +began to laugh. Softly at first, but soon she was laughing very hard and +Smith felt foolish. He wanted very much to be out of there, any place +but in that room, but he did not know for sure that he knew how to +operate the door. + +"Oh, Smith, Smith," she said, "if you could see yourself now. But I +suppose I deserve it. I planted the suggestion, you fought it, now +you're pretending. All right, I admit defeat. But stop now; you should +see your face." + +Serious. She was serious. She thought he was joking. Post-suggestively +you tried to get someone to do something--anything, and it was very very +funny if they did. Funnier yet if they didn't, because then they beat +you at your own game, made fun of you, laughed at you, but eventually +with you. Of course it was like that, let her think it was like that. + +He smiled. "All right, I'll--stop." + +And together, laughing, they walked out of the room. Smith was surprised +to find he had no trouble at all with the door. + + * * * * * + +Jorak had a friendly smile for Smith when he entered their room. +"There's a card for you in the box, Smith. Read it." Jorak, it seemed, +had stopped playing with his name. + +Smith took the card, read it. "_Smith of Earth, report to Registrar at +once._" + +"You know why, don't you?" Jorak asked him. But the smile was no longer +friendly. + +"How should I know?" + +"Trouble, that's what. But you asked for it. Psi and Wortan don't mix, +barbarian." + +Smith was glad when he hardly felt any impulse to strike the purple man. +But he said, mocking Jorak's own tones, "Don't provoke me," and Jorak +cowered in a corner. + + * * * * * + +Smith looked into the banks of the Registrar's lights, spoke into the +speaker. "Smith of Earth," he said. This time his voice didn't boom with +loudness. And it didn't seem to matter much anymore. + +And this time, the Registrar's voice wasn't so femininely petulant. It +sounded masculine, authoritative. + +"Smith of Earth. Item. Garnot of Jlob feels you are an inferior history +student, recommends withdrawal from the school. + +"Item: Sog-chafka of Wortan announces your wanton use of psi-powers in +Wortan fighting, recommends clemency because you are a barbarian. + +"Item: Kard of Shilon wants to meet you in Wortan again. Promises to +kill you. + +"Item: both Jorak of Gyra and Geria of Bortinot have questioned your +mentality, want you tested." + +Vaguely Smith listened. He felt removed, resigned. But then certain +words struck hard.... + +"_ ... Geria of Bortinot questions your mentality...._ + +"Smith of Earth. Are you listening?" + +"I'm listening," Smith said. + +"I feel you have two choices," the Registrar said. "We can request your +withdrawal from the school, or we can keep you here under observation +and give you an exhaustive battery of tests. The decision is in your +hands." + +"_ ... Geria of Bortinot questions your mentality...._" + +"_ ... the decision is in your hands._" + +Jorak moved, slipped along the wall. His face was sneering and fearful +too. The purple mask of his face seemed to swim before Smith's eyes like +something seen through watered glass. Smith was pacing. He felt the +emotions beginning to work yeastily and he longed to take that face and +twist it off its snaky neck. + +"You had better go back to Earth, Smith," Jorak said. "Wherever it is." + +Abruptly, Smith felt the tendons writhing between his hands. He lifted. +He held the squirming figure off the floor, held it there and looked +into it curiously. + +"You'd better use some of your psi-power, my little green friend," Smith +said, "While you can." + +The green face was turning purple. Words choked off somewhere down in +the tubular length of the neck. Smith could feel it now! He could feel +it! And he knew. The desperate tendrils of psi-power flailing out. And +Smith began to smile. + +"I could tell you some things, Jorak. You have some psi-power, but that +and anything else you've got, including some very bad features, you got +them all from Earth. You got the germs for it all a long time back. And +what you have left is just something that's a kind of left-over after a +few thousand years. The Earth has forgotten more psi-power, friend, than +you'll ever have." + +Jorak's eyes popped. Veins were coloring thickly through them. + +"You're here to learn something, Jorak. Listen. We developed psi-power +on Earth so long ago we don't bother remembering when it was." + +Smith felt the power all right. Latent psi-power, dormant and unused and +unneeded and uninteresting for aeons. + +He threw Jorak into the corner. Jorak curled up there, sucking in air +and rubbing his bruised neck. + +"We had it. We threw it away," Smith said. "We had a defense against it +too. But we don't use psi, or the defense anymore. We outgrew it. It had +its day and then we forgot about it, Jorak. Why? We lost interest. +Individual sanctity was better. Privacy of the human mind was something +a lot more to be desired than being able to pry into someone else's +brain, or vice versa. But you take a lot of pride, Jorak, in having a +little residue floating around." + +Smith grinned more widely. It was funny in a way, and sad too. And he +didn't particularly care about pushing it any further. + +"_ ... the decision is in your hands._" + + * * * * * + +He wished his thoughts would organize, fuse somehow with the stirring, +rebelling emotions. Integration right now was vital. You lose, or you're +not equal to something. And a really top-notch defense-mechanism will +turn the whole thing around and say IT is not equal to YOU. That's a +danger. And of that he was afraid. + +Could he, should he, pass judgment? On a culture that had left Earth +wallowing in the cosmic back-waters? Twice, thrice, he had tried to pass +that judgment, but he could not. He should be judged, theoretically, not +the school. + +So what if their concept of history was primitive, basking in its own +importance, ignoring the philosophical precepts upon which the social +sciences are based? Surely they had reason, and he shouldn't +question.... + +And if they valued Wortan fighting above all else ... if it made their +women look like eager animals waiting to see the blood spill ... how +could he question? Why should he dare assume that the whole culture was +depraved, simply because he regarded it that way by Earth standards? + +And their dream empathy was enjoyable, he had to admit that--but it was +too enjoyable. No wonder Earth had dropped that sort of thing long ago. +It was a good gimmick to divert attention from important things. It was +also regressive, a kind of sick introversion. It was decadence, an +invasion of privacy, an offense against the dignity of human privacy of +the mind--the individual's last precarious citadel. + +He jumped a little when the Registrar barked: "Your decision, Smith of +Earth." + +He smiled at the bank of lights. He had broad duties. He had a duty to +Earth. And an indirect duty to the Galaxy. He should report all this. +And Earth should try to do something to bring many worlds out of sloth, +decadence, regression and inverted self-importance. + +But first of all, a man had a duty to himself, his own psychic health. +Maybe the two weren't inseparable either. Maybe Earth would share the +humiliation if he, Smith, suffered its scars to remain on him. + +He wanted to consider himself as more than a mere projection of Earth, +more than a mere symbol. He was of Earth, sure. But first of all he was +Smith. Just plain Smith. A guy with a human spirit, with dignity that +could be affronted and had been here. + +He thought of Geria, of what that dream empathy had suggested. He felt +her lips again, the softly curving line of her hips under the silver +tunic to her knees, the yellow hair falling free to shoulders.... + +"Your decision, Smith of Earth," the Registrar's voice was louder. + +"I'm not going back to Earth," said Smith softly. "Yet." + +He watched Jorak slipping up the side of the wall, then rushing out the +exit. + +Smith went to the exit too, then into the hall. He started walking down +it, and the smile clung to his lips like an old memory. + + * * * * * + +From the monochromatic light harmonies playing softly from the walls, +from the abstract gentleness of music that never stopped filtering +through the gardens and over the mists of fountains, from the +ever-coruscating and subdued twilight that surrounded the school--from +these things, Smith extracted the tone of decadence, the static, +hidebound turning of a wheel upon itself. + +The women from Bortinot stared oddly at him as his bulk, high and broad +passed near. He heard their whispers ... "barbarian ... savage...." + +His smile broadened. The cycle closed. Strange, how the old became +decadent, and the young revolted and itself became sophisticated and +sick, and the old became young again and the old values turned fresh and +clear like a tree blooming out of winter's snow. + +The sounds of voices died abruptly as Smith went in. Faces turned ... +Brandog of Hulpin with the albino skin like alabaster; Luog the young, +green-skinned Pandenian ... varieties of form and color ... the white, +pink, orange and green brows. But there was the sameness of inversion +and static culture. + +Mouths gaped as Smith strode up to the front of the class room in +transtellar history and looked curiously at the little man with the +round gold face and green eyes that still blinked too much, and who, +even now, smiled too much, too vacantly, as if he had been practicing a +long time and had forgotten what it meant. + +But Garnot of Jlob's smile was slightly strained now and his face had a +pale look, under its sheath of gold. + +"What a boorish intrusion," the instructor said. His voice got higher. +"The entire school knows of course, Earth of Smith...." + +"Smith of Earth," Smith said softly. + +"Whatever it is, the entire school knows that already you have disgraced +yourself and your planet--which was to be expected. And that I have +recommended your withdrawal from the school as an inferior student." + +"And so," Smith said. + +"Therefore, it should be obvious that you are not particularly welcome +as a member of this class. Surely you have not chosen to remain, and +even if you have, it should be obvious that you will not be part of any +class of mine until you have successfully passed certain tests, and have +been kept under observation. Need I add that after you have taken these +tests, we will not be expecting you to remain...." + +Several students tittered. + +"I'm going to talk now, Garnot of Jlob," Smith said. "You asked me +questions earlier. Now I'm going to answer them." + +"But I did not...." + +"They're questions that should be answered, even though I'm not at all +sure that there's enough free-thought here to grasp the real meaning of +what I'm going to say." + +"I did not tell you to talk." + +"I'm Smith of Earth, and this is supposedly a free institution. On Earth +I wasn't accustomed to being told when I could talk, when I could +listen, when I could think. You asked me once where Earth is. I'll tell +you." + +"But I do not care and...." + +"Earth, interstellarly speaking, is a few parsecs from Sirius. +Spaceo-graphically speaking, it isn't very important where it is, not +really. Historically, it was at the apex of civilized culture before +Jlob ever existed except as a steaming carboniferous swamp peopled +largely by a species of amphibian. Socio-psychologically, Earth is a few +aeons ahead of the worlds so badly represented here." + +"You have not been told to talk!" screamed Garnot of Jlob. + +"But you are supposed to listen," Smith insisted. A gasp sounded through +the room. "You asked what was the first interstellar event of +importance. I'm going to tell you." He turned so that he was looking at +the class. "It wasn't the exodus from the prehistoric Sirian worlds to +the first culture in the Denebian system. Nor was it the Sirian wars. +Those things didn't set the stage for Interstellar history. Interstellar +history had already begun and grown old on the planet Earth, half a +million years before...." + +An intensity boiled up through the wick of Smith's body. "The question +itself is shallow, meaningless in an academic sense. It was asked only +to be answered in such a way as to reinforce egotistical concepts of +culture. The most important event in Interstellar history was when men +on the planet Earth developed speech perhaps, or some other event even +long before that ... and started the scientific process that led finally +to the most glorious epoch in history. And what was that? I can remember +with pride the engravings of the first proud Earth ships that blasted +off for the Centaurian system aeons ago. And other pictures of the early +days of the new Centaurian culture, and still others. Of discontent and +over-population. And the migration to Sirius. + +"Or even earlier, of the stern, thin-lipped face of Matthew Merkle whose +tincan of a spaceship carved a loop in space around the Moon--a +satellite of Earth--and returned. + +"You think of history in terms of challenge and response, and the +earlier challenges were the most significant ones. It was harder to get +a spaceship across a mere quarter of a million miles to the Moon then, +than it is to send it, translight, to the farthest star today." + +Garnot of Jlob was quivering. His face had a deep purplish cast. + +Smith turned completely around, his back to the instructor. + +"If you want the truth about interstellar history, my friends, come to +Earth. That was where it started. That's where anything decent about it +has remained. And I'm not at all sure that Earth isn't where it will end +... if it ever really ends." + +Half way to the exit, he turned to Garnot of Jlob. "You can stop trying +to use psi-power to make me shut up, you pompous phony." + +Laughing softly, Smith went out and down the hall. Behind him he heard a +loud coughing as though someone was choking. + + * * * * * + +The word had spread before him to the room where Sog-chafka of Wortan, +and Kard of Shilon, and the crowd waited. The two giants were on the +mats and around the rows of up-circling benches, were the eager, hungry +faces of the women of Bortinot. The Dominants, their lips moist and +slightly open and their eyes shiny with anticipation. + +Geria stared at him, her body shifting slightly, her lips apart and her +teeth shining white, eyes glistening. He remembered how the kiss had +been. He smiled at her. She seemed scornful now, a little sad, pitying, +as he walked onto the mats. + +"Ah, Earthsmith," boomed the instructor. His massive blood-colored face +was shiny as he stood there, muscles rippling and seething under the +black uniform. Kard of Shilon grinned. The spectators laughed as Smith +tripped on the mat and almost sprawled. + +Kard of Shilon said, "I'm going to kill you, Earthsmith." + +Smith said, "That's an odd way to express your elite tastes, Kard, but I +can understand how you feel. Earth knew a lot of killing in its day." + +To Sog-chafka, Smith said, "You accused me of using psi-power in Wortan +fighting. It was kind of you to recommend clemency. However, I deny the +accusation." + +"He has psi-power," screamed Jorak of Gyra from the top bench. He shook +green fists. + +"You said only a few Earthmen had psi-power," Sog-chafka said. + +"I didn't. I said it's never used on Earth. There's a difference." + +"You said you...." + +"Didn't use it," Smith said. "What psi-power you have, came from Earth. +We of Earth developed it. But it's been a long time since we have +bothered with it. But though I'm a little bit rusty now, I'll show +you--" + +None of them ever knew what a dreadful moment that was for Smith ... who +knew his capacity for psi-power, but had never bothered to use it +before. + +He concentrated. + +Twenty Dominant women of Bortinot fell writhing on the mats. + +They writhed for a while, then got up and sat down again. Perspiration +was heavy on their faces, and they panted heavily, and their eyes were +slightly glazed with psychic shock. + +Smith's head ached. But he would never show it. He was rusty all right. + +Sog-chafka and Kard shifted once and seemed uneasy. + +Smith said. "I did that to demonstrate a point, which is that if I want +to use psi-power here, I'll not fool around with any puny amount of it +such as I was accused of doing earlier. I prefer fighting the Wortan +way. Psi-power fighting is pretty unhealthy stuff. Minds getting all +wrapped up together in combat. It's finally like beating yourself...." + +Smith laughed at the two giants. "Well," he said. + +Kard rushed. Smith dropped to hands and knees, pinched Kard's legs, held +them perpendicular from the knees down. Kard's rushing weight carried +his body on over. His knees popped. He screamed and fell moaning on the +mat. + +Sog-chafka was already rushing and he tried to duck as Smith lunged +upward. The sound in the room was cracking and sharp. Sog-chafka, the +instructor in Wortan fighting, stumbled back and his thick arms dug at +the air and a laxness showed under the skin-tight black uniform. Blood +ran on the mats as Sog-chafka refused to go down any further than his +knees. His head hung loosely and he slowly raised his blood-shot eyes. + +His massive face twisted. Kard of Shilon lay groaning a little, nursing +dislocated knees. + +Sog-chafka remained bent, powerful thighs driving as his toes dug into +the mat in a pounding, hurtling running dive, head down, hands reaching. +It was a ferocious thing to see. Smith could hear the gasps of +anticipation as he waited. + + * * * * * + +Smith chopped down with cupped hands as he stepped aside. He brought his +knee up into Sog-chafka's face and the instructor spun crazily across +the mat, his body sinking lower and lower and finally sliding forward on +his belly and lying there without moving at all. "Brute strength," Smith +said, "is what you want on Wortan." + +Smith glanced at Geria. "As you said earlier, Geria, there's something +glorious about fighting tooth and nail. That's what you said." + +Smith's foot was jerked from under him as Kard heaved. Smith's heavy +body thudded on the mat. Before he could twist around, Kard's powerful +arm was around his throat. Smith's wind was cut off. He felt his eyes +bulge, and he knew that Kard would kill him. "I think, Earthsmith, it +only right you should come down here with me!" + +Smith put his right hand under Kard's right elbow. He clenched Kard's +right wrist with the other hand. He pushed up with his right hand, +heaved down with his left. Kard screamed a second time as his elbow +popped. + +He had to let go or his arm would break, so he let go. As Kard rolled +free, Smith aimed for that vital point just to the left of the tip of +Kard's chin. The back of Kard's head thudded on the mat, his eyes rolled +up. + +Smith got to his feet. He could hear Jorak of Gyra yelling. "He used +psi! He used psi!" + +Smith hated to acquire another headache, but he felt this had to be +done. He concentrated on Jorak who started to sweat. Then Jorak came +down to the mats and began to writhe and hop around in a weird and +formless dance. Round and round the mats Jorak danced, his face working +fitfully. + +Sog-chafka was on one knee. His face was swelling and blood ran from his +chin. He grinned and a broken tooth fell out. He looked up at the row of +spectators. "He didn't use any psi on me. I guess you could say it +wasn't necessary." + +There was no applause from the spectators. There was a kind of bitter +ferment working, a wonderment and a suspicion and a dull kind of shock +that blanks out facing unpleasant truths. + +Smith started past the first row, then stopped and looked down at the +woman. He'd miss her, she had seen to that, and she had only been +jesting. He'd think of how it might have been, at another time, in +another way--but he'd forget in time. You forgot and you grew. +Especially, when you had a job to do. + +"There's one thing this school has," he said, "that Earth doesn't have +... and never did ... and probably never will. And that is Geria of +Bortinot." + +When he went out, she was staring after him with an odd expression he +couldn't identify. And behind her, Jorak of Gyra danced round and round +the mats. + + * * * * * + +The Registrar's lights blinked with what might almost have been +nervousness. + +"Smith of Earth. Item: Garnot of Jlob has withdrawn his recommendation +that you leave the school. However, his transtellar history class will +have a new instructor for a week. His name is Khrom of Khaldmar. + +"Item: Sog-chafka of Wortan withdraws his accusation that you used +psi-power in Wortan fighting. Wortan fighting classes have been dropped +for two weeks. + +"Item: Kard of Shilon does not wish to meet you again in Wortan. + +"Item: Jorak of Gyra and Geria of Bortinot do not question your +mentality and formally request that you release Jorak from psi-power +suggestion which is causing Jorak to dance himself to death." + +Smith listened rather absently and then went to the window and looked +out over the strange landscape. + +"Smith of Earth ... as yet you have not taken the battery of tests here, +and the tests will determine your stay here. The choice is yours. We can +request your withdrawal from the school, or we can keep you here. Your +Dominant classification has been thoroughly validated. We are sure you +would be happy here, and the tests will be presented in such a way that +you will...." + +Well, he hadn't let himself down. He'd defended his integrity as a human +being. But he'd been told not to let Earth down. + +Well, would he be letting Earth down by leaving? Would he be? If he +returned and said that the galaxy had a school but we'd better not send +students because the school is decadent--could Earth stand up in the +face of its pricked bubble? + +What is, and what is not, letting your planet down? Smith knew it for an +almost meaningless phrase, standing here before the clicking Registrar. +The important thing was to learn, for from learning are sowed the seeds +of progress, and surely he had learned. + +Yes, he had learned a great deal about the Galactic culture. + +The Registrar's voice droned on, being very logical and again petulant +in a feminine way. It was a compliant machine. It got along well, +maintaining a nice balance, with everyone. With Dominants it became +slightly recessive. With Receptives, it was just a little bit Dominant. + +He watched the monstrous blotch of the red star, swelling and crimson, +old and fading, yet filling a quarter of the sky, like a fat old man, +getting fatter while his brain rotted away in his skull. + +He turned as the door opened. His breath shortened as she came toward +him. Smith rubbed his bald pate, and felt the heat rise to his face. + +"You made a fool of me, Smith," she whispered. "Now you're blushing ... +and that's just an act isn't it? You're still making a fool of me." + +"No," he said. "The way I felt about you and the things I said, I meant +them. I still do." + +"But you let me use that psi-power on you ... and ... and if you'd +wanted to ... you could have...." He stared. She was sobbing a little. + +He had felt it before, but the feeling was strong enough now to motivate +action. He put his arms about her, protectively. He looked out the +window at the cragged horizon and the dying red star behind. + +"The psi-power," he said. "I didn't realize I had it then. When you used +it ... and later, the dream-empathy, it stirred up a lot of old +capacities. I wasn't trying to fool anyone. I love you, Geria of +Bortinot. And I'm not fooling...." + +"_Your decision, Smith of Earth...._" + +Well, he had learned a great deal about Galactic culture, so what should +he do? A duty to Earth, to civilization. He had learned: + +... That the superior cultures out here among the stars were a myth. + +... That something had gone haywire in the startrails, that everyone you +met was either psychotic or highly neurotic by Earth standards. + +... That the exceptions might be the hope of the Galaxy. But they were +very few. + +... That Earth had better seek out the reasons for all this, try to +eliminate them at their sources if possible, but certainly keep them +from contaminating the home planet. + +... That Earth had a big job, but if he came back and reported and +worked at it, he might convince Earth she was up to it. + +That was one way. + +"_Your decision, Smith of Earth, the battery of tests or...._" + +She was looking up at him. "Well?" + +"What do you think, Geria?" + +She put her face against his chest. "Whatever you decide," she +whispered. "You're the Dominant...." + +He smiled at the banks of lights. "When's the next ship for Deneb?" he +asked. "We're going back to Earth." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Earthsmith, by Milton Lesser + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EARTHSMITH *** + +***** This file should be named 32641.txt or 32641.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/6/4/32641/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan 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. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +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 + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/32641.zip b/32641.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..bb7e97d --- /dev/null +++ b/32641.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee24973 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #32641 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32641) |
