by Ed Charlton
Pilo sighed. “Yeah.”
“‘Yeah,’ what?”
“Yeah, that was it.”
“What was?”
Pilo nodded towards Jim’s notepad.
“Like that. That’s like what he drew. He had angles, distances, size of target. He didn’t know the technicalities, but he had the math down.”
“Details.”
Pilo shook his head. “I don’t remember. He kept the drawings. I knew he’d need a major piece. The distance...through an atmosphere...that small a target. Had to be major.”
“How small?”
“Two meters.”
Jim wrote it down.
“Oh, and it had to be linked to an IR scanner. He was dead keen on that. I guess he’d already set up the targeting through the scanner; he just needed the delivery.”
Jim could imagine more of the conversation now. He could picture Sopha slowly describing what he meant, using the picture as a guide. It seemed to be reasonable. Pilo was telling the truth.
“Did he ask anything about discharges, environmental effects, toxic residues—that kind of thing?”
“Yeah, he asked—but I didn’t tell him. I sold him the books. He could read.”
“What do you think his target was?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.” Pilo was silent and looking at the floor again. “He just said ‘the scar.’”
“‘The scar’?”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. He said he was performing surgery to remove a scar.”
Jim stroked his cheek. Pilo looked into the distance. “But, then, he said ‘scars.’ One time he said ‘scars.’”
“Definitely plural?”
“I’d been wondering how much he would spend on something he was only going to fire once. Once he said ‘scars,’ I knew it wasn’t a one-off. Then I knew I had him.”
Jim frowned. Pilo sounded truthful, but Jim thought he had probably misunderstood the Turcanian. He imagined Sopha repeatedly firing the laser to scour the entire landing site to remove what he and his religious order felt was a blasphemy. Madhar Nect’s people had left parts of a landing-relaunch vehicle on their Mainworld. “Did you go over details like recharge times?”
“Like I said, he had the books.”
Jim rapidly asked the other questions he and Tella had prepared. Pilo was talking freely now. Within a few more minutes, the interview was over, and Jim pressed a buzzer for Amarno to come back in. Jim thanked Pilo for his help but was met with a hostile squint.
After Pilo was led out, Jim sighed deeply and heard a sound behind him. Turning quickly, he saw the plain wall of the interview room move. A faint ripple in the paintwork moved along the top of a cupboard and picked up a white robe. Tella became visible once more as it took on the reflection of its clothing.
“That went well, Jim, very well.”
“I...I’m glad. I’m also amazed that you can do that.”
“I don’t advertise it. I don’t want people thinking that I like loitering naked in dark corners.”
Jim laughed. “No, I suppose not.”
***
Jim and Tella left the Hawkins Array shortly after the interview. Tella had learned enough.
“Sopha Luca does not know the device was stolen,” Tella said as they settled into their flier.
“You sure?”
“Absolutely. For Sopha, Pilo was an official. He would have played up that aspect to gain Sopha’s trust.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know from watching him and from listening to his breathing as he spoke with you. It is always revealing.”
“Really?”
“Pilo is an excellent salesman. He will probably work the prison system to his advantage. Once he realizes that he can still sell things, he will quickly rise.”
Jim shook his head. He had assessed Pilo as a loser.
When they had traveled far enough to engage the autopilot, Tella turned to Jim.
“Now, tell me again about Sopha’s religious beliefs that have brought him to this point. Why does he want to clean all foreign matter from TMV?”
Jim thought back to the night on the promontory. He remembered how inspiring it had been. He sighed. “Do you know who Albert Einstein was?”
“No.”
“Well, he was one of our greatest thinkers and scientists. He once said that a great unanswered question is whether the universe is friendly.”
Tella smiled and looked at Jim. “That is a very excellent question. I am surprised to hear it from a human.”
Jim frowned but let the remark pass. “The Turcanians, well, the Regdenir anyway, have an answer to it. The planet is very beautiful when seen from their moon. They...pivot their beliefs on that. They believe that because the universe contains something beautiful, well...then it isn’t so bad. It changes how they look at the rest of the universe. Sopha said that because there is beauty, there is room for love and hope, and so on.”
Tella did not immediately reply.
“You really need to see it, and to hear a Regdenir talk about it.” Jim shook his head. “I’m not expressing it well.”
Tella lifted a pale hand. “You have said enough.”
They were both silent for a while. Then Tella said, “It is a profound belief. It is an insight that many would miss. We have a responsibility here.”
“What’s that?”
“This insight, this belief...we must do nothing that would cause it to be lost to the universe.”
Jim wondered if he understood Tella’s implication. “I should hope not. Liz has already told me not to start a war. I have no intention of allowing any harm to come to anyone.”
“No, you misunderstand me. I mean this.” Tella was silent and still, then continued, “The others, the ‘audnir,’ do not share the belief, yet it will be these who venture out into the galaxy. Turcanis will become whatever they make it in the eyes of other races. The beliefs of the Regdenir will be...overlooked. Who will come to listen to the Regdenir? Who will hear of them? Those who do will hear nothing good of them. Do you begin to understand?”
Tella was silent again for a long time before speaking. “Our responsibility is to hold the door open to both Regdenir and audnir; they may not be ready, they may not care. We must court both sides, Jim. What do you think?”
Jim had not expected such thinking from his strange colleague. “I don’t think they’ll care. To them, we are all audnir. They will want nothing to do with us. As Madhar said, they have made themselves weird. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
“They are precious because their insights are precious. We must treat them with proactive respect. They hold an idea. We must hold them up because of it.”
“‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,’ you mean?”
“A most curious expression.” The pale smile spread across Tella’s face. “But, yes. There is a ‘baby’ there. It is a good image.”
There was another long silence until Tella spoke again. “The audnir spacecraft left remains on this most beautiful world. But the Regdenir have never been there to see how bad the damage is. It might already have been overgrown or absorbed into the soil. The world may have already repaired the damage.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“And if he reads the documentation with his purchase, he may find the effects of his work to be far worse than the present state.”
“He will have read it, but I wonder if his science is strong enough to realize the full implications.”
“Is Sopha open to discussion and reasoned argument?”
Jim laughed. “Discussion and argument are a way of life for them. They have discussions that last for generations. Do you mean ‘Will he change his mind?’ I think the answer is no.”
Tella made no answer, but Jim go
t the impression of a slight darkening in his colleague’s skin tone.
Chapter Two
A few days later, Tella and Jim began to plan in detail their work on TMV-I.
“We can meet with Madhar Nect easily enough. She said she would try to arrange a meeting with the government.”
“Yes, we should begin as officially as possible,” said Tella, nodding.
“Perhaps we should call her?”
“Soon. Which Regdenir have you chosen to visit?”
“I...I haven’t. I don’t really know any others. I corresponded with a few, but they are very closed.”
Tella looked at Jim with no discernible expression.
“They don’t have the kind of parties that I get invited to,” Jim joked.
“Perhaps we should throw one ourselves?”
“What? Are you kidding?”
“No. I am serious. We should encourage them. We could invite them to meet us, since we are doing the same for the government. Perhaps we could even have some sort of sharing of food or entertainment—something to help them feel comfortable with us?”
“How? Where?”
“This you must know. Where can we land in the Regdenir area?”
“There’s one good place. Where Sopha met me.”
“Then that is clear. The choice then is whom to invite.”
“I’ll think about it,” said Jim, shaking his head. He felt his relationship with Tella was only progressing in fits and starts. It was bad enough working for Liz, who did not think the same way he did, but working for someone he had to refer to as “it,” and who had a truly alien mind was, at times, disturbing.
***
Jim spent the next day reviewing the message traffic he had recorded from Regde99. Tella seemed in a strange mood—not that it involved any change of expression, merely a withdrawing for long periods into a kind of trance.
Late that night, Tella came alive again. “Now, have you chosen the Regdenir?”
“I guess so. There are two who I think would at least consider an invitation.”
“Let us draft the message with care.”
“Can’t it wait until the morning? I was about to go to sleep.”
“Jim, you’ve done nothing but laze around all day! Come, let’s get to work!”
It took three hours before Tella was satisfied with the wording of the message. Jim’s only comfort in the process was the thought that Tella could out-nitpick even a Regdenir.
#
angaraVmyournVregde1Vapp
dlaviVherucVregde3Vopp
Greetings, Angara Myourn and Dlavi Heruc.
We have corresponded before on the topic of off-world technology. Dlavi Heruc, you were most helpful in our search for Sopha Luca, for which we send thanks.
We now write more openly as James Able of Earth and Tella of Neraff, two visitors from two planets of other stars.
We officially represent the people of Earth and greet you on their behalf.
We will meet shortly with representatives of your world’s government and with Madhar Nect, who allows us to use this message-ID.
We wish to meet you as representatives of the Barottin Regdenir.
We believe our visit will not be complete until we meet you, though you may wish to have others meet us in your place.
Our desire to meet with you is based on our appreciation for the antiquity and nobility of your beliefs. We have learned that you treasure Beauty. Perhaps we too may learn something of Beauty by our meeting.
We regret to add that our meeting must also address a serious matter regarding Sopha Luca who, in ignorance and misled by a criminal, has in his possession a stolen machine. This machine could cause injury to Sopha Luca or to others. It is our most urgent desire to avert any harm.
We suggest that our meeting take place at the retreat house used, until recently, by Sopha Luca. It stands at the head of the valley, east of the tallest mountains, in the forest north of Oppudim. We will arrive there on the morning of the third day from now.
g101VnectVlatsinVux
#
g101VnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, James Able of Earth and Tella of Neraff.
Perhaps my heart burns with a proper curiosity, and my desire to meet with visitors from so far is a small part of Beauty.
Then I would need to neglect my duties, and my teachers would have to hold their wisdom until my return.
Alas, this cannot be.
Rest in Beauty at your meeting and on your return to your homes.
dlaviVherucVregde3Vopp
#
g101VnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, James Able and Tella.
Perhaps your first visit to our world was not to your profit.
Perhaps your meeting with Sopha Luca was not enough to satisfy your ambitions.
Then you return to speak with more of us, to find those with views more inclined to your own.
If Sopha Luca has acquired a dangerous machine, be sure to address the matter with Sopha Luca. It is he who knows of such things, not I.
angaraVmyournVregde1Vapp
#
Jim shook his head.
“I told you this wouldn’t be simple. They are so closed.”
Tella was silent, reading and rereading the messages.
“We swim in waters that have many currents. There is much unsaid in these words.”
“Beats me where we go from here,” said Jim.
“He knows about your visit. He knows it did not end well. He knows Sopha Luca is...What was your expression about a cannon?”
“A loose cannon.”
“Yes, this he knows also. I think he will meet with us.”
Jim laughed. “How can you tell from that flat rejection?”
“By the absence of rejection. This is an obstacle, not a closed door.”
#
angaraVmyournVregde1Vapp
Greetings, Angara Myourn.
Perhaps you are correct, and the visit was neither to our profit nor yours.
Perhaps you know much of what transpired during the prior visit of James Able.
Perhaps you know of the attempt of Sopha Luca to imprison James Able to prevent information from being available to Madhar Nect.
Perhaps you know of Sopha Luca’s departure in haste from your world.
Then also know that our return signifies no hostility on our part. Our return signifies a desire to overcome the misunderstandings that colored the prior visit.
You realize that, in any early dealings between peoples, misunderstanding gives way to understanding, incomprehension gives way to comprehension, and lack of appreciation of Beauty gives way to appreciation of Beauty.
g101VnectVlatsinVux
#
g101VnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, visitors.
It is not our practice to think of extending our ways to those outside.
Your understanding, your comprehension, your appreciation are matters for yourselves to address. Do not look to the Regdenir for your salvation.
The comings and goings of Sopha Luca are likewise matters for ourselves. We do not look to you for help in this matter.
angaraVmyournVregde1Vapp
#
Jim threw up his hands in defeat. Tella bent over the monitor, shaking his head.
“Jim, you must think more clearly. There is only one topic of conversation here. Will he meet us or not? This is merely another obstacle; the door is not yet closed.”
Jim smiled wryly. He thought Tella would learn otherwise.
“Show me his writings again,” said Tella. “I must learn to express things better, even more as he does. This is the game.”
They spent several hours reading the correspondence over before Tella tried again
.
#
angaraVmyournVregde1Vapp
Greetings, Angara Myourn.
Perhaps you are correct, and your most clear and lucid definition of “audnir” is an end to the matter.
Then we are not wise in any regard, and our visit is most foolish. For this truth, that the people of Earth, of Neraff, and the Regdenir are different, that they have different paths to walk, that they have different concerns and responsibilities, this is obvious to all. To learn this, we could have spent but a moment in thought while still resting in our beds and never traveled through the stars.
Unless, of course, it is this difference itself that brings us.
Unless, of course, we know that we do not already possess all knowledge and all wisdom.
Unless, of course, we know that by seeking out others, different from ourselves, we can be enriched where we are lacking, and enrich where we find lack.
If we knew already the outcome before each such meeting, perhaps we would seldom need to travel. But we do not know what will happen when we travel. Angara Myourn, do you?
If in our uncertainty we travel so far, in your certainty how far will you travel?
g101VnectVlatsinVux
#
“Now we shall see what this Turcanian is made of!” said Tella, slapping a hand down on the control panel.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” muttered Jim, yawning.
#
g101VnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, visitors.
Perhaps you are correct, and I am corrected.
Then our ways are flawed, and for uncounted centuries we have been unknowingly crippled, awaiting only this chance encounter so that we may lean on your wisdom and your ways to make us whole.
Unless, of course, it is we who know Beauty and you who do not.
Unless, of course, it is we who are whole and you who limp your way from star to star, spreading your distorted vision as you go.
angaraVmyournVregde1Vapp
#
Jim became angry. Tella laughed again.
“He’s arguing against what he wrote before!” shouted Jim, dragging his fingers through his hair.
Tella shook his head. “He is arguing. We do not yet see against what or whom.”