Pat caught at her lip and leaned into Ken for comfort. He readily embraced her, taking delight in the feel of her body against his. Hrrula passed them, striding across the bridge.
“The message capsule came in and Hu Shih and Lee are closeted with it. They want you to join them.”
“When did the ship leave? Did the message . . .”
Pat flushed and grinned. “No, the ship left just before the approach alarm went off.”
“What's funny?”
"Well, the captain was trying to pry more of the local leaf out of Abe Dautrish's stores when a crewman rushed in and garbled off a series of numbers. Kiachif got the crew rounded up and into that ship before you could say 'acceleration.' " Pat stifled a giggle. "The ship's radar has a longer reach than the alarm." She giggled again. "I believe the captain's last words to Abe Dautrish were to the effect that cold sober he couldn't take another ninety days of that child."
«You mean – Todd?» Reeve spluttered, caught between indignation and amusement.
Pat nodded as solemnly as she could, trying to conquer the desire to laugh aloud at the look on her husband's face.
"The capsule came five minutes after their exhaust trail dissipated." Pat gave up the effort and grinned broadly as she added, "Macy said the captain cut it awful fine.
Pat's laugh had a contagious quality and Ken found himself unable to resist joining in.
“I never thought I'd be grateful to Todd for anything,” Pat sighed, her face abruptly twisted with perplexity. “You'd better get along to the office.”
They had crossed the bridge by then and she gave him a loving kiss and a gentle shove toward the building.
Hu Shih and Lee Lawrence were sitting at the metropologist's desk when Ken entered. They were looking at each other in a dazed stare, the microfilm reader on the table in front of them.
“Thank God, Ken, maybe you can make some sense out of this,” Lee said, jumping to his feet and shoving the reader to him.
The message film was from Codep and Ken scanned it quickly. Then he reread it slowly, word for word.
“Are they serious?” he demanded.
"You see?" Lawrence crowed triumphantly. "He's confused, too.
Hu Shih shook his head slowly,
"They say," Lawrence began in a mocking singsong, "this planet cannot possibly be populated. They say, the most thorough search was carried out according to strict Spacedep and Alreldep exploratory techniques. They say, see appendix." Lee paced up and down the room, swatting a closed fist into the palm of the other hand. "They say, make no effort to communicate with natives until trained personnel can be transported to the affected area. I love that, 'affected area.' What does he think natives are? A disease?
“Oh, and do you appreciate the next paragraph in this epitome of departmentalese?” Lawrence asked sarcastically, leaning his hands on the desk and rocking back and forth. “They say, compile language tapes for semanticizing. How'n'ell can you do that without contacting natives whom they insist cannot be here in the first place?”
Ken ran the message a third time and came to the final, thoroughly ridiculous section.
“I also notice that they wish us to retain the colony ship when it arrives and depart, bag, baggage and live-stock, to avoid premature culture penetration with these same non-existent natives.”
«Oh, how – how shall I explain? What can I say to justify our actions?» murmured Hu Shih. «What we have done seemed so logical considering our position.»
«Shih,» and Lawrence gave the conscience stricken metropologist a gentle shake on the shoulder, «you did what any sensible man would do. And you can't tell me that the men – if they are thinking men – who wrote this contradictory garbage are sensible. They sound like dithering idiots, scared silly and looking for somewhere to hide. No,» and Lawrence stalked around the room again. «We have made an impact on a sentient species, but in all my studies of cultures, e.t. and Terran, I have never heard of a race that absorbed that impact with less outward effect. They have met us as equals, and they had succeeded in counting coup – if I may inject an old Amerind simile – on us several times for all our culturally advanced level. No, Doctor, put away the sack cloth and ashes. Don't beat your breast or commit ceremonial suicide with remorse. The fault lies with Space-dep, or Alreldep or Codep; not with us. And I'll be damned if I'll take the blame for it – or if I will try to act on orders filmed on such a screw-up, illogical, inconsistent wisp of mylar. Besides,» he said in an abrupt change, «the fat's already in the fire. We've done everything they said not to do and not done practically everything they said to do.»
“Captain Kiachif should have waited,” Hu Shih said to himself in an anxious tone. “I knew he should have waited.”
Lawrence shot a glance at Ken.
“I doubt any of us could have persuaded him, short of physical restraint, once his radar screen showed the approach of the capsule.”
A low hum filled the room, emanating from the equipment which controlled the homing device of the message capsules.
“Another one?” Lawrence demanded and leaned out the door, shading his eyes to watch the homing tower at the center of the landing field. Reeve joined him, scanning the sky with his binoculars until he caught the flash of metal in the sun.
“Sure is!”
This message was from the Alien Relations Department. It was more coherent than Codep's burble, but it too warned against the heinous crime of too premature an introduction of Terran culture to a less advanced race, with a list of the penalties attached to such illegal intercourse. It also demanded in official requestese that a detailed report on the 'observed' natives be forwarded by return capsule.
«In other words, we should never have so much as exposed a fingernail within their sight – which is long range,» Lawrence snapped. «I'm not an alien relations expert but I am a sociologist and these people – well they're people,» he ended lamely. «Say, did we ever mention that we saw them first?» he asked.
“Well, as a matter of fact,” Reeve answered after a moment's rapid consideration, “they advanced on me, not me on them,” and he grinned, remembering the headlong dash of the two cubs in pursuit of their ball.
“All right then,” Lawrence said briskly. “They found us. Particularly if this puts a different complexion on our culpability.”
“Yes, yes, it does. Or does it?” asked Hu Shih, rising briefly to hope before plunging back into despair, washing his hands. “Oh, why, why?” he cried, rising wearily from his chair. “We had made a good beginning here in spite of that terrible long winter.” He crossed to the window to gaze wistfully out at the vividly green Common, down to the river with its backdrop of the great mountain range. A prospect, a sweeping view no longer to be found on Earth even in the dozen carefully preserved Square Miles. “We must leave. And it would have been a better, cleaner break to have left this morning. Now, each day will make it harder.”
He saw the rebellious expressions of his aides and shook his head sadly.
“And we must leave, gentlemen. If we cannot, in this difficult situation, uphold principles we have sworn to respect, then we are not one jot better than those barbaric, genocidal ancestors whose action toward minorities we have always deplored. We solved our own inter-racial problems only by Amalgamation. We solved the domination and destruction of alien species by the Principle of Non-Cohabitation. This is the first time that Principle has come to the test. This is the first time since the Siwannese Tragedy that we have come face to face with another sentient species. And our decision here on Doona is critical. We cannot fail this test.”
Reeve and Lawrence stood silently before the little colony chief. Never in their three years of association with him had they doubted his qualities of leadership or disregarded his gently given orders. But that had been as much due to conditioned respect for authority as for the man himself. Now they saw the inner firmness of moral rectitude that unmistakably marked him both man and leader.
''It has been sai
d,'' Hu Shih continued, ''that there is always a solution to every problem but not necessarily an agreeable one. One asks for wisdom and courage to accept the difficult solutions. For us, that is to return to Earth, stifling vain regrets, terrible disappointment, wrapping ourselves in the knowledge that, by our fortitude, we are redeeming the noblest aspirations of all mankind."
The metropologist took his aides by the arms.
"I look to both of you to support me as you always have done. We shall have trying days ahead of us. Both among ourselves and," he nodded toward the two messages, "with the departments that interest themselves in us.
Lawrence grunted but he gripped the metropologist's hand firmly. “Yeah, but I don't have to like it.”
Reeve managed to nod and Hu Shih smiled wanly just as the air whistle blew the call to a belated breakfast. Silently the three went to join their peers.
Chapter XIV. THIRD MESSAGE
WHEN THEY REACHED the mess hall, they faced a silent, expectant group. Hu Shih gave his aides a shove toward their families. He stood by his wife for a moment, silently composing his thoughts. Reeve gave Pat's hand a quick squeeze as he seated himself, nodding to Hrrula where he sat by Todd.
''As you all know, we have had two messages today," Hu Shih began in his quiet way. "They are unusual." His wry smiled elicited a derisive snort from Lawrence. "In effect, we have already done what we are told not to do. And we have not done, with one exception, what we are told to do."
This was greeted by a ripple of nervous laughter. From the corner of his eye, Reeve noticed that Hrrula was watching him, not the metropologist.
“At any rate,” Hu Shih said, “we have established some communications with our Hrruban friends.” He bowed toward Hrrula. “In other matters, I fear we have bungled badly.”
“We've bungled?” a voice protested. It sounded like McKee.
“We were asked,” Hu Shih continued, “by Codep and Alreldep to send detailed reports. As you know, a full report of our actions of these past few days has already left.”
Reeve was astounded at the amount of humor Hu Shih was able to inject into a humorless predicament. It was a very subtle flavor for such a bitter pill. Still, Ken reflected, If a guy didn't lose his sense of humor when the world was knocked out from under him, he might just somehow drag triumph out of tragedy.
“We were advised by Codep to embark on our already departed transport.”
A grim mutter filled the hall.
“Our good captain has given us only a short reprieve from the inevitable, if you get what I mean.”
“Yeah, we get what you mean, Shih,” and McKee stood up “It means well leave. This morning, next week, next month. What does it matter? We have to leave. We have to go back to Earth and I don't want to!”
A chorus of ominous agreement rose in support of McKee's sentiment. As one, Reeve and Lawrence rose and went to stand beside Hu Shih. Lawrence held his hands out for silence.
«Ken and I feel just the way you do. And, in spite of what you might think Hu Shih does too. In fact, he's mad about it, if you can imagine Shih getting angry.» It was a deft redirection of mood. «Mistakes happen even in our all-to-regulated world. Only this time, we're suffering for it – not some other guy down the Aisle! Yes, we have got a reprieve. We have a big beautiful world to enjoy while we can. And we can help ourselves, not by wallowing around in an it's-a-mistake self-pitying syndrome but by enjoying every minute we're here – whether it's out souvenir hunting to improve our status when we're Earthside again, or getting to understand an alien psychology through our Hrruban friends.» Then Lee grinned with mischief. «Who knows? Maybe Codep and Alreldep will spend so much time trying to figure out who's at fault they'll forget to take us off.»
Hu Shih protested sharply but it occurred to Reeve that Lawrence's quip was not beyond the realm of possibility.
“I'd be glad to give it an assist,” McKee shouted good-naturedly.
“Hey, Ezra, can't we suddenly get contaminated with a deadly disease?” Eckerd asked.
«Gentlemen,» Hu Shih said severely. «I'm sincerely relieved that we can keep our sense of humor in this difficult situation but let us not speculate too vividly on future contingencies. We all have sworn to uphold the basic Principle of Non-Cohabitation. we cannot co-inhabit a planet with another intelligent species – and there is no doubt that our Hrruban friends are intelligent. We will leave when we must, because we must uphold these principles despite the terrible personal sacrifice. And,» here the metropologist paused, sighing heavily, «to leave Doona is a great sacrifice!»
Pat, who had been listening intently, leaned over to, Sally Lawrence and whispered something in her ear. Sally looked sharply at Pat and then smiled slightly in agreement Reeve reminded himself to ask Pat what that interchange was all about.
“In the meantime . . .”
«In the meantime,» Phyllis Hu broke into the pause that followed, «our breakfast is getting cold. And I really cannot see good food – real food – wasted, no matter what the crisis.»
She injected enough of the plaintive into her cajoling tone to rouse people from their dejection. The children who had been quiet now broke the spell completely with subdued complaints of hunger. The clink of tableware against pottery and plastic and mumbled requests for platters and the replenishment of emptied pitchers resulted in a surface noise that bore some resemblance to a normal mealtime.
''What were you saying to Sally?" Ken asked his wife when he resumed his seat.
Pat's face was the picture of innocent surprise. “Oh, nothing important,” she replied too blandly and filled her mouth with scrambled ssliss egg. “Oh, but this is heavenly food.”
Reeve's next question was forestalled by Todd who reached for berry jam and spilled his water all over the table. Hrrula swept the child up in time to save both of them getting wet. Before Ken could scold Todd, Dot McKee cried out that the message tower was lit.
“Another one?” Lawrence demanded, rushing to the window.
“Awh, for the love of little apples,” Reeve groaned in exasperation, “whose finger's in the pie now?”
"The Royal Egyptian Society for the Preservation of – " Aurie Gaynor began.
“Aurie!” Kate Moody exclaimed, reminding her of Hrrula's presence.
Aurie was not the least bit abashed and handed her husband a couple of pieces of toast. “C'mon, Lightfoot. This'll give you energy, O Mercury,” and she pushed him out the door.
“I'll wager it's Spacedep,” Eckerd said to McKee.
“Naw, the Organization for the Prevention of the Suppression of Sentient Species,” McKee countered.
"I told you – it's the Royal Egyptian – " Aurie began, undaunted, until she caught Hu Shih's stern look. She giggled but subsided.
Gaynor, panting from the round-trip run, deposited the message capsule and the reader in front of Hu Shih. He stood there, both feet firmly planted, while Hu Shih broke open the container and held up the space-blue, star-marked tube.
“My bet,” Eckerd said with considerable malice in his voice.
Shih scanned the film, motioned to Lawrence and waited until the sociologist had read it.
“C'mon, Lee, forget the stupid protocol and read the stinking thing out loud,” McKee urged. “We can take anything at this point.”
Laughing softly, Lee lowered the reader.
"I was rather accurate when I suggested there'd be an interdepartmental wrangle over this. Spacedep's joined." He turned back to the reader and quoted in a stentorian voice: ''Soonest make survey determine alien landing site.'" He shrugged expressively. "That's a new way to evade blame, make our 'natives' 'aliens.' Ha!" and Lawrence bowed ceremoniously to Hrrula whose face was inscrutable.
“Hey, should he be allowed to listen to all this?” wheezed Gaynor, jerking a thumb at Hrrula.
“Why not? It concerns his future as much as ours,” Lawrence replied. “And I doubt if his command of Terran is sufficient to follow all this.”
As Lawr
ence continued to read the new message, Reeve watched the Hrruban surreptitiously. How much does he understand, Ken wondered. There was no tell-tale flicker of comprehension on Hrrula's calm face. He sat in polite silence, Todd nestled against him companionably. But, thought Ken, he is listening very hard.
''They forget, I guess," Lawrence was saying, "that we have only the one copter and not much fuel for an around-the-globe search. How long would you reckon, Eckerd, it would take to check on all continental masses for landing traces?"
Eckerd made a rude noise. “In a copter with an air speed of 150 miles top? Hmm,” and he laughed. “Months. Assuming, of course, that the craft these so-called aliens used leaves a burn-off.”
“What else would they use?” queried Ramasan.
“Hell, they could use magic for all of me,” Eckerd retorted derisively, looking sideways at the imperturbable Hrruban.
“A broomstick?” suggested Pat with a giggle. “For a clean sweep.”
“We're supposed,” Lawrence went on, raising his voice over the ripple that followed Pat's remark, “to institute a search, soonest, until such time as a ship can be detached to aid the 'indigenous personnel.' Now, which personnel shall be considered to be the 'indigenous' one?”
Lee put the reader down carefully and looked around the hall until he came to Hu Shih. With a little bow, he gave the floor to the metropologist.
“We are causing quite a stir,” Hu Shih remarked with a disparaging smile. “We certainly have had no clear orders from any of the departments interested in us. While we do know we must leave and Codep has so directed us, the only available transport refused to wait. Alreldep says stay and observe and now Spacedep tells us to beware of aliens.” Hu Shih smiled benignly toward Hrrula, who gave no suggestion of hostility as he grinned down at Todd beside him.
“All right, so what do we do now?” Gaynor demanded bluntly.
“I want to move into the house you built me and start enjoying apartness,” his wife said decisively.
Her feeling was unanimously seconded by all the women.
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