XI.
With the exception of a few additional delegates composed ofhigh-ranking Texcocan and Genoese political and scientific heads, theline-up at the end of forty years was the same as ten yearsearlier--except for the absence of Jerry Kennedy.
Extra tables had been set up, and chairs to accommodate the addednumbers. To one side were the Genoese: Martin Gunther, Fredric Buchwald,Peter MacDonald, with such repeat delegates as Baron Leonar and theHonorables Modrin and Russ and half a dozen newcomers. On the other wereBarry Watson, Dick Hawkins and Natt Roberts, Taller and such Texcocansas the scientists Wiss and Fokin, army heads, Security Police officialsand other notables.
Note pads had been placed before each of them and both Watson andGunther were equipped with gavels.
While chairs were still being shuffled, Barry Watson said over the tableto Gunther, "Jerry?"
Martin Gunther shrugged "Jerry's indisposed. As a matter of fact, he'sat one of the mountain sanitariums, taking a cure. He'll be all right."
"Good," Dick Hawkins said. "We've lost too many."
Watson pounded with his gavel. "Let's come to order. Gunther do you haveanything to say in the way of preliminaries?"
"Not especially. I believe we all know where we stand, including thenewcomers from Genoa and Texcoco. In brief, this is the fourth meetingof the Earth teams that were sent to these two planets to bring backwardcolonists to an industrialized culture. It would seem that we are bothsucceeding--possibly at different rates. Forty years have passed, tenremain to us."
For a moment there was silence.
Finally Roberts said, "Possibly you have already discovered this throughyour agents, but we have released the information on prolonging oflife."
Peter MacDonald said wryly, "We, too, were pressured into such a step."
Baron Leonar said, "And why not?"
Taller, across the table from him, nodded.
Martin Gunther tapped twice on the table with his gavel. "The basicreason for our meeting is to report progress and to reconsider thepossibilities of new elements having entered into the situation whichmight cause us to re-examine our policies. I think we already have afairly good idea of each other's development." His voice went wry. "Atleast our agents do a fairly good job of reporting yours."
"And ours, yours," Watson rapped.
"However," MacDonald said, "now that we are drawing near the end of ourhalf century, I think it becomes obvious that Amschel Mayer's originalcontention--that a freely competitive economy grows faster than onerestricted by totalitarian bounds--has been proven."
Barry Watson snorted amusement. "Do you?" he said. "To the contrary,MacDonald. The proof is otherwise. On Genoa you still have comparativeconfusion. True enough, several of your nations, particularly those onyour southern continent, are greatly advanced and with a high living andcultural standard--when times are good. But at the same time you haveother whole peoples who are little, if any, better off, than when youarrived. On the western continent you even have a few feudalisticregimes that are probably worse off--mostly as a result of the warsyou've crippled them with."
Natt Roberts said, his voice musing, "But even that isn't the importantthing. The Co-ordinator sent us here to find a _method_ of bringingbackward cultures to industrialization. Have you got a blueprint to showhim, when you return? Can you trace out the history of Genoa for thispast half century and say, this war was necessary for progress--butthat should have been avoided? Or is this whole _free competition_program of yours actually nothing but chaos which _sometimes_ works outwonderfully for _some_ nations, but actually destroys others? You havescorned our methods, our collectivized society--but when we return,we'll have a blueprint of how we arrived where we are."
Gunther banged the table with his gavel. "Just a moment. Is there anyreason why we have to listen to these accusations when--"
Watson held up a hand, curtly, "Let us finish. If you have something tosay, we'll gladly listen when we're through."
Gunther was flushed but he snapped, "Go ahead then, but don't think anyof we Genoese are being taken in."
Watson said, "True enough, it took us a time to unite our people ..."
"Time and blood," Peter MacDonald muttered.
"... But once underway the Texcocan State has moved on in a progressionunknown in any of the Genoese nations. To industrialize a society youmust reach a certain taking off point, a point where you have sufficientindustry, particularly steel, sufficient power, sufficient scientists,technicians and skilled workers. Once that point has been reached youcan move in almost a geometric progression. You build a steel mill andwith the steel produced you build two more mills the following year,which in turn gives you the material for four the next year."
Buchwald grunted his disbelief.
Watson looked up and down the line of Genoese, the Earthmen as well asthe natives. "On Texcoco we have now reached that point. We have atrained, eager population of over one billion persons. Our universitiesare turning out highly trained effectives at the rate of more thantwenty million a year. We have located all the raw materials we willneed. We are now under way." He looked at them in heavy amusement. "Bythe end of the next decade we will bury you."
Martin Gunther said calmly, "Are you through?"
"Yes. For the time," Watson nodded.
"Very well. Then this is _our_ progress report. In the past forty yearswe have eliminated feudalism in all the more advanced countries. Even inthe remote areas the pressures of our changing world are bringing themaround. The populace of these countries will no longer stand to one sidewhile the standard of living on the rest of Genoa grows so rapidly. Onmost of our planet, already the average family not only enjoys freedombut a way of life far in advance of that of Texcoco. Already modernhousing and household appliances are everywhere. Already both land carsand aircraft are available to the majority. The nations have formed anInter-Continental League of governments so that it is unlikely that warwill ever touch us again. And this is merely a beginning. In ten years,continuing our freely competitive way of developing, all will be livingon a scale that only the wealthy can afford today."
He came to an end and stared antagonistically at the Texcocans.
Taller said, "There seems to be no agreement."
Across the table from him the ancient Honorable Russ said, "It isdifficult to measure. We seem to count refrigerators and privately ownedautomobiles. You seem to ignore personal standards and concentrate onsteel tonnage."
The Texcocan scientist, Wiss, said easily, "Given the steel mills, andeventually automobiles and refrigerators will run off our assembly lineslike water, and will be available for everyone, not just those who canafford to buy them."
"Hm-m-m, eventually," Peter MacDonald laughed nastily.
The atmosphere was suddenly hostile. Hostile beyond anything that hadgone before in earlier conferences.
And then Martin Gunther said without inflection, "I note that you haveremoved from the _Pedagogue's_ library the information dealing withnuclear fission."
"For the purpose of study," Dick Hawkins said smoothly.
"Of course," Gunther said. "Did you plan to return it in the immediatefuture?"
"I'm afraid our studies will take some time," Watson said flatly.
"I was afraid so," Gunther said. "Happily, I took the precaution ofmaking microfilms of the material involved more than a year ago."
Barry Watson pushed his chair back. "We seem to have accomplished whatwas possible by this conference," he said. "If anything." He looked toright and left at his cohorts. "Let's go."
They came stiffly erect. Watson turned on his heel and started for thedoor.
As they left, Natt Roberts turned for a moment and said to Gunther, "Onething, Martin. During this next ten years you might consider whether ornot half a century has been enough to accomplish our task. Should weconsider staying on? I would think the Co-ordinator would accept anyrecommendation along this line that we might make."
The Genoese contingent looked afte
r him, long after he was gone.
Finally Martin Gunther said, "Baron Leonar, I think it might be a goodidea if you began putting some of your men to work on making steelalloys suitable for spacecraft. The way things are developing, perhapswe'll be needing them."
Buchwald and MacDonald looked at him unblinkingly.
XII.
It was fifty years to a day since the _Pedagogue_ had first gone intoorbit about Rigel. Five decades have passed. Half a century.
Of the original crew of the _Pedagogue_, six now gathered in the loungeof the spaceship. All of them had changed physically. Some of themsofter to the point of flabbiness; some harder both of body and soul.
Barry Watson, Natt Roberts, Dick Hawkins, of the Texcocan team.
Martin Gunther, Peter MacDonald, Fredric Buchwald, of the Genoese.
The gathering wasn't so large as the one before. Only Taller and thescientist Wiss attended from Texcoco; only Baron Leonar and the son ofHonorable Russ from Genoa.
From the beginning they stared with hostility across the conferencetable. Even the pretense of amiability was gone.
Watson rapped finally, "I am not going to dwell upon the measures youhave been taking that can only be construed as military ones aimedeventually at the Texcocan State."
Martin Gunther laughed nastily. "Is your implication that your ownpeople have not taken the same measures, in fact, inaugurated them?"
Watson said, "As I say, I have no intention of even discussing this.Surely we can arrive at no agreement. There is one point, however thatwe should consider on this occasion."
The corpulent Peter MacDonald wheezed, "Well, out with it!"
Natt Roberts said, "I mentioned the matter to you at the last meeting."
"Ah, yes," Gunther nodded. "Just as you left. We have considered it."
The Texcocans waited for him to go on.
"If I understand you," Gunther said, "you think we should reconsiderreturning to Terra City at this time."
"It should be discussed," Watson nodded. "Whatever the ... ah ...temporary difficulties between us, the original project of the_Pedagogue_ is still our duty."
The three of the Genoese team nodded their agreement.
"And the problem becomes, have we accomplished completely what we setout to do? And, further, is it necessary, or at least preferable, for usto stay on and continue administration of the progress of the Rigelplanets?"
They thought about it.
Buchwald said hesitantly, "It has been my own belief that Genoa is notquite ready for us to let loose the ... ah, reins. If we left now, I amnot sure--"
Roberts said, "Same applies to Texcoco. The State has made fabulousstrides, but I am not sure what would happen if we leaders were toleave. There might be a complete collapse."
Watson said, "We seem to be in basic agreement. Is a suggestion in orderthat we extend, for another twenty-five years, at least, thisexpedition's work?"
Dick Hawkins said, "The Office of Galactic Colonization--"
MacDonald said smoothly, "Will undoubtedly send out a ship toinvestigate. We shall simply inform them that things are not as yetpropitious to our leaving, that another twenty-five years is in order.Since we are on the scene, undoubtedly our recommendation will beheeded."
Watson looked from one Earthman to the next. "We are in agreement?"
Each in turn nodded.
Peter MacDonald said, "And do you all realize that here we have a uniquesituation that might be exploited for the benefit of the whole race?"
They looked to him, questioningly.
"The dynamic we find in Genoa--and Texcoco, too, for that matter, thoughwe disagree on so many fundamentals--is beyond that in the Solar System.These are new planets, new ambitions are alive. We have at ourfingertips man's highest developments, evolved on Earth. But with thisnew dynamic, this freshness, might we not in time push even beyond oldEarth?"
"You mean--" Natt Roberts said.
MacDonald nodded. "What particular of value is gained by our unitingGenoa and Texcoco with the so-called Galactic Commonwealth? Why notpress ahead on our own? With the vigor of these new races we might wellleave Earth far behind."
Watson mused, "Carrying your suggestion to the ultimate, who is to saythat one day Rigel might not become the new center of the human race,rather than Sol?"
"A point well taken," Gunther agreed.
"No," Taller said softly.
The six Earthmen turned hostile eyes to him.
"This particular matter does not concern you, Generalissimo," Watsonrapped at him.
Taller smiled his amusement at that and came to his feet.
"No," he said. "I am afraid that hard though it might be for you to giveup the powers you have held so long, you Earthlings are going to have toreturn to Terra City, from whence you came."
Baron Leonar said in gentle agreement, "Obviously."
"What is this?" Watson rapped. "I'm not at all amused."
The Honorable Russ stood also. "There is no use prolonging this. I haveheard you Earthlings say, more than once, that man adapts to preservehimself. Very well, we of Genoa and Texcoco are adapting to the presentsituation. We are of the belief that if you are allowed to remain inpower we of the Rigel planets will be destroyed, probably in an atomicholocaust. In self-protection we have found it necessary to unite, weGenoese and Texcocans. We bear you no ill will, far to the contrary.However, it is necessary that you all return to Earth. You haveimpressed upon us the aforementioned truism that _man adapts_ but in the_Pedagogue's_ library I have found another that also applies. Powercorrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
There were heavy automatics in the hands of Natt Roberts and DickHawkins. Barry Watson leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrow. "How'dyou ever expect to get away with this sort of treason, Taller?"
Martin Gunther blurted, "Or you, Russ?"
Wiss, the Texcocan scientist, held his wrist radio to his mouth andsaid, "Come in now."
Dick Hawkins thumbed back the hammer of his hand gun.
"Hold it a minute, Dick," Barry Watson said. "I don't like this." ToTaller he rapped, "What goes on here? Talk up, you're just about a deadman."
And it was then that they heard the scraping on the outer hull.
The six Earthmen looked at the overhead, dumfounded.
"I suggest you put up your weapons," Taller said quietly. "At this latestage I would hate to see further bloodshed."
In moments they heard the opening and closing of locks and footstepsalong the corridor. The door opened and in stepped,
Joe Chessman, Amschel Mayer, Mike Dean, Louis Rosetti, and an emaciatedJerry Kennedy. Their expressions ran the gamut from sheepishness toblank haughtiness.
MacDonald bug-eyed. "Dean ... Rosetti ... the Temple priests burned youat the stake!"
They grinned at him, shamefaced. "Guess not," Dean said. "We werekidnaped. We've been teaching basic science, in some phony monastery."
Watson's face was white. "Joe," he said.
"Yeah," Joe Chessman growled. "You sold me out. But Taller and theTexcocans thought I was still of some use."
Amschel Mayer snapped, bitterly, "And now if you fools will put downyour stupid guns, we'll make the final arrangements for returning thisexpedition to Terra City. Personally, I'll be glad to get away!"
Behind the five resurrected Earthmen were a sea of faces representingthe foremost figures of both Texcoco and Genoa in every field ofendeavor. At least fifty of them in all.
As though protectively, the eleven Earthmen ganged together at the farside of the messtable they'd met over so often.
Martin Gunther, his expression dazed, said, "I ... I don't--"
Taller resumed his spokesmanship. "From the first the most progressiveelements on both Texcoco and Genoa realized the value of your expeditionand have been in fundamental sympathy with the aims the _Pedagogue_originally had. Primitive life is not idyllic. Until man is free fromnature's tyranny and has solved the basic problems of sufficient food,clothing, shelter
, medical care and education for all, he is unable torealize himself. So we co-operated with you to the extent we foundpossible."
His smile was grim. "I am afraid that almost from the beginning, and onboth planets, your very actions developed an ... underground, I believeyou call it. Not an overt one, since we needed your assistance to buildthe new industrialized culture you showed us was possible. We evenprotected you against yourselves, since it soon became obvious that ifleft alone you'd destroy each other in your addiction to power."
Baron Leonar broke in, "Don't misunderstand. It wasn't until the pastcouple of decades that this _underground_ which had sprung upindependently on both planets, amalgamated."
Barry Watson blurted, "But Joe ... Chessman--" he refused to meet theeye of the man he'd condemned.
Taller said, "From the first you made no effort to study our customs. Ifyou had, you'd have realized why my father allied himself to you afteryou'd killed Taller First. And why I did not take my revenge on Chessmanafter he'd killed Reif. A Khan's first training is that no personalemotion must interfere with the needs of the People. When you turned JoeChessman over to me, I realized his education, his abilities were toogreat to destroy. We sent him to a mountain university and have used himprofitably all these years. In fact, it was Chessman who finally broughtus to space travel."
"That's right," Buchwald blurted. "You've got a spaceship out there. Howcould you possibly--?"
Taller said mildly, "There are but a handful of you, you could hardlykeep track of two whole planets and all that went on upon them."
Amschel Mayer said bitingly, "All this can be gone over on our return toTerra City. We'll have a full year to explain to ourselves and eachother why we became such complete idiots. I was originally head of thisexpedition--before my supposed friends railroaded me to prison--doesanyone object if I take over again?"
"No," Joe Chessman growled.
The others shook their heads.
Taller said, "There is but one other thing. In spite of how you may feelat this moment of embarrassment, basically you have succeeded in yourtask. That is, you have brought Texcoco and Genoa to an industrializedculture. We hold various reservations about how you accomplished this.However, when you return to your Co-ordinator of Galactic Colonization,please inform him that we are anxious to receive his ambassadors. Theterm is _ambassadors_ and we will expect to meet on a basis of equality.Surely in all Earth's millennia of social evolution man has worked outsomething better than either of your teams have built here. We shouldlike to be instructed."
Dick Hawkins said stiffly, "We can instruct you on Earth's presentsocio-economic system."
"I am afraid we no longer trust you, Richard Hawkins. Sendothers--uncorrupted by power, privilege or great wealth."
* * * * *
When they had gone and the sound of their departing spacecraft hadfaded, Amschel Mayer snapped, "We might as well get underway. And cheerup, confound it, we have lots of time to contrive a reasonable reportfor the Co-ordinator."
Jerry Kennedy managed a thin grin, almost reminiscent of the youngerKennedy of the first years on Genoa. "Say," he said, "I wonder if we'llbe granted a good long vacation before being sent on anotherassignment."
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ August 1960. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
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