[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
wanting to welcome in a junior one as they appear to welcome us. If you can get a hint from this Minister
Jandanagger as to what that motive is, you ll have done more than well.
Thank you; I think I have the situation pretty clear, Farro said sharply, regretting his tone of voice at
once. But the other two were wise enough to make allowance for nervousness in times of stress. When
he left them to make his way towards the Galactic buildings, their faces held only sincere smiles of
farewell.
As Farro pushed through the crowds of sightseers who stood here all day watching the new building
develop, he listened with interest and some contempt for their com-ments. Many of them were discussing
the current announcement on Federation.
I think their goodness of heart is proved by the way they ve let us join. It s nothing but a friendly
gesture.
It shows what respect they must have for Earth.
You can t help seeing the future s going to be won-derful, now we can export goods all over the
galaxy. I tell you, we re in for a boom all round.
Which goes to prove that however advanced the race, they can t do without the good old Earth
know-how. Give the Galactics the credit for spotting that!
The seventh building round which so many idle spec-tators clustered was nearing completion. It grew
organically like some vast succulent plant, springing from a flat metal matrix, thrusting along curved
girders, encompassing them. Its colour was a natural russet which seemed to take its tones from the sky
overhead.
Grouped round the base of this extraordinary struc-ture were distilleries, sprays, excavators, and other
machines, the function of which was unknown to Farro. They provided the raw material from which the
building drew its bulk.
To one side of these seven well-designed eccentricities lay the space field. There, too, was another
minor mystery. Earth governments had ceded willingly when they sniffed the prizes to be won from
Federation! five such centres as the Horby Clive centre in various parts of the globe. Each centre was
being equipped as a space port and education unit, in which terrestrials would learn to understand the
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antiphonal complexities of Galingua and to behave as citizens of a well-populated galaxy.
Even granting vast alien resources, it was a formid-able project. According to latest estimates, at least
eight thousand Galactics were at present working on Earth. Yet on the space field sat only one craft, an
unlikely-looking polyhedron with Arcturan symbols on its hull.
The Galactics, in short, seemed to have remarkably few space ships.
That was a point he would Eke to investigate, Farro thought, speculatively eyeing the inert beacons
round the perimeter of the field.
He skirted them, avoiding the crowds as far as pos-sible, and arrived at the entrance of one of the other
six Galactic buildings, quite as eccentric in shape as its unfinished brother. As he walked in, an Earthman
in a dark grey livery came deferentially forward.
I have an appointment with Galactic Minister Jandanagger Laterobinson, Farro announced,
pronouncing the strange name awkwardly. I am Farro Westerby, Special Deputy of the Isolationist
League.
Directly he heard the phrase Isolationist League , the receptionist s manner chilled. Setting his lips, he
beck-oned Farro over to a small side apartment, the doors of which closed as Farro entered. The
apartment, the Galactic equivalent of a lift, began to move through the building, travelling upwards on
what Farro judged to be an elliptical path. It delivered him into Jandanagger Laterobinson s room.
Standing up, the Galactic Minister greeted Farro with amiable reserve, giving the latter an opportunity to
sum up his opponent. Laterobinson was unmistakably humanoid; he might, indeed, have passed for an
Earth-man, were it not for the strangeness of his eyes, set widely apart in his face and half-hidden by the
peculiar configuration of an epicanthic fold of skin. This minor variation of feature nevertheless gave to
Jandanagger what all his race seemed to possess: a watchful, tensely withdrawn air.
You know the reason for my visit, Minister, Farro said, when he had introduced himself. He spoke
care-fully in Galingua, the language he had spent so many months so painfully learning; initially, its wide
variation in form from any terrestrial tongue had all but baffled him.
Putting it briefly, you represent a body of people who fear contact with the other races in the
galaxy unlike most of your fellows on Earth, Jandanagger said easily. Expressed like that, the idea
sounded absurd.
I would rather claim to represent a body of people who have thought more deeply about the present
situa-tion than perhaps their fellows have done.
Since your views are already known to me through the newly established Terrestrial-Galactic Council, I
take it you wish us to discuss this matter personally?
That is so.
Jandanagger returned to his chair, gesturing Farro into another.
My role on Earth is simply to talk and to listen, he said, not without irony. So do please feel free to
talk.
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Minister, I represent five per cent of the people of Earth. If this sounds a small number, I would point
out that that percentage contains some of the most eminent men in the world. Our position is relatively
simple. You first visited Earth over a year ago, at the end of Ishrail s decade of exile; after investigation,
you decided we were sufficiently advanced to become probationary members of the Galactic Federation.
As a result, certain advant-ages and disadvantages will naturally accrue; although both sides will reap [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
wanting to welcome in a junior one as they appear to welcome us. If you can get a hint from this Minister
Jandanagger as to what that motive is, you ll have done more than well.
Thank you; I think I have the situation pretty clear, Farro said sharply, regretting his tone of voice at
once. But the other two were wise enough to make allowance for nervousness in times of stress. When
he left them to make his way towards the Galactic buildings, their faces held only sincere smiles of
farewell.
As Farro pushed through the crowds of sightseers who stood here all day watching the new building
develop, he listened with interest and some contempt for their com-ments. Many of them were discussing
the current announcement on Federation.
I think their goodness of heart is proved by the way they ve let us join. It s nothing but a friendly
gesture.
It shows what respect they must have for Earth.
You can t help seeing the future s going to be won-derful, now we can export goods all over the
galaxy. I tell you, we re in for a boom all round.
Which goes to prove that however advanced the race, they can t do without the good old Earth
know-how. Give the Galactics the credit for spotting that!
The seventh building round which so many idle spec-tators clustered was nearing completion. It grew
organically like some vast succulent plant, springing from a flat metal matrix, thrusting along curved
girders, encompassing them. Its colour was a natural russet which seemed to take its tones from the sky
overhead.
Grouped round the base of this extraordinary struc-ture were distilleries, sprays, excavators, and other
machines, the function of which was unknown to Farro. They provided the raw material from which the
building drew its bulk.
To one side of these seven well-designed eccentricities lay the space field. There, too, was another
minor mystery. Earth governments had ceded willingly when they sniffed the prizes to be won from
Federation! five such centres as the Horby Clive centre in various parts of the globe. Each centre was
being equipped as a space port and education unit, in which terrestrials would learn to understand the
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
antiphonal complexities of Galingua and to behave as citizens of a well-populated galaxy.
Even granting vast alien resources, it was a formid-able project. According to latest estimates, at least
eight thousand Galactics were at present working on Earth. Yet on the space field sat only one craft, an
unlikely-looking polyhedron with Arcturan symbols on its hull.
The Galactics, in short, seemed to have remarkably few space ships.
That was a point he would Eke to investigate, Farro thought, speculatively eyeing the inert beacons
round the perimeter of the field.
He skirted them, avoiding the crowds as far as pos-sible, and arrived at the entrance of one of the other
six Galactic buildings, quite as eccentric in shape as its unfinished brother. As he walked in, an Earthman
in a dark grey livery came deferentially forward.
I have an appointment with Galactic Minister Jandanagger Laterobinson, Farro announced,
pronouncing the strange name awkwardly. I am Farro Westerby, Special Deputy of the Isolationist
League.
Directly he heard the phrase Isolationist League , the receptionist s manner chilled. Setting his lips, he
beck-oned Farro over to a small side apartment, the doors of which closed as Farro entered. The
apartment, the Galactic equivalent of a lift, began to move through the building, travelling upwards on
what Farro judged to be an elliptical path. It delivered him into Jandanagger Laterobinson s room.
Standing up, the Galactic Minister greeted Farro with amiable reserve, giving the latter an opportunity to
sum up his opponent. Laterobinson was unmistakably humanoid; he might, indeed, have passed for an
Earth-man, were it not for the strangeness of his eyes, set widely apart in his face and half-hidden by the
peculiar configuration of an epicanthic fold of skin. This minor variation of feature nevertheless gave to
Jandanagger what all his race seemed to possess: a watchful, tensely withdrawn air.
You know the reason for my visit, Minister, Farro said, when he had introduced himself. He spoke
care-fully in Galingua, the language he had spent so many months so painfully learning; initially, its wide
variation in form from any terrestrial tongue had all but baffled him.
Putting it briefly, you represent a body of people who fear contact with the other races in the
galaxy unlike most of your fellows on Earth, Jandanagger said easily. Expressed like that, the idea
sounded absurd.
I would rather claim to represent a body of people who have thought more deeply about the present
situa-tion than perhaps their fellows have done.
Since your views are already known to me through the newly established Terrestrial-Galactic Council, I
take it you wish us to discuss this matter personally?
That is so.
Jandanagger returned to his chair, gesturing Farro into another.
My role on Earth is simply to talk and to listen, he said, not without irony. So do please feel free to
talk.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Minister, I represent five per cent of the people of Earth. If this sounds a small number, I would point
out that that percentage contains some of the most eminent men in the world. Our position is relatively
simple. You first visited Earth over a year ago, at the end of Ishrail s decade of exile; after investigation,
you decided we were sufficiently advanced to become probationary members of the Galactic Federation.
As a result, certain advant-ages and disadvantages will naturally accrue; although both sides will reap [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]