"You've got them. Imperial English, or should I have the ship transcribe everything into the pre-Imperial alphabet?" "Imperial," Odeon said, after a moment's thought. "I'm going to have to learn it sooner or later, so why put it off?" "That makes sense. And I don't think I'd better let any of your people try taking a tape till the Lindner gets here. An IBC has better research facilities than a scout; they may be able to find out why you reacted so badly, whether it's an individual reaction or something everyone in the Systems shares, and how to avoid it." "That makes sense, too. Thanks, Captain. Aside from the alphabet, what would you recommend I study first?" "In your place I'd start with basic history and Imperial structure. Once you know that, you're in a better position than I am to decide what else you'll need." "I'll do that, then." 27a. At Harmony Lodge 28. Aboard the Lindner James Medart was looking forward to his arrival in the Kingdom Systems. Another new culture to study, this time a group whose ancestors had fled the early Empire in an attempt to escape religious persecution. From Captain DeLayne's reports, that had been about four hundred years ago, and even though they refused to discuss religion, DeLayne said that from their symbols and occasional references, they were a Roman Catholic variant. DeLayne's primary informant was Cortin's second-in-command, who was also studying the Empire with considerable interest, DeLayne said, but making slow progress because he had a strong negative reaction to teaching tapes. That was unfortunate, Medart thought, but Odeon's attitude was a distinct improvement on Cortin's fear. He admitted to being a priest, once DeLayne asked about some of his insigne, but was reluctant to go beyond that, and said most of their Founders' records had been destroyed in the Final War. He couldn't provide the historical background Medart would have liked, then, so the Ranger decided to see what he could find from the Imperial side. After several days' research, he studied what he'd been able to put together from obscure and also incomplete records--not typical of the time, and he found himself wondering if that could be deliberate. Sabotage, maybe, by some who had stayed behind, to protect those who had left?