Produced by Greg Weeks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE BLUE TOWER By EVELYN E. SMITH _As the vastly advanced guardians of mankind, the Belphins knew how to make a lesson stick--but whom?_ Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy, February, 1958. Extensive research did not reveal any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Ludovick Eversole sat in the golden sunshine outside his house, writing a poem as he watched the street flow gently past him. There were very few people on it, for he lived in a slow part of town, and those who went in for travel generally preferred streets where the pace was quicker. Moreover, on a sultry spring afternoon like this one, there would be few people wandering abroad. Most would be lying on sun-kissed white beaches or in sun-drenched parks, or, for those who did not fancy being either kissed or drenched by the sun, basking in the comfort of their own air-conditioned villas. Some would, like Ludovick, be writing poems; others composing symphonies; still others painting pictures. Those who were without creative talent or the inclination to indulge it would be relaxing their well-kept golden bodies in whatever surroundings they had chosen to spend this particular one of the perfect days that stretched in an unbroken line before every member of the human race from the cradle to the crematorium. Only the Belphins were much in evidence. Only the Belphins had duties to perform. Only the Belphins worked. Ludovick stretched his own well-kept golden body and rejoiced in the knowing that he was a man and not a Belphin. Immediately afterward, he was sorry for the heartless thought. Didn't the Belphins work only to serve humanity? How ungrateful, then, it was to gloat over them! Besides, he comforted himself, probably, if the truth were known, the Belphins _liked_ to work. He hailed a passing Belphin for assurance on this point. Courteous, like all members of his species, the creature leaped from the street and listened attentively to the young man's question. "We Belphins have but one like and one dislike," he replied. "We like what is right and we dislike what is wrong." "But how can you tell what is right and what is wrong?" Ludovick persisted. "We _know_," the Belphin said, gazing reverently across the city to the blue spire of the tower where The Belphin of Belphins dwelt, in constant communication with every member of his race at all times, or so they said. "That is why we were placed in charge of humanity. Someday you, too, may advance to the point where you _know_, and we shall return whence we came." "But _who_ placed you in charge," Ludovick asked, "and whence _did_ you come?" Fearing he might seem motivated by vulgar curiosity, he explained, "I am doing research for an epic poem."