"Perhaps I do," came the slow answer. "Perhaps I do." The tone of the
speech was low and self-reflective. "But again, perhaps I, too, am
in the dangerous position of not knowing enough. You Terrans have a
saying--'A little knowledge is dangerous.' It is true. Again we strike
the parallel. I give you stellar power and you, knowing nothing about
its intricacies, use it. Can you hope to know down which road lies
total destruction?"
"You are possibly right. We could learn."
"But not from me," said Gerd with finality. "That I cannot and will not
do. One can not supervise and control the inventiveness of a planet
such as yours. Your rugged individualists would be investigating in
their small laboratories with inadequate protection, and inevitably one
or more of them would strike the danger-spot."
"I'm answered," said Andrew reluctantly. "Answered negatively. I'm
forced into accepting your statements. They are quite logical--and
Gaya's willingness to be glad for us when she thought that we had
discovered it is evidence that you are not withholding it with malice.
But logic does not fill an empty spot, Gerd."
Gerd laughed. "If you had everything you want, your race would have
died out before it came out of the jungles."
Tremaine laughed. "I know," he admitted. "Also--and I'm talking against
my own race--there is the interesting observation that if Heaven is the
place where we have everything we want, why are people always trying to
live as long as they can?"
"Perhaps they're not certain of the hereafter."
"Whether they are firmly convinced yes or as firmly convinced no, they
still view death with disfavor. I'd say their dislike was about even.
All right, Gerd. I'll take your statements as you made them and with
reluctance I'll return to my work and ponder."
"Stay for dinner," urged Gaya. She gave him the benefit of a brilliant
smile, but Andrew shook his head.
"I've got to write an editorial," he said. "I've got to change one
already written. I was a bit harsh about you, and I feel it was unfair.
Perhaps you'll join us at dinner tomorrow?"
Gaya laughed. "You're speaking for Lenore, too?"
"Yes," nodded Andrew. "She'll be glad to see you."
"Then we'll be glad to come," said Gerd.
* * * * *
As he left, Gerd turned to his wife and said: "He'll bear watching."
"I caught your thought. He will. Shall I?"
"From time to time. Tremaine suspects. He is a brilliant man, Gaya, and
for his own peace of mind, he must never know the truth."
"If he suspects," said Gaya thoughtfully, "it may mean that he has too
little to do. There are many sciences--would it be possible to hint the
way into one. That might occupy his mind enough to exclude the other
question."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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