Part 8 (1/2)
”Or anything else,” Kincaid said, flatly. ”If we're right they can't be swayed, period.”
”I was afraid of that. Well, that's all the questions I know how to ask.
Any contributions to this symposium?”
After a short silence de Vaux said, ”I suppose you realize that the first half of the problem you posed us has now solved itself?”
”Why, no. No, you're 'way ahead of me.”
”There is a basic problem and it can now be clearly stated,” Rebecca said. ”Problem: To determine a method of securing full cooperation from the Omans. The first step in the solution of this problem is to find the most appropriate operator. Teddy?”
”I have an operator--of sorts,” Theodora said. ”I've been hoping one of us could find a better.”
”What is it?” Hilton demanded.
”The word 'until'.”
”Teddy, you're a _sweetheart_!” Hilton exclaimed.
”How can 'until' be a mathematical operator?” Sandra asked.
”Easily.” Hilton was already deep in thought. ”This hard conditioning was to last only _until_ the Masters returned. Then they'd break it. So all we have to do is figure out how a Master would do it.”
”That's _all_,” Kincaid said, meaningly.
Hilton pondered. Then, ”Listen, all of you. I may have to try a colossal job of bluffing....”
”Just what would you call 'colossal' after what you did to the Navy?”
Karns asked.
”That was a sure thing. This isn't. You see, to find out whether Laro is really an immovable object, I've got to make like an irresistible force, which I ain't. I don't know what I'm going to do; I'll have to roll it as I go along. So all of you keep on your toes and back any play I make. Here they come.”
The Omans came in and Hilton faced Laro, eyes to eyes. ”Laro,” he said, ”you refused to obey my direct order. Your reasoning seems to be that, whether the Masters wish it or not, you Omans will block any changes whatever in the _status quo_ throughout all time to come. In other words, you deny the fact that Masters are in fact your Masters.”
”But that is not exactly it, Master. The Masters ...”
”That is it. _Exactly_ it. Either you are the Master here or you are not. That is a point to which your two-value logic can be strictly applied. You are wilfully neglecting the word 'until'. This stasis was to exist only _until_ the Masters returned. Are we Masters? Have we returned? Note well: Upon that one word 'until' may depend the length of time your Oman race will continue to exist.”
The Omans flinched; the humans gasped.
”But more of that later,” Hilton went on, unmoved. ”Your ancient Masters, being short-lived like us, changed materially with time, did they not? And you changed with them?”
”But we did not change ourselves, Master. The Masters ...”
”You did change yourselves. The Masters changed only the prototype brain. They ordered you to change yourselves and you obeyed their orders. We order you to change and you refuse to obey our orders. We have changed greatly from our ancestors. Right?”
”That is right, Master.”