Part 44 (1/2)
”You couldn't, unless it was a perfectly-insulated wigbut it looks as though she did, at that” and Parleof paused in thought
”Maybe Byuk would have an idea or two,” and Jet uttered aloud a dozen or so crackling syllables that sounded as though they could have been ladylike profanity Whatever they were, Byuk jumped, too, and tuned in with the other three
”Oh, it's quite easy, really,” Therea said then ”Look” Her racefully down around her neck and shoulders ”Look again” Each hair stood fiercely out all by itself, exactly as before
”All you young people will learn s before this lad I am that so many of you are here”
And so it went, all over the auditorium Once cracked, the ice broke up fast
Fao and Delcamp worked hard; so did Belle and Garlock Alsyne was a potent force indeed--his abounding vitality and his treic could not affect And Therea worked near-miracles; did more than the other five co and feeling, were as great as Lola's own; her operative ability was as reater than that of a bobby-soxed babysitter
Thus, when half of the hour was gone, Garlock heaved a profound sigh of relief He wouldn't have half the trouble he had expected--it was not going to be a riot And when he called theto order he was pleasanter and friendlier than Belle had ever before seen hi to order, it is only in the widest possible sense that I aanization by the delegated authority of which any ht to preside Yesterday I ruled by force; sier than any one of you or any pair of you Today, in the light of the developments of the last hour, that rule is done; except, perhaps, for one or two isolated and non-representative cases which may develop today By this time tomorrow, I hope that ill be forever done with the law of claw and fang For, as a much abler man has said--'To the really mature mind, the concept of status is co that as a direct quote, Alsyne, and it isn't_” Belle lanced the thought
”_He thinks it is_,” Alsyne flashed back ”_That is the way hisis infor of anization can be developed Since you all knoe think it basically should be, there is no need to repeat it
”Ithat a few of you will construe as a threat
You are all Prihest development of a planet, perhaps of a solar system You can learn if you will You can cooperate if you will Any couple here who refuses to learn, and hence to cooperate, will be returned to its native planet and will have no further contact with this group
”I now turn thisover to our first moderators, Alsyne and Therea of Thaker; the oldest and ablest Prime Operators of us all”
”Thank you, Garlock of Tellus One correction, however, if you please I who speak a here, but both I am the Prime Unit of Thaker For brevity, and for the purposes of thisonly, I could be called sieneral discussion I wish to call particular attention to two points, neither of which has been sufficiently emphasized
”First, the purpose of a Prime Operator is to serve, not to rule Thus, no Pri, except possibly of his own starshi+p
”Second, since we have no data we do not knohat for, however, is sure Whatever power of enforcement or of punishment it may have will derive, not from its Primes, but from the fact that it will be an arm of the Galactic Council, which will be coible for membershi+p”
Thaker went on to explain how each pair could obtain instruction and assistance instarshi+ps How each pair would, when they were h, be coached in the use of certain abilities they did not as yet have He suggested procedures and techniques to be e up of each pair's volume of space He then asked for questions and coood little boy,” he sneered, ”and do exactly as I'ion you tell me to and not the one I want to, what assurance have I that some other Pri and take it away froless,” Thaker replied ”Since you will not 'take over,' or 'have,' or 'own,' any region, it cannot be 'taken away froan
”You will keep still!” ca ready to intervene Miss Mitala then switched froht, which everyone there could understand, and launched a ten-second blast of furious speech Seood--or else”
A girl deht What's the use of being Priest people of our respective worlds I say we're bosses and should keep on being bosses”
Garlock got ready to shut her up, then paused; holding his fire
”Ah, yes, friend Garlock, you are ht and, in answer to Garlock's surprise, it went on, ”This situation will, I think, be self-adjusting; just as will be those in the as yet unexplored regions of space”