The Colonists Page 10

the personallycreative functions you enjoyed. That one slim, hairbreadth factorbrought you in."

  "But how do you expect now to get any substantial number of colonists?"exclaimed Jorden.

  "We'll put on a recruiting campaign. We'll go to the creativegroups--the engineers, the planners, the artists--we'll show thatopportunity for creative functioning and growth will be far greater inthe work of building colonial outposts than in any activity they nowenjoy. And we won't have to exaggerate, either. It's true.

  "We'll be able to send out a colony of whom we can be certain. In thepast, colonies have invariably failed when they consisted only ofmembers fleeing from something, without possessing an adequate growthfactor.

  "When this becomes thoroughly understood in my field, I shall probablynever live down my initial error of assuming that a colonist had to hateor fear what he left behind in order to leave it forever. The exactopposite is true. Successful colonization of the Universe by Earthmenwill occur only when there is a love and respect for the Homeland--and acapacity for complete independence from it."

  Ashby pressed his fingers together and looked at his visitors soberly."There is only one thing further," he said. "We've found out also thatBonnie is not essentially a colonist--"

  Bonnie's face went white. She pushed Jorden's arm away and leaned acrossthe desk. "You knew--! Then we can't--Why didn't you tell me this in thebeginning?"

  "Please don't be hasty, Bonnie," said Ashby. "As I was about to say, wehave found, however, that another condition exists in which you canbecome eligible and stable through a genuine love for a qualifiedcolonist, to the extent you are willing to follow him completely in hisambitions and desires. This is strictly a feminine possibility--a womancan become a sort of second order colonist, you might say.

  "Of course, Jorden, you still have to make the basic decision as towhether you want to go to Serrengia or not. We have found out merelythat you _can_."

  "I think there's no doubt about my wanting to," said Jorden.

  He turned Bonnie around in his arms again, and Ashby chuckled mildly. "Ihave always said there is no piece of data you cannot find, provided youcan devise the proper experimental procedure for turning it up," hesaid.