The Unlearned Page 5

Rykes?"

  "Laboratories? We have no need of laboratories. We have workshops andstudy rooms where we try to absorb that which the Rykes discovered longago. Maybe at some future time we will come to a point where we canreach into the frontier of knowledge with our own minds, but this doesnot seem likely now."

  "So you have given up all original research of your own?"

  "How could we do otherwise? The Rykes have all the answers to anyquestion we have intelligence enough to ask. Follow them, Sherman. It isno disgrace to be led by such as the Ryke teachers."

  "Don't you ever long," said Hockley, "to take just one short step onyour own two feet?"

  "Why crawl when you can go by trans-light carrier?"

  Thar sipped the last of his drink and glanced toward the wall clock. "Imust go. I can understand the direction of your questions and yourthinking. You hesitate because you might lose the chance to play in themud and count the pretty pebbles in the sand. Put away childish things.You will never miss them!"

  They shook hands, and a moment later Hockley said goodbye to Thar at theentrance to the field. "I know Earth will accept," said Thar. "And youand I should not have lost contact--but we'll make up for it."

  Watching him move toward the dark hulk of the ship, Hockley wondered ifThar actually believed that. In less than an hour they had exhausted allthey had to say after twenty years. Hockley had the information heneeded about the Ryke plan, but he wished he could have kept his oldmemories of his student friend. Thar was drunk on the heady stuff beingpeddled by the Rykes, and if what he said were true, it was strongenough to intoxicate a whole planet.

  His blood grew cold at the thought. This was more than a fight for theNational Laboratories. It was a struggle to keep all Mankind frombecoming what Thar had become.

  If he could have put Thar on exhibition in the meeting tomorrow, andshown what he was once like, he would have made his point. But Thar,before and after, was not available for exhibit. He had to find anotherway to show his colleagues and the Senators what the Rykes would make ofthem.

  He glanced at his watch. They wouldn't like being wakened at this hour,but neither would the scientists put up much resistance to his requestfor support in Markham's meeting. He went back to the bar and calledeach of his colleagues who had been in the meeting that day.

  * * * * *

  Hockley was called first when the assembly convened at ten that morning.He rose slowly from his seat near Markham and glanced over the somewhatpuzzled expressions of the scientists.

  "I don't know that I can speak for the entire group of scientistspresent," he said. "We met yesterday and found some differences ofopinion concerning this offer. While it is true there is overwhelmingsentiment supporting it, certain questions remain, which we feel requireadditional data in order to be answered properly.

  "While we recognize that official acceptance can be given to the Rykeswith no approval whatever from the scientists, it seems only fair thatwe should have every opportunity to make what we consider a proper studyand to express our opinions in the matter.

  "To the non-scientist--and perhaps to many of my colleagues--it may seeminconceivable that there could be any questions whatever. But we wonderabout the position of students of future generations, we wonder aboutthe details of administration of the program, we wonder about the totaleffects of the program upon our society as a whole. We wish to askpermission to make further study of the matter in an effort to answerthese questions and many others. We request permission to go as acommittee to Rykeman III and make a first hand study of what the Rykespropose to do, how they will teach us, and how they will dispense theinformation they so generously offer.

  "I ask that you consider this most seriously, and make an officialrequest of the Rykes to grant us such opportunity for study, that youprovide the necessary appropriations for the trip. I consider it mosturgent that this be done at once."

  There was a stir of concern and disapproval from Congressional membersas Hockley sat down. Senators leaned to speak in whispers to theirneighbors, but Hockley observed the scientists remained quiet andimpassive. He believed he had sold them in his telephone calls duringthe early morning. They liked the idea of obtaining additional data.Besides, most of them wanted to see Rykeman III for themselves.

  Senator Markham finally stood up, obviously disturbed by Hockley'sabrupt proposal. "It has seemed to us members of the Committee thatthere could hardly be any need for more data than is already availableto us. The remarkable effects of Ryke science on other backward worldsis common knowledge.

  "On the other hand we recognize the qualifications of you gentlemenwhich make your request appear justified. We will have to discuss thisat length, but at the moment I believe I can say I am in sympathy withyour request and can encourage my Committee to give it seriousconsideration."

  * * * * *

  A great deal more was said on that and subsequent days. News of the Rykeoffer was not given to the public, but the landing of the Ryke shipcould not be hidden. It became known that Liacan carried his offer toother worlds and speculation was made that he offered it to Earth also.Angry questions were raised as to why the purpose of the visit was notclarified, but government silence was maintained while Hockley's requestwas considered.

  It encountered bitter debate in the closed sessions, but permission wasfinally given for a junket of ninety scientists and ten senators toRykeman III.

  This could not be hidden, so the facts were modified and a story givenout that the party was going to request participation in the Rykeprogram being offered other worlds, that Liacan's visit had not beenconclusive.

  In the days preceding the take-off Hockley felt a sense of destinyweighing heavily upon him. He read every word of the stream of opinionthat flowed through the press. Every commentator and columnist seemedcalled upon to make his own specific analysis of the possibilities ofthe visit to Rykeman III. And the opinions were almost uniform that itwould be an approach to Utopia to have the Rykes take over. Hockley wassickened by this mass conversion to the siren call of the Rykes.

  It was a tremendous relief when the day finally came and the hugetransport ship lifted solemnly into space.

  Most of the group were in the ship's lounge watching the television portas the Earth drifted away beneath them. Senator Markham seemed nervousand almost frightened, Hockley thought, as if something intangible hadescaped him.

  "I hope we're not wasting our time," he said. "Not that I don'tunderstand your position," he added hastily to cover the show ofantagonism he sensed creeping into his voice.

  "We appreciate your support," said Hockley, "and we'll do our best tosee the time of the investigation is not wasted."

  But afterwards, when the two of them were alone by the screen, Silversspoke to Hockley soberly. The mathematician had lost some of the wildexuberance he'd had at first. It had been replaced by a deep, intenseconviction that nothing must stand in the way of Earth's alliance withthe Rykes.

  "We all understand why you wanted us to come," he said. "We know youbelieve this delay will cool our enthusiasm. It's only fair to makeclear that it won't. How you intend to change us by taking us to thehome of the Rykes has got us all baffled. The reverse will be true, I amvery sure. We intend to make it clear to the Rykes that we accept theiroffer. I hope you have no plan to make a declaration to the contrary."

  Hockley kept his eyes on the screen, watching the green sphere of Earth."I have no intention of making any statement of any kind. I wasperfectly honest when I said our understanding of the Rykes would profitby this visit. You all agreed. I meant nothing more nor less than what Isaid. I hope no one in the group thinks otherwise."

  "We don't know," said Silvers.

  "It's just that you've got us wondering how you expect to change ourviews."

  "I have not said that is my intention."

  "Can you say it is not?"

  "No, I cannot say that. But the question is incomplete. My wholeintention is to d
iscover as fully as possible what will be the result ofalliance with the Rykes. If you should conclude that it will beunfavorable that will be the result of your own direct observations andcomputations, not of my arguments."

  "You may be sure that is one thing that will not occur," said Silvers.

  * * * * *

  It took them a month to reach a transfer point where they could changeto a commercial vessel using Ryke principles. In the following week theycovered a distance several thousand times that which they had alreadycome. And then they were on Rykeman III.

  A few of them had visited the planet previously, on vacation trips orroutine study expeditions, but most of them were seeing it for the firsttime. While well out into space the group began crowding the