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rapport being the natural method of mature discus-
sion. But Loki had closed his mind to it.
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Jove answered him, speaking for all:
"My son, your words seem vain and without seri-
ous meaning. We can not tell your true meaning, for
you and your brothers have decided to shut your
minds to us. You ask that the ancient knowledge be
made the reward of ability. Has it not always been
so? Does our cousin, the ape, fly through the air? Is
not the infant soul bound by hunger, and sleep, and
the ills of the flesh? Can the oriole level the moun-
tain with his glance? The powers of our kind that set
us apart from the younger spirits on this planet are
now exercised by those who possess die ability, and
none other. How can we make that so which is
already so?
"You demand that the greater shall rule the lesser.
Is it not so now? Has it not^always been so? Are you
ordered about by the babe at.the breast? Does the
waving of the grass cause the wind? What dominion
do you desire other than over yourself? Do you wish
to tell your brother when to sleep and when to eat?
If so, to what purpose?"
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Vulcan broke in while the old man was still speak-
ing. Huxley felt a stir of shocked repugnance go
through the council at this open disregard of good
manners.
"Enough of this playing with words. We know
what we want; you know what we want. We are
determined to take it, council or no. We are sick of
this sheeplike existence. We are tired of this sham
equality. We intend to put on end to it. We are the
strong and the able, the natural leaders of mankind.
The rest shall follow us and serve us, as is the natural
order of things."
188 Robert A. Heinlein
Jove's eyes rested thoughtfully on Vulcan's crooked
leg. "You should let me heal that twisted limb, my
son."
"No one can heal my limb!"
"No. No one but yourself. And until you heal the
twist in your mind, you can not heal the twist in your
limb."
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"There is no twist in my mind!"
'Then heal your limb."
The young man stirred uneasily. They could see
that Vulcan was making a fool of himself. Mercury
separated himself from die group and came forward.
"Hear me. Father. We do not purpose warring
with you. Rather it is our intention to add to your
glory. Declare yourself king under the sun. Let us
be your legates to extend your rule to every creature
that walks, or crawls, or swims. Let us create for you
the pageantry of dominion, the glory of conquest.
Let us conserve the ancient knowledge for those who
understand it, and provide instead for lesser beings
the drama they need. There is no reason why every
way should be open to everyone. Rather, if the many
serve the few, then will our combined efforts speed
us faster on our way, to the profit of master and
servant alike. Lead us. Father! Be our King!"
Slowly the elder man shook his head. "Not so.
There is no knowledge, other than knowledge of
oneself, and that should be free to every man who
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has the wit to learn. There is no power, other than
the power to rule oneself, and that can be neither
given, nor taken away. As for the poetry of empire,
that has all been done before. There is no need to do
it again. If such romance amuses you, enjoy it in the
records there is no need to bloody the planet again."
"That is the final word of the council. Father?"
"That is our final word." He stood up and gathered
his robe about him, signifying that the session had
ended. Mercury shrugged his shoulders and joined
his fellows.
LOST LEGACY 189
There was one more session of the council the
last called to decide what to do about the ultima-
tum of the Young Men. Not every member of the
council thought alike; they were as diverse as any
group of human beings. They were human beings
not supermen. Some held out for opposing the Young
Men with all the forces at their command translate
them to another dimension, wipe their minds clean,
even crush them by major force.
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But to use force on the Young Men was contrary to
their whole philosophy. "Free will is the primary
good of the Cosmos. Shall we degrade, destroy, afl [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]