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Analog Science Fiction & Fact - 1980 01 - Magazine
Analog Science Fiction & Fact - 1980 01 - Magazine
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Vol. C No. 1
JANUARY 1980
serial
ONE-WING, Part One of Two Parts.
Lisa Tuttle & George R.R. Martin ... 12
novelette
HERMES TO THE AGES, Frederick D. Gottfried. . .. 74
DETAILED SILENCE, Leigh Kennedy. . :.140
short stories
VISION, Ben Bova . . . . 104
THE LAST ANSWER, lsaac Asimov. .158
science fact
CARBON DIOXIDE AND CLIMATE, John Gribbin . ...65
reader's departments
THE EDITOR'S PAGE. . .5
IN TIMES TO C OME. . . 111
THE ANALOG CALENDAR OF UPCOMING
EVENTS . 119
THE ALTERNATE VIEW, Jerry Pournelle .. . 135
BIOLOG ..166
THE REFERENCE LIBRARY, Tom Easton....187
BRASS TACKS .. 174
EDITORIAL IY STANLEY SCHMIDT
With this issue, Analog is fifty years the first decade of Astounding which I
old-an occasion we mark with a vari salvaged from his father's archives.
ety of special features, notably a series After my initial corruption, I read
of new works by some of the most im many books and magazines, and
portant contributors to those fifty though I found much that I liked, it
years, in this issue and throughout the grew ever clearer that Astound
coming year. ing/Analog had a very special place
Analog, including its earlier incar among them. The fine print in anthol
nations as "Astounding," is a good ogies told me it was the birthplace of a
deal older than I am, so I missed a ma disproportionate share of my favorite
jority of those issues when they were stories. The magazine itself was my
fresh on the newsstand. Nevertheless, most dependable monthly source of
I have some personal familiarity with both entertainment and intellectual
the magazine through most of its his stimulation, not only through stories,
tory. I am a third-generation reader. but through articles, letters, and the
Unlike many readers, who entered unique e d i t o r i a l s o f John W.
science fiction surreptitiously and Campbell, Jr.
over the protests of their parents, I What was so special about As
was int.roduced to it by my father-an tounding? It's not as easy to say as
act for which I shall always be grate some suppose. How can a few words
ful. And I still have several issues from accurately summarize the entire char-
acter of an individual or a publication had ulterior motives, of course, and in
or anything else? They can't. But we a rather short time he bought not one,
who read it and enjoyed it know that but several of my stories. A little after
Astounding/Analog has always had a that, I had a couple of lengthy visits
distinctive character, and t h a t , with him, and found them quite as in
though i t was not always the same in vigorating as I had expected.
detail, it always had something to do Then he died, much too young and
with an emphasis on entertaining fic much to my shock. To my relief,
tion, a zest for playing with new ideas, though, his magazine found, in Ben
and a certain iconoclasm in regard to Bova, an heir who could preserve and
old ones. nurture the basic Analog character.
Like many readers, I developed a Ben also continued the tradition of
couple of ambitions which, when I helping new writers. He continued my
first conceived them, seemed about as education while discovering several
remote and unattainable as any I others, and it was his encouragement
could imagine. I wanted to meet and that led me to attempt my first novel.
know John W. Camp bell, the man Now I find myself editing Analog.
who wrote those intriguing essays and (That w a s a m o n g m y y o u t h f u l
otherwise shaped my favorite maga dreams, too, but that one seemed too
zine during the years I knew it best; far-fetched to admit out loud.)
and I wanted to write a story that mag And Analog is fifty years old.
azine would publish. I never seriously What about the next fifty years?
expected to achieve either. At that I don't expect to be actively in
time I had no idea how easy the former volved in all of them, but I know the
was, because I had not yet discovered kind of direction l 'm aiming for now.
science fiction conventions. I knew I spoke earlier of a "basic Analog
how I could make efforts at the latter, character" and of "preserving and
though, and while I didn't really ex nurturing" that. That, in very general
pect anything to come of them, post terms, is what I want to do.
age was cheap (see, I ' m not all that But that does not mean several
young) and I didn't know any better, things that people sometimes assume
so I tried. Only sporadically, at first, it does.
but later, while in graduate school, I It does not mean, for example, that
made a determined assault. To my I want to endlessly buy only one kind
astonishment, John took an interest of story, or stories, which are imita
in what I was doing and wrote me long tions of others published here in the
letters about my efforts-often gruff past. Nor has it ever been true that
and rough on the ego, but I learned Analog published only what is some
more about writing from the first half times called-misleadingly, in many
dozen of them than from all the cases- ' 'hard •• science fiction .
courses I ever took put together. He However . . . .
uel deeds.
• The decadent Baron Vladtmu Harkonnen-master ol
Heachery ana cr
t
• His majesty !he Paa•shah Emperor Shaddam IV-keen
and ef ftc ent. yet eas•ly lulleCS into complacency by his
own trapp1ngs ol power.
• Guild Steersman Edric (tn league w•th smuggler
banas)-monopoliSt of Hansoon. yet add•cted to ever in
creas1ng spree llows.
• Fremen ecotogrst Leit-Kynes-command1ng lierce
hordes ol nauves. adepl at lile and travel on lhe planet.
and aedrcated 10 preventing any outs•de control while
bongeng about Dune·s own naturaJ regeneratton.
• Ga1us Helen Monian. Reverend Mo!her of the Bene
Frank Herberrs claSSIC sc1ence fict1on novel Dune Gesserr1 ststernood-ancoent and inscrutable. carefully
will five for generations as a masterp•ece of creat•ve tramed tn psycnotogtcal control and a gen•us at achtevrng
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STATF
Exp. Date ------ -- Signature,_______ DATE OF THIS ORDEH
Consiuer yourself as an analog of know.ledge we now have. For exam
Analog. Regardless of who you are, ple, articles and letters crossing_ my
you have not always been the same desk recently seem to show two sud
person. In your extreme youth, you denly blossoming trends in thinking
tried all kinds of things, many of about space. One is a consideration of
which you chose not to pursue, while unconventional hardware (such as the
others initiated lines of development orbiting spaceport discussed in our
which have persisted throughout your last two issues) which might be used to
subsequent life. Your appearance, greatly reduce the long-range cost of
your interests, your attitudes, your space. The other is a surge of interest
habits have gone through many in private rather than governmental
changes. But through it all there have financing of space ventures.
been certain subtle elements which Analog has long been associated
have remained recognizably charac with another kind of provocative idea:
teristic, those threads of continuity the hypothesis, observation, or exper
which make you recognizable as you iment which appears to cast doubt on
even after years of g r o w t h and ideas so generally accepted that they
change. are tacitly assumed to be beyond ques
So has it been with Analog. Those tion. In Analog, I think, we should as
"threads of continuity" are the "ba sume that nothing is beyond question.
sic character" I want to preserve and These pages have seen extensive dis
nurture, and recognition of them in cussion of such things as Dean de
no way precludes quite extensive evo vices, parapsychology, possible lim
lution. "Nuture" means, among itations of relativity, dianetics, and
other things, to foster growth. If dowsing. Whether or not any of these
you're lucky, you'll continue to notions ultimately prove valid (and
evolve along your basic track, improv the questions are not all closed yet) is
ing your abilities and accomplish not the main issue. The important
ments, trying new things and evading thing is that they, and others like
such pitfalls as senility, for a long them, represent areas which may have
time. something to offer and which, for
That's what I want Analog to do. whatever reason, are not likely to get
I've already hinted at what I see as much attention in the orthodox jour
our basics: solidly entertaining stories nals of professional science. Ortho
with thought-provoking idea content. dox views have been wrong in the past
We shall continue to try to offer those often enough to suggest that it is im
at all times. We shall continue to pro portant to provide a place where pos
vide a forum, in both fiction and non sible objections and exceptions may
fiction, for provocative ideas. Some be aired and thrashed out. If even a
of these involve things which can be tiny percentage of the "fringe" ideas
done rather soon with materials and lead to significant breakthroughs, the
0+
may continue to be used for question mencan
ing everything-and most especially
Heart
those things that we've fallen into the
Association
A .
·
/"', ""
/
One-Wing 15
lamps ran short of oil, and days often "You sent S'Rella to me for a
passed before anyone noticed. Maris reason," Maris said. "News?"
felt her way carefully along one such "News," Sena said, "and not
stretch of corridor, nervous and a bit good. I thought it best not to talk
oppressed by the weight of the olafor about it at breakfast until I had
tress upon her. She did not like being discussed it with you.''
underground and enclosed; it quarrel "Yes?"
ed with all her flyer's instincts. "Eastern has closed Air home,''
With relief Maris saw the dim glow Sena said.
of a light ahead. One last, sharp cor Maris sighed and leaned back in her
ner and she found herself back in chair. Suddenly she too felt weary.
familiar territory. Unless she had got The news was no great surprise, but it
ten turned around completely, Sena's was still disheartening. "Why now?"
room was the first to the left. she asked. "I spoke to Nord three
"Maris." Sena looked up and months ago, when they sent me out
smiled. She was sitting in a wicker with a message to Far Hunderlin. He
chair, carving a soft block of wood thought they would keep the doors
with a bone knife, but now she set it open at least through the next com
aside and motioned Maris to enter. "I petition. He even told me that he had
was about to call for S'Rella again and several promising students."
send her looking for you. Did you get "There was a death," Sena said.
lost in our maze?" "One of those promising students
..Almost," Maris said, shaking her made a misjudgment, and struck a
head... I should have thought to carry cliffside with her wing. Nord could
a light. I can get from my room to 'the only watch helplessly as she fell to the
kitchen or the common room or the rocks below. Worse, her parents were
outside, but beyond that it is a less cer there too. Wealthy, powerful people
tain proposition." -traders from Cheslin with more
Sena laughed, but it was only polite than a dozen ships. The girl had been
laughter, masking a mood that was far showing off for them. The parents
from light. The teacher was a former went directly to the Landsman, of
flyer, three times Maris' age, made course, asking for justice. They said
land-bound a decade ago in the sort of Nord was negligent."
accident all too common among fly "Was he?" Maris said.
ers. Normally her vigor and en Sena shrugged. ''He was a mediocre
thusiasm cloaked her age, but this flyer even when he had his wings, and
morning she looked old and tired. Her I cannot believe he was better than
bad eye, like a piece of milky sea that as teacher. AIway� too eager to
glass, seemed to weigh down the left impress. And he constantly over
side of her face. It sagged and trem praised and overestimated his
bled beneath its burden. students. Last year, in the competi-
One- Wing 17
The challenges from my woodwingers brought another message. A private
are talked about as a kind of a comic message for me. One of Nord's stu
interlude, a brief performance by dents wishes to continue his studies
some jesters to lighten up the mo here, and hopes that I will sponsor
ments between the serious races." him in the next competition. He asks
"Sena, Sena," Maris said with con permission to travel here."
cern. The older woman had poured all "Here?" Maris said, incredulous.
of the passion of her own broken life "From Eastern? Without wings?"
into the dreams of the young people "He· has word of a trader bold
who came to Woodwings asking for enough to try the open seas, I am
the sky. Now she was clearly upset, told," Sena said. "The voyage is
her voice trembling despite herself. " I hazardous, to be sure, but if he is will
understand your distress," Maris ing to make it I will not begrudge him
said, taking Sena's hand within her admission. Take my agreement to the
own, "but it isn't as bad as you say." Landsman of Big Shotan, if you
Sena's good eye regarded Maris would. He sends three flyers to
skeptically, and she pulled her hand Eastern every month, and one is due
away. "It is," she insisted. " Of to leave on the morrow. Speed is im
course they don't tell you. No one portant. The ships will take a month
wants to bring bad news, and they all getting here even i f the winds are kind,
know what the academies mean to and the competition is only two
you. But it's true." Maris tried to in months away . ' '
terrupt, but Sena waved her quiet. ' ' I could take the message direct to
"No, enough, and not another word Eastern myself," Maris suggested.
about my distress. I did not call you "No," said Sena. "We need you
here to comfort me, or to make us late here. Simply relay my word to Big
for breakfast. I wanted to tell you the Shotan and then return to fly guard on
news privately, before I told the my clumsy young birds. " She rose
others. And I wanted to ask you to fly unsteadily from her wicker chair, and
to Big Shotan for me." Maris stood up quickly to help her.
''Today ? ' ' · ''And now we should see about break
"Yes," Sena said. "You have been fast," Sena continued. "You need to
doing good work with the children. It eat before your flight. With all the time
is a real benefit to them to have an ac we have spent talking, I fear the others
tual flyer in their midst. But we can have probably eaten our share."
spare you for one day. It should only
take a few hours." But breakfast was still waiting when
"Certainly," Maris said. "What is they reached the common room. Two
this about?" blazing hearths kept the large hall
''The flyer who brought the news warm and bright in the damp morn
about Airhome to the Landsman also ing. Gently curving walls of stone rose
One-Wing 19
A the vast sail that had pushed their bound. Could you help me stretch
ancestors to Windhaven, was virtually that taut? Thanks. No, I didn't mean
weightless, so the wings were decep that particularly because I 'm a flyer,
tively light. S'Rella held them up easi but just because my old home is gone
ly with one hand while Maris partially and I haven't made a new one yet. My
unfolded them, checking each strut father-my stepfather, really-died
and joint carefully with fingers and three years ago. His wife died long
eyes for any wear or defect which before that, and my own natural
might become evident, too late, as a parents are both dead as well. I have a
danger in the air. step-brother, Coli, but he's been off
"It's b a d about them closing adventuring and singing in the Outer
Airhome," S'Rella said as Maris Islands for a long time now. The little
worked. "It happened just the same house on Lesser Amberly seemed aw
way in Southern, you know., That fully big and empty with Coli and
was why I had to come here, toWood Russ both gone. And since I had no
wings. Our own school was closed." one to go home to, I went there less
Maris paused and looked at her. She and less. The island survives. The
had almost forgotten that the shy Landsman would like his third flyer to
Southern girl had been a victim of a be in residence more often, no doubt,
previous closing. It must be especially but he makes do with the two at
hard on her. "One student from Air hand." She shrugged. "My friends
home is coming here, as you did,'' Maris are flyers, mostly.''
said, trying to make a jest of it. "So you "I see."
won't be alone among the savage West Maris looked at S'Rella, who was
erners anymore." She smiled. staring at the wing she still held with
"Do you miss your home?" S'Rella more concentration than it war
asked suddenly. ranted. "You miss your home,"
Maris thought for a moment. Maris said gently.
"Truthfully, I don't know that I really S' Rella nodded slowly, almost
have a home," she said. "Wherever I reluctantly. "ICs different here. The
am is my home." others are different from the people I
S'Rella digested that calmly. "I knew."
suppose that's a good way to feel, if ''A flyer has to get used to that,' •
One-Wing 21
and off in the distance the fog banks sort o f fishing dispute with Little
that shrouded the southernmost coast Shotan and Skulny-but he came out
of Big Shotan. t o see her. Flyers were the equals of
Maris began to circle, deliberately the Landsman, and it was dangerous
slowing her progress, aware of how for even one so powerful as he to slight
easy it would be to overshoot her t h e m . H e heard Sena's message
destination. Conflicting air currents dispassionately, and promised tha·t
whispered past her ears, taunting her word would travel back to Eastern the
with promises of a nonh-bound gale next morning, on the wings of one o f
somewhere above, and she rose again, his flyers.
seeking it in the colder air far above Maris left her wings on the wall o f
the sea. Now Big Shotan's coast and the conference room i n the Old Cap
Seatooth and Eggland were all spread tain's House, as the Landsman's an
out before her on the metallic grey cient sprawling residence was named,
ocean like toys on a table. She saw the and spent the rest of the afternoon
tiny shapes o f fishing boats bobbing in wandering the streets of the city
the harbors and bays of Shotan and beyond. It was the only real city on
Seatooth, and the gulls and scavenger Windhaven; oldest, largest, and first.
kites in the hundreds wheeling around Stormtown, it was called; the town the
the sharp crags of Eggland. star sailors built. Maris found it
She had lied to S ' Rella, Maris endlessly fascinating. There were
realized suddenly. She did have a windmills everywhere, their great
home, and it was here, in the sky, with blades churning against the grey sky.
the wind strong and cold behind her There were more people here than on
and her wings on her back. The world Lesser and Greater Amberly together.
below, with its worries about trade There were shops and stalls of a hun
and politics and food and war and dred different sorts, selling every
money, was alien lO her, and even at useful good and worthless trinket im
the best of times she always felt a bit aginable. There were endless numbers
apan from it. She was a flyer, and like of wineshops and inns and alehouses,
all flyers, she was less than whole and there was a market that was a
when she took off her wings. wonder to her every time she came
Smiling a small, secret smile, Maris upon it. She spent several hours there,
went to deliver her message. browsing happily and listening to the
talk, although she bought very liule.
The Landsman of-Big Shotan was a Afterwards she ate a light dinner of
busy m a n , kept occupied by t h e smoked moonfish and black bread,
endless t a s k o f ruling t h e oldest, washed down with a mug of kivas, the
richest, and most densely populated hot spice wine that Shotan prided
island on Windhaven. He was in con itself on. The inn where she took her
ference when Maris arrived-some meal had a singer and Maris listened
One- Wing 23
spend too much time away from changed you so?"
Amberly, working at the academy. Dorrel shook his head violently. "I
Sena is teacher there, not you. She is haven't changed, Mar i s . Listen.
paid good metal for doing what she Seven years ago, I fought for you. I
does. I don't see her pressing any iron didn't care about those precious
into your palm." academies you dreamed up- I fought
"I have enough iron,'' Maris said. for your right to keep your wings and
"Russ left me well off. Sena's lot is be a flyer. Because I loved you, Maris,
harder. And the wooclwingers need and I would have done anything for
my help-they see precious few other you. And,'' he went on, his tone a lit
f l y e r s on Sea t o o t h . ' ' H e r voice tie cooler, ''you were the best damn
became warmer, coaxing. ' 'Why flyer I'd ever seen. It was a crime,
don't you come spend a few days madness, to give your wings to your
yourself? Laus would survive a week brother and ground you. Now, don't
without you. We could share a room. look at me like that. Of course the
I'd like to have you with m e . " principle mattered to me, too."
"No." His cheerful tone vanished "Did it?" Maris asked. It was an
abruptly, and he looked vaguely ir old argument, but it still upset her.
ritated. "I'd love to spend a week with "Of course it did. I wouldn't fly in
you, Maris, in my cabin on Laus, or the face of all I believed just to please
your home on Amberly, or even here you. The system as it existed was un
in the Eyrie. But not at Woodwings. fair, forcing good flyers to be land
I've told you before: I won't train a bound before their time, and sending
group of land-bounds to take the up unskilled children who had no right
wings of my friends." to the wings beyond an accident of
His words wounded her. She pulled birth. The traditions had to be
back her chair and looked away from changed-you were right about that.
him, into the fire. "You sound like If a child born of a sailmaker and a
Corm, seven years ago,'' she said. farmer can out fly one born of a flyer,
"I don't deserve that, Maris." he deserves wings. I believed that
She turned back to look at him. then, and I believe it now."
"Then why won't you help? Why are "You believe it,'' Maris said bitter
you so contemptuous of the wood ly. " You say that, but words are easy.
wingers? You sneer at them like the You won't do anything for your
most tradition-bound old flyer-but belief-you won't help me now,
seven years ago you were with me. although we're on the verge of losing
You fought for this, believed in it with all we fought for.''
me. I could never have done it without "We aren't going to lose it. We
you-they would have taken my wings won. We changed the rules-we
and named me outlaw. You risked the changed the world."
same fate by helping. me. What has "But without the academies, what
One-Wing 25
two months since we were together Culhall-1 saw the carcass." He
last? Where have you been? What raised his brows and held his nose.
have you seen? Tell me some news, "Even against the wind I could smell
love. Some good gossip to cheer me it! And up in Artellia, word is that two
up," he said. flyer-princes are warring for control
"My news isn't very cheerful," of the Iron Islands." Dorrel stopped
Maris said, thinking about the speaking, his head turning toward the
messages she'd heard a n d carried door as a violent gust of wind from
recently. "Eastern has closed Air outside rattled the heavy lodge door.
home. One of the students there has "Ah," he said, turning back and
died in an accident. Another one is sipping his tea. "Just the wind."
taking ship to Seatooth. The others "What i s i t ? " Maris asked.
have given up and gone home, I sup ''You're s o restless. Are you expecting
pose. Don't know what Nord will someone?"
do." She disengaged her hand and "I thought Garth might come." He
reached for her tea. hesitated. ''We were supposed to meet
Dorrel shook his head, a small smile here this afternoon, but he hasn't
on his face. "Even your news is of shown up. Nothing important, but he
nothing but the academies. Mine's was flying a message out to Culhall
more interesting. The Landsman of and said he'd meet me here on the way
Scylla's Point died, and his youngest back and we'd get drunk together."
daughter was chosen to succeed him. ' 'So maybe he got drunk alone.
Rumor has it that Kreel-d'you know You know Garth." She spoke lightly,
him? Fair-haired boy missing a finger but she saw that he was truly worried.
on his left hand? You might have "A lot of things could have delayed
noticed him at the last competition, he him -perhaps he had to fly an answer
did quite a lot of fancy double back. Or he might have decided to stay
loops-anyway, that he's going to on Culhall for a party. I'm sure that
become Scylla Point's second flyer he's all right."
because the new Landsman's in love Despite her words, Maris, too, was
with him ! Can you imagine-a Lands worried. Garth was an old and dear
man and a flyer married?" friend to them both. The last time she
Maris smiled slightly. "It's hap had seen him he had obviously put on
pened before." weight-always dangerous for a flyer.
"Not in our time. Did you hear And he was too fond of parties, par
about the fishing fleet off Greater ticularly the wine and the food. She
Amberly? Destroyed by a scylla, hoped he was safe and well. He'd
though they managed to kill it, and never been a reckless flyer-that was
most got away with their lives, even if comforting to remember-but he'd
without their boats. Another scylla, also never been more than solid and
dead, washed up on the shores of competent in the air. As he grew older,
One-Wing 27
could not deny the justice of his com low stool, a torn shirt in her hands,
plaint, yet neither would she promise and Maris stood before her, warming
to stay away from Seatooth. her back by the fire. They were in
The Landsman frowned, but there Sena's room.
was nothing else he could do. He "I had hoped to ask your advice on
recited a message to her, a long in that," Sena said, looking up from her
volved message to the traders on clumsy job of mending. "I think four
Poweet, seed grain in return for can this year, perhaps five."
vas sails, but only if they would s.end "S'Rella certainly," Maris said,
the ships to get it, and an iron bribe for thoughtfully. Her opinions might in
their support in some dispute between fluence Sena, and Sena's sponsorship
the Amberlys and Kesselar. Maris was all-important to the would-be
· memorized it word for word without flyers. Only those who won her ap
letting it fully touch her conscious proval were allowed to issue chal
mind, as flyers often did. And then lenge. "Damen as well. They are your
she was off to flyer 's cliff and the sky. best. After them-Sher and Leya,
Anxious not to let her get away perhaps? Or Liane?"
again, the Landsman kept her oc "Sher and Leya," Sena said, stitch
cupied. No sooner would she return ing. "They would be impossible if I
from one mission than up she went sponsored one and not the other. It
again on another; back and forth to will be chore enough to convince them
Poweet four times, twice to Little that they cannot challenge the same
Shotan, twice to Greater Arnberly, person and race him as a team."
once to Kesselar to deliver a stern Maris laughed. Sher and Leya were
warning to a young Landsman who two of the younger aspirants, in
could scarce contain her anger, once separable friends. They were talented
each to Culhall and Stonebowl and and enthusiastic, although they tired
Laus (Dorrel was not at home, off on too easily and could be rattled by the
some mission himself), once on a long unexpected. She had often wondered
flight to Kite's Landing in Eastern. if their constant companionship gave
When at last she found herself free them strength, or simply reinforced
to escape to Seatooth again, barely their similar faults. "Do you think
three weeks remained before the com they can win?"
petition commenced. "No," Sena said, without looking
up. "But they are old enough to try,
"How many do you intend to spon and lose. The experience will do them
sor in challenges?" Mar is asked. good. Temper them. If their dreams
Somewhere outside rain and wind cannot withstand a loss, they will
lashed the island, but the thick stone never be flyers."
walls which enclosed them kept the Maris nodded. "And Liane is the
weather very far away. Sena sat on a one in doubt?"
few years, perhaps . . . " "Sena, Maris, come quick ! " The
' ' His parents want him to race this shout came from the hall, and a
year," Sena said wearily. "He has breathless Kerr suddenly appeared in
wasted two years already, they say. the doorway. "The Landsman sent
They own a copper mine on Little someone, they need a flyer, they . . . "
One-Wing 29
He panted, struggling with the words. climbing after kite eggs, and he lay
"Go with him, quickly , " Sena told alone for almost a day before I found
Maris. "I will hurry behind as fast as I him. Please."
am able." "There's a healer on the near end
The stranger who waited in the named Fila," Sena said. "She's old
common room among the students and crotchety and doesn't care for sea
was also panting; he had run all the travel, but her daughter lives with her
way from the Landsman's tower. Yet and knows her arts. I f she can't come
speech seemed to burst from him. she'll tell you the name of another
"You're the flyer? " He was young who can. Don't waste your time in
and obviously distraught, glancing Stormtown . The healers there will all
about like a wild bird trapped in a want to weigh your metal before they
cage. gather their herbs. And stop at the
Maris nodded. South Landing and tell the ferry cap
"You must fly to Shotan. Please. tain to wait for an important
And fetch their healer. The Landsman passenger. ' '
said to come to you. My brother is ill. " I 'll go at once," Maris said, with
Wandering in the head. His leg is only the briefest of glances for the
broken-badly, I can see the bone stew pot that was steaming over the
and he won't tell me how to fix it, or fire. She was hungry, but it could
what to give him for his fever. Please, wait. "S'Rella, Kerr, come help me
please hurry." with my wings . "
' ' Doesn't Seatooth have its own "Thank you," the stranger mut
healer?" Maris asked. tered, but Maris and the students were
• ' H i s brother i s t h e h e a l e r , • ' already gone.
volunteered Damen, a lean youth The storm had finally broken out
native to the island. side. Maris thanked her luck, and flew
• 'What's the name of the healer on straight across the salt channel, skim
Big Shotan?" Maris asked, just as ming a few feet above the waves.
Sena came limping into the room. There were dangers in flying so low,
The old woman immediately but she had no time to try for altitude,
grasped the situation and took com and scyllas rarely came so close to land
mand. "There are several," she said. anyway. The flight was short enough.
"Hurry," the stranger implored. Fila was easy to find but-as Sena had
"My brother might die. " predicted-reluctant to come. "The
"I don't think he'll die of a broken waters make me sick," she muttered
leg," Maris began, but Sena silenced sourly. ''And that boy on Seatooth,
her with a gest ure. he thinks he's better than me anyway.
"Then you 're a fool for thinking Always has, the young fool , and now
so," the youth said. "He has a fever. he comes crying to me for help." But
He raves. He fell down the cliff face her daughter apologized for her, and
decided to carry the news to Big "You are Maris," he said. "Maris
Shotari instead o f returning im the flyer? Maris of Lesser
mediately to Seatooth. She might even Amberly?"He was a very young man,
wait for them, she thought, curious with the severe, sculpted face of an
about their cargo and their news. ascetic: a closed, guarded face which
gave away nothing. Set in such a face,
Maris drank too much wine in the his eyes were startling; large, dark,
boisterous tavern on the waterfront; it and liquid. His rust-colored hair was
was pressed on her by the delighted pulled back sharply from a high
customers, for she had been the first forehead, and knotted in the back of
to bring word of the approaching his skull.
fleet. Now everyone was at the docks, " Y e s , " she said, straightening.
drinking and carousing and speculat "I'm Maris. Why? What happened? 1
ing about what the traders might be must have fallen asleep . "
bringing . "You must have," he said flatly. " I
When the cry went up-first one came in on the ship. You were pointed
voice, then many-that the ships were out to me. I thought perhaps you had
docking, Maris stood up, only to lurch come to meet me.''
forward as she lost her balance, made " Oh ! " M a r i s l o o k e d q u i c k l y
dizzy by the wine. She would have around. The crowds had thinned and
fallen, but the crush of bodies around all but vanished. The docks were emp
her, rushing towards the door, kept ty except for a group of traders stand
her upright and bore her along. ing on a gang plank, and a work-crew
The scene outside was wild and of stevedors unloading chests of cloth .
noisy and for a moment Maris " I sat down to wait," she muttered.
wondered whether she had been right "I must have closed my eyes. I didn't
to stay; she could see nothing, learn get m u ch sleep last night . ' '
nothing in this excited, milling crowd. "Of course," he said.
Shrugging, she slowly fought her way There was something naggingly
free of the mob, and sat down on an familiar about him, Maris thought
overturned barrel. She might as well groggily. She looked at him more
stay out of it and keep her eyes open closely. His clothing was Eastern in
for anyone from the ship who could cut, but simple; grey fabric without
supply her with news. She leaned back ornamentation , thick and warm, a
against a smooth stone wall and fold hood hanging down behind him. He
ed her arms to wait. had a canvas bag under one arm and
She woke unwillingly, annoyed by wore a knife in a leather sheath at his
someone who would not stop pushing waist.
One- Wing 33
own voice was even, and her good eye the older woman said quietly, looking
was as �mpassive and fixed as her bad into the flames. "A flyer without
one. "I did not tell you because I ex wings can be a flyer only in dreams
pected you would react like this. My and memory. Yal has a chance to fly
students needed your help. I could not again, and I can help him."
risk your flying off in anger, especially "You would do a b so l u t e l y
since it was possible that Yal would anything to have a woodwinger win in
not even survive the ocean crossin g . " t h e competition, wouldn ' t you?''
"Sena, h o w could y o u ? " Maris Mari s said accusingly.
demanded. "Do you really intend to Sena turned up her wrinkled face,
sponsor his challenge?" her good eye bright and sharp on
" I f he is good enough , " Sena re Maris. "What did he do to make you
plied. "I have every reason to think h e hate him so?"
will be. I have serious qualms about "You know what he did," Maris
sponsoring Kerr, but none whatsoever said.
about Val . " "He won a pair of wings," Sena
"Don't you know how w e feel said.
about him?" She seemed suddenly a stranger.
"We?" Maris spun away from her, turning
"The flyers , " Maris said impatient her back on the older woman to avoid
ly. She paced back and forth before the ·blind stare of that white and
the fire, then paused to face Sena hideous eye. "He drove a friend of
again. "He can't possibly win again. mine to suicide , ' ' she said in a low, in
And if he did, do you think it would tense voice. "Mocked her grief, took
keep Woodwings open? The acade her wings, and all but pushed her off
mies are still living down his first win. that cliff with his awn hands."
If he won again, the Landsman of "Nonsense," Sena said. "Ari took
Seatooth would . . . '' her own life."
"The Landsman of Seatooth would "I knew Ari," Maris said softly,
be proud and pleased," Sena said, in still facing the fire. "She hadn't had
terrupting. "Yal intends to take up her wings very long, but she was a true
residence here i f he wins, I believe. It's flyer, one of the best. Everyone liked
not the land-bound who call him One her. Yal could never have defeated her
Wing-only your flyers do that." in fair fligh t . ' '
" H e calls himself One-Wing," "Yal did defeat her."
Maris said, her voice rising once more. "She talked to me at the Eyrie, just
'• And you know why he got the name. after her brother died;" Maris said.
Even during the year he wore his "She had seen it all. He was out in his
wings, he was never more than half a boat, the lines out for moonfish, and
flyer . " She resumed her pacing. she was flying above, keeping an eye
"I'm less than half a flyer myself," on him. She saw the scylla coming, but
One-Wing 35
manded in an angry voice. mug of tea, and Sena rose and went to
"To dinner," Sena said gruffly . " I him, smiling, and led him back to her
have news t o tell my students." table, to sit and eat at her side. Maris
watched in silence, staring and feeling
Val arrived the next morning during uneasy, until S'Rella tugged at the
breakfast. Sena sat at one bench, sleeve of her shirt.
spooning up her eggs in a grim silence "I said, do you think he will win
while the students glanced at her again?" S'Rella asked .
curiously. Maris was seated well away "No." Maris said, too quickly and
from the teacher, listening to S'Rella too loudly. She rose abruptly. "No
and brawny young Liane try to con one has lost a brother lately. How
vince a third student-a plain, quiet could he possibly win?"
woman named Dana, the oldest of the That afternoon, he made her regret
woodwingers-to remain at the acad her words.
emy. Last night at dinner, Sena had Sher and Leya had been up all
announced the names of the five she morning, flying practice circuits while
would sponsor in challenge. Dana, Sena yelled instructions at them from
discouraged, was planning to return below and Maris observed them from
home and resume the life she had the air. Val was unpacking and set
abandoned . S'Rella and Liane were tling into his room . In the afternoon,
not doing very well in their attempts to S'Rella and Damen were supposed to
reconvert her. From time to time have use of the academy wings, but
Maris would add a few words about Sena had asked one of them to yield to
the importance of desire, but she Val, since he had been grounded for
found it hard to really care. Truth was months and needed the feel of the
that Dana had begun much too late wind again. S'Rella had quickly
and had never had real talent anyway . volunteered.
She was probably just wasting her It was crowded on the observation
time, although Maris did not feel it platform when he emerged, wings
was her place to say that. strapped to back and folded. Most of
All conversation ended when Val the students had come to see him fly.
entered . Maris, still winged, waited among
He took off his heavy woolen trav them.
elling cape and lowered his bag to the "Damen , " Sena was saying, "I
floor. If he took note of the sudden want you to practice skimming today.
silence or the way the others stared at Fly as low over the water as you can.
him, he gave no sign. "I'm hungry," Keep your wings stiff and even. You
he said. "Have you any extra food? " wobble too much. You must improve,
That shattered the spel l . Everyone or some day you will fall in." She
began talking at once, and Leya looked at her other student. "Val,
fetched him a platter of eggs and a you'd be best to just unlimber now.
..·' ,:
{/'... ,.. .
7
• . ,.,l
_ <·�
'
..2f-:
'!. .
•.
37
Later there will be time for other exer He soared upward, did a stately circle
cises." over the shoreline, and passed above
"No," Val said. He was standing them, his shadow rippling across the
stiffly while two of the younger stone. Val moved to the edge , his
students unfolded and locked his wings fully extended now.
wings. "I fly better when I must fly "Your knife, Val," S ' Rella said
well. Set me a difficulty. " He looked suddenly . The rest o f them looked.
at Damen , who was flexing in prepa His ornate blade, obsidian with
ration for flight . "Or give me a race. " beaten silver edges, was still in its
Sena shook her head. "You are sheath at his hip.
premature, Val. I will say when the Val reached down and pulled it free,
time has come for racing." looking at it curiously. "What of it?"
But Maris pushed forward, pos "Flyer tradition," Sena said. "No
sessed of a sudden urge to see how blade may be carried into the sky.
good the infamous Val One-Wing S'Rella, help him off with it. We will
really was. "Let them race, Sena," keep it safe for you."
she said. '' Damen has had exercise S'Rella moved to obey, but ' Vat
enough. He needs a competition." gestured her away, �'This was my
Damen looked from Maris to Sena father's knife, the only decent thing
and back again, clearly eager to race he ever owned. I carry it everywhere. "
but unwilling to defy his teacher . " I He slid it back into its sheath.
don't know,'' h e said. "It's flyer tradition , " S'Rella said ,
Val shrugged. "As you will. I doubt her voice puzzled, as if she couldn't
you could give me much of a race in quite understand.
any case . " Val smiled sardonically. "Ah. But I
That was too much for Damen, am only half a flyer·. Move back,
who was fiercely proud of his status as S'Rella." And when she moved back,
one of Woodwings' best . "Don't flat he threw himself into the air.
ter yourself. One-Wing , ' ' he snapped. Maris walked to the outer edge of
He lifted an arm and pointed across the platform, to stand between Sena
the waters, to where the waves broke and S'Rella, all of them watching Val
and foamed against a ridge of half as he spiraled upwards to join Damen.
submerged stone. "When we arc both Behind her, she could hear the others
aloft and Maris gives the word, three talking about him. "One-Wing," a
times and three times back. Agreed? " voice said, Liane perhaps. Damen had
"Agreed , " Val said, studying the called him that too, after Val had
distant rocks. mocked him. The Easterner wasted no
Sena pursed her lips but said time making enemies, Maris thought.
·
One- Wing 39
wind, and now he's found it. Watch, Damen. She's a clever girl, S'Rella."
S'Rella." "He flew six races?" Maris said.
It didn't take long. Damen 's lead "Seven," Sena s a i d , smiling.
shrank steadily as the two flyers "Liane almost beat him. The wind is
moved out towards the rocks once gusting n o w , very t u r b u l e n t . It
more, and the woodwinger slid badly knocked Val around a bit. He's lean,
off course when he tried to come not as strong as he could be. I'll have
around more sharply than before. By him work on that. Pull-ups, push-ups.
the time he'd corrected himself, Val And of course he was tired by then,
had reached the turnaround point. A but Liane insisted. Liane can handle
few moments later, Damen seemed to rough winds. He's muscled like a
startle visibly as the shadow of Val's scylla. Sometimes, the way he wrench
wings fell upon his own. Then the es his wings around, I think he's yank
shadow moved in front of him. ing himself through the sky on sheer
The students were quiet, even brawn. Val beat him anyway, though.
Liane. Very close. Then Leya wanted to race,
"Give him my congratulations," but the storm was about to break and I
Maris said. She then turned and went chased them all inside. What do you
back inside. think of One-Wing now, Maris?"
Maris poured the teacher a mug of
Her room was cold and damp. kivas while she thought about that
Maris built a fire in the hearth, and one; Sena took it wordlessly , with a
since it was going anyway, decided brief nod of thanks.
that she might as well heat the kivas "I think he can fly," Maris said at
she had bought in Stormtown. She last. "Beyond that, I don't know. I
was on her third cup, relaxing at last, still don't like what he did to Ari. And
when Sena entered unasked, and took I didn't like that business with his
a seat. knife today, either. Yet I can't deny
"How do the practices go?" Maris his skill . ' '
said. "Will h e win?"
"He has them all racing, " Sena Maris tasted her drink, let the sweet
said. "Damen took it well enough, warmth flow down and into her. She
but he had no taste for another race, closed her eyes briefly and leaned
so he gave up his wings for the after back. "Perhaps , " she said. "I can
noon. They were all eager to try him.'' think of a dozen flyers woo don't han
She smiled a bit, clearly proud of their dle themselves as well as he did today.
eagerness . "He defeated Sher and Jan I can also think of a dozen who are
handily, humiliated Kerr and Egon. better than he, who know all his tricks
Egon almost fell into the ocean. and more. Tell me who he's to chal
S'Rella flew him a close race, though. lenge and I'll tell you his chances.
Stole all the tricks he used to defeat Beyond that-well, speed is only one
One- Wing 41
the Shotans or other nearby islands. his fish stew. then drew herself a glass
The others, whose homes lay long of white wine and went to join them.
dangerous distances away, sat "How is the food?" she asked, as
perched on bare rock to watch their she sat down across from Val.
fortunate companions and dream of He looked at her evenly, but she
the day when they, too, would have a could read nothing in his large, dark
chance to win their own wings. eyes. "Excellen t , " he said. "But even
Sena stood below on the launching at Airhome, we never had cause to
deck, shouting up advice and en complain about the meals. Flyers eat
couragement to her fledgl i n g s , well. Even those with wooden wings . ' '
sometimes leaning on a wooden cane, S'Rella, seated next to him, pushed
more often using it to gesture and a chunk of hookfin across her plate
command. Maris, winged, flew with marked indifference. "This isn't
guard; circling, watching, yelling cau that good, " she said. "Damen always
tions. She put S'Rella, Damen, Sher, makes everything so bland. You
Leya, and Kerr through their paces. should be here when I'm cook, Val.
racing against them two at a time, call Southern food has a lot of spices. "
ing upon them to perform the sort of Maris laughed. "Too many, i f you
,
aerial acrobatics that might impress want my opinion. .
the judges. ''I'm not talking about spices,'' Val
Val was given a chance to use a pair said. "I'm talking about food . This
of wings as often as any of the others, stew has four or five different kinds of
but Maris found herselfobserving him fish in it, and chunks of vegetable, and
in silence. He had been in competition I think there's wine in the sauce.
twice before, she reasoned; he knew There's plenty of it, and not a bit of it
what would be expected. To treat him is rotten. Only flyers and Landsmen
as she did the other woodwingers and rich traders would quibble about
would be to condescend. But, mindful food like this . ' '
of her promise to Sena, she studied his S ' Rella looked wounded. Maris
flying closely, and that night at dinner frowned and put down her knife.
she sought him out. "Most flyers eat simply, Val. We
Only one hearth was lit in the com can't afford to get fat . "
mon room, and the benches seemed "I've been served fish that stank
strangely empty. When Maris arrived, and meat crawling with worms," Val
one table was crowded with the stu said coolly. "I've eaten fish stew that
dents who would not be competing, was entirely fishless, sometimes for
and Sena sat at a second, talking in an months. I grew up on scraps and leav
animated fashion with Sher, Leya, ings from flyer plates. I will be happy
and Kerr. S'Rella and Val were alone to spend the rest of my life eating as
at the third table. simply as a flyer . " There was an in
Maris let Damen fill her platter with finite amount of sarcasm in the way he
and they had always had enough to don't think you understand. No mat
eat. After his death, when she had ter what the knife means to you, this is
been adopted by the flyer Russ, she a matter o f flyer law. No blades may
had always had enough of everything. be worn in the sky.''
She drank some of her wine and "Flyer law," Val said icily. "Tell
changed the subject. " I wanted to talk me, who gave the flyers the right to
to you about your turns, Vat." make laws? Do we have farmers' law?
"Oh?" He swallowed his last piece Glassblowers' law? The Landsmen
o f fish and shoved the plate away. It make the law. The only law. When my
was perfectly clean. "Am I doing father gave me that knife, he told me
anything wrong, flyer?" His voice never to put it aside. But I did put it
was so flat Maris found it difficult to aside, during the year I had my wings.
tell i f the sarcasm was still there or not . I obeyed your flyer law. It did nothing
''Not wrong, not exactly. But given but shame me. I was still One-Wing.
a choice, I notice that you always turn Well, I was a boy then, and cowed by
downwind. Why?" flyer law, but I am not a boy now. I
Val shrugged . "It's easier . " choose to wear my knife . "
"Yes," Maris said. "But not bet S'Rella looked at him wanderingly.
ter. You'll come out of a downwind "But, Val-how can you disregard
turn with more speed, but it will also flyer law, i f you 're going to be a
take more room. And you tend to roll flyer? "
more on a downwind turn, particular " I never said I was going to be a
ly in high winds." flyer," Val replied. "Only that I in
''An upwind turn is difficult in high tend to win wings, and fly." His eyes
winds," Val said. moved from Maris to S'Rella. "And,
"It requires more strength," Maris S'Rella, you are not going to be a flyer
agreed. "But you need to work on either, even if you should win. Re
your strength. You should not avoid member that, if it comes to pass.
difficulty. A habit like always turning You'll be as I was-a One-Wing."
downwind may seem harmless, but " That 's not true ! " Maris said
the time will come when you have to angrily. "I was not born of flyers, but
turn upwind, and you should be able they've accepted me all the same."
to do it well . " ' 'Have they?'' Val said. He smiled a
Vat's expression was as guarded as thin, ironic smile, and rose from the
ever. " I see," he said. bench. "You'll excuse me. I have to
Emboldened, Maris raised a touch rest. Tomorrow I must practice my
ier subject. "Something else. I saw upwind turns, and I '11 need all my
One-Wing 43
strength for that . ' ' Yal 's was small, damp, and cold.
When he was gone, Maris reached He'd lit a fire in the hearth to drive
a�ross the table to take S'Rella by the some of the chill away, but so far it
hand, but the girl gave her a troubled had been only partially successful.
look and pulled away. "I have 10 go Maris noticed how bare the room was,
"
100, she said, and Maris was left completely lacking in the personal
alone. touches and trinkets that would tell a
She sat for a long time, thinking, visitor something about the person
and it was not until Damen ap who lived here.
proached her that she remembered the Yal was on the floor before the fire,
h a l f-eat e n meal on her plate. doing push-ups. He'd thrown his shirt
"Everyone else is gone," h e said soft over the bed and was exercising bare
ly. "Are you going to fini·sh, Maris?" chested. "Well?" he said, without
' ' O h , ' ' she said, ''no, I'm sorry. slackening his pace.
I 'm afraid I got distracted and let it get Maris was staring, sickened by what
cold.'' She smiled and helped Damen she saw. The whole of Yal's back was
with the plates, then left him to clean crisscrossed by lines and thin white
up the common room and set off scars, mementoes o f long-ago beat
down the dank stone corridors in ings. She had to force her eyes from
search o f Val's room. them to remember why she had come.
She found it after only one wrong "We need to talk, Val , " she said.
turning, and her anger grew t o a white H e came bounding to his feet, smil
heat as she walked; she was deter ing at her and breathing hard. "Hand
mined to have it out with Val. But it me my shirt, S'Rella," he said. Then,
was S'Rella who answered her impa after he had pulled it on, "What do
tient knocking. you want to talk about?" His hair, un
"What are you doing here?" Maris bound now, fell to his shoulders in a
said, startled. rust-colored waterfall , softening the
S'Rella hesitated, shy and uncer severity of h i s face and giving him an
tain . But Val 's voice came from within oddly vulnerable look.
the room. ' ' S h e doesn't have to "May I s i t ? " Maris asked. Val
answer that , " he said. gestured towards the only chair in the
"No, of course not," Maris said, room, and when Maris sat in i t ,
abashed. She had no right even ask lowered himself onto the backless
ing, she realized. She touched S'Rella stool near the fire. S'Rella sat on the
on the shoulder. "I'm sorry. Can I edge o f the narrow bed. " I don't want
come i n ? I want to talk to V al." to play games with you, Val,'' Maris
"Let her i n , " Val said, and S'Rella resumed. "We have a lot of work to
smiled at Maris tentatively and do together. ' '
opened the door. "What makes you think I am play
Like all the rooms in the academy, ing games? " he asked.
One-Wing · 45
of the first students. I still loved you quarreling with h i m in front o f
then, for making it all possibl e . ' ' S'Rella. "You're wron g , " she said as
"And what happened?" calmly and quietly as she could
Val half-turned on his stool, manage. But then she found she had
stretching his hands out toward the no words to refute him with. "I feel
fire. "I grew disillusioned. I thought sorry for you, Val , " she continued.
that you'd opened the world to "You hate the flyers and you have
everyone, where once it had belonged contempt for the land-bound. For
only to flyers. I felt such a kinship everyone who is not yourself. I don't
with you. I was naive . " want your respect or your gratitude.
He turned back again, and Maris It's not just the privileges of flyer
shifted uncomfortably under his in society you 're rejecting, i t ' s the
tense, accusing gaze. "1 thought we responsibilities as well. You're totally
were alike," he continued. " I thought selfish and self-absorbed. If I hadn't
you wanted to break open· the rotten promised Sena, I'd have nothing more
flyer society. I found out I was wrong. to do with helping you get your wings.
All you ever wanted was to be a part of Good night . "
the whole thing. You wanted the fame She left the room. Val did not move
and the status and the wealth and the or call her back. But as the door swung
freedom, you wanted to party on the shut behind her, she heard him speak
Eyrie with the rest of them and look to S'Rella. "You see," he said flatly.
down on the dirt-digging land -bound. And that night the dream came to
You embrace what I despise. Maris again, and she twisted and
''The irony of it, though, is that you fought and woke with the bedclothes
can't be a flyer, no matter how much wrapped about her and soaked with
you want to. No more than I can be a clammy sweat. It had been worse than
flyer, or S'Rella here, or Damen, or before. She had been falling, falling,
any of the rest of them." falling endlessly through still air, and
" I am a flyer , " Maris said quietly. all around were other flyers, soaring
"They let you play at it," Val said, on their silver wings and watching,
''because you try so very hard to fit i n , and not one of them moved to help.
t o be just like them. But both of us
know that they don't really trust you, Day after day the practice con
or accept you as they'd accept one of tinued.
their own. You have your wings, but Sena grew hoarse and intense and
you 're still suspect , aren't you? short-tempered, and presided over all
Whether you admit it or not, you were like a tyrannical Landsman. Damen
the first One-Wing, Maris . " sharpened his turns and heard long
Maris stood up. His ··words had lectures every day on flying with his
made her furious, but she didn't want head and not just his arms. S'Rella
to lash out at him or lose her dignity by worked on launchings and landings
One-Wing 47
around . After I race you, help the next he must know that.
student with the wings, and then you "The usual? Twice out and back ? "
can go on inside . ' ' Maris nodded, glancing across the
The exertion o f flying kept Maris grey, churning waves to the distant
warm, but it also tired her. Finally, spire of rock they all used as a marker.
bone weary and beginning to really How many times had she flown out
feel the cold, Maris saw that she was there today? Thirty? More? It didn't
alone on the flyer's cliff with Val. matter. She'd fly the last two laps as i f
Her shoulders slumped. She had they were the first; her pride insisted.
not expected him to wait. And to race "Who will judge us?" she asked.
him now, when he was fresh and she Val snapped the last two joints of
was so tired . . . . She looked up at the his wings into place. "We'll know,"
swirling purple sky and licked dried he said. "That's all that matters . I '11
salt from the corners of her mouth . launch first , you call ready. Agreed? "
" l l ' s late for flying," she said. "Yes. " She watched as, with a few
''The winds are wild and it s getting
' swift steps, Val moved to the edge o f
dark. We can race another time." the cliff and leapt outward. His body
"The winds will make it that much bobbed on the conflicting winds like a
more of a challenge, " Val said. His small boat on rough water until he
eyes rested coolly on hers, and Maris took command, veered off to the
knew, with a sinking heart , that he right, and began to climb.
had been waiting a long time for this Maris took a breath and let her
moment . mind clear. She ran lightly forward
�
"Sena may worry " she began and pushed off. For one brief moment
weakly. she fell; then her wings caught the
"Of course, if flying against the winds and she was buoyed upward.
woodwingers has worn you out . . ." She took her time coming to Val's
"I once flew thirty hours without a level, climbing in a ragged spiral,
rest , " she said, stung. "An afternoon needing those few moments to get the
of play doesn't wear me out.'' feel back, so her tired body would
His smile mocked her: she saw that know how best to use the winds.
she had fallen into his trap. When she came up to him, the two
"Get your wings on," she said. of them circled warily, around and
She did not offer to help him, but it around each other, struggling to hold
was obvious that he was accustomed position amid the restless winds. Her
to putting on his wings unaided . Maris eyes met his, and then she looked
tried unobtrusively to flex some away, straight ahead , towards the
resilience back into her muscles, tell rock that was their marker.
ing herselfthat a victory for him, with "Ready . . . go," she shouted, and
her as tired as she was and the winds so they were off.
capricious, would mean nothing. And The winds were strong and tur-
One-Wing 49
them, but let Val fly them freely. He words rang. Obviously she did care.
seemed almost unaware of the danger ' ' It wasn't a fair trial , ' ' she
ous uncertainty of the gales, somehow snapped, and instantly regretted the
finding, amid constant shifting, the feeble, childish complaint.
sure and fluid wind on which to glide. "No," Val agreed , his tone flat
Maris knew then that she had lost enough so Maris had no clue as to
the race. Val was high above her, whether irony was intended. "You
knowing that altitude often meant were flying all day, while I was well
speed, and it would take her too long rested . I could never have beaten you
to reach his height, even if she should i f we were both fresh . We all know
find the winds she needed to take her that . "
there. She tried to make up the dis "I've lost before, " Maris said, try
tance between them, but the struggle ing hard to control her emotions. "It
against the ragged gusts wore her out, doesn't bother m e . ' '
and the awareness that already it was " I see," said V al. "Good . " He
too late took the heart out of her ef smiled again.
forts. Val lost some time descending Maris shrugged irritably, feeling the
for his landing, but still .passe6 above wings scrape her back. "I'm very
the cliff the second, final time more tired, " she said. "Please excuse me."
than a full wingspan ahead of her. ''Certainly, ' ' V al moved out of her
Clearly, he had won. way and she trudged past him, crossed
Maris was too drained by the flight the sand wearily, and began climbing
to smile at him when they had both the flight of worn, moss-<:overed steps
come down in the soft sand of the that led to the fortress' seaward en
landing pit, too depressed to pretend trance. But at the top, some impulse
that it didn't matter. In silence, she re made her hesitate and turn before
moved her wings as hastily as she ducking inside.
could, her numbed fingers often slip Val had not followed her. He still
ping and fumbling uselessly at the stood out on the sand, a gaunt solitary
straps. At last, without a word having figure in the gathering dusk, his fold
passed between them, Maris slung her ed wings propped lightly on one shoul
wings over her shoulder and turned der. He was looking off over the sea,
towards the weathered fortress. where a lone scavenger-kite sailed in
Val blocked her way. ragged circles against the clouds of
"I won't tell anyone," he said. sunset .
Her head jerked up, and she felt a · Maris shivered and went inside.
hot flush of embarrassment rise in her
cheeks. " I don't care what you The yearly competition was a fes
say-about anything-to anyone ! " tive three-day affair. Orice it had been
"Oh?" His faint smile taunted her, only games a n d d r i n k i n g , with
made her realize how hollow her nothing at stake except pride. In those
One-Wing 51
Maris looked down the table and Skulny. There's only a fe'Y miles of
saw how everyone within hearing dis open ocean, when the ship crosses
tance had suddenly become still. No from Little Shotan to Skulny. Mostly
spoons were raised, no jaws moved as we'll hug the shores of the Shotans,
they waited for her answer. with land never out of sight. And the
"That 's a fine idea," Maris said, ships aren't as fragile as she thinks. I
smiling. "I'll take S'Rella with me, know about ships . ' '
and-" She hesitated , trying to decide ''I'm sure you do, Kerr,'' Maris
who to choose. said. "Sena is just thinking like a
Two tables down, Val set down his flyer . After the freedom of having
spoon and rose. "I'll go," he said. your own wings, it's hard to travel by
Maris' eyes met his across the room . sea and trust your life to those handl
" S ' Rella and Sher or Leya," she said ing the sails and the tiller . ' '
stubbornly. "They need that kind of Kerr chewed his lip. " I guess I see,"
flight the most . " he said, without conviction. "But if
"I'll stay with Val, then , " S'Rella the flyers all think that, they don't
said quietly. know much. It's not as dangerous as
"And I'd rather go with Leya," she says." Satisfied, he went back to
Sher added . his breakfast .
"It will be S' Rella and Val," Sena Maris grew thoughtful, as she ate.
said irritably, "and I'll hear no more He was right, she realized with a sense
about it. If the rest o f us die at sea, of vague unease; flyers were often
they have the best chance of becoming limited in the ways they thought, judg
flyers and honoring our memory . ' ' ing everything from their own per
She pushed aside her porridge bowl spective. But the idea that Val 's sweep
and turned on the bench. "Now I ing condemnation of them might have
must go see our patron the Landsman some justice to it disturbed her more
and be obsequious to her for a while. I than she was willing to admit .
will see you again before you leave for She shrugged it off and finished.
Skulny. " Afterwards, she helped Sher and Leya
Maris scarcely heard her; her eyes with the cleaning-up, and tried to
were still locked with Vat's. He smiled answer their eager questions about
at her thinly, then spun and followed what the competition would be like
Sena from the room. S'Rella left soon this year. At last she got away and
after . went to look for S'Rella and-reluc
Kerr was talking to her, Maris sud tantly-Val.
denly realized. She shook herself back Neither of them were in their room,
to attention and smiled at h i m . nor in any of the other obvious places,
"Sorry, I didn't hear you." and no one seemed to know where
"It isn't so dangerous," he said they had gone after leaving the com
quietly. "Not just to sail from here to mon room. Maris wandered through
One- Wing 53
S'Rella with their wings. There was a you, but you won't really need me."
mood of wild and restless gaiety "Thank you," S'Rella said. ' ' I 'll
among them that was i n fectious; do my best . ' '
Maris felt her own spirits rise, and for Maris nodded and signaled, and
the first time she was eager for the Damen and Liane came out and un
competitions. folded her wings for her, strut by
"Let them be, let them be!" Sena strut, pulJing the bright silver fabric
cried, laughing. "They certainly can't taut until her wingspan spread twenty
fly with the lot of you hanging on their feet . Then she was off, leaping away
wings ! " from the cliff to a chorus of fareweils
' ' Wish they c o u l d , " mumbled and good wishes, into t h e cool,
Kerr. He pushed at his nose, which steady, faintly rain-scented flow of
had turned bright red in the wind. the wind. She circled and watched
"You'll have y o u r c h a n c e , " S ' Rella's takeoff, trying to judge it as
S'Rella said, sounding defensive. if S'Rella were in competition.
"No one grudges you this," Leya No doubt about it. S'Rella had im
said quickly. proved greatly recently. The clum
"You two are the best of u s , " Sher siness was gone, and she did not
added. hesitate at t h e edge, but sprang
"Save i t , " Sena said, putting one smoothly clear of the fortress and,
arm around Leya, the other around having judged the wind nicely, began
Sher. ''Go now. We'll wave goodbye to rise almost at once.
and meet you again on Skulny." ' ' I don't believe your wings are of
Maris turned to S'Rella and saw wood at all!" Maris called to her.
that the younger woman was watching Then both of them swung through
her intently, her whole body tensed the sky in impatient, widening circles,
and ready for Maris' slightest signal. waiting for Val.
She remembered her own earliest He had been leaning against the
flights, when she had still not quite door through all of the joking and the
believed that she could have wings of preparations, standing outside it an.
her own, and she touched S'Rella's his face blank and guarded. He was
shoulder and spoke to her kindly. winged already, having strapped them
"We'll all stay close together and on without help. Now he walked
take it easy , ' ' she said. ''The stunts are calmly through the group o f students
for t h e competitions-right now, and would-be flyers, and stood
we'11 concentrate on steady flying. perched on the brink of the precipice ,
This will be a long trip for you, I his feet half-over the edge. Painstak
know, but don't worry about ingly he unfolded the first three struts,
it-you've got enough stamina for but he did not lock them into place.
twice the distance. Just relax and trust Then ht: slid his arms through the
yourself. I'll be there watching out for loops, flexed , knelt and stood again.
beneath him, and Maris could hear Val still laughed. "My risk," he
dimly the peal of his triumphant wind shouted back. "And I didn't fling
blown laughter. them . . . rigged springs . . . better than
S ' Rella had locked into a stall, still Rave n . ' '
watching Val. Maris shouted com Raven: the n a m e startled h e r .
mands at her, and she broke out of it, Raven was the flyer who had invented
twisting her wings at an angle and that trick, oiling his wing struts and
slanting off back over the land. Above flinging them away as he fell, each
the fortress, its bare rock heated in the strut jarring loose the next as it
sun, she found a strong riser and snapped into place. But how had Val
sailed back up to safety . learned of Raven? "Raven was a
-
Below, Sena was cursing u p a t Val foo l , " she shouted. "And long
and shaking her cane in apoplectic dead . . . what's Raven to you?"
fury. He paid no attention. He was ris "Your brother sang that song,
ing, higher and higher, and from the too," Val yelled. Then he banked and
woodwingers on the cliff came the dove, away from her, abruptly ter
ragged, popping sound of applause. minating the conversation. But Maris
Maris went after him, banking, understood. She had witnessed Ra-
One-Wing 55
ven 's Fall at the Eyrie, and told her that they hardly needed to do more
brother Coli of it, and later Coli had than relax and glide. It was at times a
made it into a song, one of the first dull flight, but Maris did not regret i t .
that was entirely his own. They skirted t h e coast o f Big Shotan,
)\;umb, and seeing no use in further fishing fleets everywhere beyond the
pursuit of Val, Maris wheeled around liule harbor wwns, bringing in as big a
and looked for S ' Rella, who was .:arch as possible in the storm-free
following several hundred yards weather. And they saw Storm town
behind and below them. She drifted from the air, i t s great bay in the center
down to join her, trying to tell her o f the city, windmills turning all along
pounding heart to relax, willing her the shores, forty o f t h e m , or
stiff muscles to loosen and get the feel fifty-S'Rella tried to count them,
o f the wind. but they were behind her before she
S' Reil a was ghost pale, and flying was half done. And in the open sea
badly. · ' What happened?" she cried between Little Shotan and Skulny,
when \liar is approached. "I could near sunset, they spied a scylla, its
have died. " long neck craning up but of the blue
"It was a stunt," Maris called to green water as its rows of powerful
her. "Flyer named Raven used to do tlippcrs churned just beneath the sur
it. Val con.:octed his own version." face. S' Reil a seemed delighted. She
S' Rella flew silently for a moment, had heard about scyllas all her life, but
considering that, and then a little col this was the first she had actually seen.
or came tentatively back into her face . They reached Skulny just ahead o f
" I thought someone had pushed t h e night. As they circled before land
him," she shouted. "A stunt-it was ing, they could see figures below set
beauti f u l . " ting up lanterns on poles all along the
"It was insane , " Mari s called back. beach, to guide in later flyers. Already
She was quietly horrified that S ' Rella the small flyers' lodge nearby was
could possibly have thought one o f ablaze with lights and activity: the
her fellow students capable o f shoving parties, thought Maris, began earlier
Val to his death . He has been influenc every year.
ing her, she thought bitterly. Maris tried to make her landing an
The rest of the flight, as Maris had example to S ' Rella, but even as she
predicted, was e a s y . Maris and was on her hands and knees, shaking
S'Rella flew close together, Val ahead sand out of her hair, she heard S ' Rella
and much higher, preferring the com thump to the ground nearby, and
pany o f rainbirds, i t seemed. They realized the girl had surely been too
kept him in sight throughout the after busy with her own landing to notice
noon, but only with an effor t . how clumsy or adept her teacher was.
The winds were cooperative, blow Whoops o f pleasure and welcome
ing them so steadily towards Skulny surrounded them at once. Eager
One- Wing 57
island. Somewhere there's a· town or who else has come early. ·•
two. and a tavern or two, and a bed to But when she turned t o go, S'Rella
sleep in. I have a few irons." h u n g back. Maris looked at her
·'You could come up to the lodge curiously, and t h e n understood;
with S' Rella and m e , " Maris said S'Rella was worried about the son o f
hesitantly. reception she would find inside the
"Could I ? " Vat said, his voice lodge. She was an outsider, after all,
perfectly level. His smile flickered at and no doubt Yal had been filling her
her. "That would be an interesting with tales of his own rejection.
scene. More dramatic than my launch "Well," Maris said, "you might as
ing today, I ' d guess . " well come in, unless you feel like fly
Maris frowned. " 1 haven't forgot ing back tonight. They'll have to meet
ten t h a t . " she said. "S' Rella could you sometime."
have hurt herself, you know. She was S'Rella nodded, still a bit timorous,
badly startled by that fool's leap of and they started up the pebbled incline
yours. I ought-" towards the lodge.
"I believe I 've heard this before , " It was a small two-room building o f
Yal said. "Excuse m e . " H e turned soft, weathered white rock. The main
and was gone, walking quickly up the room, well-lit and overheated by a
beach with his hands shoved deep in roaring fire, w as noisy, crowded, and
his pockets. unappealing after the clean solitude o f
Behind her, Maris heard S' Rella the open air. The faces o f the flyers
laughing and talking with the other seemed to blur together as Maris
�
young people, sharing h r delight in looked around in search of special
her first long flight. When Maris ap friends, S ' Rella standing nervously
proached, she broke off and ran to behind her. They hung the wings on
take her hand. "How was I ? " she ask hooks along the walls, and began to
ed breathlessly. "How did I do?" fight their way across the room.
"You know how you did-you just A heavy-set, middle-aged man with
want me to praise you," Maris said, a full beard was pouring some liquid
her tone a mock-scold. "AB right, I into the huge, fragrant stewpot hung
will. You flew as if you'd never done over the fire, and roaring insults at
anything else in your life, as if you'd someone demanding nourishment.
been born to i t . " Something drew Maris' eyes back
" I know," S'Rella said shyly. Then after they had passed over him, and
she laughed in sheer joy. "It was with a strange little shock she recog
marvellous. I never w a n t t o do nized the overweight cook. When had
anything but fly ! " Garth grown so old and fat?
" I know how you feel , " Maris said. She started towards him when thin
"But a rest will do us good right now. arms went around her from behind,
Let's go in and sit by the fire and see hugging her fiercely, and she caught
One-Wing 59
looking around with displeasure. ' ' Y o u 're probably her best
"Over by Shalli-see-the dark customer , " Mari s said. "When did
haired one in black and grey." She you grow the beard?"
tried not to point. "Oh, a month ago, two, something
"He's handsome, " S ' Rella srud. like that. I haven't seen you in a half
Maris laughed. "Ah, yes. Half the year, it seem s . ' '
land-bound girls on Amberly were in Maris nodded. "Dorrel was fretting
love with him when he was younger. over you the last time we were at the
They were all heartbroken when he Eyrie together. Something about a
and Shalli wed. " date to get drunk, and you didn't
That drew a small smile back to make i t . "
S ' Rella's face. "On my home island, H e frowned. "Ah," he said, "yes, I
all the boys used to dream about know all about it. Dorrel goes on
S'Landra, our flyer. Were you in love endlessly. I was ill, that's all, no great
with Corm too?'' mystery." He turned back to the fire
"Never. I knew him too wel l . " and gave his stew a stir. "There'll be
"MARIS!" The bellow rang from food soon. Hungry? I made this
the rafters, attracting attention all myself, Southern style, with lots o f
over the lodge. Garth was yelling at spices and wine . "
her from across the room, gesturing Maris turned. "You hear that,
her closer. S ' Rella? You'll get some decent food,
She grinned. "Come," she said, it sounds like." She ushered the girl
pulling S' Rella after her through the forward to face Garth. "S'Rella's a
press, nodding polite hellos at old ac woodwinger, and one of the best.
quaintances as she went. She'll be taking some poor soul's
Garth crushed her in a formidable wings this year. S ' Rella, this is Garth
hug when she reached him, then he of Skulny, one of our hosts here and
pushed her back to look at her. "You an old frien d . "
look tired, Maris," he told her. "Fly "Not that old," Garth protested.
ing too much . ' ' He smiled at S'Rella. "Why, you 're as
"And you," she said, "have been beautiful as Maris used to be, before
eating too much. " She jabbed a finger she got thin and tired. Do you fly as
into his stomach where it hung over well?"
his belt. "What's this? Are you and "I try t o , " S' Rella said.
Shalli going to give birth together?" "Modest, too," he said. "Well,
Ganh snorted with laughter. Skulny knows how to treat flyers,
"Ah," h e growled, "my sister's fault. even fledglings. Anything you want,
She brews her own ale, you know. Got you tell me about i t . Are you hungry?
a right little business going. I have to This will be ready soon. l n fact.
help her out, of course, buy a little maybe you can help me with the
now and again . " spices. I'm not really from Southern,
One-Wing 61
unpleasant, but it needn't ruin the children had gone now, and they were
competition all by itself," he said. alone.
"He'll be easy enough to ignore, and I "Maybe this is what I feared,"
don't imagine we have to worry about Maris said , with a tinge of bitterness in
him winning again. No one has lost a her tone. "I knew you'd balk at that.
relative lately." But I can't make exceptions-we
Maris drew back a little. Dorrel 's can't make exceptions. Can't you
voice seemed so hard, and the gibe understand that? Can't you try to
sounded so cruel from his lips-and understand ? "
yet, it was almost identical to what ' ' I can try,'' h e said. ' ' I can't prom
she'd said at the academy on the day ise to succeed. Why, Maris? He's no
Val had arrived . "Dorr," she said, ordinary land-bound, no little wood
"he's good. He's been training for winger dreaming of being a flyer. He's
years, it seems, and he's older now. I One-Wing, half a flyer even when he
think he's going to win. He has the had his wings. He killed Ari. Have you
skills, I know, I've flown against him." forgotten that?"
"You've flown against him?" Dor ''No,'' Maris said. ''I'm not happy
rel said. about Val. He's hard to like, and he
"In practice," Maris said. "At hates flyers, and there's always the
Woodwings. What-" spectre o f Ari peering over h i s
He drained his wine and set the glass shoulder. But I have t o help him,
aside. "Maris," he said, his voice low Dorr. Because of what we did seven
but suddenly strained. "You're not years ago. The wings must go those
going to tell me you've been helping who can use them best, even i f they
him too. One-Wing? ! " are, well . . . like Val. Vindictive, and
"He was a student, and Sena asked angry, and cold. ' '
me to work with him," Maris said Dorrel shook his head. " I can't ac
stubbornly. " I ' m not there to play cept that , ' ' he said.
favorites and help only those I like." "I wish I knew him better," Maris
Dorrel swore and took her by the said, "so I could understand what
arm. "Come outside," he said. " I made him the way he is. I think he
don't want to talk about this in here, hated the flyers even before they
where someone might hear." named him One-Wing." She reached
It was cool outside the lodge, and over and took Dorrel by the hand.
the wind coming in off the sea had the ' ' H e ' s always accusing, making
tang of salt to it. Along the beach, the venomous little jests, when he isn't
poles were up and the lanterns had shielding himself in ice. And some
been lit to welcome night-flying times, listening to him, I find myself
travellers. Maris and Dorrel walked dose to agreeing with him, seeing
away from the crowded lodge and sat things through land-bound eyes. Ac
together on the sand. Most of the cording to Val, I ' m a One-Wing too,
Dept. AC
PO Box 1348. Grand Central Station.
New York. N. Y. 10017
1974: sets 1975: sets 1976: sets
Please send me copies of the cover reprints
@ $3.60 for each set of four.
I enclose check __ . money order __ . (No cash or stamps.)
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Please allow four weeks for delivery. Only a limited supply is available.
Offer good only in the United States and its possessions.
One- Wing 63
son in the world to me. And you've deal with it. We may not like all the
always proved that you deserved results o f what we've done, but we
wings at least as much as any flyer's can't deny them. Val is one of those
child. lt would have been a horrible in results . "
justice if you'd been denied them. I 'm Dorrel stood up and brushed the
proutl that I could help you. sand from his clothes. "I can't accept
"I'm proud that I fought with you that result," he said, his voice more
in council to open the sky, but now sorrow.ful than angry. "I 've done a lot
you seem to be telling me that we of things for the love o f you, Maris,
fought for different things. As I but I can see the limits. · It's true that
understood it, we were fighting for the the world has changed-because o f
right of anyone who dreamed hard what we've done-but we don't have
enough and worked long enough to to accept the evil with the good. We
become a flyer. We weren't out to don't have to embrace those, like Val
destroy the great tradition of the One-Wing, who sneer at our tradi
flyers, to throw the wings out and let tions and seek to tear us apart. He'll
land-bound and would-be flyers alike destroy us in the end, Maris-with his
fight over them like scavenging gulls selfishness and h i s h a t r e d . And
over a pile of fish. because you don't understand that,
"What we were trying to do, or so I you'll help him. I won't. Do you
thought, was to open the sky, to open understand that ? ' '
the Eyrie, to open the ranks of the She nodded without looking u p at
flyers to anyone who could prove wor him.
thy o f bearing wings. A minute passed in silence. "Will
"Was I wrong? Were we actually you come with m e , back to the
fighting instead to give up everything lodge?"
that makes us special and different? " N o , " she said. "No, not just
Tell me, Maris. I want to know." now.''
.. I don't know anymore," she said. " G o o d n i g h t , M a r i s . " Dorrel
.. Seven years ago, I could think of turned away from her, his boots crun
nothing more wonderful than being a ching on the sand until the lodge door
flyer. Neither could you. We never opened for him with a burst of party
dreamed that there were people who noise, then closed again.
might want to wear our wings, but re It was quiet and peaceful on the
ject everything else that makes up a beach. The lanterns, burning atop
flyer. We never dreamed of them, but their poles, moved weakly in the
they existed. And we opened the sky breeze, and she heard their faint clat
for them, too, Dorr. We changed tering and the never-ending sound o f
more than we knew. And we can't the sea rolling in and out, in and out.
turn our backs on it. The world has Maris had never felt so alone.
changed, and we have to accept i t , and TO BE CONTINUED
e 1ma e
THE BURNING QUESTION
· There has been a lot of publicity lately diate commitment to nuclear energy
for the "scare , . that by burning an rather than fossil fuels.
ever increasing amount of fossil fuel But this is hardly an unbiased view ,
we may produce an irreversible global and by introducing the issue into the
warming, thanks to the carbon diox arena of what is still a very acrimoni
ide "greenhouse, . effect , melting the ous debate the nuclear lobbyists' main
polar caps and perhaps turning the achievement has been to ensure that
Earth into a scorched desert reminis discussion of the carbon dioxide prob
cent of Venus. Even alarmists who lem is now clouded by the smoke
don't see the trend going quite that far screen generated by the heat of the
still seem to assume that any global nuclear debate. For the Analog au
warming must be detrimental to man dience, of course, reasoned debate
kind's continued occupation of this rather than hysterical emotion is
planet, and it is no coincidence that appropriate, and I am sure that the
this "problem , . with fossil fuels has majority of those reading this article
been seized on by the most ardent sup
porters of nuclear power as a crucial Are you sure you know
argument in favor of a massive imme-
what a C02 build-up In the
atmosphere would do?
JOHN GRIBBIN
65
agree that nuclear power in some form this surprising discovery by analysis· of
-most probably fusion-is a desir the carbon isotopes found in the wood
able long-term prospect, but that for of tree rings. This contains carbon ob
the immediate future other fuels are tained in carbon dioxide from the air,
necessary as well. An immediate com and each ring corresponds precisely to
mitment to a nuclear dominated one year, storing up a record of how
energy economy would almost cer the proportion of carbon isotopes in
tainly result in accidents through a too the air has changed over the years.
hasty build-up, with a resulting There are three isotopes involved;
backlash against technology that stable carbon-l2, which dominates,
might take decades to overcome. stable but rarer carbon- 1 3 , and
So in this article I want to try to radioactive carbon- 14, produced in
penetrate the smokescreen around the the atmosphere by cosmic rays and
debate to look at the links between decaying with a half-life of around
energy generation, carbop dioxide 4,000 years. Because of its short half
and climate, assessing how much car life, there is no carbon - 1 4 left in the
bon dioxide really might get into the fossil fuels that have been buried for
atmosphere over the next hundred millions of years; wood in living or
·
years or so, whether this is enough to recently dead trees contains some
pose a threat to civilization as we carbon- 1 4 and some carbon - 1 3 ,
know it, and by no means least, the ex although the lightest and most com
tent to which we may be able to mon isotope, carbon-12, is the domi
remove carbon dioxide from combus nant constituent. The result is that the
tion products, storing it somewhere balance of isotopes in the air, or in
else instead of releasing it to the air. fresh wood of new tree rings, each year
The C92 concentration of the at results from the balance between burn
mosphere has been increasing steadily ing fossil fuel, forest clearance and
as long as it has been measured, going photosynthesis. Unravelling the com
back into t h e 1 9 t h century. The plexities, Professor Stuiver shows that
average concentration now is about from 1850 to 1950 while 60 Gt (1 Gt = I
330 parts per million by volume (ppm) billion tonnes) of carbon reached the
whereas the level i n the 1850s was atmosphere from burning fossil fuel (a
about 268 ppm, and in th� late 19th figure easily calculated from energy use
century just under 300 ppm. This in data), twice as much was produced by
crease is definitely the result of man's forest clearances, reducing the biomass
activities. But it may come as a sur of the planet by 711Jo. Total input over
prise to learn that so far the biggest this hundred year period was three
cause has been destruction of forests, times that from fossil fuel alone, 180
not burning of coal, oil and gas. Gt. But the observed increase in at
Professor Minze Stuiver, of the mospheric concentration of col
University of Washington, has made represents only half this-almost 50%
�
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., 40 r-
Q I
20
i
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10 r- :-I
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1900 20 40 60 80 2000 20
energy demand! The main fly in the we can get a good idea of what this
ointment is the likely drying out of a means in terms of energy usage from
large part of North America, present the many studies of possible future
ly the dominant supplier of food energy demand made by that growing
grains to the world market. This might band, the futurologists.
cause political problems as the world Futurologists argue interminably
markets readjust (but on a timescale about different "scenarios" involv
of several decades), but after all you ing, among other things, different
can't have your cake and eat it, too. levels of global energy demand in the
So all the evidence is that a doubling years ahead. Like SF "predictions,"
of C02 in the atmosphere may be these are guides to what may be, not
positively beneficial. Provided we can what inevitably will be. If we don't
stop the trend there or thereabouts, like a particular scenario, it is up to us
and avoid the runaway into a scorched to take the necessary political action
Earth situation, we can still use fossil to ensure that decisions are made to
fuel to give us the breathing space stop that scenario becoming reality.
.white developing ultimately reliable That is what futures forecasting is all
and safe nuclear fusion options. So about-highlighting dangers and in
t h e real carbon dioxide problem dicating decisions needed to avoid
centers on letting no more than twice them, not predicting "the" future.
the present concentration build up in With that in mind, the clear im
the air. Still, for the moment, leaving p l i c a t i o n s o f different energy
aside possibilities of removing C02, strategies on carbon dioxide ac-
�
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7 5
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Sovrce as for Figure 1
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cumulation can be seen from a recent IIASA studies show the implications
study carried out at the International of a strategy peaking at a more
Institute for Applied Systems Analy moderate 30 TW and based largely on
sis, (IIASA), in Laxenburg, Austria. solar and nuclear power. This pro
At one extreme, they have calculated duces (Figures 4 and 5) a global sur
the implications of a completely fossil face temperature change of less than
fuel strategy which levels off at about I °C. Clearly, a sensible and realistic
7 times present world demand, some f\,lture world lies somewhere between
50 TW, in the late 21st century (Figure these extremes. Studies at the Science
2). The concentration of C02 rises Policy Research Unit, (SPRU), Uni
dramatically (Figure 3), eventually versity of Sussex , England, show that
reaching 1500 ppm by the year 2100 one future which could be achieved if
and raising temperatures by about the right decisions are made would see
9°C-a genuine doomsday prospect! energy use per head levelling off at
Remember, though, that this about the level of Sweden in 1970
scenario ignores nuclear and solar (rather less than the U.S. in 1970),
power, let alone contributions from close to the IIASA 30 TW scenario.
wind, waves and tides, altogether. In However, the SPRU scenario suggests
addition, the maximum demand fig that rather than nuclear and solar
ures are at the very high end of projec power, this demand could be met for
tions now being discussed, and leave the immediate future by a mix of 600Jo
ample scope for more efficient use of fossil fuel, lOOJo fission reactors , 20%
energy and reduced demand. solar energy, with bits and pieces
At the other extreme, the same making up the rest. In this strategy,
60
�
�
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...,
40
Q
30 Solar
Nuclear
Gas
20
Oil
Cool
'\
10
0
1900 20 40 60 80 2000 20 40 60 80 2100
§ _g
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u 0
.g 2.5 ·�
·;;;
300
f 0'
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_ __ J ..L ..L-- ·---' o
1900
_ __ ____
thousand years. This site could absorb This doesn't mean that the situation
1010 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, lacks urgency. The gestatory planning
mixing as a small pollutant into 101" period and lifetime of a major power
tonnes of water flowing out through installation is such that decisions
the Strait each year, and there are taken today will effect energy use in
other similar sites around the world. the early 21st century. We need to
Ultimately, of course, the problem learn now to regard carbon dioxide as
solves itself. If we can get rid of the a pollutant, with immediate legisla
C02, into the oceans or elsewhere, for tion along the lines of the legislation
the next hundred years there won't be on automobile exhaust emissions to
any more problem, because by then we ensure its removal from waste gases
have to develop completely non-fossil wherever possible as soon as
fuel options or go under. When the possible.We need more research into
coal begins to run out, solar energy, better ways of scrubbing C02 from
geothermal power and nuclear fusion such waste gases, and into ways of
must be ready to take its place or our storing it after extraction, under
civilization has had it. All we are look ground or in the deep oceans. All this
ing for is a breathing space, and the will take something very close to the
oceans provide it. In a recent article in SO years or so breathing space that we
American Scientist, Dr. C.F. Baes and still have in hand.
colleagues state that ''the ultimate The psychological barrier of regard
capacity of the ocean system, including ing C02 in the air as harmful has
the CaC03, is far in excess of that re already been crossed, and for this
quired to deal with all the fossil carbon reason those doomsday scare stories
that mankind may wish to use," and have done a useful job. The next step
other geophysicists agree. The main is legislation using the existing en
problem raised by the pessimists has vironmental .protection machinery, a
been that of encouraging a sufficiently step which can be taken easily and
rapid solution process-and that Mar should be taken urgently. •
chetti's arguments have now over
come, at least in principle. Further reading:
We can confidently restate therecent U .S. National Academy of Sciences, Enev Qnd Climate
warning in a National Academy of (NAS, Washington D.C., 1977)
C.F. Baes, H. E. GoUer, J. S. Olson & R. M. Rouy,
Sciences report that ''the primary "Carbon Dioxide and Climate: The Uncontrolled
limiting factor ·on energy production Experiment , " American Scientist, vol 6S, pp 310-320,
(1977)
from fossil fuels . . . may turn o.ut to be M. Stuiver, "Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Carbon
2S3·2S8,
the climatic effects of carbon dioxide" .
Reservoir Otanges," Sc�nce, vol 199, pp
(1978)
to r.ead "the primary.limiting factor on J. Willia.rns, editor, Carbon Dioxide Climate QndSociety
(Pergamon Press, 1978)
energy from fossil fuels . . . may be J. Gribbin. editot', Oimatic Change (Cambridge Univer·
man 's technologcal
i capability to pro- sity Press , 1978)
-:;..":'�r ..
.
• '
' .
. ' ?' 4t �
': iJ. ��
,. �
> '
...
·> · ,
..:..j;�
"What you 're suggesting, Professor's, ranged. But instead of being welcom·
absurd . " ed upon their arrival, Lars and Ellie
'· H ow can y o u say that, Or. were treated as intruders.
Tereskevitch, after what your cosmo That seemed to confirm the suspi
nauts found on the moon?" cion that Gagaringrad was more
The Russian glowered at Professor military than scientific. But another
Lars Hansen. At least it seemed that reason the Soviets were reluctant to
way to the professor's young asso permit outsiders aboard their station
ciate, Eleanor Mercer . Tereskevitch soon suggested itself. Gagaringrad,
was commander of Gagaringrad, the for all its technical innovations.
first permanent Soviet space station. proved crude in many respects. True,
She suspected that he wasn't used to they could stand normally thanks w
having his work challenged in his do centrifugal force, but they were sur
main. Certainly not by Americans. rounded by nuts-and-bolts boiler
"Your reputation preceded your plate. And all the considerable Soviet
flight up. You Americans have a accomplishment in Earth orbit could
rather unflattering term-cracked pot not wipe out the fact that they had
or crashed pot or something similar. been beaten to the moon by some
I'm never quite sure with your im twenty years.
precise English. " " I didn't consent to your coming,"
Now he was being deliberately rude. growled Tereskevitch. "Why anyone
Lars, however, merely shrugged. down there thought we needed an
"Still your government did agree to A merican paleontologist is more than
let this particular crackpot look at I can understand.'·
your find.'' ' ' Perhaps because my theory finds
"Why do you keep insisting that more credence among your people
anything was brought back other than chan my own,'' said Lars. "Your col
some unusual rocks?" leagues sent for us, Doctor. They want
"Can I ask the crew members them it confirmed-especially considering
selves? They're still all up here in isola the alternative . ' '
tion-along with whatever it was they Goodfor you, Lars, thought Ellie.
dug up." Tereskevitch pursed his lips. "You
The look Tereskevitch shot Lars would have it that our lunar expedi
Hansen was as withering as some Ellie tion found a body on the moon?"
used to receive when she had the te "Uh-huh. At least, that's what
merity to ask questions in her fresh their transmissions indicated-until
man classes-from nearly every pro you clamped down security.··
fessor but Lars. ''And you further insist that [his
The Russian turnabout was as baf this creature, or whatever you call it. is
fling as it had been unexpected. Every millions of years old?"
thing was supposed to have been ar- ·'I'm only guessing, but I have good
Hermes to theAges 87
"You make them sound a lot like the loss. And probably lost none of his
us,'' Bradley said. faith in human nature . Ellie knew
"J �uppose so. A natural tendency what he'd say about the way the Rus
for people who look upon the past as sians treated them: "They had their
alive. You ought to see the pets Ellie's reasons" -as if that was enough.
.
made of some of our specimens., Damn it. why did he always have to be
''Lots better," said Ellie. "than so generous? Hadn't he ever been
some of the things alive today . ' ' kicked in the teeth? Big as he was, did
"There i s one way I hope they were he always have to be so far removed
like us,'· Lars said. "I keep wondering from ordinary human cussedness?
what we'd do if we'd survived the in Difficult as it was, Ellie managed a
itial outbreak. Try to leave some sort fleeting smile.
of record-something to warn of the "You know,•· Bradley went on in
tragedy that befell us for whatever the his obtuse fashion, "what you suggest
future might bring. And someday sounds inefficient as hell. l mean,
we'll come across that-whatever you'd think your dinosaurs would've
their Rosetta Stone might be." tried something better than stone in
Bradley shook his head. "You've scriptions to pass on their secrets ."
got me again, Professor.'' ·' W e ll, 1 d i dn't mean that
Patiently, Lars explained, "In !799 literally,, . Lars said.
a piece of black basalt was found near "Yeah. Sure'd been interesting if
the mouth of the Nile which bore in they had some of the techniques
scriptions in an ancient Greek and NASA's been experimenting with. · ·
Egyptian. Before its discovery, no one "Such as?"
could interpret the hieroglyphics of "Oh, things to cut down long dura
ancient Egypt. The Rosetta Stone tion flight. Takes centuries to go even
became literally the key to unlocking to the nearest stars with what we've
the secrets of a hitherto unknown got now. They're working with test
world." animals. Freezing them. Dehydrating
"And you think your intelligent them. Trying to find some practical
dinosaurs left one of those?" form of suspended animation. "
' ' I thought we had its equivalent "Aii-yeeeeeeeee!" Ellie's shriek
over there." Lars gestured toward cut through the cabin.
Gagaringrad, and Ellie saw the sigh Lars was a half-step behind her
a small gesture that someone who did ''The lifeless, eternal moon� No need
not know him well would have missed. to worry about the world changing
"Well, whatever comes of that, Ellie about you! A landscape that's been
and r will spend the rest of our lives the same for billions of years and
looking for other traces that must be would be for billions more!"
somewhere . Right, Ellie?" "Until intelligent life re-establishes
So Lars had reconciled himself to itself on Earth," cried Ellie, "and
Lars told Bradley: .. Contact the "We can't wait any longer," Lars
station! Immediately!'' said . "Anybody got any ideas?"
.
"Professor, you can't be serious. A Ellie did: "Ram them!"
plague? Why, the thing over there's "What!" Bradley protested.
what, a reptile? You don't get disease "Well, that'd sure slow down
from animals . " whatever they're doing," she said.
"Oh, you don't? Ever heard of an "Captain, somebody's got to get on
thrax, Captain? Bovine or poultry board before they have a chance to get
tuberculosis? Salmonella, that you into it. What about taking this ship
catch from turtles? Or maybe you've close enough to let me try to sneak in
forgotten that the carriers of the side without being seen?"
bubonic plague that wiped out a third "Professor, you 're both talking
of Europe were rats?" crazy. Much as I wouldn't mind ram
"You've made your point," said ming this ship down those bastards'
Hermes to theAges 91
Damn, it was exhausting moving spacesuit, with its tangle o f arms and
within her spacesuit! She began to legs, was coming her way.
puff. At least she was in good shape Even the rotation of Gagaringrad
from her field work. And she didn't was cooperating, bringing her toward
have to fight the direction she was him rather than away.
coasting. Ellie was not about to tempt luck
Keep floating, £/lie! she told any further. Before kicking off again,
herself. Don't swim. she re-secured her line around the
Abruptly, her own motion stopped. nearest support she could find.
Even as she oriented herself, the As it was, she almost missed Lars as
snagged line brought her down to he drifted past .in his desperate efforts
Gagaringrad's hull. And since her to stop his tumbling, huffing and
kicking had given her greater exit wheezing from the effort.
velocity, she had passed Lars on the Her gloved hand just barely caught
way over. His s l o w l y t u r n i n g a thrashing foot and tugged.
"Lars, you big oaf, relax! Stop be located in the end opposite from
fighting me! You're too blasted where we met before. But damned if I
strong! I'll pull us in. Just don't do can tell one from the other.''
anything! " "Lars!"
Like a caught fish, Lars let Ellie reel Sounds of people approaching
them both toward the hatch to which emanated from the central hub,
she had attached her line. which, because of the slight pull of
Within moments they were safely centrifugal force at their present loca
inside. Lars placed one gigantic glov tion, was "above" them.
ed hand on Ellie's shoulder and, with "They just made up our minds,"
a quick squeeze, said all that had to be said Lars. " 'Down' we go."
said between them. The two Americans pushed
"Where now?" Ellie asked as they themselves along a ladder, passing
both caught their breath. through a series of compartments with
"Good question. Their labs must hatches that sealed each from the
other. The farther down the
passageway they traveled, the greater
became their apparent weight, until
they had to use the rungs of the ladder.
"Are we going the right way?" Ellie
wondered.
"Fifty-fifty. But we haven't met
anyone this way yet. Figures they
wouldn't allow many people nearby
when they started their experiment.
They like to keep secrets, even from
themselves."
The bottom compartment was
much wider than those above. They
had arrived at one of the two large per
sonnel spheres located at each end of
Gagaringrad.
Waiting for them were Tereskevitch
and the same two as before.
"So, Professor Hansen, I suppo�e I
should ask what the meaning of all
this is."
The Russian scientist had his anger
somewhat under control. The same
could not be said for his two scowling
comrades.
93
Ellie was first to remove her helmet. go in there now.''
"You've got to stop what you're Resigned, the Russian turned back.
doing.'' "No, of course not. I wouldn't have
"Indeed? And just what, Miss anyway. The chamber's not supposed
Mercer, do you think that is?" to be opened at all during the course of
"You 're going to revive Herm-the the experiment. My own orders ..."
specimen. You can't do that." .. When did it start?" Lars asked.
"You are mad. I was just saying it "We-activated the pumps only a
before. But this. Do you have any idea few moments before we got the call
the damage you almost caused this about your ship. Now it's into the
station? Or the repercussions?" moisture cycle." Tereskevitch smiled
Finally Lars got his helmet off. ruefully. "You should've been more
"Doctor, please listen to us." prompt, Professor."
.. They want to have you shot," said Lars sighed. "The damage's
Tereskevitch. .. They're quite serious. already done. You'd better radio
Fortunately-for you-we don't have Earth and advise what's happened."
an armory up here." Tereskevitch hesitated. "I'd prefer,
"Or. Tereskevitch," Lars snapped, ah, not to have to contact anyone
' ' while we stand here bickering, you down there just yet. The creature's
may be destroying yourselves-and isolated in the vacuum chamber. Sure
maybe the entire human race!" ly, there's no danger."
"Huh?" "We can't be sure. If it's the actual
"You wouldn't listen to all our biological agent, we have to
theory. How the dinosaurs destroyed presume-if only from what it did
themselves. We believe that the type before-that it's extremely virulent
of war they waged was biological. If a n d easily spread. Perhaps even
the individual you found was placed in through the seal of that door.''
suspended animation after that con "I'd still prefer to wait. Professor,
flict, every part of him-every organ, please try to understand. The decision
every cell-must have been preserved to proceed was-not unanimous."
intact.And every living thing that .. Further delay may be too late.
might have been inside his body. " What if we're unable to get word out
Tereskevitch's jaw dropped. because we've already been
Ellie reacted to t h e horror in infected?"
Tereskevitch 's face. "Oh, my God, Tereskevitch turned to his compan
Lars! We're too late!" ions and again spoke in Russian.
"No, no," stammered Tereske "Tell them every second we delay
vitch. "Not yet. Maybe-" may be crucial,'' Lars urged.
He moved toward a sealed "How can we believe you ? " spoke
chamber. "Wait!" Lars said. "If up the third officer, the one most op
that's where you've got him, you can't posed to their previous visit. "This is
the ones to spread the contagion!" "But that wouldn't be the whole
There was nothing Tereskevitch story, would it, Dr. Tereskevitch?"
could say to that. "Why should we have shared this
Instead, he took refuge in his ex discovery with you?" Tereskevitch
planation. "When we removed the became increasingly defensive.
water and air, the tissue sample "Would you Americans have been
stopped its activities. But it didn't die. any more generous in our place?
Exposed to a vacuum, the only ap Besides-twenty years ago you had
preciable effect was to allow the fluid your chance on the moon. Now it's
to exit without apparent damage to our turn."
the cellular structure. So, becoming Ellie couldn't stand this any longer.
dormant, it resumed growing when Besides, there was something much
again placed in air and water. more important going on.
"Obviously, this was a process "Dr. Tereskevitch," she said, "is
totally unknown to our science. The there some way to observe what's
implications were staggering. After taking place inside the chamber? "
much deliberation up here-ground "We have television cameras in
control knew as little as you did, Pro side. Over here's a monitor. I haven't
fessor-we determined that there real yet been able to switch it on. Your un
ly was only one course for us to timely arrival-"
follow: place the entire creature in an "Do so, man!" Lars cried, all
environment that offered the best resentment vanishing immediately.
chance to revive it." The television screen waivered as
"Of course," added Lars, "you Tereskevitch focused on a shape lying
had no intention of sharing this ex on a padded table. Then the camera
periment with anyone from the dollied inward. Ellie's intake of
United States. Hence the secrecy, even breath was the only sound as Soviets
from your own people." and Americans crowded in front of
The degree of bitterness shocked the monitor.
Ellie. How often had she tried to get At first it was difficult to observe.
Lars to see people as they truly were? Clouds of steam filled the chamber,
Now she realized what a real loss that wreathed about the figure like the
would be. mists it may once have walked among
Tereskevitch sensed it too. " I could 65 million years before on Earth.
say that events dictated what we've It had wide saurischian hips . thick
done. We had no way of knowing legs, and a full dinosaur tail-a vic
what effect removing the body from tory for Ellie's position earlier-but
nJY
"But if you live ih orbit, you can live flute. "Governments, institutions, all
forever ! ' ' forms of society are merely illusions.
Don Arnold said i t i n sheer frustra The human is capable of anything,
tion and immediately regretted open merely by thinking transcendentally.
ing his mouth. The soul is immortal . . .' '
Picture the situation. Don was sit That's when Don burst out, "But if
ting under the glaring lights o f a TV you live in orbit, you can live forever ! "
studio, in a deep fake-leather couch I t surprised them all, especially
-
that looked comfortable but wasn't. Don. The Mystic blinked, his mouth
His genial talk show Host had ignored still silently shaped for his next pro
him totally since introducing h im as nouncement . The UFOlogist seemed
"one o f NASA's key scientist s . " t o curl around his briefcase even
(Don was a NASA engineer, and pret tighter. The studio audience out there
ty far from the top.) beyond the blinding glare o f the
On onesideofDon sat a UFOlogist, overhead lights surged forward in
balding, owlishly-bespectacled, with a their chairs and uttered a collective
facial tic and a bulging briefcase murmur of wonderment.
clutched in his lap, full of Important Even the talk show's Host seemed
Documents. stunned for just a moment. He was the
On Don 's other side sat a self-pro best-dressed man on the set, in a deep
claimed Mystic of indeterminate age, blue cashmere sports jacket and
a benign smile on his face, his head precisely-creased pearl gray slacks. He
shaved and a tiny gem sparkling in his was the only man o n camera in make
left earlobe. up. His hairpiece gave him a youthful
They had done all the talking since yet-reliable look.
the show had started, nearly an hour He swallowed visibly as Don wished
earlier . he could call back the words he had
' 'The government has all sorts of just blurted.
data about UFO's," the UFOlogist "They live forever? " the Host
was saying, hugging his battered brief asked, so honestly intrigued that he
case. "NASA has tons of information forgot to smile.
about how the saucers are built and How in hell can I backtrack out of
where they're coming from, but it's all this? Don asked himself desperately .
classified and they won't release any Then t h e Mystic started t o raise his
of it to the people. " hands again, his cue t o the cameras
Before Don could reply, the Mystic that he wanted their attention on him.
raised both his hands, palms outward. "Our studies have shown that it's
The cameras zoomed in on him. possible," Don said, leaning forward
"All o f the universe is a single entity, slightly to stare right into the Host's
and all of time is the same," he said in baby-blue eyes.
a voice like a snake charmer's reed "How long have people lived in or-
Vi
sion 107
good mother that she was, didn't have ous. She stripped off her panties and
the heart to lock the master bedroom crawled into the bed beside Don.
door. Besides, on a sultry night like Grinning at him, she said, "You
this, the only way to catch a breath o f worry too much."
breeze was t o keep all the doors and "Yeah, maybe I do."
windows open. " I thought you were terrific on the
Don played a game as he sat up show this afternoon. I got so mad
watching television, with the remote when those other two clowns kept
control wand in his sweating hand. He hogging the camer a ! "
found the situation comedies, police "Maybe I should have let them hog
shows, doctor shows, even the science it for the whole show," he said.
fiction shows on TV so boring that he "No you shouldn't! I sat here for
couldn't bear to watch them for their nearly an hour waiting for you to open
own sake. your mouth."
But they were tolerable-almost ' ' Maybe I should've kept it
if he watched to see how much space closed.''
inspired technology he could identify "You were terrific," she said snug
in each show. The remote monitors in gling closer to him.
the surgeon's intensive care unit. The "I was lying," he answered. "Or at
sophisticated sensors used by the cor least, stretching the truth until it
oner's hot-tempered pathologist. The damn' near snapped. ' '
pressure-sensitive switch on the ter "You looked so handsome on
rorists' bomb planted in the cargo bay televisio n . ' '
of the threatened 747. " I just hope nobody a t Head
Judy finally came in and began un quarters saw the show."
dressing. The bedroom light� were "It's a local talk show," Judy said.
out, but there was plenty o f light com "Nobody watches it but housewives."
ing from the TV screen. "Yeah . . . "
"Better close the door, hon," Don He started to feel better, especially
told her as she wriggled her skirt down with Judy cuddling next to him, until
past her hips. "The twins . . . " almost the very end of the eleven
"They're both knocked out," she o'clock news. Then they showed a
said. "They spent all day in the film clip of him staring earnestly into
Cramers' pool." the camera (/ thought I was looking at
"Still . . . " He clicked off the TV the Host, Don thought) and explain
sound and listened for the patter of ing how people who live in orbit will
nine-year-old feet. live forever.
His wife's body still turned him on. Don saw his whole career passing in
Judy was short, a petite dark-haired front of his eyes.
beauty with flashing deep-brown eyes
and a figure he thought of as voluptu- H e made sure to get to his office
always thought of him as a smiling, ' ' I know, I know. Your first time on
pudgy used-car salesman. But once in television. The thrill of show business.
Vision 109
The excitement. Takes your breath lights, crowds, people grabbing at him
away, doesn't it?" for interviews or comments.
Don nodded. Hardesty glowered. Instead, the ornate old chamber
"Let's just see the tapes and find was practically empty, except for the
out what you really said," von Kluge few senators who had shown up for
went on. "I'll bet you don't remember their committee's session and their
yourself, do you, Don?" unctuous aides. Even the senators
"No . . . " themselves seemed bored and fidgety
Shrugging, von Kluge said, "It's as a series of experts from various
probably no big deal. We'lljust play it parts· of NASA and the Office of
cool until it all blows over . ' ' Management and Budget gave con
His office door opened slightly and flicting testimony on how much
Ms. Tucker, a black secretary of such money should be appropriated for the
sweetness and lithe form that she space program .
could make bigots vote pro-bussing, But flinty old Senator Buford, the
said softly: committee's chairman, sat unflinch
"Phone for you, Dr. von Kluge." ingly through it all. His crafty gray
"I can't be disturbed now, Alma." eyes drilled holes through every
"It's Senator Buford , " she said in a witness; even when he said nothing, he
awed whisper. made the witnesses squirm in their
Von Kluge's eyes widened. "Excuse seats.
me, " he said to Don and Hardesty as Don was the last scheduled witness
he picked up the phone. before the lunch break, and he kept
H e smiled broadly a n d s a i d , hoping that they would run out of
"Senator Buford sir! Good morning! time before they called on h i m .
How are you . . . " Hardesty and von Kluge had drilled
And that was all he said for the next him all night in every aspect of the
twenty-two minutes. Von Kluge nod space agency's programs and budget
ded, grunted, closed his eyes, gazed at requests. Don's head hadn't felt so
the ceiling, stared at Don. As he listened. burstingly full of facts since his senior
Finally he put the phone down, year in college, when he had crammed
slowly, wearily, like a very tired man for three days to get past a Shake
at last letting go of an enormous speare final exam.
weight. His ear was red. By the time Don sat himself cau
Looking sadly at Don, von Kluge tiously in the witness chair, only four
said, "Well, the Senator wants you to senators were left at the long beige
appear at his Appropriations Com covered table facing him. It was a few
mittee hearing. Tomorrow morning." minutes past noon, b u t Senator
Buford showed no inclination to
Don expected the hearing chamber recess the hearing.
to be packed with newsmen, cameras, "Mistah Arnold, " Buford drawled,
IN TIMES TO COME
A There's an old saying that, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." What
W do you do if knowledge is your stock in trade-because you're a
teacher-and you belatedly discover that you're literally teaching yourpupils into
extinction? lt could happen-if there's something you don't know about your
students. That's the take-off point for "Savage Planet, " February's lead novelette
by Barry Longyear. it's Longyear's first appearance in Analog, but "Savage
Planet" is a powerful tale very much in the Analog tradition-with a powerful
cover by Kelly Freas.
The Freas cover is part of our all-year Fiftieth Anniversary celebration.
Another is a new story from Raymond Z. Gallun, who appeared very often In
Astounding's first years, then only occasionally for a long time, and is now pick
ing up steam again. His Februar"f story takes a close look at how recent events
have changed our ability to cope with alien contact. Are you sure you know . . . . ?
In addition, we'll have the conclusion of One-Wing, by Lisa Tuttle and George
R.R. Martin, an article on "How to Get Along with an Extraterrestrial . . . Or Your
Neighbor, " by G. Harry Stine, and all the short stories and regular features that
will fit.
on his head was wispy and white. ' 'Ah know. But like you said, if we
Liver spots covered his frail, trem don't try, we'll never know for sure."
bling hands. Only his eyes and his voice Ths i has got to be a dream, Don told
had any spark or strength to them. himself. I'm home in bed and I'll have
A phrase from the old Army Air to get up soon and go testify before
Corps song of Don's childhood skipped Buford's committee.
through his memory: We live in fame "Now lessee what we got heah,"
or go down in flames. Buford said as the liveried black
Taking a deep breath and sitting up waiter cleared their dishes from the
straighter in the witness chair, Don table. "You need the permanent space
said, "Well, sir: there are two ways to station-with a major medical facility
look at any piece of information in it."
optimistically or pessimistically. "Yessir . " Don took a breath.
What I'm about to tell you is the opti "And the all-reusable shuttle."
mistic view. I want you to understand Buford looked at Don sharply.
that clearly, sir. I will be interpreting "What's wrong with th' Space Shuttle
the information we have on hand in its .� we got? Cost enough, didn't it?"
most optimistic light." ''Yessir, it did. But it takes off like a
"You go right ahead and do that," rocket. Passengers pull three or four
said Senator Buford. gees at launch. Too much for . . . er,
for . . . "
They lunched in the Senate dining "For old geezers like me!" Buford
room: dry sherry, mock turtle soup, laughed, a sound halfway between a
softshell crabs. Just the two of them at wheeze and a cackle.
a small table, Don and Senator Don made his lips smile, then said,
Buford . "An advanced shuttle would take off
"I finally got me a NASA scientist like an airplane, nice and smooth.
who can talk sense!" Buford was say Anybody could ride in it."
ing as he cut through one of the little "Uh-huh. How long'll it take to get
crabs. it flyin ' ? "
Don's head was still reeling. "You Don thought a moment, considered
know, Senator, that there will be lots ·the state of his soul, and decided,
of experts inside NASA and outside What the hell, go for broke.
who'll make some pretty strong "Money buys time, Senator," he
arguments against me." said carefully. "Money buys time."
Buford fixed him with a baleful eye. Senator Buford nodded and mut
"Mebbe so. But they won't get away tered,,mostly to himself, " I finally got
with any arguments 'gainst me, boy.'' a NASA scientist who tells me the
"I can't guarantee anything, you truth."
realize, " Don hedged. " I could be "Sir, I want you to realize the whole
completely wrong.'' truth about everything that I have been
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sion J/7
hung there weightlessly, defenselessly, about it?" H e drummed his fingers.
staring into the screen. Don shrugged. "Kind of numb,
" I ' m getting a divorce, Don," guess. After all these years, it's hard to
Judith said. "You're not a husband to realize that the job is done."
me. Not two months out of every "Cost a whale of a lot of taxpayers'
twelve. That's not marriage . " money,'' Petty said.
"But l asked you t o come u p here Gesturing at the lavish toilet facili
with m e ! " ty, Don riposted, "You didn't pinch
·
" I ' v e been living with Jack Hardes any pennies here, l noticed . ' '
ty the past six months," she said, Petty laughed, almost like a little
almost tonelessly, it was so matter-of boy caught doing something naughty.
fact. "He's asked me to marry him. "Home-state contractors. You know
That's what I 'm going to do." how it i s . "
"Jack Hardesty? Jack?" "Sure."
"You can live up there and float "I guess you'll want to start living
around forever, " Judith said. "I'm here on the ground full-time again ,"
going to get what happiness I can Petty said.
while I'm still young enough to enjoy Don glared at him. "Oh? Am I
the time I have left . " allowed to? Is our deal completed?"
"Judy, you don't understand . . . " With an apologetic spread of his
But he was talking to a blank hands, Senator Petty said, "Look, I
screen. admit that it was a spiteful thing for
me to do . . . "
Don had to return to Earth for the "It wrecked my marriage. My kids
official opening ceremonies of Space are total strangers to me now. I don't
Station Alpha. It was a tremendous even have any friends down here
international media e v e n t , with anymore . ' '
special ceremonies i n Washington, ' ' I ' m sorry. ' '
Cape Canaveral, Houston, and the "Stuff it."
new life-extension medical center i n "Listen . . . " The Senator licked his
Senator Petty's home state. thin lips. " I . . . I ' v e been t h i n k
It w a s at the medical center ing . . . maybe I won't run for re
ceremonies that Petty pulled Don election next time around. Maybe
aside and walked him briskly, urgent . . . maybe I'll come up and see what
ly, into an immaculate, new, unused it's like living up there for a while."
men's room. Don stared at him for a long, hard
Leaning on the rim of a sparkling moment. And saw that there was a
stainless steel sink, Petty gave Don a single light brown spot about the size
nervous little half smile. of a dime on the back of the Senator's
"Well, you got what you wanted," hand.
the Senator said. "How do you feel "You actually want to live up there,
1 May
Dea<;lline for entries in the Science
Fiction and Fantasy Art Show (spon
sored by the West Coast Comic Club)
at the Mall of Orange, 2200 N. Tustin
Ave. Orange, Calif. Into: 420 West 4th
St.. San Dimas CA 91 773.
published a poll called The Reckoning Let us start with a specific example.
in his magazines Dynamic Science Fic I have chosen the Lab for a very
tion, Future Science Fiction, The special issue, November 1949. Filled
Original Science Fiction Stories, and with stories by the greatest authors,
Science Fiction Quarterly. this famous issue_is the hero of its own
Two readers, Waiter A. Carrithers science fiction story: The November
and Dennis Donahue, have attempted 1948 issue contained a letter from
to expand the scope of the Analytical Richard A. Hoen rating the stories in
Laboratory. In the November 1943 the November 1949 issue. There are
issue o f Astounding, Carrithers two possible explanations for this
reported his analysis of 1360 Brass remarkable Brass Tack. Either
Tacks letters published over the Hoen's letter was delivered to 1948 by
previous ten years. He counted one time machine, or Campbell puckishly
point for each favorable mention of a contrived to bring Hoen's fantasy to
1:�3
follows: total number of votes cast for a par
(5 X 1 X 2) ticular story may not equal the total
=
1.38
number of ballot letters." (October
Or, perhaps the vote was five hun 1943:29) Probably, people will tend to
dred for first place and two hundred skip stories they dislike. This means
for second. The result would be the that the point scores for the least
same. It is possible that some readers popular stories will be lower (better)
put Heinlein in third place. We do not than they deserve to be.
know what the actual numbers were, The third problem is that Campbell
but we can assume they were large. used an odd convention for expressing
Both in the place listings and in the tie votes. For example, A. E. van Vogt
point scores, as in the game of golf, a won first place in the December 1948
low number is a good rating, while a issue, while Poul Anderson and Eric
high number is bad. This seems simple Frank Russell tied for second. In the
enough. But there are at least four Lab, Campbell gave second place to
reasons why we cannot blithely add both Anderson and Russell, and
3 . 1 . . 1 .1 0.002
4 82 . 1.15 . . 0.00265
5 . . . . . . 202" 1 .33 . . . 0.00324
6 114 1 .62 . 0.00356
7 . 29 . . 1 .48 . . . 0.00484
8 4 2.2 0.0033
9 1 1 .7 . . 0.005
Figure 2: Constants for Use In Formula 11. This table lets the reader do his own
Lab research using both our conversion formulas. To convert the point score of any
story to our 1 000-step scale. simply plug the score and the appropriate constants from
this table into Formula 11.
and b are constants derived from my van Vogt = 694, and del Rey = 921.
regression analysis for each size of If my approximation procedures are
issue. Figure 2 gives the list of con any good, Formula 11 gives a more
stants, so anyone may use this for precise estimate than Formula I ,
mula in their own Lab research. Of because it makes use of the much
course, there are so few issues with 3, greater information carried by the
8, or 9 stories that the estimates for point scores, compared with the
these cases will be especially crude. rough place listings.
Because real issues vary greatly in
quality, Formula 11 will sometimes Honor Roll of Authors
give a result less than zero or greater Using both Formula I and Formula
than a thousand. But when stories I I, I calculated the average estimated
with such extreme estimated ranks are rank of all fifty-three authors who had
averaged in with others, these wild published ten or more stories in the
variations tend to wash out. Formula 464 issues covered by the Lab. Figure
11 is compatible with Formula I, so 3 lists these writers, along with the
when a Lab fails to give a point score number of stories, their average year
to a story, we can use the value from of appearance, the average estimated
Formula I instead. rank based on the place listings, and
November 1949 was indeed an the average estimated rank based on
unusual issue. Despite the heavy com the point scores. As in a regular Lab,
petition, Heinlein's 1 .38 score was the authors are listed in terms of their
much better than average, and i t point scores, from the most popular to
translated through Formula 11 t o an the least. Two things should b e men
estimated rank of minus 67. Asimov tioned about these estimates. First,
gets an even 200, somewhat better the two estimates tend to agree with
than the 286 estimated by Formula I . each other, although some differences
The other scores go: Sturgeon = 388, result from the greater sensitivity of
episode stories and short novels rank Another time, Campbell explained:
much lower than first installments of "Generally, the longer a story is, the
t h r e e - e p i s o d e and four-episode more chance the author has to work
novels. When the readers rate these out his background ideas, characters,
opening installments, they have not and plotting. Serials generally take
yet read the concluding parts of each first place, primarily because the
work . Apparently, long fiction has a author can do a better job. Unlike
special quality that trnerges even in here-and-now-stories, science fiction
the first few chapters. When an author must describe even the common
writes a long novel he probably invests things of life-life in the story en
more effort in planning and vironment. More space gives more
characterization, so that even the first chance for.that. The result is that there
part of a long novel conveys more are very few long-remembered,
vivid images than an equally long seg "classic" short stories, a few novel
ment of a shorter work. ettes, but many much-mentioned seri-
als." (July 1946: 122) To test this idea estimates o f popularity for the
on all kinds of fiction , I tabulated authors. Some authors may write
place distributions for all fiction huge, dull novels that get good ratings
published in the187 five-story issues simply because they are big and,
that contained no Lab ties. Figure S therefore, memorable. Other authors
gives the results. may create marvelous jewels of short
The pattern is quite regular. Serials
beat out short novels which surpass
novelettes which win over short
stories, which have less impact on the
swift-eyed readers . Figure
valid, so long as we understand that it
3 is entirely
stories. Indeed, the short stories are measures the over-all impact of each
crammed into the last three places. author rather than the quality of
Figure 5 shows that the length factor is writing page-for-page. We need an
really very powerful. Since length of alternative estimate of popularity that
fiction make� such a diff�rence, we removes the powerful influence of
should reconsider Figure 3 and its length of fiction.
:i 175
the three that come after it. Thus, the
a:
:;3 200
height of the line at X 4 is the �
::lE
=
high, and rises slowly to a marvelous to begin reading in the middle of a story.
This chart also shows that full-size novels
crest that begins to turn downward at
of three or four installments are more
the end of 1943. A gradual decline popular than shorter novels, even in the
steepens.into a precipitous fall, halted first.installment.
only briefly, that drops into a chasm
in 1946. A recovery over the next two We see yet a third pattern in
years restores only a third of the Asimov's graph. He starts at a very
original.loss, and van Vogt fades until high level around the year 1940, drops
his last story in 1950. quickly, then recovers to the 200 level.
Anderson's pattern is quite different. A steady decline sets in, taking him
It depicts a stalwart writer ready to bat down below 600 in 1954. His final
tle ba.ck from adversity. He starts in the recovery is not as simple as it appears
late 1940s j ust at the 500 average, and on the graph. After publishing in
quickly rises to the 300 level. He holds a Astounding-Analog quite regularly,
plateau, until suffering a terrible slump Asimov was completely absent from
around 1958. He struggles back up to his its pages from 1956 to 1968, and only
former popularity, then slips back to be his last two stories, in 1972 and 1976,
gin a steady rise that continues until the received really good ratings. The over
end of the period covered by the Lab. all trend o f A s i m o v ' -s line is
1 70% . 51 % . 20% 2%
2 18% . . . . . . 40% . 42% . . 5%
3 10% 9% 24% . . 22%
4 . . . . . . 2% . 0% 11% 33%
5 . 0% . . 0% . 3% 38%
Total . . . . 100% . . . . 100% 100% . 100%
Number of
Items 145 35 . 294 . . . 461
0 MACDONALD
��
0 HEINLEIN
� 300
z
<(
a::
0
400
E.E.SMITH 8
d)Q)
0
Q
�%.
··�·
vAN VOGT
'
•
GORDON
JONES... ASIMOV
eRUSSELL
DICKSON
. DEL REY
LEIBER eJAMES N
. SILVERBE G
. �
O
IJJ 0
ANVI L
"""'
� 500
0 O
<;?
W. MIL ER MACLEA � .THOMAS .CORREY
� PADGETT LEINSTER • BUDRYS
(/)
STURGEON (b O
FYFE
IJJ 600 .
0 0 0 PERKINS
IJJ 0 •
� 0
0
0
ffi 700
0
� 0
0
800 0
0 20 40 60 80 100
PERCENT OF AUTHOR ' S WORKS THAT ARE SHORT STORIES
LL
0
w
(!)
<t
a::
1..&.1
20 30 40 50 60
�
10 20 30 40 50 60
STOR IES BY EACH AUTHOR - IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Figure 7: The Careers of van Vogt, Anderson, and Aslmov. These charts are
like stock market graphs, showing the ups and downs in the Astounding·Analog careers
of three of the best-known and most prolific science fiction writers.
Research, " by Gideon Vigderhous, Baronet , N<w York, t97R, pag<s 277-299.
Bainbridge, William Sims and Murray l>al7.icl. "The
Pacific Sociological Review, Vol. 20, Shape of Science ficrion." Sfiena!·Fn•Jion Studie.r.
No. 1, January 1977, pages 61-72. Vol. 5. July 19?8. pa�es 164-171.
McGhan. Barry, St'i�ncejiclion and f'amuso•
. P
s eu
donym.•. Mi<frt Press, Dear born, Michigan• 1976.
References
Rogcrs. t\lva, A Requiem for Asrounding, Ad•·ent,
13ainbrid�('. \\'illiam Sim�. The S:,(l<'t:f/ixhr Revolution. Chicago. 1964.
Wilcy-lntcrscicncc. New York. 1976. Tuck, Donaid H .• The Enqdopedia ofScience Fie!ion
Bainbridge. William Sims and Murray Dalziel. "The and Fan/asy. Volumts I and 2, Advent, Chicago.
Map� of Sdt.·ncc Ficrion, '' .4nulo� rearhnok, 1974, 1978.
jectories around and to them. There ty as phrenology. Moreover, I recognize a
are also articles prohibiting military genuine need for an international agree
bases on the moon; force or threats of ment governing the uses of outer space,
force on the moon; and using the and I can acceP.t the principle that all
moon to threaten the Earth, etc. mankind should benefit from space ex
The treaty continues through ploration and exploitation. But I can't
twenty-one Articles, but perhaps the swallow this treaty, and I intend to use
most important is Article X I : "The whatever influence I have to prevent our
moon and its natural resources are the signing it or to defeat it in the Senate if the
common heritage of mankind . . . . . administration does sign it. For all the
The moon is not subject to national noble sentiments expressed in the Lunar
appropriation by any claim of Treaty, its practical effect, in my judg
sovereignty, by means or use o f oc ment, will be to inhibit space activities.
cupation, or by any other The problem is simple: something
means . .
. . Neither the surface nor the that belongs to everyone can belong to
subsurface of the moon, nor any part no one; and that which no one owns
thereof or natural resources in place, receives very little investment.
shall become the property of any Example: suppose that the United
State, international intergo.vernmen States decides, as I fervently hope we
tal organization, national organiza will, to build Solar Power Satellites.
tion or nongovernmental entity or of O n e of t h e most promising ap
any natural person." proaches to SPS involves extensive use
Strong and noble words indeed; the of lunar materials. Let us assume,
kind of treaty which, back in the then, that we have built the construc
earlier days of dreams of glory, seemed tion shack in space and we're ready to
more impossible than space travel open moon mines. From whom must
itself. This is the language, these are we obtain permission?
the ideals we hoped and prayed for in What does "common heritage of
the forties-and it's all real. The U.N. mankind" mean?
is very likely to adopt it. The U .S. How can you mine an area you can
negotiators are happy with it and will not own? I f a commercial firm invests
recommend that the United States in moon operations, what do they
sign and ratify it. It could be a rea_lity own, and what rights will they have?
within the year. For that matter, what rights will
And I fear it's a disaster. governments have? And who would
be mad enough to invest tens o f
I don't say this lightly. I grew up in the billions o f dollars in such an enterprise
golden age of science fiction, when nearly while those questions are unseuled?
every story asserted that science knows As I read the treaty it seems totally
no boundaries; a time when nationalis� to prohibit private ownership-and
had about as much scientific respectabili- thus private commercial enterprises-
. (
.J .•
Old stigmas die harc:t-but
one step Is the most important
In overcoming them.
LEIGH KENNEDY
Anointed by his reputation, Chasey closest bare calf.
felt the tossed-away crown of madness Chasey cleared the table of some of
and xenophobia alight again-forced the communications equipment to
by a stranger's perceptions. It still make room for Hollen 's elbow as he
caused old pains that this Doctor of sat. Flushed and sweating, the doctor
Extraterrestrial Medicine probably gratefully leaned. He wiped at his
knew only one thing about Frederick forehead. "Whoa, this place is
Chasey. miserably hot . ' '
. . Welcome to Beta Hydri, Doc Chasey shrugged . "Don't know-I
tor,'' Chasey said, standing on the jut kind of like the warmer places.
ting porch of headquarters. Climate's a little boring without the
"Thank you. Wasn't sure we'd tilt, but I froze my ass off at Eta
made it. We barely missed close-range Cassiopeia A five years back and was
with a gaggle of Mix fighters," Doctor glad to come down here."
Hollen said. He pried his uniform col Measuring the look in Hollen's
lar from his neck with a bony finger, eyes, Chasey thought, he knows. But
his eyes searching out every detail of Hollen managed a dry laugh. "Looks
the unfamiliar environment. like we'll all be moving down here,
"Come on in," Chasey said. He pretty soon . "
motioned his new officer into the The victory of the Eridani Mix over
main hall of their headquarters. The the entire solar system chafed fresh.
building, built from an assortment of "When will this damned war finish?"
materials on hand-native woody he said, mostly to himself. "Ticker ,
material, the aluminum from their bring him cafe."
own mines, and stone-was already He felt the warm moist presence of
shabby and cluttered, though the base the Rainbow disappear from beside
had been erected less than a decade him. Without understanding why, he
ago. Imported from Delta Pavonis, felt reluctant to watch Ticker with the
the manufactures lacked refinement doctor scrutinizing him . Chasey paced
for all their utility. Shelves were cram the buckled and squeaking floor,
med with readers, films, tools, a chess barely covered with a thin carpet . The
player, printers for official reports louvered windshutters only kept out
and paper for daily logs. part of the slow, hot, breath-stealing
Chasey felt a gentle clawing at his breezes; dried leaves and dirt swirled
shorts and absently reached down to into corners.
pat Ticker, his "valet" Rainbow-face. Ticker toddled back into the room
The stringlike fuzzy stalks of the little with a covered mug of cafe and hand
native raised off her hide, a signal for ed it to Hollen, who took the lid off
scratching. "Not now, Ticker," he and sipped in the steam clouds as if
said, and the alien ceased her clinging, too thirsty to wait for it to cool.
though touching one hand to Chasey's .. Clever aliens, these Rainbows, "
trusted to fetch anything for anyone. shrugged. From behind, he felt that
He'd been a likely candidate for the someone watched him. Hollen stood
presentient symbol language, but the at stiff attention, his face to the sea.
opportunity to send him to Eta Cass A
hadn't come until he was too old. He In the old days, they used to call it
loved olive oil-to eat and to wear. marching, but marching implied an
This was the conversation as they car ordered rhythm, complete with stately
ried the old Rainbow down the moun and rousing music. Chasey was aller
tain. The Rainbows' fur slicked tight gic to a basic one-celled organism in
ly against their hides, the soldiers in the soil of Horse 's Rear Habitable-a
protective cooler suits, they wound planet called Garden. It was a fecund
down the glittering crystal trail, Beta planet, slightly heavier, cooler, and
Hydri beaming unmercifully close. wetter than Earth. The air around
Chasey recognized and noted the their camps remained thick with chok
fact that the Rainbows who carried ing smoke-no single stick or twig,
Tiberius were all his blood relations. alive or dead, was dry enough for a
Aside from a disconnected humming crackling fire.
song, they were quiet, their feet pad He usually huddled, itching and
ding softly on the ground. They came wheezing, by miserably smoldering
to the edge of the grey-green sea, like a fires, fanning the wood in hopes of a
bright, reflecting stretch of mercury. surprise flame or two. No chemical
The humans paused at the lip of the fires in the wilderness were allowed,
tideless beach while the aliens bore partly because each soldier could only
their dead to the water, letting him haul so much on hs i body. His clothes
down. At first he floated, his multi became moldy with a growth that had
colored muzzle peeking up out of the the odor of burning oil. He'd enter
m u r k , then slowly he slipped tained great hope for that smell at
down . . . down . . . . The Rainbows first. When he found a big patch of it
crouched, watching even beyond the on a pair of worn G.A. socks, he toss
time that there was anything to see. ed them onto the fire hoping for a
· Chasey. clenching his teeth, noticed blaze. He succeeded only in making
''Oh, you 've been on soft Pavons. i I swear. Ths i war's never go
assignments, too, huh?" ing to end. It's so much a part of our
"Careful, Chasey. You know l culture that they aren 't sensitive to
spend my spare time reading instead what they called treason a few years
ofsulking around like you. " back. "
"Hey now. " Chasey watched her Chasey frowned, turning his mug
face keenly. "You know-l'd like to round and round in his hands. Did it
be stuck here for awhile ifyou 're go matter? Heglanced at Talo as she rose
ing to be here. " for a refill. It could. It could.
She smiled.
"I'd like to be stuck with you They were together, suited up for
somewhere after this war is over, "he hostile, armed, but the others of the
said, drawing from her expression. inspection team lagged and they were
She laughed. "You remember the alone with all those creatures. Chasey
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THe nswer
The oldest beliefs may contain truth
but not necessarily
for the reasons usually assumed.
Murray Templeton was 45 years old, The Earthly scene was fading.
in his prime and with all parts of his Darkness was invading his con
body in perfect working order except sciousness and off in a distance, as a
for certain key portions of his cor last glimmer of sight, there was a
onary arteries, but that was enough. figure of light, vaguely human in
The pain had come suddenly, had form, and radiating warmth.
mounted to an unbearable peak, and Murray thought: "What a joke on
had then ebbed steadily. He could feel me. I'm going to heaven . "
his breath slowing and a kind of Even as he thought that, the light
gathering peace washing over him. fad.e d, but the warmth remained.
There is no pleasure like the absence There was no lessening of the peace
of pain-immediately after pain. even though in all the Universe only he
Murray felt an almost giddy lightness remained-and the Voice.
as though he were lifting in the air and The Voice said, "I have done this so
hovering. often, and yet I still have the capacity
He opened his eyes and noted with to be pleased at success. "
distant amusement that the others in It was i n Murray's mind t o say
the room were still agitated . He had something, but he was not conscious
been in the laboratory when the pain of possessing a mouth, tongue or
had struck, quite without warning, vocal cords. Nevertheless, he tried to
and when he had staggered, he had make a sound. He tried, mouthlessly,
heard surprised outcries from the to hum words or breathe them or just
others before everything vanished into push them out by a contraction
overwhelming agony. of-something.
Now, with the pain gone, the others And they came out. He heard his
were still hovering, still anxious, still own voice, quite recognizable, and his
gathered about his fallen body own words, infinitely clear.
-Which, he suddenly realized, he Murray said, "Is this Heaven? "
was looking down on. The Voice said, "This is no place as
He was down there, sprawled, face you understand place."
contorted. He was up here, at peace Murray was embarrassed , but the
and watching. next question had to be asked. "Par
He thought: "Miracle of miracles! don me if I sound like a jackass. Are
The life-after-life nuts were right . " you God?"
·
And although that was a Without changing intonation or in
humiliating way for an atheistic any way marring the perfection of the
physicist to die, he felt only the sound, the Voice sounded amused. "It
mildest surprise, and no alteration of is strange that I am always asked that
the peace in which he was immersed. in, of course, an infinite number of
He thought: "There should be an ways. There is no answer I can give that
angel, or something, coming for me." you would comprehend . I am-which
The Voice did not sound offended. tion as one of the Elect."
"You are easy to explain-even to "Virtuous?-Ah, I see what you
you. You may call yourself a soul if mean . It is troublesome to have to
that pleases you, but what you are is a force my thinking small enough to
nexus of electromagnetic forces, so ar permeate yours. No, I have chosen you
ranged that all the interconnections for your capacity for thought, as I
and interrelationships are exactly im choose others, in quadrillions, from all
itative of those of your brain in your the intelligent species of the Universe.''
Universe-existence-down to the Murray found himself suddenly
. smallest detail. Therefore you have curious, the habit of a lifetime. He
your capacity for thought, your said, " D o you choose them all
memories, your personality. It still yourself or are there others like you?"
seems to you that you are you." For a fleeting moment, Murray
Murray found himself incredulous. thought there was an impatient reac
"You mean the essence of my brain tion to that, but when the Voice came,
was permanent.'' it was unmoved. "Whether or not
"Not at all. There is nothing about there are others is irrelevant to you.
you that is permanent except what I This Universe is mine, and mine
choose to make so. I formed the alone. It is my intention, my construc
nexus. I constructed it while you had tion, intended for my purpose alone. ' •
physical existence and adj usted it to "And yet with quadrillions of nexi
the moment when the existence you have formed, you spend time with
failed." me? Am I that important?"
The Voice seemed distinctly pleased The Voice said, "You are not im-
166
THE
BY TOM EASTON
The Web Between tbe Worlds, Charles
Sheffield, Ace, 288 pp., $4.95.
REFERENCE
Tbe World I Left Behind Me, William
Walling, St. Martin's, 224 pp., $8.95.
The Two Faces of Tomorrow, James P .
LIBRARY
Hogan, Ballantine, 3 9 1 pp., $1.95.
Berserker Man, Fred Saberhagen, Ace,
220 pp., $1.95.
An Old Friend of the Family, Fred
Saberhagen, Ace, 256 pp., $1.95.
Transfigurations, Michael Bishop,
Berkley, 333 pp.
science fiction. It blends a touch of
Soft Targets, Dean l og, Ace, 224 pp.
mysticism with hard engineering, the
The Planet Masters, Alien Wold, St. Mar
construction of a "bridge" to geosyn
tin's, 230 pp., $8.95.
Dragondrums, Anne McCaffrey,
chronous orbit. The principle is that
Atheneum, 240 pp., $8.95. an elevator can be built from a spot on
Harpist in the Wind, Patricia A. McKillip, Earth's equator into space. The
Atheneum, 256 pp., $8.95. bridge's center of mass must be at
Dark Wing, Cart West and Katherine geosynchronous orbit, which means
MacLean, Atheneum, 242 pp., $8.95. the twenty-odd t h o u s a n d miles
Chrysalis 3 and 4, Roy Torgeson, ed., reaching down to Earth must be
Zebra, 284, 301 pp., $ 1 .95.
balanced by an equal mass extending
Enterprise, Jerry Grey, Morrow, 288 pp.,
further into space. The construction is
$10.95.
Broca�s Brain, Cart Sagan, Random
possible only because of the recent
House, 347 pp., $12.95. perfection of high-tensile-strength
cable made of monocrystalline fibers.
The idea is not Clarke's personal in
You have all heard of simultaneous vention the way geosynchronous
discoveries, inventions, and publica satellites were. It has been floating
tions in science. They are a part of the around in the technical literature for
history of academe, together with the many years. It is therefore not entirely
ensuing fights, rivalries, and competi surprising that someone else should
tions for primacy, and there are more use the same idea as the basis for a
or less accepted procedures for story. What is surprising is that some
deciding how the credit gets shared . one should do a job that is in ways bet
They are not common in literature, ter than Clarke's, and that he should
however-1 don't know that I have correct Clarke's physics in a way that
ever heard ·of a case before, at least not makes the story's accomplishment
one as thorough-going and unam even more spectacular.
biguous as the one that has emerged The someone is Charles Sheffield,
this year. president o f the American
The case begins with Arthur C. Astronautical Society. The story is
Clarke's Fountains of Paradise, a The Web Between the Worlds. The
typically excellent product of one technical correction is that it is not
most of us would call a master of possible to build the bridge in situ, ex-
167
tending the structure simultaneously Merlyn's parents were killed before
Earthward and spaceward from the his birth (that's right-Mama, too),
center of mass. If you try, the struc and the story's plot centers on the pro
ture becomes unstable and its orienta gressive unraveling of who did it, and
tion goes to pot. Instead, the whole why. It disappoints me that the villain
100,000 km cable should be assembled · is a ruthless genetic engineer involved
at a Lagrangian point (using in unethical experiments, but I must
asteroidal raw materials) and then admit that there often is some an
flown into position. And that last is tipathy between the physical and
the spectacular. Imagine, if you can, natural scientists. They compete with
100,000 kilometers of cable, a meter each other for funds and the public's
thick at the narrow spots, uncoiling affections, and the natural scientists
from its assembly spot and arrowing -thanks to the image of medicine
toward Earth like a cosmic pole seem to win. It is natural enough for a
vaulter. Its tip plunges through the at physical scientist to cast a biologist as
mosphere and into a socket awaiting it a villain, I suppose, but it doesn't
near Quito. Simultaneous with · the please me. Perhaps that is simply
touchdown, a billion-ton asteroid is because I am a biologist myself. At
attached to the far end as a ballast, any rate, Web is well worth reading.
and centrifugal force draws the cable This is particularly true if you have
into a taut, quivering highway to the already read the Clarke book, for the
stars. If anything goes wrong, the two together make a fine demonstra
cable will whip around the Earth, t i o n t h a t t h e g i m m i c k is n o t
shattering whatever bits of civilization everything, even i n science fiction.
are in the way and probably causing This month's book stack contains
tidal waves and earthquakes. three more high-technology novels. I
But this spectacular is by no means will deal with them before going on to
the whole story. There are vast chunks softer targets. The first is Walling's
of innovative technology, such as the The World I Left Behind Me. It is the
Spiders, huge machines which resem story of the development of a star
ble their namesakes both in form and drive, based on the idea that quarks,
in their role of spinning out finished which in one model are the ends of
cable. There is the civil engineer, Rob one-dimensional filaments, can be
Merlyn, who goes from building large aligned throughout a body of matter;
groundside bridges to building what when this is done for a spaceship, it
Sheffield constantly refers to as the enters a realm-subspace?-that per
"beans talk" (Merlyn is another mits faster-than-light travel. The
remarkable parallel with Clarke). technology is the product of an SF
There are complications, but none of cliche, the one-genius research team
the political maneuvering Clarke whose associates handle mostly such
covered so well (that all happens off donkey work as navigation, fund
stage) and none of the technical near raising, and lifting heavy objects. The
disasters that gave Clarke's tale much story is raised slightly above the
of its tension. Instead, Sheffield relies cliche level by a plot involving two
on a parallel plot for his tension- groups of aliens, one handing out
TACKS
discuss and marvel at the ideas within
the latest editorial of J. W .C. Many
magazines contained interesting
BRASS
editorials and stories but none
brought as much joy as this one
because this one made you THINK.
174
editor, F. Orlin Tremayne. Astounding and Analog become reali
Tremayne began publishing what ty. The fact that many already have is
he called "Thought Variant Stories" due to the genius of the fine editors
which were a happy, but still under and immortal writers who have con
aged, medium between the over tributed to these pages.
adventurous stories of the old As HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANALOG!
tounding and the over-scientific May those not yet born experience an
stories o f Hugo G e r n s b a c k ' s Analog Day every month the way I
magazines. have. May Analog continue to open
Tremayne began publishing the and expand minds the way it did mine.
tremendously popular stories of E.E. JAMES 1.1. WILSON
Smith and John W. Campbell (also 21 Spinning Wheel Rd.
known as Don A. Stuart). Tremayne's Hinsdale, IL 60521
editorship was merely to set the stage And thank you for writing. We 're
for what was to come. In 1937, John looking forward to at least another
W. Campbell became editor and, for fifty years ofdoing just that.
more than thirty years, until his un
timely-death in 1971, inspired millions Dear Sir:
of readers and writers throughout the I read with great interest your
world. He also enabled most of the March issue and was particularly dis
top SF writers of the past forty years turbed by the article "Funding the
to get their start. From Asimov to Future," by M. David Stone and its
Pournelle. exposure of the politics of fraud used
Campbell's editorials inspired by some members of Congress. Even
countless writers and scientists alike. more disturbing is a parallel between
He was always ahead of his time the disparaging of some basic research
which, quite frequently, made him and its tendency to haunt the descend
less than popular. But most eventually ants of those who ridicule it.
came to realize that he was usually An example:
right in the .long run. " . . . Goddard's 'useless' work on
Campbell was never really happy rockets."
with the word Astounding so, over a How useless was this research to the
period of months in 1960, the title was residents of London in 1944-45 when
gradually changed to Analog. large parts of their city were shattered
John W . Campbell Jr., died in 1971 by the V-1, the children of Goddard's
but his high traditions of excellence "useless" rockets?
have been kept by his successor, Ben How useless is this research to us to
Bova, and by Analog's present editor, day when thousands of th� great
Dr. Stanley Schmidt. grandchildren of Goddard's "use
The January 1980 issue of Analog less" rocket slumbering in silos threat
marks the fiftieth anniversary of this en every man, woman, and child on
publication. I sincerely hope these this planet?
traditions will be kept, at least, What is my point?
another fifty years until all the scenes Basic research is the foundation for
depicted in past and future issues of tomorrow's miracle cure (e.g., polio
175
then, cancer tomorrow?), but it is also The way to do it-and I believe this
tomorrow's successor to the cave is what Mr. Wallace was getting at-is
man's club. The thing may be shiny, to encourage the students to think and
with a longer reach , maybe even beau inquire, to reach out with their own
tiful in its own way, but it is still dead minds in an effort to learn actively,
ly. If we, the people, allow a politician rather than passively accept being
to score press points by sharpshooting spoon-fed facts. Ask the students
basic research, we may not have a why. Why whatever is being discussed
Congress or the press or even re happened or is true. Why did Hitler
searchers for the politicians to arise? Was it the result of a general
ridicule. drift to the right, a return to conserv
I don't know who said it, but I agree ative traditions, a reassertion of a peo
with it wholeheartedly: "What you ple's fundamental ethnicity in the face
don't know won't hurt you, it will kill of adversity? Might there be a similar
you . ' ' danger today when people think the
DONALD L . RITCHEY proper response to adversity is to
1627 Front Street Apt. 2 return to conservative traditions and
Oceano, CA 93445 reassert their fundamental ethnicity?
Or, at the very least, it may. What do the students think? The
teacher should help them think, not
Dear Stanley, tell them what to think. In this, it is the
I assume it was Ben Bova who wrote students who should lead.
the editorial and response to the letter Teachers, of course, should supply
by Alexander Doniphan Wallace, but facts as needed. Also they should give
whoever it was, I think he misunder instruction in how to use the mind, ex
stood what Mr. Wallace meant by say �aining the nature of analogies and
ing teachers should let the student lead how to use them in reasoning, and
in the educational process. To my how analogies can be deceiving. Logic
mind, his was a very perceptive should be a universal requirement,
analysis of where modern educational and it should be taught in first grade.
methodology is errant. Now I am going to go a bit further. I
In our current mass-production, believe that when force-feeding facts
assembly-line approach to education, is all the teaching teachers do, they are
we have teachers who simply lecture depriving the young, growing minds
and then give tests to see how well the of students of what they really need,
students remember what they said. and may actually cause serious dam
That is not education, it is "indoctrina age resulting in lifelong mental im
tion! No matter i f the facts ate pairment. I believe that all normal
true-it is still indoctrination, not human beings are born with the capac
education. ity for genius, and it is the stunting,
Education means developing the stultifying, molding effects of current
human mind so that it realizes its full educational methodology that reduce
intellectual potential. This cannot be the vast majority to what we call
accomplished by merely lecturing and "average. "
giving tests for memory. Consider the common experience
This labulous B€4-page anlhology of speculative member you need take only 4 Selections
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