Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

how it can

And all the Stars a Stage 125

have grown up without some reason in the real universe to give it weight.

There’s still some cause for caution here, which we simply haven’t fathomed

yet In the meantime, I must say, in one way it seems to be promising.”

“How’s that, Director?” Ailiss said.

“If these people are just as we see them to be now,” Ertak said, “then they

appear to be an ideal work force for a more aggressive race like ours-and

I needn~t remind you that manpower is going to be one of our chiefest

problems, even after the other ships get here. The question of slavery

doesn’t raise itself, happily; as far as I can see, these people seem

genuinely to want to be pushed around. AD right, we’ll pushbut gently,

bearing in mind what happens to cultures who come to think that they can

really own a man.”

“It would make a nice stable relationship all around,” Ailiss agreed.

“Nevertheless, Director, I can’t quite rid myself of a few misgivings.”

“Oh, as to that,” the Director said moodily, “neither can V

That conference took place late one night aboard the Javelin, it was one of

the regular monthly planning boards which had evolved more or less

naturally as the camp seemed to be settling down toward a routine. Some

time during the same night, one of the spacesuited guards was killed. He

was pierced clean through; so was the suit

In the ensuing consternation and fury, only prompt action by Ailiss

O’Kung’s squad was able to prevent the mass murder of all thirty-five of

the natives who had spent the night in the compound. She was as furious,