Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

a powerful tool for applications in many different disciplines-which may or

may not

146 James Blish

have direct bearing on ship life and ship processes, that’s one of the

things we don’t know yet.”

“Which is exactly our trouble now,” Ertak interposed. “Getting our teeth

into this discipline and mastering it is probably going to take well over

a yearand during that time the Javelin will have swept by the star the

computer has indicated without our having been able to examine it. And this

is the question that I want to raise: Are we going to take the computeis

word for it, without a thorough understanding of the reasons behind the

choice, and plow in to look the place over anyhow? If we do, well be

dealing from the most original kind of ignorance, since at the moment we

very frankly don’t know what the computer is talking about Any opinions?

Yes, Jorn.”

“Long chances are all we have left, Director,” Jorn said. Carefully, he

laid out his reasoning, remembered from’ his arguments with Ailiss back

before the detonation of the Sun, and scarcely thought of since. For the

most part, they still seemed to him to be as valid as ever, though they

were, not to his great surprise, a little tempered by the fact of his new

fatherhood. This time, on the other hand, he had Ailiss on his side-a

rather better prop to his courage than the marriagedissolved Tabath.

“Any rebuttal?” Ertak said. “No? I see no hands raised; nothing but vaguely

disturbed expressions. Well, that’s how I feel myself. Nevertheless, we

will take the chance.”