Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

left for the plotter to work on were too scattered to provide sufficient

data; and now the tank was only one more well-spring of despair, with jorn

hanging over it like an impotent god, waiting year after year for another

world to dim and go out.

“Why do you keep watching that thing?” a dry, whispery voice said behind

him. He straightened, cautiously-he was a little creaky lately. The voice

was Kamblin7s, of course; he had been the last of the officers but jorn to

lose interest in the tank, but lose it he had, finally.

“I don’t quite know. The Ghost knows I don’t have any hope of seeing

anything significant in it any more. But it fascinates me, somehow.”

“I can see that,” Kamblin said. “I suppose I can see why, too. But I can’t

stand it any more myself. It depresses me too much.”

“Well, I’m beyond that, maybe. I don’t know… Ailiss tells me you were in

to see the Director this morning. Any news?”

“No good news,” Kamblin said, twisting his mouth wryly. “I’m afraid he’s

not going to be with us much longer.”

“I suppose you’re right, but it’s hard to believeI thought he’d last

forever. My, he’s younger than

And all the Stars a Stage 157

you are … and be’s had these fits of being in isolation before. He always

comes out, when there’s any real need for him.”

“He!s a sick man,” Kamblin said heavily. “Sick in his mind. This business

with the black devils … well, of course, you don’t know the whole story.”

I was there,” Jom said, a little huffily.

“That!s not what I mean. I don’t suppose theres any harm in your knowing