Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

Ertak leaned forward, splaying his elbows out on his immense desk. In this

position his shoulders loomed so large that it was hard to imagine how his

torso could support them; but his voice was oddly subdued, even defensive.

“It’s a little late for vegetarianism, isn’t it?” he said. “Or being kind

to animals? We’ve ruled people out by so many millions, we can hardly start

trying to trade cows for them.”

“Of course not,” Dr. Chase-Huebner agreed. “I wasn’t talking about meat

animals. We need them; vegetable proteins are incomplete. We’ll have to

carry cattle and carry them alive, for breeding. No; what I’m talking about

are worms, and the like.”

Ertak’s shoulders heaved slowly. “Go ahead,” he said. “But make it brief,

please.”

“I can be as brief as you like,” the biologist told him, compassionately.

“You knew it would come to this I’m sure, And you know that I dont mean to

mount a personal attack on you, Hari; give me that much credit.”

Ertak said, “It isn’t a question of credit, mother.” The obscenity escaped

into the air without either of them seeming to notice it. ‘You were always

a scientist, and so now am 1, or something like one. We face each other as

accomplished facts. Simply tell me what you mean; that’s sufficient.” He

shuddered again. “rm not unequipped to argue the point-but do me

And all the Stars a Stage 67

the favor of recognizing that I already know what it is..

“I”m not so sure Hari. You’ve been too busy with your drive fields and your

proving-stand tests and your training programs to think about worms, or