to be greeted by thunderous applause and a wave of excitement.
Jackson beamed as Zambendorf turned from side to side to acknowledge the
applause before sitting down behind the low, glass-topped table, and then took
his own seat and assumed a casual posture. “Karl, welcome to the show. I guess
we’re all wondering what kinds of surprises you might have in store for us
tonight.” Jackson paused to allow the audience and viewers a moment to attune
themselves to his approach. “Were you, ah … were you surprised at the small
demonstration outside in the street here when you arrived earlier?”
“Oh, I’m never surprised by anything.” Zambendorf grinned and looked out at the
audience expectantly. After a second or two he was rewarded with laughter.
Jackson smiled in a way that said he ought to have known better. “Seriously
though, Karl, we hear some rather scary warnings from certain sections of the
religious community from time to time concerning your abilities and the ways in
which you make use of them—that you’re dabbling in realms that no good can come
out of, tapping into powers that we were never meant to know about, and that
kind of thing. . . . What’s your answer to fears like these? Are they
groundless? Or is there something to them that people ought to know about?”
Zambendorf frowned for a second. This was always a delicate question. Anything
that sounded like a concession or an admission would not serve his interests,
but nothing was to be gained by being offensive. “I suspect it’s a case of our
not seeing the same thing when we look at the subject,” he replied. “Their
perceptions result from interpreting reality from a religious perspective,
obviously, and must necessarily be influenced by traditional religious notions
and preconceptions . . . not all of which, I have to say, are reconcilable with
today’s views of the universe and our role in it.” He made a half-apologetic
shrug and spread his hands briefly. “My interpretation is from the scientific
perspective. In other words, what I see is simply a new domain of phenomena that
lie beyond the present horizons of scientific inquiry. But that doesn’t make
them ‘forbidden,’ or ‘unknowable,’ any more than electricity or radio were in
the Middle Ages. They are simply ‘mysterious’ —mysteries which cannot adequately
be explained within the contemporary framework of knowledge, but which are
explainable nevertheless in principle, and will be explained in the fullness of
time.”
“Something we should treat with respect, then, possibly, but not something we
need be frightened of,” Jackson concluded in an appropriately sober tone.
“The things that frighten people are mostly products of their own minds,”
Zambendorf replied. “What we are dealing with here opens up entirely new
insights to the mind. With improved understanding of themselves, people will be
able to comprehend and control the processes by which they manufacture their own
fears. The ultimate fear of most people is the fear of being afraid.”
“Maybe there isn’t any real conflict at all,” Jackson commented. “Isn’t it
possible that religious mystics through the ages have experienced intuitively
the same processes that people like you are learning to apply at the conscious
level, scientifically … in the same way, for example, that magnetism was
applied to making compasses long before anyone knew what it was? At the bottom
line, you could all be saying the same thing.”
“That is exactly how I see it,” Zambendorf agreed. “The medieval Church
persecuted Galileo, but religion today has come to terms with the more orthodox
sciences. We can learn a lot from that precedent.” Zambendorf was being quite
sincere; the implication was ambiguous, and what he meant was the exact opposite
of what most people chose to assume.
Jackson sensed that the audience had had its fill of profound thoughts and heavy
philosophy for the evening, and decided to move on. “I understand you’re just
back from a long trip, Karl—to Argentina. How was it? Is there as much activity
and enthusiasm in Latin America as here?”
“Oh, the visit was a success. We all enjoyed it a lot and met some very
interesting people. Yes, they are starting to get involved in some serious work