spread and the victors would be eaten by the wildlife that swarmed over the undefended perimeter. No, the answer isn’t that easy.”
As the Pyrrans listened to him, they realized where they were and glanced around uneasily. The guards raised their crossbows again and the prisoners stepped back to the wall and looked surly.
“See what I mean?” Jason asked. “Didn’t take long, did it?” They al] looked a little sheepish at their unthinking reactions.
“If we’re going to find a decent plan for the future, we’ll have to takc inertia into consideration. Mental inertia, for one. Just because you know a thing is true in theory, doesn’t make it true in fact. The barbaric religions of primitive worlds hold not a germ of scientific fact, though they claim to explain all. Yet if one of these savages has all the logica] ground for his beliefs taken away, he doesn’t stop believing. He theii calls his mistaken beliefs ‘faith’ because he knows they are right. Aml he knows they are right because he has faith. This is an unbreakablc circle of false logic that can’t be touched. In reality, it is plain menta] inertia. A case of thinking ‘what always was’ will also ‘always be.’ Anc not wanting to blast the thinking patterns out of the old rut.
“Mental inertia alone is not going to cause trouble-there is culturai inertia too. Some of you in this room believe my conclusions and woulc like to change. But will all your people change? The unthinking ones, the habit-ridden, reflex-formed people who know what is now, will al ways be. They’ll act like a drag on whatever plans you make, whatevei attempts you undertake to progress with the new knowledge you have.’
‘Then it’s useless, there’s no hope for our world?” Rhes asked.
“I didn’t say that,” Jason answered. “I merely mean that your trouble won’t end by throwing some kind of mental switch. I see three course open for the future, and the chances are that all three will be going ox at the same time.
“First-and best-will be the rejoining of city and country Pyrran into the single human group they came from. Each is incomplete now
and has something the other one needs. In the city here you have scieno and contact with the rest of the galaxy. You also have a deadly war. Ou there in the jungle, your first cousins live at peace with the world, bu lack medicine and the other benefits of scientific knowledge, as well a any kind of cultural contact with the rest of mankind. You’ll both hay to join together and benefit from the exchange. At the same time you’] have to forget the superstitious hatred you have of each other. This wil only be done outside of the city, away from the war. Every one of yoi who is capable should go out voluntarily, bringing some fraction of th knowledge that needs sharing. You won’t be harmed if you go in goo faith. And you will learn how to live with this planet, rather thai
against it. Eventually you’ll have civilized communities that won’t be either ‘grubber’ or ‘junkman.’ They’ll be Pyrran.”
“But what about our city here?” Kerk asked.
“It’ll stay right here-and probably won’t change in the slightest. In the beginning yOu’ll need your perimeter and defenses to stay alive, while the people are leaving. And after that it will keep going because there are going to be any number of people here who you won’t convince. They’ll stay and fight and eventually die. Perhaps you will be able to do a better job in educating their children. What the eventual end of the city will be, I have no idea.”
They were silent as they thought about the future. On the floor, Skop groaned but did not move. “Those are two ways,” Meta said. “What is the third?”
“The third possibility is my own pet scheme,” Jason smiled. “And I hope I can find enough people to go along with me. I’m going to take my money and spend it all on outfitting the best and most modern spacer, with every weapon and piece of scientific equipment I can get my hands on. Then I’m going to ask for Pyrran volunteers to go with me.”