Anger suppressed, Kerk was back in control of himself now. His eyes narrowed in thought. “Surprises me to hear you say that. Never thought I would hear you admit that anyone could be better than you at anything. Isn’t that why you came here? To prove that you were as good as any native-born Pyrran?”
“Score one for your side,” Jason admitted. “I didn’t think it showed that much. And I’m glad to see your mind isn’t as musciebound as your body. Yes, I’ll admit that was probably my main reason for coming, that and curiosity.”
Kerk was following his own train of thought and puzzled where it was leading him. “You came here to prove that you were as good as any native-born Pyrran. Yet now you admit that any eight-year-old can outdraw you. That just doesn’t stack up with what I know about you. If you give with one hand, you must be taking back with the other. In what way do you still feel your natural superiority?” He asked it lightly, yet there was weight of tension behind his words.
Jason thought a long time before answering.
“I’ll tell you,” he finally said. “But don’t snap my neck for it. I’m
gambling that your civilized mind can control your reflexes. Because I have totalk about things that are strictly taboo on Pyrrus.
“In your people’s eyes I’m a weakling because I cone from off-world. Realize, though, that this is also my strength. I can see things that are hidden from you by long association. You know, the old business of not being able to see the forest for the trees in the way.”
Kerk nodded agreement and Jason went on. “To continue the analogy further, I landed from an airship, and at first all I could see was the forest. To me certain facts are obvious. I think that you people know them too, only you keep your thoughts carefully repressed. They are hidden thoughts that are completely taboo. I’m going to tell you the biggest one of these secret thoughts and hope you can control yourself well enough not to kill me.”
Kerk’s great hands tightened on the arms of the chair, the only sign he had heard. Jason spoke quietly, but his words penetrated as smoothly and easily as a lancet probing into a brain.
“I think human beings are losing the war on Pyrrus. After hundreds of years of occupation this is the only city on the planet-and it is half in ruins. As if it once had a larger population. That stunt we pulled off to get the shipload of war materials was a stunt. It might not have worked. And if it hadn’t, what would have happened to the city? You people are walking on the crumbling rim of a volcano and you won’t admit it.”
Every muscle in Kerk’s body was rigid as he sat stiffly in the chair, his face dotted with tiny beads of sweat. The slightest push too far and he would explode. Jason searched for a way to lessen some of the tension.
“I don’t enjoy telling you these things. I’m doing it because I’m sure you know them already. You can’t face these facts because you would then have to admit that all this fighting and killing is for absolutely no purpose. If your population is dropping steadily, then your fight is nothing but a particularly bloody form of racial suicide. You could leave this planet, but that would be admitting defeat. And I’m sure Pyrrans prefer death to defeat.”
When Kerk half-rose from his chair Jason stood too, shouting his words through the other man’s fog of anger.
“I’m trying to help you-do you understand that? Wipe the hypocrisy out of your mind, it’s destroying you. Piight now you would rather kill me than admit consciously that you are fighting an already lost battle. This isn’t a real war, just a disastrous treating of symptoms. Like cutting off cancerous fingers one by one. The only result must be ultimate
defeat. You won’t allow yourself to realize that. That’s why you would rather kill me than hear me speak the unspeakable.”
Kerk was out of his seat now, hanging over Jason like a tower of death, about to fall. Held up only by the force of Jason’s words.