The woman indicated that she should follow an upward-slanting branchway towards the crest of the house, and there she found at least five-score folk gathered in a roughly globular bower. At its focus, comfortably disposed on large and well-smoothed crotches, were three persons of advancing age whose exudations indicated they were far from happy to be in such proximity. The rest of the attendance consisted of a few males scattered among numerous females, mostly young, who were trying hard not to react to their elders’ stench; that was plain from their own emanations.
Recordimals had captured Ugant’s voice for her many supporters around the planet. Chybee recognized it the moment she entered, and was so excited to hear her idol in reality that she bumped against a boy not much older than herself as she sought for space to perch.
Instantly: “Chhht!” from half a score of those nearby.
But the boy curled his mantle in a grin as he made room alongside him. Muttering thanks, she settled down and concentrated … rather to the boy’s disappointment, she gathered, but she was here for one purpose and one purpose only: to hear Ugant’s views in her own words.
It was clear that the formal lecture must long be over, for she was engaged in debate, either with those flanking her or with some doubter elsewhere in the bower. She was saying:
“… our researches prove conclusively that the fall of the civilization which bequeathed to us most of our modern skills—indeed, which unwittingly gave us this very city, changed though it now is out of recognition by those who created it as a sea-going entity!—was due to the impact of a giant meteorite, whose traces we can only indirectly observe because it fell into deep water. Given this indisputable fact, it can only be a matter of time before another and far larger impact wipes us out too. It’s all very well to argue that we must prepare to take the folk themselves into space, with whatever is necessary for their survival. I don’t doubt that eventually this could be done; we know how to create life-support systems that will sustain us for long periods on the ocean bed, and they too have to be closed. We know, more or less, how to shield ourselves against the radiation we are sure of meeting out there. But I contest the possibility of achieving so grandiose a goal with the resources available. I believe rather that we, as living creatures, owe it to the principle of life itself to ensure that it survives even if we as a species cannot!”
Suddenly there was uproar. Confused, Chybee saw one of Ugant’s companions turn her, or possibly his, back insultingly, as though to imply: “What use in arguing with such an idiot?” Meantime a few clear voices cut through the general turmoil; she heard “True! True!” and “Nonsense!” and then, “But the folk of Swiftyouth and Sunbride will hurl more missiles at us to prevent it!”
That was so reminiscent of what she was fleeing from, she shivered. Mistaking her response, the boy beside her said, “She does underestimate us, doesn’t she?”
“Uh—who?”
“Ugant, of course!”—in a tone of high surprise. “Going on all the time about how we can’t possibly succeed, and so we have to abandon the planets to bacteria! You should have been here sooner. Wam made sludge of her!”
“Wam?”
“On the left, of course! From Hulgrapuk, no less! How many scores-of-scores of padlonglaqs did she have to travel to be here this dark? That shows her dedication to the cause of truth and reason!”
I bet she had an easier journey than I did … But Chybee repressed the bitter comment, abruptly aware that she was hungry and that this bower was festooned with some of the finest food-plants she had ever set eye on.
Instead she said humbly, “And whose back is turned?”
“Oh, that’s Aglabec. Hasn’t dared utter a word since the start, and very right and proper too. But I’m afraid a lot of his supporters are here. I hope you aren’t one of them?” He turned, suddenly suspicious.
“I don’t think so,” Chybee ventured.
“You don’t know you aren’t? By the arc of heaven, how could anybody not know whether giving up reason in favor of dreamness is right or wrong? Unless they’d already decided in favor of dreamness!”