Of course! Who more likely to turn up today than those who had quit Fregwil in fury at its rulers’ indolence?
Suddenly there was chaos. Albumarak clenched her claws as the speeches of welcome were drowned out. But Presthin only said, “Sometimes I wonder whether this species we belong to can be worth preserving…”
Eventually order was restored, and Yull and Theng were able to utter a few generalizations about the value of cooperation between Slah and Fregwil. Then Quelf launched into a carefully planned address, praising the astronomers who had located the wild planetoid and the efforts of those who for so long had been reaching out towards the stars.
“Hypocrite!” Albumarak muttered.
“Oh, no. She means precisely what she says,” countered Presthin. “It’s finally penetrated her pith that if there is another giant meteorite strike in a few years’ time, she won’t be more immune than anybody else. Just listen to the conclusion of her speech. She’s been rehearsing it on the way here.”
Albumarak composed herself. Quelf was saying, “—and if you prove you can actually keep the folk alive in space, as you have for so long been promising, then you may rely on our supplying both materiel … and personnel!”
“She’s as bad as the volunteers in the camps!” Albumarak cried. “She expects us to send her into orbit!”
“It might be a good way of getting rid of her,” said Presthin caustically.
The crowd erupted again, and this time individual shouts were discernible: “About time! What were you saying five years ago? Couldn’t you have led instead of following? What were you made Jingfired for?”
Reeking with anger, Quelf bent towards Yull. Albumarak barely caught what she said; it sounded like, “This rowdy reception is no advertisement for your city!”
Turning ever so slightly, just enough for the loudeners to pick up her words, Yull countered, “Normally, at Slah, we don’t waste time on this sort of ceremonial. We have urgent work to do. Apparently you’ve not acquired that habit.”
Quelf towered, exuding combat-stink. But Yull’s point had registered with the crowd and delighted everyone else within hearing, not just the Fregwil expatriates. A burst of hilarity allowed Theng to claim the loudeners.
“I’m sure you’re all anxious,” she stated with heavy irony, “to hear more of what our guest has to say. Regrettably”—a well-timed pause— “we’ve arranged a demonstration of precisely the kind she wishes to see, and it’s overdue, so … A scudder is waiting, Scholar Quelf. Do come this way!”
X
Albumarak was unable to avoid being caught up in the exodus towards the space-site, though she and Presthin did at least manage to mount the scudder behind Quelf’s.
“Still no sign of Karg?” the goadster inquired.
“No, but … Well, I haven’t seen him around much lately, anyhow. Not since the news of Quelf’s visit broke.”
“Can’t say I blame him,” Presthin grunted. Surveying the scenery, she went on, “So this is the city you prefer to your own. What’s life like here, that it attracts you so?”
“I used to wonder what attracted you to the highlands. I found my own equivalent at Slah. Life is much harder and we enjoy many fewer luxuries. But there’s a sense of purpose in the air, a feeling that we’re all working towards the best possible goal. Also our leaders aren’t so … I don’t quite know how to define it. Maybe I should just say that nobody like Quelf could wield such influence at Slah.”
“All by itself that explains why you like the place,” Presthin said dryly. Craning for a better view, she added, “And that must be your space-launcher, right?”
In a dead straight line at the circle/23 angle, the giant tube sloped sunsetward up the mountain they were passing. At its base a cylinder was being readied for launch. Presthin gazed at it long and hard.
“I’ve seen images,” she said at last, “but the reality is something else. How long is it now?”
“Ten padlonglaqs. We just extended it. But it’s been launching cylinders successfully since it was only half that length.”
“And you’re going to dispatch another specially for us. What sort?”
“I don’t know,” Albumarak muttered.