Fleetingly, Kenmuir wondered if Matthias had ever borne more than the single name. Many Earth lings didn’t. He knew little about this master of the lodge. Given longevity, a person could serve for such decades that his or her past receded into obscurity.
“At ease,” the Rydberg said. “Be seated if you wish.”
“Thank you—gracias.” Kenmuir took a chair facing him.
A chuckle grated. “Have we had our fill of Americanisms and anachronisms? What would you like for refreshment, Captain?”
“Uh, well—”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not too early for a Scotch and water.”
“Beer, please,” Kenmuir made bold to reply.
Matthias gestured at the guard, who went out. The house had a small human staff as well as its machines, but for her this service was an honor. “You’re seldom hereabouts,” he remarked.
“No, sir. I’ve not been much on Earth, and when I am—“ He simply was not a very sociable animal. He’d call on a few friends here and there around the globe, seek out historic sites and daydream, go on days-long tramps through the preserves, that sort of thing. Sometimes he patronized a joyeuse, but not often. It always struck him as rather sad, even when she found pleasure in the specialty by which she prospered. “I ought to participate more in the Troth-dom, yes.”
“It’s voluntary.” Matthias leaned back, bridged his fingers, drooped his lids, and went on ponderously, “Let me see. When you called to ask for an interview, I retrieved what data the outfit has on you, but they’re meager and parts may be incorrect. Check me out. Your ancestors include consortes of Fireball since it was a business, but your parents were Earthsiders and not deeply involved in our affairs either.”
Pain twinged in Kenmuir. They should still have been alive. He, their single child, was just fifty-five years of age. But accidents happen also in cybernetic societies. Two volants under manual control, being above an Arctic sports ground where traffic was light, collided—and he out beyond the orbit of Pluto, helping to herd a comet.
“If I haven’t been so active, sir, that’s not because I don’t value my membership.” He was quite sincere.
“Agreed,” Matthias said. “To continue, you won admission to the Academy. Starstruck from birth, eh? And, what’s more, gifted for it. You began your career in the Federal Space Service, then shifted to the Venture.”
Since Kenmuir knew that Matthias’ own employment had been entirely in the Service, he said half defensively, “Well, sir, everything Earth-based has grown so—uh—”
“So efficient.” Matthias nodded. “Hardly a place left for humans, except on the ground and that mostly makework. No place at all left for initiative. The Service wasn’t that far gone in my time. But as I approached retirement, I stopped envying the young.”
Kenmuir’s pulse jumped. “The Lunarians, they keep space human.”
“Their kind of human.”
Not to truckle. The Rydberg would despise that. “They do it for our kind too. They need us.”
“Because their style of operations goes against all practicality.”
“Not when it’s their nature, sir. And Terran nature, too, for many of us, even these days.”
“Yes, a flicker of the old spirit survives. For a while yet, a while.” Matthias brightened a trifle. “The Habitat should revive it. I may live to watch in the flesh a bit of what I’ve only seen in vivifers and quiviras.”
Kenmuir tensed. “That’s what I’ve come here about.”
Eyes probed him. “I suspected as much.”
What did he actually know?
The girl returned with a tray, set the drinks on end tables, saluted, and left. “Good liftoff,” Matthias toasted. The men brought vessels to lips. The tingle in Jus mouth gave Kenmuir impetus.
“You know what the Habitat will do to the Lunarians,” he said.
“Civilize them, gradually,” Matthias snorted.
“Not into a civilization they’ll find endurable.”
“So they claim.” The tone was rough. “Have they really so little adaptability, or is this a handful of Selenarchs yelling and clawing because they’ll lose their privileges?”
Kenmuir mustered his words.
“Sir, with respect, I know the Lunarians, every class of Lunarians, about as well as any Earthdweller—any Terran can. When you’ve been to the ends of the Solar System with somebody, over and over; it gives you an understanding of them.” And he had met them at home and in Mars and in their tiny colonies clinging to asteroids that whirled among wintry stars, or dug into ice and rock beneath the majesty of Jupiter or the jewelwork of Saturn.