All during the long trip, he had felt their curious stares and excited whispers everywhere he passed, and he had felt a small wave of relief whenever a large batch3 of them had been unloaded on some planet along the way. None of them had come this far—which was hardly surprising, he thought; the last of them had been taken off two-thirds of the way to Nemar. He was very glad to see them go, though by that time they had stopped making their cautious, deferential4 attempts to draw him into conversation and elicit5 some clue about his mission and destination.
He had let them wonder. He knew that his aloofness6 was being taken as snobbishness7, but he was past caring. They all recognized that he was a Planetary Administrator8 by the blazing gold insignia on the dark uniform, insignia calling for awe9 and respect all over the galaxy10. They guessed that this was his first appointment, but the thing that really aroused their curiosity was the bitter, angry look that went with what they considered his arrogant11 reserve.
Since polite efforts at conversation by the braver or more confident among the company were met with icy monosyllables that cut off further attempts, they were left with a wide range of controversy12. Some of them held, though they had never actually seen a Planetary Administrator before in the flesh, that all PA's were like this. They argued that the long, grueling years of study, the ascetic13, disciplined life from childhood, and the constant pressure of competition, knowing that only a small percentage would finally make the grade, made them kind of inhuman14 by the time they finished. Besides, they were near-geniuses or they wouldn't have been selected in the first place—and everybody knows geniuses are sort of peculiar15.
One of the bolder and more beautiful girls on board had been argued into making a carefully planned attempt to draw information out of him, and bets had been placed on the results. She was eager enough to try her hand at this rich prize, and her self-confidence was justified16 by a long trail of broken hearts in high places, but the attempt came to nothing. Kirk was aware of her efforts and aware that in another mood he would have appreciated her charm, but he felt too sick and miserable17 to respond.
Remembering her piquant18, laughing face later in his cabin, Kirk thought morosely19 of the long train of girls he had known in the past. Many of them had been lovely—a fledgling PA was considered a highly desirable date, even though the chances were always that he wouldn't make it in the end. But Kirk had always been filled with an iron determination that he was going to make it in the end, and this meant no distractions20. If he began to feel he might get really emotionally entangled21 with a girl, he stopped seeing her at once. He saw them seldom enough, anyway. The regulations of the PA Institute gave him a fair amount of free time, but the study requirements made the apparent freedom meaningless.
How hard he'd worked for the day he'd be wearing this uniform, he thought bitterly. How proud and happy he'd thought he'd feel wearing it! And now, instead, here he was, practically hiding in his cabin, hoping nobody would discover the name of his destination and guess the reason for the humiliated22 rage that was still coursing through him.
He'd gone over the interview with Carlin Ross a hundred times since the trip started, and he wasn't any nearer to making sense out of it than when he began....
He'd entered Ross's office for the interview in which he would be awarded his post, full of confidence and pride. The final examination results posted in the main lobby were headed by his name. He knew that, because of his good record and general popularity, he had been watched with special interest by the teachers and staff for some time; and he looked forward to being awarded a particularly desirable planet, in spite of its being his first post.
Technical ability and sound training in administration had long ago been decided23 upon as more important than practical experience, as mankind began to sicken of the bungling24 of political appointees. The far-flung planets that had been colonized25 or held an intelligent, humanoid population were so numerous that even an experienced Planetary Administrator could know very little about each one. Only someone brought up on a planet could have a detailed26 knowledge of it, and it was a basic premise27 of the Galactic union that governors with a common upbringing and training on Terra were necessary to keep the varied28 parts of the empire from splitting off and becoming alienated29 from the rest.
Ross was one of the half-dozen men in the top echelon30 governing the galaxy and its warring components31. His official title was Galactic Coordinator32, and one of his minor33 duties was the supervision34 of the Institute of Training for Planetary Administration, which had been home to Kirk for so long. Although he was the Institute's official head, he was too busy to be seen in its halls more than rarely, but Kirk had had several brief talks with him and one long one. He had the feeling that Ross had a special interest in him, and this had added to his anticipation35 on the fatal day.
As he entered the room, Ross looked up, his blue eyes friendly and alert in the weathered, tanned face. "Hello, Kirk," he said. As always, the simple warmth of his smile threw Kirk off guard. It had never failed to surprise him the few times he had seen Ross. In this place of dedicated36, serious men, of military crispness of speech, of stiffly erect37 carriage, Ross's relaxed body and quiet, open expression seemed startlingly out of place. Except for the alertness and intelligence of the eyes, he looked like a country farmer who had wandered in by mistake. Kirk, and his friends, had more than once wondered how such an anomaly had risen to the high position of Galactic Coordinator.
However, if his manner left you puzzled, it also made you feel surprisingly comfortable, and Kirk had felt relaxed and happy as Ross motioned him to a chair. Nothing prepared him for the shock that was to come.
He remembered the apparent casualness with which Ross had spoken. "I'm sending you to Nemar."
For a moment Kirk felt blank. The name did not register. His private speculations38 had centered on the question of whether he would be sent to a thriving, pleasant, habitable planet or to one of those whose bleak39 surface contained some newly discovered, highly valuable mineral and whose struggling colonists40 lived under pressurized domes41. Either type could have held the chance to work up to the galactic eminence42 and power he had set his heart on. He had been over and over the list of planets that were due to receive new PA's (there was a rotational43 system of five years, with an additional five years made optional), and he had a private list of those which, as the star graduate of his class, he hoped he might draw. Nemar was not among them.
His face stayed blank for a minute as he searched his memory for the name, and as vague bits of information filtered through to him, his eyes widened in disbelief. "But, sir—" He fumbled44 for words. "That's on the very edge of the galaxy."
Ross's voice was quiet. "Yes, it's a long way."
"But there's nothing on it!"
Ross sounded a little amused. "There are some very nice people on it—the natives are of the same species as we are, though they look a little different. That means the air is breathable without aids. It's quite a pleasant planet."
"That's not what I mean, sir. I mean there's nothing of any value—no minerals, no artifacts, no valuable plant or animal products." He searched his memory for what little he could remember about Nemar from classes. He recalled that the planet had been discovered only forty years ago by a Survey ship that had gone off course far toward the outer rim45 of the galaxy. It had been incorporated into the Galactic union because it was considered dangerous to leave any inhabited planet free of control; but it had not been considered a valuable addition. It was far off the established trade routes, and seemed to contain nothing worth the expense of transporting it. "The culture is very primitive46, isn't it?" Kirk asked, half thinking aloud.
"It is so considered," Ross answered.
The reply struck Kirk as odd. A sudden hope filled him. Maybe something new had been discovered about the place, possibly something that only Ross and a few of the top command knew about. He threw a sharp glance at Ross's face, but it told him nothing. "I don't remember too much about the place from class," he ventured.
Ross rose, and with his incongruously quick, lazy grace strode to the filing cabinet along the wall, pulling out documents and pamphlets. He plumped them in a pile in front of Kirk. "Most of the factual information we have is in these. You can try the library, too, but I doubt if you'll find anything more." He added a book to the pile. "This covers their language. You'll have two months of intensive instruction in it before you go. You were always good in your language structure courses, so I doubt that you'll have any trouble with it. You'll have another two weeks to learn the stuff in these documents, and two more weeks to rest or do whatever you like before you leave." He resumed his chair. "You're luckier than some of the others. The boy who got Proserpine will have a stack of books up to there to absorb." He gestured toward the ceiling.
At the mention of Proserpine, Kirk's brown eyes darkened. Proserpine had been recently discovered, too, but that was all it had in common with Nemar. Its inhospitable surface held vast amounts of a highly valuable fuel ore, and it had been one of the places on his list. He wondered who was going there, his insides suddenly twisting with envy. He tried to keep his voice even. "I don't understand why I'm being sent to Nemar." He searched for words. After all, he couldn't exactly mention his graduating first and his record. "Is there something I don't know about? Has something valuable been discovered that hasn't been publicized, or—" He waited hopefully.
Ross's answer was flat. "No, there's nothing there that can be transported that's worth transporting."
Kirk felt despair surging through him, then suddenly changing to sharp anger. "I've worked hard. I have a good record. Why are you giving me this—this lemon? Why don't you give it to whoever graduated lowest, or better still to some older PA who bungled48 things somewhere, but not quite enough to be retired49!" His face was burning with rage. Somewhere inside he felt shocked at himself for speaking to a Coordinator this way; at the same time he felt a violent urge to carry it farther and sock Ross in the nose. His body was shaking....
Remembering the scene now as he watched Nemar swing closer, Kirk felt the anger again, time hadn't dimmed it at all. Ross must have perceived his fury, but he had shown no signs of it. Looking as friendly as ever, he had told him mildly that he did not consider Nemar a "lemon", that he had excellent reasons for sending him there, but he preferred not to tell him what they were. He wanted him to discover them for himself after he arrived. The rest of the interview had concerned itself mainly with practical information, most of which Kirk had scarcely heard through his fog of emotion.
His endless speculations since then had gotten him nowhere. He had dredged out of his memory every incident that might reveal some trait for which he was being discreetly50 given a back seat. He recalled a roommate who had said he was going to become a living machine if he kept it up, and no machine had the right to have jurisdiction51 over people. But Jere had flunked52 out along the way, like most candidates who had an attitude like that. He went over the time he had been called to Ross's office and gently rebuked53 for working men under him on a project too hard. "I don't ask anything from them I don't ask of myself," he had protested.
"I know," Ross had answered, "and I respect that. But you work that hard from choice." Then he had nodded in dismissal.
Kirk had puzzled over these and other incidents, searching for a clue, but found nothing. All his probing in a more optimistic direction led to blind alleys54 also. The documents on Nemar, all the information he could dig up, confirmed Ross's statement that the planet held nothing of commercial value.
The planet, to judge by what he had read, was a pleasant place, apparently55 very pretty, with heavy vegetation and a warm, temperate56 climate, and the natives were hospitable47 and friendly. But all this held very little comfort for him and did little to assuage57 the sense of angry humiliation58 that had made him seek isolation59 from the other passengers.
He could see the planet more clearly now as the ship began to angle into an orbit, preparatory to sending out the smaller landing ship which would take him down. Hastily he reviewed in his mind once more the few facts he knew about the place, and shaped his tongue to the unfamiliar60 sounds of the native language. He fought down the feeling of humiliation, and straightened his shoulders. After all, to these people, he would be the most important person on the planet. If he was to be a big frog in a small puddle61, he was still supreme62 administrator here, and he had no intention of letting them know his arrival signified a disgrace to him.
From the airlock of the landing ship, Kirk looked out on a cleared plain. In the foreground a group of natives were gathered to greet him, and a scattering63 of dark uniforms among them indicated the officials who would make up the Terran part of his staff. As the natives approached him, he noted64 the green-gold hair and the slightly greenish tinge65 to their skin, for which his studies had prepared him.
Nothing in his studies, however, had prepared him for the extraordinary grace and beauty of these people.
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1
abate
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| vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退 | |
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seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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aloofness
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| 超然态度 | |
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snobbishness
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| 势利； 势利眼 | |
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8
administrator
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| n.经营管理者，行政官员 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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galaxy
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| n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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ascetic
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| adj.禁欲的；严肃的 | |
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inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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piquant
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| adj.辛辣的，开胃的，令人兴奋的 | |
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morosely
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| adv.愁眉苦脸地，忧郁地 | |
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20
distractions
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| n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱 | |
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21
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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bungling
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| adj.笨拙的，粗劣的v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的现在分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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25
colonized
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| 开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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premise
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| n.前提；v.提论，预述 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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alienated
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| adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等） | |
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30
echelon
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| n.梯队；组织系统中的等级；v.排成梯队 | |
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31
components
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| （机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分 | |
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32
coordinator
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| n.协调人 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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39
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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40
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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41
domes
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| n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场 | |
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42
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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43
rotational
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| adj.回转的，轮流的 | |
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44
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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45
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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46
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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47
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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48
bungled
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| v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的过去式和过去分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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49
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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50
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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51
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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52
flunked
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| v.( flunk的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（考试、某学科的成绩等）不及格；评定（某人）不及格；（因不及格而） 退学 | |
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53
rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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55
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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56
temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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57
assuage
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| v.缓和，减轻，镇定 | |
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58
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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59
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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60
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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61
puddle
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| n.(雨)水坑，泥潭 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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63
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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64
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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