"Well—there is Deputy Assistant Prinot and—"
"Ha! And then what do you suppose would be left of my record here and my prospects4 of promotion5—after Depast Prinot and the others put in five solid weeks wrecking6 all my work?"
Secast Garten, short, a little chubby7, the opposite of his chief (who looked like a deep-thinking, bald stork8 scheduled for delivery of Siamese quintuplets in a typhoon,) grinned. He was seated out of the direct line of verbal fire, on a rock-hard hassock at one side of the barely furnished Screed apartment. He grinned, knowing what Secad Screed would do with a similar opportunity at Division Hq.
"Oh, now, dear," soothed10 Mrs. Screed, a mousey, chronically11 anxious little woman with five years experience as secretary and ten as wife in learning to soothe9 her husband. "Prinot is such a nice man. Don't worry so about things. Just put them out of your mind; they'll be all right."
"What?" Fifteen years experience she had soothing12 him, but she never did seem to get the knack13 of it. Or, perhaps, it was a matter of Screed's conscientiously15 refusing to be soothed, as a matter of discipline. A wife should know her place. Women being what they were, light minded, he felt it only fair that he should regularly point it out to her. He didn't want to spoil her. And he didn't either—unless it was in the matter of favoring her with his personal attentions weekly, at 11:30 p.m., each Friday.
This was big of him. She was lucky. Secad Screed was a big man, Administrative16 Officer in full command of a major sun system at only 56, wedded17 to his work and dedicated18 to becoming more and more important. Mrs. Screed's position was, in a way, almost bigamous. She had a rich, full fifteen minutes every Friday, and what more could any woman want of life?
At the moment, this one imagined she wanted to take a vacation trip to some nonsensical, little known, semi-mythical dream planet that Garten—the fool!—had been telling her about. "Garten—"
"You are so right, J.G., so right. Give Prinot and those boys an inch and they'll be measuring you out for a grave with it, while they sharpen their knives. Half a chance and they'd foul19 up your whole Sector Administration. But—you know, sir, after five straight years on the job for both you and me, a five-week vacation is compulsory20. We do have our orders."
"Mf-f-f!" That was true and that was the rub. "But we don't have to chase off so far we can't keep an eye on things!"
"Of course, sir. Or—an idea you gave me just the other day, sir—with the recent Truad activity over in Sector Y, we could put this whole system into an emergency invasion alert drill, sir. For the duration—of our vacation. Then every move Prinot makes will have to follow the book—or a court-martial when we get back. With you presiding, eh?"
Secad Screed smiled a thin smile. "I thought of that, of course, Garten. Clever of you to see it. Given time, I may be able to make a passably capable assistant of you after all."
Garten was necessarily more skilled at soothing Screed than was Mrs. S., whose somewhat special status brought her very limited privileges but considerable job security. Garten had hung on, sometimes narrowly, for some five years now.
"Yes sir. I hope so, sir."
"But not as long as you come up with asinine21 suggestions for us to throw away valuable time on some scarcely heard of 'dream planet.' Even though Centrad does enforce these foolish compulsory vacations, there is no reason why the time cannot be turned to some useful account."
"But, dear," murmured Mrs. Screed wistfully.
"No! Viola, you seem to have lost whatever few wits you once possessed22. Why in the Galactic Universe would I go to some tiny, sink-hole, single planet system not even important enough to have a Service Administration? Even I have scarcely heard of the place. Garten, what ever got into you?"
"Uh—ah, well, sir. You see I—uh—have always admired so your report on waste and extravagance on Primus that you made following your last vacation five years ago just before coming here. The way you toppled the entire Sector Administration, forced a dozen or more early retirements23 and—"
"And got me my promotion to Secad."
"Yes, sir. A sensational24 job, and much talked of at Centrad, I know. Well sir, I just thought that, since this Nirva is so little known, something of a mystery you know, and something of a sore point with Centrad too, perhaps it might be ripe for an expose."
"Mph. Nonsense, Garten. Not important enough—though, come to consider, it is odd how little public information there is about the place. Centrad is covering something.... Hm-m. Never bothered to check the secret files on it myself. Just for curiosity, Garten, what is the detail on the thing?"
Mrs. Screed leaned back in her chair; glanced blankly about the bare apartment; picked idly at a cuticle25; tried, with apprehensively26 expressive27 features, to register total disinterest. Once, before discouragement set in, she had been a modestly pretty young woman. Now she was merely modest.
"Viola," snapped Screed, "go fix some refreshment28. Ice water, crackers29, something. Can't have you sitting there mooning over this Nirva nonsense of Garten's. Your mind has too great an affinity30 for nonsense."
"Yes, sir. Well, sir—"
Mrs. Screed threw him a fleeting31, timid smile over her shoulder as she left the room through the kitchen door, back of Screed's arm chair. Inside of two minutes she was back, standing32 very quietly in the doorway33 with a pitcher34 of water and a dish of plain, protein crackers on a tray. Garten talked on.
"Nirva, as you know, is the single planet of a small sun off on the fringes of this region of the Galaxy35. It seemed so insignificant36 it was never even visited until something like fifty years ago. Then a questionable37 prospector38 ship had a minor39 breakdown40 and was forced to come out of an inter-space jump near the Nirva system. The prospectors41 had been ten years out. They were coming back empty-handed, nothing to show, not one valuable planet found. There they were. Spectroanalysis of Nirva didn't show much, but they decided42 to check anyway. They were desperate, dreaming out of all reason of a last-ditch success—dreaming of a civilized43, friendly planet, hospitable44 natives, rich beyond belief, foolishly ready for exploitation, eager to load them up with fissionable minerals and so on. You know how those old space tramp adventurers used to be, sir."
"Hmph. Tramps, yes. So?"
"So they landed and discovered Nirva; the Dream Planet. Of course they didn't find that out at the time."
"What did they find?"
"They found a civilized, friendly planet, hospitable natives, rich beyond belief, foolishly ready for exploitation, eager to load them up with fissionable minerals and so on. There wasn't even a communication problem. The people, handsome, human type, were telepathic. Well. Their visit, although no two of the eleven men on the ship could agree on the details, was one glorious celebration. Liquor and no hangovers. Women, the most beautiful in the universe, competing with each other to do everything—I mean everything—for the pleasure of the space heroes. In fact, it seemed a space tramp's dream of heaven. They hated to leave."
"If the place was such a degenerate45's delight, why did they leave?"
"Just simple greed, apparently46. Their ship was loaded with the most valuable cargo47 in history. They couldn't resist the urge to take it back and cash in; to strut48 around and be big heroes, men of wealth and power back home. Finally, and with plenty of regrets, they blasted off. A couple of jumps, six months—travel was slow then, of course—and they landed at the regional capital. They reported their discovery and claims, turned in the cargo for analysis and sale—and, listening for the cheers, sat back to collect their fortunes. Instead of cheers, they got the universal horse laugh."
"A laugh? At a fortune? Why—oh, yes. Of course; turned out they made a pretty stupid mistake about that cargo, eh?"
"Well, it seemed a funny mistake. Their whole cargo of rare, fissionable elements was nothing but perfectly50 ordinary sand and rock. Now, this crew was rough, but prospecting51 was their business. They knew their business. It just wasn't possible that they could have made such a mistake. At first the officials were inclined to drop the whole thing as a pointless hoax52. But it was so pointless. Somebody was sharp enough to push for an investigation53 on that account. They rounded up the prospectors, who were all hustling54 around trying to promote supplies to get them back to Nirva. They got a psychiatric team to run them all through a complete check. The clues to the truth of the matter turned up then; but they were not, at least not generally understood."
"What—?"
"The psychiatric team found that each of the eleven told a similar story, and actually had a similar mental picture of Nirva. But, examined closely, the detail, the artifacts, the—uh—types and—ah—um—habits of the women were startlingly, if not sensationally55, different. So different that, in fact, the planet seemed to be perfect. Perfect according to each crewman's idea of the perfect planet. Some of them had pretty crude ideals of perfection, of course. The psychiatric team pushed through an order grounding all members of the crew. All of them ended badly, by the way—seven suicides, two murders, two violent mental cases. The team submitted a completely inconclusive report. Then they proposed that they all be sent to examine Nirva."
"Well? Get to the point, Garten!"
"The expedition went out. It never came back. No word ever came back. The administration jumped to a conclusion that the planet, Nirva, had become hostile and the expeditionary force captured. A battle cruiser, advised to expect resistance and with orders to use all force necessary to pacify56 the planet and rescue prisoners, was sent out. The cruiser went. It met resistance near Nirva and won a brilliant victory. The Nirva forces surrendered. The ship landed and officers and crew were feted by the defeated population. Prisoners were rescued. Finally, and with some little reluctance57 the captain, a devoted58 family man, gave orders and the cruiser headed back. But—at the first jump away, the prisoners and something like two-thirds of the cruiser's crew vanished. Naturally there was a good deal of excitement.
"Yes, sir. Of course. But—two further rescue expeditions ran into much the same thing. It seemed that only individuals with the most vital and binding60 ties or absorbing interests back home ever came back from Nirva. Others, especially anyone with the least trace of instability, stayed there."
"A lunatic planet for the feeble-minded!"
"Uh—yes, sir. In a manner of speaking. At least the officially approved conclusion regarding Nirva is this. No way to be certain but, presumably, from sample materials and distance observation, it appears a rather ordinary, Earth-type planet physically62. It is inhabited by a race, physical characteristics doubtful, probably humanoid, having, unique mental properties. Imaginative, very powerful, hypnotic. And, the theory goes, these people exercise a sort of group mind power with individualistic overtones. To all intents and purposes, they modify their physical—and social—surroundings to suit themselves. Each then lives quite literally63 in a world of his own. The world of his dreams. For visitors from outside, same thing. Each person who lands on Nirva, or even approaches it without a powerful force shield, sees what he imagines he should see. He finds whatever he may be looking for. A man who has mental air castles, you might say, can go to Nirva and move right into them. As they say, sir, the planet of dreams."
"Hallucinations!"
"Yes, sir. But controlled, pleasant—and having all the force, feel and effect of reality. So the theory has it, that is. Of course, travel to Nirva is so restricted as to be almost completely prohibited now and the information wiped from public records. The administration could see that it might become disastrously64 over popular."
"Ah—yes. Well—uh—perhaps some of the men at the top thought perhaps it might turn out to be useful in—uh—some way."
"Yes sir. Exactly."
"A haven68 for weak-minded idiots to be taken in by stupid, parlor69 hypnotics. Why should I waste my time and talent exposing something so totally and transparently70 stupid?"
"Of course, sir. It would be a difficult thing to try to manage. I'm sure—in spite of the enormous publicity71 and promotional possibilities in clearing up the mystery—that it's not the sort of thing a solid administrator would care to get mixed up in."
The Secad looked interested.
"A perfectly horrible sounding place," interrupted Viola from her doorway, "I had no idea it would be anything like that. It sounds immoral72, actually. I wouldn't go."
The Secad looked thoughtful.
"Besides," added Garten, "I'm certain, now I consider it, we couldn't possibly manage to get a clearance73 to visit Nirva anyway."
"Well, then," said Viola firmly. "You know how the Secad needs a rest. I do hope you can find something more suitable for our vacation than that. Some place that's quiet and respectable and—"
The Secad looked convinced. "Oh, shut up, Viola. And you too, Garten. If we must go on a vacation, we must—but I shall decide where we will go. Is that clear?"
That was clear.
Nirva stuck in the mind of Secad Screed. He was, certainly, the sanest74, soundest, solidest and most sensible of men. It was not possible to trick him into any hasty, ill-considered action.
Still, it rankled75 to have Garten and, of all people, Viola tell him he couldn't go to Nirva—and couldn't succeed in doing anything about it if he did.
Of course, it is true that a man can trust no one but himself. It was transparently obvious that Viola and that pip-squeek Garten were trying to con14 him into taking them to Nirva. But it was an irritation76. And maybe the thing did, actually, offer the possibility for something sensational in the way of a coup49.
Naturally, Garten and Viola were interested only in the supposed cheap thrills of the dream planet, the chance to escape from practical, business-like reality into some degenerate make-believe. They both needed a lesson. They should be shown how poor and weak a thing a romantic dream is, when brought up short by the trained, superior, analytical77 administrative mind.
The next day at work he set Garten to work drafting up orders for an emergency invasion alert drill "just in case." He then consulted with his Neuro-Surgeon General.
"Naturally, Dr. Treadmel, I would never dream of directing any illegal actions within my own jurisdiction—where, of course, I am Secad and therefore the judge of all questions of legality. And of your Department too, Doctor, you may take note. However, the information I am endeavoring to extract from you I shall apply, if at all, solely78 to the planet Nirva. Not to any of ours."
"Yes, sir."
"Very well, Doctor. Now. You are familiar with hypnotics, are you not?"
"Sir!" The Doctor was hurt. "One of the primary duties—"
"All right. You are familiar with hypnotics. You use them all the time in legal questions, crime, employment interviewing in depth and so on. Naturally. And you are also aware of various measures—yes, yes, I know they are specifically barred by the Public Safety Amendment—some mechanical and some narcotic79, that may be taken to counteract80 or prevent hypnosis. So. My question is this. Would such measures as your low power, hyper-electronic broadcast and your anti-hypnotic drugs be effective against the spell or illusion the inhabitants of Nirva use on visitors and, perhaps, themselves?"
"Well, now, Secad Screed, that is an extremely interesting question."
"I am interested only in the answer, Doctor."
"Uf. Yes, sir. Well, I can see no reason why they wouldn't be effective—always supposing the subjective81 hypnotic theory of the place is correct. That is—in theory—this group mind, which is supposed to provide the basis, should be totally disrupted by the random82 or scrambling83 effect of the electronic broadcast. The drugs, on the other hand, would render the individual who took the drug, during the period of its effectiveness, totally un- or non-receptive to the impulse, whereas—"
"All right, Doctor. You are trying to say, in your obfuscating84 manner, that the measures would be effective. Right?"
"Subjectively85, not taking into account the hypothetical possibility of random foci—and, of course, barring circumstances outside the range of—"
"Doctor! Yes? Or no?"
"Well—uh—yes."
"Doctor, when you have quite finished the duties I am about to assign you, I suggest you visit my legal staff for a game of circumlocution86. In the meantime—get me that drug."
"Yes, sir. You understand the limitations—"
"And give Chief Engineer Barstow the specifics for an anti-hypnotic electronic amplifier, suitable for placing in satellite orbit."
"But—"
"Around Nirva. Good-by, Doctor!"
And that would take care of that.
Of course Nirva, the Dream Planet, was a fake. It was a fairy story for childish minds, not capable of affecting the mature intellect. But there was nothing like being doubly sure. Secad Screed was always sure.
The only thing that upset him more than being not quite sure was the idea of something being wrong. But of course this never happened.
"All right, Viola," he said that night, after letting her sit, fidgety, looking the question she didn't quite dare to ask all evening long. "So you want to go to this ridiculous planet, Nirva. Don't you?"
"Dear, of course not! Not if you don't think—that is, you said it was stupid. So of course we wouldn't—"
"Please, Viola. You should know better than to try to deceive me. And so should Garten. It is completely and transparently clear to me that both of you are trying to get me to take you to this so-called dream world. Childish escapism. You know that?"
"Yes, of course, dear."
"Very well. We are going."
"Oh! How wonderful. Thank you!"
"Don't thank me now. Later, afterward87, you can thank me. When I have done you and Garten the service of showing you the infantile immaturity88 of your own minds. I am, Viola my dear, going to expose to the Galaxy this tawdry charlatanism89 for the little carnival90 illusion that it is. I shall show you the superior mental power of a mind—mine—that can face reality. You, and possibly even Garten, like drug addicts91 think you can escape from fact into a dream world."
"Oh, no."
"You will learn that there is no escape. I shall show you to yourselves. And you will see that run-down, sink-hole planet of lotus eaters for the degenerate mental slum it truly must be and is."
"Oh? Well, it is good of you to go to so much trouble."
Smugly, "The expose may prove of some advantage in my Service career."
"Of course, dear."
Of course. Of course, there was a period of frantic92, forced-draft preparation by certain of the Administration Departments. Garten was voluble in his admiration93 of the plan for the electronic broadcast, anti-hypnotic satellite for Nirva. On the drugs, he had no comment. He was not, in fact, informed of this part of the plan. Clearance for Secad Screed and party to visit the "Limited Access" Planet, Nirva, was obtained from Inter-Regional Headquarters with surprisingly, if not suspiciously, little difficulty. Screed smiled a sour little smile. Jealousy94, perhaps. He would show them, too.
In two weeks standard time, they—Secad Screed, Mrs. Viola Screed and Secast Garten—were on the way. It was a small ship, with a crew specially61 screened for the stop at Nirva, bound for the farther reaches of the Galaxy. At the end of three inter-space jumps it would orbit in to leave them on Nirva. Five weeks later, on the return trip, it would put in again to pick them up.
At the end of the third jump, Secad Screed and party, VIP's certainly, visited the ship's captain in the control room.
"We are coming in to the planet now, Captain," announced Screed informatively95. "I want to be certain that the satellite is functioning properly and placed in planned orbit, regular, between sixty and ninety minutes."
"Yes, sir," sighed the captain, a morose-looking man with an anachronistic96, drooping97 moustache, "Believe me, Secad Screed, within my deplorably narrow limits I do know my business. Your satellite is being attended to now. We are within the field of Nirva. We will make our run in, fingers crossed, so you may debark98."
"Fingers crossed, Captain? Hmph! Well—let's have a look at the thing on the view screen."
"Sorry—but no, sir. We go in on automatic instruments, with special electric power shield up all the way. I'll cut the shield just long enough for you to land and back up she goes. Likely I'll lose a couple of my crew at that."
"Nonsense! Have you no confidence in the satellite?"
This was a line of reason Screed could well appreciate—in himself. From the captain it seemed foolishness.
"Surely, Captain, if you were to lose crewmen you could and would insist upon their immediate100 return?"
"Insist, Secad Screed? How? You do not, I think, have quite the full picture of this thing. Its appeal, the pull of your own personal perfect dream world, is very strong. If I didn't have a wife and six sweet kids back home that I only see a month or two out of the year—well. This Nirva problem is like this. We go in. Down screen. Off you and your party go. My crew? All present. OK, back up with the screen—and then we find out who is actually on the ship."
"But if they were all present—?"
"Maybe present; maybe nothing but projected illusions. It is not possible to distinguish. So, say a couple are missing when the screen goes up. Suppose I down screen again. Protest. The natives are all apology. The men return."
"All right then."
"Not exactly. When the screen is up again—maybe instead of two missing, by then I would have four gone. The temptation gets too strong. Fighting it is like doubling bets to get even on a crooked101 wheel."
"Hmph!" Slack handling. Incredibly slack. It certainly was time a man who knew his own mind took over.
The satellite was orbiting. He had taken an anti-hypnosis pill. So too, although he hadn't bothered to tell them about it, had Viola and Garten, in their coffee. "Well, Captain. Your problems with Nirva are over. I—" he drew himself up in full executive-command stance—"am going to straighten the place out. In five weeks, when you return to pick us up, you will find Nirva, under my administration, a sound, sensible, stable colony. And we three will all return with you."
"Of course," said Viola, "When my husband says a thing will be done, you can count it done."
"And this other gentleman, Secast Garten?"
"Naturally, sir. Secad Screed is a man of his word. Not even Nirva could alter his determination."
"I see. Well, I'm not a betting man, of course. Regulations. But if I were—"
"Yes, Captain?" Secad Screed's voice cracked icily.
"I would like to bet a year's salary that all three of you won't go back with me."
"Well, Captain. As Senior Service Officer aboard, I make the regulations here. I'll just take that bet. A year's salary, against yours. Nice odds103 for you there, Captain. That is a bet. Garten, you and Viola are witness."
The Captain smiled sourly and nodded. Screed turned on his heel, annoyed. "Come Viola; Garten." Viola bowed her head and followed. Garten lingered a minute.
"Captain? If you'd care to hedge a bit of that bet, I'll take, say, half of it?"
The captain looked at him. An ordinary man. Not young, not old; not big, not small. Just a man, almost extraordinarily104 ordinary. And certainly not too bright since, as he clearly intended to stay on Nirva, what good would it do him to win half of that old snake Screed's bet? The Captain shook his head. "Thanks, Secast Garten, but since you won't—well. No, thanks, I'll keep it."
Garten shrugged regretfully. "So? Well, I could use the money but no matter. I think you have a good bet, Captain. It's my bet, too."
A half hour and the ship settled gently on the surface of the planet. The three passengers for Nirva were ready at the air-lock.
"Down screen!"
Screed heard the words over the intercom. For a moment a sense of confusion, of uncertainty105 of purpose touched with dizzying, empty fear, swept over him. Abruptly106 it was gone. Confidence, more certain and invincible107 than ever, flooded back. He knew what he must do. And he knew that he would surely do it.
A thrill of anticipatory108 triumph brought a little twisted smile to his thin lips but, half turning his head toward Viola and Garten, all he said was, peremptorily109, "Come."
They stood, three small figures, on the surface of Nirva, the dream planet, beside the space ship.
They were edged away from it by a discomforting mental pressure as the ship's force field snapped back on. Nirva. It seemed nothing so much. Pleasant enough, perhaps, but in a shockingly disordered, unimproved sort of way. Much the sort of thing Screed had expected.
There was a bright sun overhead with a slight rosy-pink tint110 to it, low green hills and some sort of town or settlement in the near distance. The sky was a deep blue, almost purple, dotted with feathery, pinkish clouds. All right. Probably it was quite suitable for exploitation as an agricultural planet. Not too much quick profit in it, perhaps, but well worth salvage111.
Screed, Viola and Garten were standing near the center of a cleared field, possibly a bungled112 excuse for a space port. Across it, a ramshackle building leaned tiredly to one side. As the space ship rose silently behind them, some sort of wheeled vehicle started toward them from the building, raising a small cloud of pinkish-white dust as it came.
"How awful," said Viola, echoing Screed's thoughts. "It's so shamefully113 run-down and neglected looking."
"A Galactic disgrace," agreed Garten from the other side.
"So," said Secad Screed, the leader. "You see?"
The native vehicle, a rattle-trap affair reminiscent of ancient earth internal combustion114 wagons115, clattered116 up. The driver was unclearly human under a slovenly117, unkempt exterior118; he was also middle-aged119, fat and anxious as he stumbled out. "Ah," he said eagerly, "distinguished120 visitors! And—uh—is it possible—that is, I mean to say, I—we all in fact, wonder if it could be you who is responsible for the sudden, total change that seems to have affected121 our—ah—perceptive climate?"
"And if we are," snapped Screed, "it was certainly a degenerative situation that desperately122 needed changing. You and all your people should thank me for it. And you will."
"Oh yes," said the native. "We already do, indeed. But—uh—the thing is, not that we aren't grateful for the awakening123, but it is all so horribly confusing to us. You see, what I mean to say, we don't know exactly what—"
"You need leadership! Strong, efficient leadership."
"That's it exactly. If only you would—"
"I shall." He made an expansive, condescending124 gesture. "I, with the help of Mrs. Screed—I, by the way, am Secad Screed, the Leader—and my assistant, will take full command of all administration immediately. You will find that I will soon whip you into shape."
"Ah, sir, how can we ever repay you?"
"Perhaps something may be worked out. Now, we must get started. Take me at once to your ruling body."
"Ah. Do you suppose the Council of Dreamers—?"
"Hmph; just the sort of thing we shall have done with once and for all. But we must start someplace, I suppose. Let us proceed."
They all climbed somewhat apprehensively into the vehicle. They proceeded.
Screed proceeded.
He proceeded, with Viola and Garten cheering and trailing along some little distance to the rear, to carry out his total plan. It was almost too easy.
"Almost," thought Screed as the obedient, grateful citizens of Nirva labored125 frantically126 to remake their world into a model Class II, Galactic Service AgPlan. "But then, no one else could ever make a start here. It is simply that, to a mind and character like mine, all things are easy."
He was, not for the first time, mildly surprised at his own brilliance127, and totally admiring.
Perhaps he was justified128. Certainly both Viola and the sometimes cynical129 seeming Garten were all awed130 respect. The reformation of Nirva advanced at a remarkable131 pace. The people, rudely awakened132 from a generations-long dream, were confused, aimless, purposeless. Like the bewildered representative at the space port, they wanted nothing more than a firm leader to give them direction. Having apparently no will of their own, they went to work with a will. Screed's will.
Screed was pleasantly surprised. It seemed that before the development of the "dream world of the group mind," some five hundred years before, they had been a progressive people with a modestly advanced technology. With the group mind, all of the old knowledge and technical abilities had, quite inadvertently, been passed on from generation to generation. Direction was all they needed. Having no power of resistance, they accepted it with total obedience133. When Screed said, as he often did, "You people are not here to think; you're here to do what I tell you," they smiled in whole-hearted agreement and did just what he told them. It was delightful134.
In five short weeks the reconstruction135 of Nirva was well advanced. New cities and smoke-belching factories were rising from old ruins. Fields were plowed136 and sowed.
And the space ship came back.
Reluctantly Screed cut short a series of final instruction conferences with his newly appointed deputy directors and administrators138. He picked up Viola and Garten from their quarters in the refurbished ruin of an ancient mansion139 on a hill overlooking the new capital and they rode to the space port in his vehicle, primitive140 in design but gleaming, shining like new in the rosy-pink sunshine.
The citizenry lined the roadway, torn between sobs141 and cheers. Screed, smiling, and sternly gracious, waved a regretful farewell. At the ship he paused for a last word with his senior deputy. In unfamiliar142 tones of anxious concern, he said, "Now, you have all my memos143 and instructions. You're sure you can handle it? Carry on just the way I have directed?"
"Of course, glorious supreme144 leader. In your wisdom you have pointed137 us the way. We shall not stray."
"Well—everything has been going well, very well. In a way I hate to leave and take the chance on your fouling145 everything up."
"We shall do our poor best, great leader."
"Yes," said Screed, doubtfully. "True enough. But even so—"
They could feel the space ship's screen cut off. The port opened.
From the vast crowd of Nirvans spread across the space port there came a great whispering noise, something between a sigh and a moan of sad farewell, as Screed turned and followed the other two through the port and into the ship.
"Ah, Captain," said Screed, smiling a thin smile of triumph. "You doubted my ability to remake Nirva. But now you have seen it. Quite a change, eh?"
"Oh sure. Quite a change. Of course, there always is."
"And, Captain, you will note that we are all here. All three of us. You have, I fear, lost your bet."
The Captain shrugged. "Better get to your cabin now, ready for take off."
In the cabin Screed settled back in a chair and looked up at the other two with an odd air of defiance146. "All right," he said, "I did it, didn't I? Just the way I told you."
"Screen on," said the Captain over the intercom.
To the three in the cabin the air seemed to turn shimmery147, hazy148, indistinct for a moment. Then it cleared.
Garten and Viola stood by the doorway, arm in arm, staring. Screed, Secad Screed, the leader, was gone.
"There," said Garten with deep satisfaction, "He did do it."
Viola sighed, smiling. "Darling! He did! It worked just the way you said it would. But I'm still not sure I quite understand why—or how."
"It doesn't really matter. But—you noticed he quit taking the anti-hypnotic pills after the first week?"
"Yes. Did that make any difference? The satellite worked, didn't it? And everything else went just the way he wanted it. It all seemed perfect—for him."
"Sure it did. And that was what he couldn't face losing."
"Hmm?"
"Well, it seemed that everything went exactly the way he imagined it would. The satellite worked. The people followed him. Everything. But maybe we all only imagined it. How can we be sure? After all, those things—plus our purely149 personal concerns that he was far too busy to take any note of—"
Viola blushed, quite charmingly for a plain, mousy little woman.
"—were what we were expecting too. How can we know, for sure, what was real and what was illusion?"
Viola looked suddenly offended.
"About the planet, I mean."
Viola looked mollified.
"But the planet—I think Screed is running the thing; I'm not sure. As long as he is there, he knows he is running it. Here—who knows? That was the chance he couldn't take, the chance his mind refused to face. If he were here, could he still be sure he was right?"
Viola smiled the feminine smile that dismisses a question no longer of personal consequence and snuggled closer to Garten. "Well," she said, "at least we know he isn't here. That's all that matters."
The End
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1
screed
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| n.长篇大论 | |
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2
sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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administrator
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| n.经营管理者，行政官员 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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stork
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| n.鹳 | |
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soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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chronically
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| ad.长期地 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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administrative
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| adj.行政的，管理的 | |
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wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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19
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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compulsory
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| n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的 | |
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asinine
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| adj.愚蠢的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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retirements
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| 退休( retirement的名词复数 )； 退职； 退役； 退休的实例 | |
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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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cuticle
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| n.表皮 | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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29
crackers
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| adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘 | |
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affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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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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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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prospector
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| n.探矿者 | |
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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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40
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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prospectors
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| n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 ) | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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44
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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degenerate
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| v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者 | |
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46
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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48
strut
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| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 | |
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49
coup
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| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
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50
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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51
prospecting
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| n.探矿 | |
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52
hoax
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| v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧 | |
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53
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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54
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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sensationally
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pacify
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| vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒)；抚慰 | |
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57
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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58
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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arrant
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| adj.极端的；最大的 | |
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60
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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61
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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disastrously
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| ad.灾难性地 | |
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65
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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66
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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67
disappearances
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| n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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transparently
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| 明亮地，显然地，易觉察地 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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immoral
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| adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的 | |
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clearance
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| n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理 | |
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sanest
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| adj.心智健全的( sane的最高级 )；神志正常的；明智的；稳健的 | |
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rankled
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| v.（使）痛苦不已，（使）怨恨不已( rankle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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analytical
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| adj.分析的；用分析法的 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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narcotic
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| n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的 | |
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counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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81
subjective
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| a.主观(上)的，个人的 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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83
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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84
obfuscating
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| v.使模糊，使混乱( obfuscate的现在分词 )；使糊涂 | |
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subjectively
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| 主观地； 臆 | |
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86
circumlocution
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| n. 绕圈子的话，迂回累赘的陈述 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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88
immaturity
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| n.不成熟；未充分成长；未成熟；粗糙 | |
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charlatanism
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| n.庸医术，庸医的行为 | |
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carnival
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| n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演 | |
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addicts
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| 有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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informatively
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| adv.提供信息地 | |
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anachronistic
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| adj.时代错误的 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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debark
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| v.卸载；下船，下飞机，下车 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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skeptic
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| n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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anticipatory
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| adj.预想的，预期的 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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110
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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111
salvage
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| v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救 | |
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112
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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113
shamefully
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| 可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地 | |
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114
combustion
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| n.燃烧；氧化；骚动 | |
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115
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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116
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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117
slovenly
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| adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的 | |
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118
exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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119
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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120
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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121
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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122
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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123
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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124
condescending
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| adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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125
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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126
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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127
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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133
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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135
reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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administrators
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| n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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141
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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143
memos
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| n.备忘录( memo的名词复数 )；（美）内部通知 | |
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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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145
fouling
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| n.（水管、枪筒等中的）污垢v.使污秽( foul的现在分词 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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shimmery
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| adj.微微发亮的 | |
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148
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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