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.The monsters had smashed the transmitter in theirpursuit of Laughing Girl.He switched off his own transmitter and said in answer to Beeling'squestioning, irritated look, "Alocal tornado.Sometimes one will precede the Big Tide and push a small tideahead of it.""They awrfur crose behind her," Loper said.He looked at Beeling with worryand accusation in his eyes."We are supposed to go after her yesterday but yousay, 'No.' Now, maybe awready they are catch her and kirr her."Beeling glanced at Loper with the same momentary curiosity he had exhibitedbefore, then he gave his full attention to Selsin.He began in a tone ofsmooth sincerity:"You are an exceptionally intelligent person, Chief Selsin, or you would neverhave risen to your position as leader.Therefore, I know you are far too wiseto betray the trust of your people in you by making the wrong choice of thetwo kinds of future offered your world."Should you refuse to cooperate with us, we would be forced to reroute ourships through other sectors of space and your world would see no more of usfor centuries to come.You would continue to stagnate here you are no doubtaware that the resources of your world are such that you can never leave itwithout our help.Your unlimited wealth of minerals is of no use to you youhave no coal deposits, no trees, nothing but scrawny shrubs with which to makea meager supply of charcoal for smelting.There is no oil on your world; youhave no fuel for steam engines or internal combustion engines.Yourenvironment will force you to remain in a state of barbarism, nomads in animalskins, with privation your only known way of life."This we can alter for you, in wondrous ways beyond your imagining.We willgive you atomic furnaces, processing plants, manufacturing machinery.We willhelp you build factories that will produce not only all the things you needbut also luxuries beyond counting the very same luxury goods our own societyuses! And we will give you costless and unlimited power for your factories andhomes and vehicles by showing you how to get it out of a rock which is to befound all over your world; a magic rock we call 'uranium' but for which youprobably don't even have a name."* * *Beeling paused, as though for effect.He was smiling at Selsin, very sure ofhimself."Choose, Chief Selsin! Will you condemn your race to a future of poverty andstagnation by refusing to cooperate with us? Or will you give them all theachievements and luxuries of a civilization three thousand years in advance oftheirs will you be the wise leader and accept this tremendous payment which weoffer for merely your race's friendship?"Selsin stood up, on his face an anger and hatred such as Rider had never seen.He looked down atBeeling and gave his answer in words that came like the spitting of a tiger:"My people's insignificant friendship is not for sale today, human!"Beeling gaped in incredulous disbelief."You refuse?"Selsin turned to Rider."We believed your promise, until your reinforcements came.Even then we stillPage 160ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhad a faint hope that you humans were sincere.Now I know we were wrong.It isbetter so.""You know we can't prove our good intentions," Rider answered."Not here andnow, in this room.""I realize that.But I wanted to know the attitude of your superior toward myrace.As he regarded us, so likely would all the others who would follow him.My people and I wanted to know if we would be regarded with respect, or if wewould be dismissed as an inferior species to be used for human purposes."I learned.We are backward barbarians, simple savages who can be bought andthen ignored."Through the anger on Selsin's face something like regret showed for a moment,something like a look of farewell."I do not think it is your fault but you are one of them and responsible withthem.This is our world and we will live here and fight here and die here butwe will be no race's inferiors here."Then the regret was gone as Selsin turned back to Beeling."You will be given until sunrise tomorrow to recall your ship and leave thisworld.If you and all the other humans are not gone by then, we will have nochoice but to remove you."Then, not waiting for an answer, Selsin strode to the door.Beeling half rose, still gaping with amazement."Wait"* * *The door closed behind Selsin's broad back and Beeling ordered sharply, "Callhim back, Rider!Something is wrong he didn't understand my offer."Rider listened to Selsin's dragon-beast departing in a fast trot."Heunderstood you," he said toBeeling."But you cooked our goose by not understanding him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]