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.Oh, it'syerself, General!.Who?.Oh, yes, he's here! You want to.Youdon't want to.You want to see him? Right now? Begging yerpardon, General, but-what's he done?.Oh? Oh, I see.Yes, yes, rightaway.Same to you, General.Right." He switched off andambled back to Dae "Well, well, my boy, seems you've attractednotice."Dar's mouth went dry."What'd I do now?" "Nothin", it seems, exceptmaybe a good job.He says it's not what you have done, but what youwill do, if you follow me.""I dont.""Neither do I.But that's what he said, and if you've any hopes of ourscheme working out, I think ye'd best get over there.Hop to it now,Dar! Lick-split!" Dar hopped."Yes, I really must thank you," Bhelabher agreed."Seeing the way thiscolony's been organized has been a revelation to me."aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBBr r"My thanks," Shacklar murmured."Still, it's scarcely in the samecategory as changing wine into water""It certainly seems not far less." Bhelabher beamed at Dar with owlishenthusiasm."Do you realize what this man has managed to inducehere? Hope! Optimism! An atmosphere of opportunity! A growing,progressing society!""Well, yes, I had sort of realized something of the sort." Darwondered if he was missing something."And it sure is darn near amiracle, compared to the ball-and-chain world this place was when Icame.""Compared to Terra! To the Proxima Centauri Electorate! To any ofthe Central Worlds! Do you realize what a paradise this is?"Dar stared."You like outdoor plumbing?" "I'll take it any day over thespiritual septic tank the Central Worlds have become! We've becomestratified there, young man, stratified! Do you know what thatmeans?""Uh-h-h-h-h." Dar rewound his memories to a conversation withCholly, six years ago, about the nature of tyranny."Yeah.It meansyou're either a subject or a ruler, and there's no way to change it."Bhelabher looked startled for a moment; then he nodded."Well put,well put!" He turned to Shacklar."Isn't it amazing how the simplerway of stating something so often catches the essence of it?" Heturned back to Dan "But you're quite right, young man, quite right-noone can move up.So the vast majority live out their lives in dull,repetitious desk jobs, with only 3DT, euphorics, and cabaret passesfor pleasures.""Sounds wonderful," Dar sighed."When do I get a chance to bebored?""I'm sure any of our Terran slaves would be delighted to trade placeswith you if they really had the slightest inkling of what you have here.And our 'fortunate few' would be even more eager-they can haveanything they want, but find nothing worth having.Still, they'reconvinced there must be some job worth having-so they spend theirlives in pursuit of some meaning in pleasure.""I'll find it." Dar raised a hand."Won't take me long, either ""I'm sure you would.The pleasures of the senses only seem to havemeaning when they're rare.So our poor privileged ones never canaaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBBr rfind the purpose they're seeking-but they keep looking for it."Dar frowned."Are you trying to tell me that the only real differencebetween the classes and the masses is that the classes' desperation isnoisy, and the masses' desperation is quiet?""No, I'm trying to tell you that the only difference that matters isbetween them and yourself-or, more accurately, between Terra andWolmar.Here, a mere private has as good a chance as the General ofgetting whatever pleasures are available-that is, if he earns his pointsand saves his credits."Dar nodded."I do.And now that you mention it, we all do have prettymuch the same, ah, forms of recreation."Shacklar nodded."The advantage of having very few pleasures."".and Cholly and the General, between them, keep opening upmore upper-level jobs, such as." Dar swallowed ".trading.""The advantage of an expanding economy." Shacklar leaned back,locking his fingers across his chest."Fortunately for us, the Wolmenhad a very unsophisticated technology.""True, you found all the elements here when you came," Bhelabheradmitted."But you also had the wisdom and ability to combine them!"Bhelabher's smile saddened."Such traits are rare.I, for example, lackboth.""You're wise to realize your limitations." Shacklar picked up a datacube and rolled it between his fingers."But I wonder-do you have assure a grasp of your strengths?""Oh, I think that I do." Bhelabher fairly beamed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]