Days of Glory by Brian Stableford

Author:Brian Stableford [Stableford, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, Science Fiction
Goodreads: 8840434
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1971-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

A LITTLE TRUTH

A little truth can be as dangerous as a little knowledge. Blackstar had been told a little of the truth by two very sincere men. It did not altogether calm his fears, but it caused him to lay them aside temporarily. It did not occur to him that Hornwing and Deathdancer could be as ignorant about Eagleheart as he was himself.

With nothing resolved, the two fleets left Stonebow. The Beasts returned to Diadema, the Humans to their new base on Sandaval. But Alexander Blackstar was not with the Beasts when they landed on Sandaval: he went to Home alone. He wanted to talk to his father.

What he wanted to discuss with Starcastle was fairly simple, but not very clear in his mind. He wanted to talk about what Starbird had done, and what Starbird ought to do, and what the Beasts had done. He asked for advice, but Starcastle refused to pass any judgments on the actions of his second son. On the matter of the Beasts, he was more willing to speak.

“There is nothing we can do but wait,” said Starcastle definitely. It was the code he lived by: inaction in the face of everything. But Blackstar did not understand that. He accepted the advice.

“Hornwing seems to be a good man. He has confidence in Eagleheart. Do you think lie is right?”

“How can I know that? How can even Hornwing know that? We can all see and judge what Eagleheart does and says. It is what he intends to do that matters. And what Eagleheart believes.”

“And what does Eagleheart believe?”

“Something, apparently, which makes him want to continue the war. Something which wants to set the Beast race against the Human race. Perhaps it is simply that he believes our races are different. If so, then he and I agree. Perhaps he feels that tire Beasts have earned the galaxy, that they made it what it is, and that Humans are unnecessary. Perhaps he thinks that there is injustice in the fact that the Humans own what the Beasts have made. Again I am forced to agree.”

Blackstar was aghast. “But that’s nonsense! Beast or Human, we are all men. What does it matter who wears the mark of the Beast and who does not? We have inherited what we have from our fathers. There is no injustice in the fact that the Humans own the starworlds where the Beasts live. The Beasts have their lords too. If we are not necessary, then neither are tire Beast lords. Including Eagleheart.”

Starcastle laughed. “Under our precious code of honor, around which the galaxy revolves, it is a grave sin to question another man’s station, to say that he is less or more than you. To every man his place and his integrity. But die whole structure of galactic civilization is built on the premise that one man is better than another, that a Human is better than a Beast.

“Never mind whether it’s true or not, or even whether it means anything at all.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.