John Boyd by Rakehells Of Heaven

Author:Rakehells Of Heaven [Heaven, Rakehells Of]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Published: 2012-11-28T03:20:12+00:00

the most formal of relationships.

At our Sixth-day conclave, Red reacted more strongly to my new plans than

he had to my request for a mutual defection.

"Of all the crackpot ideas! I'd rather see you defect, be listed as

missing, than turn yourself into a colonial administrator. Quit using

religious absolutes as a chastity belt and take the girl. We could qualify

this planet for the World's Brotherhood with a little luck."

"The I.C.A. has no jurisdiction over separate-but-equal planets," I

pointed out, "and Cousin Leroy could never get me an ambassador's job. He's

at odds with the state department. . . . Anyway, we can't qualify Harlech."

"Why not? You're giving it law and working on a Supreme Being. The boys

and girls are covered and they've got separate toilets."

"There's no military," I said. "Harlech can't defend itself from

intruders."

"It could have a defense in six months. Those trylon could convert to

laser batteries and blast any space flee out of the galaxy."

"But that would be us!"

"Not you and me, unless you were with the I.C.A. Think of what the

I.C.A. would do to this planet. In six months, these universities would be

factories making low-cost transistor radios. Our students would be weaving

carpets with their toes."

"Don't you want a colony?" I asked in astonishment.

"Hell no! I'm an Irishman. This is no planet for a cloacal empire of

pissoirs, production, platitudes and parsons."

"You're way out of line, boy," I reminded him, "even for a drunken shanty

Irishman. With one exception, these yahoos are walking units of conditioned

behavior subject to the whims of a dean who may not exist — " I caught

myself. In my anger I had revealed a facet of my secret thinking, and I

hurried on to create a diversion. "They're no more to be classified as human

beings than are ground bees. You're talking treason."

"Aye, my fellow traitor. But look who speaks of conditioned behavior.

You were brainwashed starting with the day you walked into Mandan."

"I never thought this of you, O'Hara," I said.

"You never think, Adams. You're conditioned not to. Now, go meditate on

that, meditator."

"I'm going," I said. "But don't you say another word. One more

treasonous remark from you and that class of yours will be treated to the

Earth rites of a funeral — yours."

I slid from the stool and backed out, my fists up, prepared to charge,

but to Red's credit he said nothing, not a word. Minutes later, I meditated,

not only over what he had said but what he had not said. Had he held his

tongue from fear of me or from the fear that I, in my anger, might commit an

act to endanger my soul? With Red, I never knew.

Even though spoken in anger, his words troubled me. I was not

conditioned. Astronauts did not preach the Word, and indeed, I, too,

considered these beings the equal of humans. Yet, I would seize every

technicality, and there were many, which would forfeit any right of

Harlechians to co-status with _homo sapiens_.

For my good and personal reasons, Harlech would become a colony of Earth.

Next, without dwelling on the political ramifications, I outlined my plan

to Cara, explaining merely that I would leave and return to her at the end of

a year.

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