Last Castle by Jack Vance & Robert Silverberg

Author:Jack Vance & Robert Silverberg [Vance, Jack & Silverberg, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780812501940
Google: puK8PwAACAAJ
Amazon: 0425084787
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 1980-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

VII

Xanten reported to the council.

“The spaceships cannot be used. The Meks have rendered them inoperative. Any plan to solicit assistance from the Home Worlds is pointless.”

“This is sorry news,” said Hagedorn with a grimace. “Well then so much for that.”

Xanten continued. “Returning by power-wagon I encountered a tribe of Nomads. I summoned the hetman and explained to him the advantages of serving Castle Hagedorn. The Nomads, I fear, lack both grace and docility. The hetman gave so surly a response that I departed in disgust. “At Far Valley I visited the Expiationist village, and made a similar proposal, but with no great success. They .are as idealistic as the Nomads are churlish. Both are of a fugitive tendency. The Expiationists spoke of taking refuge in the mountains. The Nomads presumably will retreat into the steppes.”

Beaudry snorted. “How will flight help them? Perhaps they gain a few years but eventually the Meks will find every last one of them; such is their methodicity.”

“In the meantime,” 0. Z. Garr declared peevishly, “we might have organized them into an efficient combat corps, to the benefit of all. Well, then, let them perish! We are secure.” “Secure yes,” said Hagedorn gloomily. “But what when the power fails? When the lifts break down? When air circulation cuts off so that we either stifle or freeze? What then?” 0. Z. Garr gave his head a grim shake. “We must steel ourselves to undignified expedients, with as good a grace as possible. But the machinery of the castle is sound, and I expect small deterioration or failure for conceivably five or ten years. By that time anything may occur.” Claghorn, who had been leaning indolently back in his seat, spoke at last: “Essentially this is a passive program. Like the defection of the Nomads and Expiationists, it looks very little beyond the immediate moment.”

0. Z. Garr spoke in a voice carefully polite. “Claghorn is well aware that I yield to none in courteous candor, as well as optimism and directness: in short, the reverse of passivity. But ,1 refuse to dignify a stupid little inconvenience by extending it serious attention. How can he label this procedure ‘passivity’? Does the worthy and honorable head of the Claghorns have a proposal which more effectively maintains our status, our standards, our self-respect?”

Claghorn nodded slowly, with a faint half-smile which 0. Z. Garr found odiously complacent. “There is a simple and effective method by which the Meks might be defeated.” “When then!” cried Hagedom. “Why hesitate? Let us hear it!”

Claghorn looked around the red velvet-covered table, considered the faces of all: the dispassionate Xanten; Beaudry, with his burly, rigid, face muscles clenched in an habitual expression unpleasantly like a sneer; old Isseth, handsome, erect and vital as the most dashing cadet; Hagedorn, troubled, glum, his inward perplexity all too evident; the elegant Garr;

Overwhele, thinking savagely of the inconveniences of the future; Aure, toying with his ivory tablet, either bored, morose or defeated; the others displaying various aspects of doubt, foreboding, hauteur,

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.