Brian W. Aldiss - HARM by Anonymous Author

Author:Anonymous Author
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Epingsoft
Published: 2012-10-04T04:00:00+00:00

He could not stop talking about this experience, mainly to young Wellmod. Ragundy was mocking. Utrersin could merely scratch his head and say, “We know what we know. We do what we do.” It was Wellmod who said, with a sigh, “These dogs have drawn something from their long insistence—no, I mean existence—here. If only we could unnerstand their commucations, we might learn something.”

“You say 'drawn something.’ So you think they have intelli­gence of a kind?”

“Unless what they perjected on you was a kind of dream. That doesn’t mean intelly gents, does it?”

“Well, intelligence at least of a basic kind. Anyhow, it wasn’t like a dream. At least not the kind of dreams we have. It was—what’s the word?—it kept on being the same. Sustained. Not like a dream is . . .”

Utrersin said, “It’s no use going on talking like this. It don’t help.”

“But we have to know,” said Fremant.

“Why, when the thing has buggered off?” said Ragundy in his jeering way.

Fremant rounded on him.

“It’s important, you fool! Why can’t you see that? This alien thing was trying to get in touch with me. To speak to me. So I believe. We’re stuck here on this planet and we know almost nothing about it. It has a long prehistory, it has a biomass—about which we know nothing. What are we doing but fooling around, fighting one another? We should be try­ing to come to terms, to an understanding, with the planet we live on.”

Ragundy jeered. “Okay, wise guy, so you sock this animal on the jaw! You’re as bad as the rest of us.”

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