Tanayama did not blink. ‘I know that well, but it's the Euros who most recently dominated the planet, and they cannot forget it, can they?’
‘The others, perhaps, cannot forget that either, and they have more cause to hate.’
‘But it's Rotor that went flying off to escape from the Solar System.’
‘It happened to be they who had discovered hyper-assistance.’
‘And they went to a nearby star that only they knew of, one which is heading toward our Solar System and may pass closely enough to disrupt it.’
‘We don't know they know that, or that they even know the star.’
‘Of course they know it,’ said Tanayama with what was almost a snarl. ‘And they left without warning us.’
‘Director - with respect - this is illogical. If they are going to establish themselves on a star that will, on its approach, disrupt our Solar System, the star's own system will also be disrupted.’
‘They can easily escape, even if they build more Settlements. We have an entire world of eight billion people to evacuate - a much more difficult task.’
‘How much time do we have?’
Tanayama shrugged. ‘Several thousand years, they tell me.’
‘That's a great deal of time. It might not have occurred to them, just conceivably, that it was necessary to warn us. As the star approaches, it will surely be discovered without warning.’
‘And by that time, we will have less time to evacuate. Their discovery of the star was accidental. We should not have discovered it for a long time, but for your wife's indiscreet remark to you, and but for your suggestion - a good one - that we look closely at the part of the sky that had been omitted. Rotor was counting on our discovery being as belated as possible.’
‘But, Director, why should they want such a thing? Sheer motiveless hate?’
‘Not motiveless. So that the Solar System, with its heavy load of non-Euros, might be destroyed. So that humanity can make a new start on a homogeneous basis of Euros only. Eh? What do you think of that?’
Fisher shook his head helplessly. ‘Impossible. Unthinkable.’
‘Why else should they have failed to warn us?’
‘Might it not be that they did not themselves know of the star's motion?’
‘Impossible,’ said Tanayama ironically. ‘Unthinkable. There is no other reason for what they have done but their willingness to see us destroyed. But we will discover hyperspatial travel for ourselves, and we will move out to this new star and find them. And we will even the score.’
13. Dome
Eugenia Insigna greeted her daughter's statement with a half-laugh of disbelief. How does one go about doubting a young daughter's sanity as an alternative to doubting one's own hearing capacity?
‘What did you say, Marlene? What do you mean I'm going to Erythro?’
‘I asked Commissioner Pitt, and he said he would arrange it.’
Insigna looked blank. ‘But why?’
Betraying a bit of irritation, Marlene answered, ‘Because you say you want to make delicate astronomical measurements and you can't do it delicately enough from Rotor. You can do it from Erythro. But I see I'm not answering your real question.’
‘You're right. What I meant was why should Commissioner Pitt have said he would arrange it? I've asked several times before this, and he has always refused. He's unwilling to let anyone go to Erythro - except for some specialists.’
‘I just put it to him in a different way, Mother.’ Marlene hesitated a moment. ‘I told him that I knew he was anxious to get rid of you and this was his chance.’
Insigna drew in her breath so sharply that she choked slightly and had to cough. Then, eyes watering, she said, ‘How could you say that?’
‘Because it's true, Mother. I wouldn't have said it if it weren't true. I've heard him speak to you, and I've heard you speak about him, and it's just so clear that I know you see it, too. He's annoyed with you, and wishes you'd stop bothering him about - about whatever you bother him about. You know that.’
Insigna pressed her lips together and said, ‘You know, darling, I'm going to have to take you into my confidence from now on. It really embarrasses me to have you worm these things out.’
‘I know, Mother.’ Marlene's eyes dropped. ‘I'm sorry.’
‘But I still don't understand. You didn't have to explain to him that he's annoyed with me. He must know he is. Why, then, didn't he send me to Erythro when I asked him to do so in the past?’
‘Because he hates having anything to do with Erythro, and just getting rid of you wasn't enough to overcome his dislike of the world. Only this time it's not just you going. It's you and I. Both of us.’
Insigna leaned forward, placing her hands flat on the table between them. ‘No, Molly - Marlene. Erythro is not the place for you. I won't be there for ever. I'll take my measurements and come back and you'll stay right here and wait for me.’
‘I'm afraid not, Mother. It's clear that he's only willing to let you go because that's the only way he can get rid of me. That's why he agreed to send you when I asked that we both go, and wouldn't agree when you asked that just you go. Do you see?’
Insigna frowned. ‘No, I don't. I really don't. What do you have to do with it?’
‘When we were talking, and I explained that I knew he would like to get rid of both of us, his face froze - you know, so he could wipe out all expression. He knew I could understand expressions and little things like that, and he didn't me want to guess what he was feeling, I suppose. But that's also a giveaway, you see, and tells me a lot. Besides, you can't suppress everything. Your eyes flicker, and I guess you don't even know it.’
‘So you knew he wanted to get rid of you, too.’
‘Worse than that. He's scared of me.’
‘Why should he be scared of you?’
‘I suppose because he hates having me know what he doesn't want me to know.’ She added with a dour sigh, ‘Lots of people get upset with me for that.’
Insigna nodded. ‘I can understand that. You make people feel naked - mentally naked, I mean, like a cold wind is blowing across their minds.’
Her eyes focused on her daughter. ‘Sometimes I feel that way myself. Looking back, I think you've disturbed me since you were a small child. I told myself often enough that you were simply unusually intelli-’
‘I think I am,’ said Marlene quickly.
‘That, too, yes, but it was clearly something more than that, though I didn't see it very clearly. Tell me - do you mind talking about this?’
‘Not to you, Mother,’ said Marlene, but there was a note of caution in her voice.
‘Well then, when you were younger and found out that you could do this and other children couldn't - and even other grown-ups couldn't - why didn't you come and tell me about it?’
‘I tried once, actually, but you were impatient. I mean, you didn't say anything, but I could tell you were busy and couldn't be bothered with childish nonsense.’
Insigna's eyes widened. ‘Did I say it was childish nonsense?’
‘You didn't say it, but the way you looked at me and the way you were holding your hands said it.’
‘You should have insisted on telling me.’
‘I was just a little kid. And you were unhappy most of the time - about Commissioner Pitt, and about Father.’
‘Never mind about that. Is there anything else you can tell me now?’
There's only one thing,' said Marlene. ‘When Commissioner Pitt said we could go, there was something about the way he said it that made me think he left out something - that there was something he didn't say.’
‘And what was it, Marlene?’
‘That's just it, Mother. I can't read minds, so I don't know. I can only go by outside things and that leaves things hazy, sometimes. Still-’
‘Yes?’
‘I have the feeling that whatever it was he didn't say was rather unpleasant - maybe even evil.’