Upstarts, Page 3

arrange something alittle more trustworthy, I believe. On your side, you have the power todestroy our only planet at any time. That is certainly adequate securityfor our own good behavior and sincerity.

  "It is impossible for us of Earth to destroy all of your planets. As youhave said, there are more planets that belong to you than there arehuman beings on Earth. But there is a way for us to be reasonably surethat you will behave yourselves. You will transfer to us, at once, ahundred of your planet-destroying bombs. That will be a sufficientsupply to let us test some of them, to see that they are in good workingorder. Then, if you try any kind of double-cross, we will be able to useour own methods--which you cannot prevent--to send one of those bombshere to destroy this planet.

  "And if you try to move anywhere else, by your clumsy distorter drive,we can follow you, and destroy any planet you choose to land on. Youwould not get away from us. We can track you without any difficulty.

  "We wouldn't use the bombs lightly, to be sure, because of what wouldhappen to Earth. And don't think that blowing up our planet would saveyou, because we naturally wouldn't keep the bombs on Earth. How doesthat sound to you?"

  "Ridiculous," snorted Ggaran. "Impossible."

  After several minutes of silent consideration, "It is an excellentplan," said His Effulgence. "It is worthy of the thinking of The Peopleourselves. You Earthlings will make very satisfactory allies. What yourequest will be provided without delay. Meanwhile, I see no reason whywe cannot proceed with our discussions."

  "Nor do I," consented Crownwall. "But your stooge here doesn't seem veryhappy about it all."

  His Effulgence wiggled his tentacles. "I'm afraid that Ggaran hadexpected to take what you Earthlings have to offer without givinganything in return. I never had any such ideas. I have notunderestimated you, you see."

  "That's nice," said Crownwall graciously.

  "And now," Ggaran put in, "I think it's time for you to tell ussomething about how you get across light-years of space in a few hours,without leaving any traces for us to detect." He raised a tentacle tostill Crownwall's immediate exclamation of protest. "Oh, nothing thatwould give us a chance to duplicate it--just enough to _indicate_ how wecan make use of it, along with you--enough to allow us to _begin_ tomake intelligent plans to beat the claws off the Master Race."

  * * * * *

  After due consideration, Crownwall nodded. "I don't see why not. Well,then, let me tell you that we don't travel in space at all. That's why Ididn't show up on any of your long-range detection instruments. Instead,we travel in time. Surely any race that has progressed as far as yourown must know, at least theoretically, that time travel is entirelypossible. After all, we knew it, and we haven't been around nearly aslong as you have."

  "We know about it," said Ffallk, "but we've always considered ituseless--and very dangerous--knowledge."

  "So have we, up until the time you planted that bomb on us. Anyone whotried to work any changes in his own past would be almost certain to endup finding himself never having been born. So we don't do any meddling.What we have discovered is a way not only of moving back into the past,but also of making our own choice of spatial references while we do it,and of changing our spatial anchor at will.

  "For example, to reach this planet, I went back far enough, using Earthas the spatial referent, to move with Earth a little more than a thirdof the way around this spiral nebula that is our Galaxy. Then I shiftedmy frame of reference to that of the group of galaxies of which ours issuch a distinguished member.

  "Then of course, as I continued to move in time, the whole Galaxy movedspatially with reference to my own position. At the proper instant Ishifted again, to the reference frame of this Galaxy itself. Then I wasstationary in the Galaxy, and as I continued time traveling, your ownmighty sun moved toward me as the Galaxy revolved. I chose a point wherethere was a time intersection of your planet's position and my own. Whenyou got there, I just changed to the reference plane of this planet I'mon now, and then came on back with it to the present. So here I am. Itwas a long way around to cover a net distance of 26 light-years, but itwas really very simple.

  "And there's no danger of meeting myself, or getting into anyanachronistic situation. As you probably know, theory shows that theseare excluded times for me, as is the future--I can't stop in them."

  "Are you sure that you haven't given us a little too much informationfor your own safety?" asked Ffallk softly.

  "Not at all. We were enormously lucky to have learned how to controlspatial reference frames ourselves. I doubt if you could do it inanother two million years." Crownwall rose to his feet. "And now, YourEffulgence, I think it's about time I went back to my ship and drove ithome to Earth to make my report, so we can pick up those bombs and startmaking arrangements."

  "Excellent," said Ffallk. "I'd better escort you; my people don't likestrangers much."

  "I'd noticed that," Crownwall commented drily.

  "Since this is a very important occasion, I think it best that we makethis a Procession of Full Ceremony. It's a bother, but the proprietieshave to be observed."

  * * * * *

  Ggaran stepped out into the broad corridor and whistled a shrilltwo-tone note, using both his speaking and his eating orifices. A cohortof troops, pikes at the ready and bows strapped to their backs, leapedforward and formed a double line leading from His Effulgence's sanctumto the main door. Down this lane, carried by twenty men, came a largesedan chair.

  "Protocol takes a lot of time," said His Effulgence somewhat sadly, "butit must be observed. At least, as Ambassador, you can ride with me inthe sedan, instead of walking behind it, like Ggaran."

  "I'm glad of that," said Crownwall. "Too bad Ggaran can't join us." Heclimbed into the chair beside Ffallk. The bearers trotted along at sevenor eight kilometers an hour, carrying their contraption with absolutesmoothness. Blasts from horns preceded them as they went.

  When they passed through the huge entrance doors of the palace andstarted down the ramp toward the street, Crownwall was astonished to seenobody on the previously crowded streets, and mentioned it to Ffallk.

  "When the Viceroy of the Seventy Suns," said the Viceroy of the SeventySuns, "travels in state, no one but my own entourage is permitted towatch. And my guests, of course," he added, bowing slightly toCrownwall.

  "Of course," agreed Crownwall, bowing back. "Kind of you, I'm sure. Butwhat happens if somebody doesn't get the word, or doesn't hear yourtrumpeters, or something like that?"

  Ggaran stepped forward, already panting slightly. "A man with knots inall of his ear stalks is in a very uncomfortable position," heexplained. "Wait. Let me show you. Let us just suppose that that runnerover there"--he gestured toward a soldier with a tentacle--"is acivilian who has been so unlucky as to remain on the street after HisEffulgence's entourage arrived." He turned to one of the bowmen who ranbeside the sedan chair, now strung and at the ready. "Show him!" heordered peremptorily.

  In one swift movement the bowman notched an arrow, drew and fired. Thearrow hissed briefly, and then sliced smoothly through the soldier'sthroat.

  "You see," said Ggaran complacently, "we have very little trouble withcivilians who violate this particular tradition."

  His Effulgence beckoned to the bowman to approach. "Your results weresatisfactory," he said, "but your release was somewhat shaky. The nexttime you show such sloppy form, you will be given thirty lashes."

  He leaned back on the cushion and spoke again to Crownwall. "That's thetrouble with these requirements of civilization. The men of my immediateguard must practice with such things as pikes and bows and arrows, whichthey seldom get an opportunity to use. It would never do for them to usemodern weapons on occasions of ceremony, of course."

  "Of course," said Crownwall, then added, "It's too bad that you can'tprovide them with live targets a little more often." He stifled ashudder of distaste. "Tell me, Your Effulgence, does the Emperor'srace--the Master Race--also enjoy the type of c
ivilization you have justhad demonstrated for me?"

  "Oh, no. They are far too brutal, too morally degraded, to know anythingof these finer points of etiquette and propriety. They are really anuncouth bunch. Why, do you know, I am certain that they would have hadthe bad taste to use an energy weapon to dispose of the victim in a casesuch as you just witnessed! They are really quite unfit to rule. Theycan scarcely be called civilized at all. But we will soon put a stop toall of that--your race and mine, of course."

  "I