The Players | Page 9

the slightly disreputable, hangdog manner, then
reached for his body shield controls.
Quickly, he cut out visibility, then actuated the levitator modulation
and narrowed out of the alley, rose over the city, and headed toward the
rugged mountains that formed the backbone of the island.
* * * * *
Lanko was waiting, and quickly lowered the base shield.
"Well," he asked, "how did it go?"
"I found him." Banasel walked over to the cabinets, and started sorting
the goods he had been carrying. "Sold him a miniature communicator.
Now, I hope he wears the thing."
"We'll have to keep a close watch on him," commented Lanko, "just in
case he puts it in his luggage and forgets about it. Did you give him a
good sales talk?"
"Sure. Told him to wear it always. I pawed the air, raved a little, and
made him think I was crazy. But I've an idea he'll remember and grab
the thing if he sees trouble coming." Banasel put the last ornament in its
place, and started unhooking his personal equipment. Then, he turned.
"Look," he commented, "why bother with all this mystic business?
We've got mentacoms. Why not just clamp onto him, and keep track of
him that way? It'd be a lot simpler. Less chance of a slip, too."
"Yeah, sure it would." Lanko gave his companion a disgusted look.
"But have you ever tried that little trick?"

"No. I never had the occasion, but I've seen guardsmen run remote
surveillances, and even exert control when necessary. They didn't have
any trouble. We could try it, anyway."
Lanko sat up. "We could try it," he admitted, "but I know what would
happen. I did try it once, and I found out a lot of things--quick." He
looked into space for a moment. "How old are you, Banasel?"
"Why, you know that. I'm forty-one."
Lanko nodded. "So am I," he said. "And our civilization is a few
thousand years old. And our species is somewhat older than that. We
were in basic Guard training, and later in specialist philosophical
training together. It took ten years, remember?"
"Sure. I remember every minute of it."
"Of course you do. It was that kind of training. But how old do you
think some of those young guardsmen we worked with were?"
"Why, most of 'em were kids, fresh from school."
"That they were. But how many years--our years--had they spent in
their schooling? How old were the civilizations they came from? And
how old were their species?"
Lanko eyed him wryly.
Banasel looked thoughtfully across the room. "I never thought of it that
way. Why, I suppose some of their forefathers were worrying about
space travel before this planet was able to support life. And, come to
think of it, I remember one of them making a casual remark about 'just
a period ago,' when he was starting citizen training."
"That's what I mean." Lanko nodded emphatically. "'Just a period.'
Only ten or twelve normal lifetimes for our kind of people. And his
civilization's just as old compared to ours as he is compared to
us--older, even.

"During that period he was so casual about, he was learning--practicing
with his mind, so that the older citizens of the galaxy could make full
contact with him without fear of injuring his mentality. He was learning
concepts that he wouldn't dare even suggest to you or to me. Finally,
after a few more periods, he'll begin to become mature. Do you think
we could pick up all the knowledge and training back of his handling of
technical equipment in a mere ten years of training?"
Banasel reached up, taking the small circlet from his head. He held it in
his hand, looking at it with increased respect.
"You know," he admitted, "I really hadn't thought of it that way. They
taught me to repair these things, among other pieces of equipment, and
most of the construction is actually simple. They taught me a few uses
for it, and I thought I understood it.
"Of course, I knew we were in contact with an advanced culture, and I
knew that most of those guys we treated so casually had something that
took a long time in the getting, but I didn't stop to think of the real
stretch of time and study involved." He leaned back, replacing the
mentacom on his head. "Somehow, they didn't make it apparent."
"Of course they didn't." Lanko spread his hands a little. "One doesn't
deliberately give children a feeling of inferiority."
"Yeah. Will we ever learn?"
"Some. Some day. But we've got a long, lonely road to travel first."
Lanko stood up and adjusted the communicator.
"Right now, though, we'd better keep tabs on Musa. In fact, we'd better
follow him when he leaves