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〃Falling steadily。 If you own participations on Secundus； you had better have me carry back instructions to your broker。 Lazarus； I noticed that you classed 'man' as a wild animal…〃
〃He is。 You can kill him； but you can't tame him。 The worst bloodbaths in history derive from attempting to tame him。〃
〃I wasn't arguing it； Ancestor。 I'm a mathematic~ historiographer； my nose is rubbed in that fact。 But has news reached here of the flight of the 'Vanguard'？ The original 'Vanguard；' I mean…pre…Diaspora。〃
Lazarus sat up so suddenly that he almost spilled Ishtar off his couch。 He caught her。 〃Sorry； honey。 Justin…keep talk
ing。〃…
〃I didn't intend to talk about the 'Vanguard' herself…〃
〃I want to hear about her。 I hear no objection； it is so ruled。 Talk； Son！〃
The protocol of a salon feast having gone to pieces； I talked； first reviewing some ancient history。 Although it has almost been forgotten； the New Frontiers was not the first starship。 She had an older sister； the Vanguard； that left the Solar System a few years earlier than the momentous date on which Lazarus Long mandeered the New Frontiers； She was headed for Alpha Centauri but never reached there…no signs of visitation were ever found on the one possible pla； a Terran type around Alpha Centauri A； the only G…type star in that volume。
But the ship herself was found by accident； in open orbit a long way from where she should have been by any rational assumption based on her mission…discovered nearly a century ago and this tells the difficulties of historiography when ships are the fastest means of munication； this story echoed back to Secundus via five colonial plas before it reached Archives…a few years after Lazarus left New Rome； a few
years before I went to Boondock as （nominal） courier for the Chairwoman Pro Tern。 Not that a century's delay matters； as the news interested only fusty specialists。 To most people it was an uninteresting confirmation of an' inconsequential bit of ancient history。
Everything in the Vanguard was dead while the ship herself was sleeping； her converter automatically shut down； her atmosphere almost leaked away； her records so destroyed； illegible； inplete； or desiccated as to distress one。 The Vanguard matters only to antiquarians and such…although she will remain an endless trove to deviants such as me…if we don't lose her again。 Space is deep。
But the interesting thing about the find is that when the Vanguard was backtracked ballistically by puter； it showed that she had passed close to a Sol…type star seven centuries earlier。 A check of that system turned up one pla Terran in type； it was found to be inhabited by H。 sapiens。 Butnot from the Diaspora。 From the Vanguard。
〃Lazarus； there is no possible doubt。 Those few thousand savages on that pla…designated 'Pitcairn Island；' the catalog number escapes me…are descended from some who reached there； presumably by ship's boat； seven centuries before they were found。 They had reverted to precivilization food…gathering stage； and had the pla ratber than the ship been found first； it might have started another of those stories about …a b？eed of humans not derived from old Terra。
〃But their argot； fed into a linguistic analyzer…synthesizer； played back as that version of English which was the 'Vanguard's' working language。 Reduced vocabulary； new words； degenerate syntax…but the same ；language。〃
〃Their myths； Justin； their myths！〃 Galahad…Obadiah demanded。
I was forced to admit that I did not have it all on tap but promised to make a ful' copy for him and send it via the first ship。 〃But； Senior； the interesting thing is that these savages； so wild and fierce that in dealing with them more scientists were killed than savages…〃 …
〃Hooray for them。 Son； those savages were minding their own business on their own pla。 An intruder can expect whatever he gets。 Up to him to keep his guard up。〃
〃I suppose so。 Three scientists were eaten before they figured out how to deal with these pseudo…aborigines。 By remotely controlled humanoid robots； that is。 But the point I wanted to make was not their fierceness but their intelligence。 Believe me or not； by every test that could be used； these wild
men； these savages； checked superior to norm。 Much superior。 By the bell curve…they land in the range of 'exceptionally gifted' to 'genius…plus。'〃
〃You expect me to be surprised？ Why？〃
〃Well… Savages。 And probably closely inbred。〃
〃You're baiting me； Justin； you know better…although possibly Ira signed you to be Stimulator。 All right； I'll take the bait。 'Savage' describes a cultural condition； not a degree of intelligence。 Nor does inbreeding damage a gene pool if conditions for survival are extreme； since you describe them as cannibals； they probably ate their culls。 From the shape the ship was in； it is fair to assume that their ancestors landed with little or nothing…possibly bare hands and a hatful of ignorance 。 。 in which case only the most able； the smartest； could survive。 Justin； the crew of that first ship averaged far more intelligent than the Howards who escaped in the 'New Frontiers'； they were picked for intelligence…whereas the original Howard selectees were picked only for longevity； not for brainpower。 Your savages were descended solely from geniuses 。 。 then passed through Allah alone knows how many ordeals that kill off the stupid and leave only the；；； smartest to breed。 What does that leave？〃 …
I admitted that I had tossed him a baiting question to see how he would answer。 The Senior nodded。 〃I know you're not stupid； Son； I had 4thene give' me a runback on your ancestry。 But I have often been amazed at how the moderately bright and moderately well…informed…which describes no one in this happiness circle； so no one need pretend to modesty…~……how often such somewhat superior people have trouble ing to grips with the ancient silk…purse…and…sow's…ear problem。 If heredity were not overwhelmingly more important than environment； you could teach calculus to a horse。
〃In my early days it was an article of faith among a selfstyled 'intellectual elite' that they could teach calculus to a horse 。 。 if they started early enough； spent enough money； supplied' special tutoring； and were endlessly patient and always careful not to bruise his equine ego。 They were so sincere that it seems downright ungrateful that the horse always persisted in being a horse。 Especially as they were right 。
if 'starting early enough' is defined as a million years or more。
〃But those savages will make it； they can't avoid winning。 The problem in reverse is more horridly interesting。 Justin~ do you realize that we Howards killed off Old Terra？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Now； now； Son； you're not supposed to answer in such a way as to chop off conversation 。 。 thereby leaving us with nothing tp do but get drunk and cuddle the girls。〃
〃Swell！〃 Obadiah…Galahad shouted。 〃Let's！〃 He had Mmerva with him at that moment； he grabbed her and flipped her over facing him。 〃Little whatever…your…name…is； do you have any last words？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃'Yes' what？〃
〃Just 'Yes。' That's my last word。〃
〃Galahad；〃 said Ishtar； 〃if you're going to rape Mine'rva； drag her back of the fountain。？I want to hear 'what Justin means by that。〃
〃How can I rape her when she won't fight？〃 he plained。
〃You've always been able to solve that problem。 But do it quietly。 Justin； I find myself shocked。 It seems to me that we've been quite generous in supplying Old Home Terra with new technologies…and there's not much else we can give them。 Didn't the last migrant transport e back only half loaded？〃
〃I'll answer it；〃 Lazarus growled。 〃Justin might pretty it up。 Not all the Howards。 Two。 Andy Libby provided the weapon； I delivered the coup de grace。 Space travel killed Earth。〃
Ishtar looked troubled。 〃Grandfather； I don't understand。〃
〃She calls me that when I've been naughty；〃 the Senior confided to me。 〃It's her way of spanking me。 Ish darling； you' are young and sweet and have spent your life studying biology； not history。 Earth was doomed in any case； space travel just hurried it along。 By 2012 it wasn't fit to live on…so I spent the next century elsewhere； although the other real 'estate in the Solar System is far from attractive。 Missed seeing Europe destroyed； missed a nasty dictatorship in my home country。 Came back when things appeared to be tolerable； found that they weren't…and that's when the Howards had to 'run for it。
〃But space travel can't ease the pressure on a pla grown too 鑢owded； not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships…because stupid people won't leave the slopes of their home volcano…even when it starts to smoke and rumble。 What space travel does do is drain off the best brains：
those smart enough to see a catastrophe before it happens and with the guts to pay the price…。abandon home； wealth； friends； relatives； everything…and go。 That