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Slowly he raised his hand。 Carefully putting it out； over the anima The hand dropped a little； rubbed the stingwings head once； then fe。 back to his side。 The animal did nothing except stir slightly under th touch。
There was a concerted sigh； as those who had been unknowingl holding their breath； breathed again。
〃How did you do it？〃 Meta asked in a hushed voice。
〃Hmm； what？〃 Brucco said； apparently snapping out of a daze。 〃01 touching the thing。 Simple； really。 I just pretended it was one of di training aids I use； a realistic and harmless duplicate。 I kept my mm on that single thought and it worked。〃 He looked down at his ham then back to the stingwing。 His voice was quieter now； as if he spol from a distance。 〃It's not a training aid； you know。 It's real。 Deadl：
The off…worlder is right。 He's right about everything he said。〃
With Brucco's success as an example； Kerk came close to the anima He walked stiffly； as if on the way to his execution； and runnels
sweat poured down his rigid face。 But he believed and kept his though directed away from the stingwing and he could touch it unharmed。
Meta tried but couldn't fight down the horror it raised when si came close。 〃I am trying；〃 she said； 〃and I do believe you now…hi I just can't do it。〃
Skop screamed when they all looked at him； shouted it was all a tric＇
and had to be clubbed unconscious when he attacked the bowmen。 Understanding had e to Pyrnis。
28
〃What do we do now？〃 Meta asked。 Her voice was troubled； questioning。 She voiced the thoughts of all the Pyrrans in the room； and the thousands who watched in their screens。
〃What will we do？〃 They turned to Jason； waiting for an answer。 For the moment their differences were forgotten。 The people from the city were staring expectantly at him； as were the crossbowmen with half…lowered weapons。 This stranger had confused and changed the old world they had known； and presented them with a newer and stranger one； with alien problems。
〃Hold on；〃 he said； raising his hand。 〃I'm no doctor of social ills。 I'm not going to try and cure this planet full of musclebound sharpshooters。 I've just squeezed through up to now； and by the law of averages I should be ten times dead。〃
〃Even if all you say is true； Jason；〃 Meta said； 〃you are still the only person who can help us。 What will the future be like？〃
Suddenly weary； Jason slumped into the pilot's chair。 He glanced around at the circle of people。 They seemed sincere。 None of them even appeared to have noticed that he no longer had his hand on the pump switch。 For the moment； at least； the war between city and country was forgotten。
〃I'll give you my conclusions；〃 Jason said； twisting in the chair； trying to find a fortable position for his aching bones。 〃I've been doing a lot of thinking the last day or two； searching for the answer。 The very first thing I realized； was that the perfect and logical solution wouldn't do at all。 I'm afraid the old ideal of the lion lying down with the lamb doesn't work out in practice。 About all it does is make a fast lunch for the lion。 Ideally； now that you all know the real causes of your trouble； you should tear down the perimeter and have the city and forest people mingled in brotherly love。 Makes just as pretty a picture as the one of lion and lamb。 And would undoubtedly have the same result。 Someone would remember how really filthy the grubbers are； or how stupid junkmen can be； and there would be a fresh corpse cooling。 The fight would
spread and the victors would be eaten by the wildlife that swarmed over the undefended perimeter。 No； the answer isn't that easy。〃
As the Pyrrans listened to him； they realized where they were and glanced around uneasily。 The guards raised their crossbows again and the prisoners stepped back to the wall and looked surly。
〃See what I mean？〃 Jason asked。 〃Didn't take long； did it？〃 They al＇ looked a little sheepish at their unthinking reactions。
〃If we're going to find a decent plan for the future； we'll have to takc inertia into consideration。 Mental inertia； for one。 Just because you know a thing is true in theory； doesn't make it true in fact。 The barbaric religions of primitive worlds hold not a germ of scientific fact； though they claim to explain all。 Yet if one of these savages has all the logica＇ ground for his beliefs taken away； he doesn't stop believing。 He theii calls his mistaken beliefs 'faith' because he knows they are right。 Aml he knows they are right because he has faith。 This is an unbreakablc circle of false logic that can't be touched。 In reality； it is plain menta＇ inertia。 A case of thinking 'what always was' will also 'always be。' Anc not wanting to blast the thinking patterns out of the old rut。
〃Mental inertia alone is not going to cause trouble…there is culturai inertia too。 Some of you in this room believe my conclusions and woulc like to change。 But will all your people change？ The unthinking ones； the habit…ridden； reflex…formed people who know what is now； will al ways be。 They'll act like a drag on whatever plans you make； whatevei attempts you undertake to progress with the new knowledge you have。'
'Then it's useless； there's no hope for our world？〃 Rhes asked。
〃I didn't say that；〃 Jason answered。 〃I merely mean that your trouble won't end by throwing some kind of mental switch。 I see three course open for the future； and the chances are that all three will be going ox at the same time。
〃First…and best…will be the rejoining of city and country Pyrran into the single human group they came from。 Each is inplete now
and has something the other one needs。 In the city here you have scieno and contact with the rest of the galaxy。 You also have a deadly war。 Ou there in the jungle； your first cousins live at peace with the world； bu lack medicine and the other benefits of scientific knowledge； as well a any kind of cultural contact with the rest of mankind。 You'll both hay to join together and benefit from the exchange。 At the same time you'＇ have to forget the superstitious hatred you have of each other。 This wil only be done outside of the city； away from the war。 Every one of yoi who is capable should go out voluntarily； bringing some fraction of th knowledge that needs sharing。 You won't be harmed if you go in goo faith。 And you will learn how to live with this planet； rather thai
against it。 Eventually you'll have civilized munities that won't be either 'grubber' or 'junkman。' They'll be Pyrran。〃
〃But what about our city here？〃 Kerk asked。
〃It'll stay right here…and probably won't change in the slightest。 In the beginning yOu'll need your perimeter and defenses to stay alive； while the people are leaving。 And after that it will keep going because there are going to be any number of people here who you won't convince。 They'll stay and fight and eventually die。 Perhaps you will be able to do a better job in educating their children。 What the eventual end of the city will be； I have no idea。〃
They were silent as they thought about the future。 On the floor； Skop groaned but did not move。 〃Those are two ways；〃 Meta said。 〃What is the third？〃
〃The third possibility is my own pet scheme；〃 J