That was the only aspect of Sarco's normal Myostrian routine that he would like to adopt as a permanent part of the Cerebron daily regime. The nomadic Cerebrons were never in one place long enough to find the icy brooks hidden in the forests scattered over their globe.
As he stroked west, his thoughts returned to Sarco's warning the previous afternoon concerning the danger posed by his deposed lieutenant, Neuronius. He had been quick to dismiss Neuronius as an empty threat when there were more important things to think about, but now, with those other issues either decided or in a dormant state awaiting further data, he considered the unhappy plight of Neuronius. What, if anything, could he do to help him? Extreme irrationality like that exhibited by Neuronius was rare, almost nonexistent, among the Ceremyons. And being so rare, their society had not developed any truly effective remedies for want of suitable subjects to study.
Being sensitive and compassionate, indispensable qualities of a true statesman, Synapo had difficulty viewing the problem dispassionately. He put himself with his feelings in Neuronius's position, trying to imagine how despondent Neuronius must feel at that moment. In his ignorance of the true nature of that irrationality, with his compassion clouding his judgment, he failed to appreciate the machinations possible by someone like Neuronius.
By dusk he was over the vast Forest of Respose, but still fifty kilometers from the Plain of Serenity. Despite the exertion of flight, he had recharged his cells to eighty percent of full capacity, so he tethered that night in the treetops with a feeling of satisfaction. He had been so empty and so hungry for such a long time he felt almost like a glutton, nearly sated.
He arrived over the compensator early the next afternoon and took up his station circling above the center of the shimmering dome. Far below he could see the golden Wohler-9 standing on the west side of the dome opening. The small alien leader and her personal servant were sitting in the creation Wohler-9 called a lorry.
Synapo kept Axonius in suspense for another four hours, and then just before dusk he summoned him by radio.
“I'll want you to accompany me to a meeting with the aliens at the usual time tomorrow morning. And notify Petorius that he is now a member of the elite.”
Saying nothing more, Synapo dropped to tether for the night in The Forest of Repose. That was how Axonius learned of his promotion and who would be the lucky Cerebron to come in at the bottom in the moves that would bump Neuronius from the top.
The next morning, Synapo was standing on the west side of the opening in the compensator with Axonius on his right, facing the small alien and her servant, the robot Jacob Winterson.
“My government has reconsidered your proposal for cohabitation of our planet, Miss Ariel Welsh,” Synapo said, opening the discussion, “and I am pleased to report that they reversed the position taken by our representatives during the last meeting with you.”
“That is good news, indeed,” the alien replied. “The dome will remain open then, so we may use it as a communications and transportation base?”
“If that is what you wish. What else is involved in this new proposal?”
“The Avery robots-like Wohler there-must be reprogrammed. That is no small undertaking. However, a task force I have summoned for that purpose will arrive late this afternoon.”
“I would like to meet with you and the leader of that task force tomorrow at this time,” Synapo said.
“For what purpose?” the small alien asked. “I doubt that he will be able to contribute anything of significance to our negotiations.”
“For the purpose of planning our mutual interaction in implementing your proposal and establishing a timetable for its completion. My Cerebrons are a nomadic tribe, anxious to be on the wing again. We have already stayed far longer at this Myostrian compensator than we find comfortable.
“If you can assure me that you are familiar with the details of reprogramming the Avery robots, then of course, the presence of the other leader would not be required. But you led me to believe otherwise.”
“Very well,” the small alien said. “We shall meet with you tomorrow morning.”
Good,Synapo thought. That meeting should show who is dominant - the he leader or the she leader-and should also resolve once and for all which species is superior, the Ceremyons or the aliens. He would like to think that it would make little difference in how the Ceremyons treated the aliens, but he knew otherwise; he knew that it would make a big difference, even to him, a statesman.
Chapter 15. Reunion
Wolruf brought her hyperspace jumper Xerborodezees down a half kilometer from the forest and a full kilometer from the line of robots and their vehicles streaming across the plain toward Oyster World's robot city.
They had hardly touched down before a lorry started from the city across the deep, golden grass, laying a trail on the prairie that pointed toward the Xerborodezees like an elongating arrow.
Wolruf traveled light. She had stowed everything she needed in one small bag slung around SilverSide's neck. The two of them were sitting at the top of the access ramp, from which they could look out over the tall, waving grass and watch the approaching lorry.
Stepping carefully between them, Mandelbrot had unloaded Derec's gear from the ship by the time the lorry arrived. But SilverSide could clearly see and distinguish the two occupants of the open lorry long before it reached the ship, since both occupants were standing up.
“The one Derec calls Ariel, which is she?” SilverSide asked.
“The small one on 'urn left,” Wolruf replied.
“Then the tall one must be the robot Jacob Winterson.”
“I've neverrr met 'im, but I pressume so,” Wolruf said. “Jacob iss Ariel's personal robot, and that body in the lorry certainly matches Derec's description. 'e looks 'uman, but Derec said Ariel wass the only 'uman on the planet, so that's got to be Jacob.”
“Are the females always smaller and more delicate?”
“Generally. And that's true of most animal species in the galaxy. I'm certainly smallerrr than my consort.”
“Yes, your library file told of you as a female,” SilverSide said. “And I've considered you so without fully understanding the deeper significance, which seems to exist beyond the functional reproductive purpose. Derec seems driven by many other emotions when he talks of Ariel.”
“Just as Beores wass driven by otherrr emotions when 'e talked of Latiel. “
“I don't understand. Who were they?”
“The first beingss that werrr created, according to ancient myths.”
“Not the first humans. That would be Adam and Eve, according to the library history files.”
“Okay, put it in 'uman terms. The first man and the first woman.”
“And do all males have this strong affinity for females?”
“Mostly. Some don't, but they'rn a small minority.”
“I can understand that such a feeling is necessary to promote the reproduction of the species. But Derec's emotions seem involved with feelings far beyond simple procreation. And that is confusing beyond even the confusion-my lack of understanding-of the nature of biological emotions in general.”
“Emotions can be just as confusing to those experiencing them,” Wolruf said, “so 'urn confusion iss understandable and nothing to worry about.”
“Worry?” SilverSide said as though she were considering the idea for the first time. “Is that an emotion?”
“'es. All this concern 'u seem to 'ave over the sexes doess seem to amount to worry, wouldn't 'u say?”
“A perturbation of some sort from a mean of some sort is the only way I can express it-something which I would rather didn't continue, but which I don't seem able to prevent.”
“A good description of worry,” Wolruf said.