The little man grinned widely. "Ha! You are speaking to the man best-equipped on the planet to tell you that story!"
The abandonment was the final straw, sending the anti-Empire Populists into the streets in weeklong riots. Their fury led them to destroy anything they associated with the Empire. The empty Governor's palace was burned, along with the huge library that had been an Emperor's gift. Even the power plants were razed and stripped of their valuable heavy metals. Uniformed techs in any discipline were mobbed and killed. The leader of the movement tried to calm the rioters and limit the damage, but the rioters were in a blood rage. They surged through the capital city, destroying anything and anyone who could be identified with the Empire. By the time the last Empire representatives reached the system's jump point, the destruction of civilization on Jumbo was well underway.
Similar carnage occurred in the planet's other cities, though on a lesser scale. Warned by the happenings in the capital, city governments moved to control the rioting, with varying success.
For a while, there was power outside the capital, as undamaged rural power plants continued to operate and broadcast power. But the capital and the other cities were dark, uninhabitable. Only a few scavengers remained, living by looting. But as the water soured and food stocks were depleted, even they were forced into the countryside.
Refugees streamed from the cities, hungry, frightened, and desperate. The countryside was unable to cope with this flood. Bands of hungry, desperate people roamed the land. Farms were overrun, their livestock butchered, their crops ruined. Power receptors were ripped out for the valuable metals they contained. Eventually, now-useless generators were also stripped for their metal. The downward spiral turned steep. Millions died in rioting, starvation, and murder. Order broke down.
"So fast?" Cale questioned, shocked by the suddenness of it.
Hiraf nodded. "In less than a year, Jumbo went from an advanced, civilized planet to using wood and dung for heat and light." He sighed. "Apparently, civilization is only a thin veneer over a core of barbarism."
The cities were deserted and in ruins. Without power, they were unlivable. Small farming communities began to again dot the landscape. But now they were walled and defended against the marauding bands that roamed Jumbo. Many of the communities had "warrior" leaders. Wars were frequent and bloody, for pride, wealth, or slaves. "Kings" ruled domains that could be crossed in a day. Farms were limited in size by the ability of the farmers to tend their crops by hand, as well as the necessity to not stray too far from the defended walls. It was a stable, if subsistence-level system, and it lasted for centuries.
"Ah, but then," Hiraf continued, "about 75 years ago, a young man made a find that changed the history of this part of Jumbo. By that time, the old cities were taboo. They are still considered lairs where the old evil dwells. But, whether from courage or desperation, Raf Jennis began exploring the edges of the old city of Valhalla, seeking metals and other valuables.
"He broke into the basement of a store building, and found himself in a very orderly, if dust-covered, room crammed with boxes full of memory chips. In the center of the cluttered space was a reader, attached to a motor, itself attached to a device featuring an obvious pedal mechanism. He began pedaling, and was terrified when an image formed above the reader and began speaking. He fled, and did not return for many days.
"He could not forget, though, and eventually he summoned the courage to return. He pedaled the device, and he learned the story of Jumbo and of Valhalla.
"The city's librarian, shocked and angered by the destruction of the much larger library in the capital, gathered some volunteers to help her remove as many of the library's volumes as possible, and hide them. As a precaution, they placed a chip into the reader telling the story verbally, and placed a basic child's reading text next to the machine. Then they locked the door, hoping to return when the situation calmed. They never did, of course.
"Now, 75 years later, Raf is a hero, and my great-grandfather," Hiraf said, straightening with pride. "I must be the 'King's Wizard' and wear these absurd robes because the people are still uneducated and superstitious; but I prefer to think of myself as a student and a teacher. My family has served the king's for over 70 years, and our history is closely tied to that of the royal family. For four generations, our families have guided scientific development on Jumbo.
"It is slow," Hiraf continued proudly, "because we must deal with many fears and superstitions. But our developments slowly trickle out, and now the entire continent is at varying stages of development, and ours is the strongest kingdom on the planet. A steam railway joins all of King Rajo's villages and towns, and makes it possible to visit all of them in only three days."
He waved a hand vaguely. "The vehicle outside is the prototype of a steam truck, using wood for fuel. I have also been working on an airship," he continued. "The design is finalized, and closely follows the old books. But I have been unable to produce hydrogen or helium."
Hiraf shrugged. "I know these gases exist, of course, and hydrogen seems simple to electrolyze. But I have been unable to figure out how to produce them in large quantities. The problem seems to be a power source called 'electricity'. I know of this power. It powers the library, but is too weak for the wholesale production of hydrogen by electrolysis."
It had taken Hiraf over an hour to tell the story of Jumbo. The silly pointed hat sat discarded on the floor, and Hiraf relaxed in the comfortable couch. Mindful of their guest's level of sophistication, Tess prepared tea and cakes, but Dee served them. Despite his protestation of learning, they did not believe him ready to confront Tess's 'bots, or Tess herself, for that matter.
Hiraf tasted the tea. He seemed unimpressed. Still, he sipped it politely as he said, "So now that I have bored you with my long retelling of our story, you know about Jumbo. It is your turn. What do you want here, star man?" The tone and expression were cheerful, but the eyes were shrewd.
Cale smiled and shrugged. "Jumbo is not the only unhappy planet since the Fall of the Empire," he began. "The last 400 years have been increasingly chaotic throughout man-settled space. Hundreds of planets have lost the capability of space travel. Others have suffered economic upheavals, or wars, or other catastrophes.
"We are scouts. We seek out planets that have been out of touch with the rest of man-settled space for centuries. We have clients who want to escape catastrophes on their home planets, who desire to settle on planets that have declined, like Jumbo. They wish to establish homes there, and to help those planets redevelop so that someday they may rejoin Galactic culture.
"In this case, our clients are farmers, who love the soil, and its products. They are unhappy with the regimented, industrial culture of their home planet, and wish to establish a community on a planet that is pastoral and conducive to their way of life. We think Jumbo is that planet." He smiled. "So, you see, they want to do exactly what you are doing. We have come to Valhalla to establish communication, and in hopes that our people will be able to join with yours in this noble adventure."
Hiraf's smile had faded as Cale spoke, and his expression was now serious. "I see," he said, "And I assume your people will bring with them much of the advanced technologies of their world?"
Cale nodded, smilingly. "Of course. And they will be happy to share those technologies with their neighbors."
"And how many of these . . . immigrants can we expect?"
Cale grinned. "Over a thousand. But they'll all settle in one community; build their own town." He shrugged. "Jumbo has millions of hectares of untilled land, so you won't be crowded. They'll be able to teach you about electricity, and help all of Jumbo regain much of the civilization it lost."