“But to be pupils—to let the Rykes teach us—”
“The only trouble with Silvers’ argument is that our culture has never understood that teaching, in the accepted sense, is an impossibility. There can be only learning— never teaching. The teacher has to be eliminated from the actual learning process before genuine learning can ever take place. But the Rykes offer to become the Ultimate Teacher.”
“And if this is true,” said Showalter slowly, “you couldn’t teach it to those who disagree, could you? They’d have to learn it for themselves.”
Hockley turned. For a moment he continued to stare at his assistant. Then his face broke into a narrow grin. “Of course you’re right! There’s only one way they’ll ever learn it : go through the actual experience of what Ryke tutelage will mean.”
Most of the workrooms at Information Central were empty this time of evening. Hockley selected the first one he came to and called for every scrap of data pertaining to Rykeman III. There was a fair amount of information available on the physical characteristics of the world. Hockley scribbled swift, privately intelligible notes as he scanned. The Rykes lived under a gravity one third heavier than Earth’s, with a day little more than half as long, and they received only forty percent as much heat from their frail sun as Earthmen were accustomed to.
Cultural characteristics included a trading system that made the entire planet a single economic unit. And the planet had no history whatever of war. The Rykes themselves had contributed almost nothing to the central libraries of the galaxies concerning their own personal makeup and mental functions, however. What little was available came from observers not of their race.
There were indications they were a highly unemotional race, not given to any artistic expression. Hockley found this surprising. The general rule was for highly intellectual attainments to be accompanied by equally high artistic expression.
But all of this provided no data that he could relate to his present problem, no basis for argument beyond what he already had. He returned the films to their silver cans and set staring at the neat pile of them on the desk. Then he smiled at his own obtuseness. Data on Rykeman III might be lacking, but the Ryke plan had been tried on plenty of other worlds. Data on them should not be so scarce.
He returned the cans and punched out a new request on the call panel. Twenty seconds later he was pleasantly surprised by a score of new tapes in the hopper. That was enough for a full night’s work. He wished he’d brought Showalter along to help.
Then his eye caught sight of the label on the topmost can in the pile : Janisson VIII. The name rang a familiar signal somewhere deep in his mind. Then he knew—that was the home world of Waldon Thar, one of his closest friends in the year when he’d gone to school at Galactic Center for advanced study.
Thar had been one of the most brilliant researchers Hockley had ever known. In bull session debate he was instantly beyond the depth of everyone else.
Janisson VIII. Thar could tell him about the Rykes!
Hockley pushed the tape cans aside and went to the phone in the workroom. He dialed for the interstellar operator. “Government priority call to Janisson VIII,” he said. “Waldon Thar. He attended Galactic Center Research Institute twenty-three years ago. He came from the city Plar, which was his home at that time. I have no other information, except that he is probably employed as a research scientist.”
There was a moment’s silence while the operator noted the information. “There will be some delay,” she said finally. “At present the inter-galactic beams are full.”
“I can use top emergency priority on this,” said Hockley. “Can you clear a trunk for me on that?”
“Yes. One moment, please.”
He sat by the window for half an hour, turning down the light in the workroom so that he could see the flow of traffic at the port west of the Lab buildings. Two spaceships took off and three came in while he waited. And then the phone rang.
“I’m sorry,” the operator said. “Waldon Thar is reported not on Janisson VIII. He went to Rykeman III about two Earth years ago. Do you wish to attempt to locate him there?”
“By all means,” said Hockley. “Same priority.”
This was better than he had hoped for. Thar could really get him the information he needed on the Rykes. Twenty minutes later the phone rang again. In the operator’s first words Hockley sensed apology and knew the attempt had failed.
“Our office has learned that Walden Thar is at present on tour as aide to the Ryke emissary, Liacan. We can perhaps trace—”
“No!” Hockley shouted. “That won’t be necessary. I know now—”
He almost laughed aloud to himself. This was an incredible piece of good luck. Walden Thar was probably out at the space port right now—unless one of those ships taking off had been the Ryke—
He wondered why Thar had not tried to contact him. Of course, it had been a long time, but they had been very close at the center. He dialed the field control tower. “I want to know if the ship from Rykeman III has departed yet,” he said.
“They were scheduled for six hours ago, but mechanical difficulty has delayed them. Present estimated take-off is 1100.”
Almost two hours to go, Hockley thought. That should be time enough. “Please put me in communication with one of the aides aboard named Waldon Thar. This is Sherman Hockley of Scientific Services. Priority request.”
“I’ll try, sir.” The tower operator manifested a sudden increase of respect. “One moment, please.”
Hockley heard the buzz and switch clicks of communication circuits reaching for the ship. Then, in a moment, he heard the somewhat irritated but familiar voice of his old friend.
“Waldon Thar speaking,” the voice said. “Who wishes to talk?”
“Listen, you old son of a cyclotron’s maiden aunt!” said Hockley. “Who would want to talk on Sol III? Why didn’t you give me a buzz when you landed? I just found out you were here.”
“Sherm Hockley, of course,” the voice said with distant, unperturbed tones. “This is indeed a surprise and a pleasure. To be honest, I had forgotten Earth was your home planet.”
“I’ll try to think of something to jog your memory next time. How about getting together?”
“Well—I don’t have very long,” said Thar hesitantly. “If you could come over for a few minutes—”
Hockley had the jolting feeling that Waldon Thar would just as soon pass up the opportunity for their meeting. Some of the enthusiasm went out of his voice. “There’s a good all-night interplanetary eatery and bar on the field there. I’ll be along in fifteen minutes.”
“Fine,” said Thar, “but please try not to be late.”
On the way to the field, Hockley wondered about the change that had apparently taken place in Thar. Of course, he had changed, too— perhaps for much the worse. But Thar sounded like a stuffed shirt now, and that is the last thing Hockley would have expected. In school, Thar had been the most irreverent of the whole class of irreverents, denouncing in ecstasy the established and unproven lore, riding the professors of unsubstantiated hypotheses. Now—well, he didn’t sound like the Thar Hockley knew.
He took a table and sat down just as Thar entered the dining room. The latter’s broad smile momentarily removed Hockley’s doubts. The smile hadn’t changed. And there was the same expression of devilish disregard for the established order. The same warm friendliness. It baffled Hockley to understand how Thar could have failed to remember Earth was his home.
Thar mentioned it as he came up and took Hockley’s hand. “I’m terribly sorry,” he said. “It was stupid to forget that Earth meant Sherman Hockley.”