[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]"To the contrary, it is important that they learn. They will have parts to
play, and this problem may be with them all their lives." So they are brought,
down to the smallest, who stare at me with huge blue eyes, so much like plump
little Human kids, despite their straight-up small fins.
I start by repeating what I had told Maoul, and showing them images of war and
of the goldskin's probable attack. They respond, as I'd expected, with horror
and the suggestion that they at once go someplace else. I try to convince them
that mere flight is useless, that the goldskins will pursue them, and that
they may well attack before they are prepared to move.
"You would be simply laying this upon your children, and upon your children's
children, if you fail to solve it now."
The mention of children turns their minds. These people are amazingly tied to
their young all of them, even the young boys, place great value upon babies, I
find. Perhaps because, I have noticed, they have relatively few compared with
the other hominid races I know. I make a mental note to find out if the
goldskin people are faster breeders.
I then outline my plan.
"When the goldskins attack us here, they will have learned from their last
attack that you will seek to escape to the sea. So they will make sure to
seize the beaches quickly, maybe even sending a separate party around the
shore. If you attempt to flee that way, they will catch you easily. But tell
me, that river" I point to the line of papyrus plants marking the main stream
to the estuary "does it have a deep channel in the center all the way to the
sea? Yes? Good. Then instead of going to the beach, you will make for the
river. The problem is to defend yourselves and the women and children until
you can all get there. One way is for the men to form a circle, with shields
and spears on the outside, in which the children and weak ones can shelter.
The goldskins will think you are making a final stand, and indeed, you can
hold them off until all are assembled. But then you head for the river here,
all in a group. That way you will fare much better than if you break and run
individually; those who try that would be easily run down and killed." I show
them an image.
The idea appeals to them, perhaps because of its symmetry.
"But the circle is no good unless we have shields and spears, and also warning
of the goldskins'
approach. So the first things we must do are make weapons, and set out a
guard. The seasoned wood in these unused huts will do for spears. Every man
shall make his own I will show you how and his shield. I have a spear-proof
cloth, my tarpaulin, which we can cut up for shield covers. For the watch, I
need volunteers among the boys with the best mind-hearing, four for the shore
and four for the beach.
And an older boy who will supervise them."
So I proceed to organize a watch, and a weapons sergeant. When I ask for
something that would make a tremendous noise, they produce conch shells for
the watchers to blow. And then I ask for a volunteer or two to go down the
coast and keep watch on the goldskins' encampment at the lost village of the
Souls of Aeyor.
A man named Falca speaks up. "It is my misfortune that I cannot mind-speak
well. But I hear well.
So I will go and watch and listen. And maybe my young friend Kimra, who swims
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so fast, will come with me to bring word back if need be?"
Kimra, a relatively slender lad, jumps up with shining eyes. "Oh yes, Falca!
Let us start now!"
I see that my message has been far more keenly received by the younger
Mnerrin. So their pacifism is not some innate predisposition, but a matter of
culture, of training. What carefully-wrought beauty I am destroying!
But I push the thought aside and proceed to set out our first watch shift,
telling their sergeant to be sure to check on them at random, unpredictable
times. And then I tear out suitable wood from a storm-wrecked hut, and give a
demonstration of spear making. Strong knives are the bottleneck; their shell
knives are too frail. I ransack my gear for extra knives and end by using my
laser to prepare a supply of rough staves. As the first spears shape up in the
hands of my future "warriors," I find another problem: I must dissuade them
from weakening the spears by making handsome slim places for hand-holds, and
wasting time on ornament and polish.
"I see that being a general is complicated," Maoul observes with a smile.
"Oh, it's an old, sad story& But I have never met a people who were so far
from war. I greatly fear for you."
That night about third moon I waken in Kamir's embrace and go as stealthily as
I can to surprise our lookouts. I find, as I expected, two of them fast
asleep. I rouse them roughly and give them a lecture on the sacredness of
guard duty. The younger boy is nearly crying, but I ignore it with difficulty.
His eyes are so much like Kamir's. During the early morning I get the sergeant
of the watch to repeat the same trick on the next shift.
? ? ?
Next day I vary the menu by arranging a drill. I get all the boys and girls to
impersonate goldskins, and have them come down the coast onto the lookouts,
who respond enthusiastically with horrific conch-blasts. The men come out of
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plkajaszek.htw.pl
