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.--I m sorry.That has embarrassed you.What I mtrying to say is that if you re so perceptive, I shall have to be morecareful.Every once in a while I have to relearn the lesson that evennonmentalics can make shrewd guesses.Novi looked blank. I don t understand, Master. I m talking to myself, Novi.Don t be concerned.--See,there s that word again. But is there danger? There s a problem, Novi.I do not know what I shall find whenI reach Sayshell--that is the place to which we are going.I may find myselfin a situation of great difficulty. Does that not mean danger? No, because I will be able to handle it. How can you tell this? Because I am a--scholar.And I am the best of them.There isnothing in the Galaxy I cannot handle. Master, and something very like agony twisted Novi s face, I do not wish to offensify--I mean, give offense--and make you angry.I haveseen you with that oafish Rufirant and you were in danger then--and he wasonly a Hamish farmer.Now I do not know what awaits you--and you do not,either.Gendibal felt chagrined,  Are you afraid, Novi? Not for myself, Master.I fear--I am afraid--for you. You can say,  I fear, muttered Gendibal. That is goodGalactic, too.For a moment he was engaged in thought.Then he looked up,Page 206ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmltook Sura Novi s rather coarse hands in his, and said,  Novi, I don t want youto fear anything.Let me explain.You know how you could tell there was--orrather might be--danger from the look on my face--almost as though you couldread my thoughts? Yes? I can read thoughts better than you can.That is whatscholars learn to do and I am a very good scholar.Novi s eyes widened and her hand pulled loose from his.Sheseemed to be holding her breath. You can read my thoughts?Gendibal held up a finger hurriedly. I don t, Novi.Idon tread your thoughts, except when I must.I donotread your thoughts.(He knew that, in a practical sense, he was lying.It wasimpossible to be with Sura Novi and not understand the general tenor of someof her thoughts.One scarcely needed to be a Second Foundationer for that.Gendibal felt himself to be on the edge of blushing.But even from aHamishwoman, such an attitude was flattering.--And yet she had to be reassured--out of common humanity--)He said,  I can also change the way people think.I can makepeople feel hurt.I can--But Novi was shaking her head. How can you do all that,Master? Rufirant-- Forget Rufirant, said Gendibal testily. I could havestopped him in a moment.I could have made him fall to the ground.I couldhave madeall the Hamish-- He stopped suddenly and felt uneasily that he wasboasting, that he was trying to impress this provincial woman.And she wasshaking her head still. Master, she said,  you are trying to make me not afraid, butI am not afraid except for you, so there is no need.I know you are a greatscholar and can make this ship fly through space where it seems to me that noperson could do aught but--I mean, anything but--be lost.And you use machinesI cannot understand--and that no Hamish person could understand.But you neednot tell me of these powers of mind, which surely cannot be so, since all thethings you say you could have done to Rufirant, you didnot do, though you werein danger.Gendibal pressed his lips together.Leave it at that, hethought.If the woman insists she is not afraid for herself, let it go atthat.Yet he did not want her to think of him as a weakling and braggart.Hesimply didnot.He said,  If I did nothing to Rufirant, it was because I didnot wish to.We scholars must never do anything to the Hamish.We are guestson your world.Do you understand that? You are our masters.That is whatwe always say.For a moment Gendibal was diverted. How is it, then, thatthis Rufirant attacked me? I do not know, she said simply. I don t think he knew.HePage 207ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlmust have been mind-wandering--uh, out of his mind.Gendibal grunted. In any case, we do not harm the Hamish.IfI had been forced to stop him by--hurting him, I might have been poorlythought of by the other scholars and might perhaps have lost my position.Butto save myself being badly hurt, I might have had to handle him just a smallbit--the smallest possible.Novi drooped. Then I need not have come rushing in like agreat fool myself. You did exactly right, said Gendibal. I have just said Iwould have done ill to have hurt him.You made it unnecessary to do so.Youstopped him and that was well done.I am grateful.She smiled again--blissfully. I see, then, why you have beenso kind to me. I was grateful, of course, said Gendibal, a littleflustered,  but the important thing is that you must understand there is nodanger.I can handle an army of ordinary people.Any scholar can-- especiallythe important ones--and I told you I am the best of all of them.There is noone in the Galaxy who can stand against me [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]