Isaac Asimov The Currents of Space

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.Valona put her hand hastily over Rik s eyes as Samia entered the brig. What s the matter, girl? asked Samia sharply, before she could remember thatshe was going to speak to them comfort-ingly.Valona spoke with difficulty.She said, He is not bright, Lady.He wouldn tknow you were a Lady.He might have looked at you.I mean without intendingany harm, Lady. Oh, goodness, said Samia. Let him look. She went on, Must they stay here,Captain? Would you prefer a stateroom, my Lady?Samia said, Surely you could manage a cell not quite so grim. It is grim to you, my Lady.To them, I am sure this is luxury.There isrunning water here.Ask them if there was any in their hut on Florina. Well, tell those men to leave.The Captain motioned to them.They turned, stepping out nimbly.The Captain set down the light aluminum folding chair he had brought with him.Samia took it.He said brusquely to Rik and Valona, Stand up.Samia broke in instantly. No! Let them sit.You re not to in-terfere,Captain.She turned to them. So you are a Floninian, girl.Valona shook her head. We re from Wotex.Page 66ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html You needn t be frightened.It doesn t matter that you re from Florina.No onewill hurt you. We re from Wotex. But don t you see that you ve practically admitted you re from Florina, girl?Why did you cover the boy s eyes? He s not allowed to look at a Lady. Even if he s from Wotex?Valona was silent.Samia let her think about it.She tried to smile in a friendly way.Then shesaid, Only Florinians aren t allowed to look at Ladies.So you see you veadmitted that you re a Florinian.Valona burst out, He s not. Are you? Yes, I am.But he s not.Don t do anything to him.He really isn t aFloriian.He was just found one day.I don t know where he comes from, butit s not Florina. Suddenly she was almost voluble.Samia looked at her with some surprise. Well, I ll speak to him.What s yourname, boy?Rik was staring.Was that how women Squires looked? So small, andfriendly-looking.And she smelled so nice.He was very glad she had let himlook at her.Samia said again, What s your name, boy?Rik came to life but stumbled badly in the attempt to shape a monosyllable. Rik, he said.Then he thought, Why, that s not my name.He said, I thinkit s Rik. Don t you know?Valona, looking woebegone, tried to speak, but Samia held up a sharplyrestraining hand.Rik shook his head. I don t know. Are you a Florinian?B,ik was positive here. No.I was on a ship.I came here from somewhereelse. He could not bear to look away fromSamia but he seemed to see the ship co-existing with her.A small and veryfriendly and homelike ship.He said, It was on a ship that I came to Florina and before that I lived on aplanet. What planet?It was as though the thought were forcing its way painfully throughmental channels too small for it.Then Rik remembered and was delightedat the sound his voice made, a sound so long forgotten. Earth! I come from Earth! Earth?Rik nodded.Samia turned to the Captain. Where is this planet Earth?Captain Racety smiled briefly. I never heard of it.Don t take the boyseriously, my Lady.A native lies the way he breathes.It comes naturally tohim.He says whatever comes first into his mind. He doesn t talk like a native. She turned to Rik again. Where is Earth,Rik? I He put a shaking hand to his forehead.Then he said, It sin the Sirius Sector. The intonation of the statement made it half aquestion.Samia said to the Captain, There is a Sirius Sector, isn t there? Yes, there is.I m amazed he has that right.Still, that doesn t make Earthany more reaLRik said vehemently, But it is.I remember, I tell you.It s been so longsince I remembered.I can t be wrong now.Ican t.Page 67ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHe turned, gripping Valona s elbows and clawing at her sleeve. Lona, tellthem I come from Earth.I do.I do.Valona s eyes were wide with anxiety. We found him one day, Lady, and he hadno mind at all.He couldn t dress himself or talk or walk.He was nothing.Ever since then he s been re-membering little by little.So far everythinghe s remembered has been so. She cast a quick, fearful glance at the boredface of theCaptain. He may really have come from Earth, Squire.No con-tradictionintended.The last was a long-established conventional phrase that went with anystatement that seemed in contradiction to a previous statement by a superior.Captain Racety grunted. He may have come from the center of Sark for all thatstory proves, my Lady. Maybe, but there s something queer about all this, insisted Samia, making upher mind flatly, woman-wise, on the side of ro-mance. I m sure of it.Whatmade him so helpless when you found him, girl? Had he been hurt?.Valona said nothing at first.Her eyes darted helplessly back and forth.Firstto Rik, whose fingers clutched at his hair, then to the Captain, who wassmiling without humor, finally to Samia, who waited. Answer me, girl, said Samia.It was a hard decision for Valona to make, but no conceivable lie couldsubstitute for the truth in this place and at this time.She said, A doctoronce looked at him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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