"Tender and very, very rare."
Hotang Lu shivered again.
"Why?"
"What makes a steak tender?" he asked with an air of innocence.
"Brutally speaking, it is a matter of semiputrefication."
"Precisely. You hang it in a warm, smoky, damp place until it 'grows
hair'. Then you partially cook it--not really enough to destroy the
enzymes--and smother it with one of the most pernicious forms of fungi.
It is served hot--a condition that enhances most chemical reactions.
And you fall to, eating this deadly mixture with appetite, relish,
appreciation, and, by the most holy, you complain bitterly if the
tenderness is not right. You object if the micro-organisms have not had
their chance to break down the toughness of the meat. About the only
disease that Terrans really need fear is the ulcer, which is a case of
the adaptable beginning to eat itself, or perhaps carcinoma, where
local mutation takes place."
"That makes us feel very good," said Kennebec dryly. "But from what
you've told us, we are on the brink of invasion by a super-race that is
slowly engulfing the Galaxy."
"The Loard-vogh must be defeated."
"I should think so," remarked Kennebec.
"Our work is through," said Hotang Lu. "Tlembo is surpassed. Sscantoo
was one hope of Tlembo, but the catmen are almost at the peak of their
evolution, and cannot be increased in mental stature more than twice
or thrice. Tlembo reached their mental ultimate ten thousand years
ago and were far surpassed by the Loard-vogh. Terra now surpasses
the Loard-vogh. But remember, Co-ordinator Kennebec, you have mental
_ability_ not real mentality. You have the capability to increase
a thousandfold above your present mental stature. But you have not
increased in fact."
"I do not follow."
"Your infants have the ability to become the mentally great. Until
that ability is exploited, they are mentally lower than the most
unintelligent of animals. They cannot even feed themselves without help.
"Terra now has the ability," he continued. "If Terra is to rule the
Galaxy--and well she might for her adaptability--she must exploit the
latent mental capability."
* * * * *
"And the next plan?" suggested Kennebec.
Thompson looked at Hotang Lu. "What's yours?" he asked.
"You will be the co-ordinator. The Extremes will co-operate in
gathering information and you will direct them, and all of Sol, in this
effort."
Kennebec frowned. "You must know what you're doing," he said. "But I
was under the impression that Lane and Downing--?"
Hotang Lu nodded. "That was the original plan. But due to a rather
peculiar set of circumstances out near Sscantoo, Thompson now has the
superior mind of all Solarians. You see, he did not achieve twinship
with a Terran. He achieved a ... er ... _tripletship_ with Toralen Ki,
and the Loard-vogh known as Kregar, who was high in their councils.
Since he is aware of the Loard-vogh mind, his decisions can be expected
to take into account what they are likely to do."
"One of the main jobs in fighting an alien culture is to try to
outguess them," added Thompson. "Having a bit of Loard-vogh psychology
for inspection will enable me to handle the outguessing process
somewhat better."
"Reasonable," agreed Kennebec. "My job now will be to convince the
superior officers of these three that their ability warrants giving
orders instead of taking them."
"It should be easy. Their ability will speak for itself. Besides, you
may issue statements to the effect that mental activity between these
three have placed them--"
"Hotang Lu, a thousand years from now we might. But you told us that
all we now have is the mental _ability_ without the training necessary
to use it."
"Yes?"
"My small friend, all that means is that men will now be able to use
the whole of their minds to indulge in power-grabbing, connivery, and
politics."
Hotang Lu smiled. "I know," he said. "The end-product of it all will
be that little change is visible. You see, the avaricious of your race
will be of greater mental power, true enough. But those of you who try
to see that things are run right will have the same increase in mental
stature. When I spoke of the human race as a slumbering giant, I meant
that all facets of human nature were equally smothered."
"Hm-m-m. I see what you mean. But jealousy isn't good, and if I make
a statement to the effect that the minds of these three are superior,
every mother's son on all three planets and nine colonies a-stellar
will be sharpshooting for them. Ah-hah," he finished, shaking his head.
"Their ability will take hold. Their individual characteristics will
show. Let it be known that Lane and Downing are each doubly capable
because of the mental twinship. That all Solarians know now. Let it
also be known that Toralen Ki and the Loard-vogh Kregar fought the same
type of mental battle for Thompson's mind--and that he has the triple
ability. Regardless of jealousy, they will come out on top."
* * * * *
"Well," said Thompson, "at this point I think we'd best be thinking
about our skins, Cliff, like to scout the catmen again?"
"What for?"
"Take a look at their stuff. That snatcher they had might be the stuff
for trouble in a large scale. Might see what they've got, and what you
can make of it."
"Think there's any chance we might grab a hunk out of the middle of a
sun and hurl it at the enemy?"
"Yes, but it is remote, and wasteful to boot."
"Why?
"Anything you might grab out of any sun would be more difficult than
grabbing the planet itself--the one you want to annihilate, I mean.
Better do it directly by just taking the planet, stopping it in its
orbit, and hurling it to its sun itself. The forces present in a sun
would be more difficult to handle. And besides, what would you anchor
it to?"
"Space itself," suggested Downing. "With a driver beam."
"You'd end up by warping space. Nope, I can think of easier ways of
beating out my brains. But Cliff, if you'll see what they have, we can
use it, perhaps. Stellor, any suggestions you'd like to make?"
"Someone better start converting the manufacturers. Hotang Lu's picture
isn't at all good, you know. The Loard-vogh have conquered about a
quarter of the Galaxy now. Their numbers are legion and they are a
conquistadorial outfit at best. They'll fight to the last one, and they
outnumber us thousands to one."
"Millions," corrected Hotang Lu.
"Looks futile right there."
"Let's not quit before we're licked," snapped Thompson. "Before they
collect Sol in their list, they're going to have to kill each and every
Terran."
"Um-m-m--not a bright prospect."
"Makes us as tough as they are," mused Kennebec.
"Tough, but not as nasty," offered Billy. "They want conquest for the
sake of conquest. They'll die to the last man fighting for the sake of
fighting. We'll die to the last man fighting for peace."
"Right."
"So," offered Downing, "I'll take a scout of the Loard-vogh if you
want."
"O.K.," said Thompson. "This is going to keep us all busy for a long
time. We'd best relax tonight--tomorrow we can all leave."
"You'll take my crew?" asked Stellor Downing.
"Since spying can't be done with twenty-five ships at your back, I
will," agreed Lane.
"You can handle 'em," said Downing. "After all, you do have my ability
now."