"Certainly. I admit that I took liberties with my orders, but I
couldn't know whether settling the Sscantovian affair without losing
a man included Tlembo as well, because by the time I took stock, they
were allied, and we of Terra always consider that a confederate rates
the same treatment as the prime contractor."
"But I do not understand. Did Vorgan issue any orders?"
"I am responsible to him. I am among his advisory staff. He selected
me. It was his ability to select me that puts him in the position of
ordering me."
"Proceed," said Vorgan.
"Lord of All, a responsible assistant certainly does not require
a written order for every act. Not among Terrans, anyway. A good
supervisor selects assistants who can anticipate and act upon his
wishes. A good assistant can act as his superior would act, and knows
his superior's wishes. Therefore I was but anticipating Lindoo's plan,
and acting in accordance with my knowledge of his desire."
Lindoo blinked, and the storm cloud of his face cleared. Vorgan smiled
slightly. "Keep him," he said. "He will do a lot for you."
Lindoo would require a bit more soothing, Billy knew, but that could
come easily and soon enough.
He was dismissed and as he left, Billy smiled inwardly. Let them rule.
He and his cohorts would rule the rulers. He had a fairly complete
picture right now. They had rid themselves of Sezare the dissolute
voluptuary, and Borgara, the tyrant, and there was a sector not too far
away where one Terran had convinced the overseer that an experiment
in offering the slaves better living quarters and a better future
might pay off. It would, for the downtrodden sector against which the
model project was stacked knew of the "race" in production and were
taking it easy. The model project's output might even be double. And
several sectors were combing close to locate intelligent assistants
and specialists to aid the Terrans--the research sector. And Terrans
in large groups were roaming the galactic front, using their ability
to speak and communicate with any race. They could enter any system
that used a reasonable facsimile of Terran air for an atmosphere, and
disease and death did not touch them. Their arguments were brilliant,
and they achieved without fighting that which the Loard-vogh could not
do. If the Loard-vogh felt that things were moving too fast, they had
but to inspect their birth records. With less fighting, there was less
absence of the fighting men--
It would be a long, hard-driven road to travel, but it would lead to a
united Galaxy. Meanwhile, Billy would be happy without fretting about
his position. He was satisfied to advise Lindoo.
Vorgan, Emperor of the Loard-vogh, Lord of All, and his race fought
for the unity of the Galaxy. They still thought they ruled it as they
would--