"It's a trick with time," he explained. "Actually I suppose I'm about
forty or forty-five. It's not strange. Anyone with a lightspeed ship
can do it as long as one stays in normal space time. Take a two-week
trip subjective at Lume One and ten objective years go by just
like that. It's an old trick. The Timejumpers knew about it before
hyperdrive was developed, but it's been forgotten for centuries. Most
of the time I'm not here. The Halsites take care of the Holding for
me. I heard about you three years ago so I waited until you made your
try for me. It was inevitable that you would. Your Bearers are always
trying to get me inspired partly by religious and partly by economic
reasons--and they pick the best of each year's crop to try. As a result
I get about three new recruits a year. The old ones pick them up and
indoctrinate them. But we keep up the fiction of Wolverton being here.
It's good business." Wolverton looked at the dumbfounded expression on
my face and laughed.
"So you don't understand," he said. "Well, you have plenty of time to
learn after we treat about five rim worlds. We'll be practical about it
and let you learn about lightspeed and time stasis the normal way--in a
spaceship!"
"No," I said.
"But you can't turn me down," he protested. "I thought you understood.
People need you--need you badly. Our others can modify a little but
they can't convince. It takes a hundred of them to even begin to cover
a world--and there aren't very many hopeful worlds left. We have to
hold the line or humanity will breed itself into extinction."
"I am still your prisoner," I said, luxuriating in the first real
weakness I had found in him. "You might as well know that I still
oppose you. I don't believe you. You are Evil and Evil has a smooth
tongue--Zard said it long ago, and it is still the truth."
Wolverton groaned.
"Nor will I help you!"
Anger flowed from him. "You stupid fool!" he blazed. "Do you think
_I'd_ ask _you_ to do anything for _me_? His rage struck me like
a blow. I'm _telling_ you--not asking. You will do something for
your race--something you can do, or so help me God, I'll condition
everything out of you _except_ your superstitious prejudices and maroon
you on Samar!"
He meant what he said. His anger was a true anger--and he had spoken
the Name we all knew yet did not speak aloud. And he was not struck
down. I was confused and upset. I shivered with a fear that was as icy
as the River of the Dead. There was something wrong here--something I
could not understand. Then I saw the light.
"I will bargain with you," I said. Zard's plan was becoming clear. "I
will join you in good faith."
"With what reservations?"
"None--I will swear this by Zard's bones."