"Don't you? What becomes of any mutation who escapes the vigilance of
the Eugenics Board? What happened to you, Joel Hakkyt?"
Joel was silent.
She looked at him searchingly. "Instead of concentrating on
the physical sciences, my people have studied--themselves! The
psychological sciences. We don't try to control our environment; we fit
ourselves to it."
Joel shook his head, still not comprehending.
She said, "You humans build elaborate shelters to protect yourselves
against the elements; we have developed our bodies to resist the
weather. We revel in rain. Sunlight is intoxicating.
"You have added speed to your legs with machines, wings to your arms
with machines. Your machines are like crutches. They give you an
immense power, but they atrophy the natural endowments of your body.
Could you do this?"
She pointed with a bird-like gesture behind Joel. He swung around. His
eyes widened.
The bulkhead had disappeared! He was staring straight through the ship
as if it had ceased to exist. He could see the awesome black infinity
of deep space speckled with countless pinpoint suns.
Then the bulkhead gathered substance. And he was looking at the blank
wall again.