The tribe had gathered in its central and largest burrow under the
great, hanging glow lamps that might be used in this place alone.
Except for the few sentinels on duty in the outlying corridors, all of
Mankind was here. It was an awesome sight to behold.
On the little hillock known as the Royal Mound, lolled Franklin the
Father of Many Thieves, Chieftain of all Mankind. He alone of the
cluster of warriors displayed heaviness of belly and flabbiness of
arm--for he alone had the privilege of a sedentary life. Beside the
sternly muscled band leaders who formed his immediate background, he
looked almost womanly; and yet one of his many titles was simply The
Man.
Yes, unquestionably The Man of Mankind was Franklin the Father of Many
Thieves. You could tell it from the hushed, respectful attitudes of the
subordinate warriors who stood at a distance from the mound. You could
tell it from the rippling interest of the women as they stood on the
other side of the great burrow, drawn up in the ranks of the Female
Society. You could tell it from the nervousness and scorn with which
the women were watched by their leader, Ottilie, the Chieftain's First
Wife. And finally, you could tell it from the faces of the children,
standing in a distant, disorganized bunch. A clear majority of their
faces bore an unmistakable resemblance to Franklin's.
Franklin clapped his hands, three evenly spaced, flesh-heavy wallops.
"In the name of our ancestors," he said, "and the science with which
they ruled the Earth, I declare this council opened. May it end as one
more step in the regaining of their science. Who asked for a council?"
"I did." Thomas the Trap-Smasher moved out of his band and stood before
the chief.
Franklin nodded, and went on with the next, formal question:
"And your reason?"
"As a band leader, I call attention to a candidate for manhood. A
member of my band, a spear-carrier for the required time, and an
accepted apprentice in the Male Society. My nephew, Eric the Only."
As his name was sung out, Eric shook himself. Half on his own volition
and half in response to the pushes he received from the other warriors,
he stumbled up to his uncle and faced the chief. This, the most
important moment of his life, was proving almost too much for him. So
many people in one place, accredited and famous warriors, knowledgeable
and attractive women, the chief himself, all this after the shattering
revelations from his uncle--he was finding it hard to think clearly.
And it was vital to think clearly. His responses to the next few
questions had to be exactly right.
* * * * *
The chief was asking the first: "Eric the Only, do you apply for full
manhood?"