"I never meant anything more in my life. Once we start using that
machine--if we ask it even one question to gain advantage for
ourselves--Earth's civilization is doomed. Can't you see that's what
happened to those other planets we visited? Can't you see what is
happening to this planet we're on now?"
"No, I can't," answered Bates stubbornly. "The Oracle said there are
only a few thousand like him. You could travel through space for
hundreds of years and never be lucky enough to find one. There can't be
an Oracle on every planet we visited."
"There wouldn't have to be," said Farnum. "There must be hundreds of
possible patterns--all of them destructive in the presence of greed
and laziness and lust for power. For example, a planet--maybe this
one--gets space travel. It sets up colonies on several worlds. It's
expanding and dynamic. Then it finds an Oracle and takes it back to its
own world. With all questions answered for it, the civilization stops
being dynamic and starts to stagnate. It stops visiting its colonies
and they drift toward barbarism.
"Later," Farnum went on urgently, "somebody else reaches the stars,
finds the planet with the Oracle--and takes the thing back home. Can
you imagine what will happen to these people on this world if they
lose their Oracle? Their own learning and traditions and way of life
have been destroyed--just take a look at their anarchic clothing
and architecture. The Oracle is the only thing that keeps them
going--downhill--and makes sure they don't start back again."
"It won't happen that way to us," Bates argued. "We won't let the
Oracle get into general use, so Earth won't ever learn to depend on it.
I'm going to find out from it how to make it work for the two of us
alone. You can come along and share the gravy or not, as you choose. I
don't care. But you aren't going to stop me."
Bates turned and strode out of the ship.
* * * * *
Farnum pounded his fist into his palm in despair, and then ran to a
locker. Taking out a high-power express rifle, he loaded it carefully
and stepped out through the airlock. Bates showed clearly in his
telescopic sights, still walking toward the Hall of the Oracle. Farnum
fired at the legs, but he wasn't that good a shot; the bullet went
through the back.
Farnum jittered between bringing Bates back and taking off as fast as
the ship could go. The body still lay there, motionless; there was
nothing he could do for the Oracle's first Earth victim--the first
and the last, he swore grimly. He had to speed home and make them
understand the danger before they found another planet with an Oracle,
so that they could keep clear of its deadly temptations. The Magellanic
race could be outwitted yet, in spite of their lethal cleverness.
Then he felt a sudden icy chill along his spine. Alone, he could never
operate the spaceship--and Bates was dead. He was trapped on the planet.
For hours, he tried to think of some way of warning Earth. It was
imperative that he get back. There had to be a way.
He realized finally that there was only one solution to his problem.
He sighed shudderingly and walked slowly from the spaceship toward the
Hall of the Oracle, past Bates' body.
"One question, though," he muttered to himself. "Only one."