Smith shook his head. "No, it's stark. If you like things that way, it
isn't really ugly. But Earth is a planet of green rolling hills and soft
rains and--you're making fun of me."
"You say that again and I'll take it as an insult." She smiled. "We have
our green rolling hills on Bortinot, only it's cold. I like it here
because it's warm. And, of course, I have a lot to learn at school."
"Would you think I'm stupid if I ask you what?"
"No. And you were really serious in there when you said you didn't know
what they teach."
"How could I know? I'm the first student here from Earth. Every five
years--say, twenty times during the course of one lifetime--we get the
application. This time the government finally decided someone should go.
Me."
"Well, they teach just about everything that could be of value in a
transtellar culture."
"What?"
"Things like astrogation and ethics--"
"I caught the school express at a Denebian planet. Someone told me there
that the school is decadent."
She smiled up at him. "Deneb is a slothful place, then. It is true that
the school never stands still, changing its courses to meet the demands
of a changing society. If Deneb cannot keep pace with the changes, that
could explain the feeling. Right now they'll be concentrating in dreams
and dream-empathy, in some of the newer Garlonian dances, Sarchian
cooking for the receptives and Wortan fighting for the dominants. Quite
a virile program, Smith, provided one is up to it."
"What happened to your astrogation and ethics?"
"That? Oh, that's just a catch-all phrase. Your courses will depend on
such things as your D or R classifications--"
"It makes me laugh a little," Smith admitted. "But they've classified me
as a receptive. I guess they know what they're doing. Still--"
"You think you're strong, eh?"
"Well, I didn't see anyone in the registrar's room who would worry me
very much in a fight."
"Society is sophisticated, Smith. There's more to strength than mere
brawn. What sort of psi-powers have they cultivated on the planet
Earth?"
* * * * *
In a general sense, but in a general sense only, Smith knew what she
meant. "Well, there's hypnotism, and some people play at telepathy and
clairvoyance. Nothing much, really."
"That isn't much, my friend."
"Why? What else is there?" Smith smiled for the first time. "I didn't
know--" He shook his head, suddenly, to clear it. He felt tilted. He
looked and he saw that everything was straight, but still he felt
tilted. He tried to right himself, and down he went. On his stomach he
lay, his legs twisted under him a little. Foolishly, he tried to get up.
He couldn't.
"There's that." The girl laughed. "Suggestion without the need for
hypnotism."