The beautiful people looked at Mary and laughed. Some shook their heads.
The man threw up his hands. "Little girl, can you realize what an issue
you have caused? The unrest, the wasted time? Do you fully understand
what you have done? Intergalactic questions hang fire while you sit
there saying the same thing over and over. Doesn't the happiness of your
Mother mean anything to you?"
A slender, supple woman in a back row cried, "We want action. _Do_
something!"
The man in the high stool raised his hand. "None of that, now. We must
conform, even though the question is out of the ordinary." He leafed
through a number of papers on his desk, leaned down and whispered into
the ear of a strong blond man. Then he turned to Mary again. "Child,
for the last time. Do you reconsider? Will you accept the
Transformation?"
"No."
The man shrugged his shoulders. "Very well, then. I have here a
petition, signed by two thousand individuals and representing all the
Stations of Earth. They have been made aware of all the facts and have
submitted the petition voluntarily. It's all so unusual and I'd hoped we
wouldn't have to--but the petition urges drastic measures."
The mumbling rose.
"The petition urges that you shall, upon final refusal, be forced by law
to accept the Transformation. And that an act of legislature shall make
this universal and binding in the future."
Mary's eyes were open, wide. She stood and paused before speaking.
"Why?" she asked, loudly.
The man passed a hand through his hair.
Another voice from the crowd, "Seems to be a lot of questions unanswered
here."