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back hastily at a warning gesture from Pip.
'She works for you?' It was a rhetorical question. But Flinx was curious to
know what position the girl held that could inspire such trust on Malaika's
part that he could treat her as he had without fear of reprisal.
'Atha? Oh yes.' He looked in the direction taken by the girl. 'You wouldn't
think a mwanamke that ferocious would have the patience to make starship
copilot at her age, would you?
She's been with me in that capacity for six years now.'
Flinx resumed his former position on the floor. In reply to Tse-Mallory's
inquiring gaze.
Malaika said, I've decided that our young friend will accompany us on the
journey. I know what I'm doing, gentlesirs. If the trip is long and tedious he
will provide relief for us, and he's sharp as a whip besides. He also has some
peculiar abilities which might prove useful to us) despite their
capriciousness. It is a subject to which I have meant to give more attention
in the past, but have never found the time.' Flinx glanced up interestedly,
but could detect nothing beyond the merchant's veneer of surface geniality. In
any case, he is too poor and not rich enough to pose a threat to us. And I
believe him to be disgustingly honest. Although he has had ample opportunity
to steal from my house he has never done so . . . as far as I know.'
'His honesty was never in question,' said Truzenzuzex. I've no objection to
the lad's presence.'
'Nor I,' added Tse-Mallory.
'Then, sociologist, if you would continue with your narrative?'
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'Actually, there is not much that is new to tell. Would that there were. As
you might know my companion and I gave up our respective careers and regular
pursuits some twelve odd years ago to research jointly the history and
civilization of the Tar-Aiym.'
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-Aiym%20Krang.txt (19 of 79) [1/16/03 6:44:31 PM]
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'Some talk of your work has filtered down to my level, yes. Do continue.
Naturally I am interested in anything that has to do with the Tar-Aiym ... or
their works.'
'So much we - naturally - supposed.'
'Pardon, sir,' interrupted Flinx, I know of the Tar-Aiym, of course, but only
by rumour and book. Could you maybe tell me more, please?' He looked properly
apologetic.
Since Malaika offered no objection, perhaps himself not considering such
information redundant. Tse-Mallory agreed.
'All right then, lad.' He took another long swig of his drink. 'As near as we
have been able to determine, some 500,000 Terran-standard years ago this area
of the galaxy was, as it is now, occupied by a large number of diverse and
highly intelligent races. The Tar-Aiym were by far the strongest of these.
Most of their time and effort was apparently absorbed in warring with their
less powerful neighbours, as much for the pleasure of it,, it seems, as for
the wealth it brought them, At one time the Tar-Aiym empire covered this
section of space to a depth of four quadrants and a width of at least two,
Maybe more.
'Any reason we could put forth to explain the total disappearance of the
Tar-Aiym and most of their subject races would be mostly conjecture. But
working pains-takingly with bits and pieces of myth and rumour, and a very few
solidly documented facts, researchers have put together one explanation that
seems to offer more than most.
'At the height of their power the Tar-Aiym came across a more primitive race
far in towards the galactic centre. This race was not quite the intellectual
equal of the Tar-Aiym, and they'd had star travel for only a short time. But
they were tremendously tenacious and multiplied at an extra-ordinary rate.
They resisted, successfully, every effort to be forced into the Tar-
Aiym hegemony. In fact, under the impetus provided by Tar-Aiym pressures, they
began to make giant strides forward and to spread rapidly to other systems.
'Apparently the Tar-Aiym leadership did a most uncharacteristic thing. It
panicked. They directed their war scientists to develop new and even more
radical types of weaponry to combat this supposed new menace from the centre.
True to form, their great laboratories soon came up with several offerings.
The one that was finally implemented was a form of mutated bacterium. It
multiplied at a phenomenal rate, living off itself if no other host was
available. To any creature with a nervous system more complex than that of the
higher invertebrates it was completely and irrevocably lethal.
The story from there,' continued Truzenzuzex, 'is a simple and straightforward
one. The plague worked as the leadership had hoped, to the extent of utterly
wiping out the Tar-Aiym enemies. It also set about totally eliminating the
Tar-Aiym themselves and most of the intelligent and semiintelligent life in [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]