Avram Davidson - The Kar-Chee Reign

There had been those who had clung to life with tenacious avidity even in the face of famine and drought, only to let go their hold on life with food and water still on their lips. And others to whom strange fantasies had become, if not facts, at least attitudes: that the arkfolk had not merely — fortuitously or providentially — in saving their lives done a deed of mercy, but that in some unknown, but not unsuspicionable, way the arkfolk were part of an overall scheme… details infinitely vague… a scheme in which Liam (to the minds of some of them) might be also involved, wittingly or otherwise… “Weary, wary, cynical, grim, bitter,” they declared by their manner if not by their words that they were not be cozened or deceived any further; that they had suffered enough so far; that henceforth they were to be exceedingly canny and cautious and that the burden of proof lay upon everyone else.

And the fact that they had never heard of an “ark” merely added to the bitter mystery of things.

Liam, moving slowly, slowly around the deck of this curious vessel, sometimes holding to the side and sometimes to Gaspar, as yet did not fully grasp the meaning of the odd looks cast him by a few of his followers, themselves crawling cautiously about or merely reposing on the deck of the ark in the positions which had become habitual to them through reposing on the deck of the raft, His eyes and mind were both at work, but for the moment, satisfied that his people were not in want, he preferred to concentrate on other matters.

“Another thing our wise ancients used to say,” Gaspar went on; “our wise ancients used to say, ‘Knowledge is power.’ Do you understand that? No, you don’t, you only think you do. If you had understood it you wouldn’t have been dying of hunger and thirst. You were dying of hunger and thirst, so that proves you didn’t understand it. But the fact that you had made an attempt indicates that you are capable of understanding it. Listen to what I tell you, young man, and then you will understand, you will become knowledgeable, and hence powerful.

“Do you see how well prepared this Ark is? How cleverly and how sturdily it is made? How it is provisioned with food and fuel and water? Look at the drain-gutters and pipes and barrels — if a sudden shower occurred at this minute not a drop of water would be lost. Observe how all of our people are engaged in assigned and useful tasks, not sunken in corrosive sloth or corrupting idleness. See how well-cared for our beasts and poultry are. Do you notice the young people at their lessons? You do. May I ask you the rhetorical question, ‘Did you make any of these beneficial arrangements for your own vessel and people?’ ”

Liam put one peeling foot down carefully in front of another. “There wasn’t time,” he said.

“You did not. Exactly. Time? Wasn’t time? There is always time. It depends what one does with time. You are the product of a society given over to violence and self-indulgence, confusing knowledge with knowing. By suffering the hypocrisy of a regime which ignored the laws of Nature, you saw that society met its inevitable destruction. Can Nature be successfully resisted? Of course not.”

Liam resisted the temptation to say, “Old graybeard Gaspar, you are babbling.” For one thing, it was not courtly; for another, it was not… hardly… safe. And besides, there was just a germ, a grain of conviction in the fact that the ark was exceedingly well made, arranged, provisioned, and ordered. Gaspar’s words were persuasive of foolishness, but the existence and circumstancing of the ark seemed anything but folly. Liam resolved to listen well and long before voicing curt conclusions.

Gaspar passed his hand over his beard in a smooth motion, said, equally smoothly, “you perceive how unanswerable my argument is. Very well. To continue. The man of the multitude, contented with little, observes that a thing happens, and to him it is as though the happening has neither past nor future: as though something materializes from nothing and will subsequently dematerialize into nothing. But this is not so. Am I correct? Of course I am correct. Follow me closely, now. Nothing happens without a cause . The acceptance of this maxim is the solid foundation of all human knowledge, progress and hope.”

He paused to watch and nod approval as the hide of a just-slaughtered bull-calf was carefully scraped with a sharp stone to remove the hair from one side and the fat from the other. Even these were not wasted and went carefully into containers provided for them. The fat was edible and the hair could be used to make brushes. “And therefore—” Liam gave the conversation a polite nudge. He scanned the horizon. Nothing in sight but water. Nothing. Surely Gaspar and his people did not intend to remain afloat forever?

“And therefore,” Gaspar took up the thread once more, “it is necessary to inquire as to the cause of a thing, and this is to say that it is necessary to inquire into the causes of all things. Does this not follow?”

“Granted.”

“So. Suppose a man neglect or abuse his body. What is the inevitable result? The inevitable result is disease, blemishes, decay, breakdown, the appearance of evil sores and destructive parasites; all of which attack the body further. The foolish man bewails what has happened to him, not realizing that it has not merely or actually happened at all — but that he, through his folly, has caused it to happen! Now, fellow from a far country, let us apply this knowledge to the social body as well as to the individual body. Follow me closely. Suppose the social body, or, if you prefer, the body social, is neglected or abused. What is the inevitable result? The same… only, of course, on a much wider scale. Disease— a plague spreads. Blemishes— accident and misfortune vex the land. Decay— more people die than are born. Breakdown— bridges and boats and buildings are destroyed. Evil sores and destructive parasites— this means dragons and Kar-chee. Now—”

Liam blinked and gaped. He put out his hand and Gaspar politely raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”

“ ‘Evil and destructive’ means what? ”

“You have not listened carefully; However, I make allowances for the several circumstances of, firstly, you grew up in a benighted outland and not in a community of Knowers; secondly, you have suffered physically and mentally from your ill-managed venture upon the raft; thirdly, I do not wish to dwell upon it and perhaps hurt your feelings, but I must testify to what I see and in this case I see that you suffer from a physical malady: to wit, your eyes do not match, and from this it follows that—”

Liam, trying intensely hard to recall the Father Knower’s exact words and stem the flood of rhetoric, said, rather loudly, “ ‘ Destructive parasites.’ ”

And Gaspar immediately said, “Kar-chee.”

He was about to say more but a young woman of the stranger people, lighthaired and not ill-favored, rose from where she was sitting and stroking a small gray lamb, and said, “Liam!”

Her friend began to smile, then made an abrupt, impatient gesture, and she started to back away. He grasped her hand and drew her along, saying, “Father, your pardon, but—”

“Granted. Young person, you name has not been made known to me.”

“Cerry… Cerry, I’m called.”

“Have all your wants been made known to the Mother?”

“Yes… She’s been very kind.”

“ ‘Kind,’ a word of insufficient exactitude. The Mother knows her work; if you have made known your wants to her they will by now have been supplied if it is proper and convenient for them to be so. Has she informed you on the subject of cohabitation? You flush. How becoming and proper. So be it. Accompany us on our conversational circuit of the ark if you wish, but feel no compulsion, and on no account interrupt us further or again.”