Hal Clement - Cycle of Fire

“No, we do not return to the cities. It is not the custom; has not been for so long that I can no longer give you the precise details of the reason. However, it is better that we meet our ends where the heat is not very great — at least, not before our bodies are destroyed in other ways. When you no longer need me, I will — take a walk on the ice cap.”

Kruger found himself with nothing to say, except that he still felt the need of the Teacher’s company. At his invitation the being entered the flier and was met with great interest by the biologists who had come down. One of these spoke enough of the native language to render the boy’s presence unnecessary and he returned to the landing platform to watch for Dar. However, his little friend did not appear and the endless activity kept Nils’s attention until he found it necessary to sleep.

So the time passed. Gradually the number of gliders diminished, as the arrivals ceased and those already present headed for the other hemisphere. The sight of the casual way in which these beings started their last flights was depressing, not only to Kruger but to the other human beings watching.

“I guess it’s just the way you’re brought up,” one of the men remarked, “but if I knew I had a week to live I’d look a good deal soberer.”

“I think it’s more like three weeks,” said Kruger. “They seal this place a year in advance of the expected atmosphere change, just to play safe.”

“Don’t quibble.”

“I didn’t mean to. I got the impression from Dar, though, that he felt sorry for us — living from day to day without knowing when the end was to come. I suppose it’s just as hard for him to realize that we’re used to it, as it is for us to picture his attitude.”

“That’s true.” It was a new voice that made this answer, and Kruger turned to see Commander Burke standing in the air lock. “I should have liked to know your friend better, Mr. Kruger, but I don’t suppose we’d ever really know him — not even you.”

“Maybe not, sir, but I can’t help feeling that I do.”

“Good luck to you. Isn’t it nearly time for this sealing ceremony to take place?” Several more men were emerging from the little ship.

“I haven’t kept close track, sir, but I guess it must be, at that. Nearly all the gliders are gone, and — and I’ve seen a number of the big Teachers leaving the platform and starting around the mountain.” His voice shook a little as he mentioned this and the commander nodded gravely.

“Yes. The one who acted as your guide went the last time you were asleep.”

“What? I didn’t know that, sir.”

“I know you didn’t. It was by my advice that he went then. I thought it was better that way.” Something in the tone of the officer’s voice forbade further questioning.

Several more of the giant Teachers appeared on the platform at this point and the men stopped their conversation to watch them. One approached the group by the air lock and spoke.

“We are about to check the sealing of the outer gates. These are located some distance down the tunnel, as we have found it desirable to let ice come into the upper caverns later in the hot season. Would you care to come with us, to watch the operation?”

“Wait a minute! Dar Lang Ahn promised he’d see me before the doors were closed! Where is he?”

“He is coming. If you come with us you should meet him in the tunnel. I see his glider is waiting.” The being turned without further remark and the men followed, Burke watching the dazed Kruger with something like pity showing on his face.

The doors were about three hundred yards down the tunnel and, true to the Teacher’s prediction, Dar Lang Ahn was waiting beside them.

“Hi, Nils!” he called as the boy came in sight. “Sorry I was so long. There was a lot to do, believe me!”

“Dar! You can’t have finished — but this Teacher said…”

“Sure I did. Had to. Come on up to the surface — I want to check my glider. Or would you rather watch them seal the door?”

“But they can’t seal it yet! You can’t possibly have told them all you learned from us! You’ve got to stay and be a Teacher for the next generation!” The little native was silent for a moment, then spoke in a softer voice.

“Come with me, Nils. Maybe I did something I shouldn’t have, but it’s done. I’ll try to explain to you.” He gestured along the tunnel and the boy obeyed silently, staring at his little friend. Dar started talking as they went; the commander looked after them, shaking his head.

“Nils, I couldn’t do it. I thought about the point you’ve just mentioned and when I first started to learn things from you I rather planned to do what you’ve just suggested. I didn’t like it, of course, but it seemed to be my duty. Then I stayed with you and your people and — kept learning. Astronomy, geology, biology, archaelogy, mathematics, and all the other specialties that the men of your group represent. There was just too much of it.”

“Too much for you to remember?” Kruger stopped, his surprise momentarily covering his grief.

“Not too much to remember, no, but too much to grasp properly. I could have stayed down below and dictated scores of books about everything I had seen you do or heard you say, but even though I understood a good deal of it my people wouldn’t. There was something else they needed more, and gradually I came to understand what it was.

“It’s method, Nils. It’s the very way you people go about solving problems — imagination and experiment together. That was the thing my people had to learn and the thing I had to show them. Their problems are different from yours, after all; they’ll have to solve them for themselves. Of course, the facts are important, too, but I didn’t give too many of those. Just scattered pieces of information here and there, so that they could check their answers once in a while.”

“Then — then it was my own fault you’re doing this! I deliberately exposed you to as many different fields of knowledge as I could, so there’d be no chance of your getting it all recorded before the time of dying!”

“No! It’s not your fault, if you can call it a fault at all. You showed, indirectly I admit, just what we need to know. I was looking for an excuse to avoid staying in the Ramparts; if you want to say you furnished it, all right — and thanks.” He paused; they had reached the platform and Dar began without preamble to make sure his glider was ready for launching.

“But — can’t you come with us, instead? You don’t have to go back to Kwarr and — and…” Kruger could not finish the sentence. Dar straightened from his task and looked at him narrowly. For a moment or two he seemed to struggle with some decision; then he shook his head in the negative gesture he had learned from Kruger.

“I’m afraid not. I think I see a little of how you feel, friend Nils, and in a way I am sorry to leave you behind, but — would you come with me? ” He almost gave his equivalent of a smile as he asked this. Kruger was silent.

“Of course you wouldn’t — you couldn’t. You expect to live a long time yet, even though you don’t know how long.” He gripped one of Kruger’s hands with his small claw. “Nils, many of your years from now there will be quite a lot of my people who are part of me. I will be gone, but you may still be around. Maybe with what you and I have done for them some of those people will be scientists, and will have learned to get respect instead of contempt from the ‘hot’ ones, and to start something which may in time be a civilization like yours. I would like to think that you will be helping them.”

He vaulted into the seat of the glider and, without giving the boy time to say a word, tripped the catapult.