Adaptation | Page 5

Stevens said softly, "but at what price?"
Plekhanov turned on him. "At any price!" he roared. "In one generation
they left behind the China of famine, flood, illiteracy, war lords and all
the misery that had been China's throughout history."
Stevens said mildly, "Whether in their admitted advances they left
behind all the misery that had been China's is debatable, sir."
Plekhanov began to bellow an angry retort but Amschel Mayer popped
suddenly to his feet and lifted a hand to quiet the others. "Our solution
has just come to me!"
Plekhanov glowered at him.
Mayer said excitedly, "Remember what the Co-ordinator told us? This
expedition of ours is the first of its type. Even though we fail, the very
mistakes we make will be invaluable. Our task is to learn how to bring
backward peoples into an industrialized culture in roughly half a
century."
The messroom's occupants scowled at him. Thus far he'd said nothing
new.
Mayer went on enthusiastically. "Thus far in our debates we've had two
basic suggestions on procedure. I have advocated a system of free
competition; my learned colleague has been of the opinion that a strong
state and a planned, not to say totalitarian, economy would be the
quicker." He paused dramatically. "Very well, I am in favor of trying
them both."
They regarded him blankly.

He said with impatience, "There are two planets, at different ethnic
periods it is true, but not so far apart as all that. Fine, eight of us will
take Genoa and eight Texcoco."
Plekhanov rumbled, "Fine, indeed. But which group will have the use
of the Pedagogue with its library, its laboratories, its shops, its
weapons?"
For a moment, Mayer was stopped but Joe Chessman growled, "That's
no problem. Leave her in orbit around Rigel. We've got two small boats
with which to ferry back and forth. Each group could have the use of
her facilities any time they wished."
"I suppose we could have periodic conferences," Plekhanov said. "Say
once every decade to compare notes and make further plans, if
necessary."
Natt Roberts was worried. "We had no such instructions from the
Co-ordinator. Dividing our forces like that."
Mayer cut him short. "My dear Roberts, we were given carte blanche. It
is up to us to decide procedure. Actually, this system realizes twice the
information such expeditions as ours might ordinarily offer."
"Texcoco for me," Plekhanov grumbled, accepting the plan in its whole.
"The more backward of the two, but under my guidance in half a
century it will be the more advanced, mark me."
"Look here," Martin Gunthcr said. "Do we have two of each of the
basic specialists, so that we can divide the party in such a way that
neither planet will miss out in any one field?
Amschel Mayer was beaming at the reception of his scheme. "The
point is well taken, my dear Martin, however you'll recall that our
training was deliberately made such that each man spreads over several
fields. This in case, during our half century without contact, one or
more of us meets with accident. Besides, the Pedagogue's library is
such that any literate can soon become effective in any field to the

extent needed on the Rigel planets."

III
Joe Chessman was at the controls of the space lighter. At his side sat
Leonid Plekhanov and behind them the other six members of their team.
They had circled Texcoco twice at great altitude, four times at a lesser
one. Now they were low enough to spot man-made works.
"Nomadic," Plekhanov muttered. "Nomadic and village cultures."
"A few dozen urbanized cultures," Chessman said. "Whoever compared
the most advanced nation to the Aztecs was accurate, except for the fact
that they base themselves along a river rather than on a mountain
plateau."
Plekhanov said, "Similarities to the Egyptians and Sumeri.ins." He
looked over his beefy shoulder at the technician who was
photographing the areas over which they passed. How does our
geographer progress, Roberts?"
Natt Roberts brought his eyes up trom his camera viewer. "I've got
most of what we'll need for a while, sir."
Plekhanov turned back to Chessman. "We might as well head for their
principal city, the one with the pyramids. We'll make initial contact
there. I like the suggestion of surplus labor available."
"Surplus labor?" Chessman said, setting the controls. "How do you
know?"
"Pyramids," Plekhanov rumbled. "I've always been of the opinion that
such projects as pyramids, whether they be in Yucatan or Egypt, are
make-work affairs. A priesthood, or other ruling clique, keeping its
people busy and hence out of mischief."
Chessman adjusted a speed lever and settled back. "I can, see their

point."
"But I don't agree with it," Plekhanov said ponderously. "A society that
builds pyramids is a static one. For that matter any