Cubs of the Wolf | Page 8

glad you did. Don't you think so, Karone?"
The face of the Id was very sober as he nodded solemnly and said,
"Indeed, Master." His burning eyes were boring directly into Cameron's
own.
"I want to hear about your people, about Earth," said Marthasa. "Tell
me what you would like to see and do while you're in the Nucleus."
While Joyce answered, explaining they hardly knew what there was to
be seen, Cameron's attention was fixed by the problem of the strange
relationship between the two men--the two races. In the face of the Id
there seemed a serenity, a dignity that the Markovian would never
know. Why had the Ids failed to lift themselves out of servility to a
state of independence, he wondered?
Joyce explained the story about their honeymoon trip and built their
interest in Markovian culture as casual indeed. As she went on,
Marthasa seemed to be struck by a sudden thought.
"I insist that you make your headquarters with me during your stay," he
said. "I can see that you learn everything possible about the Nucleus
while you are here. My son is a Chief Historian at our largest research
library and my daughter has the post of Assistant Curator at our
Museum of Science and Culture. You will never have a better
opportunity to examine the culture of the Nucleus!"

Cameron winced inwardly at the thought of Marthasa's companionship
during their whole stay, and yet the Markovian's statement might be
perfectly true--there would be no better opportunity to make their
study.
"We have an official note of welcome from your Executive Head,
Premier Jargla," he said. "While we would be very happy to accept
your invitation, it may be that he has different plans for our reception."
Marthasa waved a hand. "I shall arrange for my appointment as your
official host. Consider it agreed upon!"
It was agreed. But Joyce was not as optimistic as Cameron in regarding
it an aid to their study. "If they have a general aversion to talking about
their pirate ancestry, Marthasa is just the boy to put us off the track,"
she said. "If he gets a clue to what we really want to know, he'll keep us
busy looking at everything else until we give up and go home."
Cameron leaned back in the deep chair with his hands behind his head.
"It's not too hard to imagine Marthasa's great-great-grandfather running
down vessels in space and pillaging helpless cities on other planets.
The veneer of civilization on him doesn't look very thick."
"It's not hard to imagine Marthasa doing it," said Joyce. "A scimitar
between his teeth would be completely in character!"
"If all goes well, you will probably see just that--figuratively speaking,
of course. Where a cultural shift has been so great as this one you are
certain to see evidence of both levels in conflict with one another. It's
like a geologic fault line. Once we learn enough about the current
mores the anomalies will stand out in full view. That's what we want to
watch for."
"One thing that's out of character right now is his offer of assistance
through his son, the Chief Historian," said Joyce. "That doesn't check
with the previous invitations to stay home. Once they let us have access
to their historical records we'll have them pegged."

"We haven't got it yet," said Cameron. "We can't be sure just what
they'll let us see. But for my money I'd just as soon tackle the question
of the Ids. Sal Karone is twice the man Marthasa is, yet he acts like he
has no will of his own when the Markovian is around."
"The Roman-slave relationship," said Joyce. "The Markovians
probably conquered a large community of the Ids in their pirate days
and brought them here as slaves. And I'll bet they are very much aware
that the Ids are the better men. Marthasa knows it. That's why he has to
put on a show in front of Sal Karone. He's the old Roman merchant
struggling to keep up his conviction of superiority before the Greek
scholar slave."
"The Ids aren't supposed to be slaves. According to the little that's
known they are completely free. I'm going to get Marthasa's version of
it, anyway. Fothergill and the Foundation can't object to that much
investigation of the Ids."
He found the Markovian completely willing to talk about his sargh. On
the last day of the voyage they managed to be alone for a time without
the presence of Sal Karone.
Marthasa shook his head in answer to Cameron's question. "No, the
sargh is not a slave--not in the sense I believe you mean it. None of the
Ids are. It's a matter of religion with them to be attached to us the way
they