The K-Factor | Page 2

survey as quickly as possible
and transmit the data back here. There is no cause to think of it as
sneaking behind Hengly's back, but as doing something to help him set
the matter right. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Neel said firmly this time, straightening his back and letting
his right hand rest reassuringly on the computer slung from his belt.
"Excellent. Then it is now time to meet your assistant." Abravanel
touched a button on his desk.
* * * * *
It was an unexpected development and Neel waited with interest as the
door opened. But he turned away abruptly, his eyes slitted and his face
white with anger. Abravanel introduced them.
"Neel Sidorak, this is--"
"Costa. I know him. He was in my class for six months." There wasn't
the slightest touch of friendliness in Neel's voice now. Abravanel either
ignored it or didn't hear it. He went on as if the two cold, distant young
men were the best of friends.
"Classmates. Very good--then there is no need to make introductions.
Though it might be best to make clear your separate areas of control.
This is your project Neel, and Adao Costa will be your assistant,
following your orders and doing whatever he can to help. You know he
isn't a graduate Societist, but he has done a lot of field work for us and
can help you greatly in that. And, of course, he will be acting as an
observer for the UN, and making his own reports in this connection."

Neel's anger was hot and apparent. "So he's a UN observer now. I
wonder if he still holds his old job at the same time. I think it only fair,
sir, that you know. He works for Interpol."
Abravanel's ancient and weary eyes looked at both men, and he sighed.
"Wait outside Costa," he said, "Neel will be with you in a minute."
Costa left without a word and Abravanel waved Neel back to his chair.
"Listen to me now," he said, "and stop playing tunes on that infernal
buzzer." Neel snapped his hand away from the belt computer, as if it
had suddenly grown hot. A hesitant finger reached out to clear the
figures he had nervously been setting up, then thought better of it.
Abravanel sucked life into his ancient pipe and squinted at the younger
man.
"Listen," he said. "You have led a very sheltered life here at the
university, and that is probably my fault. No, don't look angry, I don't
mean about girls. In that matter undergraduates have been the same for
centuries. I'm talking about people in groups, individuals, politics, and
all the complicated mess that makes up human life. This has been your
area of study and the program is carefully planned so you can study it
secondhand. The important thing is to develop the abstract viewpoint,
since any attempt to prejudge results can only mean disaster. And it has
been proved many times that a man with a certain interest will make
many unwitting errors to shape an observation or experiment in favor
of his interest. No, we could have none of that here.
"We are following the proper study of mankind and we must do that by
keeping personally on the outside, to preserve our perspective. When
you understand that, you understand many small things about the
university. Why we give only resident student scholarships at a young
age, and why the out-of-the-way location here in the Dolomites. You
will also see the reason why the campus bookstore stocks all of the
books published, but never has an adequate supply of newspapers. The
agreed policy has been to see that you all mature with the long view.
Then--hopefully--you will be immune to short-term political interests
after you leave.

"This policy has worked well in turning out men with the correct
attitude towards their work. It has also turned out a fair number of
self-centered, egocentric horrors."
* * * * *
Neel flushed. "Do you mean that I--"
"No, I don't mean you. If I did, I would say so. Your worst fault--if you
can call it a fault, since it is the very thing we have been trying to bring
about--is that you have a very provincial attitude towards the universe.
Now is the time to re-examine some of those ideas. Firstly, what do
you think the attitude of the UN is towards Societics?"
There was no easy answer, Neel could see traps ready for anything he
said. His words were hesitant. "I can't say I've really ever thought about
it. I imagine the UN would be in favor of it, since we make their job of
world government that much easier--"
"No such thing," Abravanel said, tempering the sharpness of his words
with a