The Mote In God's Eye

She stopped, watching curiously. Dr. Sigmund Horowitz had risen from his seat and was bent against the screen, examining the time-machine picture. He fingered the screen controls to enlarge one of the demon statuettes. The silhouette from the probe faded, leaving half the screen blank, then another picture came on and grew and grew-a sharp-fanged, rat-faced creature squatting on a pile of rubble.

"Aim!" Horowitz shouted in triumph. "I wondered what the ancestry of the rats could be! Degenerate forms of this He turned to the Moties. There was nothing in his ma

"No. They are only myths."

"Balderdash. Demons with weapons? Father Hardy, can you imagine devils carrying blast rifles?" Horowitz fingered the controls again and the probe silhouette appeared. "Abraham's Beard! That's no statue. Come now, this is a Mode subspecies. Why do you hide it? Fascinating- I've never seen anything so well adapted for . .." Horowitz' voice trailed off.

"A Warrior caste," Ben Fowler said slowly. "I don't wonder that you hid it from us. Dr. Horowitz, would you suppose that-creature—is as prolific as we know the other Moties can be?"

"Why not?'

"But I tell you the demons are legendary," Jock insisted. "The poem. Dr. Hardy, you recall the poem? These are the creatures who made the skies fall."

"I believe that," Hardy said. "I'm not sure I believe they're extinct. You keep their feral descendants in zoos. Anthony, I put a hypothetical question to you: If the Moties have a very prolific caste devoted to warfare; their Masters have pride in independence similar to terran lions; they have had several disastrous wars; and they are hopelessly trapped in a single planetary system: what is the most reasonable projection of their history?"

Horvath shuddered. So did the others. "Like-MacArthur," Horvath answered sadly. "Cooperation among Masters must break down when population pressures become severe enough... if that's really a current caste, David."

"But I tell you again, they ate legendary demons," Jock protested.

"I'm afraid we don't believe everything you tell us," Hardy said. There was deep sadness in his voice. "Not that I ever accepted everything you said. Priests hear a lot of lies. But I always did wonder what you were hiding.

It would have been better if you'd shown us some kind of military or police forces. But you couldn't, could you?

They were-" he gestured at the screen. "Those."

"Rod," Senator Fowler said. "You look pretty grim."

"Yes, sir. I was thinking what it would be like to fight a race that's bred Warriors for ten thousand years. Those things must be adapted to space warfare too. Give the Moties Field technology, and-Ben, I don't think we could beat them! It'd be like trying to fight millions of Sauron cyborgs! Hell, the couple of thousand they had were enough to keep the war going for years!"

Sally listened helplessly. "But what if Jock's telling the truth? Couldn't she be right? There was a Warrior caste, it's extinct now, and outlaw Modes-want to bring them back."

"Easy enough to find out," Fowler muttered. "And best done fast, before the Motie Browns build a fleet that could stop us."

"If they haven't already," Rod muttered. "They work so fast. They rebuilt the embassy ship while it was on its way to MacArthur. A complete overhaul, with two Browns and some Watchmakers. I think Commander Cargill's threat estimate may be a bit conservative, Senator."

"Even if it isn't," said Re

"Right. Okay, Jock. You see our situation," said the Senator.

"Not really." The Mode was crouched forward and looked very alien.

"I'll spell it out. We don't have the resources to fight a million critters evolved for warfare. Maybe we'd win, may be not. If you keep those things around, it's because you need ‘em; your system's too crowded to keep useless mouths. If you need ‘em, you fight wars."

"I see," Jock said carefully.

"No; you don't," the Senator growled. "You know something about Sauron System, but not enough. Jock, if you Moties breed Warrior castes, our people are goin' to identify you with Saurons, and I don't think you appreciate just how much the Empire hated them and their superman ideas."

"What will you do?" Jock asked.

"Take a look at your system. A real look."

"And if you find Warriors?"

"We don't need to look, do we?" Senator Fowler demanded. "You know we'll find ‘em." He sighed heavily. His pause for thought was very short-no more than a second. Then he stood and went to the view screen, walking slowly, like a juggernaut-.

"What will we do? Can we not stop him?" Jock wailed. Ivan remained calm. "It would do no good, and you could not do it. That Marine is no Warrior, but he is armed and his hand is on his weapon. He fears us."

"But-"

"Listen."

"Conference call," Fowler told the Palace operator. "I want Prince Merrill and War Minister Armstrong. Personally, and I don't give a damn where they are. I want ‘em now."

"Yes, Senator." The girl was young, and frightened by the Senator's ma

Minister Armstrong was in his office. His tunic was missing and his shirt unbuttoned. Papers littered his desk. He looked up in irritation, saw who was calling, and muttered, "Aye?"

"A moment," Fowler said brusquely. "I'm getting the Viceroy on a conference circuit," There was another long wait.

His Highness came on; the screen showed his face only. Ha seemed breathless. "Yes, Senator?"

"Your Highness, you have seen my Commission from the Emperor?"

"Yes."

"You accept my authority in all matters having to do with the aliens?"

"Of course."

"As representative of His Imperial Majesty I order you to assemble the sector battle fleet as quickly as possible. You will place Admiral Kutuzov in command to await my orders."

There was more silence on the screens. An irritating babble filled the conference room. Ben gestured imperiously for silence and it cut off.

"As a matter of form, Senator," Merrill said carefully, "I will require confirmation of that order from another member of the Commission."

"Yeah. Rod."

And here it is, Rod thought. He didn't dare look at Sally. A race of Warriors? Independent Masters? We can't let them get out into human space. We wouldn't last a century.

The Moties are frozen stiff. They know what we'll find. Unrestricted breeding and demons. Every nightmare every kid ever had... but I like Moties. No. I like the Mediators. I've never known any of the others. And the Mediators don't control the Mote civilization, Carefully he looked down at Sally. She was as unmoving as the Moties. Rod drew in a deep breath.

"Your Highness, I approve."

56 Last Hope

Their quarters seemed small now, despite the high ceilings. Nothing had changed. There were all the delicacies the Empire could find to put in their kitchen, A single push on a button would summon a dozen, a hundred servants. The Marines in the corridor outside were polite and respectful.

And they were trapped. Somewhere at the edges of New Cal's system, at a base called Dagda, the Empire's warships were summoned; and when they had arrived...

"They will not kill them all," Charlie gibbered.

"But they will." Jock's voice was a wail, quavering.

"The Warriors will fight. The Navy will lose ships. And Kutuzov will be in command. Will he risk his ships to spare any of us? Or will he reduce our planet to iridescent slag?'

"The asteroids as well?" Charlie whimpered. "Yes. There has never been a Cycle in which both were gone. Master, we must do something! We ca