older. "In all seriousness, sir, can youanswer the questions you have just asked?" His eyes were expectant--butthere didn't seem to be much hope reflected in their depths.
Allen noted a tenseness around the table. Why were they asking him foranswers they were supposed to know? Or was it another of theirsubtleties?
"No," he said curtly, "I don't know the answer to any of them. Has itgot a bearing on my getting a DP?"
The central figure sighed. "None at all." He pressed several tinybuttons on the polished table and an inscribed card rose halfway out ofa slot. "We merely hope that some day a man will come along who can tellus--before someone who may not be a man comes along and makes theanswers futile." He handed Allen the card. "Here is your permit. You maytake it to the third office south on the corridor through that door. Wedon't feel it is the answer to your problem, but we admit we don't--"
"Pardon me, sir," interrupted Allen. He wet his lips. "Did you say'someone who may _not be a man_'?"
"Yes. It is an aspect you have not considered, Mr. Kinderwood." Thesociologist's face seemed haggard. "Even a few generations ago, Earth asit is today would have seemed like a concept of heaven. We know now itis not enough, but we don't know why. Perhaps, if we can reach the starsthe problem will cease to be critical. By the same token, life from thestars may come here first.
"We have no remotest idea what such an eventuality would entail. It mayprovide a solution. It may quite conceivably send man back to theforests and jungles.
"You have experienced our only answer to the latter possibility. Whileproviding man with everything to which he has aspired for milleniums, weinstill in him, through the media of entertainment, knowledge of all thesurvival practices known to the backtimers who painfully nurturedcivilization from an embryonic idea to its present pinnacle. We can dono more."
Allen flexed his arms involuntarily at the sheer enormity of the idea.It was one thing to let a useless race expire, quite another to think ofits being forced back to-- "But--can't anyone think of anything else todo?"
"Whoever is capable of devising anything else," the old doctor saidresignedly, "will undoubtedly be able to carry it out with or withoutour assistance." He pressed more buttons and there was a muted sound ofthe voder calling a number. "The exit over there, Mr. Kinderwood.And--much happiness."
Allen's thoughts swirled in tumultuous confusion. Dimly, he realizedthat man had outstripped himself, and saw with intense bitterness thatthere was no answer on Earth for any ordinary citizen. Or was there? Andif there was, was it worth trying to find? He flung open the door to thecorridor violently, as though the force could quiet his mind. Maybe, ifhe didn't use the permit, he could stay and figure out an answer. Neddawould be sympathetic and patient while-- And then he stopped. Across thewide hallway, Nedda stood beneath a window, looking at him. And theblond youth held her with flushed understanding, impatiently waiting,caressing her arm with his hand, binding her to him with the one bondshe could not break.
She watched Allen start slowly down the corridor. Once, when hestumbled, she gave a stifled sob, and tears brimmed and spilled silentlywhen he passed through the door marked _Kansas City Department ofEuthanasia_.
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _If Worlds of Science Fiction_ September 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
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