Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 263: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Before you came we had a culture, a way of life, a way of thought, that was distinctly our own. We didn’t develop the way you developed, we missed this crude, preliminary civilization you are passing through. We started at a point you won’t reach for another million years. “We had a goal, an ideal, a place we were heading for. And we were making progress. | can’t explain it, for—well, there just are no words for it. And then you came along—” “lT think | know,” said Craig. “We are a disturbing influence. We have upset your culture, your way of thought. Our thoughts intrude upon you and you see your civilization turning into a troupe of mimics, absorbing alien ideas, alien ways.” He stared at Page. “But isn’t there a way? Damn it, do we have to fight about this?” But even as he spoke, he knew there was no way. The long role of Terrestrial history recorded hundreds of such wars as this: wars fought over forms of faith, over terminology of religion, over ideologies, over cultures. And the ones who fought those wars were members of the same race—not members of two races separated by different Origins, by different metabolisms, by different minds. “No,” Craig answered himself, “there is no way. Someday, perhaps, we will be gone. Some day we will find another and a cheaper source of power and you will be left in peace. Until that day—” He left the words unspoken. Page turned away, headed for the lock, followed by the two big Candles and the little pink one. Ranged together at the port, the two _ Terrestrials watched the Candles come out of the lock. Page was still in the form of a man, but as he walked away the form ran together and puddled down until he was a sphere. Creepy cackled at Craig’s elbow. “By cracky,” he yelped, “he was a purple one!” CORniclooo SS CO