Astounding Science Fiction (British edition) — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

COMMENCEMENT NIGHT 87 “* And what if we just came barging into your exclusive society without the invitation?” The other smiled, a grave wise smile. “That will not happen.” Correct again. Ted thought bitterly of the countless attempts, in the last twenty-five years, to get a ship farther than the Moon. Something always went wrong. All electrical equipment would fail; cosmic radiation increased capriciously, dangerously ; strange ver- tigoes assailed the crews. Let them play at voyaging between Earth and Moon, but beyond— Discourage them. “I’m sorry,’ Eren Tu told him. Stop them like the mad dogs they were. “In time, perhaps, Ted Jepson,”’ he suggested softly. Two or three thousand years, maybe, when they’d evolved a lan- guage to help them out of kinder- garten. A language— “But the islanders have taught many of us to speak your tongue! It’s being taught in several of our uni- versities. If we were told that’s all we had to do—learn the language—we’d all do it.” “In time, perhaps,” he said again. “You see, it is one of the basics of Galactic civilization that we tell no one how to mature. That is something a people must do for themselves.” “But why,” Ted asked, “did you come to the island and set up school?” For the first time, Eren Tu frowned. ““We became impatient,” he said. There were certain attributes and talents native to Earthlings, he ex- plained, which would be valuable. ‘ Earth’s unique sense of humor, for one. It was needed to freshen and re- vitalize certain other races. To lend its peculiar nutrition to a great stellar group grown somber and static with age. ae infusion of Earthlings was also longed for because they alone of the humanlike peoples possessed a great number of latent extrasensory abili- ties. “To say nothing of your tre- mendous natural energies and drive.” he added. “‘When word was received that this Project Peace, as you term it, existed, there were certain liberal fac- tions who maintained it would not be a violation of observational codes to teach the subjects, the islanders, our tongue—afier first conditioning them not to speak of us within hearing of your microphones. In that way, Earth could do what it wished with the lan- guage, could mature if it pleased. And while, as you say, thousands of your people are studying to speak it, there has been no discernible change in their natures. Wars still threaten to involve them. Greed and anger and other suicidal tendencies are increas- ing, instead of lessening. Even you, Ted Jepson, who can talk with me as well as the islanders, have an aura tainted with violence. Why, I cannot say. It is probably something in your heritage which not even semantic cor- rection can touch.” “But the islanders,” put in Ted, puzzled. “Yes. The islanders have reacted as we had hoped you all would. They are © stable and loving and just. But they know no other language, you see. They have always thought in it.” Ted plucked a blade of grass and chewed its tender stem thoughtfully. It was as bitter as his mood. What a perfect vicious circle: We can’t get in because we’re not invited. We’re not invited because we’re antisocial. We're antisocial because of our clumsy thought and speech processes, and theyll stay clumsy because we can’t get in. “You’ve wrecked Project Peace, too, you know. Maybe we could have made it without your... help.” “You are compensated for our inter- connicloooks.conn