Between the Strokes of Night

“And since humans can’t digest cellulose, the synthetic foods didn’t contain it. An alternative indigestible material was used to provide food bulk. Most inhabitants of Paradise, including everyone in the cities, turned to use of the synthetics. Still everything seemed to be going well, and they were all in good health. But the internal parasites were suddenly deprived of food, and when that happened many of them migrated out of the alimentary canal and into the bloodstream. They starved and died there. Those deaths seemed to produce no ill-effects on the human hosts — they weren’t even aware of it. But one of the decomposition by-products of the parasites has a structure very similar to a human neurotransmitter. So far as we can tell, human intelligence all over Paradise dropped, fifty to a hundred points, from normal range to sub-moron. And it happened quickly. The city dwellers became ferocious animals, not smart enough to operate their own signalling system and call for advice and assistance. And they turned on the few people outside the towns, and killed them as they found them. By the time the next ship touched down on Paradise, it could find no survivors. And since the cause of the problem was still unknown, the ship did not stay long.

“Well, I’ve said enough to make my point. Paradise is a safe, habitable planet again. I helped a little, but it was really Lum and Rosanne who cracked the problem, and pointed out the simple solution: adequate cellulose in the diet. And that’s related to the message that they want to send to you. Back on Pentecost, and later when we were looking at the Fifty Worlds, we had long debates on the usefulness of our lives. Lum and Rosanne feel they found the answer. They wouldn’t put it this way, but they saved a world. Don’t waste your life on small problems, they say. Find the biggest challenge that you can, the hardest one, the most frustrating one, and hit it with everything you’ve got.” Kallen paused. “See, I’ve changed, too. Thirty years ago, the speech I’ve just given was a month’s supply of words. But I’m finished. I told you not to grieve for Rosanne and Lum. I meant it. If you ever have the satisfaction of finding a problem as big as the one they found, and solving it, you’ll have answered our old question about the meaning of our lives.”

Kallen’s face went solemn, and he looked into the screen for a long time without speaking. “I’d like to see you all again,” he said at last. “But the odd thing is, I know exactly what you look like. You won’t have changed a bit since we said goodbye at the Cass system Sector Headquarters. Whereas I…” He shrugged, and ran his hand across his balding head. “Goodbye, old friends, and good luck. Seek the highest, whatever you do.”

The picture on the screen dissolved to a formless flicker of white, then that too faded to leave the room in darkness.

“Bless them,” said Judith Niles softly. “I never knew Lum and Rosanne, but I grieve with you to know that they are dead. They were just the minds and spirits that we need for our problems here. Seek the highest, the hardest, the most frustrating. If you wanted a one-line description of the Kermel Objects and stellarforming, those all apply. I wish we had Rosanne and Lum with us, but there will be others. Kallen may find his way here. He said as much, and from what I have heard of him from Paradise Station, he’ll be hard to stop once he makes up his mind to get here.”

“Impossible to stop,” said Peron softly. “I just wish he were here with us now.” “But he is not.” The lights in the conference room slowly came back to normal intensity, and Judith Niles gave her full attention to Elissa and Peron. She looked from one to the other, meeting their eyes. “You heard your friends. I don’t see how you can resist that message. They saved a world. You have a chance to save every planet that can support human life. Don’t you feel as though they could have been speaking to you about the exact problem we have here, and telling you to undertake it?”

Elissa looked around her. Sy was nodding. She realized that his decision had been made before he heard the message from Kallen — perhaps before this meeting began. She turned to Peron. He was wavering, half-persuaded but still uncomfortable. Elissa was on her own.

“NO!” The word seemed to burst from her, surprising her with its force and intensity. “No, that’s not the answer. You’re missing the point.” There was a ghastly silence. Everyone looked at her in astonishment — even Peron, and she had hoped that he would understand at once.

“Can’t you see it?” she went on. “You’ve missed the real significance of their message.”

“I very much doubt it,” said Judith Niles curtly. Her face was calm, but the scars were prominent on her forehead. “It was clear enough. Work on major problems, and do not let yourselves be distracted with trivia.”