〃Swell！〃 Obadiah…Galahad shouted。 〃Let's！〃 He had Mmerva with him at that moment； he grabbed her and flipped her over facing him。 〃Little whatever…your…name…is； do you have any last words？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃'Yes' what？〃
〃Just 'Yes。' That's my last word。〃
〃Galahad；〃 said Ishtar； 〃if you're going to rape Mine'rva； drag her back of the fountain。？I want to hear 'what Justin means by that。〃
〃How can I rape her when she won't fight？〃 he plained。
〃You've always been able to solve that problem。 But do it quietly。 Justin； I find myself shocked。 It seems to me that we've been quite generous in supplying Old Home Terra with new technologies…and there's not much else we can give them。 Didn't the last migrant transport e back only half loaded？〃
〃I'll answer it；〃 Lazarus growled。 〃Justin might pretty it up。 Not all the Howards。 Two。 Andy Libby provided the weapon； I delivered the coup de grace。 Space travel killed Earth。〃
Ishtar looked troubled。 〃Grandfather； I don't understand。〃
〃She calls me that when I've been naughty；〃 the Senior confided to me。 〃It's her way of spanking me。 Ish darling； you' are young and sweet and have spent your life studying biology； not history。 Earth was doomed in any case； space travel just hurried it along。 By 2012 it wasn't fit to live on…so I spent the next century elsewhere； although the other real 'estate in the Solar System is far from attractive。 Missed seeing Europe destroyed； missed a nasty dictatorship in my home country。 Came back when things appeared to be tolerable； found that they weren't…and that's when the Howards had to 'run for it。
〃But space travel can't ease the pressure on a pla grown too 鑢owded； not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships…because stupid people won't leave the slopes of their home volcano…even when it starts to smoke and rumble。 What space travel does do is drain off the best brains：
those smart enough to see a catastrophe before it happens and with the guts to pay the price…。abandon home； wealth； friends； relatives； everything…and go。 That's a tiny fraction of one percent。 But that's enough。〃
〃It's the bell curve again；〃 I said to Ishtar。 〃If…as Lazarus
thinks； and statistics back him up…every migration es primarily from the right…hand cOd of the normal…incidence curve of hum'an ability； then this acts as a sorting device whereby the new pla will show a bell curve '0th a much higher intelligence norm than the population it came from
and the old pla will average almost imperceptibly stupider。〃
〃Imperceptible except for one thing！〃 Lazarus objected。
〃That tiny fraction that hardly shows statistically is the brain。 I recall a country that lost a key war by chasing out a mere half dozen geniuses。 Most people can't think； most of the remainder all fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well。 The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly； accurately； creatively； and without self…delusion…in the long run these are the only people who count
and they are the very ones who migrate when it is physically possible to do so。 T
〃As Justin said； statistically it hardly shoakes all the difference。 Chop off a chicken's head and it doesn't die at once； it flops around more energetically than ever。 For a while。 Then it dies。
〃That's what space travel did to Earth： chopped its head off。 For two thousand years its best brains have been migrating。 What's left is flopping harder than ever 。 。 to no purpose and will die that much sooner。 Soon； I think。 I don't feel guilty about it； I see no sin in those smart enough to escape escaping if they can…and the death。 rattle of Earth was clear and strong back in the twentieth century； Earth reckoning； when I was a young man and space travel had barely started…not even started in interstellar terms。 It took two more centuries and then some to get it rolling。 Can't count the first migration of the Howards； it was involuntary； and they weren't the best brains。
〃The later Howard migration to Secundus was more important； it shook out some of the dullards； left them behind。 The non…Howard migrations were even more important。 I've often wondered what would have happened if there had been no political restraints against migrating from China； the few Chinese who did reach the stars seem always to be winners； I suspect that the Chinese average smarter than the rest of Earth's spawn。
〃Not that slant of eye or color of skin matters today； or even matters at the moment of truth。 One of the early Howards was Robert C。 M。 Lee； of Richmond； Virginia…anybody know what his name was originally？〃
〃I do；〃 I answered。
〃Of course you do； Justin； so keep quiet…and that include you； Athene。 Anyone else？〃
No one answered； Lazarus went on： 〃His birth name wa
Lee 'Choy Moo； he was born in Singapore； and his parent
came from Canton in China…and of the people in。 the 'Nev
Frontiers' he was a mathematician second only to And~
Libby。〃
〃Goodness！〃 said Hamadryad。 〃I'm descended from him… but I didn't know he was a great mathematician。〃
〃Did you know he was Chinese？〃
〃Lazarus； I'm not sure what 'Chinese' means； I haven〃 studied much terrestrial history。 Isn't it a religion？ Lik~ 'Jewish'？〃
〃Not exactly； dear。 The point is that it no longer matters Just as few know and no one cares that the famous Zaccui Barstow； my partner in crime； was a quarter Negro。 Does tha word mean anything to you； Hamadarling？ Not a religion。〃
〃The word means 'black；' so I assume that one of his grand。 parents was from Africa。〃
〃Which shows what es of assuming anything on one datum。 Two of Zack's grandparents； both mulatto； came from Los Angeles in my homeland。 Since my line mixed with his a long time back； probably any of you can claim African ancestry。 Which is statistically equivalent to claiming descent from Charlemagne。 I've gone far afield； and it is time we picked a new Stimulator and a new Respondent。 Space travel ruined old Earth…that's one viewpoint。 The other side of the coin； happier and more important in the long run； is that it improved the breed。 Probably saved it as well but 'improved' is certai~s Homo sapiens is now not only far more numerous than he ever was on Earth； he is a better； smarter； more efficient animal in every measurable fashion。 Further this Respondent sayeth not； somebody else grab it。 Lazi； quit trying to tickle me and go bother Galahad； Minerva needs a rest。〃
〃Lazarus；〃 Ishtar said； 〃just one more responding； please。 Something you said about Howards made me wonder。 You seemed to place all emphasis on intelligence。 Don't you consider long…life important？〃
I was astonished to see the oldest human alive frowning over this； slow to answer。 Surely it was a question he had settled in his mind at least a thousand years earlier。 I tried to forstalt the quandary； found I could not soothly norom it。
〃Ishtar~ the only correct verbal answer to that is Yes and
�
小提示：按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目，按 ← 键 返回上一页， 按 → 键 进入下一页。
赞一下
添加书签加入书架