Ascending - James Alan Gardner [46]
“But they did give it to you. For unknown reasons of their own. Your ancestors were very foolish if no one asked, Why are these aliens so generous?”
“Of course they asked. The Shaddill only answered, It’s our way.” The big woman stared broodingly at her food. “A lot of people assumed the Shaddill simply believed in helping others. Religious altruism. Cynics preferred to think it was a status thing: the Shaddill made themselves feel important by tossing handouts to others.
“Of course,” Lajoolie continued, “there’s always the chance the Shaddill were motivated by thought processes too alien for us to understand. We Divians and humans spend so much time together, we forget we’re rarities in the universe: intelligent species who are physically, mentally, and socially similar. We have comparable biological needs, we share the same range of emotions…but most other races have much less in common. Aliens aren’t always motivated by desires we can comprehend.”
“I comprehend the Shaddill perfectly,” I said. “They are villainous tempters who enjoy disrupting the lives of others: the type of people who come from the sky, fill your head with talk of Wondrous Science, and make you think you are respected…then they toy with you and laugh behind your back that you are a foolish savage. The presents they give are not nearly so fine as you first believe. Either the gifts turn out to be mere trinkets, or they are secretly intended to make you weak and dependent.” My face had suddenly become hot, and my eyes all stinging and watery. “Even if such tempters are not outright villains, they still want you to change, to be like them. They want you ashamed of what you are, and afraid of saying the tiniest thing for fear it will prove you are ignorant.”
Lajoolie stared at me a long moment, then lowered her gaze. “You’re really talking about the Technocracy, aren’t you? I’ve read the report of what happened on Melaquin. What the Explorers did to you. But those were mere humans, one of whom went murderously insane. The Shaddill are very different: more highly evolved, and really, truly benevolent. They aren’t just well-meaning idiots who bungle their attempts to help; they’ve shown themselves to be decent, caring, nonexploitive—”
“We’ve got company!” The shout came from the wall, but the voice was Uclod’s. Apparently, Starbiter had ways for someone to project sounds through the tissues surrounding us. “Back to the bridge,” Uclod yelled, “on the double!”
Lajoolie threw her bowl onto the counter and was out the door in a split-second. She moved very fast; I could barely keep up with her as she bounded through the bronchial tubes. Without slowing, she called, “Husband, do you know who it is?”
“Shaddill,” the walls answered in Uclod’s voice. “Bloody bastards still want a piece of us.”
I tried to say, “I told you so.” But we were running so fast, the words came out as more gasps.
5 The teaching machines in my home village were not the advanced Science kind that plant education straight into your brain. We only had crude teaching machines that made you recite your elevenses tables until you wanted to scream. They were very most stupid machines; alas, they were also unbreakable, even for such a one as happens to possess an excellent silver ax.
10
WHEREIN I EXPERIENCE GREAT FRUSTRATION
Pursuit
Back on the bridge, Uclod was strapped into his seat, with an icky pink intestine plastered over his face. It was not an appealing look—perhaps even I do not look so attractive wearing a major piece of bowel on my head—but I was beginning to get used to the constant presence of Starbiter’s internal organs. I did not even flinch as I threw myself into the jellyfish seat…but this time I lifted my arms high so they would not be trapped when the safety