Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke [77]
("Hexanerax 2, and nowhere else in the known universe," said Rashaverak. "Only a handful of our ships have ever reached it-and they have never risked any landings, for who would have thought that life could exist on such planets?"
"It seems," said Karellen, "that you scientists have not been as thorough as you had believed. If those-patterns-are intelligent, the problem of communication will be interesting. I wonder if they have any knowledge of the third dimension?")
It was a world that could never know the meaning of night and day, of years or seasons. Six coloured suns shared its sky, so that there came only a change of light, never darkness.
Through the clash and tug of conflicting gravitational fields the planet travelled along the loops and curves of its inconceivably complex orbit, never retracing the same path. Every moment was unique; the configuration which the six suns now held in the heavens would not repeat itself this side of eternity.
And even here there was life. Though the planet might be scorched by the central fires in one age, and frozen in the outer reaches in another, it was yet the home of intelligence. The great, many-faceted crystals stood grouped in intricate geometrical patterns, motionless in the eras of cold, growing slowly along the veins of mineral when the world was warm again. No matter if it took a thousand years for them to complete a thought. The universe was still young, and Time stretched endlessly before them-
("I have searched all our records," said Rashaverak. "We have no knowledge of such a world, or such a combination of suns. If it existed inside our universe, the astronomers would have detected it, even if it lay behind the range of our ships."
"Then he has left the Galaxy."
"Yes. Surely it cannot be much longer now."
"Who knows? He is only dreaming. When he awakes, he is still the same. It is merely the first phase. We will know soon enough when the change begins.")
***
"We have met before, Mr. Greggson," said the Overlord gravely. "My name is Rashaverak. No doubt you remember."
"Yes," said George. "That party of Rupert Boyce's. I am not likely to forget. And I thought we should meet again."
"Tell me-why have you asked for this interview?"
"I think you already know."
"Perhaps; but it will help us both if you tell me in your own words. It may surprise you a good deal, but I also am trying to understand, and in some ways my ignorance is as great as yours."
George stared at the Overlord in astonishment. This was a thought that had never occurred to him. He had subconsciously assumed that the Overlords possessed all knowledge and all power-that they understood, and were probably responsible for, the things that had been happening to Jeff.
"I gather," George continued, "that you have seen the reports I gave to the Island psychologist, so you know about the dreams."
"Yes; we know about them."
"I never believed that they were simply the imaginings of a child. They were so incredible that-I know this sounds ridiculous-they had to be based on some reality."
He looked anxiously at Rashaverak, not knowing whether to hope for confirmation or denial. The Overlord said nothing, but merely regarded him with his great calm eyes. They were sitting almost face to face, for the room-which had obviously been designed for such interviews-was on two levels, the Overlord's massive chair being a good metre lower than George's. It was a friendly gesture, reassuring to the men who asked for these meetings and who were seldom in an easy frame of mind.
"We were worried, but not really alarmed at first. Jeff seemed perfectly normal when he woke up, and his dreams didn't appear to bother him. And then one night"-he hesitated and glanced defensively at the Overlord. "I've never believed in the supernatural; I'm no scientist, but I think there's a rational explanation for everything."
"There is," said Rashaverak. "I know what you saw; I was watching."
"I always suspected it. But Karellen had promised that you'd never spy on us with your instruments.