一无所有-第74部分

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〃I　suppose　they'd　e　on　one　of　the　freighters；〃　he　replied。　〃Like　good　Odonians；　they'd　hitchhike。　If　their　government；　or　the　Council　of　World　Governments；　let　them。　Would　they　let　them？　Would　the　archists　do　the　anarchists　a　favor？　That's　what　I'd　like　to　find　out。　If　we　invited　a　small　group；　six　or　eight；　of　these　people；　what　would　happen　at　that　end？〃

〃Laudable　curiosity；〃　Rulag　said。　〃We'd　know　the　danger　better；　all　right；　if　we　knew　better　how　things　really　work　on　Unas。　But　the　danger　lies　in　the　act　of　finding　out。〃　She　stood　up；　signifying　that　she　wanted　to　hold　the　floor　for　more　than　a　sentence　or　two。　Bedap　winced；　and　glanced　again　at　Shevek；　who　sat　beside　him。　〃Look　out　for　this　one；〃　he　muttered。　Shevek　made　no　response；　but　he　was　usually　reserved　and　shy　at　meetings；　no　good　at　all　unless　he　got　moved　deeply　by　something；　in　which　case　he　was　a　surprisingly　good　speaker。　He　sat　looking　down　at　his　hands。　But　as　Rulag　spoke；　Bedap　noticed　that　though　she　was　addressing　him　she　kept　glancing　at　Shevek。

〃Your　Syndicate　of　Initiative；〃　she　said；　emphasizing　the　pronoun；　〃has　proceeded　with　building　a　transmitter。　with　broadcasting　to　Urras　and　receiving　from　them；　and　with　publishing　the　munications。　You've　done　all　this　against　the　advice　of　the　majority　of　the　PDC；　and　increasing　protests　from　the　entire　Brotherhood。　There　have　been　no　reprisals　against　your　equipment　or　yourselves　yet；　largely；　I　believe；　because　we　Odonians　have　bee　unused　to　the　very　idea　of　anyone's　adopting　a　course　harmful　to　others　and　persisting　in　it　against　advice　and　protest。　It's　a　rare　event。　In　fact；　you　are　the　first　of　us　who　have　behaved　in　the　way　that　archist　critics　always　predicted　people　would　behave　in　a　society　without　laws：　with　total　irresponsibility　towards　the　society's　welfare。　I　don't　propose　to　go　again　into　the　harm　you've　already　done；　and　handing　out　of　scientific　information　to　a　powerful　enemy；　the　confession　of　our　weakness　that　each　of　your　broadcasts　to　Urraa　represents。　But　now；　thinking　that　we've　got　used　to　all　that；　you're　proposing　something　very　much　worse。　What's　the　difference；　you'll　say；　between　talking　to　a　few　Urrasti　on　the　shortwave　and　talking　to　a　few　of　them　here　in　Abbenay？　What's　the　difference？　What's　the　difference　between　a　shut　door　and　an　open　one？　Let's　open　the　door　—　that's　what　he's　saying；　you　know；　ammari。　Let's　open　the　door；　let　the　Urrasti　e！　Six　or　eight　pseudoOdonians　on　the　next　freighter。　Sixty　or　eighty　loti　profiteers　on　the　one　after；　to　look　us　over　and　see　how　we　can　be　divided　up　as　a　property　among　the　nations　of　Unas。　And　the　next　trip　will　be　six　or　eight　hundred　armed　ships　of　war：　guns；　soldiers；　an　occupying　force。　The　end　of　Anarres；　the　end　of　the　Promise。　Our　hope　lies；　it　has　lain　for　a　hundred　and　seventy　years；　in　the　Terms　of　the　Settlement：　No　Urrasti　off　the　ships；　except　the　Settlers；　then；　or　ever。　No　mixing。　No　contact。　To　abandon　that　principle　now　is　to　say　to　the　tyrants　whom　we　defeated　once。　The　experiment　has　failed；　e　reenslave　us！〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　Bedap　said　promptly。　〃The　message　is　dear：　The　experiment　has　succeeded；　we're　strong　enough　now　to　face　you　as　equals。〃

The　argument　proceeded　as　before；　a　rapid　hammering　of　issues。　It　did　not　last　long。　No　vote　was　taken；　as　usual。　Almost　everyone　present　was　strongly　for　sticking　to　the　Terms　of　the　Settlement；　and　as　soon　as　this　became　clear　Bedap　said；　〃All　right。　I'll　take　that　as　settled。　Nobody　es　in　on　the　Kuieo　Fart　or　the　Mindful。　In　the　matter　of　bringing　Urrasti　to　Anarres；　the　Syndicate's　aims　clearly　must　yield　to　the　opinion　of　the　society　as　a　whole；　we　asked　your　advice；　and　well　follow　it。　But　there's　another　aspect　of　the　same　question。　Shevek？〃

〃Well；　there's　the　question；〃　Shevek　said；　〃Of　sending　an　Anarresti　to　Urras。〃

There　were　exclamations　and　queries。　Shevek　did　not　raise　his　voice；　which　was　not　far　above　a　mumble；　but　persisted；　〃It　wouldn't　harm　or　threaten　anyone　living　on　Anarres。　And　it　appears　that　it's　a　matter　of　the　individual's　right；　a　kind　of　test　of　it；　in　fact。　The　Terms　of　the　Settlement　don't　forbid　ft。　To　forbid　it　now　would　be　an　assumption　of　authority　by　the　PDC；　an　abridgment　of　the　right　of　the　Odonian　individual　to　initiate　action　harmless　to　others。〃

Rulag　sat　forward。　She　was　smiling　a　little。　〃Anyone　can　leave　Anarres；〃　she　said。　Her　light　eyes　glanced　from　Shevek　to　Bedap　and　back。　〃He　can　go　whenever　he　likes；　if　the　propertarians'　freighters　win　take　him。　He　can't　e　back。〃

〃Who　says　he　cant？〃　Bedap　demanded。

〃The　Terms　of　the　Closure　of　the　Settlement。　Nobody　will　be　allowed　off　the　freight　ships　further　than　the　boundary　of　the　Port　of　Anarres。〃

〃Well；　now。　that　was　surely　meant　to　apply　to　Urrasti；　not　Anarresti；〃　said　an　old　adviser；　Ferdaz；　who　liked　to　stick　his　oar　in　even　when　it　steered　the　boat　off　the　course　he　wanted。

〃A　person　ing　from　Urras　is　an　Urrasti；〃　said　Rulag。

〃Legalisms；　legalisms！　What's　all　this　quibbling？〃　said　a　calm；　heavy　woman　named　Trepil。

〃Quibbling！〃　cried　the　new　member；　the　young　man。　He　had　a　Northrising　accent　and　a　deep；　strong　voice。　〃If　you　don't　like　quibbling；　try　this。　If　there　are　people　here　that　dont　like　Anarres；　let　'em　go。　I'll　help　to　carry　'em　to　the　Port；　I'll　even　kick　'em　there！　But　if　they　try　to　e　sneaking　back；　there's　going　to　be　some　of　us　there　to　meet　them。　Some　real　Odonians。　And　they　wont　find　us　smiling　and　saying；　'Wele　home；　brothers。'　They'll　find　their　teeth　knocked　down　their　throats　and　their　balls　kicked　up　into　their　bellies。　Do　you　understand　that？　Is　it　clear　enough　for　you？〃

〃Clear；　no；　plain；　yes。　Plain　as　a　fart。〃　said　Bedap。　〃Clarity　is　a　function　of　thought。　You　should　learn　some　Odoniamsm　before　you　speak　here。〃

〃You're　not　worthy　to　say　the　name　of　Odo！〃　the　young　man　shouted。　〃You're　traitors；　you　and　the　whole　Syndicate！　There　are　people　all　over　Anarres　watching　you。　You　think　we　dont　know　that　Shevek's　been　asked　to　go　to　Urras；　to　go　sell　Anarresti　science　to　the　profiteers？　You　think　we　don't　know　that　all　you　snivelers　would　love　to　go　there　and　live　rich　and　let　the　propertarians　pat　you　on　the　back？　You　can　got　Good　riddance！　But　if　you　try　ing　back　here；　you'll　meet　with　Justice！〃

He　was　on　his　feet　and　leaning　across　the　table；　shouting　straight　into　Bedap's　face。　Bedap　looked　up　at　him　and　said；　〃You　dont　mean　justice；　you　mean　punishment。　Do　you　think　they're　the　same　thing？〃

〃He　means　violence；〃　Rulag　said。　〃And　if　there　is　violence；　you　will　have　caused　it。　You　and　your　Syndicate。　And　you　will　have　deserved　it。〃

A　thin；　small；　middleaged　man　beside　Trepu　began　speaking；　at　first　so　softly；　in　a　voice　hoarsened　by　the　dust　cough；　that　few　of　them　heard　him。　He　was　a　visiting　delegate　from　a　Southwest　miners'　syndicate；　not　expected　to　speak　on　this　matter。　〃。　。　。　what　men　deserve；〃　he　was　saying。　〃For　we　each　of　us　deserve　everything；　every　luxury　that　was　ever　piled　in　the　tombs　of　the　dead　kings；　and　we　each　of　us　deserve　nothing；　not　a　mouthful　of　bread　in　hunger。　Have　we　not　eaten　while　another　starved？　Will　you　punish　us　for　that？　Will　you　reward　us　for　the　virtue　of　starving　while　others　ate？　No　man　earns　punishment；　no　man　earns　reward。　Free　your　mind　of　the　idea　of　deserving；　the　idea　of　earning；　and　you　will　begin　to　be　able　to　think。〃　They　were；　of　course；　Odo's　words　from　the　Prison　Letters；　but　spoken　in　the　weak；　hoarse　voice　they　made　a　strange　effect；　as　if　the　man　were　working　them　out　word　by　word　himself；　as　if　they　came　from　his　own　heart；　slowly；　with　difficulty；　as　the　water　wells　up　slowly；　slowly；　from　the　desert　sand。

Rulag　listened；　her　head　erect；　her　face　set；　like　that　of　a　person　repressing　pain。　Across　the　table　from　her　Shevek　sat　with　his　head　bowed。　The　words　left　a　silence　after　them；　and　he　looked　up　and　spoke　into　it。

〃You　see；〃　he　said；　〃what　we're　after　is　to　remind　ourselves　that　we　didn't　e　to　Anarres　for　safety；　but　for　freedom。　If　we　must　all　agree；　all　work　together；　we're　no　better　than　a　machine。　If　an　individual　can't　work　in　solidarity　with　his　fellows；　it's　his　duty　to　work　alone。　His　duty　and　his　right。　We　have　been　denying　people　that　righ