The Galaxy Primes

Belle tapped lightl

me

Have you had

es

have

had recovered; both face

r break this up," B

to, if we expect to

not conceal

cord as a man-killer is still one hundred point zero zero zero percent

snorted, inelega

u again. Ever. I'm not going to touch you again until I

n in love. You aren't. I couldn't make you be, not with the best I could d

mind, which is the only one I know of as good as my own. Maybe I'm in love with what I think you ought to be ... or what

uh-le

ble; and if Lola noticed anything ou

reakfast, i

s, Jim, you think

e a couple o

how Deggi about the activation ... and all those Primes to organiz

We'll finish as

ulf of space to one of the planets they had scanned so fleetingly on their preliminary survey. Its name was, b

as in effect a declaration of intent and nothing else-Garlock and Belle tele

visitors. Both were tall; both were peculiarly thin. Not

d," Belle tight-beame

s, of body and of head-not by nature, but via electric-shaver clipping. Both wore sandals. The man wore shorts and a shirt-like garment of nylon or its like; the woman wore just enough r

o get out, both of you. If you don't, when I count three I'll throw you out, an

hey have something we haven't, or they wou

n't hurt us a bit and it may do him some good. While he's wasting effort I'll compare notes with my partner

arlock's attention. He then tried to leap at the intruder physically, despite the l

y-set blocks, "How are you d

riek. "What-how can-but no, you

Delcamp. But you're going

ze how big a man you really are-can that kind of stuff be taugh

to one and made a couple of other changes. Theoretic

idiot, darlin

to Belle's mind. "Tune to the field ... that's it-fine! Then-I'l

breathed, exci

and there you are. You can

at maybe I could crack your shield if I wanted to. I'll work on Miss Snake-Hips here, the

her. "It takes full mastery of the

do you mean to actually say I can now co

et that there very well may be people-or things-as

know, Clee, that you're the absolute tops

to the now quiet Semolo. "Well, my over-confident and contumacious young squirt; are you done h

de no reply; bu

nd perhaps I should have-Primes is that you know too damned much that isn't true.

ered anyone able to stand up to you, you've sold yourself on the idea that there's nobody

ship; you've scarcely started making plans. You realize dimly that the theory is not in any of the books, that you

ably a lot stronger than you are; many of them may be stronger than my partner and I are. I am not at all certain that you will pass even the first screening; but si

hing who has a working starship and

general-distribution version of

"Whether or not I would be interested depends, of cour

ock cut in sharply. "However, since it's part of my

mply marvel at your forbearance, Clee. You should have turned him inside out and hung him up

A couple of sh

s into her she'll slap his e

. But let's hop to Numb

4WD27, my companion Prime is indeed Glarre 12WD91. You are, we perceive, Bearers of the Truth; of great skill and of high advancement. Your visit here will, I am

like of which he had never even imagined. The two Falnian Primes, capable operators both, had built

locks were instantaneous in action; their counter-thrust was nearly so. B

erhaps, but still Bearers. You will indeed profit greatly from our visit. You err, however, in thinking that we may in any respect profit from you. Y

aightened up and stepped forward; neither arrogantly nor apologetically,

prisingly alike. Baver was almost as big as Garlock; almost as

ever, all rese

pockets; the woman only a leather carryall slung from one shoulder-big e

long, heavy, meticulously middle-parted and dressed-was a startling two-tone job. To the righ

mpletely masked by a bizarrely spectacular overlay o

increment of Truth. Hear, then, the message

joy your help in finishing our ship; we will do all that in us li

n, to Belle, "Okay

claimed. "What a pair they turned out to

is hands into his pockets and prowled about the

any other thing, however slight, that I have and you haven't. There isn't. You've got it all. You're just

bout me? You've done altoget

I've got to do ...

sh

corridor between their doors, Belle began to soften her shield, as though to send a th

ht, Clee,

e," and each went

that they worked ten. They ate supper in friendly fashion

tremendous ship all to ourselves. To have a private

she watched him do it. "

Not ordinary G

d by all the force of the Prime and Op fields and the full power

imes are! And we'll have to make the rounds twice

ht to give us a galaxy-wide reach. Le

uh-Le

in, th

darl

Darl

. Okay-I'm not going to try any more to lick you until after I

belligerent as ever, the Lizorian Prime took the call. "I thought

liter of golop you call a brain," Garlock said, harshly. "We're

e forty-sixth planet done and the immediate job finished. All duri

er. A cigarette leaped out of a closed box and into place between her lips. It came alight.

em, Belle," Garlock said aloud. "What

Specifically, their total inability to cope with that new Prime probe of yours." She stared at him

comm

Freely, of your own accord.

no co

ment, Buster, bef

ch a thing a

eve I ever had any. You talk a good game of urbanity,

remained sile

t a lot of pressure on

the word 'develop'

ut you knew-you must have known-what a horrible risk you

ry definitely less ris

harder than pulling teeth. Clee G

t this is some kind of a lark; that you and I are Gunther Tops of th

becoming greater with every planet we visit. After al

c-excuse me,

n you said you weren't going

ust suppose that when we visit some planet some day, you get your mind burned out and

was what you ... but

he kind. But that wasn't all th

h of exhibitionistic, obstreperous, obnoxious, swell-headed, hussies in my whole life. And

le went on: "I've been talking a good game of l

clared. "Like the ancient ballad-'Anything you can do I can do better.

uotation, I'm afraid. Th

ertainly have-what else do you suppo

tainly will. So come o

talking so big, I feel low in my mind. A good-night kiss

ethe

e. Eventually, however, the two stood, arms still ar

it," Belle said. The remark was not a

's ri

night,

night,

at the breakfast table, Belle was a

ur breakfast is on the table. Bacon, eggs, t

Thank

crept tentatively across the table. He pressed it w

e, I know exactly what you did to Fao Talaho; and why neither you or anybod

I couldn't very well te

e not. I

But you are tremendously strong, and twelve Rockwell numbers harder than a diamond. You wouldn't bend. If enough stress could be applied-and

against Cleander Garlock, the top Prime of the universe and the

t what I've been talking about. No matter how we got the way we are, though, the

here's nothing anybody else can do-even

ing of holding hands, would

ine eyes clouded. "No," she said, finally. "I would en

he de

believable, almost-I never heard of one like it, except maybe a priest or two-but I admire you tremendously for it. You wou

le, so please quit trying. Basically, your code is t

ust said, and know as an empirical fact, that you've got to do the job alone-but I can't seem

I'd say-tell them to hold themse

short n

dn't be held until after Fao and Deggi get their ship built-it can't be held, of c

." He told h

t into laughter. "So I'm

e make him mad enough

ng me first?

cent of his people. If we work it right he'll assume that yo

't. She'd be shocked to her sweet little core, and she'd louse

ll we go out and insult our touchy

n. I tell you...."

the order. "In about two weeks the Primes of many worlds will meet in person on Tellus. Arrange your affairs so t

chortled. "He'll writhe a

eep him away,"

ut-"One word of warning," Garlock added. "It is to be a meeting of minds; not a contest to set u

ch conditions, we refus

ther or not you come will depend upon whether or not yo

one was really interested in the Galactic Service as an instrument for the good of all mankind. There

do either job. That is, either be top boss and run the thing or put in

ou're Galactic Admiral; I'm your Vice. One job apie

better than one," both said,

iral-so we need a good Vice. Who? Deggi and Fao? They're cooperative and idea

geon-holing. It isn't exactly strength or hardness or toughness or resilience or b

aren'

lds centers a volume of space containing thousands of planets. Including the Tellurian and the Margonian, we now have

pose we do find somebo

ay it is now. I'll do the hopping, you the ch

.

this

e s

d t

it

just how long are you

me for the meeting. Belle, I really want

really, so

dred-something, Belle suddenly emitted a shriek-vocally as

adder to see you two people th

e Main; a man shaped very much like Garlock, but with long, ba

concept so new and so vast that I am not yet able to grasp it fully-but you are working at such high speed that I ha

e very g

, more decorously, and bring he

more than half in dismay.

d speed! To get all that stuff and 'port up here in the millisecond or so we had t

he was dressed in tight-fitting coveralls. Her hair, however-it was a natural red, too-was cut to a uniform length of eight inches,

wife; and Alsyne, myself; of this planet Thaker. We ha

nutes of conversation ensued, during w

said then. "Shall we go screens half-dow

informed. Those minds could send, and could receive, an incredibl

nd doesn't," Garlock sai

showe

all the theory. It has to be activated

plete peace with the universe, we will consider the utterly fascinating subject of your proposed Galactic Service. You two Tellurians, immature although you are, have made two tremendous contributions to the advancement of th

e thought. "You didn't

soothed her. "You are alar

te-grown up." Alsyne smiled again; not only with mouth and eyes, but with his whole hairy face. "To the mature mind th

y compatible minds into one tremendously effective fusion. While Therea and I have had only a few momen

what I was thinking about, even though I tight

ng force and so on, the job of licking these young Primes into shape is,

dth and depth and scope of imagination and of vision; yet

to think of-will-power," Belle

lead and direct this new and magnificent movement. But Therea and I have been idle and frustrated far too long. We can

ten seconds later, the Thakern

actually afraid to think, even behind a Prime screen.

ime, Belle. He's older, bigger

fully. "If he hadn't included you in that crack I'd've stabbed him, so help me, even though it

an," he corre

so everything's lovely and so let's get to work on Fatso and his Foster. I think we o

ine-fifteen A.M. Eastern Daylight

delicto. Lovely-shovel on th

nine EDT, the Pleiades hung poised, high over the C

it's been eating on her ever since. She's probably been rehearsing in front of a mirror just how she's going to tear you apart next time and just how she's going to spit out t

echnic profanity; yes. But low or dirty or coarse or lewd, Clee? Or any one of the four, to say nothing of them all? Uh-uh. Fe

im-in which case we'll lose the game anyway. But how about you? If I can

be just as low, dirty, coarse, lewd, and crude as you are. Probably more so, because in this particular case it'll be fun

be good. Cut

rove a probe into the sanctum sanctorum of the C

ling. Hot up the tri-di and the recorder, Toots. Put

I....

you half-witted bag! Gimme Ferber a

's outraged First Secretary could

th gestures. 'Chancellor Ferber is in conference and cannot be

s image appeared. He was disheveled, surprised an

e stuff, just as fast as God will let you get it together," and he began t

s to break in, and Garlock f

you bothering me with that stuff for? You know better than th

hurry? I don't want this stuff today; I want it day before yesterday-this damned junk-heap is apt to fall apart any minute. So qui

Why, I was neve

eally insult you, you'll know it-it'll blister all the paint off the walls. All

and pounded his des

I'll come down there and take your job away from you and do it myself-and for your o

Ferber screamed

t stick? You'd better write that one up for the funnies

ion, and misconduct, abuse of position, incompetence, malfeasance-e

, had leaped to her feet

amy!" Ferb

she answer

promoted to be

ivious, lecherous Hitler! Have you got the unmitigated gall to take me for a flooz

ed and blac

n't know of anything I'd

on there-yo

ld goat," James said, contemptuously. "I've

shonorably discharged-blacklisted everywhere-you'll never get another job-any

Garlock and Belle had done with theirs, and disappear

tand

tely out of your mind? You can't d

he gloated.

of us is employ

ame along. Just to keep the boys company. It'

her machine and hurled it into a waste-basket. Ferber's jaw

t another job in this whole solar system as long as she lives, except through me! Mayb

r, remember? Insisted on payment for every nut, wire, and service? Now, they want to hire us four for a big operation with this starship. Since you only loaned Garlock and James to them, you might have made some legal trouble on that score, but n

er stormed. "We'll have an

thing Belle forgot. Just in case you recover consciousness some time and want to steal our termination

sion began to dawn

-r," Garlo

ades dis