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//-->IN VALUE DECEIVEDBY H. B. FYFEWhat is valuable? That will depend on the nature of the planetary civilization ofwhich one is a part. In this story we see through the eyes of a strange but highlyintelligent life-form a picture of how two utterly dissimilar civilizations are forcedby their own needs to establish completely different sets of values for variouscommodities, techniques, and inventions. One man's meat is another man'ssawdust; in the world of the Galaxy you never can be sure what will be valuelessand what will turn out to be worth more than fine jewels.. .Rylat was quite disappointed at the barrenness of the planet. At that, it was theonly one circling the small white star in Sector Twelve that had offered any hope atall."Things are as bleak as at home on Olittra,"he thought to Akyro."Nothing growingbut a few creepers and moss. No wonder, with the dim light."He shifted his four eyestalks so as to examine the shallow hills shown on thetelescreen. From above the surface, no life had been discernible. They had made thelanding only on the strength of Akyro's detection of radiation. That might have meanthabitation, which seldom appeared without some form of agriculture."It could have been artificial," Akyro had thought in mild hope, raising histapering, dull-blue body to the flat tips of his eight walking legs.Seeing the surface at close range, however, he now lost his enthusiasm."You look it over," he thought to Rylat. "I'm hungry."He opened a locker and removed a chunk of synthetic food and a plastic tube ofliquid. He manipulated the grayish chunk between two of his tiny eating legs, usingthe other pair to squirt a drink into his mouth at intervals."How can you enjoy that awful stuff?"demanded Rylat in some annoyance. "Andhow will you like it if we go outside and you get sick in your vacuum suit?""One must replenish his energy," replied Akyro contentedly.Rylat thought a red flame."You are nearly as broad as long already," he added.Before he could invent further caustic ideas, Akyro dropped his food to theplastic deck and waddled hastily to the bank of detector instruments. They were hisspecialty, upon which he always had at least"one eye trained."Something?" inquired Rylat."Approaching radiation," Akyro answered. "A ship, perhaps."He worked over his dials, then gave Rylat coordinates for his telescreen. Hisguess proved correct; it was a spaceship. Not one from Olittra, certainly, to judge bythe elongated lines. It cruised close above the surface."Only one," announced Akyro. "Shall we signal it down?""No harm," Rylat agreed.He crept over to the piloting bench and pushed certain' levers: A series of flaresshot up into the thinner part of the planet's shallow atmosphere, there to explode intoa standard greeting in Galactic Code.The other ship leaped straight away from the surface, at considerable acceleration.Then, as the flares were recognized for a peaceful message, it headed more slowlytoward the grounded ship. Rylat gestured approvingly."If they can maneuver like that, they must be quite advanced. Perhaps they knowthe location of uninhabited planets where we can obtain plant life for our sterilelands."Akyro, intent upon translating the answering flares from the other vessel, made nocomment. He analyzed the pattern of radiation to check his visual perception—notall beings in the known Galaxy saw the same images from the same stimuli."Send them our home identification,"he told Rylat."They say they come from astar in Sector . . . Fourteen, I think. Yes, here it is in the list-Sol, Class G, nine majorplanets, one dominant race inhabiting three planets, members Sector FourteenConfederation, rating 'civi-lized.'"What are they doing over here in Twelve?""Let us not be impolite," reproved Akyro. "They may be wondering the sameabout us."Rylat thought a bad taste at him, but halfheartedly, for he recognized the justice ofthe reproof."Well, I shall invite them down to meet us,"he thought back. "See aboutunpacking a shelter assembly, in case they come out wearing something clumsy."Some time later, they watched the port of the other ship open, after a landing thatmet with Rylat's approval. Since they had set up the shelter on the dimly lit, sandysoil a few lengths from their ship, and did not know how well the visitors could see,he lit a portable light-tube to show the location.Two of the strangers presently bounded across the irregular ground. They hadfour large limbs apiece, two of which were sufficient for locomotion. Rylatconsidered their vacuum suits and personal equipment well made but unnecessarilyprettified. He saw no working parts, which suggested added weight to conceal them."Notice how easily they run," he observed to Akyro. "They must come from afairly large, solid planet."When the Solarians arrived, Rylat invited them by gestures to enter the temporaryshelter. Akyro had a heat converter operating, producing as a waste product anatmosphere breathable by the Olittrans. The latter opened the head ends of theirsuits.The larger Solarian resorted to the Galactic Gesture Code to express appreciationof the shelter. His vacuum suit was topped by a globular fixture, partly transparent,behind which Rylat could see what must be the creature's face.There were various rudimentary features, but no small limbs about the mouth.Rylat could not imagine how the Solarian fed himself. The single pair of eyes werefurther limited by being set immovably in the head.Yet, Rylat reflected, these beings had obviously overcome such handicaps. Theirequipment was, if anything, superior to his own. He decided they must be quiteintelligent."What does he want to know?" inquired Akyro, as his companion replied to theSolarian's next gestures."He was surprised that we set up the shelter in so short a time, and wanted toknow what the heat converter is.""Maybe it is new to them," suggested Akyro.I doubt it, for they seemed to lose interest when I explained the principle and howone can produce any element at all as waste.""Have they identified themselves?"Rvlat went through a series of formal gestures with one of his forelegs. TheSolarian answered in kind."The one with the reddish fur on top is called `Clothmaker,' or perhaps `Weaver'would be closer. The other is named `Strong-foreleg' as nearly as I can translate."He proceeded to exchange general information with the Solarian. The smaller one,meanwhile, inspected the shelter curiously. He showed interest in the system forsupporting the dome with the pressure of the enclosed atmosphere, and made roughgestures to Akyro to indicate admiration for the simple but effective entrancechamber. He did not pay any further attention to the heat converter, apparently takingit for granted after the first explanation.From the conversation between Rylat and the Weaver, it developed that theSolarians were also a form of oxygen-breathing life, but that they required muchdenser air than their hosts. Rylat reported that they acted rather like traders. When hetold the Weaver that he and Akyro were merely on an exploring expedition, theSolarian amended his business offer to a suggestion that they exchange souvenirs."Perhaps they could tell us of some planet such as we seek," Akyro thought toRylat."I judge it unwise for us to seem overcurious. They might demand some fantasticreward if we reveal the necessity of our finding new plant stocks.""But that would hardly be ethical," protested Akyro.Rylat thought a stupid, newly hatched cub, and told Akyro that he was always tootrusting with alien beings. "Time enough," he suggested, "to worry about ethicswhen we are acquainted. Besides," he added, "the Weaver has invited us to see theirship. We should learn what they are like."They left the shelter one by one. The Solarians, being considerably larger,squeezed gingerly through the exit. Then they led the way to their own ship,moderating their pace politely to accommodate the Olittrans.The Solarian ship fulfilled the promise of the equipment of its crew. Goodworkmanship was the rule in the section into which they were guided. Rylat wassurprised at the luxury that permitted a division of the living and piloting quarters."But then," he reflected, "they are traders and doubtless can afford to wastematerials on such refinements.""What does he think?" inquired Akyro as the Weaver made a series of codegestures to Rylat."He invites us to inspect samples of their cargo. I fear he still believes us willing totrade something."Out of politeness, they permitted the red-topped Solarian to lead them to anothercompartment. Here he displayed various wares. The Olittrans noted that the Solarianobjects ran mostly to gadgets and precision instruments, while thingstheyhadobtained by trading were in many cases minerals. The Weaver displayed with strangepride some large chunks of white carbon crystals and small quantities of some of theheavier elements. Those which radiated were kept in shielded containers.Rylat did not blame him for that. He himself had once incurred a severe rash on"his thick hide when he had left too much uranium—a waste product from a heatconverter—lying around outside his shelter. The Solarians, without their vacuumsuits, looked unpleasantly thin-skinned. He could actually see outlines of acirculatory system right through the Weaver's hide."There is little here to attract us," he thought to Akyro."True," the other agreed. "Their workmanship is very fine, but our owninstruments are adequate. As for the minerals, we could make up any quantity ofthose in a short time.""I shall not tell them exactly that," decided Rylat. "Why not?""Oh ... it would hardly be polite."He indicated to the Weaver that it was time for them to return to their own ship, atleast temporarily, to check its mechanisms. and to replenish the tanks of theirvacuum suits.As they passed forward through the living quarters, Rylat glanced with one eye ata flat-topped piece of furniture upon which the other Solarian was setting out foodand drink. This included, he noted half unconsciously, a portion of an obviouslysynthetic substance, but also a number of what looked like vegetables. In fact, oneplatter held a heap of untreated white stalks with green leaves.The idea came to Rylat that these must be raw and fresh plants, grown recently;and he turned another eye upon them.Grown recently!The realization smote him with almost physical force. His eyestalks retractedhalfway before he could control himself, and his walking legs involuntarily bowed inthe vestige of a crouch.Akyro noticed this evidence of excitement, a holdover from primitive times whenthe best physical defense of their remote ancestors had been to flatten themselves tothe ground and rely upon their thick, armorlike hides."What is the trouble?" he asked."Look at the food!"Akyro looked, andhiseyestalks twitched."A fresh plant! Quickly—ask them where they got it!"Rylat controlled himself with an effort. The red-thatched Weaver had turned hishead at the Olittrans hesitation, and was training both eyes curiously upon them."Pay no attention to it," Rylat ordered his companion. "And come along! Henotices our actions.""For your love of posterity!" Akyro insisted. "Ask him, where he got it!Ask him!""Later," Rylat thought to him, moving toward the exit port between thatcompartment and the piloting chamber forward.Akyro bounced irritably on his walking legs and stared back at the foodstuffs withthree of his eyes."Do not be a fool!" he urged. "Do you realize what it may mean to us? Since theblight struck Olittra, and with the population what it is? We were not sent to pick uppretty crystals, you know!""You need not be sarcastic," retorted Rylat. "I know our mission as well as you,but I have also heard about these races proficient in trading. I know what I amdoing.''"Are you sure?""Of course! Now stop acting mentally deficient and follow!"Akyro thought a bottomless swamp of sticky ooze—but quietly, to himself—andfollowed the others to the exit.The little Solarian politely donned a vacuum suit to see them safely through theouter valve. Rylat gestured that they would return before long, and led the wayacross the sand.Back in their own vessel, after a routine check and a brief rest period, Akyro put arecord of the Galactic Gesture Code on the visiplayer for a thorough review.Consequently, he was able to catch some inkling of the conversation when next theycalled at the Solarian ship.He was still sufficiently uncertain of the motions to make any communicationshimself, but he understood the Weaver's greeting and opening remarks.The Solarians, it developed, had stopped at this star only in search of barter. Theywere as disappointed with it, in their way, as were the Olittrans."We, also, were passing and stopped out of curiosity,"Rylat signaled. "But we aremerely explorers.""Traders such as we," waved the. Weaver, "often must be their own explorers.""That is interesting," Rylat told him. "Perhaps you would describe for me how atrading expedition operates." Akyro was annoyed. '"Why make yourself a simpleton?" he asked Rylat.His companion briefly thought a set of eyestalks tied in a knot, and continued hisgesture talk. The Solarian explained that it was not always necessary to obtainsomething more valuable than what one gave for it."Sometimes," he indicated, "the mere act of transporting an object to a differentplanetary system increases its value enormously. It may be rare or peculiarly usefulthere.""It seems to me close to cheating," thought Akyro, but his thought was ignored."Well, of course, I would not understand these matters," Rylat informed theSolarian.The Weaver gaped at him a moment with small blue eyes, then turned toStrong-foreleg. The two Solarians exchanged a series of oral vibrations whichapparently served for communication with them. After a little discussion, the Weaverturned his red-furred head again to Rylat."Perhaps, for luck or amusement or what you will, we might make some tokenexchange. It would provide us with souvenirs of this meeting."Rylat expressed willingness. There followed rather floundering attempts on bothsides to suggest something j desirable to the opposite parties.The Solarians regretfully declined any of the Olittran instruments that Rylatthought he could spare, apologizing that their own were satisfactory. Nor did Rylatprofess any interest in the Solarians' knick-knacks, picked up on half a dozen worldslately visited."But we have some very good maps of Sector Eleven," be offered in his turn.The Weaver thanked him, but the Solarians did not plan to travel in that direction.In the end, he suggested that they a visit his cargo compartments again."Ask him about the plants!" Akyro urged. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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