The Project Gutenberg EBook of But, I Don't Think, by Gordon Randall Garrett

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Title: But, I Don't Think

Author: Gordon Randall Garrett

Release Date: December 24, 2007 [EBook #24005]
Last updated: January 22, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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BUT, I DON'T THINK

BY RANDALL GARRETT

_As every thinking man knows, every slave always yearns for the freedom
his master denies him..._

"_But, gentlemen," said the Physician, "I really don't think we can
consider any religion which has human sacrifice as an integral part as a
humane religion._"

"_At least," added the Painter with a chuckle, "not as far as the victim
is concerned._"

_The Philosopher looked irritated. "Bosh! What if the victim likes it
that way?_"

_--THE IDLE WORSHIPERS_
_by R. Phillip Dachboden_

I

The great merchantship _Naipor_ settled her tens of thousands of tons of
mass into her landing cradle on Viornis as gently as an egg being
settled into an egg crate, and almost as silently. Then, as the
antigravs were cut off, there was a vast, metallic sighing as the
gigantic structure of the cradle itself took over the load of holding
the ship in her hydraulic bath.

At that point, the ship was officially groundside, and the _Naipor_ was
in the hands of the ground officers. Space Captain Humbolt Reed sighed,
leaned back in his desk chair, reached out a hand, and casually touched
a trio of sensitized spots on the surface of his desk.

"Have High Lieutenant Blyke bring The Guesser to my office immediately,"
he said, in a voice that was obviously accustomed to giving orders that
would be obeyed.

Then he took his fingers off the spots without waiting for an answer.

In another part of the ship, in his quarters near the Fire Control
Section, sat the man known as The Guesser. He had a name, of course, a
regular name, like everyone else; it was down on the ship's books and in
the Main R