led finally
to the most glorious epoch in history. And what was that? I can remember
with pride the engravings of the first proud Earth ships that blasted
off for the Centaurian system aeons ago. And other pictures of the early
days of the new Centaurian culture, and still others. Of discontent and
over-population. And the migration to Sirius.

"Or even earlier, of the stern, thin-lipped face of Matthew Merkle whose
tincan of a spaceship carved a loop in space around the Moon--a
satellite of Earth--and returned.

"You think of history in terms of challenge and response, and the
earlier challenges were the most significant ones. It was harder to get
a spaceship across a mere quarter of a million miles to the Moon then,
than it is to send it, translight, to the farthest star today."

Garnot of Jlob was quivering. His face had a deep purplish cast.

Smith turned completely around, his back to the instructor.

"If you want the truth about interstellar history, my friends, come to
Earth. That was where it started. That's where anything decent about it
has remained. And I'm not at all sure that Earth isn't where it will end
... if it ever really ends."

Half way to the exit, he turned to Garnot of Jlob. "You can stop trying
to use psi-power to make me shut up, you pompous phony."

Laughing softly, Smith went out and down the hall. Behind him he heard a
loud coughing as though someone was choking.

* * * * *

The word had spread before him to the room where Sog-chafka of Wortan,
and Kard of Shilon, and the crowd waited. The two giants were on the
mats and around the rows of up-circling benches, were the eager, hungry
faces of the women of Bortinot. The Dominants, their lips moist and
slightly open and their eyes shiny with anticipation.

Geria stared at him, her body shifting slightly, her lips apart and her
teeth shining white, eyes glistening. He remembered how the kiss had
been. He smiled at her. She seemed scornful now, a little sad, pitying,
as he walked onto the mats.

"Ah, Earthsmith," boomed the instructor. His massive blood-colored face
was shiny as he stood there, muscles rippling and seething under the
black uniform. Kard of Shilon grinned. The spectators laughed as Smith
tripped on the mat and almost sprawled.

Kard of Shilon said, "I'm going to kill you, Earthsmith."

Smith said, "That's an odd way to express your elite tastes, Kard, but I
can understand how you feel.