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floating higher toward the blue dome, "are older than the stars, and all of
them are very wonderful. They are microscopic creatures that live by fusing
hydrogen atoms, and they evolved in space so long ago that they have divided
into many millions of different species. The reefs of space are built of atoms
which some fusorians create. The Visitants are a special race of fusorians
which live like symbiotes, inside the bodies of creatures like man."
"Bugs!" hissed the redheaded boy to Quamodian. "My dad says they're nothing
but parasites!"
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"In the wonderful partnership of man and fusorian," the robot trilled, "each
benefits, neither is harmed. For the Visitants are wonderfully wise and just.
They have evolved transcience intellectic patterns which knit their colonies
together and link them all with the sentient stars.
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" so we are all united, all joined into the great multiple Citizen named
And
Cygnus, whose spokesman star is Almalik."
"Slaved, you mean," whispered the redheaded boy.
"That is," sang the robot, its oval of plasma pulsing rhapsodically, "so are
we joined if we accept the gift of the Visitants. On the great day when we
join the Star they will jump in a fat golden spark to your skin. Their
colonies will penetrate every cell of your body. They will destroy all
marauders and all wild cells, and keep you young forever. They bring you utter
happiness, and utter peace. This is the gift of the Visitants."
"Hogwash," the redhead muttered. "Preacher, why don't you make him shut up?"
"And here with us on this Starday," cried the singing voice of the robot, "we
are fortunate, children, blessed by the Visitants. For we have with us a
Monitor of the Companions of the Star!"
Like lightning, a pale effector stabbed forth and burst in a shower of light
over Andy Quam's head as the children turned and stared. "For great Almalik
can only help us and guide us, he cannot fight for his own right cause. So we
Companions fight for him, Monitor Andreas Quamodian here as well as, more
humbly, my poor robot self."
Quam swallowed angrily, torn between the desire to stalk out of the room and
the yearning to leap to his feet and denounce this willful robot who spoke of
duty but would not help him in the emergency that had blasted the mountains.
"Of course," the robot added delicately, "Monitor Quamodian and I do not view
all questions in the same light. Sometimes we differ. Sometimes,' perhaps, one
of us is wrong. But that too is just and proper, for the peace of the Star
keeps us free, while joining us in rewarding fellowship."
It bobbed soundlessly for a moment, as though entranced with its own words,
while its pale oval of plasma blushed briefly blue. "Now we are finished," it
said at last "Children, you may leave.
Monitor Quamodian, I thank you for being with us today."
Andy Quam pushed furiously down the aisle, through the knots ot" chattering
children, to confront the robot. "Robot Inspector," he cried, "How do you
fight I'or AJma-lik when you won't even help me in this important matier?"
"Patience, Monitor Quamodian," purred the robot. 349
"There are evil men and evil stars who reject the universal good of all. I
join you gladly in fighting them, but under our compact Starday is ..."
"Just another day!" Quamodian shouted roughly. "Rogue men are plotting with
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Rogue stars! There is great danger here, and it cannot wait on your
convenience!"
The robot bobbed silently in its transflection field, as though it were
considering what to do.
Half-formed effectors budded around its case and were withdrawn; its plasma
oval turned opalescent as pale colors chased themselves through it. It said at
last, "The situation is grave, Monitor
Quamodian."
"You don't begin to know how grave," Andy Quam said bitterly. "Didn't you hear
me? Three bolts of plasma from the sunl That would have been impossible for
any member of Cygnus without grave provocation. So there must have been
provocation something very dangerous, very serious, going on out in the
hills!"
"We have recorded that phenomenon," the robot agreed melodiously. "It is more
serious than you think, perhaps, Monitor Quamodian."
Quam brought up short. Had the robot heard from Senior Monitor Clothilde Kwai
Kwich? "More serious than I think? What... ?"
"But nevertheless," the robot went on, "the compact is clear. You may not
compel me today. And I
advise we advise, most urgently that you undertake no action without our aid.
You see, Monitor
Quamodian, we have recorded the presence of extreme hazards about which you
know nothing."
Quamodian stuttered, "I d-d- I demand that information! Right now!"
"Under the compact " sang the robot, "Blast the compact!"
"Under the compact," the robot repeated serenely, "you may make no demands. I
will do for you only what I wish to do freely, as part of my voluntary
religious observance of Starday." It hesitated for only a second, while the
shimmering colors on its plasma oval spun madly, then burst into a bright,
almost golden fire. "Voluntarily," it sang, "I elect to aid you now. Will you
mount on my back, Monitor Quamodian? 1 will convey you at once to the site of
the sunbolts. For in truth there is danger; a rogue star has been born there,
and lives and grows!"
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