so that after a while what seemed an incomprehensible code became words; words just as clear as those he could form with his own vibrations.
But then that first one didn't appear any more and an-, other Hard One took over. It was a time before Odeen noticed. It was difficult in those early days to tell one Hard One from another, to differentiate among their voices. But then he grew certain. Little by little, he grew certain and he trembled at the change. He didn't understand its significance.
He gathered courage and finally asked, "Where is my teacher, Hard-sir?"
"Gamaldan? . . . He will no longer be with you, left." Odeen was speechless for a moment. Then he said, "But Hard Ones don't pass on - " He did not quite finish the phrase. It choked off.
The new Hard One was passive, said nothing, volunteered nothing.
It was always to be like that, Odeen found out. They never talked about themselves. On every other subject they discoursed freely. Concerning themselves - nothing.
From dozens of pieces of evidence, Odeen could not help but decide that Hard Ones passed on; that they were not immortal (something so many Soft Ones took for granted). Yet no Hard One ever said as much. Odeen and the other student-Rationals sometimes discussed it, hesitantly, uneasily. Each brought in some small item that pointed inexorably to mortality of the Hard Ones and wondered and did not like to conclude the obvious, so they let it go.
The Hard Ones did not seem to mind that hints of mortality existed. They did nothing to mask it. But they never mentioned it, either. And if the question was asked directly (sometimes it was, inevitably) they never answered; neither denying nor affirming.
And if they passed on, they had to be born' also, yet they said nothing of that and Odeen never saw a young Hard One.
Odeen believed the Hard Ones got their energy from rocks instead of from the Sun - at least that they incorporated a powdered black rock into their bodies. Some of the other students thought so, too. Others, rather vehemently, refused to accept that. Nor could they come to a conclusion for no one ever saw them feeding in any way and the Hard Ones never spoke of that either.
In the end, Odeen took their reticence for granted - as part of themselves. Perhaps, he thought, it was their individuality, the fact that they formed no triads. It built a shell about them.
And then, too, Odeen learned things of such grave import that questions concerning the private life of the Hard Ones turned to trivia in any case. He learned, for instance, that the whole world was shriveling - dwindling -
It was Losten, the new teacher, who told him that.
Odeen had asked about the unoccupied caverns that stretched so endlessly Into the bowels of the world and Losten had seemed pleased. "Are you afraid to ask about that, Odeen?"
(He was Odeen now; not some general reference to his left-hood. It was always a source of pride to hear a Hard One address him by personal name. Many did so. Odeen was a prodigy of understanding and the use of his name seemed a recognition of the fact. More than once Losten had expressed satisfaction at having him as a pupil.)
Odeen was indeed afraid and, after some hesitation, said so. It was always easier to confess shortcomings to the Hard Ones than to fellow-Rationals; much easier than to confess < them to Tritt, unthinkable to confess them to Tritt . . . Those were the days before Dua.
"Then why do you ask?"
Odeen hesitated again. Then he said slowly. "I'm afraid of the unoccupied caverns because when I was young I was told they had all sorts of monstrous things in them. But I know nothing of that directly; I only know what I have been told by other young ones who couldn't have known directly either, I want to find out the truth about them and the wanting has grown until there is more of curiosity in me than fear."
Losten looked pleased. "Good! The curiosity is useful, the fear useless. Your inner development is excellent, Odeen, and remember it is only your inner development that counts in the important things. Our help to you is marginal. Since you want to know, it is easy to tell you that the unoccupied caverns are truly unoccupied. They are empty. There is nothing in them but the unimportant things left behind in times