not know,” said Rodriguez.
“Is it known that they returned?” asked Brenner.
“Why would they not have returned?” asked Rodriguez.
“I do not know,” said Brenner.
“Surely we may presume they returned safely,” said Rodriguez, puzzled.
“You have consulted records, of course?” said Brenner.
“Of course,” said Rodriguez.
“What did you learn?” asked Brenner.
“The records are silent on the matter,” said Rodriguez.
“They could have been lost,” said Brenner.
“That is possible,” said Rodriguez. “There are surely dangers in space, technological failure, miscalculation, meteor storms, mutiny on long voyages, war, piracy, any number of possibilities.” Indeed, we might note, there might have been any number of possibilities. It was not, you see, even in these modern times, the case that the rational species had conquered space. At best, they seemed to have won a certain, perhaps begrudged, toleration.
“Those expeditions were presumably fully fledged expeditions, properly staffed, suitably equipped, and provisioned, and such,” speculated Brenner.
“Presumably so,” smiled Rodriguez.
“With their own ship, or ships,” said Brenner.
“Ships which might have a considerable value, if obtained in a relatively undamaged condition.”
Brenner swallowed, hard.
A state-of-the-art starship, if taken in salvage, was a trove of equipment and fuel elements.
“But I do not think that we have to worry much about that,” said Rodriguez. “Besides, this is a company ship.” The great companies, of course, maintained their own police, their private armies, and such. Their ships, broadcasting their identificatory signals, commonly negotiated the silent seas of space with impunity. The annual budgets of some of these companies, it might be noted, in passing, exceeded the gross estimated wealth of many worlds.
“But we do have information on the Pons,” said Brenner.
“Certainly,” he said, “but from surveyors and traders, and, in the last century or so, largely from contacts at Company Station.”
“I do not like it,” said Brenner.
“In all likelihood,” said Rodriguez, “the expeditions returned in good order and, in time, filed their reports, their studies and such, and then these documents were later destroyed, or lost, perhaps in one politically mandated revision of knowledge or another.”
“You think then there might be something of interest on Abydos?”
“I think it is possible,” said Rodriguez.
Brenner looked out the port. Perhaps he imagined it, but it seemed to him that the star of Abydos, a yellow star, might appear to a bit larger now than it had earlier.
“We will conduct our researches at Company Station?” said Brenner.
“No,” said Rodriguez. “We are going back, into the forests.”
“That could be dangerous,” said Brenner.
“You won’t find out anything of interest at a trading point,” said Rodriguez. “Besides, we have been invited in, by the Pons themselves.”
“That seems surprising,” said Brenner.
“Yes,” said Rodriguez.
“Perhaps they want to open themselves to cultural contacts,” said Brenner.
“Undoubtedly,” said Rodriguez.
“If we discover anything uncongenial to the home world,” said Brenner, “presumably it, too, in its turn, would be suppressed.”
“Doubtless,” said Rodriguez. “But we will have known it, for a moment at least.”
Brenner shuddered, understanding then a little better the nature of his senior colleague.
“You think there may be something about the “beginning” on Abydos?” said Brenner.
“I think that is possible,” said Rodriguez.
“Totemic societies are unimportant,” said Brenner. “They are an anthropological dead end.”
“That is the official position,” said Rodriguez. “Indeed, if the Pons were thought to be of any serious interest, the sort which might improve a scholar’s credentials, earn him a promotion, secure future fellowships and grants, win prizes, bring recognition and honor to the consortium, and such, it is not we who would be here now, but others, the highly placed sycophants of the metaparty.”
“I am not eager to go back in the forests,” said Brenner.
“You can stay on board,” said Rodriguez. “I can punch enough credits for your return, on the back loop, to some port or another, from which your own credits should suffice for passage back to the home world. Indeed, I suspect that the captain, who seems a good fellow, would be willing to overlook your presence on board, at least to Chios.”
Brenner was silent.
“I’ll speak to the captain in the morning,” said Rodriguez.
“No,” said Brenner.
Rodriguez turned away from the port and stars, to look at Brenner, the adjunct’s face pale in the light from without the port.
“I’ll come with you,” said Brenner.
“Why?” asked Rodriguez.
“It is a voyage of months back to the home world,” said Brenner. “Besides, I accepted the assignment.”
Rodriguez did not free Brenner of his gaze.
“I, too, from what I have heard, am curious about Abydos,” said Brenner.
Rodriguez returned his attention to the vistas beyond the port.
“You were assigned?” asked Rodriguez.
“Yes,” said Brenner.
“I wonder why,” mused Rodriguez.
“I suppose I was suitably