And Brenner and Rodriguez, as you may assume, also adopted this policy. It is not germane to our account, but one may speculate that there were several way stations, fueling depots, and such, throughout the galaxy, to which diverse companies held charters, which were also identified, at least locally, as “Company Station.” But this is not unusual; in many areas, even countries, there will be more than one town, or area, called by the same name. This normally works no hardship on anyone as long as the diverse locations of these towns, or polities, or areas, are clearly understood. Similarly, of course, numerous members of diverse species, rational and otherwise, bore similar names. We may assume, for example, that here and there in the galaxy there were several individuals who bore the names ‘Allan Brenner’ and ‘Emilio Rodriguez’. They are not such strange or unusual names. Too, some of these entities might not even have been of the same species as our Brenner and Rodriguez. For example, given the missionary work of the Humblers, earlier referred to, several members of Brenner’s and Rodriguez’ species had taken Humbler names. Similarly perhaps, for one reason or another, perhaps in virtue of amity or, more unfortunately, in virtue of derogatory judicial discrimination against certain minorities on various worlds, certain members of other species may have been assigned names usually found more commonly amongst members of the species of Brenner and Rodriguez. One should not totally discount either the possibility of an independent origin. Too, many members of the species of Brenner and Rodriguez, particularly those living on certain worlds, had abandoned traditional names in favor of more modern appellations. For example, Brenner and Rodriguez doubtless did not have the same names as those of remote forebears, say, of the sort who might have occupied limestone caves and concerned themselves with the working of stone, wood, and bone.
“How will we make contact with the Pons?” asked Brenner.
“They will meet us outside the fence,” said Rodriguez. The fence, incidentally, was a force fence. This could be important, given the proximity of Company Station to the forests. Indeed, it represented an enclave of civilization in the midst of such forests. One needed a pass from company officials, incidentally, to go outside the fence. It was not that there would normally be any difficulty in obtaining this permission, either to leave, or to come in. It was a more a matter of keeping track of things, or of an innocent security. On the other hand the company would not wish, for example, to have expensive equipment leave the station without authorization. Such equipment, surveying equipment, drilling equipment, samplers, mineralogical testing devices, and such, was valuable.
“When?” asked Brenner.
“Anytime,” said Rodriguez. “I checked with the agent and he says a camp of them has been located outside the fence for a week now, to the south.”
“In this weather?” asked Brenner. He had been given to understand at the agent’s office that the weather had been much like this for the past several days. To be sure, that was not that unusual at this time of year, in the early fall, in this latitude on Abydos. The ship, incidentally, was some five Commonworld Revolutions behind its originally projected schedule, as a result of a rerouting mandated by the company some months before Brenner and Rodriguez, after making diverse connections and transfers, had embarked on her, on Eos. As this earlier rerouting is not altogether unrelated to our account I shall mention that it involved a side trip to a world which, not concerning ourselves with its number, was known in this portion of the galaxy as Persia.
“There should be a bar around here,” said Rodriguez.
“They should let them inside the fence, give them shelter!” said Brenner.
“They probably don’t want in,” said Rodriguez. “They are a shy, secretive lot.”
“Perhaps they will be offended,” speculated Brenner, uneasily.
“Not at all,” said Rodriguez, looking about. “They are a charitable, gentle, long-suffering, innocent, humble crew. Compared to them a Humbler saint would come off looking like a king lizard.
Brenner did not think the allusion apt as in his experience the Humblers tended to be amongst the most arrogant of rational species, tending, for example, to be rather proud of their humility. They did, of course, regard themselves as superior, particularly in virtue of their moralities and teachings, to all other life forms. That, in itself, even if they were humble about it, did not seem too humble. On the other hand, most life forms, it