"A. E. Van Vogt - The Rat & the Snake & Other Stories" - читать интересную книгу автора (Van Vogt A E)

Lord Adviser Tews
My most honored uncle: I should like to visit you and describe to you
the result of several conversations between my brother Jerrin and myself
concerning potential dangers for the empire. They do not seem severe, but
we are both concerned about the preponderance of slaves as aganst citizens
on Earth, and we are unhappy about our lack of knowledge of the present
situation among the peoples of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
Since these are the only dangers in sight, the sooner we examine
every aspect of the problem the more certain we can be that the destiny of
Linn will be under the control of intelligent action and not governed in
future by the necessary opportunism that has been for so many generations
the main element of government.
Your obedient nephew,
Clane
The letter irritated Tews. It seemed meddlesome, It reminded him that
his control of Linn and of the glorious future he envisaged for the empire
was not complete, that in fact these nephews might urge compromises that
would dim the beauty that only he, apparently, could see. Nevertheless,
his reply was diplomatic:
My dear Clane: It was a pleasure to hear from you, and as soon as I
return from the mountans, I shall be happy to receive you and discuss all
these matters in the most thoroughgoing fashion. I have instructed various
departments to gather data so that when we do get together, we can talk on
the basis of facts. Tews, Lord Adviser
He actually issued the instructions and actually listened to a brief
account from an official who was an "expert" concerning conditions on the
moons of Jupiter and Saturn. They were all inhabited by tribes in various
stages of barbaric culture. Recent reports gleaned from questioning of
primitives who came from there and from the Linnan traders who visited
certain ports of entry indicated that the old game of intrigue and murder
ainong tribal chieftains seeking ascendancy was still going on.
Relieved in spite of his previous conviction that the situation was
exactly as it was now described, Tews departed on his mountain vacation
with a retinue of three hundred courtiers and five hundred slaves. He was
still there a month later when a second message arrived from Clane.
Most gracious Lord Adviser Tews: Your response to my message was a
great relief to me. I wonder if I could further impose upon your good
offices and have your department heads determine how many are still here
and where they are presently concentrated. The reason for this inquiry is
that I have discovered that several of my agents on Europa, the great moon
of Jupiter, were suddenly executed about a year ago and that actually my
own information from that territory is based upon reports, all of which
are not less than two years old, and those are extremely vague. It seems
that about five years ago a new leader began to unify Europa; and my
agents' reports - when I now examine the data they furnished - grew less
clear with each month after that. I suspect that I have been victimized by
carefully prepared propaganda. If this be so, the fact that somebody was
astute enough to seize my channels of information worries me.
These are only suspicions, of course but it would seem advisable to
have your people make inquiries with the possibility in mind that our