Donald Moffitt - Genesis 01

truth. There is a risk in coming together in large groups like this instead of compartmentalizing our organization so that no member knows too many others, but time is short, and we must come out into the open soon anyway if our great objective is to be accomplished. We will act before serious opposition develops and before our enemies decide to take us seriously.”
    Then there was the matter of selecting volunteers for further specialized training. “I’m going to talk to brother Hyd about making bombs,” Eena said. “How about you, Kerthin?”
    Bram was relieved to see Kerthin shake her head.
    Pite left the parcel of muscle-bound bullies he had drawn around him and sauntered over to Bram. “How about it, Brammo? Want to get in with my bunch and learn how to break heads?”
    “I don’t think I’m the type,” Bram said steadily.
    Pite laughed. “I didn’t think so. Go back to your trays and bottles. You’ll be called on to do your part when the time comes.”
     
    *
     
    “How can Penser be here,” Bram said, “when there are all those reports of his activities in the Juxt system during the last seven years and when he’s still beaming laser messages?”
    They lay together in the nest, their unclothed bodies not touching. Kerthin held herself rigid, like a block of construction plastic.
    “He arranged it before he left,” she said indifferently. “It was all carefully thought out—recordings, holos, ‘eyewitness’ accounts of having meetings with him. He has supporters at every level. I suppose one of them applied for a trip to the Father World and let Penser change places with him. Then they would have arranged for that person to disappear or take on a new identity. Same for the handful of helpers Penser brought with him. It would have aroused speculation if too many of Penser’s known supporters traveled here together.”
    “How long have you known, Kerthin?”
    “Not very long. Since just before Marg and Orris invited us to the treewarming. Pite and a few others have known for over a year. They’ve been waiting for this day to come for ten years, but they didn’t know exactly when it would be. Penser left instructions for a coded signal to be sent after he was already in transit. He didn’t want the word to get out too soon, but he wanted to give his followers here time to get organized.”
    “Pite must have known when I met him that first time, the night of the Ascendist meeting.”
    “I suppose so,” she said indifferently.
    “Probably the code was in the message from Penser that was read that night. A prearranged phrase, maybe. That’s why Pite was so eager to go to the meeting. I don’t get the impression that he thinks very highly of the run-of-the-mill Ascendists.”
    Kerthin made no reply to that. If anything, her body went even stiffer.
    Bram drew a deep breath. “What in the name of creation is Penser planning to do here?”
    “You heard him. He wants to build up an organization. An organization that’s stronger than the rest of the silly factions here. Hold ourselves in readiness, he said.”
    “He has some specific act in mind. Something violent.”
    “He doesn’t seek violence,” she said peevishly. “You heard him say that. Unless he’s forced to it.”
    Bram turned on his side to face her. “How many followers does Penser have in this system? Fifty? A hundred? What could they possibly do against the wishes of the entire human community? And even if he succeeds in bringing another few hundred people over to his side, what then? What, with all this talk of explosives and slashing poles and electric shocks, could he possibly accomplish against a population of ten billion Nar?”
    “Numbers aren’t important, Penser says. What counts is determination. There’s no way a soft, unorganized majority can resist a resolute minority.”
    “You don’t believe that nonsense?”
    “It isn’t nonsense!” she flared. “Anyway, he doesn’t have to fight ten billion Nar. He just—”
    Bram’s skin prickled. “Just what?”
    “Never mind.”
    “Do you know? Or don’t they trust you, either?”
    “If they don’t,” she said, “it’s because of you. Following me. Spying like that.”
    “And now you’ve got to prove yourself to them?” he said bitterly. “Penser said I was going to be watched. Who’s going to watch me? You?”
    She turned her face away from him. “Go to sleep,” she said.
     
    A couple of Tendays passed. It was like living in a