“Jerred Northi” to death?
Vaguely, he wondered where the name had come from, who gave it to him and why? Someone with a sense of humor, evidently, for it was a Thonish name, and if one thing was certain from his physical appearance it was that he was not of Thonish stock. He had no sentimental attachment to the name, certainly, and as for the personality and appearance which went with it — He shrugged. He watched the shrug repeated in a variety of positions and sizes.
“I can do without Jerred Northi,” he said. “Let’s get on with it.” The reflections, the images faded away. He made no particular effort to commit them to memory. There were a few pleasant memories. He supposed that he would remember them.
“Presumably,” the Craftsman (He never learned any of their names, it being obvious that he was not intended to.) said, “the Tarnisi descend from a single small group of phenotypical progenitors. We know of no other people presenting so physically homogenous an appearance, or one — I’m speaking, naturally, of Orinel — whose appearance is so distinct from all other peoples. And inasmuch as everyone else seems always to have accepted them as a comely physical type, it’s small wonder that they themselves are inclined to be exceedingly narcissistic. They speak about
the Seven Signs
. It’s a dreadful, definitive reproach, no longer being confined to bodily appearance, for them to say of one of their number who has acted outrageously,
He lacks the Seven Signs
. In fact, even though the modern Tarnisi has studied anatomy and physiology and in theory knows better full well, his entire traditional training inclines him to regard the Seven Signs not merely as Tarnisi but as
human
characteristics. The inference is, of course, that the rest of us are really not quite human.”
The Craftsman smiled. “As we see them seldom, and do not depend on them in any immediate way, we may find this amusing. It is understandable that isolation for so long a period, based upon the remoteness of their large island not only from other continents but even from other islands, should have increased (if indeed it did not produce) this tendency on their part. Isolation, plus the fact of their being so different in appearance from the aborigines of Tarnis … the Volanth. The Volanth were greatly inferior in culture and very different in appearance; furthermore, they were enemies. You see the logical equation. Different=Inferior = Dangerous.”
His voice took on the smooth, confident, very slightly bored tone of the long-accustomed lecturer. “Fortunately, the introduction of Tarnis into the comity of nations occurred without violence or intrigue. Having no historical relation of enmity to the rest of us, they do not hate us. They do not even, as a general rule, despise us. But they cannot take us altogether seriously. After all, we don’t know their language. We can’t practice their arts. We engage in coarse activities like commerce — ”
The man sitting in the hospital gown in front of him stirred, slightly.
“But, most important, most significant:
We lack the Seven Signs
.
“Do you see? Naturally, such creatures cannot be allowed unrestricted entrance into or access to one’s country. And even the right to restricted residence has to be rigidly controlled. The only exceptions have been visitors on official missions, brief and ceremonial … visitors on commercial missions, suffered a short while in silence … and Pemathi. The Pemathi are there on sojourners’ tickets — contracts, actually — for a term of years to perform certain specific tasks which the Tarnisi want done, but not enough to do them themselves. Most of the Pemathi, almost
all
the Pemathi there, are men. There are an allotted number of women, of course, because the Tarnisi realize that men need women and it would never do for the Pemathi to turn their attentions to Tarnisi women! But no sojourner ever stays to grow old there, none ever
Vaguely, he wondered where the name had come from, who gave it to him and why? Someone with a sense of humor, evidently, for it was a Thonish name, and if one thing was certain from his physical appearance it was that he was not of Thonish stock. He had no sentimental attachment to the name, certainly, and as for the personality and appearance which went with it — He shrugged. He watched the shrug repeated in a variety of positions and sizes.
“I can do without Jerred Northi,” he said. “Let’s get on with it.” The reflections, the images faded away. He made no particular effort to commit them to memory. There were a few pleasant memories. He supposed that he would remember them.
“Presumably,” the Craftsman (He never learned any of their names, it being obvious that he was not intended to.) said, “the Tarnisi descend from a single small group of phenotypical progenitors. We know of no other people presenting so physically homogenous an appearance, or one — I’m speaking, naturally, of Orinel — whose appearance is so distinct from all other peoples. And inasmuch as everyone else seems always to have accepted them as a comely physical type, it’s small wonder that they themselves are inclined to be exceedingly narcissistic. They speak about
the Seven Signs
. It’s a dreadful, definitive reproach, no longer being confined to bodily appearance, for them to say of one of their number who has acted outrageously,
He lacks the Seven Signs
. In fact, even though the modern Tarnisi has studied anatomy and physiology and in theory knows better full well, his entire traditional training inclines him to regard the Seven Signs not merely as Tarnisi but as
human
characteristics. The inference is, of course, that the rest of us are really not quite human.”
The Craftsman smiled. “As we see them seldom, and do not depend on them in any immediate way, we may find this amusing. It is understandable that isolation for so long a period, based upon the remoteness of their large island not only from other continents but even from other islands, should have increased (if indeed it did not produce) this tendency on their part. Isolation, plus the fact of their being so different in appearance from the aborigines of Tarnis … the Volanth. The Volanth were greatly inferior in culture and very different in appearance; furthermore, they were enemies. You see the logical equation. Different=Inferior = Dangerous.”
His voice took on the smooth, confident, very slightly bored tone of the long-accustomed lecturer. “Fortunately, the introduction of Tarnis into the comity of nations occurred without violence or intrigue. Having no historical relation of enmity to the rest of us, they do not hate us. They do not even, as a general rule, despise us. But they cannot take us altogether seriously. After all, we don’t know their language. We can’t practice their arts. We engage in coarse activities like commerce — ”
The man sitting in the hospital gown in front of him stirred, slightly.
“But, most important, most significant:
We lack the Seven Signs
.
“Do you see? Naturally, such creatures cannot be allowed unrestricted entrance into or access to one’s country. And even the right to restricted residence has to be rigidly controlled. The only exceptions have been visitors on official missions, brief and ceremonial … visitors on commercial missions, suffered a short while in silence … and Pemathi. The Pemathi are there on sojourners’ tickets — contracts, actually — for a term of years to perform certain specific tasks which the Tarnisi want done, but not enough to do them themselves. Most of the Pemathi, almost
all
the Pemathi there, are men. There are an allotted number of women, of course, because the Tarnisi realize that men need women and it would never do for the Pemathi to turn their attentions to Tarnisi women! But no sojourner ever stays to grow old there, none ever
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