information, my grandfather was a cyborg after an accident. Belters always believed it was as criminal to send convicts into the organ banks as any crime of theirs could be. He was the sanest man I've known. Nor have I noticed leaders of free folk doing much that is half as stupid or evil as what the master classes used to order. I'll make my own mistakes, thank you. ”
“ Y ou certainly will. You already have. I must speak plainly. Your husband's insistence on this expedition, against every dictate of sound judgment, merely because it suits him to go, is a perfect example of a leader who has ceased to be a shepherd. Or perhaps you yourself are, since you have aided and abetted him. You could have remembered how full of terrible unknowns space is. Belters are born to that understanding . He is a flatlander. ”
Dorcas whitened entirely. Her crest bristled. She stood up, fists on hips, to loom over Markham and say word by word: “ T hat will do. We have endured your presence, that you pushed on us, in hopes you would prove to be housebroken. We have now listened to your ridiculous ranting ’ s because we believe in free speech where you do not, and in hopes you would soon finish. Instead, you have delivered an intolerable racist insult. You will go to your cabin and remain there for twenty-four hours. Bread and water will be brought to you."
Markham gaped. “ W hat? Are you mad? ”
“ F urious, yes. As for sanity, I refrain from express ing an opinion about who may lack it." Dorcas consulted her watch. “ Y ou can walk to your cabin in about five minutes. Therefore, do not be seen outside it, except for visits to the head, until 1737 hours tomorrow. Go. "
He half rose himself, sank back down, and exclaimed, “ T his is impossible! Professor Tregennis, I call you to witness. ”
“ Y es," Dorcas said. “ P lease witness that he has received a direct order from me, who am second in command of the ship. Shall we call Captain Saxtorph to confirm it? You can be led off in irons, Markham. Better you obey. Go. ”
The commissioner clambered to his feet. He breathed hard. The others could smell his sweat. “ V ery well," he said tonelessly. "of course I will file a complaint when we return. Meanwhile we shall minimize further conversation. Good day." He jerked a bow and marched off .
After a time in which only the multitudinous low murmurings of the vessel had utterance, Tregennis breathed, “ D ear me. Was that not a ... slightly excessive reaction? ”
Dorcas sat down again. Her iciness was dissolving in calm. “ M aybe. Bob would think so, though naturally he'd have backed me up. He's more good-natured than I am. I do not tolerate such language about him. This hasn't been the only incident. ”
“ T here is a certain prejudice against the Earthborn among the space-born. I understand it is quite widespread. “
“ I t is, and it's not altogether without foundation -in a number of cases." Dorcas laughed. I ~hared it, at the time Bob and I met. It caused some monumental quarrels the first couple of years, years when we could already have been married. I finally got rid of it and took to judging individuals on their merits."
“ F orgive me, but are you not a little intolerant of those who have not had your enlightening experience? ”
“ D oubtless. However, between you and me, I welcomed the chance to show Markham who's boss here. I worried that if we have an emergency he could get insubordinate. That would be an invitation to disaster." “ H e is a strange man," Tregennis mused. “ H is behavior, his talk, his past career, everything seems such a welter of contradictions. Or am I being naive? ”
“ N ot really, unless I am, too, Oh, people aren't self-consistent like the laws of mechanics – even quantum mechanics. But I do think we lack some key fact about Landholder Markham, and will never understand him till we have it." Dorcas made a gesture of dismissal. “ E nough. Now may I do what I
“ Y ou certainly will. You already have. I must speak plainly. Your husband's insistence on this expedition, against every dictate of sound judgment, merely because it suits him to go, is a perfect example of a leader who has ceased to be a shepherd. Or perhaps you yourself are, since you have aided and abetted him. You could have remembered how full of terrible unknowns space is. Belters are born to that understanding . He is a flatlander. ”
Dorcas whitened entirely. Her crest bristled. She stood up, fists on hips, to loom over Markham and say word by word: “ T hat will do. We have endured your presence, that you pushed on us, in hopes you would prove to be housebroken. We have now listened to your ridiculous ranting ’ s because we believe in free speech where you do not, and in hopes you would soon finish. Instead, you have delivered an intolerable racist insult. You will go to your cabin and remain there for twenty-four hours. Bread and water will be brought to you."
Markham gaped. “ W hat? Are you mad? ”
“ F urious, yes. As for sanity, I refrain from express ing an opinion about who may lack it." Dorcas consulted her watch. “ Y ou can walk to your cabin in about five minutes. Therefore, do not be seen outside it, except for visits to the head, until 1737 hours tomorrow. Go. "
He half rose himself, sank back down, and exclaimed, “ T his is impossible! Professor Tregennis, I call you to witness. ”
“ Y es," Dorcas said. “ P lease witness that he has received a direct order from me, who am second in command of the ship. Shall we call Captain Saxtorph to confirm it? You can be led off in irons, Markham. Better you obey. Go. ”
The commissioner clambered to his feet. He breathed hard. The others could smell his sweat. “ V ery well," he said tonelessly. "of course I will file a complaint when we return. Meanwhile we shall minimize further conversation. Good day." He jerked a bow and marched off .
After a time in which only the multitudinous low murmurings of the vessel had utterance, Tregennis breathed, “ D ear me. Was that not a ... slightly excessive reaction? ”
Dorcas sat down again. Her iciness was dissolving in calm. “ M aybe. Bob would think so, though naturally he'd have backed me up. He's more good-natured than I am. I do not tolerate such language about him. This hasn't been the only incident. ”
“ T here is a certain prejudice against the Earthborn among the space-born. I understand it is quite widespread. “
“ I t is, and it's not altogether without foundation -in a number of cases." Dorcas laughed. I ~hared it, at the time Bob and I met. It caused some monumental quarrels the first couple of years, years when we could already have been married. I finally got rid of it and took to judging individuals on their merits."
“ F orgive me, but are you not a little intolerant of those who have not had your enlightening experience? ”
“ D oubtless. However, between you and me, I welcomed the chance to show Markham who's boss here. I worried that if we have an emergency he could get insubordinate. That would be an invitation to disaster." “ H e is a strange man," Tregennis mused. “ H is behavior, his talk, his past career, everything seems such a welter of contradictions. Or am I being naive? ”
“ N ot really, unless I am, too, Oh, people aren't self-consistent like the laws of mechanics – even quantum mechanics. But I do think we lack some key fact about Landholder Markham, and will never understand him till we have it." Dorcas made a gesture of dismissal. “ E nough. Now may I do what I
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