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certification, not large ship experience. I and the unnamed pilot are
responsible for the atrocities committed upon the Conglomerate. I did not call
them such, but the unfortunate necessities of our times. However, history will
call them atrocities."
Pittsways eyes turned even harder as he looked first at Sylvia, then at
Nathaniel. "Your somewhat altered appearance may give rise to suspicions that
you were impersonated. You will not discuss the actual attack on Tempte,
except in general terms, but you will state that you are responsible for all
your actions on Artos and New Avalon. That is the way it was and the way it
must always remain. No matter what happens, and how it happens, we are
responsible for our actions, the Prime most of all."
"But my actions . . ." Nathaniel began. "You are responsible for your actions,
all of them, and you will pay for them. Admitting them publicly would be
easier, far easier. You would either be dead, or unable to offer any
productive service to anyone. You have scarcely begun to pay, as you will
discover once you take on the duties of Prime. I am ensuring that you will pay
for your actions . . . every day of the rest of your life." His eyes softened.
"The hard part of ensuring responsibility is maintaining responsible
initiative on the lower levels. Micromanaging doesn't work. Your fate is in
the hands of those who serve you, as mine was in yours. Most of the time it
works out well for everyone. Sometimes, it only works out well for humankind,
and we pay the price." He paused. "Yes . . we. I trust you don't think I'm
being generous or kind. You, being who you both are, will pay for what has
happened for the remainder of your lives, even if nothing else of this
magnitude challenges the Institute." After another pause, he added, "And,
unless I've misjudged greatly, you will be far more vigilant than any of your
former peers could ever imagine.
"Ecolitan Swersa has asked to accompany me. and I have accepted her offer."
Gairloch Pittsway shrugged. "One must know when to exit. Remember that when
your time comes. But I don't need to tell you that. You both need some rest,
because, after comorrow, you wont see any for a very long time." He offered a
last, almost sad, smile, then bowed. "Good luck."
In the silence after his departure, the two looked at each other, blankly.
"He's setting himself up as a target," murmured Sylvia. "We're all targets
from here on in."
"We always have been. Everyone is-they just don't know it." She sat down on
the edge of the bed beside him. "How do you feel about all this? About
Tinhorn, about being nominated as Prime?"
"Guilty. What else would you expect? I still don't see any other meaningful
alternative that was open, but people died."
"You still think you acted morally?"
Nathaniel laughed, harshly. "That's not the question. Guilt isn't rational. I
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have to believe I took the only moral course open at the time, but I'll always
feel guilty, probably always ask and search to figure out what else might have
been possible. That's guilt. Morality. . . I still don't have a moral problem.
Oh . . . there will be plenty of people who will claim that what the Institute
did is immoral. After all, ten million innocents did die on Tinhorn, and were
all those thousands of soldiers and technicians on Tempte really responsible
for the Conglomerates actions? Weren't they just doing their job?"
His tone was sardonic. "You are bitter."
"When people scream morality, they don't understand morality. The Prime had it
right-they're confusing it with justification, and they refuse to see that. If
the Empire and the Federated Hegemony thought they could destroy the
Coordinate without retaliation right now, they would, and they'd call it
moral. That's not morality, it's fear. They're afraid that they'll be called
on their actions before they complete whatever new genocide they might
contemplate in the future."
"From what I've seen . . . you're probably right."
"Yet we've never acted first. We have acted before others would, but there
have still been plenty of bodies." He swallowed, then continued. "When you
talk about morality, and when justice is applied as retribution, what you
really do is give people or governments a choice. They can choose to be moral,
or they can choose not to be, and cake the risk of retribution or possibly
getting away with it. When someone or something, like the Institute, even
hints that it won't wait for the immoral action to be completed, everyone
cries foul . . . unless the immoral actions are already on so vast a scale
that they can't be ignored. In practice, everyone ignores the problem until
they can't keep ignoring it. Then, and only then, do they invoke morality."
"Thinking like that, especially out loud, will make you a target as big as
Prime Pittsway." Sylvia tried to force a smile. "If they don't find out what
you really did first."
"Who will tell them? Only four people know for certain who crewed the ship.
That's part of the burden the Prime mentioned."
She shook her head. "We need to get you out of here, to get some rest before
you become the designated target as Prime."
The door opened, and a young doctor walked in. "Ah . . . you can go . . . any
time. Any time . . ."
"Thank you." Nathaniel looked at Sylvia. "Are we ready for all this?"
"Just keep saying we.' "
"After all that's happened, what else could I say?" What else indeed?
Nathaniel eased his legs over the side of the bed. His greens were in the
closet. Sylvia extended an arm, and he took it, gratefully.
Page 160 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
certification, not large ship experience. I and the unnamed pilot are
responsible for the atrocities committed upon the Conglomerate. I did not call
them such, but the unfortunate necessities of our times. However, history will
call them atrocities."
Pittsways eyes turned even harder as he looked first at Sylvia, then at
Nathaniel. "Your somewhat altered appearance may give rise to suspicions that
you were impersonated. You will not discuss the actual attack on Tempte,
except in general terms, but you will state that you are responsible for all
your actions on Artos and New Avalon. That is the way it was and the way it
must always remain. No matter what happens, and how it happens, we are
responsible for our actions, the Prime most of all."
"But my actions . . ." Nathaniel began. "You are responsible for your actions,
all of them, and you will pay for them. Admitting them publicly would be
easier, far easier. You would either be dead, or unable to offer any
productive service to anyone. You have scarcely begun to pay, as you will
discover once you take on the duties of Prime. I am ensuring that you will pay
for your actions . . . every day of the rest of your life." His eyes softened.
"The hard part of ensuring responsibility is maintaining responsible
initiative on the lower levels. Micromanaging doesn't work. Your fate is in
the hands of those who serve you, as mine was in yours. Most of the time it
works out well for everyone. Sometimes, it only works out well for humankind,
and we pay the price." He paused. "Yes . . we. I trust you don't think I'm
being generous or kind. You, being who you both are, will pay for what has
happened for the remainder of your lives, even if nothing else of this
magnitude challenges the Institute." After another pause, he added, "And,
unless I've misjudged greatly, you will be far more vigilant than any of your
former peers could ever imagine.
"Ecolitan Swersa has asked to accompany me. and I have accepted her offer."
Gairloch Pittsway shrugged. "One must know when to exit. Remember that when
your time comes. But I don't need to tell you that. You both need some rest,
because, after comorrow, you wont see any for a very long time." He offered a
last, almost sad, smile, then bowed. "Good luck."
In the silence after his departure, the two looked at each other, blankly.
"He's setting himself up as a target," murmured Sylvia. "We're all targets
from here on in."
"We always have been. Everyone is-they just don't know it." She sat down on
the edge of the bed beside him. "How do you feel about all this? About
Tinhorn, about being nominated as Prime?"
"Guilty. What else would you expect? I still don't see any other meaningful
alternative that was open, but people died."
"You still think you acted morally?"
Nathaniel laughed, harshly. "That's not the question. Guilt isn't rational. I
Page 159
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
have to believe I took the only moral course open at the time, but I'll always
feel guilty, probably always ask and search to figure out what else might have
been possible. That's guilt. Morality. . . I still don't have a moral problem.
Oh . . . there will be plenty of people who will claim that what the Institute
did is immoral. After all, ten million innocents did die on Tinhorn, and were
all those thousands of soldiers and technicians on Tempte really responsible
for the Conglomerates actions? Weren't they just doing their job?"
His tone was sardonic. "You are bitter."
"When people scream morality, they don't understand morality. The Prime had it
right-they're confusing it with justification, and they refuse to see that. If
the Empire and the Federated Hegemony thought they could destroy the
Coordinate without retaliation right now, they would, and they'd call it
moral. That's not morality, it's fear. They're afraid that they'll be called
on their actions before they complete whatever new genocide they might
contemplate in the future."
"From what I've seen . . . you're probably right."
"Yet we've never acted first. We have acted before others would, but there
have still been plenty of bodies." He swallowed, then continued. "When you
talk about morality, and when justice is applied as retribution, what you
really do is give people or governments a choice. They can choose to be moral,
or they can choose not to be, and cake the risk of retribution or possibly
getting away with it. When someone or something, like the Institute, even
hints that it won't wait for the immoral action to be completed, everyone
cries foul . . . unless the immoral actions are already on so vast a scale
that they can't be ignored. In practice, everyone ignores the problem until
they can't keep ignoring it. Then, and only then, do they invoke morality."
"Thinking like that, especially out loud, will make you a target as big as
Prime Pittsway." Sylvia tried to force a smile. "If they don't find out what
you really did first."
"Who will tell them? Only four people know for certain who crewed the ship.
That's part of the burden the Prime mentioned."
She shook her head. "We need to get you out of here, to get some rest before
you become the designated target as Prime."
The door opened, and a young doctor walked in. "Ah . . . you can go . . . any
time. Any time . . ."
"Thank you." Nathaniel looked at Sylvia. "Are we ready for all this?"
"Just keep saying we.' "
"After all that's happened, what else could I say?" What else indeed?
Nathaniel eased his legs over the side of the bed. His greens were in the
closet. Sylvia extended an arm, and he took it, gratefully.
Page 160 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]