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diff --git a/old/51752.txt b/old/51752.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 610145b..0000000 --- a/old/51752.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1359 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of If You Was A Moklin, by Murray Leinster - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: If You Was A Moklin - -Author: Murray Leinster - -Release Date: April 13, 2016 [EBook #51752] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IF YOU WAS A MOKLIN *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - If You Was a MOKLIN - - By MURRAY LEINSTER - - Illustrated by HARRY ROSENBAUM - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Galaxy Science Fiction September 1951. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - - You'd love Earthmen to pieces, for they - may look pretty bad to themselves, but - not to you. You'd even want to be one! - - -Up to the very last minute, I can't imagine that Moklin is going to be -the first planet that humans get off of, moving fast, breathing hard, -and sweating awful copious. There ain't any reason for it. Humans have -been on Moklin for more than forty years, and nobody ever figures there -is anything the least bit wrong until Brooks works it out. When he -does, nobody can believe it. But it turns out bad. Plenty bad. But -maybe things are working out all right now. - -_Maybe!_ I hope so. - -At first, even after he's sent off long reports by six ships in a row, -I don't see the picture beginning to turn sour. I don't get it until -after the old _Palmyra_ comes and squats down on the next to the last -trip a Company ship is ever going to make to Moklin. - -Up to that very morning everything is serene, and that morning I am -sitting on the trading post porch, not doing a thing but sitting there -and breathing happy. I'm looking at a Moklin kid. She's about the size -of a human six-year-old and she is playing in a mud puddle while her -folks are trading in the post. She is a cute kid--mighty human-looking. -She has long whiskers like Old Man Bland, who's the first human to open -a trading post and learn to talk to Moklins. - -Moklins think a lot of Old Man Bland. They build him a big tomb, -Moklin-style, when he dies, and there is more Moklin kids born with -long whiskers than you can shake a stick at. And everything looks okay. -_Everything!_ - -Sitting there on the porch, I hear a Moklin talking inside the trade -room. Talking English just as good as anybody. He says to Deeth, our -Moklin trade-clerk, "But Deeth, I can buy this cheaper over at the -other trading post! Why should I pay more here?" - -Deeth says, in English too, "I can't help that. That's the price here. -You pay it or you don't. That's all." - -I just sit there breathing complacent, thinking how good things -are. Here I'm Joe Brinkley, and me and Brooks are the Company on -Moklin--only humans rate as Company employees and get pensions, of -course--and I'm thinking sentimental about how much humaner Moklins are -getting every day and how swell everything is. - -The six-year-old kid gets up out of the mud puddle, and wrings out her -whiskers--they are exactly like the ones on the picture of Old Man -Bland in the trade room--and she goes trotting off down the road after -her folks. She is mighty human-looking, that one. - -The wild ones don't look near so human. Those that live in the forest -are greenish, and have saucer eyes, and their noses can wiggle like an -Earth rabbit. You wouldn't think they're the same breed as the trading -post Moklins at all, but they are. They crossbreed with each other, -only the kids look humaner than their parents and are mighty near the -same skin color as Earthmen, which is plenty natural when you think -about it, but nobody does. Not up to then. - -I don't think about that then, or anything else. Not even about the -reports Brooks keeps sweating over and sending off with every Company -ship. I am just sitting there contented when I notice that Sally, the -tree that shades the trading post porch, starts pulling up her roots. -She gets them coiled careful and starts marching off. I see the other -trees are moving off, too, clearing the landing field. They're waddling -away to leave a free space, and they're pushing and shoving, trying to -crowd each other, and the little ones sneak under the big ones and they -all act peevish. Somehow they know a ship is coming in. That's what -their walking off means, anyhow. But there ain't a ship due in for a -month, yet. - -They're clearing the landing field, though, so I start listening for -a ship's drive, even if I don't believe it. At first I don't hear a -thing. It must be ten minutes before I hear a thin whistle, and right -after it the heavy drone that's the ground-repulsor units pushing -against bedrock underground. Lucky they don't push on wet stuff, or a -ship would sure mess up the local countryside! - -I get off my chair and go out to look. Sure enough, the old _Palmyra_ -comes bulging down out of the sky, a month ahead of schedule, and the -trees over at the edge of the field shove each other all round to make -room. The ship drops, hangs anxious ten feet up, and then kind of sighs -and lets down. Then there's Moklins running out of everywhere, waving -cordial. - -They sure do like humans, these Moklins! Humans are their idea of what -people should be like! Moklins will wrestle the freight over to the -trading post while others are climbing over everything that's waiting -to go off, all set to pass it up to the ship and hoping to spot friends -they've made in the crew. If they can get a human to go home with them -and visit while the ship is down, they brag about it for weeks. And do -they treat their guests swell! - -They got fancy Moklin clothes for them to wear--soft, silky guest -garments--and they got Moklin fruits and Moklin drinks--you ought to -taste them! And when the humans have to go back to the ship at takeoff -time, the Moklins bring them back with flower wreaths all over them. - -Humans is tops on Moklin. And Moklins get humaner every day. There's -Deeth, our clerk. You couldn't hardly tell him from human, anyways. He -looks like a human named Casey that used to be at the trading post, and -he's got a flock of brothers and sisters as human-looking as he is. -You'd swear-- - -But this is the last time but one that a Earth ship is going to land -on Moklin, though nobody knows it yet. Her passenger port opens up -and Captain Haney gets out. The Moklins yell cheerful when they see -him. He waves a hand and helps a human girl out. She has red hair and -a sort of businesslike air about her. The Moklins wave and holler and -grin. The girl looks at them funny, and Cap Haney explains something, -but she sets her lips. Then the Moklins run out a freight-truck, and -Haney and the girl get on it, and they come racing over to the post, -the Moklins pushing and pulling them and making a big fuss of laughing -and hollering--all so friendly, it would make anybody feel good inside. -Moklins like humans! They admire them tremendous! They do everything -they can think of to be human, and they're smart, but sometimes I get -cold shivers when I think how close a thing it turns out to be. - -Cap Haney steps off the freight-truck and helps the girl down. Her eyes -are blazing. She is the maddest-looking female I ever see, but pretty -as they make them, with that red hair and those blue eyes staring at me -hostile. - -"Hiya, Joe," says Cap Haney. "Where's Brooks?" - -I tell him. Brooks is poking around in the mountains up back of the -post. He is jumpy and worried and peevish, and he acts like he's trying -to find something that ain't there, but he's bound he's going to find -it regardless. - -"Too bad he's not here," says Haney. He turns to the girl. "This is -Joe Brinkley," he says. "He's Brooks' assistant. And, Joe, this is -Inspector Caldwell--Miss Caldwell." - -"Inspector will do," says the girl, curt. She looks at me accusing. -"I'm here to check into this matter of a competitive trading post on -Moklin." - -"Oh," I says. "That's bad business. But it ain't cut into our trade -much. In fact, I don't think it's cut our trade at all." - -"Get my baggage ashore, Captain," says Inspector Caldwell, imperious. -"Then you can go about your business. I'll stay here until you stop on -your return trip." - -I call, "Hey, Deeth!" But he's right behind me. He looks respectful and -admiring at the girl. You'd swear he's human! He's the spit and image -of Casey, who used to be on Moklin until six years back. - -"Yes, sir," says Deeth. He says to the girl, "Yes, ma'am. I'll show you -your quarters, ma'am, and your baggage will get there right away. This -way, ma'am." - -He leads her off, but he don't have to send for her baggage. A pack of -Moklins come along, dragging it, hopeful of having her say "Thank you" -to them for it. There hasn't ever been a human woman on Moklin before, -and they are all excited. I bet if there had been women around before, -there'd have been hell loose before, too. But now the Moklins just hang -around, admiring. - -There are kids with whiskers like Old Man Bland, and other kids with -mustaches--male and female both--and all that sort of stuff. I'm -pointing out to Cap Haney some kids that bear a remarkable resemblance -to him and he's saying, "Well, what do you know!" when Inspector -Caldwell comes back. - -"What are you waiting for, Captain?" she asks, frosty. - -"The ship usually grounds a few hours," I explain. "These Moklins are -such friendly critters, we figure it makes good will for the trading -post for the crew to be friendly with 'em." - -"I doubt," says Inspector Caldwell, her voice dripping icicles, "that I -shall advise that that custom be continued." - -Cap Haney shrugs his shoulders and goes off, so I know Inspector -Caldwell is high up in the Company. She ain't old, maybe in her -middle twenties, I'd say, but the Caldwell family practically owns -the Company, and all the nephews and cousins and so on get put into -a special school so they can go to work in the family firm. They get -taught pretty good, and most of them really rate the good jobs they -get. Anyhow, there's plenty of good jobs. The Company runs twenty or -thirty solar systems and it's run pretty tight. Being a Caldwell means -you get breaks, but you got to live up to them. - -Cap Haney almost has to fight his way through the Moklins who want to -give him flowers and fruits and such. Moklins are sure crazy about -humans! He gets to the entry port and goes in, and the door closes and -the Moklins pull back. Then the _Palmyra_ booms. The ground-repulsor -unit is on. She heaves up, like she is grunting, and goes bulging up -into the air, and the humming gets deeper and deeper, and fainter and -fainter--and suddenly there's a keen whistling and she's gone. It's all -very normal. Nobody would guess that this is the last time but one a -Earth ship will ever lift off Moklin! - -Inspector Caldwell taps her foot, icy. "When will you send for Mr. -Brooks?" she demands. - -"Right away," I says to her. "Deeth--" - -"I sent a runner for him, ma'am," says Deeth. "If he was in hearing of -the ship's landing, he may be on the way here now." - -He bows and goes in the trade room. There are Moklins that came to see -the ship land, and now have tramped over to do some trading. Inspector -Caldwell jumps. - -"Wh-what's that?" she asks, tense. - -The trees that crowded off the field to make room for the _Palmyra_ are -waddling back. I realize for the first time that it might look funny -to somebody just landed on Moklin. They are regular-looking trees, in -a way. They got bark and branches and so on. Only they can put their -roots down into holes they make in the ground, and that's the way -they stay, mostly. But they can move. Wild ones, when there's a water -shortage or they get too crowded or mad with each other, they pull up -their roots and go waddling around looking for a better place to take -root in. - -The trees on our landing field have learned that every so often a ship -is going to land and they've got to make room for it. But now the ship -is gone, and they're lurching back to their places. The younger ones -are waddling faster than the big ones, though, and taking the best -places, and the old grunting trees are waving their branches indignant -and puffing after them mad as hell. - -I explain what is happening. Inspector Caldwell just stares. Then Sally -comes lumbering up. I got a friendly feeling for Sally. She's pretty -old--her trunk is all of three feet thick--but she always puts out a -branch to shade my window in the morning, and I never let any other -tree take her place. She comes groaning up, and uncoils her roots, and -sticks them down one by one into the holes she'd left, and sort of -scrunches into place and looks peaceful. - -"Aren't they--dangerous?" asks Inspector Caldwell, pretty uneasy. - -"Not a bit," I says. "Things can change on Moklin. They don't have to -fight. Things fight in other places because they can't change and they -get crowded, and that's the only way they can meet competition. But -there's a special kind of evolution on Moklin. Cooperative, you might -call it. It's a nice place to live. Only thing is everything matures so -fast. Four years and a Moklin is grown up, for instance." - -She sniffs. "What about that other trading post?" she says, sharp. -"Who's back of it? The Company is supposed to have exclusive trading -rights here. Who's trespassing?" - -"Brooks is trying to find out," I says. "They got a good complete line -of trade goods, but the Moklins always say the humans running the place -have gone off somewhere, hunting and such. We ain't seen any of them." - -"No?" says the girl, short. "_I'll_ see them! We can't have competition -in our exclusive territory! The rest of Mr. Brooks' reports--" She -stops. Then she says, "That clerk of yours reminds me of someone I -know." - -"He's a Moklin," I explain, "but he looks like a Company man named -Casey. Casey's Area Director over on Khatim Two now, but he used to be -here, and Deeth is the spit and image of him." - -"Outrageous!" says Inspector Caldwell, looking disgusted. - -There's a couple of trees pushing hard at each other. They are -fighting, tree-fashion, for a specially good place. And there's others -waddling around, mad as hell, because somebody else beat them to the -spots they liked. I watch them. Then I grin, because a couple of young -trees duck under the fighting big ones and set their roots down in the -place the big trees was fighting over. - -"I don't like your attitude!" says Inspector Caldwell, furious. - -She goes stamping into the post, leaving me puzzled. What's wrong with -me smiling at those kid trees getting the best of their betters? - - * * * * * - -That afternoon Brooks comes back, marching ahead of a pack of -woods-Moklins with greenish skins and saucer eyes that've been guiding -him around. He's a good-looking kind of fellow, Brooks is, with a good -build and a solid jaw. - -When he comes out of the woods on the landing field--the trees are -all settled down by then--he's striding impatient and loose-jointed. -With the woods-Moklins trailing him, he looks plenty dramatic, like a -visi-reel picture of a explorer on some unknown planet, coming back -from the dark and perilous forests, followed by the strange natives who -do not yet know whether this visitor from outer space is a god or what. -You know the stuff. - -I see Inspector Caldwell take a good look at him, and I see her eyes -widen. She looks like he is a shock, and not a painful one. - -He blinks when he sees her. He grunts. "What's this? A she-Moklin?" - -Inspector Caldwell draws herself up to her full five-foot-three. She -bristles. - -I say quick, "This here is Inspector Caldwell that the _Palmyra_ dumped -off here today. Uh--Inspector, this is Brooks, the Head Trader." - -They shake hands. He looks at her and says, "I'd lost hope my reports -would ever get any attention paid to them. You've come to check my -report that the trading post on Moklin has to be abandoned?" - -"I have not!" says Inspector Caldwell, sharp. "That's absurd! This -planet has great potentialities, this post is profitable and the -natives are friendly, and the trade should continue to increase. The -Board is even considering the introduction of special crops." - -That strikes me as a bright idea. I'd like to see what would happen if -Moklins started cultivating new kinds of plants! It would be a thing to -watch--with regular Moklin plants seeing strangers getting good growing -places and special attention! I can't even guess what'll happen, but I -want to watch! - -"What I want to ask right off," says Inspector Caldwell, fierce, "is -why you have allowed a competitive trading post to be established, -why you did not report it sooner, and why you haven't identified the -company back of it?" - -Brooks stares at her. He gets mad. - -"Hell!" he says. "My reports cover all that! Haven't you read them?" - -"Of course not," says Inspector Caldwell. "I was given an outline of -the situation here and told to investigate and correct it." - -"Oh!" says Brooks. "That's it!" - -Then he looks like he's swallowing naughty words. It is funny to see -them glare at each other, both of them looking like they are seeing -something that interests them plenty, but throwing off angry sparks -just the same. - -"If you'll show me samples of their trade goods," says Inspector -Caldwell, arrogant, "and I hope you can do _that_ much, I'll identify -the trading company handling them!" - -He grins at her without amusement and leads the way to the inside of -the trading post. We bring out the stuff we've had some of our Moklins -go over and buy for us. Brooks dumps the goods on a table and stands -back to see what she'll make of them, grinning with the same lack of -mirth. She picks up a visi-reel projector. - -"Hmm," she says, scornful. "Not very good quality. It's...." Then she -stops. She picks up a forest knife. "This," she says, "is a product -of--" Then she stops again. She picks up some cloth and fingers it. She -really steams. "I see!" she says, angry. "Because we have been on this -planet so long and the Moklins are used to our goods, the people of the -other trading post _duplicate_ them! Do they cut prices?" - -"Fifty per cent," says Brooks. - -I chime in, "But we ain't lost much trade. Lots of Moklins still trade -with us, out of friendship. Friendly folks, these Moklins." - -Just then Deeth comes in, looking just like Casey that used to be here -on Moklin. He grins at me. - -"A girl just brought you a compliment," he lets me know. - -"Shucks!" I says, embarrassed and pleased. "Send her in and get a -present for her." - -Deeth goes out. Inspector Caldwell hasn't noticed. She's seething over -that other trading company copying our trade goods and underselling us -on a planet we're supposed to have exclusive. Brooks looks at her grim. - -"I shall look over their post," she announces, fierce, "and if they -want a trade war, they'll get one! We can cut prices if we need to--we -have all the resources of the Company behind us!" - -Brooks seems to be steaming on his own, maybe because she hasn't read -his reports. But just then a Moklin girl comes in. Not bad-looking, -either. You can see she is a Moklin--she ain't as convincing human as -Deeth is, say--but she looks pretty human, at that. She giggles at me. - -"Compliment," she says, and shows me what she's carrying. - -I look. It's a Moklin kid, a boy, just about brand-new. And it has my -shape ears, and its nose looks like somebody had stepped on it--my nose -is that way--and it looks like a very small-sized working model of me. -I chuck it under the chin and say, "Kitchy-coo!" It gurgles at me. - -"What's your name?" I ask the girl. - -She tells me. I don't remember it, and I don't remember ever seeing -her before, but she's paid me a compliment, all right--Moklin-style. - -"Mighty nice," I say. "Cute as all get-out. I hope he grows up to have -more sense than I got, though." Then Deeth comes in with a armload -of trade stuff like Old Man Bland gave to the first Moklin kid that -was born with long whiskers like his, and I say, "Thanks for the -compliment. I am greatly honored." - -She takes the stuff and giggles again, and goes out. The kid beams at -me over her shoulder and waves its fist. Mighty humanlike. A right cute -kid, any way you look at it. - -Then I hear a noise. Inspector Caldwell is regarding me with loathing -in her eyes. - -"Did you say they were friendly creatures?" she asks, bitter. "I think -affectionate would be a better word!" Her voice shakes. "You are going -to be transferred out of here the instant the _Palmyra_ gets back!" - -"What's the matter?" I ask, surprised. "She paid me a compliment and -I gave her a present. It's a custom. She's satisfied. I never see her -before that I remember." - -"You _don't_?" she says. "The--the _callousness_! You're revolting!" - -Brooks begins to sputter, then he snickers, and all of a sudden he's -howling with laughter. He is laughing at Inspector Caldwell. Then I get -it, and I snort. Then I hoot and holler. It gets funnier when she gets -madder still. She near blows up from being mad! - -We must look crazy, the two of us there in the post, just hollering -with laughter while she gets furiouser and furiouser. Finally I have to -lay down on the floor to laugh more comfortable. You see, she doesn't -get a bit of what I've told her about there being a special kind of -evolution on Moklin. The more disgusted and furious she looks at me, -the harder I have to laugh. I can't help it. - - * * * * * - -When we set out for the other trading post next day, the atmosphere -ain't what you'd call exactly cordial. There is just the Inspector and -me, with Deeth and a couple of other Moklins for the look of things. -She has on a green forest suit, and with her red hair she sure looks -good! But she looks at me cold when Brooks says I'll take her over to -the other post, and she doesn't say a word the first mile or two. - -We trudge on, and presently Deeth and the others get ahead so they -can't hear what she says. And she remarks indignant, "I must say Mr. -Brooks isn't very cooperative. Why didn't he come with me? Is he -afraid of the men at the other post?" - -"Not him," I says. "He's a good guy. But you got authority over him and -you ain't read his reports." - -"If I have authority," she says, sharp, "I assure you it's because I'm -competent!" - -"I don't doubt it," I says. "If you wasn't cute, he wouldn't care. But -a man don't want a good-looking girl giving him orders. He wants to -give them to her. A homely woman, it don't matter." - - * * * * * - -She tosses her head, but it don't displease her. Then she says, "What's -in the reports that I should have read?" - -"I don't know," I admit. "But he's been sweating over them. It makes -him mad that nobody bothered to read 'em." - -"Maybe," she guesses, "it was what I need to know about this other -trading post. What do you know about it, Mr. Brinkley?" - -I tell her what Deeth has told Brooks. Brooks found out about it -because one day some Moklins come in to trade and ask friendly why we -charge so much for this and that. Deeth told them we'd always charged -that, and they say the other trading post sells things cheaper, and -Deeth says what trading post? So they up and tell him there's another -post that sells the same kind of things we do, only cheaper. But -that's all they'll say. - -So Brooks tells Deeth to find out, and he scouts around and comes -back. There is another trading post only fifteen miles away, and it is -selling stuff just like ours. And it charges only half price. Deeth -didn't see the men--just the Moklin clerks. We ain't been able to see -the men either. - -"Why haven't you seen the men?" - -"Every time Brooks or me go over," I explain, "the Moklins they got -working for them say the other men are off somewhere. Maybe they're -starting some more posts. We wrote 'em a note, asking what the hell -they mean, but they never answered it. Of course, we ain't seen their -books or their living quarters--" - -"You could find out plenty by a glimpse at their books!" she snaps. -"Why haven't you just marched in and made the Moklins show you what you -want to know, since the men were away?" - -"Because," I says, patient, "Moklins imitate humans. If we start -trouble, they'll start it too. We can't set a example of rough stuff -like burglary, mayhem, breaking and entering, manslaughter, or bigamy, -or those Moklins will do just like us." - -"Bigamy!" She grabs on that sardonic. "If you're trying to make me -think you've got enough moral sense--" - -I get a little mad. Brooks and me, we've explained to her, careful, how -it is admiration _and_ the way evolution works on Moklin that makes -Moklin kids get born with long whiskers and that the compliment the -Moklin girl has paid me is just exactly that. But she hasn't listened -to a word. - -"Miss Caldwell," I says, "Brooks and me told you the facts. We tried to -tell them delicate, to spare your feelings. Now if you'll try to spare -mine, I'll thank you." - -"If you mean your finer feelings," she says, sarcastic, "I'll spare -them as soon as I find some!" - -So I shut up. There's no use trying to argue with a woman. We tramp on -through the forest without a word. Presently we come on a nest-bush. -It's a pretty big one. There are a couple dozen nests on it, from the -little-bitty bud ones no bigger than your fist, to the big ripe ones -lined with soft stuff that have busted open and have got cacklebirds -housekeeping in them now. - -There are two cacklebirds sitting on a branch by the nest that is -big enough to open up and have eggs laid in it, only it ain't. The -cacklebirds are making noises like they are cussing it and telling it -to hurry up and open, because they are in a hurry. - -"That's a nest-bush," I says. "It grows nests for the cacklebirds. The -birds--uh--fertilize the ground around it. They're sloppy feeders and -drop a lot of stuff that rots and is fertilizer too. The nest-bush and -the cacklebirds kind of cooperate. That's the way evolution works on -Moklin, like Brooks and me told you." - -She tosses that red head of hers and stamps on, not saying a word. -So we get to the other trading post. And there she gets one of these -slow-burning, long-lasting mads on that fill a guy like me with awe. - -There's only Moklins at the other trading post, as usual. They say the -humans are off somewhere. They look at her admiring and polite. They -show her their stock. It is practically identical with ours--only they -admit that they've sold out of some items because their prices are low. -They act most respectful and pleased to see her. - -But she don't learn a thing about where their stuff comes from or what -company is horning in on Moklin trade. And she looks at their head -clerk and she burns and burns. - - * * * * * - -When we get back, Brooks is sweating over memorandums he has made, -getting another report ready for the next Company ship. Inspector -Caldwell marches into the trade room and gives orders in a controlled, -venomous voice. Then she marches right in on Brooks. - -"I have just ordered the Moklin sales force to cut the price on all -items on sale by seventy-five per cent," she says, her voice trembling -a little with fury. "I have also ordered the credit given for Moklin -trade goods to be doubled. They want a trade war? They'll get it!" - - * * * * * - -She is a lot madder than business would account for. Brooks says, -tired, "I'd like to show you some facts. I've been over every inch of -territory in thirty miles, looking for a place where a ship could land -for that other post. There isn't any. Does that mean anything to you?" - -"The post is there, isn't it?" she says. "And they have trade goods, -haven't they? And we have exclusive trading rights on Moklin, haven't -we? That's enough for me. Our job is to drive them out of business!" - -But she is a lot madder than business would account for. Brooks says, -very weary, "There's nearly a whole planet where they could have -put another trading post. They could have set up shop on the other -hemisphere and charged any price they pleased. But they set up shop -right next to us! Does _that_ make sense?" - -"Setting up close," she says, "would furnish them with customers -already used to human trade goods. And it furnished them with Moklins -trained to be interpreters and clerks! And--" Then it come out, what -she's raging, boiling, steaming, burning up about. "And," she says, -furious, "it furnished them with a Moklin head-clerk who is a very -handsome young man, Mr. Brooks! He not only resembles you in every -feature, but he even has a good many of your mannerisms. You should be -very proud!" - -With this she slams out of the room. Brooks blinks. - -"She won't believe anything," he says, sour, "except only that man is -vile. Is that true about a Moklin who looks like me?" - -I nod. - -"Funny his folks never showed him to me for a compliment-present!" Then -he stares at me, hard. "How good is the likeness?" - -"If he is wearing your clothes," I tell him, truthful, "I'd swear he is -you." - -Then Brooks--slow, very slow--turns white. "Remember the time you went -off with Deeth and his folks, hunting? That was the time a Moklin got -killed. You were wearing guest garments, weren't you?" - -I feel queer inside, but I nod. Guest garments, for Moklins, are like -the best bedroom and the drumstick of the chicken among humans. And a -Moklin hunting party is something. They go hunting _garlikthos_, which -you might as well call dragons, because they've got scales and they fly -and they are tough babies. - -The way to hunt them is you take along some cacklebirds that ain't -nesting--they are no good for anything while they're honeymooning--and -the cacklebirds go flapping around until a _garlikthos_ comes after -them, and then they go jet-streaking to where the hunters are, cackling -a blue streak to say, "Here I come, boys! Hold everything until I get -past!" Then the _garlikthos_ dives after them and the hunters get it -as it dives. - -You give the cacklebirds its innards, and they sit around and eat, -cackling to each other, zestful, like they're bragging about the other -times they done the same thing, only better. - -"You were wearing guest garments?" repeats Brooks, grim. - -I feel very queer inside, but I nod again. Moklin guest garments are -mighty easy on the skin and feel mighty good. They ain't exactly -practical hunting clothes, but the Moklins feel bad if a human that's -their guest don't wear them. And of course he has to shed his human -clothes to wear them. - -"What's the idea?" I want to know. But I feel pretty unhappy inside. - -"You didn't come back for one day, in the middle of the hunt, after -tobacco and a bath?" - -"No," I says, beginning to get rattled. "We were way over at the -Thunlib Hills. We buried the dead Moklin over there and had a hell of a -time building a tomb over him. Why?" - -"During that week," says Brooks, grim, "and while you were off wearing -Moklin guest garments, somebody came back wearing your clothes--and got -some tobacco and passed the time of day and went off again. Joe, just -like there's a Moklin you say could pass for me, there's one that could -pass for you. In fact, he did. Nobody suspected either." - -I get panicky. "But what'd he do that for?" I want to know. "He didn't -steal anything! Would he have done it just to brag to the other Moklins -that he fooled you?" - -"He might," says Brooks, "have been checking to see if he could fool -me. Or Captain Haney of the _Palmyra_. Or--" - -He looks at me. I feel myself going numb. This can mean one hell of a -mess! - -"I haven't told you before," says Brooks, "but I've been guessing at -something like this. Moklins like to be human, and they get human -kids--kids that look human, anyway. Maybe they can want to be smart -like humans, and they are." He tries to grin, and can't. "That rival -trading post looked fishy to me right at the start. They're practicing -with that. It shouldn't be there at all, but it is. You see?" - -I feel weak and sick all over. This is a dangerous sort of thing! But -I say quick, "If you mean they got Moklins that could pass for you and -me, and they're figuring to bump us off and take our places--I don't -believe that! Moklins _like_ humans! They wouldn't harm humans for -_anything_!" - -Brooks don't pay any attention. He says, harsh, "I've been trying to -persuade the Company that we've got to get out of here, fast! And they -send this Inspector Caldwell, who's not only female, but a redhead to -boot! All they think about is a competitive trading post! And all she -sees is that we're a bunch of lascivious scoundrels, and since she's a -woman there's nothing that'll convince her otherwise!" - -Then something hits me. It looks hopeful. - -"She's the first human woman to land on Moklin. And she has got red -hair. It's the first red hair the Moklins ever saw. Have we got time?" - -He figures. Then he says, "With luck, it ought to turn up! You've hit -it!" And then his expression sort of softens. "If that happens--poor -kid, she's going to take it hard! Women hate to be wrong. Especially -redheads! But that might be the saving of--of humanity, when you think -of it." - -I blink at him. He goes on, fierce, "Look, _I'm_ no Moklin! You know -that. But if there's a Moklin that looks enough like me to take my -place.... You see? We got to think of Inspector Caldwell, anyhow. If -you ever see me cross my fingers, you wiggle your little finger. Then I -know it's you. And the other way about. Get it? You swear you'll watch -over Inspector Caldwell?" - -"Sure!" I say. "Of course!" - -I wiggle my little finger. He crosses his. It's a signal nobody but us -two would know. I feel a lot better. - - * * * * * - -Brooks goes off next morning, grim, to visit the other trading post and -see the Moklin that looks so much like him. Inspector Caldwell goes -along, fierce, and I'm guessing it's to see the fireworks when Brooks -sees his Moklin double that she thinks is more than a coincidence. -Which she is right, only not in the way she thinks. - -Before they go, Brooks crosses his fingers and looks at me significant. -I wiggle my little finger back at him. They go off. - -I sit down in the shade of Sally and try to think things out. I am all -churned up inside, and scared as hell. It's near two weeks to landing -time, when the old _Palmyra_ ought to come bulging down out of the -sky with a load of new trade goods. I think wistful about how swell -everything has been on Moklin up to now, and how Moklins admire humans, -and how friendly everything has been, and how it's a great compliment -for Moklins to want to be like humans, and to get like them, and how no -Moklin would ever dream of hurting a human and how they imitate humans -joyous and reverent and happy. Nice people, Moklins. But-- - -The end of things is in sight. Liking humans has made Moklins smart, -but now there's been a slip-up. Moklins will do anything to produce -kids that look like humans. That's a compliment. But no human ever sees -a Moklin that's four or five years old and all grown up and looks so -much like him that nobody can tell them apart. That ain't scheming. -It's just that Moklins like humans, but they're scared the humans might -not like to see themselves in a sort of Moklin mirror. So if they did -that at all, they'd maybe keep it a secret, like children keep secrets -from grownups. - -Moklins are a lot like kids. You can't help liking them. But a human -can get plenty panicky if he thinks what would happen if Moklins get to -passing for humans among humans, and want their kids to have top-grade -brains, and top-grade talents, and so on.... - -I sweat, sitting there. I can see the whole picture. Brooks is worrying -about Moklins loose among humans, outsmarting them as their kids grow -up, being the big politicians, the bosses, the planetary pioneers, -the prettiest girls and the handsomest guys in the Galaxy--everything -humans want to be themselves. Just thinking about it is enough to make -any human feel like he's going nuts. But Brooks is also worrying about -Inspector Caldwell, who is five foot three and red-headed and cute as a -bug's ear and riding for a bad fall. - -They come back from the trip to the other trading post. Inspector -Caldwell is baffled and mad. Brooks is sweating and scared. He slips -me the signal and I wiggle my little finger back at him, just so I'll -know he didn't get substituted for without Inspector Caldwell knowing -it, and so he knows nothing happened to me while he was gone. They -didn't see the Moklin that looks like Brooks. They didn't get a bit of -information we didn't have before--which is just about none at all. - -Things go on. Brooks and me are sweating it out until the _Palmyra_ -lets down out of the sky again, meanwhile praying for Inspector -Caldwell to get her ears pinned back so proper steps can be taken, and -every morning he crosses his fingers at me, and I wiggle my little -finger back at him.... And he watches over Inspector Caldwell tender. - - * * * * * - -The other trading post goes on placid. They sell their stuff at half -the price we sell ours for. So, on Inspector Caldwell's orders, we cut -ours again to half what they sell theirs for. So they sell theirs for -half what we sell ours for, so we sell ours for half what they sell -theirs for. And so on. Meanwhile we sweat. - -Three days before the _Palmyra_ is due, our goods are marked at just -exactly one per cent of what they was marked a month before, and the -other trading post is selling them at half that. It looks like we are -going to have to pay a bonus to Moklins to take goods away for us to -compete with the other trading post. - -Otherwise, everything looks normal on the surface. Moklins hang around -as usual, friendly and admiring. They'll hang around a couple days just -to get a look at Inspector Caldwell, and they regard her respectful. - -Brooks looks grim. He is head over heels crazy about her now, and she -knows it, and she rides him hard. She snaps at him, and he answers her -patient and gentle--because he knows that when what he hopes is going -to happen, she is going to need him to comfort her. She has about wiped -out our stock, throwing bargain sales. Our shelves are almost bare. But -the other trading post still has plenty of stock. - -"Mr. Brooks," says Inspector Caldwell, bitter, at breakfast, "we'll -have to take most of the _Palmyra's_ cargo to fill up our inventory." - -"Maybe," he says, tender, "and maybe not." - -"But we've got to drive that other post out of business!" she says, -desperate. Then she breaks down. "This--this is my first independent -assignment. I've got to handle it successfully!" - -He hesitates. But just then Deeth comes in. He beams friendly at -Inspector Caldwell. - -"A compliment for you, ma'am. Three of them." - -She goggles at him. Brooks says, gentle, "It's all right. Deeth, show -them in and get some presents." - -Inspector Caldwell splutters incredulous, "But--but--" - -"Don't be angry," says Brooks. "They mean it as a compliment. It is, -actually, you know." - -Three Moklin girls come in, giggling. They are not bad-looking at -all. They look as human as Deeth, but one of them has a long, droopy -mustache like a mate of the _Palmyra_--that's because they hadn't ever -seen a human woman before Inspector Caldwell come along. They sure have -admired her, though! And Moklin kids get born fast. Very fast. - -They show her what they are holding so proud and happy in their arms. -They have got three little Moklin kids, one apiece. And every one of -them has red hair, just like Inspector Caldwell, and every one of them -is a girl that is the spit and image of her. You would swear they are -human babies, and you'd swear they are hers. But of course they ain't. -They make kid noises and wave their little fists. - -Inspector Caldwell is just plain paralyzed. She stares at them, and -goes red as fire and white as chalk, and she is speechless. So Brooks -has to do the honors. He admires the kids extravagant, and the Moklin -girls giggle, and take the compliment presents Deeth brings in, and -they go out happy. - -When the door closes, Inspector Caldwell wilts. - -"Oh-h!" she wails. "It's true! You didn't--you haven't--they can make -their babies look like anybody they want!" - -Brooks puts his arms around her and she begins to cry against his -shoulder. He pats her and says, "They've got a queer sort of evolution -on Moklin, darling. Babies here inherit desired characteristics. Not -_acquired_ characteristics, but _desired_ ones! And what could be more -desirable than you?" - -I am blinking at them. He says to me, cold, "Will you kindly get the -hell out of here and stay out?" - -I come to. I says, "Just one precaution." - -I wiggle my little finger. He crosses his fingers at me. - -"Then," I says, "since there's no chance of a mistake, I'll leave you -two together." - -And I do. - - * * * * * - -The _Palmyra_ booms down out of the sky two days later. We are all -packed up. Inspector Caldwell is shaky, on the porch of the post, -when Moklins come hollering and waving friendly over from the landing -field pulling a freight-truck with Cap Haney on it. I see other -festive groups around members of the crew that--this being a scheduled -stop--have been given ship-leave for a couple hours to visit their -Moklin friends. - -"I've got the usual cargo--" begins Cap Haney. - -"Don't discharge it," says Inspector Caldwell, firm. "We are -abandoning this post. I have authority and Mr. Brooks has convinced me -of the necessity for it. Please get our baggage to the ship." - -He gapes at her. "The Company don't like to give in to competition--" - -"There isn't any competition," says Inspector Caldwell. She gulps. -"Darling, you tell him," she says to Brooks. - -He says, lucid, "She's right, Captain. The other trading post is purely -a Moklin enterprise. They like to do everything that humans do. Since -humans were running a trading post, they opened one too. They bought -goods from us and pretended to sell them at half price, and we cut -our prices, and they bought more goods from us and pretended to sell -at half the new prices.... Some Moklin or other must've thought it -would be nice to be a smart businessman, so his kids would be smart -businessmen. Too smart! We close up this post before Moklins think of -other things...." - -He means, of course, that if Moklins get loose from their home planet -and pass as humans, their kids can maybe take over human civilization. -Human nature couldn't take that! But it is something to be passed on to -the high brass, and not told around general. - -"Better sound the emergency recall signal," says Inspector Caldwell, -brisk. - -We go over to the ship and the _Palmyra_ lets go that wailing siren -that'll carry twenty miles. Any crew member in hearing is going to beat -it back to the ship full-speed. They come running from every which -way, where they been visiting their Moklin friends. And then, all of -a sudden, here comes a fellow wearing Moklin guest garments, yelling, -"Hey! Wait! I ain't got my clothes--" - -And then there is what you might call a dead silence. Because lined up -for checkoff is another guy that comes running at the recall signal, -and he is wearing ship's clothes, and you can see that him and the guy -in Moklin guest garments are just exactly alike. Twins. Identical. The -spit and image of each other. And it is for sure that one of them is a -Moklin. But which? - -Cap Haney's eyes start to pop out of his head. But then the guy in -_Palmyra_ uniform grins and says, "Okay, I'm a Moklin. But us Moklins -like humans so much, I thought it would be nice to make a trip to Earth -and see more humans. My parents planned it five years ago, made me look -like this wonderful human, and hid me for this moment. But we would not -want to make any difficulties for humans, so I have confessed and I -will leave the ship." - -He takes it as a joke on him. He talks English as good as anybody. I -don't know how anybody could tell which was the human guy and which one -the Moklin, but this Moklin grins and steps down, and the other Moklins -admire him enormous for passing even a few minutes as human among -humans. - -We get away from there so fast, he is allowed to keep the human uniform. - - * * * * * - -Moklin is the first planet that humans ever get off of, moving fast, -breathing hard, and sweating copious. It's one of those things that -humans just can't take. Not that there's anything wrong with Moklins. -They're swell folks. They like humans. But humans just can't take the -idea of Moklins passing for human and being all the things humans want -to be themselves. I think it's really a false alarm. I'll find out -pretty soon. - -Inspector Caldwell and Brooks get married, and they go off to a post on -Briarius Four--a swell place for a honeymoon if there ever was one--and -I guess they are living happy ever after. Me, I go to the new job the -Company assigns me--telling me stern not to talk about Moklin, which I -don't--and the Space Patrol orders no human ship to land on Moklin for -any reason. - -But I've been saving money and worrying. I keep thinking of those three -Moklin kids that Inspector Caldwell knows she ain't the father of. I -worry about those kids. I hope nothing's happened to them. Moklin kids -grow up fast, like I told you. They'll be just about grown now. - -I'll tell you. I've bought me a little private spacecruiser, small but -good. I'm shoving off for Moklin next week. If one of those three ain't -married, I'm going to marry her, Moklin-style, and bring her out to a -human colony planet. We'll have some kids. I know just what I want my -kids to be like. They'll have plenty of brains--_top-level brains_--and -the girls will be _real_ good-looking! - -But besides that, I've got to bring some other Moklins out and start -them passing for human, too. Because my kids are going to need other -Moklins to marry, ain't they? It's not that I don't like humans. I do! -If the fellow I look like--Joe Brinkley--hadn't got killed accidental -on that hunting trip with Deeth, I never would have thought of taking -his place and being Joe Brinkley. But you can't blame me for wanting to -live among humans. - -Wouldn't you, if you was a Moklin? - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of If You Was A Moklin, by Murray Leinster - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IF YOU WAS A MOKLIN *** - -***** This file should be named 51752.txt or 51752.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/7/5/51752/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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