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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..21da69b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #66707 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66707) diff --git a/old/66707-0.txt b/old/66707-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9816d4f..0000000 --- a/old/66707-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,874 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Meeting at the Summit, by Ivar Jorgensen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Meeting at the Summit - -Author: Ivar Jorgensen - -Release Date: November 11, 2021 [eBook #66707] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING AT THE SUMMIT *** - - - - - Meeting At The Summit - - By Ivar Jorgensen - - Some readers will accuse us of injecting - politics into the magazine with this story; we - submit the idea transcends party preferences! - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy - February 1956 - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -It was quite late when the Press Secretary asked for an audience. - -He was one of the very few who made direct contact--a trusted friend of -the President as well as an able buffer between the chief executive and -the fourth estate. - -The President said, "Why certainly--if it's that important. Come right -up." - -As the line went dead, the President put down the phone and picked up -the western story anthology he had been reading. He thumbed the pages -pensively, then laid that down too and sat back in his chair. He closed -his eyes. - -So darn seldom he got a chance to read anymore; or to do anything else -for that matter except play a little golf once in a while and spend the -rest of the time trying to stem the world's mad dash to destruction. - -He smiled gently, his tired eyes still closed. He estimated it would -take the Press Secretary a good ten minutes to get to the White House. -Good. The President had come to a point where he savored every precious -moment of solitude. - -He let his mind drift--first to the state of the world. It wasn't so -bad, really. Not in comparison. After all, a cold war was better than -a hot one. And even the cold war was softening up a little. Enough -to--the President's smile deepened. - -Enough to quit. - -That was his big secret. He hadn't told them yet. In deference to -political strategy, responsibility to the party, and that sort of -thing, he'd held his peace. But his decision had been made. He would -not run again. A man, he told himself, is entitled to a few blessed -years as his own master; a time when he ceases to be a slave of duty. -Why just think! To grab the clubs and shoot eighteen without having -to make "arrangements"! To go out and catch a couple of fish without -the Secret Service plotting the course, calling the tune, following, -grim-faced in his wake. - -The President's smile deepened. It was all so darned crazy! You go out -to get a little relaxation--to catch a fish. But before you arrive the -stream has to be stocked so thick you can almost walk on the beauties -because if the President failed to catch a trout in one of their -mountain streams, the state involved gets a black eye and might lose a -few thousand tourists that year. He wondered idly if they gave the fish -a pep talk when they tossed them in. - -But that sort of thing would be finished, soon. He was going to quit. -He was going to tell them-- - -"Mr. President." - -He jerked erect, blinked, and gave the Press Secretary his famous -smile--half-apologetic now. "Sorry. I was napping I guess. Didn't hear -you. Sit down--sit down." - -The Press Secretary did as instructed and the President was struck -by the tight, stricken look on his gray face. "Good Lord, Jim! What -happened? You look as though somebody just dropped a bomb on New York -City." He could afford to speak lightly because he knew any news of -grave import would not come through the Press Secretary. - -The latter appeared to have difficulty with his reply. With the -President's eye upon him--sharp but friendly--he floundered for a -moment, then said, "I might as well give it to you straight, Mr. -President. Then we can go on from there." - -"An excellent idea." - -"All right--here goes. A man contacted me and requests that you come to -the top of Mount Ranier for a conference." - -The President couldn't find any words. The silence was heavy. - -"And I think you'd better go," the Press Secretary finished in a voice -charged with sheer misery. He sat mute, wondering what was going on -through The President's mind. - -Finally the chief executive said, "Jim--I--really--" - -The Press Secretary leaned forward, his whole being tense. "Mr. -President. Please answer one question--honestly. Do you think I've lost -my mind? Do you think I've suddenly gone crazy?" - - * * * * * - -The reply was in a quiet tone. - -"No, Jim--I don't. I know you too well for that. I think you're saying -something you have to say--doing a job you feel you have to do--even if -it puts you in a position where you have to ask a question like that." - -"Thank you." - -"And now--why don't you just sit back and explain it? I'll be frank. It -makes no sense to me. But I'm listening." - -A warm feeling swept the Press Secretary. This president we had. This -solid rock of a guy. You just couldn't beat him! - -The homely, earnest ex-journalist leaned forward again. "The success of -this mission, Mr. President--my visit here--hinges upon whether or not -you believe I'm telling the truth. I'm going to tell you some strange -things. And if you doubt my word--" he shrugged, "well--I will have -just wasted your time." - -"Go ahead with it, Jim." The words were almost sharp now. - -"All right, sir." He took a deep breath and plunged in. "I've just had -a briefing such as no man on this globe ever went through. I've been to -the top of Mount Ranier." - -"When?" - -"Tonight." - -"Go on." - -"I'll tell you step-by-step exactly what happened--or what seemed to -happen. Then you can make your decision." - -The Press Secretary began to talk. He talked for a long time. The -President listened, his face a mask giving no clue whatever to his -inner thoughts. This was a trick he learned over conference tables -through the years. His skill at this would have made him a great poker -player but he never cared for the game. - -When the Press Secretary stopped talking, he sat looking at the -President with question marks in his eyes. He had no idea what the -latter would say or do. The possible extremes were in his mind. The -President might smile and say, "You've done a good job, Jim." Or he -might reach for the phone and say, "Please send in two strong men and a -straight jacket." - -The President did neither. He spoke very quietly. "I think I'd better -go to Mount Ranier. Tell them I'm ready." - -The Press Secretary picked up the phone, dialed a number. When the -party at the other end answered, he said, "The President agrees. He -awaits your contact." - -He put down the phone and they sat looking at each other, waiting. -There was nothing else to do, now. The President's eyes were vague as -though he were looking through space and time. He said, "We've come a -long way in a very short time, Jim. It's worth pondering." - -"A long way, Mr. President." - -"In a scant fifty years, we've gone practically straight up in matters -of science, invention--" The thought broke off as his mind went to some -of the things his Press Secretary had told him. And regardless of the -gravity of this situation, he found himself looking forward to seeing -them for himself. - -He had not long to wait. A moment later an odd red haze appeared in a -far corner of the room. There was a crackling sound as of high-voltage -electricity jumping its bounds. The phenomenon vanished as quickly as -it had appeared and a young man was approaching the President's chair. - -So far as the President could see, he might have been one of the bright -young career men who hurried about Washington these days; except that -the eternal briefcase was missing and the young man wore a one-piece -coverall type of garment in pastel red. He was blonde, pleasant, and -had even, white teeth. He was also respectful. - -He bowed and said, "Mr. President. I have been sent to conduct you and -your assistant to the rendezvous." - -The President glanced quickly at the Press Secretary, then said, "Of -course." - -"If you will be so kind as to move with me to the far corner of the -room." - -The Press Secretary's expression said, _It's all right. This is just -how it happened to me_, and they followed the young man across the -thick carpeting. - -In the corner, he arranged them precisely. "If you will stand just -there--" Then he stepped between them and looked pleasantly unconcerned. - -The President tensed himself for what was to come. But nothing came -except the crackling and the red light; the dissolving of the walls and -the young man saying, "You may sit down now if you wish." - -No physical discomfort whatever. - - * * * * * - -The President sat down and looked about. He was in a small, -well-furnished room, pastelled in a light shade of green complimenting -the young man's uniform, and he got the flash of an idea that color -was very important in the scheme of whatever science brought this -transposition about. - -There was a soft whirring sound. The President said, "May I ask where -we are?" - -"Certainly, sir. We are in a small ship. We are crossing your country -at around one hundred thousand of your feet." - -"At what speed?" - -This gave the young man pause. "It would be very hard to translate into -terms with which you are familiar. I would say roughly the speed of -light. The major time-lapse is consumed in ascent and descent." - -The President showed great interest. "Tell me this--we were moved from -my study through some scientific process I won't ask you to explain, -but why weren't we carried the entire distance to Ranier in that -manner?" - -The young man pondered. "That is of course difficult for you to -understand. And quite difficult for me to explain so allow me to put it -this way. When planning a trip from Washington to New York, you walk -from your office to your car, and ride in the car from your residence -to the airport." - -"I see--a matter of slower speeds over short distances." - -"In a way, but more so a matter of practicality. You could hardly bring -the car into your office nor the aircraft onto your front lawn." - -The President let it rest there. He said, "One more thing--why was I -not contacted directly in this matter?" - -This embarrassed the young man. "Wherever we go, sir, we attempt to -conform to customs and manner existing in that place. We understood -that to reach The President of the United States, one always proceeds -through channels." - -The President smiled. The humming sound ceased. The young man arose, -forestalling further questions. - -"This way, if you will be so kind." - -The President and the Press Secretary followed the young man from the -room into a low corridor. The walls of this passage were transparent -and the President caught his breath at the grandeur outside. He got the -impression they were moving from the small ship to a larger one perched -precariously on the edge of an abyss. Below, under bright moonlight, -lay the snow-covered approaches to Ranier and her sister peaks. A view -of overpowering majesty such as few men had ever seen. One of the -reasons, the President thought, why some men join the air force. - -They entered another room, this one with a blue motif, through another -door that opened automatically on approach, and into one of pastel -green. - -This room was somewhat larger but no more ornate nor less efficiently -furnished than the others. A streamlined, oval desk sat in its center -from the far side of which a man arose and held forth his hand. - -He was slim as a reed and had snow-white hair. He gave the impression -of ripe years yet with no physical indications of this other than a -head of beautiful snow-white hair. Perhaps, the President thought, this -indication was an illusion. And perhaps the aura of power emanating -from the man was also an illusion but the President would not have been -willing to bet on it. - -The man's smile was an odd mixture of friendliness and impersonality -as they shook hands. He said, "My name is Rex, Mr. President. The -fact that in one of your languages the word means _king_ is purely -coincidental. I am not a monarch in any sense. My title is Director of -the Seventh Sector." - -As Rex had got to his feet, the chair under him had swung under the -desk out of his way. Now it moved back to its original position. And -as the President took the seat Rex indicated beside the desk, he had a -whimsical thought: _I wonder how that chair knew he was ready to sit -down again?_ - - * * * * * - -Rex nodded to the young man in the pastel-red uniform. The latter bowed -slightly, turned and left the room. Rex turned his dark eyes--almost -feminine in their beauty--on the President. His quick smile was even -more impersonal now. "Shall we get to the business at hand, or could -you do with a little refreshment first?" - -"I'd prefer the former," The President said briefly. - -"Good. I imagine your aide told you some of it, but I'd better recap -that and then go on." - -Rex nodded briefly in The Press Secretary's direction. It was the -silvery-haired man's first acknowledgement of his presence. - -"You are probably curious as to who I am and just what the Seventh -Sector is. I'll tell you. The Seventh Sector is a team denoting -a certain part of the known universe. It contains approximately -nine-hundred thousand solids of a twenty-million-ton weight or over. -Eleven of these solids supports animate life at around the evolutionary -stage of your own--or higher. Do you follow me?" - -When The President was slow in answering, Rex said "I suggest you lay -aside any mental resistance and take all statements I make as fact." - -"Why should I do that?" - -"Because my deceiving you would be pointless and because I must -transfer a great deal of information to your mind in a very short time." - -The President said nothing and Rex went on. "As Director of this -sector, it is my job to check the development on its various planets -and make progress reports to the Council." - -"And this Council is located--?" - -"Many light years from here--at the hub of the known universe, but that -is not important." - -"I thought perhaps we--or our representatives might someday--" - -"Appear before it? I'm afraid not. I fear you are treading the path of -those who once inhabited your neighbor planet, Mars." - -"Then life does exist--or did--on Mars?" - -"Oh yes, but we were forced to eliminate it." - -The President spoke calmly. "Then you are able to depopulate whole -planets?" - -"Whole systems if necessary. Let me explain. When conditions are right, -life inevitably comes into existence upon a planet. The entities -involved are always pretty much as you and I, physically, because -conditions produce a ruling race of our structure or do not produce -life at all. - -"The problem, Mr. President, lies in the spiritual. Every race on -every inhabited planet is given the intelligence and desire to evolve -upward spiritually but they do not always succeed. A time limit is set -on this so that the inhabitants of each planet arrive finally at an -evolutionary crisis." - -The President thought of nuclear fission, the atom bomb, mankind's -incredible progress over the last two hundred years. "And you have come -to aid us in spiritual development?" - -"On the contrary. You have had all the guidance necessary--far more -than those on most planets--more than did your neighbors on Mars. I -have come to annihilate you." - -The President hid his shock well. "If killing me will--" - -"Annihilate life on the planet. You see, Mr. President, there comes a -time when each inhabited planet must join the Council--when it reaches -a point at which its existence affects the great family of planets. If -at that time, its state of affairs and development are negative, its -population is eradicated for the greater good." - -"May I ask two questions?" The President said. - -"You may." - -"Thank you. First, why do you contact only me with this news? I am the -titular head of only one nation on this planet. There are many others." - -"I would rather reserve the answer to that question." - -"Very well, the second. How can we affect a family of inhabited planets -the existence of which we are not even aware. Planets with which we -have no contact whatever?" - -"In a few short years you would know of their existence--you would not -only be able to contact them--you would visit them and they would visit -you." - -"And just how would we affect them adversely?" - -"That should be apparent. Your present state of dwarfed spirituality -is made clear by your background of violence and injustice. I refer to -your planet rather than to your nation. Practically all your scientific -progress has come as a result of war. Nations that lose a war on your -planet study and invent and discover like demons possessed for tools -with which to win the next one. Do you deny that at this moment your -planet is little more than an armed camp?" - -"No," The President said sadly. "I cannot deny this." - -"Then you realize why we cannot let you move out into space, carrying -with you the greed, the envy, the hatred, the violence that stalks the -corridors of your history." - - * * * * * - -There was no doubt in the President's mind that this remarkable man -could back up his every word. His statements were not idle threats. The -President said, "But your accusations are not entirely just. You make -no mention of our great progress toward spiritual goals in the past -hundred years--even the past fifty have seen marked changes in that -direction." - -"I have noted that. It is what caused me to make this contact with you. -Ordinarily, no such contact would have been made. I would have checked -the planet, reported it to the Council, and annihilation would have -been automatic." - -"Then there is hope for us?" - -A look of skepticism was mirrored in Rex's eyes. "A slim one, -perhaps--a very slim one." He leaned suddenly forward. "You asked me -why I contacted you only. Because, of all the nations on this planet, -yours is the most powerful--the first powerful nation in the history of -your planet that has fought no wars of aggression--that has subjugated -no weaker nations. Certainly a hopeful overall sign." - -"And greater progress will be made in the future. Progress comes -slowly. We must have time." - -"But progress has been too slow. There is little time left." - -"Could you be more specific?" - -"In rare cases, where planets have been found to be approaching a crest -so to speak, extensions have been granted." - -"And you will grant us an extension?" - -"I'm not sure. There is nothing, at the moment, that justifies one." -Rex pondered. "Yet there are strong indications--" - -The President waited. Rex gave his decision. "I will withhold judgment -for five years. At the end of that time, I will contact you again. My -judgment will then rest on what progress you have made in the interim." - -"But I am only one man!" - -"A powerful man. And I am very much afraid the fate of the planet lies -with you and your nation." - -The President arose from his chair. Rex did likewise. The President -said, "I will go personally to the United Nations--all together the -heads of all the nations--" - -Rex shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can allow no such deviation from the -channel of your present efforts. Telling your world of this meeting -would put it in the nature of a threat. Thus, any results achieved -would come through fear of punishment and would not be permanent." - -"There is one more point. Mine is an elective office. I may not be in -the President's chair five years from now." - -Rex considered gravely. "I see. In that case, one of two things will -happen, depending upon the man in your present office and the sincerity -of his efforts." - -"And they are--?" - -"Perhaps we will contact him and give him our decision." - -"Or--?" - -Rex shrugged. "Perhaps we won't bother." He held out his hand. -"Goodbye, Mr. President, and good luck...." - - * * * * * - -The President of the United States sat alone in his study. His face -seemed wearier than usual. There was a sag in his shoulders that would -have drawn comment in public. He was considering his future--the future -of the world. - -There were of course many good men in both parties. In the privacy of -his own thoughts, it was hard to judge which party had really done the -nation greater service. At one time, he himself had debated running for -the Presidency on the other ticket. The country would be in good hands -regardless. - -Ordinarily. - -But now it came down to the man rather than the party. Would he be -able to convince an incoming president of what had occurred on Mount -Ranier? Make him truly understand how little time remained? Would his -predecessor have been able to convince him? - -No. Of course not. Only he, The President of the United States, knew of -the peril ahead. He pressed a button on his desk. The Press Secretary -entered. The President straightened his shoulders. "When the right -moment comes," he said, "tell them I will run again." - -_And God grant I win_, he added in his heart. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING AT THE SUMMIT *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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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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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Meeting at the Summit</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Ivar Jorgensen</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 11, 2021 [eBook #66707]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING AT THE SUMMIT ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Meeting At The Summit</h1> - -<h2>By Ivar Jorgensen</h2> - -<p>Some readers will accuse us of injecting<br /> -politics into the magazine with this story; we<br /> -submit the idea transcends party preferences!</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy<br /> -February 1956<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>It was quite late when the Press Secretary asked for an audience.</p> - -<p>He was one of the very few who made direct contact—a trusted friend of -the President as well as an able buffer between the chief executive and -the fourth estate.</p> - -<p>The President said, "Why certainly—if it's that important. Come right -up."</p> - -<p>As the line went dead, the President put down the phone and picked up -the western story anthology he had been reading. He thumbed the pages -pensively, then laid that down too and sat back in his chair. He closed -his eyes.</p> - -<p>So darn seldom he got a chance to read anymore; or to do anything else -for that matter except play a little golf once in a while and spend the -rest of the time trying to stem the world's mad dash to destruction.</p> - -<p>He smiled gently, his tired eyes still closed. He estimated it would -take the Press Secretary a good ten minutes to get to the White House. -Good. The President had come to a point where he savored every precious -moment of solitude.</p> - -<p>He let his mind drift—first to the state of the world. It wasn't so -bad, really. Not in comparison. After all, a cold war was better than -a hot one. And even the cold war was softening up a little. Enough -to—the President's smile deepened.</p> - -<p>Enough to quit.</p> - -<p>That was his big secret. He hadn't told them yet. In deference to -political strategy, responsibility to the party, and that sort of -thing, he'd held his peace. But his decision had been made. He would -not run again. A man, he told himself, is entitled to a few blessed -years as his own master; a time when he ceases to be a slave of duty. -Why just think! To grab the clubs and shoot eighteen without having -to make "arrangements"! To go out and catch a couple of fish without -the Secret Service plotting the course, calling the tune, following, -grim-faced in his wake.</p> - -<p>The President's smile deepened. It was all so darned crazy! You go out -to get a little relaxation—to catch a fish. But before you arrive the -stream has to be stocked so thick you can almost walk on the beauties -because if the President failed to catch a trout in one of their -mountain streams, the state involved gets a black eye and might lose a -few thousand tourists that year. He wondered idly if they gave the fish -a pep talk when they tossed them in.</p> - -<p>But that sort of thing would be finished, soon. He was going to quit. -He was going to tell them—</p> - -<p>"Mr. President."</p> - -<p>He jerked erect, blinked, and gave the Press Secretary his famous -smile—half-apologetic now. "Sorry. I was napping I guess. Didn't hear -you. Sit down—sit down."</p> - -<p>The Press Secretary did as instructed and the President was struck -by the tight, stricken look on his gray face. "Good Lord, Jim! What -happened? You look as though somebody just dropped a bomb on New York -City." He could afford to speak lightly because he knew any news of -grave import would not come through the Press Secretary.</p> - -<p>The latter appeared to have difficulty with his reply. With the -President's eye upon him—sharp but friendly—he floundered for a -moment, then said, "I might as well give it to you straight, Mr. -President. Then we can go on from there."</p> - -<p>"An excellent idea."</p> - -<p>"All right—here goes. A man contacted me and requests that you come to -the top of Mount Ranier for a conference."</p> - -<p>The President couldn't find any words. The silence was heavy.</p> - -<p>"And I think you'd better go," the Press Secretary finished in a voice -charged with sheer misery. He sat mute, wondering what was going on -through The President's mind.</p> - -<p>Finally the chief executive said, "Jim—I—really—"</p> - -<p>The Press Secretary leaned forward, his whole being tense. "Mr. -President. Please answer one question—honestly. Do you think I've lost -my mind? Do you think I've suddenly gone crazy?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The reply was in a quiet tone.</p> - -<p>"No, Jim—I don't. I know you too well for that. I think you're saying -something you have to say—doing a job you feel you have to do—even if -it puts you in a position where you have to ask a question like that."</p> - -<p>"Thank you."</p> - -<p>"And now—why don't you just sit back and explain it? I'll be frank. It -makes no sense to me. But I'm listening."</p> - -<p>A warm feeling swept the Press Secretary. This president we had. This -solid rock of a guy. You just couldn't beat him!</p> - -<p>The homely, earnest ex-journalist leaned forward again. "The success of -this mission, Mr. President—my visit here—hinges upon whether or not -you believe I'm telling the truth. I'm going to tell you some strange -things. And if you doubt my word—" he shrugged, "well—I will have -just wasted your time."</p> - -<p>"Go ahead with it, Jim." The words were almost sharp now.</p> - -<p>"All right, sir." He took a deep breath and plunged in. "I've just had -a briefing such as no man on this globe ever went through. I've been to -the top of Mount Ranier."</p> - -<p>"When?"</p> - -<p>"Tonight."</p> - -<p>"Go on."</p> - -<p>"I'll tell you step-by-step exactly what happened—or what seemed to -happen. Then you can make your decision."</p> - -<p>The Press Secretary began to talk. He talked for a long time. The -President listened, his face a mask giving no clue whatever to his -inner thoughts. This was a trick he learned over conference tables -through the years. His skill at this would have made him a great poker -player but he never cared for the game.</p> - -<p>When the Press Secretary stopped talking, he sat looking at the -President with question marks in his eyes. He had no idea what the -latter would say or do. The possible extremes were in his mind. The -President might smile and say, "You've done a good job, Jim." Or he -might reach for the phone and say, "Please send in two strong men and a -straight jacket."</p> - -<p>The President did neither. He spoke very quietly. "I think I'd better -go to Mount Ranier. Tell them I'm ready."</p> - -<p>The Press Secretary picked up the phone, dialed a number. When the -party at the other end answered, he said, "The President agrees. He -awaits your contact."</p> - -<p>He put down the phone and they sat looking at each other, waiting. -There was nothing else to do, now. The President's eyes were vague as -though he were looking through space and time. He said, "We've come a -long way in a very short time, Jim. It's worth pondering."</p> - -<p>"A long way, Mr. President."</p> - -<p>"In a scant fifty years, we've gone practically straight up in matters -of science, invention—" The thought broke off as his mind went to some -of the things his Press Secretary had told him. And regardless of the -gravity of this situation, he found himself looking forward to seeing -them for himself.</p> - -<p>He had not long to wait. A moment later an odd red haze appeared in a -far corner of the room. There was a crackling sound as of high-voltage -electricity jumping its bounds. The phenomenon vanished as quickly as -it had appeared and a young man was approaching the President's chair.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>So far as the President could see, he might have been one of the bright -young career men who hurried about Washington these days; except that -the eternal briefcase was missing and the young man wore a one-piece -coverall type of garment in pastel red. He was blonde, pleasant, and -had even, white teeth. He was also respectful.</p> - -<p>He bowed and said, "Mr. President. I have been sent to conduct you and -your assistant to the rendezvous."</p> - -<p>The President glanced quickly at the Press Secretary, then said, "Of -course."</p> - -<p>"If you will be so kind as to move with me to the far corner of the -room."</p> - -<p>The Press Secretary's expression said, <i>It's all right. This is just -how it happened to me</i>, and they followed the young man across the -thick carpeting.</p> - -<p>In the corner, he arranged them precisely. "If you will stand just -there—" Then he stepped between them and looked pleasantly unconcerned.</p> - -<p>The President tensed himself for what was to come. But nothing came -except the crackling and the red light; the dissolving of the walls and -the young man saying, "You may sit down now if you wish."</p> - -<p>No physical discomfort whatever.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The President sat down and looked about. He was in a small, -well-furnished room, pastelled in a light shade of green complimenting -the young man's uniform, and he got the flash of an idea that color -was very important in the scheme of whatever science brought this -transposition about.</p> - -<p>There was a soft whirring sound. The President said, "May I ask where -we are?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly, sir. We are in a small ship. We are crossing your country -at around one hundred thousand of your feet."</p> - -<p>"At what speed?"</p> - -<p>This gave the young man pause. "It would be very hard to translate into -terms with which you are familiar. I would say roughly the speed of -light. The major time-lapse is consumed in ascent and descent."</p> - -<p>The President showed great interest. "Tell me this—we were moved from -my study through some scientific process I won't ask you to explain, -but why weren't we carried the entire distance to Ranier in that -manner?"</p> - -<p>The young man pondered. "That is of course difficult for you to -understand. And quite difficult for me to explain so allow me to put it -this way. When planning a trip from Washington to New York, you walk -from your office to your car, and ride in the car from your residence -to the airport."</p> - -<p>"I see—a matter of slower speeds over short distances."</p> - -<p>"In a way, but more so a matter of practicality. You could hardly bring -the car into your office nor the aircraft onto your front lawn."</p> - -<p>The President let it rest there. He said, "One more thing—why was I -not contacted directly in this matter?"</p> - -<p>This embarrassed the young man. "Wherever we go, sir, we attempt to -conform to customs and manner existing in that place. We understood -that to reach The President of the United States, one always proceeds -through channels."</p> - -<p>The President smiled. The humming sound ceased. The young man arose, -forestalling further questions.</p> - -<p>"This way, if you will be so kind."</p> - -<p>The President and the Press Secretary followed the young man from the -room into a low corridor. The walls of this passage were transparent -and the President caught his breath at the grandeur outside. He got the -impression they were moving from the small ship to a larger one perched -precariously on the edge of an abyss. Below, under bright moonlight, -lay the snow-covered approaches to Ranier and her sister peaks. A view -of overpowering majesty such as few men had ever seen. One of the -reasons, the President thought, why some men join the air force.</p> - -<p>They entered another room, this one with a blue motif, through another -door that opened automatically on approach, and into one of pastel -green.</p> - -<p>This room was somewhat larger but no more ornate nor less efficiently -furnished than the others. A streamlined, oval desk sat in its center -from the far side of which a man arose and held forth his hand.</p> - -<p>He was slim as a reed and had snow-white hair. He gave the impression -of ripe years yet with no physical indications of this other than a -head of beautiful snow-white hair. Perhaps, the President thought, this -indication was an illusion. And perhaps the aura of power emanating -from the man was also an illusion but the President would not have been -willing to bet on it.</p> - -<p>The man's smile was an odd mixture of friendliness and impersonality -as they shook hands. He said, "My name is Rex, Mr. President. The -fact that in one of your languages the word means <i>king</i> is purely -coincidental. I am not a monarch in any sense. My title is Director of -the Seventh Sector."</p> - -<p>As Rex had got to his feet, the chair under him had swung under the -desk out of his way. Now it moved back to its original position. And -as the President took the seat Rex indicated beside the desk, he had a -whimsical thought: <i>I wonder how that chair knew he was ready to sit -down again?</i></p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Rex nodded to the young man in the pastel-red uniform. The latter bowed -slightly, turned and left the room. Rex turned his dark eyes—almost -feminine in their beauty—on the President. His quick smile was even -more impersonal now. "Shall we get to the business at hand, or could -you do with a little refreshment first?"</p> - -<p>"I'd prefer the former," The President said briefly.</p> - -<p>"Good. I imagine your aide told you some of it, but I'd better recap -that and then go on."</p> - -<p>Rex nodded briefly in The Press Secretary's direction. It was the -silvery-haired man's first acknowledgement of his presence.</p> - -<p>"You are probably curious as to who I am and just what the Seventh -Sector is. I'll tell you. The Seventh Sector is a team denoting -a certain part of the known universe. It contains approximately -nine-hundred thousand solids of a twenty-million-ton weight or over. -Eleven of these solids supports animate life at around the evolutionary -stage of your own—or higher. Do you follow me?"</p> - -<p>When The President was slow in answering, Rex said "I suggest you lay -aside any mental resistance and take all statements I make as fact."</p> - -<p>"Why should I do that?"</p> - -<p>"Because my deceiving you would be pointless and because I must -transfer a great deal of information to your mind in a very short time."</p> - -<p>The President said nothing and Rex went on. "As Director of this -sector, it is my job to check the development on its various planets -and make progress reports to the Council."</p> - -<p>"And this Council is located—?"</p> - -<p>"Many light years from here—at the hub of the known universe, but that -is not important."</p> - -<p>"I thought perhaps we—or our representatives might someday—"</p> - -<p>"Appear before it? I'm afraid not. I fear you are treading the path of -those who once inhabited your neighbor planet, Mars."</p> - -<p>"Then life does exist—or did—on Mars?"</p> - -<p>"Oh yes, but we were forced to eliminate it."</p> - -<p>The President spoke calmly. "Then you are able to depopulate whole -planets?"</p> - -<p>"Whole systems if necessary. Let me explain. When conditions are right, -life inevitably comes into existence upon a planet. The entities -involved are always pretty much as you and I, physically, because -conditions produce a ruling race of our structure or do not produce -life at all.</p> - -<p>"The problem, Mr. President, lies in the spiritual. Every race on -every inhabited planet is given the intelligence and desire to evolve -upward spiritually but they do not always succeed. A time limit is set -on this so that the inhabitants of each planet arrive finally at an -evolutionary crisis."</p> - -<p>The President thought of nuclear fission, the atom bomb, mankind's -incredible progress over the last two hundred years. "And you have come -to aid us in spiritual development?"</p> - -<p>"On the contrary. You have had all the guidance necessary—far more -than those on most planets—more than did your neighbors on Mars. I -have come to annihilate you."</p> - -<p>The President hid his shock well. "If killing me will—"</p> - -<p>"Annihilate life on the planet. You see, Mr. President, there comes a -time when each inhabited planet must join the Council—when it reaches -a point at which its existence affects the great family of planets. If -at that time, its state of affairs and development are negative, its -population is eradicated for the greater good."</p> - -<p>"May I ask two questions?" The President said.</p> - -<p>"You may."</p> - -<p>"Thank you. First, why do you contact only me with this news? I am the -titular head of only one nation on this planet. There are many others."</p> - -<p>"I would rather reserve the answer to that question."</p> - -<p>"Very well, the second. How can we affect a family of inhabited planets -the existence of which we are not even aware. Planets with which we -have no contact whatever?"</p> - -<p>"In a few short years you would know of their existence—you would not -only be able to contact them—you would visit them and they would visit -you."</p> - -<p>"And just how would we affect them adversely?"</p> - -<p>"That should be apparent. Your present state of dwarfed spirituality -is made clear by your background of violence and injustice. I refer to -your planet rather than to your nation. Practically all your scientific -progress has come as a result of war. Nations that lose a war on your -planet study and invent and discover like demons possessed for tools -with which to win the next one. Do you deny that at this moment your -planet is little more than an armed camp?"</p> - -<p>"No," The President said sadly. "I cannot deny this."</p> - -<p>"Then you realize why we cannot let you move out into space, carrying -with you the greed, the envy, the hatred, the violence that stalks the -corridors of your history."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was no doubt in the President's mind that this remarkable man -could back up his every word. His statements were not idle threats. The -President said, "But your accusations are not entirely just. You make -no mention of our great progress toward spiritual goals in the past -hundred years—even the past fifty have seen marked changes in that -direction."</p> - -<p>"I have noted that. It is what caused me to make this contact with you. -Ordinarily, no such contact would have been made. I would have checked -the planet, reported it to the Council, and annihilation would have -been automatic."</p> - -<p>"Then there is hope for us?"</p> - -<p>A look of skepticism was mirrored in Rex's eyes. "A slim one, -perhaps—a very slim one." He leaned suddenly forward. "You asked me -why I contacted you only. Because, of all the nations on this planet, -yours is the most powerful—the first powerful nation in the history of -your planet that has fought no wars of aggression—that has subjugated -no weaker nations. Certainly a hopeful overall sign."</p> - -<p>"And greater progress will be made in the future. Progress comes -slowly. We must have time."</p> - -<p>"But progress has been too slow. There is little time left."</p> - -<p>"Could you be more specific?"</p> - -<p>"In rare cases, where planets have been found to be approaching a crest -so to speak, extensions have been granted."</p> - -<p>"And you will grant us an extension?"</p> - -<p>"I'm not sure. There is nothing, at the moment, that justifies one." -Rex pondered. "Yet there are strong indications—"</p> - -<p>The President waited. Rex gave his decision. "I will withhold judgment -for five years. At the end of that time, I will contact you again. My -judgment will then rest on what progress you have made in the interim."</p> - -<p>"But I am only one man!"</p> - -<p>"A powerful man. And I am very much afraid the fate of the planet lies -with you and your nation."</p> - -<p>The President arose from his chair. Rex did likewise. The President -said, "I will go personally to the United Nations—all together the -heads of all the nations—"</p> - -<p>Rex shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can allow no such deviation from the -channel of your present efforts. Telling your world of this meeting -would put it in the nature of a threat. Thus, any results achieved -would come through fear of punishment and would not be permanent."</p> - -<p>"There is one more point. Mine is an elective office. I may not be in -the President's chair five years from now."</p> - -<p>Rex considered gravely. "I see. In that case, one of two things will -happen, depending upon the man in your present office and the sincerity -of his efforts."</p> - -<p>"And they are—?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps we will contact him and give him our decision."</p> - -<p>"Or—?"</p> - -<p>Rex shrugged. "Perhaps we won't bother." He held out his hand. -"Goodbye, Mr. President, and good luck...."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The President of the United States sat alone in his study. His face -seemed wearier than usual. There was a sag in his shoulders that would -have drawn comment in public. He was considering his future—the future -of the world.</p> - -<p>There were of course many good men in both parties. In the privacy of -his own thoughts, it was hard to judge which party had really done the -nation greater service. At one time, he himself had debated running for -the Presidency on the other ticket. The country would be in good hands -regardless.</p> - -<p>Ordinarily.</p> - -<p>But now it came down to the man rather than the party. Would he be -able to convince an incoming president of what had occurred on Mount -Ranier? Make him truly understand how little time remained? Would his -predecessor have been able to convince him?</p> - -<p>No. Of course not. Only he, The President of the United States, knew of -the peril ahead. He pressed a button on his desk. The Press Secretary -entered. The President straightened his shoulders. "When the right -moment comes," he said, "tell them I will run again."</p> - -<p><i>And God grant I win</i>, he added in his heart.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEETING AT THE SUMMIT ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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