Page 1 (1/2)

Part I

Vincent Coogan pulled at his thin lower lip as he stared at the ier in the star ship&039;s viewscreen

"What kind of an eency would make Patterson call me off a Library collection trip?" he an, noted the down-drooping angles on the Library official&039;s face "Did you say so his thoughts aloud He drew in a deep breath, squared his stringy fraet back to the Library"

"Always good to be hoator He turned toward the planet in the screen

It was a garden world of rolling plains turning beneath an old sun Pleasure craft glided across shallow seas Villages of flat, chalk-white houses clustered around elevator tohich plumbed the interior Slow streamstrees and flowers People walked while reading books or reclined with scan-all viewers hung in front of their eyes

The star ship throbbed as its landing auxiliaries were activated Coogan felt the power through his feet Suddenly, he sensed the hoht senses to new alertness It was enough to erase the worry over his call-back, to banish his displeasure at the year of work he had abandoned uncoh to take the bitterness out of his thoughts when he recalled the words someone on an outworld had etched beside the star ship&039;s ed boot emblem of the Galactic Library, probably with a Gernser flame chisel

"Go home dirty pack rats!"

The dirty pack rats were home

Director Caldwell Patterson of the Galactic Library sat at the desk in his office deep in the planet, a sheet of hty-first Century standards when geriatrics made six hundred years a co Gray hair clung inwisps to a pale pate His face had the leathery, hook-nosed appearance of an ancient bird As Coogan entered the office, a desk visor in front of Patterson chian to a chair and said, "Yes," with a tired, resigned air

Coogan folded his tall frame into the chair and listened with half his mind to the conversation on the visor It see and wanted special landing facilities Coogan looked around the familiar office Behind the director was a wall of panels, dials, switches, rheostats, speakers, raphs, code keys, screens The two side walls were focus rhoes The hich was split by the door held eight miniature viewscreens all tuned to separate channels of the Library information broadcasts All sound switches had been turned toa continuous low ers on the desk top, glaring at the desk visor Presently, he said, "Well, tell them we have no facilities for an honor reception This planet is devoted to knowledge and research Tell theular field I&039;ll obey overnment order of which I&039;m capable, but we simply don&039;t have the facilities for what they&039;re asking" The director cut the switch on his visor, turned to Coogan "Well, Vincent, I see you avoided the Hesperides green rot Now I presume you&039;re anxious to learn why I called you back froan He said, "I&039;m not exactly a robot," and shaped his mouth in a brief, wry smile

A frown forovernan He felt an upsurge of all the resentment he&039;d shen he&039;d received the call-back overn to censor all Library broadcasts The censor is on that ship just landing"

"They can&039;t do that!" blurted Coogan "The Charter expressly forbids chosen broadcasts or any interference with Library function! I can quote you --"

Patterson interrupted him in a low voice "What is the first rule of the Library Code?"

Coogan faltered, stared at the director He said, "Well --" paused while the memory came back to him "The first rule of the Galactic Library Code is to obey all direct orders of the government in power For the preservation of the Library, this must be the primary command"

"What does it mean?" demanded Patterson

"It&039;s just words that --"

"More than words!" said Patterson A faint color crept into his old cheeks "That rule has kept this Library alive for eight thousand years"

"But the government can&039;t --"

"When you&039;re as old as I aovernments don&039;t knohat they can&039;t do until after they cease to be governovernment carries the seeds of its own destruction"

"So we let thean "Perhaps," said Patterson, "if we&039;re lucky The new Grand Regent is the leader of the Gentle Ignorance Party He says he&039;ll censor us The trouble is, our infor the Library as soan to accept theof the words "Destroy --"