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These things were not known:
Where they came from (though presumably from somewhere toward the
center of the galaxy). Where they went to.
Why they came. What they wanted. Anything at all of their biology.
Anything at all of their psychology.
Rumors existed that they took prisoners as slaves, but there was no evidence
that this was true.
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They were feared as much for their unpredictability, for what was unknown
about them, as for what was known. Even their mode of travel was a mystery.
They used the starstream, but bewilderingly. They traveled upstream
, against the flow, as easily as our own ships sailed downstream. It
was not impossible by our standards we had some ships that could do
the same, though at a stupendous cost in energy but what was astonishing was
the apparent ease with which Throgs did it. It seemed not to cost them at all;
and hints were emerging that their means of manipulating n-space were
biological, rather than technological. Whatever the method, they were
confoundingly difficult to trace in flight which was one reason for
the
vagueness of the warning that Captain Thornekan received.
Naturally, the threat of Karthrogen attack was a consideration for
anyone planning a trip down the starstream. Most ships had no hope
of surviving an encounter. Even warships generally lost when tangling
with Karthrogen marauders; the only real exceptions occurred when
certain warships powerful n-space drives appeared to confuse or distract the
Throgs long enough to permit escape. Escape, but never victory. Still,
the statistical vulnerability of any given ship, even a lumbering colony
ship, was extremely small. For most people life went on as usual, Throgs or no
Throgs. The possibility of attack was another risk in a life full of risks.
Still, there were those who fell victim to the statistics. Captain
Thornekan s caution was certainly understandable commendable, even. But for
me, and for my employers, it posed a problem. It impinged upon my reason for
being aboard. Please don t think ill of me when I tell you this:
We wanted
Charity to encounter the Throgs. We wanted it badly. So badly we
could practically taste it.
The viddie ended, to Claudi s relief. It was just a bunch of stuff
about the colonists on
Mefford s Walk a place with a lot of desert and not much else, as far
as she could tell. She suspected that the teachers had put the
thing on just to keep them quiet, when really what they all wanted
to know about was the Throgs and whether or not they were going to
be attacked (never mind the teachers assurances to the contrary).
Claudi herself wanted to ask those questions. And yet, her throat clenched
up every time she even thought the word
Throg
. It didn t make her very happy when Mr. Zizmer called her class back into
their regular room and said: Okay. You guys are a little older
than the others so I think, with you, maybe we can talk just a bit
about the chances of there being some danger. And while we re at it, we
might review just a little about the Throgs.
Her classmates stirred, and Claudi s stomach did something that
hurt and at the same moment, just for a second, she had that funny feeling
as if a part of her were lifting right out of her body and floating in front
of her friends. She saw Sheki look at her, startled; and a couple of the other
kids, as well. Then Mr. Zizmer was putting something on the wall, but not
without first looking at her in a way that said he d noticed everything. Then
the stomach hurt was gone, and the funny sensation with it. But she had a
feeling that she d just gotten herself in for a talk from Mr. Zizmer. And she
didn t even know what she d done.
She didn t have time to think about it then, because a new picture-show was
coming on the wall. This time it was a news looker of a space battle. It only
lasted a minute, and it was just a flattie, instead of a surroundie,
showing vague black shapes swooping about the sky and occasionally
vanishing with spectacular flashes of light. She was glad they
weren t buzzing around her head the way they would in a surroundie; and she
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was more glad when the picture cut to someone who looked like a professor,
saying, You know, even though the danger from the enemy is very real, you
should always remember that the odds are with you
. And a fancy graphic came on, showing how many ships got through
the starstream safely, without even seeing any Throgs, compared to the
tiny number of ships that had trouble. It was, in fact,
comforting and there was soft, reassuring music that went with it. And when
another graphic showed how the defense-com network could warn starships away
from danger, Claudi relaxed a little more. It s not easy, but we are learning
to protect ourselves, even in the starstream, the
man said. But we must never relax our vigil. If you should ever find yourself
in danger, please remember &
The voice went on a while longer, but Claudi was just as glad when Mr. Zizmer
reappeared and asked them to put on their headsets for private
conferences. The silence screen went up around her, and Mr. Zizmer came
and sat on a chair facing her. He seemed to know that she was starting to feel
uncomfortable again.
I don t have any questions, she said quickly, not even knowing why she said
it.
Mr. Zizmer s eyes twinkled. Maybe you ll think of some later. May I ask you a
few?
Claudi s right hand found her hair. She started wrapping it around
her fingers. She nodded.
Good. Let s start with an easy one. What do you think about our leaving the
starstream to go to Mefford s Walk? It ll make the trip longer, you know.
She shrugged. It s okay, I guess.
Ah-hah. Mr. Zizmer nodded, waiting to see if she d say more. When she
didn t, he said, Does it bother you? That we re doing it to keep out of
danger?
She shrugged again.
Mr. Zizmer tipped his head. No reaction? You really don t care?
For the third time, she shrugged.
Well, all right, then. What about the Throgs? He said it in a voice so soft
she could hardly hear him.
What about them? Her voice quivered a little.
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