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you will the true meaning of existence. Archaic concepts such as interspecies conflict over simple physical
differences or mental outlook will disappear. We might beat you, you know. You have no idea how
strong the Weave is. And you will not learn more from me, my crew, or our ship s storage facilities.
Because no one knows how big the Weave is, exactly. I do not think you have ever faced anything like
it.
It matters not. Without a singleness of purpose to unite, there can be no true strength. You live lives of
aimlessness and wasted existence and can therefore pose no real threat to us. The Purpose is not the
Amplitur, nor is it our allies. It exists exclusive of us, outside and beyond us, the real reason for everything
that is. You cannot defeat that.
That is to be seen, replied Prinac even as he sounded less confident of his own power and philosophy.
It might take a little longer, One-who-Decides mused. It was often such to varying degrees with primitive
peoples. Gentle persuasion and reassurance almost always worked, though it was true they had never
before encountered an organization like this Weave. But what an astoundingly grand opportunity it
presented!
Elation flowed between the twelve. Not one, not six, but an unknown number of new intelligences to
bring to the Purpose. This was one of the seminal moments of history, and it was a privilege simply to be
present. He felt a great love and affection for this Prinac; representative of an alien species, commander
of a hostile warship. The projection rolled out from all and they could see that the Weave officer was
affected by it. You are mad was his response when the wave had subsided. I do not love you. I do
not love your Purpose. I do not love anything about you. Your intentions I find repulsive and your
persons unpleasant. I especially do not like the way you treat your slave peoples.
Slave peoples? What is a slave? inquired another of the Amplitur.
Prinac explained.
There was some uncertainty among the twelve. This concept is foreign to us. We do not understand
what you mean.
I will try to clarify.
Still the Amplitur failed to understand.
There is no slavery, as you call this thing, within the Purpose. How can there be, with all intelligences
being equal?
But you are not equal. You Amplitur are in control, whether by virtue of the fact that this Purpose is
your creation or through your ability to project telepathically. You control and the rest are subject to you.
They do not try to rebel because they are afraid.
You display ignorance, which is understandable. One-who-Decides spoke, resorting to words for the
aesthetic effect.
You there! Scomatt, third officer of the Crigolit. I am One-who-Decides. Are you afraid of me?
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Of course not, said the Crigolit. We work within and for the Purpose, and furthermore, we are
friends.
The fleet commander projected satisfaction, which the alien, too, could not fail to feel. You over there,
Aswen of the Segunia. Do you fear me? The response was the same from all, even from the huge
Molitar who guarded the door and could have crushed every Amplitur in the room before mere
weaponry could have reduced it to a pile of disorganized jelly.
Fast-blue-Breeder regarded the prisoner. We do not understand what you accuse us of.
Because you are blind to it.
Are you so certain that it is we who are blind? We offer you cooperation, understanding, empathy, and
openness within the Purpose and you respond with fear of domination. Why do you think your vision so
much more acute than ours? Why should it not be the other way around?
All I can say is that my own people will never be part of your Purpose, no matter what you do. You
can hurt me up here, and he tapped the side of his angular skull, even kill me, but it will not matter.
We intend no such thing. The Amplitur were shocked at the notion. We do not wish to kill anyone.
Tell that to those who crewed the ships you destroyed. They attacked us, One-who-Decides
reminded the alien. I say again that we had no quarrel with you and your kind.
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