"Smith, E E 'Doc' - Lensman 01 - Triplanetary (a)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

surfaces, of all the planets of the commingling galaxies were Arisian, not Eddorian, in
origin. Eddorian spores, while undoubtedly present, must have been so alien that they
could not develop in any one of the environments, widely variant although they are,
existing naturally or coming naturally into being in. normal space and time.
The Arisians - especially after atomic energy freed them from physical labor-
devoted themselves more and ever more intensively to the exploration of the limitless
possibilities of the mind.
Even before the Coalescence, then, the Arisians had need neither of space-
ships nor of telescopes. By power of mind alone they watched the lenticular
aggregation of stars which was much later to be known to Tellurian astronomers as
Lundmark's Nebula approach their own galaxy. They observed attentively and minutely
and with high elation the occurrence. of mathematical impossibility; for the chance of
two galaxies ever meeting in direct, central, equatorial-plane impact and of passing
completely through each other is an infinitesimal of such a high order as to be, even
mathematically, practically indistinguishable from zero.
They observed the birth of numberless planets, recording minutely in their
perfect memories every detail of everything that happened; in the hope that, as ages
passed, either they or their decedents would be able to develop a symbology and a
methodology capable of explaining the then inexplicable phenomenon. Carefree, busy,
absorbedly intent, the Arisian mentalities roamed throughout space-until one of them
struck an Eddorian mind.

* * *

While any Eddorian-could, if it chose, assume the form of a man, they were in no
sense man-like. Nor, since the term implies a softness and a lack of organization, can
they be described as being amoeboid. They were both versatile and variant. Each
Eddorian changed, not only its shape, but also its texture, in accordance with the
requirements of the moment. Each produced extruded members whenever and
wherever it needed them; members uniquely appropriate to the task then in work. If
hardness was indicated, the members were hard; if softness, they were soft. Small or
large, rigid or -flexible; joined or tentacular - all one. Filaments or cables; fingers or feet;
needles or mauls - equally simple. One thought and the body fitted the job.
They were asexual: sexless to a degree unapproached by any form of Tellurian
life higher than the yeasts. They were not merely hermaphroditic, nor androgynous, nor
parthenogenetic. They were completely without sex. They were also, to all intents and
purposes and except for death by violence, immortal. For each Eddorian, as its mind
approached the stagnation of saturation after a lifetime of millions of years, simply
divided into two new-old beings. New in capacity and in zest; old in ability and in, power,
since each of the two "children" possessed in toto the knowledge and the memories of
their one "parent".
And if it is difficult to describe in words the physical aspects of the Eddorians, it is
virtually impossible to write or to draw, in any symbology of Civilization, a true picture of
an Eddorian's - any Eddorian's mind. They were intolerant, domineering, rapacious,
insatiable, cold, callous, and brutal. They were keen, capable, persevering, analytical,
and efficient. They had no trace of any of the softer emotions or sensibilities possessed
by races adherent to Civilization. No Eddorian ever had anything even remotely
resembling a sense of humor.
While not essentially bloodthirsty-that is, not loving bloodshed for its own sweet
sake-they were no more averse to blood-letting than they were in favor of it. Any