FANTASTIC PLANET v2.0 by Stephan Wul Read Free Book Online

rough-and-ready cities. I
will pass over the details... have you heard of Spraw's theory?'
    'Well, no!'
    'Spraw was a
scholar from the last lustrum. He claimed the Oms once enjoyed a brilliant
degree of civilization similar to ours, but that its perfection was the very
reason of a gradual sclerosis. Strictly imprisoned within their rules and
regulations, the Oms did not have the need to think. Spraw thought instinct
took over their intelligence. Why think when one leads a perfect life where
everyone knows in advance what they must do? The Oms' intelligence, how can I
say, wasted away gradually, like a useless organ. Their lifestyle regressed and
stagnated. Their civilization's progress thus stopped.'
    The First
Councillor opened his mouth to say something, and then stopped, waving on to
his guest to continue.
    it was only a theory', said the Master. 'For a few days now we know that
Spraw was right. An archaeological mission has discovered an Om city on Earth.
Not a primitive city made of burrows, you understand. A real city! Thousands of
clues lead us to believe the city was the work of civilized Oms! It was found
miraculously beneath an ocean's coastal mud. The results of the digs amaze us
more every day. It is a major event.'
    The First
Councillor rubbed vigorously his eardrums with his clenched fists.
    'I see what
you are getting at', he guessed. 'You fear the stray Oms will recreate their
ancient civilization, with all the dangers this would present for ours. This
seems to me...'
    'Excessive?'
interrupted the scholar. 'Listen, dear First Councillor. We all know the Om to
be an intelligent animal. What is worrying is that it is becoming more and more
so. Some Oms speak. Not just a few words! They are making sentences! The
performing Om has become a common attraction; to the point the public has
become disinterested. It is now an act devoid of all originality. Whereas in
the last lustrum, when I was a child, such acts did not even exist! I have here...'
    He searched
his documents.
    'I brought
with me some statistics. In the city of Torm alone, owners have notified the
police...'
    He read:
    in the month of Leo 713: one hundred and three Om losses. In the month of
Bird: one hundred and forty five losses. Month of Fish: two hundred and ten.
Then from month to month we have in succession: two hundred and twenty seven,
three hundred and two, seven hundred and one; an incredible leap! Which takes
us to last month (hold on tight) with one thousand two hundred and thirty six
declarations of loss. One should say abscond. In each case, the Om in question
was particularly intelligent. Voluntary absconding is proved in a third of the
cases.'
    He carried
on speaking for a long time, gave more figures, based himself on facts and
concluded:
    'This is
what we have caused! We have... given back their individuality to the Oms. They
did lose three quarters of their tyrannical social instincts, but not their
sociable instinct. And as well as their intelligence they have regained their
taste for freedom, and perhaps tomorrow their instinct for conquest. We took
them out of a rut to place them back on the road to progress.'
    The First
Councillor stood up.
    'You have
convinced me, Master Singh', he said, i will intervene at the Great Council.
But calm down a little, he added smiling, the Oms' conquest of the Traags will
not happen in a hurry!'
    'Do not
laugh, First Councillor, we just do not know!"
    'We must not
exaggerate.'
    'Really? What about the Klud incident?'
    The First
Councillor raised his arms towards the ceiling:
    'That old story! It has not even been proved
the two Traags were attacked by Oms. Personally I find it hard to believe!'
    The Master
searched his gown's pocket: 'I have proofs', he said. 'Look at what one of my
colleagues from the South Continent gave me.'
    He held out
a photoframe to the First Councillor and commented:
    'The place
was out of the way. We only found the bodies six days later in an advanced
state of