第一小说网

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第49部分（第4页）

I　dont　understand。

What　you　see　is　up　to　you。

I　already　know　that。　Everybody　knows　that。　That　is　a　psychological　truism；　a　cliché。

I　see。

Are　you　an　alien　intelligence？

Are　you　an　alien　intelligence？

I　find　you　difficult　to　talk　to。　Will　you　give　me　the　power？

What　power？

The　power　you　gave　to　Harry　and　Beth。　The　power　to　make　things　happen　by　imagination。　Will　you　give　it　to　me？

No。

Why　not？

Because　you　already　have　it。

I　dont　feel　as　if　I　have　it。

I　know。

Then　how　is　it　that　I　have　the　power？

How　did　you　get　in　here？

I　imagined　the　door　opening。

＇＇335＇＇　Yes。

Rocking　in　the　foam；　waiting　for　a　further　response；　but　there　is　no　response；　there　is　only　gentle　movement　in　the　foam；　a　peaceful　timelessness；　and　a　drowsy　sensation。

After　a　passage　of　time；　he　thinks；　I　am　sorry；　but　I　wish　you　would　just　explain　and　stop　speaking　in　riddles。

On　your　planet　you　have　an　animal　called　a　bear。　It　is　a　large　animal；　sometimes　larger　than　you；　and　it　is　clever　and　has　ingenuity；　and　it　has　a　brain　as　large　as　yours。　But　the　bear　differs　from　you　in　one　important　way。　It　cannot　perform　the　activity　you　call　imagining。　It　cannot　make　mental　images　of　how　reality　might　be。　It　cannot　envision　what　you　call　the　past　and　what　you　call　the　future。　This　special　ability　of　imagination　is　what　has　made　your…species　as　great　as　it　is。　Nothing　else。　It　is　not　your　ape…nature；　not　your　tool…using　nature；　not　language　or　your　violence　or　your　caring　for　young　or　your　social　groupings。　It　is　none　of　these　things；　which　are　all　found　in　other　animals。　Your　greatness　lies　in　imagination。

The　ability　to　imagine　is　the　largest　part　of　what　you　call　intelligence。　You　think　the　ability　to　imagine　is　merely　a　useful　step　on　the　way　to　solving　a　problem　or　making　something　happen。　But　imagining　it　is　what　makes　it　happen。

This　is　the　gift　of　your　species　and　this　is　the　danger；　because　you　do　not　choose　to　control　your　imaginings。　You　imagine　wonderful　things　and　you　imagine　terrible　things；　and　you　take　no　responsibility　for　the　choice。　You　say　you　have　inside　you　both　the　power　of　good　and　the　power　of　evil；　the　angel　and　the　devil；　but　in　truth　you　have　just　one　thing　inside　you…the　ability　to　imagine。

I　hope　you　enjoyed　this　speech；　which　I　plan　to　give　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　American　Association　of　Psychologists　and　Social　Workers；　which　is　meeting　in　Houston　in　March。　I　feel　it　will　be　quite　well　received。

What？　he　thinks；　startled。

Who　did　you　think　you　were　talking　to？　God？

Who　is　this？　he　thinks。

You；　of　course。

But　you　are　somebody　different　from　me；　separate。　You　are　not　me；　he　thinks。

＇＇336＇＇　Yes　l　am。　You　imagined　me。

Tell　me　more。

There　is　no　more。

His　cheek　rested　on　cold　metal。　He　rolled　onto　his　back　and　looked　at　the　polished　surface　of　the　sphere；　curving　above　him。　The　convolutions　of　the　door　had　changed　again。

Norman　got　to　his　feet。　He　felt　relaxed　and　at　peace；　as　if　he　had　been　sleeping　a　long　time。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　had　a　wonderful　dream。　He　remembered　everything　quite　clearly。

He　moved　through　the　ship；　back　to　the　flight　deck；　and　then　down　the　hallway　with　the　ultraviolet　lights　to　the　room　with　all　the　tubes　on　the　wall。

The　tubes　were　filled。　There　was　a　crewman　in　each　one。　Just　as　he　thought：　Beth　had　manifested　a　single　crewman…a　solitary　woman…as　a　way　of　warning　them。　Now　Norman　was　in　charge；　and　he　found　the　room　full。

Not　bad；　he　thought。

He　looked　at　the　room　and　thought：　Gone；　one　at　a　time。　One　by　one；　the　crew　members　in　the　tubes　vanished　before　his　eyes；　until　they　were　all　gone。

Back；　one　at　a　time。

The　crew　members　popped　back　in　the　tubes；　materializing　on　demand。