[siderial]

Disturb the ether but slightly,
We ride the soft currents in joy.
Disturb the ether with great force,
We ride the cyclone in fear.
It is thus within as without.

- Poet Eed (SR 451)


"We are the Many and we are One."

The Elders of the Eee recited the Song of the Truth at the beginning of every gathering. Translated into the limited language of alien races, it was but a line of text, a few syllables. For the Eee, this simple idea was the basis of their society. Their language embellished this simple idea in the same way that others embellished simple churches to make them into cathedrals. To invoke the Song was to invoke the harmony of the Eee. There was no epic more profound in the Eee language, no work more sacred. It was Truth.

High Elder Elw beheld the candidate for the Eldership that was before the assembly and waited.

"The Eee have decided that I am not ready for the Eldership," the candidate said finally.

"This is so, E'en," Elw said simply.

"The Eee are wise in our harmony. It is not my role to be an Elder." There was no disappointment from E'en. The Eee had decided and E'en knew it was for the best. E'en began to withdraw.

Elw was not finished, however, and spoke to E'en. E'en was among their best. Elw would not let him leave without an explaination.

"The Eee know that you are a wise Strategic Coordinator and a fine scientist. You have learned much from the alien races we seek to befriend. You have learned their ways from your time on the borders." Elw paused. "You know of a thing called Gold?"

E'en made the wordless vibration in the ether that was like the nodding of a head to some alien races.

"The Eee know that you have employed new ideas and tactics," Elw continued. "Some alien races use stones or metals such as Gold to assign value to themselves. You have also sought to work with these aliens by similarly using Gold and heavy metals to assign a value to what is beyond value: the Eee. You do this to foster understanding among traders and politicians. The Eee appreciate your efforts to foster understanding and peace."

"And yet...." E'en said expectantly.

"And yet, Gold is a heavy metal and we are a light race, both of mind and body. The Eee have never used Gold and Gold is a new idea. The Eee fear it for its weight, not just in mass, but also in how it can pierce our harmony as easily as an asteroid would pierce the atmosphere. An asteroid can drag us into the Underether, into the great liquid Darkness below. The same thing can happen to the Eee under the weight of these new ideas. You feel that the future is to play with Gold, but the ideas are too new for us. You cannot play with Gold and yet lead the Eee."

There was nothing else to say. E'en understood and began to leave silently, but then stopped and said one Last thing. Strangely, it sounded almost apologetic.

"The Eee honor me when they considered for the role of Elder. I will continue to be honored in my role as a Strategic Coordinator. If there is a time the Eee can accept Gold, I will be here to serve. I should have known that my ideas were too new but I have spent too much time among those who harbor such ideas. I shall return to my fleet and coordinate its actions in the spirit of the consensus."

Having finished, E'en floated away from the assembly and withdrew.