“If we’re going to find a decent plan for the future, we’ll have to take inertia into consideration. Mental inertia, for one. Just because you know a thing is true in theory, doesn’t make it true in fact. The barbaric religions of primitive worlds hold not a germ of scientific fact, though they claim to explain all. Yet if one of these savages has all the logical ground for his beliefs taken away, he doesn’t stop believing. He calls his mistaken beliefs ‘faith’ because he knows they are right. And he knows they are right because he has faith. This is an unbreakable circle of false logic that can’t be touched. In reality, it is plain mental inertia. A case of thinking ‘what always was’ will also ‘always be.’ And not wanting to blast the thinking patterns out of the old rut.

“Mental inertia alone is not going to cause trouble-there is cultural inertia too. Some of you in this room believe my conclusions and would like to change. But will all your people change? The unthinking ones, the habit-ridden, reflex-formed people who know what is now, will al ways be. They’ll act like a drag on whatever plans you make, whatever attempts you undertake to progress with the new knowledge you have.’

‘Then it’s useless, there’s no hope for our world?” Rhes asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Jason answered. “I merely mean that your trouble won’t end by throwing some kind of mental switch. I see three course open for the future, and the chances are that all three will be going on at the same time.

“First-and best-will be the rejoining of city and country Pyrran into the single human group they came from. Each is incomplete now and has something the other one needs. In the city here you have science and contact with the rest of the galaxy.

You also have a deadly war. Out there in the jungle, your first cousins live at peace with the world, but lack medicine and the other benefits of scientific knowledge, as well a any kind of cultural contact with the rest of mankind. You’ll both hay to join together and benefit from the exchange. At the same time you’ll have to forget the superstitious hatred you have of each other.

This will only be done outside of the city, away from the war. Every one of you who is capable should go out voluntarily, bringing some fraction of the knowledge that needs sharing. You won’t be harmed if you go in good faith. And you will learn how to live with this planet, rather than against it. Eventually you’ll have civilized communities that won’t be either ‘grubber’ or ‘junkman.’ They’ll be Pyrran.”

“But what about our city here?” Kerk asked.