Birthright

“But this is not necessarily so,” said Milnor. “Man is not the only intelligent carnivore in the galaxy.”

“True,” said Breece. “As I said, that's only part of the answer, only one influence upon the race.” “And what of religion, of the noble philosophic systems Man devised?” asked the Rinn. “Religion was an emotional crutch, and an emotional weapon as well. It was a crutch in that it offered a catch-all explanation for the inexplicable, and a weapon in that farsighted men such as Moses were able to invoke the authority of God Himself to gain acceptance of their ethical systems.” “This I realize,” said Milnor. “But where did it break down?” “That's hard to say. But every time Man achieved something new, such as air travel, the birds and clouds were no longer things of wonder to us and another page of the Bible became just so much pretty poetry. As for the ethical systems, I can't really give you an answer. Possibly when Man moved out into the galaxy he felt he was greater than God, and hence under no ethical imperative to obey his Earthbound and Earthmade laws.”

“But Man ignored these two laws during most of his existence on Earth,” Milnor pointed out. “I know,” said Breece. “Maybe the laws were made for perfect things, and Man is not perfect. If I knew the answers, I wouldn't be here.”

“I understand,” said Milnor. “If you could tell me what period you are most interested in, perhaps I could be of some assistance in directing you to the most likely places to begin your digging.” “That's very generous of you, Milnor,” said Breece, “but the truth of the matter is that I simply don't know where to begin. My race is dying, falling back on every front, losing everything it once held dear. I want to know why. I want to know what made us do it all in the first place, why we succeeded, why we failed. If you can point to a spot anywhere in the galaxy and say, ‘Dig there and you'll discover what it is that makes Man Man,’ I'll be forever in your debt. But I don't think you can do that, can you?” “Alas, I cannot,” said Milnor.

“Then I suppose I'll just have to proceed in my own haphazard way.” She turned her head into the mild breeze, breathed in the cold, clean air. “This very spot we're standing on might have been the Garden of Eden. I wonder if we'll ever know why Man wanted to leave it. He didn't slink out of Paradise, you know; he walked out proud and erect. Isn't that curious?” “You are not like most Men I have met,” said Milnor after a thoughtful pause. “There's a little of me in all Men, and a little of them in me,” said Breece. “I want to know. Isn't that the very trait that started Man on the path that led him to where he is now?” “Was it truly the urge to know?” asked the Rinn. “Or was it the drive to possess?” “I don't know,” said Breece with a shrug. “And yet, with all my race has done that I feel ashamed of, I can still feel pride at their accomplishments. From the Pioneers to the Olympians to the Warlords, they bucked the odds. Maybe they went places they had no business going, maybe they stepped on some toes—and far worse—but they won, and in a perverse way I'm proud to be one of them. Is that sinful, I wonder?”