1,000-Year Voyage by John Russell Fearn

looked at him sharply, astonished. He seemed quite unmoved by her glance and continued:
    â€œMy mother has taught me—and I believe implicitly in everything she has to say—that to the true scientist love and sentiment are outworn emotions. One marries for only one definite reason—the production of progeny Those progeny are not just produced for the sake of it but again for another definite reason and in this case a scientific one, so you see the whole thing is really little more than a straightforward business deal and human feelings does not even come into it.
    â€œI have singled you out in particular as opposed to the other two girls because you seem the most intelligent. The matter of your physical attraction does not enter into it. Since it is essential that the children of our union should be as intelligent and if possible more intelligent than we are it becomes imperative that I seek the girl who is best suited for that purpose. That is what I have decided, Vilnia, and you have no alternative but to fall in with that decision.”
    The girl rose from the padded seat and looked down on Exodus steadily.
    â€œYou have assumed a great deal, Exodus, and of course I respect you insofar as you are endeavouring to fulfil the wishes of your mother, but it so happens that I have an individuality of my own and not for one moment would I consider union with you. I have already told you that Drando is my choice and indeed we have almost made up our minds to complete the bargain. Anything that you can say, even though you are the son of our ruler, cannot make the slightest difference.”
    Exodus shrugged. “In that case you had better advise my mother of your decision but I do not think she will take very kindly to it either.”
    â€œYour mother,” Vilnia said. deliberately, “has no right to control our lives.”
    â€œThat is a matter of opinion. If somebody does not control our lives what kind of a chaos are we going to get into? I wouldn’t advise you to inform my mother of your rejection of my proposal, Vilnia, because if you do she is quite liable to seek another of the men as a husband for you and I can assure you it would not be Drando.”
    Vilnia was silent, recalling the other young men of the party and inwardly shuddering to herself. She could not tolerate any of them and if it came to it union with them would be worse than marriage to Exodus.
    Exodus rose, his big hand resting on her shoulder.
    â€œI am sorry, Vilnia, if I seem callous in the way I treat this most delicate of matters but I cannot help the way I am made. My mother is the ruler and my father was the ruler before her so it is not unnatural that I have that same dominating strain. All I ask is that you have the sense to realise that a great honour is being conferred upon you.”
    â€œThat I do realise,” Vilnia responded, “but it still does not make me anxious to have you. I shall tell your mother exactly how the situation stands and see what she has to say.”
    Exodus did not respond. He watched Vilnia leave the conning tower with graceful movements and finally dis. appear through the doorway that led to the main corridor. Musing to himself he sat down again and contemplated the interminable wastes of space, his eyes settling at length on the still incredibly distant spot of light which marked the position of Alpha Centauri. At this enormous distance he could not tell that Proxima Centauri lay close beside the parent star, Alpha being of course a dual sun.
    Thus engaged he completely lost himself in speculations that were of remarkable depth considering that as yet he was only a young man in his nineteenth year. But then the education he had received and the circumstances in which he had lived from the very moment of his birth had done much to bring maturity to him many years ahead of time….
    It was the return of Vilnia that finally aroused him. She advanced slowly from the doorway,