The Golden Enemy Read Online Free PDF Page A

Suddenly he blinked and looked hard at L’Mara. “My dear girl, what is that object in your hands?”
    It was evident that L’Mara had almost forgotten what she held. “I—I don’t know, sir. I’ve been hoping you knew.”
    The Elder came forward. The others crowded around.
    â€œWhy, I declare!” he exclaimed. “It must be a cat!”
    L’Mara looked at him blankly, and the Elder added, “A cat, my dear, is an extinct household pet. I have a description of one somewhere in the library. The creature was carnivorous, and some members of its family were exceedingly large and fierce.” He shuddered slightly. “I consider it fortunate that all carnivorous creatures are extinct. There are the bears, of course, and a dog or two—but these days the worst thing they eat is fish.”
    â€œDon’t forget about man,” said L’Mara.
    â€œEh? Man?”
    â€œYes, sir. Wasn’t he once a flesh eater? And he still eats fish sometimes.”
    â€œPlease,” the Elder begged, looking pained. “I find the subject revolting.” Then, looking up, he noticed for the first time that Boy Jaim was standing in the doorway. “Well! So you’re back again from your wandering. About time! Did you find this cat L’Mara has?”
    Boy Jaim had been paying little attention to the conversation. His mind was on the goats. He could hear them faintly, far down at the bottom of the hill, and suddenly he knew what had happened. Emmon should be told about it—but not here, with so many others present.
    Then he became aware that the Elder had spoken to him. “I—yes, sir,” he managed to reply. “I found it at the Barrens. There are some other things, but they’re all of metal. Bronze, I think.”
    â€œYou found this cat at the Barrens?” said old Emmon, incredulous. “It’s hard to believe! What’s in the sack?”
    Boy Jaim lifted the heavy sack and carried it to the Elder’s desk. The class crowded close as he drew forth the largest and most unusual of the objects he had found. It was a human figure in curious clothing sitting astride a strange animal that was not unlike a deer, except that it was much larger and had no horns. Everyone gasped.
    The Elder was almost dancing with delight. “A horse!” he squeaked, his voice nearly deserting him. “A horse with a rider! Behold, my friends, man’s first means of transportation, before he invented things with wheels.” He shook his head sadly. “Ah, what a marvelous creature the horse must have been! Imagine giving it up for those clumsy and complicated contraptions that needed roads to run on!”
    â€œWhy did he?” asked L’Mara.
    â€œBecause he was quite mad, of course. All ancient man seemed to care about was getting from one spot to another in a hurry. Don’t ask me why, unless it was—Ah, what’s this?”
    Boy Jaim had placed two smaller and less perfect pieces of sculpture on the desk. Emmon scowled at the first. “I believe that was known as a pig,” he muttered. “And this one—ah! One of the first domesticated creatures, extinct these thousands of years with the horse. The cow! It was from the cow that ancient man got his milk.”
    â€œMan also ate the cow, didn’t he?” L’Mara asked. “Just as he did the pig?”
    â€œWe won’t go into that,” said the Elder. “Sometimes I doubt that such barbarous creatures were our true ancestors.” He shrugged and his attention went to the handful of small metal discs that Boy Jaim had scooped from the bottom of the bag.
    There was a sudden puzzled silence in the room. Boy Jaim said, “Is—is this what used to be known as wealth?”
    â€œI believe,” said Emmon, “that the right name for it is money.”
    â€œWhat was it for?”
    â€œA medium of exchange,” said Emmon.