Free Trust by David Moody Page B

know really,’ she admitted. `It’s probably nothing. I’m probably just wary because I don’t know anything about them yet. When I get to learn a little more then things might change.’ `It might not be long before you get a chance to do that,’ Rob said suddenly. `Why?’ I asked. `Haven’t you heard?’ said James.
            `Heard what?’ `They’re letting them out.’ `Letting them out?’ gasped Clare. `They can’t do that, surely?’ `Why not?’ questioned Rob. `Once they’ve been quarantined for a while and we’re sure they don’t pose a risk to our health, why should they be locked away? There won’t be any reason to keep them separated, will there?’ `No, but…’ Clare stammered. `Will they want to mix with us?’ I wondered. `Of course they will,’ Stephanie said. `Why shouldn’t they?’ `Well there are bound to be differences between us, aren’t there? They’re going to have completely different needs. They’ll probably eat different food and they’re going to have their own religions and etiquette, aren’t they? Bloody hell, you shake someone’s hand here and you’re letting them know that you’re pleased to meet them and you don’t pose a threat. Shaking an alien’s hand might mean something completely different to them. It might be their way of telling each other to fuck off!’
            Siobhan laughed. `He’s got a point,’ Clare said, quickly jumping to my defence. `But come on,’ James sighed, `they’re only going to be here for a few months, aren’t they? And they don’t want to be here, do they? Surely we can make an effort to accommodate them and their needs until they can get home again.’ `Do we really want to make an effort?’ Clare asked. `Of course,’ Stephanie snapped. `Well I do, anyway.’ She seemed surprised and almost annoyed by Clare’s apparent refusal to be flexible and by her uncompromising attitude towards the aliens. `Christ, these people have travelled millions and millions of miles from their homes and now they can’t get back. It’s not their fault they’re stuck here, is it?’ `No,’ Clare agreed, `but it’s not my fault either. I’m sorry, Steph. I just don’t seem to be able to get into the spirit of interplanetary co-operation as easily as you have. Not just yet, anyway.’
            There followed a long and unexpectedly awkward silence in the conversation.
            `This reminds me of something I was working on at university last term,’ Rob said suddenly.
            For some inexplicable reason best known to himself, my younger brother had decided to study towards a degree in twentieth century English history. Personally I couldn’t see the point. I had always considered any historical study to be a complete waste of time. Where was the sense in continually looking backwards? My philosophy was simple - if you spend all your time looking backwards, you’re going to walk into something eventually. `So what were you studying?’ James asked, sounding only half-interested. `We were looking at the increase in immigrants who set up home here after the end of the Second World War.’ `What’s that got to do with the aliens?’ Siobhan asked. `Just think about it,’ Rob continued, adopting a pretentious tone of educated seriousness. `When those people first arrived here back then the indigenous population were paranoid. The newcomers were different, and because they were different people were afraid of them.’ `I’m not frightened of anyone,’ Clare snapped. `I didn’t say you were. That’s not the point I’m making at all…’ `So what are you saying?’
            He took a deep breath before trying to explain, obviously choosing his words carefully. `In the forties and fifties, many of the people born in this country were convinced that the immigrants were here to take their jobs, families and homes from them.’ `What’s your point?’ I wondered.
            Rob cleared his throat and ran his fingers