Free The White Bull by Fred Saberhagen

o-pen for you."
    "You mean, I think, that you plan to teach me not what I want to learn, but rather to learn to want something else instead. To make my life depend and pivot on your teaching." Yes, here we were again, getting bogged down in the same old unwinnable dispute, even when I had come here on another errand entirely.
    Why did I keep at it, the arguing? Because there were moments when I hoped that the Bull was right, when I seemed to myself insane for rejecting the chance to gain the undoubted wealth of knowledge that the Bull had somehow at his disposal.
    And yet at the same time in my heart I was stubbornly sure that I was right in my rejection.
    "Bull, what good would it do you to have me come and sit at your feet and learn? There has to be something that you want out of it."
    "In-deed there is. My rea-son for be-ing is to teach." The tall figure on its high chair nodded down solemnly at me where I stood below. Then it crossed its legs, suddenly making itself look like the statue of the Goat-God. "For the sake of teach-ing and learn-ing have I and o-thers of my peo-ple crossed o-ceans un-i-mag-i-na-ble be-tween the stars. For the sake of pro-per ed-u-ca-tion have I come here to Crete, accept-ing ex-ile from my mis-gui-ded com-rades in the base on The-ra."
    Now my "curiosity would not be controlled. "These comrades of yours, sir. Do you mean your kinfolk, who as you once told me still live on the isle of Thera? And do you tell me that they are misguided?"
    "They are in-deed. I mean those of my race who came with me from be-yond the stars. I have cut my-self off from their so-ci-e-ty, because my purpose in com-ing to your world was to teach, and pro-per teach-ing they would not al-low. When I am a-ble to con-vey my teachings to minds ca-pa-ble of hold-ing them, on-ly then will I know peace and be ful-filled."
    I stared at him, trembling.
    The Bull, sensing my resolve was shaken, pressed on: "Shall I tell King Min-os that you still re-fuse to learn from me? That there are wea-pons great-er than cat-a-pults that you could make for him, but you re-fuse to learn?"
    "The king thinks that the Bronze Man will fight for him against his enemies if the need arises." I had heard Minos speculating on what might be done with such a tool, or weapon, in combat. But I had never before heard the Bull utter a word on the subject.
    "It will help him to de-fend this island, if need arises. Yes, I have prom-ised the king that. As long as I am giv-en free rein with the school. What you call the Bronze Man was not de-signed as a weap-on, but on this world it will serve."
    With an effort I had regained something of my composure. And now I pulled myself up onto the dais, where I stood at my full height before the Bull.
    Then I said: "I doubt you will tell the king anything about my refusal to enter your school. It may be that he will not speak to you any more. He might have come here himself today, or had you brought before him, but instead he sent me to talk to you."
    The Bull was silent, his face impossible to read.
    Boldly I went on: "How long is it since the king has been here to visit you? Or invited you to that part of the House in which he lives and works?" Not that the Bull had ever seemed happy to leave his own quarters.
    "You mean, that I have dis-pleased him?"
    What I meant, but did not care to put into so many words, was that Minos seemed to be getting increasingly afraid of his pet monster. Perhaps it was only natural, and men and gods would never be able to live on such intimate terms for a length of time. Perhaps there was some other reason.
    But Minos, though he feared him, was unable to evict or kill any creature so vested with supernatural power and authority, whose school was so popular with' all his neighbors, whose treasury of knowledge might any day now provide the sea-king with some technical advantage that would seal his superiority over his neighbors for good and all—and who controlled the Bronze Man, a weapon of