Books In English "City Of Illusions" Ursula K. Le Guin | Page 149

Simultaneously with Abundibot's words, Ramarren caught the passage of
mindspeech between Kradgy and Ken Kenyek, but did not get the sense of
it; he was too intent on maintaining his own guard to be able to mindhear
or even to receive much empathic impression.
"The ship in which you return to Werel," Ken Kenyek said, "will of
course be furnished with a retemporalizer, and you will suffer no
derangement at re-entering planetary space."
Ramarren had risen, rather awkwardly—Falk was used to chairs but
Ramarren was not, and had felt most uncomfortable perched up in
mid-air—but he stood still now and after a moment asked, "The ship in
which we return—?"
Orry looked up with blurry hopefulness. Kradgy yawned, showing
strong yellow teeth. Abundibot said, "When you have seen all you wish to
see of Earth and have learned all you wish to learn, we have a lightspeed
ship ready for you to go home to Werel in—you, Lord Agad, and Har
Orry. We ourselves travel little. There are no more wars; we have no need
for trade with other worlds; and we do not wish to bankrupt poor Earth
again with the immense cost of lightspeed ships merely to assuage our
curiosity. We Men of Earth are an old race now; we stay home, tend our
garden, and do not meddle and explore abroad. But your Voyage must be
completed, your mission fulfilled. The New Alterra awaits you at our
spaceport, and Werel awaits your return. It is a great pity that your
civilization had not rediscovered the ansible principle, so that we could be
in communication with them now. By now, of course, they may have the
instantaneous transmitter; but we cannot signal them, having no
coordinates."
"Indeed," Ramarren said politely.
There was a slight, tense pause.
"I do not think I understand," he said.
"The ansible—"
"I understand what the ansible transmitter did, though not how it did
it. As you say, sir, we had not when I left Werel rediscovered the
principles of instantaneous transmission. But I do not understand what
prevented you from attempting to signal Werel."
~ 147 ~