th, his small, flat nose, his exposed cheekbones. The matrix was
showing through.

"Let's get on," Lingman said. He didn't want to waste any time. He
didn't have any time to waste.

Helmeted, they walked along the little path.

"Not so fast," Lingman murmured.

"Right," Morran said. They walked together, along the dark path of the
planet that was different from all other planets, soaring alone around
a sun different from all other suns.

"Up here," Morran said. The legends were explicit. A path, leading to
stone steps. Stone steps to a courtyard. And then--the Answerer!

To them, Answerer looked like a white screen set in a wall. To their
eyes, Answerer was very simple.

Lingman clasped his shaking hands together. This was the culmination
of a lifetime's work, financing, arguing, ferreting bits of legend,
ending here, now.

"Remember," he said to Morran, "We will be shocked. The truth will be
like nothing we have imagined."

"I'm ready," Morran said, his eyes rapturous.

"Very well. Answerer," Lingman said, in his thin little voice, "What
is life?"

A voice spoke in their heads. "The question has no meaning. By 'life,'
the Questioner is referring to a partial phenomenon, inexplicable
except in terms of its whole."

"Of what is life a part?" Lingman asked.

"This question, in its present form, admits of no answer. Questioner
is still considering 'life,' from his personal, limited bias."

"Answer it in your own terms, then," Morran said.

"The Answerer can only answer questions." Answerer thought again of
the sad limitation imposed by his builders.

Silence.

"Is the universe expanding?" Morran asked confidently.

"'Expansion' is a term inapplicable to the situation. Universe, as the
Questioner views it, is an illusory concept."

"Can you tell us _anything_?" Morran asked.

"I can answer any valid question concerning the nature of things."

* * * * *

The two men looked at each other.

"I think I know what he means," Lingman said sadly. "Our basic
assumptions are wrong. All of them."

"They can't be," Morran said. "Physics, biology--"

"Partial truths," Lingman said, with a great weariness in his voice.
"At least we've determined that much. We've found out that our
inferences concerning observed phenomena are wrong."

"But the rule of the simplest hypothesis--"

"It's only a theory," Lingman said.

"But life--he certainly could answer what life is?"

"L