llowing me, and I'll listen to what _they_ want!"

Rynason stared at the microphone for a moment. "Are you sure you aren't
afraid of your own mob?" he said.

"We're coming in, Lee. Get out of there or we'll cut you down too."

"Manning!"

"I'm switching off."

"_Not quite yet._ There's one more thing, and you'd better hear this
one!"

"Make it fast," Manning said. His voice sounded uninterested.

"If any of your boys try to come in, I'll stop them myself. I've got the
disintegrators, and I'll use them."

There was silence from the radio, save for the static. It lasted for
long seconds. Then:

"It's your funeral." There was a faint click as Manning switched off.

* * * * *

Rynason stared angrily at the radioset for a moment, then left it lying
at the top of the steps and went back inside. The Hirlaji stood
motionlessly in dimness; it took awhile for Rynason's eyes to adjust to
it. He found the interpreter that Mara had left and quickly hooked it up
to Horng. The alien's eyes, moving heavily in their sockets, watched him
as he connected the wires.

When everything was ready Rynason lifted the interpreter's mike. "The
Earthmen are going to attack you," he said. "I want to help you fight
them off."

There was no reaction from the alien; only those quiet eyes resting on
him like the shadows of the entire past.

"Can you still believe that Kor is a god? That's only a machine--I spoke
through it myself, minutes ago! Don't you realize that?"

After a moment Horng's eyes slowly closed and opened in acknowledgement.
KOR WAS GOD KNOWLEDGE. THE OLD ONES DIED BEFORE TIME, AND PASSED INTO
KOR. NOW KOR IS DEAD.

"And all of you will be dead too!" Rynason said.

The huge alien sat unmoving. His eyes turned away from Rynason.

"You've got to fight them!" Rynason said.

But he could see that it was useless. Horng had made no reply, but
Rynason knew what was in his thoughts now.

THERE IS NO PURPOSE.

TEN

Wearily, Rynason switched off the interpreter, leaving the wires still
connected to the alien. He walked through the faintly echoing,
dust-filled temple and stepped out onto the colonnade around it. It was
almost dark now; the deep blue of the Hirlaj sky had turned almost black
and the pinpoint lights of the stars broke through. The wind was rising
from the Flat; it caught his hair and whipped it roughly around his
head. He looked up at the emerging stars, remembering