anybody can do it, anybody who follows the
step-by-step method. It doesn't take any special gifts that can't be
trained. I had visions of a world, a universe of people, in possession
of this theory and method before they were wise enough to use it, and
chaos.

"But when I thought it over, I stopped worrying. The methods of science
are also open to all. But few bother to learn them. Most prefer their
frustrations and their miseries to making the effort which will solve
them. For centuries the libraries containing all the accumulated
knowledge and wisdom of mankind have been free and open to anybody who
wants to read, but few have bothered to absorb that knowledge and that
wisdom.

"This new key we have that unlocks the door to another vista of
knowledge, another point of view whereby we can change material things
to suit our desire, is merely another advance of science. For science,
after all, is no more than organized knowledge of reality. You can't
multiply six times six until you've learned how to add two and two. Most
people won't bother.

"It will be a long, long time before any significant number will
graduate through all the normal seven steps of E science to become ready
for the eighth. Some of the E's will master it, but you know how few E's
there are. And the E's have enough restraint, wisdom, and selflessness
to use this new knowledge for the benefit of man instead of his
detriment.

"I suspect that one has to be graduated beyond the desire to make
me-and-mine ascendant over others before he can absorb this knowledge."

"Maybe that's my trouble," McGinnis said slowly. "I've been thinking,
all along, of how much power this gives the E's. Wondering if even the
E's should have that much power over others."

Linda spoke up.

"E McGinnis," she said, "Cal has solved the problem of what happened to
the colonists, why they didn't communicate. Do you think this will
qualify him for his big E?"

Both men burst into laughter.

"No question of it, Linda," E McGinnis said with a chuckle. "But I doubt
it really matters to E Gray, now. He can do things none of the rest of
us can do, and the real question now is whether we have the right to
call ourselves Seniors until we can match his ability."

"I think," Cal said slowly, "we'd better recommend to E.H.Q. that the
colonists be withdrawn from Eden, assigned somewhere else. I've left the
shield around the planet so none can enter or leave without the eighth
key.