hey
worried him.

"Besides," Drew added, "he's old enough to be thinking about women now.
There's always a chance he'll--"

"Are you crazy?" Walden shouted the words aloud. "Eric's not an animal."

"Isn't he?" Abbot answered quietly. "Weren't all the old race just
animals?"

Walden turned away from them, closing his mind to their thoughts. He
mustn't show anger. If he did, they'd probably decide he was too
emotional, not to be trusted. They'd take Eric away, to some
institution. Cage him....

"What do you want to do with the boy?" Walden forced his thoughts to
come quietly. "Do you want to put him in a zoo with the other animals?"

The sarcasm hurt them. They wanted to be fair. Abbot especially prided
himself on his fairness.

"Of course not."

They hesitated. They weren't going to do anything. Not this time. They
stood around and made a little polite conversation, about other things,
and then Abbot turned toward the door.

"We just wanted to be sure you knew what was going on." Abbot paused.
"You'll keep an eye on the boy, won't you?"

"Am I his keeper?" Walden asked softly.

They didn't answer him. Their thoughts were confused and a bit irritated
as they went out to the aircar that had brought them. But he knew they'd
be back. And they would keep track of Eric. Prior, the caretaker, would
help them. Prior was old too, and worried....

Walden walked back into his study, slowly. His legs were trembling. He
hadn't realized how upset he had been. He smiled at the intensity of his
emotions, realizing something he'd always kept hidden, even from
himself.

He was as fond of Eric as if the boy had been his own son.

* * * * *

Eric pushed the books away, impatiently. He didn't feel like studying.
The equations were meaningless. He was tired of books, and history, and
all the facts about the old race.

He wanted to be outdoors, exploring, walking along the hillsides,
looking for his own kind.

But he had already explored the hills. He had flown for miles, and
walked for miles, and searched dozens of caves in dozens of gorges. He
had found no one. He was sure that if there had been anyone he would
have discovered some sign.

He opened the book again, but he couldn't concentrate on it.

Beyond those hills, across another valley, there were even higher
mountains. He had often looked across at them, wondering what they held.
They were probably as desolate as the ones he'd se