rd.

"This way, Lisa!"

They came out into the bottom of the well and there in front of them the
starship rested. Still reaching upward. Still waiting, as it had waited
for so many uncounted years.

Their ship--if only it could be their ship....

"Oh, Eric!"

Side by side they stood staring at it, and Eric wished that they could
get into it and go, right now, while they were still free and there was
no one to stop them. But they couldn't. There was no food in the ship,
no plant tanks, none of the many provisions the books listed.

Besides, if they took off now they would destroy the museum and all the
people in it, and probably kill themselves as well.

"Eric! We know you're down there!" It wasn't Walden's voice.

Lisa moved closer. Eric put his arm around her and held her while
footsteps hurried toward them down the ramp. The council. Abbot and Drew
and the others. Prior, shaking his head. Walden.

"Let us go," Eric cried. "Why won't you let us go?"

Walden turned to the others. His eyes pleaded with them. His lips moved
and his hands were expressive, gesturing. But the others stood without
moving, without expression.

Then Abbot pushed Walden aside and started forward, his face hard and
determined and unchangeable.

"You won't let us go," Eric said.

"No. You're fools, both of you."

There was one answer, only one answer, and with it, a hot violence in
his blood as the old race pattern came into focus, as the fear and the
futility fell away.

It was only a few steps to the ship. Eric caught Lisa's arm and pulled
her after him and ran toward it, reaching up to the door. In one motion
he flung it open and lifted her through it, then he swung about to face
the others.

"Let us go!" he shouted. "Promise to let us go, or we'll take off anyway
and if we die at least you'll die too!"

Abbot stopped. He looked back at Walden, his face scornful. "You see?"
he said aloud. "They're mad. And you let this happen."

He turned away, dismissing Walden, and came toward the ship. The others
followed him.

Eric waited. He stood with his back to the door, waiting, as Abbot
strode toward him, ahead of the other councilmen, alone and unprotected.

"You're the fool!" Eric said. He laughed as he leaped forward.

Abbot's eyes went wide suddenly; he tried to dodge, gave a little grunt,
and went limp in Eric's grasp.

Eric laughed again, swung Abbot into the ship and leaped in himself. The
old race and its violence