ntion of mine that I
showed you. Upon that screen there must be ten thousand worlds. Let us pick
one, you and I. We can glide out of here at any time. And we can make that
world over as we please. We might even eat of the fruit of life and become
as gods--"

As though it came from the dark corridor of the years, Jack Odin seemed
to hear the resounding echo of slow footsteps, and a deep voice that
thundered: "For I, thy God, am a jealous God--"

She had almost hypnotized him with her weary, earnest voice. For a moment,
it had seemed that all this frantic quest was nothing. That it would be
far, far better to find a home with Nea and build a world of his own than
to go on searching the stars.

Then he answered slowly, trying to measure his words, for he did not want
to hurt her feelings. "No, Nea. If I go wandering forever, it will be no
worse than my fathers did before me. For a man is vagrant and restless.
What he gets, he loses. And if he is lucky, he can hold fast to his
dreams."

For a moment dark anger blazed in her eyes. Then they were calm and sad
again. She got to her feet, as though she were very tired.

She smiled. "If I followed all the books, I would make a scene now. I have
offered myself and a world to you and have been refused. But I wish you and
your dreams well, Jack Odin."

She bent over him, and her lips brushed his. Faintly, like the touch of a
rose petal, and the perfume of her hair seemed to fill the room.

Then she was gone.

Jack Odin sat there, looking long and long at the swarm of stars upon the
screen, thinking of the unseen worlds about them--the worlds that he had
just renounced.

Until finally he got up and went to bed.

CHAPTER 10

Ato's probing instruments still pointed the way to Aldebaran. In a
surprisingly short time, the warning signals were flashing and jingling
throughout The Nebula. There was that same sick feeling as it moved slower
than the speed of light.

And there was a glowing sun with nine planets circling stately about it.
Slower The Nebula moved, and slower, until the outermost planet sparkled in
the light of its sun below them. They swooped down.

Not a single blast was fired at them. Every man was at his post, while Ato
guided them in, and Odin worked the screens.

Once more, Jack was disappointed. He had looked forward to some alien--even
exotic--civilization. Here were fields and streams. And there were
cities--looking very much like the cities