s,
Gordon?"

"Men have asked that question all their thinking lives, Karara. There
have been those who have said no, who have turned aside and tried to
halt the growth of knowledge here or there, attempted to make men stand
still on one tread of a stairway. Only there is that in us which will
not stop, ill-fitted as we may be for the climbing. Perhaps we shall be
safe and untroubled here on Hawaika if I do not go out to that reef
tonight. By that action I may bring real danger down on all of us. Yet I
can not hold back for that. Could you?"

"No, I do not believe that I could," she agreed.

"We are here because we are of those who must know--volunteers. And
being of that temperament, it is in us always to take the next step."

"Even if it leads to a fall," she added in a low tone.

Ashe gazed at her, though her own eyes were on the sea where a lace of
waves marked the reef. Her words were ordinary enough, but Ross
straightened to match Ashe's stare. Why had he felt that odd instant of
uneasiness as if his heart had fluttered instead of beating true?

"I know of you Time Agents," Karara continued. "There were plenty of
stories about you told while we were in training."

"Tall tales, I can imagine, most of them." Ashe laughed, but his
amusement sounded forced to Ross.

"Perhaps. Though I do not believe that many could be any taller than the
truth. And so also I have heard of that strict rule you follow, that you
must do nothing which might alter the course of history. But suppose,
suppose here that the course of history could be altered, that whatever
catastrophe occurred might be averted? If that was done, what would
happen to our settlement in the here and now?"

"I don't know. That is an experiment which we have never dared to try,
which we won't try--"

"Not even if it would mean a chance of life for a whole native race?"
she persisted.

"Alternate worlds then, maybe." Ross's imagination caught up that idea.
"Two worlds from a change point in history," he elaborated, noting her
look of puzzlement. "One stemming from one decision, another from the
alternate."

"I've heard of that! But, Gordon, if you could return to the time of
decision here and you had it in your power to say, 'Yes--live!' or
'No--die!' to the alien natives, what would you do?"

"I don't know. But neither do I think I shall ever be placed in that
position. Why do you ask?"

She was twisting her still damp hair into a pony tail and ty