guns in The Books are rifles and shotguns and revolvers
and airguns; except for the airguns, which we haven't been able to
make, these all shot cartridges. As with your people, we did not die
out, because we had women. Neither did we increase greatly--too many
died or were killed young. But several times we've had to tear down
the wall and rebuild it, to make room inside it for more houses, and
we've been clearing a little more land for fields each year. We still
read and follow the teachings of The Books; we have made laws for
ourselves out of them."

"And we are waiting here, for the Slain and Risen One," Tenant Jones
added, looking at Altamont intently. "It is impossible that He will
not, sooner or later, deduce the existence of this community. If He
has not done so already."

"Well, sir," the Toon Leader changed the subject abruptly, "enough of
this talk about the past. If I understand rightly, it is the future in
which you gentlemen are interested." He pushed back the cuff of his
hunting shirt and looked at an old and worn wrist watch.
"Eleven-hundred; we'll have lunch shortly. This afternoon, you will
meet the other people of the Toon, and this evening, at
eighteen-hundred, we'll have a mess together outdoors. Then, when we
have everybody together, we can talk over your offer to help us, and
decide what it is that you can give us that we can use."

"You spoke, a while ago, of what you could do for us, in return,"
Altamont said. "There's one thing you can do, no further away than
tomorrow, if you're willing."

"And that is--?"

"In Pittsburgh, somewhere, there is an underground crypt, full of
books. Not bound and printed books; spools of microfilm. You know what
that is?"

The others shook their heads. Altamont continued:

"They are spools on which strips are wound, on which pictures have
been taken of books, page by page. We can make other, larger pictures
from them, big enough to be read--"

"Oh, photographs, which you enlarge. I understand that. You mean, you
can make many copies of them?"

"That's right. And you shall have copies, as soon as we can take the
originals back to Fort Ridgeway, where we have equipment for enlarging
them. But while we have information which will help us to find the
crypt where the books are, we will need help in getting it open."

"Of course! This is wonderful. Copies of The Books!" the Reader
exclaimed. "We thought we had the only one left in the world!"

"Not just Th