his father. "I finally mentioned Merlin, as
an old legend people still talked about. I was ashamed to admit
anybody really believed in it. He laughed, and said, 'Great Ghu, is
that thing still around? Well, I suppose so; it was all through the
Third Force during the War. Lord only knows how these rumors start
among troops. We never contradicted it; it was good for morale.'"

They had started walking again, and were out on the Mall; the sky was
flaming red and orange from high cirrus clouds in the sunset light.
They stopped by a dry fountain, perhaps the one from which he had seen
the dust blowing. Rodney Maxwell sat down on the edge of the basin and
got out two cigars, handing one to Conn, who produced his lighter.

"Conn, they wouldn't have believed you _and_ Foxx Travis," he said.
"Merlin's a religion with those people. Merlin's a robot god,
something they can shove all their problems onto. As soon as they find
Merlin, everybody will be rich and happy, the Government bonds will be
redeemed at face value plus interest, the paper money'll be worth a
hundred Federation centisols to the sol, and the leaves and wastepaper
will be raked off the Mall, all by magic." He muttered an
unprintability and laughed bitterly.

"I didn't know you were the village atheist, Father."

"In a religious community, the village atheist keeps his doubts to
himself. I have to do business with these Merlinolators. It's all I
can do to keep Flora from antagonizing them at school."

Flora was a teacher; now she was assistant principal of the grade
schools. Professor Kellton was also school superintendent. He could
see how that would be.

"Flora's not a True Believer, then?"

Rodney Maxwell shook his head. "That's largely Wade Lucas's influence,
I'd say. You know about him."

Just from letters. Wade Lucas was from Baldur; he'd gone off-planet
as soon as he'd gotten his M.D. Evidently the professional situation
there was the same as on Terra; plenty of opportunities, and fifty
competitors for each one. On Poictesme, there were few opportunities,
but nobody competed for anything, not even to find Merlin.

"He'd never heard of Merlin till he came here, and when he did, he
just couldn't believe in it. I don't blame him. I've heard about it
all my life, and I can't."

"Why not?"

"To begin with, I suppose, because it's just another of these things
everybody believes. Then, I've had to do some studying on the Third
Force occupation of Poic