d: the white-bearded Tenant had
pronounced that reference to a written testament in capital
letters.

The story was continuing....

"... finally, they came here. There had been a town here, but it
had been burned and destroyed, and there were people camping in
the ruins.

"Some of them fought and were killed, others came in and joined
the platoon.

"At first, they built shelters around this building and made this
their fort. Then they cleared away the ruins, and built new
houses. When the cartridges for the rifles began to get scarce,
they began to make gunpowder, and new rifles, like these we are
using now, to shoot without cartridges.

"Lieutenant Dunbar did this out of his own knowledge because
there is nothing in The Books about making gunpowder. The 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 too 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 for more houses. And we've
been clearing out a little more land for the fields each year.

"We still read and follow the teachings of The Books: we have
made laws for ourselves out of them."

There was a silence during which Altamont felt himself to be the
focus of attention; not obtrusively, but, nonetheless, insistently.
However, this was Loudon's field and Altamont preferred not to
speak.

"And we are waiting for the Slain and Risen One," Tenant Jones
added, and there was no doubt that he was 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."

Again the silence and lack of movement, broken by Loudons this
time, when he picked up the candle to re-lit his cigar.
Mentally, Altamont thanked his partner.

"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.
Then, when we have everyone together, we can