ed across the fields to greet
the expedition. The women were well proportioned, and far different from
the men of the race. Not as tall as the women of earth, or quite as well
built, but their heads were much smaller than the men's.

All men were dressed in flowing robes, the women in much less clothing.
They wore tight-fitting garments, like bathing suits of metallic cloth.
They were happy and carefree, seemingly without a worry in their lives.
Children came romping across the fields beside their parents.

Minutes, slipped by, and the people from earth hadn't moved. Sight of
their new home was too wonderful to grasp at once. Instead of the gloomy
metal covering they had expected, the curved surface above was finished
in blue that resembled clear sky at home--as if they had reached the
land of their dreams.

* * * * *

When their minds snapped back to reality, the dome men were being
welcomed by friends and relatives. The babble of voices came faintly to
the control room, from the power hull.

John McCarthy joined them. When the machines stopped, he came up to find
the reason. Now the others watched as he gazed at the beautiful scene
for the first time. Their own amazement was reflected in his eyes. When
he looked up at the curved dome, his wife slipped her arm around him.

They were disturbed by the crew, returning with their friends to welcome
the engineers. The dome people seemed completely happy. They were like
children greeting their parents, holding the hands of the earth people
and gazing into their faces with adoration. In their minds, the future
was secure, and they no longer had a care in the world. Eileen McCarthy
was so overwhelmed at the reception that she hugged two of the little
women.

It was like a dream to walk across the heavy carpet of moss. There was
no grass, but the velvet coat of green was quite similar. The trees were
shaped like an inverted bowl, their branches conforming to the curve of
the dome above. They were smaller than the trees of earth, with very
large leaves.

The eyes of the earth people kept returning to the dome. It was hard to
believe that it was not blue sky, except for giant supports that reached
from the ground to the metal ceiling, hundreds of feet above.

When Peter Yarbro learned that he was in charge of this agricultural
dome, his pleasure knew no bounds. His wife couldn't wait to see the
home that had been prepared for them--and wai