. Lots changed to animals or birds. One even stayed a man--on
the outside anyway. Most of them have to change as the bodies wear out,
which I don't, and some made bad mistakes tryin' to be things they saw
on other planets."

"I wouldn't want to do that, Mr. Ashlew."

"There's just one thing. The Life don't like taking chances on word
about this place gettin' around. It sorta believes in peace and quiet.
You might not get back to your ship in any form that could tell tales."

"Listen!" Kolin blurted out. "I wasn't so much enjoying being what I was
that getting back matters to me!"

"Don't like your home planet, whatever the name was?"

"Haurtoz. It's a rotten place. A Planetary State! You have to think and
even look the way that's standard thirty hours a day, asleep or awake.
You get scared to sleep for fear you might _dream_ treason and they'd
find out somehow."

"Whooeee! Heard about them places. Must be tough just to live."

Suddenly, Kolin found himself telling the tree about life on Haurtoz,
and of the officially announced threats to the Planetary State's planned
expansion. He dwelt upon the desperation of having no place to hide in
case of trouble with the authorities. A multiple system of such worlds
was agonizing to imagine.

* * * * *

Somehow, the oddity of talking to a tree wore off. Kolin heard opinions
spouting out which he had prudently kept bottled up for years.

The more he talked and stormed and complained, the more relaxed he felt.

"If there was ever a fellow ready for this planet," decided the tree
named Ashlew, "you're it, Sonny! Hang on there while I signal the Life
by root!"

Kolin sensed a lack of direct attention. The rustle about him was
natural, caused by an ordinary breeze. He noticed his hands shaking.

"Don't know what got into me, talking that way to a tree," he muttered.
"If Yrtok snapped out of it and heard, I'm as good as re-personalized
right now."

As he brooded upon the sorry choice of arousing a search by hiding where
he was or going back to bluff things out, the tree spoke.

"Maybe you're all set, Sonny. The Life has been thinkin' of learning
about other worlds. If you can think of a safe form to jet off in, you
might make yourself a deal. How'd you like to stay here?"

"I don't know," said Kolin. "The penalty for desertion--"

"Whoosh! Who'd find you? You could be a bird, a tree, even a cloud."

Silenced but doubting,