e was no longer
any doubt of that, because he knew now where to look for adequate
personnel.

"I'm glad I didn't foul up your test completely, anyway," said Bonnie
slowly. "Even if what you say about Mark shouldn't turn out to be true."

Ashby moved his chair around to face her directly. She was rested, and
had gone through a mental re-orientation which had removed some of the
tension from her face.

"You didn't foul it up at all," he said. "We went far enough to learn
that he would have survived even your suicide, and would have continued
in his determination to carry the colony forward. Nothing but his own
death will stand in his way if he actually sets out on such a project.
Are you completely sure you want to be tied to such a single purposed
man as Mark Jorden is?"

"There's no doubt of that! But I just don't feel as if I can face him
now--with his knowing.... How can I ever be sure his feeling for me was
not merely induced by the test experience, and might change as time goes
on? You should have wiped it all out, and let us start over from
scratch. It would have been easier that way."

"There isn't time enough before the ships leave. But why should we have
erased it all? We took away the postulates of the test and left Bonnie
in his memory. His love for you didn't vanish when the test postulates
went. As long as he has a memory of you he will love you. So why make
him fall in love with you twice? No use wasting so much important time
at your age. Here he comes--"

Bonnie felt she couldn't possibly turn around as the door opened behind
her. She heard Mark's moment of hesitation, his slow steps on the
carpet. Ashby was smiling a little and nodding. Then she felt the hard
grip of Mark's hands on her shoulders. He drew her up and turned her to
face him. Her eyes were wet.

"Bonnie--" he said softly.

* * * * *

Ashby turned to the window again. The gantry cranes were hoisting
machinery in Hull Three. Maybe he had been wrong about there not being
enough time between now and takeoff for Mark and Bonnie to discover each
other all over again. They worked pretty fast. But then, as he had
mentioned, why waste time at their age?

They were smiling, holding tight to each other as Ashby turned back from
the window.

"They tell me I passed," said Jorden. "I'm sorry about taking your best
Social Examiner away from you--but as you told me in the beginning this
colonization business is