"Yes, I would. Although his views on world affairs are perverse and dangerous he is good Healer, and he has your best interests at heart." "Your son is very ill, Lord Karn. If I am able to help him, would you be willing to consider possibility, at least, that wisdom of Healer is not confined to human body alone?" Premier Karn brushed his hand across his eyes. In the last few days he had suddenly become an old man, and his mouth was drawn and tense. "I cannot tell, Bidagha. I am tired, and confused. I no longer seem to be sure what is true, and what is right." Pehn opened his eyes to speak to Bidagha. "Do you think you can cure me, by Ceremony alone?" "I have cured people who were much more ill than you are, but your case is serious because you have delayed so long. It may be that we should not rely on ritual alone, and that it would be wiser to use knife." Lord Karn gasped with horror. "Never! Have you lost faith in your own art?" "Of course none of us like to use knife, since very few minds are skilled enough to control infection likely to follow. No, first we shall hold Ceremony just as our traditions counsel us. Tonight." The muted chime of the visiphone interrupted them. The Premier touched his wrist and the gaunt face of Nautunal appeared in the dial. "Signals have entered new stage, sir. Message coming at present states that Topaz planet wishes to visit any planet inhabited by intelligent race. They say they have phase space drive for spaceships, but in all their searching have not found even one inhabited world. They say they want to know that they are not alone in universe." The Premier's face worked. "I cannot say what is right. Later. I will decide after Ceremony. Are you ready, Pehn?" Pehn covered his face with his folded arms. "All right," he whispered. "Sooner, better." * * * * * Deep in the valley north of the city, Cave yawned. For thousands of years its narrow mouth had been open to the Healers and the participants in the ceremonial ritual. The age of Cave was unknown, some said as old as the planet itself. Great rocks formed the inner walls, which ascended to a low domed ceiling, and occasionally a handful of gravel trickled down the walls to the bottom where a small stream still worked at hollowing out the stone. At the back of Cave was the hearth, and across the floor were ancient stone benches waiting for the friends and family of the patient, for by tradition, only patient and Healer approached the hearth itself. The others, whose wills and hearts were to unite, for one brief night, to heal the sickness, sat apart in a broad circle, where they could see the ceremony, and the chant of their voices could float back to the ears of the sufferer. As the sun set, Pehn was carried into Cave on a litter.