Charlie's interest quickened. Wild Country. They had created it on impulse, about twenty miles from the Indian Camp, midway between the settlements of Congressmen inland and Cyclopes on the shore. It was a place of tortuous gorges and rocks and mountains, utterly lifeless. No one ever went there. Someday, he had always told Robin, they would explore Wild Country. If there really was a spaceship, and if it had gone there ... "No," Robin said. "I know what you're thinking. But I'm perfectly happy here." "You just now said you sometimes thought Crimson wasn't real and there were other, real worlds which--" "That's different. I can dream, can't I?" "But don't you see, if a spaceship's really come, maybe they can tell us." * * * * * She gripped his arm. "Charlie. Oh, Charlie, I don't know. I'm afraid. We've been happy here, haven't we? We really wouldn't want it to change ..." "I'm going to Wild Country," Charlie said stubbornly. Tashtu nodded his head. "It is good that you do. For the braves--" "Don't tell me they went after the skyship?" Charlie asked. "Yes, Lord. Skyship come low, ruin crops mile around. War dance follow. War party leave last sunrise." "Six hours ago!" Charlie cried. "Can we overtake them?" Tashtu shrugged. "Hurry, Lord." "Don't you see," Charlie told Robin. "They're savages. They wouldn't understand anything like spaceships. They wouldn't want to. If they get the chance, they'll kill first and ask questions afterwards. We've got to go to the Wild Country now." Big and brawny Tashtu was nodding his head earnestly, but Robin seemed unconvinced. "Why," she said, "there isn't even anything about Wild Country in the book." "That's because we made it." "And besides, the Congressmen are dangerous." "Congressmen? Don't you mean the Cyclopes?" "Yes, I'm sorry. The Cyclopes are dangerous." She couldn't possibly have meant the Congressmen. It was never clear to either of them precisely what a Congressman did. But there were hundreds of them on one side of Wild Country and they were forever making speeches and promises, little round bald men with great, rich voices and wonderful vocabularies. Charlie loved to hear them speak. "We go, Lord?" Tashtu asked. Charlie nodded and went inside swiftly for his rifle. It was modeled after the most powerful rifle in the encyclopedia and was called a Mannlicher Elephant Gun. Robin came with her own smaller Springfield repeater. "Ready?" Charlie asked. "Yes. We can think up food along the trail." "Hurry, Lord," Tashtu urged. Charlie could hardly contain his excitement. The Wild Country, at last. And a spaceship. * * * * *