And he knew that for El-ve-don of Varda life would not be easy. A savage environment--the task of exterminating any of the mutant Puvas who had escaped--the even more difficult task of weaning the surviving Forest People away from the sullen suspiciousness that generations of hunted terror had made a fixed habit--leading and driving them to become the Superiors once more, the leaders of Varda. It would mean life-long struggle, discomfort and danger, exile from his home world, and work, work, work to start the world of his beloved once more upon the path toward civilization. And there would be those who would always view his efforts with suspicion, even hate and openly oppose him. * * * * * He made intricate calculations with lightning speed and his hands obeyed effortlessly, adjusting the mechanism to limit its field of effect, setting up a deliberate overload that would reduce it to molten metal and shards of shattered glass and plastic. It would never do to leave this minor Gateway open now. Some day, perhaps.... Krasna, too, had been near enough to the neutral focus of escape, and all at once he knew with irrational surety that their child would be--_twins_. He picked up the copper bar. "Eldon! What are you doing?" Margaret cried. He gave her a level stare. It would be a fitting and just punishment to leave her as she was. It would be more humiliating than death. "I'm going home," he said quietly. Then he dropped the bar across the contacts.