Again she did not answer his question. "Let, do you remember how I described the prison to you? What would you do if you were king and those prisoners were under your rule, with their rotten food, the rats, their fourteen hours of labor a day in the mines ..." "Well, I don't know, Petra," he began, feeling as if something were being asked of him that he was reluctant to give. It was like when his history teacher expected him to know the answer on a question of government just because he had been born into it. "I suppose I'd have to consult the council, and see what Chargill said. It would depend on the individual prisoners, and what they'd done; and of course how the people felt about it. Chargill always says you shouldn't do things too quickly ..." "I know what Chargill says," said the Duchess quietly. "Just remember what I've said, will you?" "What about the third man, the one who escaped?" "He ... came back to Toron." "He must have had a lot more adventures. What happened to him, Petra? Come on, tell me." "Actually," said Petra, "he managed to bypass most of the adventures. He came very quickly. Let me see. After they dashed across the searchlit area, they ducked into the jungle. Almost immediately the three got separated. The black-haired one got completely turned around, and wandered in the wrong direction until he had gone past the mines, out of the forest, and across the rocky stretch of ground beyond a good five miles. By the time it was light enough to see, he suddenly realized he had been wandering toward the radiation barrier; because in the distance, like a black skeleton on the horizon, were the abandoned ruins of Telphar, the Dead City." "Shouldn't he have been dead from the radiation?" "That's exactly what he figured. In fact, he figured if he was close enough to see the place, he should have been dead a few miles back. He was tired. The food they'd taken kept him from being hungry. But he was definitely alive. Finally he decided that he might as well go toward the city. He took two steps more, when suddenly he heard something." There was silence over the intercom. After he had allowed sufficient time for a dramatic pause, Let asked, "What was it? What did he hear?" "If you ever hear it," Petra said, "you'll know it." "Come on, Petra, what was it?" "I'm quite serious," Petra said. "That's all I know of the story. And that's all you need to know. Maybe I'll be able to finish it when I come back from the party tonight." "Please, Petra ..." "That's it." He paused for a minute. "Petra, is the adventure I'm supposed to have, the war? Is that why you're reminding me not to forget?" "I wish it were that simple, Let. Let's say that's part of it." "Oh," said Let. "Just promise to remember the story, and what I've said." "I will," said Let, wondering. "I will." * * * * *