"Yes," Eeb agreed. "I guess so. You name it and we'll oblige." "You won't like it." "Name it anyway." "The punishment simply is this--you are to take Edam Hurst back where he belongs." "Oh, no! Not after I found him--" "That is the punishment. Throwback or no you must learn that sex identification is decidedly secondary to psi-quotient. When can you take him?" "Well, I--" "Don't I have anything to say about this?" Eddie demanded. "A feeble bit at best. Just sit still and listen, young man." "--I suppose I can take him this afternoon if the scanner room is vacant." "It will be vacant, we'll see to that. I'm glad you're being sensible about this whole unhappy affair, Eeb Lym." * * * * * "What are you so cheerful about?" Eddie said. They stood in the scanner room and the girl was humming a little tune. "Don't worry, Edam Hurst. Relax, Eddie. I'm cheerful because I know what I'm doing, that's why. Just bear with me." He had no choice. But now that suddenly, devastatingly, he felt about Eeb the way she felt about him, he did not want to lose her. It was as simple as that. "Time is huge," Eeb told him. "You didn't think that once I found you I'd let you go? Oh no, I found you and you're mine--that's all there is to it. Even Jeeva, Lord of the City, couldn't do a thing about it. Nossir. Time is big and while I said...." She flicked a switch and kicked nonchalantly at a pedal with her foot. "That ought to do it. Just don't be frightened, Eddie. The important thing--" "The important thing," he finished for her, "is that we want to be together, right?" "Right," she said, kissed him soundly and turned a little knob on the wall. "_Now_ we're ready." As before Eddie became dizzy and soon he was sitting on the floor watching the room spin and fade, spin and fade. By the time it dissolved, Eddie was whirling away into a giddy limbo.... * * * * * He stood up and heard the wild nature sounds all around them. The bulk of the time-machine was big at his side in a green wooded glen. Eeb came dancing up to him with an armful of fruit. "Here, it's delicious. Taste it--" She held out her hand and he took a bite, then looked up sharply. With a whirring sound, the machine faded, disappeared. "I sent it back," the girl said. "I wanted to make it permanent, just you and I. Time is big and they'll never find us. Besides, they'll think this is punishment enough. We're exiled back here." "Well, where is _here_?" "Oh, I'm not exactly sure. Right around the time the human species emerged. Should be a wonderful life, Eddie--" Eddie began to sing a popular song. Popular? It had been popular--when? This all was very confusing. "Edam Hurst, you have positively the worst singing voice I've ever heard." He smiled and told her to be quiet, kissing her to put more force behind the command. Then, hand in hand, Edam and Eeb walked through their glen. * * * * *