"Reincarnation," Rhodes said. "At least, a planet-wide belief in reincarnation. It's unique in the galaxy, as far as we know, and it sets the pattern for Kedaki civilization." "You are making a planet-wide study?" Rhodes shook his head. He'd been asked these questions many times before, but it was the subject he loved and he felt himself warming to it. "Not a planet-wide study," he said. "Just this city. Just Junction City. But if you can learn how a sweeping social institution controls one center of population, then...." "I'm sure," the interrogator said dryly. "Besides, there are the ruins outside the city." "Indeed, there are the ruins." "Because an anthropologist is interested in the history of his subject as well as its merely ephemeral present. And there are those who believe that the Balata 'kai ruins hold the origin of your belief in metempsychosis...." "Do you, Rhodes?" "Yes. Yes, I do." "Have you found anything to fortify this belief?" "I have." "What have you found?" "The Balata 'kai _Book of the Dead_. Oh, it isn't a book, really. It's some tablets--five thousand years old." "You have seen these tablets?" "Yes," said Rhodes. "Where?" "The Temple of the Golden Dome, Balata 'kai." "They are there now?" "No," said Rhodes. "I took them." "You took them where?" "Well, I hid them." "Where?" Rhodes grinned. "I'm not going to answer that," he said. He was thinking. Prolong the interview, Phil old boy. Because it's clean here, and neither too warm nor too cold, and you can sit comfortably or stand if you want to. "Why aren't you going to answer it?" Rhodes grinned again. "I realize this isn't very important to you...." "Everything is important to me while I do my job." "But it's very important to me, I was going to say. Because _The Book of the Dead_ is an anthropological find, that's why. Because I intend to have an exclusive on it until I've finished my work here." "What makes you think _The Book of the Dead_ isn't very important to us?" "Don't tell me," Rhodes said incredulously, "that I'm in jail and being tortured because I won't tell you where I've hid an anthropological curiosity which may not even be genuine!" "No, I won't tell you. Now, as to the genuineness of _The Book of the Dead_...." * * * * * Rhodes felt suddenly sleepy. He'd been awakened to come here. He was always awakened to come here, sometimes after what he thought was a full night's sleep and sometimes after what seemed only a few moments. He listened sleepily as the interrogator went on, surprisingly doing most of the talking. He hardly heard the words, had all he could do to keep his head from slumping down on the desk. It just wasn't very important. It was preliminary to what really mattered, to the questions about Earth history, sociology, engineering, economy, which always followed. But why me? Rhodes thought. My subject is extra-terrestrial anthropology....