"Hide, Eric. In here--" Lisa pulled him forward. Behind them, Walden's voice, suddenly tired in the darkness. "It's too late. They know I'm here. And they're wondering why." The three of them stood frozen, watching each other, while the dark shape of the car settled to the ground some thirty yards away. "It's Abbot," Walden said. He paused, intent for a moment, and added, "He doesn't know about you. Get out of sight somewhere, both of you, away from here--" "Come on, Lisa--" Eric swung away from the car, toward the shelter of the building and whatever hiding place there might be. "Hurry!" They ran, and the museum rose in front of them, and the door was open. They were through it and into the dim corridor, and there was no one around; Walden's figure was lost in the night outside. Beyond the libraries the great ramp spiraled downward. "This way, Lisa!" They came out into the bottom of the well and there in front of them the starship rested. Still reaching upward. Still waiting, as it had waited for so many uncounted years. Their ship--if only it could be their ship.... "Oh, Eric!" Side by side they stood staring at it, and Eric wished that they could get into it and go, right now, while they were still free and there was no one to stop them. But they couldn't. There was no food in the ship, no plant tanks, none of the many provisions the books listed. Besides, if they took off now they would destroy the museum and all the people in it, and probably kill themselves as well. "Eric! We know you're down there!" It wasn't Walden's voice. Lisa moved closer. Eric put his arm around her and held her while footsteps hurried toward them down the ramp. The council. Abbot and Drew and the others. Prior, shaking his head. Walden. "Let us go," Eric cried. "Why won't you let us go?" Walden turned to the others. His eyes pleaded with them. His lips moved and his hands were expressive, gesturing. But the others stood without moving, without expression. Then Abbot pushed Walden aside and started forward, his face hard and determined and unchangeable. "You won't let us go," Eric said. "No. You're fools, both of you." There was one answer, only one answer, and with it, a hot violence in his blood as the old race pattern came into focus, as the fear and the futility fell away. It was only a few steps to the ship. Eric caught Lisa's arm and pulled her after him and ran toward it, reaching up to the door. In one motion he flung it open and lifted her through it, then he swung about to face the others. "Let us go!" he shouted. "Promise to let us go, or we'll take off anyway and if we die at least you'll die too!" Abbot stopped. He looked back at Walden, his face scornful. "You see?" he said aloud. "They're mad. And you let this happen." He turned away, dismissing Walden, and came toward the ship. The others followed him.