"Marva!" Into her hair he stammered, "H--How did you escape?" "I was in the hills for water when the gyros came." Her voice was broken with wild sobs, "I heard the commotion and saw the flames. I hid all this time. Even when the gyros went away. I hid till--till I heard you calling." Allyn watched how Keeven patted the soft bare shoulders, and stroked the tumble of silken hair that was so black it seemed blue. A stirring of strange passion went through him. His heart stumbled and raced. He had the warped mad urge to tear the girl away from the youth, to study her face, twine that hair round and round his lean long fingers. He stood like a rock, holding back churning emotions. Metas was right! Over and over the bitter thought claimed him. Metas had known! Beneath the generations of logic that had bred him, lay a core of savagery. Years it had slumbered. Now it claimed him. He must have made a sound. The girl whirled. Her eyes were great and dark, her skin rose over dusk. But now the rose-color fled, so that her wide gaze seemed black with terror and loathing. * * * * * Under that gaze Allyn felt whipped. For the first time he felt shame--shame for himself and for all Numen. Shame that they had caged these people, torn them, bled and killed them. All in the name of science! Experiment was survival! The Logicians had made it holy. The mirror of the girl's eyes told him what Numen were. Monsters! She shivered. Drew back against Keeven. Her slim body, bare armed, bare legged in the brief skin garment, trembled against the young savage. "Don't be afraid," he soothed. "This Numan is a friend." Briefly he recounted his experiences since leaving camp, till the terror left her face. Then he said to Allyn: "This is my sister, Marva." "Keeven," she tugged at his hand. "We must get away from here. The Gyro-Gard have been circling all day." The Olman's laugh was mirthless: "Go? Where?" "Come with me," Allyn said impulsively. "I am going to the Forbidden Area. I am going to cross the Flame Barrier." Even the wind stopped at the fearsome words. They shrank back from him. "No one can approach the Flame!" Keeven cried. "It is death; death more terrible than by your vivisectionists." Marva whispered: "It is taboo. It changes you into some monstrous thing!" Allyn's straight mouth set. "Nevertheless I must go. It is told that beyond the Flame lies the knowledge of the Originals. Perhaps it will teach how to save our women from death in childbirth. It's my only hope of saving Aleena." Thoughtfully Keeven regarded him. "It has been said around our council fires that there will be found a weapon to shatter the Nyloplast dome. Perhaps," he mused, "I will find it in time to save my kinsmen from the knives." He smote a mighty fist into his palm: "We will go with you, Numan. For hope may lie ahead but--" his glance swept around, "only death lies here."