Fairlie said, "I don't know, not for sure. But I can tell you what I think." "Go ahead." "I think it's secret propaganda at work. I think Evacuation is being secretly sabotaged by talk that Doomsday is all a hoax." Wales was utterly shocked. "Good God, man, who would do a thing like that? Who would want millions of people to stay on Earth and die on Doomsday?" Fairlie looked at him. "It's a horrible thought, isn't it? But fanatics will sometimes do horrible things." "Fanatics? You mean--" Fairlie said, "We've been hearing rumors of a secret organization called the Brotherhood of Atonement. A group--we don't know how large, probably small in numbers--who seem to have been crazed by the coming of Doomsday. They believe that Nereus is a just vengeance coming on a sinful Earth, and that Earth's sins must be atoned by the deaths of many." "They're preaching that doctrine openly?" Wales said, incredulous. "Not at all. Rumors is all we've heard. But--you wondered who would want millions of people to stay on Earth till Doomsday. That's a possible answer." It made, to Wales, a nightmare thought. Mad minds, unhinged by the approach of world's end, cunningly spreading doubt of the oncoming catastrophe, so that millions would doubt, and would stay--and would atone. * * * * * Bliss said, "The damn fools, to believe such stuff! Well, if they get caught on Earth, it'll be the craziest, most ignorant and backward part of the population that we'll lose." Fairlie said wearily, "Our job is not to lose anybody, to get them all off no matter who or what they are." Then he said to Wales, with a faint smile, "Sorry if we seem to be griping too much. I expect your job on Mars hasn't been easy either. Things are pretty tough there, aren't they?" "They're bound to be tough," said Wales. "All those hundreds of millions, and more still coming in. But we'll make out. We've got to." "Anyway, that's not my worry," Fairlie said. "My headache is to get these stubborn, ignorant fools who don't want to go, off the Earth." Wales thought swiftly. He said, after a time, "You're right, Kendrick is the key. I came here to find him and I've got to do it." Fairlie said, "I hope to God you can. But I'm not optimistic. We looked everywhere. He's not at Westpenn Observatory." "Lee and Martha and I grew up together in that western Pennsylvania town," Wales said. "Castletown." "I know, we combed the whole place. Nothing." "Nevertheless, I'll start there," said Wales. Fairlie told him, "That's all evacuated territory, you know. Closed out and empty, officially. Which means--dangerous." Wales looked at him. "In that case, I'll want something else to wear than this uniform. Also I'll want a car--and weapons."