"There is a tiny planet that circles the dim sun you call Van Maanen's star," the alien persisted. "It is always twilight there. The beings who live on that planet build crystal towers miles high and as fragile as spun glass, in dusk colors the rainbow never dreamed of." "If she wants a crystal tower, I will have one built for her. But first I will ask her." "Very well," the kqyres sighed, "since nothing else will satisfy you, let us return and fetch her." And when they got to Erytheia City, Lyddy was still there, not only unmarried, but--in spite of all the years--unchanged. VII And now Mattern had been her husband for several months. He had begun to know her, and he realized that she could never be let known the truth about his life and his work. She would be frightened, and, if there was any emotion left over in her, angry. He told the kqyres: "I've been thinking of taking Lyddy to Burdon. She might find distractions there that will take her mind off--things it shouldn't be on. What do you think of the idea?" "I cannot tell," the kqyres replied doubtfully. "I have a curious feeling...." "That _what_?" Mattern prompted him anxiously. It was the first time he had seen the kqyres definitely at a loss, although it had seemed to him of recent months that the xhind's assurance was beginning to ebb. "... that I am getting too old for my work," the kqyres finished. "Nonsense!" Mattern cried. The kqyres was his tower of strength; he _would_ not conceive of any weakness in him. It would mean that he would be forced to rely upon himself. _And yet_, he thought, _I am certainly old and experienced enough by now to begin relying upon myself. In fact, I'm getting a little old and tired, too._ "You know," he said to his partner, "maybe we both ought to retire." "What do you mean?" "You've been at this long enough and I've got all the money I want. We can see each other sometimes; no reason why I couldn't go into hyperspace just to visit." The kqyres paled to pearl. "Now that you have Lyddy, you don't want anything else at all?" "Now that I have Lyddy, what else is there to want?" The kqyres flickered anxiously. "But the mbretersha has commanded--" Mattern smiled. "Her commands don't hold good in this universe. You know that. When I was a kid, she could fool me into believing she had a hold over me. But the hold is a psychological one; that's the only thing that could carry over from universe to universe. And I'm strong enough to break it now." Although he was not quite serious, it might be, he thought, that the hyperspace trade and the trips to Ferr had spoiled him for everyday life, made him too restless for the mundanities of any world. And it was time for him to settle down now. He let the kqyres win the game, and then he stood up. "I'd better start getting things ready for the trip to Burdon." "You've definitely decided to go?" "Yes," Mattern said, pleased with himself, "definitely."