“Why are we moving so slowly?” Copper said. “Let’s go ahead and find out what’s beyond this passageway.” “From a superstitious coward you’ve certainly become a reckless explorer,” he said. “The Egg hasn’t hurt us, and we’ve been around it many times,” she said. “Either the curse has become too old to hurt us, or there never was any in the first place. So let’s see what is ahead. I’m curious.” Kennon shook his head. “In this business we must hurry slowly--very slowly. You know why.” “But I want to see.” “Patience, girl. Simmer down. You’ll see soon enough,” Kennon said. “Now help me set up this camera.” “Oh, all right--but isn’t there any excitement in you?” “I’m bubbling over with it,” Kennon admitted, “but I manage to keep it under control.” “You’re cold-blooded.” “No--I’m sensible. We want to nail this down. My future, yours, and that of your people depend upon how carefully we work. You wouldn’t want to let us all down by being too eager, would you?” She shook her head. “No--you’re right of course. But I still would like to see.” They moved cautiously through the airlock and into the control room. “Ah!” Kennon said with satisfaction. “I hoped for this, but I didn’t dare expect it.” “What?” “Look around. What do you see?” “Nothing but an empty room. It’s shaped like half an orange, and it has a lot of funny instruments and dials on the walls, and a video screen overhead. But that’s all. Why--what’s so unusual about it? It looks just like someone had left it.” “That’s the point. There’s nothing essential that’s missing. They didn’t cannibalize the instruments--and they didn’t come back.” “Why not?” “Maybe because that curse you mentioned a few minutes ago was real.” Copper drew back. “But you said it wouldn’t hurt us--” “Not now. The heat’s practically gone, but when whoever flew this crate came here, the whole shell could have been as hot as a Samarian summer.” “But couldn’t they have come back when it cooled?” “Not with this kind of heat. The hull was probably too radioactive to approach from the outside. And radioactivity cools off slowly. It might take several lifetimes for its level to become low enough to approach if there was no decontamination equipment available.” “I suppose that’s why the early ones thought the Egg was cursed.” Kennon nodded. “Now let’s check--oh! oh! what’s this?” He pointed to a metal-backed book lying on the control panel. “It looks like a book,” Copper said. “I’m hoping it’s the book.” “The book?” “Yes--the ship’s log. It’s possible. And if it is, we may have all the evidence we need--Copper!--Don’t touch it!” “Why not?” “Because its position has to be recorded first. Wait until we get the camera and recorders set up.” * * *