Rick looked. For a moment he seemed to be staring at a small, golden sunburst. Then it turned into the reddest head of hair he had ever seen or imagined. “That’s Deva? The one with the red hair?” “In the flesh.” He knew at once that the Machine’s traditional infallibility was sheer idiocy. This girl was as unlike Barie as it was possible for a woman to be, and on her face, as she caught sight of him and turned, was a look of total, unadulterated antagonism. “She has the highest potential value of any Mech designer we have discovered for many years,” Jackson whispered as they approached. “So you see, you are being entrusted with a very valuable property,” he added, with a smile Rick didn’t understand at all. Introductions were quickly completed. The name of Deva’s companion was Flora Johns. She nodded politely, but Deva was openly contemptuous. Inside himself, Rick felt like laughing. It occurred to him that the machine must give out a good many solutions that human beings found difficult to assimilate. This, certainly, was going to be one of the most indigestible on record. In a way, he and Deva were going to be partners after all. As soon as the painful meal was over, Jackson cleared his throat. “I presume you have carefully explained the preliminaries to Miss Warel, Dr. Johns?” “I’ve explained nothing!” the woman officer snapped. “Deva Warel states that she absolutely refuses to go through with this arrangement. She had already committed herself to a companion in the University.” “That’s extremely unfortunate,” Bernard Jackson said. “However, in all fairness to my ward, I believe we should go ahead in conformity with established custom.” “You young people,” he said, “will be assigned quarters in the orientation area. Every opportunity will be offered you to become acquainted and acquire mutual interests. Should this--ah, determination of Miss Warel’s not be overcome we shall consult the Machine for other arrangements. But let us have a fair trial and see what comes of it.” V For three days Rick remained in his room without leaving it, except for the brief periods he spent in the restaurant. He wondered how long they would allow the farce to go on, and what would happen to him after it was over. The fact that Deva Warel was as opposed to the arrangement as he was made it a little easier to bear. But all the humor had gone out of the situation. His heart was sick and empty for all that he had left behind--for the farm, the cattle, even the friends who had refused to help him. On the fourth day he decided he’d at least have to get out in the open if he was going to preserve his sanity. He left the building and walked out through a large, park-like area enclosed by buildings and masonry walls. He passed occasional couples who were apparently becoming acquainted and “acquiring mutual interests.” For the most part they seemed to exhibit a good deal of enthusiasm about the process.