For a moment the expression of calm acceptance on her face seemed to break. “It must be,” she whispered at last, “because no one keeps it. We have everything else; we mustn’t expect to keep childhood. And even if we wanted to, what could we do about it?” “We can go away! Listen to me, Barie. There hasn’t been much time to plan, but I’ve been thinking of this ever since the notification came. Tonight’s our chance.” “What are you talking about? Go where?” “The Machine doesn’t do the thinking for the whole world. There are savages it doesn’t care about. We could be one with them!” “How?” He pointed to the dark shapes of the planes beyond the farmhouse. “I’ve planned for us to take one of them. We can fill it with spare tanks of fuel and fly it as far south as the Andes. They’d never find us there. They’d never want to!” She seemed to hesitate a long time, watching the direction of his glance. “How would you get it ready? The escort comes for you in the morning. There isn’t time--” “_They’ll_ help me load fuel.” He nodded toward the farmhouse where the music was thumping ecstatically. “Say you’ll go with me, Barie! It’s our only chance!” “All right,” she whispered. “If you can get them to help with making the plane ready, I’ll go.” III Rick almost ran from her, bumping into two figures standing at a corner of the house, smoking. It was Len and Sam from his own farm. “It’s not fair,” Len complained jokingly, “to spend all your time with Barie. After all, you _are_ going to be paired with a Mech in a couple more days!” “I’m not!” he cried in exultation. “I’m going with Barie. I need your help.” In a tumble of words he told them what he planned. “Get a half dozen more guys from inside the house, Sam. Len, you come and help me get started. We’ll pump the tanks full and figure out a way to feed them from spare barrels inside the plane. There ought to be enough barrels around the farm.” But neither of the men had moved. “Come on!” he said. “You can’t,” said Sam. “You know better, Rick. It isn’t right. The Machine’s told you what’s best. We like you too much to help with a fool thing like this. You and Barie--we like you both too much.” He saw it then, he thought. Sam had always liked Barie. Maybe he figured with Rick out of the way the Machine might give her to him. “It takes something like this to find out who your friends are,” Rick cried. “There are plenty of guys who _will_ help me!” “We’re your friends,” said Len quietly. But he was gone from hearing. One by one, or in groups of two or three, they were approached by him in the hall or out in the yard. They were appalled by the stupidity of the thing he asked them to do. He was stunned by their repeated refusal.