Hilvar had expressed the idea better than Alvin could, yet this was not exactly what he had in mind.
«I believe the truth is more complicated than that. It almost looks as if there was a conflict of opinion when the city was built, between those who wanted to shut it off completely from the outside world, and those who wanted to maintain some contacts. The first faction won, but the others did not admit defeat. I think Yarlan Zey must have been one of their leaders, but he was not powerful enough to act openly. He did his best, by leaving the subway in existence and by insuring that at long intervals someone would come out of the Hall of Creation who did not share the fears of all his fellow men, In fact, I wonder-» Alvin paused, and his eyes veiled with thought so that for a moment he seemed oblivious of his surroundings.
«What are you thinking now?» asked Hilvar.,
«It’s just occurred to me-perhaps 1 am Yarlan Zey. It’s perfectly possible. He may have fed his personality into Memory Banks, relying on it to break the mold of Diaspar before it was too firmly established. One day I must discover what happened to those earlier Uniques; that may help fill in the gaps in the picture.»
«And Yarlan Zey-or whoever it was-also instructed the Central Computer to give special assistance to the Uniques, whenever they were created,» mused Hilvar, following this line of logic.
«That’s right. The ironic thing is that I could have got all the information I needed direct from the Central Computer, without any assistance from poor Khedron. It would have told me more than it ever told him. But there’s no doubt that he saved me a good deal of time, and taught me much that I could never have learned by myself.»
«I think your theory covers all the known facts,» said Hilvar cautiously. «Unfortunately, it still leaves wide open the biggest problem of all-the original purpose of Diaspar. Why did your people try to pretend that the outer world didn’t exist? That’s a question I’d like to see answered.»
«It’s a question I intend to answer,» replied Alvin. «But I don’t know when-or how.»
So they argued and dreamed, while hour by hour the Seven Suns drifted apart until they had filled that strange tunnel of night in which the ship was riding. Then, one by one, the six outer stars vanished at the brink of darkness and at last only the Central Sun was left. Though it could no longer be fully in their space, it still shone with the pearly light that marked it out from all other stars. Minute by minute its brilliance increased, until presently it was no longer a point but a tiny disc. And now the disc was beginning to expand before them.
There was the briefest of warnings: for a moment a deep, bell-like note vibrated through the room. Alvin clenched the arms of his chair, though it was a futile enough gesture.
Once again the great generators exploded into life, and with an abruptness that was almost blinding, the stars reappeared. The ship had dropped back into space, back into; the Universe of suns and planets, the natural world where; nothing could move more swiftly than light.
They were already within the system of the Seven Suns, for the great ring of colored globes now dominated the sky. And what a sky it was! All the stars they had known, all the: familiar constellations, had gone. The Milky Way was no longer a faint band of mist far to one side of the heavens; they were now at the center of creation, and its great circle divided the Universe in twain.
The ship was still moving very swiftly toward the Central Sun, and the six remaining stars of the system were colored beacons ranged around the sky. Not far from the nearest of them were the tiny sparks of circling planets, worlds that must have been of enormous size to be visible over such a distance.
The cause of the Central Sun’s nacreous light was now clearly visible. The great star was shrouded in an envelope of gas which softened its radiation and gave it its characteristic color. The surrounding nebula could only be seen indirectly, and it was twisted into strange shapes that eluded the eye. But it was there, and the longer one stared the more extensive it seemed to be.
«Well, Alvin,» said Hilvar, «we have a good many worlds to take our choice from. Or do you hope to explore them all?»
«It’s lucky that won’t be necessary,» admitted Alvin. «If we can make contact anywhere, we’ll get the information we need. The logical thing would be to head for the largest planet of the Central Sun.»
«Unless it’s too large. Some planets, I’ve heard, were so big that human life could not exist on them-men would be crushed under their own weight.»
«I doubt if that will be true here, since I’m sure this system is entirely artificial. In any case, we’ll be able to see from space whether there are any cities and buildings.»
Hilvar pointed to the robot.
«Our problem has been solved for us. Don’t forget-our guide has been here before. He is taking us home and I wonder what he thinks about it?»
That was something that Alvin had also wondered. But was it accurate-did it make any sense at all-to imagine that the robot felt anything resembling human emotions now that it was returning to the ancient home of the Master, after so many aeons?
In all his dealings with it, since the Central Computer had released the blocks that made it mute, the robot had -never shown any sign of feelings or emotion. It had answered his questions and obeyed his commands, but its real personality had proved utterly inaccessible to him. That it had a personality Alvin was sure; otherwise he would not have felt that obscure sense of guilt which afflicted him when he recalled the trick he had played upon it-and upon its now dormant companion.
It still believed in everything that the Master had taught it; though it had seen him fake his miracles and tell lies to his followers, these inconvenient facts did not affect its loyalty. It was able, as had many humans before it, to reconcile two conflicting sets of data. Now it was following its immemorial memories back to heir origin. Almost lost in the glare of the Central Sun was a vale spark of light, with around it the fainter gleams of yet smaller worlds. Their enormous journey was coming to it end; in a little while they would know if it had been in vain.
Twenty
The planet they were approaching was now only a few million miles away, a beautiful sphere of multicolored light. There could be no darkness anywhere upon its surface, for as it turned beneath the Central Sun, the other stars would march one by one across its skies. Alvin now saw very clearly the meaning of the Master’s dying words: «It is lovely to watch the colored shadows on the planets of eternal light.»
Now they were so close that they could see continents an oceans and a faint haze of atmosphere. Yet there was som thing puzzling about its markings, and presently they realiz that the divisions between land and water were curious regular. This planet’s continents were not as Nature had le them-but how small a task the shaping of a world mu have been to those who built its suns!
«Those aren’t oceans at all!» Hilvar exclaimed suddenly «Look-you can see markings in them!»
Not until the planet was nearer could Alvin see clear what his friend meant. Then he noticed faint bands and lines along the continental borders well inside what he had take to be the limits of the sea. The sight filled him with a sudden doubt, for he knew too well the meaning of those lines. had seen them once before in the desert beyond Diaspar, they told him that his journey had been in vain.
«This planet is as dry as Earth,» he said dully. «Its water has all gone-those markings are the salt beds where seas have evaporated.»
«They would never have let that happen,» replied Hilvar «I think that, after all, we are too late.»