fire, a drifting cloud of sparks that was beginning to dissipate
with the night wind. Erick stood up unsteadily, helping Jan and Mara to
their feet. The three of them stood, staring silently across the dark
waste, the black plain, none of them speaking.

The City was gone.

At last Erick turned away. "That part's done," he said. "Now the rest!
Give me a hand, Jan. There'll be a thousand patrol ships around here in
a minute."

"I see one already," Mara said, pointing up. A spot winked in the sky, a
rapidly moving spot. "They're coming, Erick." There was a throb of chill
fear in her voice.

"I know." Erick and Jan squatted on the ground around the pyramid of
tubes and plastic, pulling the pyramid apart. The pyramid was fused,
fused together like molten glass. Erick tore the pieces away with
trembling fingers. From the remains of the pyramid he pulled something
forth, something he held up high, trying to make it out in the darkness.
Jan and Mara came close to see, both staring up intently, almost without
breathing.

"There it is," Erick said. "There!"

* * * * *

In his hand was a globe, a small transparent globe of glass. Within the
glass something moved, something minute and fragile, spires almost too
small to be seen, microscopic, a complex web swimming within the hollow
glass globe. A web of spires. A City.

Erick put the globe into the case and snapped it shut. "Let's go," he
said. They began to lope back through the trees, back the way they had
come before. "We'll change in the car," he said as they ran. "I think we
should keep these clothes on until we're actually inside the car. We
still might encounter someone."

"I'll be glad to get my own clothing on again," Jan said. "I feel funny
in these little pants."

"How do you think I feel?" Mara gasped. "I'm freezing in this, what
there is of it."

"All young Martian brides dress that way," Erick said. He clutched the
case tightly as they ran. "I think it looks fine."

"Thank you," Mara said, "but it is cold."

"What do you suppose they'll think?" Jan asked. "They'll assume the City
was destroyed, won't they? That's certain."

"Yes," Erick said. "They'll be sure it was blown up. We can count on
that. And it will be damn important to us that they think so!"

"The car should be around here, someplace," Mara said, slowing down.

"No. Farther on," Erick said. "Past that little hill over there. In the
ravine, by the trees.