began to
disperse.

"That girl," Odin grasped Gunnar's arm "Who is she?"

Gunnar looked at him curiously. "Her name is Nea. A distant cousin of
Maya's. Also, a distant cousin to Grim Hagen."

Nothing else was said. But Odin suddenly realized that since the day he had
been unwillingly carried back to the world above in the elevator he had not
noticed any girl at all.

That night Jack Odin could not sleep, although he had never slept more than
five hours at a time since returning to Opal. Getting up he found a little
radio and turned it to a frequency which occasionally caught some of the
stations above. A hill-billy band was playing, and a comic was singing:
"So I kissed her little sister and forgot my Clementine."

He turned off the radio with a curse and finally got to sleep, and dreamed
of star spaces and emerald worlds ruled by beautiful Brons girls who looked
like Maya--or maybe a bit like Nea. Until the worlds streaked across the
dark sky like comets. And Gunnar was shaking him by the arm and a streak
of light was coming in at the window.

"Ho, sluggard. We start to load the ship today. How long have you waited
for this? We were going to savor each moment, remember! And you lie here
like a turtle in the sun."

Odin yawned. "The lists are ready. Everything is packed. I, myself, have
checked the lists."

Gunnar laughed. "How much time have your people spent checking lists?
You are the world's best list-checkers. And the worst. I wish we were
just a handful of warriors going out for a fight. But whole families are
coming along. Apparently the Brons intend to sow their seed among the
stars. And with families. I'll wager that your lists are not worth a
darning needle. Something will be left behind. A slice of some bride's
wedding cake. Little Nordo's favorite toy. Papa's best pocket-knife.
Mama's button-box." The strong little man made a wry face. "Bah, this is
no trip for families. They want too much. They are never satisfied. With
warriors it is much different. They can take things as they are and
grumble a bit--or if they grumble too much, Gunnar can slap them silly.
But families--on a trip like this. No!"

"Well, they're going," Odin retorted. "From what I hear, you were the only
one who voted against them. So you had better get ready to listen to the
patter of little feet, and squalling babies, and Mamas and Papas arguing
over whose idea it was to make the trip anyway."

"Oh, well, it does not matter.