edge, as if they had heard a
command in our eyes. The two other Street Sweepers of our brigade were
a hundred paces away down the road. And we thought that International
4-8818 would not betray us, and Union 5-3992 would not understand. So
we looked straight upon the Golden One, and we saw the shadows of their
lashes on their white cheeks and the sparks of sun on their lips. And we
said:

"You are beautiful, Liberty 5-3000."

Their face did not move and they did not avert their eyes. Only their
eyes grew wider, and there was triumph in their eyes, and it was not
triumph over us, but over things we could not guess.

Then they asked:

"What is your name?"

"Equality 7-2521," we answered.

"You are not one of our brothers, Equality 7-2521, for we do not wish
you to be."

We cannot say what they meant, for there are no words for their meaning,
but we know it without words and we knew it then.

"No," we answered, "nor are you one of our sisters."

"If you see us among scores of women, will you look upon us?"

"We shall look upon you, Liberty 5-3000, if we see you among all the
women of the earth."

Then they asked:

"Are Street Sweepers sent to different parts of the City or do they
always work in the same places?"

"They always work in the same places," we answered, "and no one will
take this road away from us."

"Your eyes," they said, "are not like the eyes of any among men."

And suddenly, without cause for the thought which came to us, we felt
cold, cold to our stomach.

"How old are you?" we asked.

They understood our thought, for they lowered their eyes for the first
time.

"Seventeen," they whispered.

And we sighed, as if a burden had been taken from us, for we had been
thinking without reason of the Palace of Mating. And we thought that we
would not let the Golden One be sent to the Palace. How to prevent it,
how to bar the will of the Councils, we knew not, but we knew suddenly
that we would. Only we do not know why such thought came to us, for
these ugly matters bear no relation to us and the Golden One. What
relation can they bear?

Still, without reason, as we stood there by the hedge, we felt our lips
drawn tight with hatred, a sudden hatred for all our brother men. And
the Golden One saw it and smiled slowly, and there was in their smile
the first sadness we had seen in them. We think that in the wisdom of
women the Golden One had understood more than we can understand.

Then th