iven you a name in our thoughts, Liberty 5-3000."

"What is our name?" they asked.

"The Golden One."

"Nor do we call you Equality 7-2521 when we think of you."

"What name have you given us?"

They looked straight into our eyes and they held their head high and
they answered:

"The Unconquered."

For a long time we could not speak. Then we said:

"Such thoughts are forbidden, Golden One."

"But you think such thoughts as these and you wish us to think them."

We looked into their eyes and we could not lie.

"Yes," we whispered, and they smiled, and then we said: "Our dearest
one, do not obey us."

They stepped back, and their eyes were wide and still.

"Speak those words again," they whispered.

"Which words?" we asked. But they did not answer, and we knew it.

"Our dearest one," we whispered.

Never have men said this to women.

The head of the Golden One bowed slowly, and they stood still before us,
their arms at their sides, the palms of their hands turned to us, as if
their body were delivered in submission to our eyes. And we could not
speak.

Then they raised their head, and they spoke simply and gently, as if
they wished us to forget some anxiety of their own.

"The day is hot," they said, "and you have worked for many hours and you
must be weary."

"No," we answered.

"It is cooler in the fields," they said, "and there is water to drink.
Are you thirsty?"

"Yes," we answered, "but we cannot cross the hedge."

"We shall bring the water to you," they said.

Then they knelt by the moat, they gathered water in their two hands,
they rose and they held the water out to our lips.

We do not know if we drank that water. We only knew suddenly that their
hands were empty, but we were still holding our lips to their hands, and
that they knew it but did not move.

We raised our head and stepped back. For we did not understand what had
made us do this, and we were afraid to understand it.

And the Golden One stepped back, and stood looking upon their hands
in wonder. Then the Golden One moved away, even though no others were
coming, and they moved stepping back, as if they could not turn from us,
their arms bent before them, as if they could not lower their hands.

Chapter Five

We made it. We created it. We brought it forth from the night of the
ages. We alone. Our hands. Our mind. Ours alone and only.

We know not what we are saying. Our head is reeling. We look upon
the light