But one
of them, now and again, brought out a small piece of whitish rock and
regarded it incredulously. It was not an unusual kind of rock. It was
ordinary milky quartz. But it had tooth marks on it. Some diny, at some
time, had gnawed casually upon it as if it were soft as cheese.

* * * * *

Faint cheering could be heard in the distance as the ground-cars
carrying the committee neared the city of Tara. To those in the
vehicles, it seemed incredible that anybody should dare to rejoice
within at least two light-years of Sean O'Donohue as he was at this
moment. But the cheering continued. It grew louder as the cars entered
a street where houses stood side by side. But there came a change in
the chairman of the Dail Committee, too.

The cars slowed because the pavement was bad to nonexistent. Trees
lined the way. An overhanging branch passed within two yards of Moira's
grandfather. Something hung on it in a sort of graceful drapery. It was
a black snake. On Eire! Sean O'Donohue saw it. It took no notice of
him. It hung comfortably in the tree and looked with great interest
toward the sounds of enthusiasm.

The deathly pallor of Sean O'Donohue changed to pale lavender. He saw
another black snake. It was climbing down a tree trunk with a
purposeful air, as if intending to look into the distant uproar. The
ground-cars went on, and the driver of the lead car swerved
automatically to avoid two black snakes moving companionably along
together toward the cheering. One of them politely gave the ground-car
extra room, but paid no other attention to it. Sean O'Donohue turned
purple.

Yet another burst of cheering. The chairman of the Dail Committee
almost, but not quite, detonated like a fission bomb. The way ahead was
blocked by people lining the way on a cross street. The cars beeped,
and nobody heard them. With stiff, jerky motions Sean O'Donohue got out
of the enforcedly stopped car. It had seemed that he could be no more
incensed, but he was. Within ten feet of him a matronly black snake
moved along the sidewalk with a manner of such assurance and such
impeccable respectability that it would have seemed natural for her to
be carrying a purse.

Sean O'Donohue gasped once. His face was then a dark purple. He marched
blindly into the mob of people before him. Somehow, the people of Tara
gave way. But the sides of this cross street were crowded. Not only was
all the population out