ned very early in life that there was no
safety on this planet--except that which they provided for themselves.

While he was learning about Pyrrus he was gaining new insight into the
Pyrrans as well.

VIII.

Days turned into weeks in the school, cut off from the world outside.
Jason almost became proud of his ability to deal death. He recognized
all the animals and plants in the nursery room and had been promoted to
a trainer where the beasts made sluggish charges at him. His gun picked
off the attackers with dull regularity. The constant, daily classes were
beginning to bore him as well.

Though the gravity still dragged at him, his muscles were making great
efforts to adjust. After the daily classes he no longer collapsed
immediately into bed. Only the nightmares got worse. He had finally
mentioned them to Brucco, who mixed up a sleeping potion that took away
most of their effect. The dreams were still there, but Jason was only
vaguely aware of them upon awakening.

By the time Jason had mastered all the gadgetry that kept the Pyrrans
alive, he had graduated to a most realistic trainer that was only a
hair-breadth away from the real thing. The difference was just in
quality. The insect poisons caused swelling and pain instead of instant
death. Animals could cause bruises and tear flesh, but stopped short of
ripping off limbs. You couldn't get killed in this trainer, but could
certainly come very close to it.

Jason wandered through this large and rambling jungle with the rest of
the five-year-olds. There was something a bit humorous, yet sad, about
their unchildlike grimness. Though they still might laugh in their
quarters, they realized there was no laughing outside. To them survival
was linked up with social acceptance and desirability. In this way
Pyrrus was a simple black-and-white society. To prove your value to
yourself and your world, you only had to stay alive. This had great
importance in racial survival, but had very stultifying effects on
individual personality. Children were turned into like-faced killers,
always on the alert to deal out death.

Some of the children graduated into the outside world and others took
their places. Jason watched this process for a while before he realized
that all of those from the original group he had entered with were gone.
That same day he looked up the chief of the adaptation center.

"Brucco," Jason asked, "how long do you plan to keep me in this
kinde