"A means of conveyance that will take me back to the city. It stands
but a few yards down the road beyond the gate."

A short time later, the two men stood at the place that was to be the
parting of their ways. Both sensed this and Pride held out his hand.
The younger man grasped it firmly.

"Godspeed to you, my friend," John Pride said. "I fear I can help you
no further but if there is ever a time when my services are needed, I
will be waiting for your command."

"Thank you. Whatever befalls me I will always remember you as the
first friend I ever set eyes upon in this world."

With that, John Pride turned his car and drove off down the winding
road. As he left, the younger man realized the older man had said
nothing of the dead ancient in the great hall but realized it was
because of the strain Pride had suffered. The man was still somewhat
dazed from the shock of the fire.

* * * * *

He turned and walked slowly back toward the mansion until he stood
again in the great front yard. There he stopped and stood looking up
at the sun as it topped the hill east of the mansion.

"Who am I?" he asked himself. "Why was I given knowledge but not all
the knowledge necessary to intelligently pursue my destiny? In my
heart there is a certainty that I am an educated man. I am aware of
the fact that there are different groups of people who speak different
languages and I know I will be able to converse with any I meet.

"I know that there are planets and stars and moons and I know what is
to be known of the universe. But where is the exact personal knowledge
that would help me in my dealings with the future? Why was I left here
carefully tended and provided for these hundred years only to be
hurled suddenly upon my own?"

He walked slowly into the great hall and knelt beside the still figure
on the floor. A feeling of compassion stirred him but there was no
warmth of recognition, no personal sorrow as a result of the ancient's
death.

"Have I ever seen you before?" he asked softly. "Were you--Portox?"

The dead one did not answer and the young man lifted him and took him
from the hall and buried him. He could find no tools to dig the soil
but located a hole that had once been a shallow well. He dropped the
body therein and followed it with stones until the hole was filled. He
did this with no sense of callousness but rather with an impersonal
reverence he instinctively felt but could not