* * * * *

Fear came, now that he was in that land where men never walked. The
buildings loomed around him, forbidding and dark. Further down the
street the lights began, spaced at intervals on the walls.

"Your attention, please," said a voice at his shoulder. He recoiled,
noticing for the first time a small yellow mechanoid rolling silently
beside him. Its face screen watched him steadily.

"May I remind you that this is no longer the human zone? I can whistle
an autocar for you, if you wish."

Sethos felt a twinge of terror as he said, "No, thank you," and
continued to walk.

_Now it will begin_, he thought. _They'll be on me every block. Turn
back. No, don't give up now. What can I lose? They won't hurt me--it's
just a matter of regulation. They can't do anything to me for
disobedience._

Looking up, he saw stars between the clouds. For a moment he could
imagine that perhaps, once upon a time, men must have longed to reach
out in some way across the tremendous distance to the stars. It was a
strange sensation, this longing for something obviously unattainable.

"Hello," said another voice. "Are you lost?"

Sethos glanced at the new figure that accompanied him. It was human in
shape, but the fact that it skated on rollers betrayed its nature.

"No. I'm ... just walking." His voice sounded small and guilty in the
strange city.

"I see. For exercise?"

"No--I mean, not exactly. Well, I wanted to see what things were like
outside our zone."

"Our course."

_He won't stop me_, Sethos thought with determination.

"Are you someone I should know?" he asked.

"Tenth level," the mechanoid replied, whirring sedately along beside
him. "I was notified five minutes ago by a circuit walker. He said he
offered to radio for a vehicle, but you did not wish to return."

"That's right." Sethos was nervous now, but maintained his even step.
They had gone three blocks together, and still he would not slow down.

"Tell me, Mr. Tenth," Sethos said, trying to appear calm, "do
people--often walk as I'm doing?"

"No, not often." Mr. Tenth took a step across a small puddle, then
resumed skating.

"What happens if I get tired of walking?"

"I can direct you to Mr. Third's office, if you won't mind. He handles
such things."

"And suppose I keep going?"

"You'll be followed by an autocar that will pick you up whenever you get
tired."

"I intend to keep going," Sethos said, his teeth clenche