ies inside were impaled on jagged blades of steel, the
contorted, bloody faces lighted by bursts of flame. And the screams
and cries of the spectators rose higher, "Shut it off.... Oh Lord...."

Lights flashed through the room and the picture died.

* * * * *

Michael and Mary, both staring, saw, along the line of desks, the
agonized faces, some staring like white stones, others hidden in
clutching fingers, as though they had been confronted by a Medusa.
There was the sound of heavy breathing that mixed with the throbbing
of the pumps. The President held tightly to the edges of his desk to
quiet his trembling.

"There--there've been changes," he said, "since you've been out in
space. There isn't a person on Earth who's seen a violent death for
hundreds of years."

Michael faced him, frowning. "I don't follow you."

"Dying violently happened so seldom on Earth that, after a long time,
the sight of it began to drive some people mad. And then one day a man
was struck by one of the ground cars and _everyone_ who saw it went
insane. Since then we've eliminated accidents, even the idea. Now, no
one is aware that death by violence is even a possibility."

"I'm sorry," said Michael, "we've been so close to violent death for
so long.... What you've seen is part of the proof you asked for."

"What you showed us was a picture," said the President. "If it had
been real, we'd all be insane by now. If it were shown to the people
there'd be mass hysteria."

"But even if we'd found another habitable planet, getting to it would
involve just what we've shown you. Maybe only a tenth of the people
who left Earth, or a hundredth, would ever reach a destination out in
space."

"We couldn't tolerate such a possibility," said the President
gravely. "We'd have to find a way around it."

The pumps throbbed like giant hearts all through the stillness in the
council chambers. The faces along the line of desks were smoothing
out; the terror in them was fading away.

"And yet the Earth is almost dead," said Michael quietly, "and you
can't bring it back to life."

"The sins of our past, Mr. Nelson," said the President. "The Atomic
wars five thousand years ago. And the greed. It was too late a long
time ago. That, of course, is why the expedition was sent out. And now
you've come back to us with this terrible news." He looked around,
slowly, then back to Michael. "Can you give us any hope at all?"

"Non