tuation fantastic and the hope forlorn,
they were heartened now. Richard Wade summed it up succinctly
afterwards, in a private conversation with Harry.

"It isn't going to be easy," he said. "In the old science fiction
yarns I used to write, a group like this would have been able to
prevent the revolution. At the very least, it would decide who won if
fighting actually broke out. But in reality we were too late to
forestall revolt, and we couldn't win the war no matter on whose side
we fought. There's just one job we're equipped for--and that's to win
the peace. I don't mean we'll step out of here and take over the
world, either. We'll have to move slowly and cautiously, dispersing in
little groups of five or six all over the country. And we'll have to
sound out men in the communities we go to, find those who are willing
to learn and willing to build. But we can be an influence, and an
important one. We have the knowledge and the skill. We may not be
chosen to lead, but we can _teach_ the leaders. And that's important."

Harry smiled in agreement. They _did_ have something to offer, and
surely it would be recognized--even if the Naturalists had won, even
if the entire country had sunk into semi-barbarism. No use
anticipating such problems now. Wait until fall came; then they'd
reconnoitre and find out. Wait until fall--

It was a wise decision, but one which ignored a single, important
fact. The Naturalists didn't wait until fall to conduct their
reconnaissance.

They came over the canyon that very night; a large group of them in a
large jetter.

And they dropped a large bomb....

11. Jesse Pringle--2039

They were after him. The whole world was in flames, and the buildings
were falling, the mighty were fallen, the Day of Judgment was at hand.

He ran through the flames, blindly. Blind Samson. Eyeless in Gaza,
treading at the mill. The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they
grind exceedingly small.

Small. They were all small, but that didn't matter. They had the guns
and they were hunting him down to his doom. Day of doom. Doomsday. The
great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns was abroad in the
land.

They had unleashed the dragon and his breath was a fire that seared,
and his tail was a thunder that toppled towers. The dragon was
searching him out for his sins; he would be captured and set to labor
in the mill.

But he would escape, he must escape! He was afraid of them, small as
they