re almost three
feet tall. More stamina, that was the secret. Common stock, of course,
but they served a purpose. Somebody had to carry out orders.

When they wheeled the coasterchair into the elevator, Littlejohn
descended. The elevator halted on the first floor and he breathed a
sigh of relief. Great heights always made him faint and dizzy, and
even a short helicopter trip took its toll--the mere thought of
soaring two hundred feet above the ground was enough to paralyze him.

But this journey was vital. Thurmon was waiting for him.

Yes, Thurmon was waiting for him here in the council chamber. The
coasterchair rolled forward into the room and again Littlejohn felt a
twinge of apprehension. The room was vast--too big for comfort. It
must be all of fifty feet long, and over ten feet in height. How could
Thurmon stand it, working here?

But he had to endure it, Littlejohn reminded himself. He was head of
the council.

Thurmon was lying on the couch when Littlejohn rolled in, but he sat
up and smiled.

"I greet you," he said.

"I greet you," Littlejohn answered. "No, don't bother to stay seated.
Surely we don't need to be ceremonious."

Thurmon pricked up his ears at the sound of the unfamiliar word. He
wasn't the scholarly type, like Littlejohn. But he appreciated
Littlejohn's learning and knew he was important to the council. They
needed scholars these days, and antiquarians too. One has to look to
the past when rebuilding a world.

"You sent for me?" Littlejohn asked. The question was purely
rhetorical, but he wanted to break the silence. Thurmon looked
troubled as he replied.

"Yes. It is a matter of confidence between us."

"So be it. You may speak in trust."

Thurmon eyed the door. "Come nearer," he said.

Littlejohn pressed a lever and rolled up to the couchside. Thurmon's
eyes peered at him through the thick contact lenses. Littlejohn noted
the deep wrinkles around his mouth, but without surprise. After all,
Thurmon was an old man--he must be over thirty.

"I have been thinking," Thurmon said, abruptly. "We have failed."

"Failed?"

Thurmon nodded. "Need I explain? You have been close to the council
for many years. You have seen what we've attempted, ever since the
close of the Naturalist wars."

"A magnificent effort," Littlejohn answered politely. "In less than
thirty years an entire new world has risen from the ruins of the old.
Civilization has been restored, snatched from the very brin