ew my own origin, my own race, and
the wisdom that I learned here in these caverns I was glad to give to
the young and ignorant voyagers that first came.

"An age ago, before any of you saw life, the work began. Today, this
home of ours is the fruit of long labor, of generations of men. We do
not like to give up our home, built to house our genius, to provide
everlasting protection against the unstable elements."

Her people, of several shapes and sizes, sourcing from an amalgam of
many human races of divergent strains from several near-forgotten
planets, all sighed together, like a little wind of sadness. And
something about that resignation of theirs seemed to anger the great
green mer-woman's eyes, but her voice did not reflect that anger. All
about them, below and above and on and on around the ancient bedrock of
the dark planet, tier on tier and level on level, their cavern city
stretched, a myriad homes for a myriad individuals.

"Today we face a contingency long foreseen. One which we hoped time
itself would change, through some new force changing the motions of
those bodies which circle ahead of us in space. It was foretold that in
time this planet in its free course through space would be attracted to
one or the other of two great suns which it will pass--or encounter. It
is most probable that our planet will find an orbit about one of those
suns ahead.

"Today that fate is no longer a prediction from an astronomer peering
into far space. It is a fact we face within short weeks, not in some far
future time. Already the surface ice is melting, seas forming above.
Already those who used to travel on the surface on their duties and
observations have been affected by the powerful radiations of those
suns. Those radiations when we are caught and held close will shorten
the life span to a hundredth of what it is now. You must go, and go now.
You must seek out a new home in the darkness of space where no sun
shines to cut your lives short."

A low sob broke from the almost silent people; then another. For years
they had known this would occur, but now there was no time left. It was
hard to think of leaving their ancient home. A low and youthful voice
asked, a clear ringing voice:

"And what of you, Alfreya? How can you accompany us? There has been no
ship built to hold the water you must have, no ship great enough to hold
your weight or lift it. What will you do?"

Her laugh was somehow one of vast relief, of