ehind Marthasa's eyes. "Well--maybe that makes it
different," he said finally. "We try to do everything possible to make
the Ids happy. It's up to you if you want to waste your time on the
visit."

"I think I do. Sal Karone has been very attentive and pleasant to us.
It's a small favor in return."

* * * * *

Early in the morning, two days later, they left with Sal Karone
directing them to the Idealist center. They discovered that the term, at
the edge of the city, was a mere euphemism. It was a long two-hour trip
at the high speed of which the Markovian cars were capable.

The city itself vanished, and a thickly wooded area took its place
during the last half of the journey, reminding them of the few remote,
peaceful forests of Earth. Then, as the car slowed, they left the
highway for a rough trail that led for a number of miles back into the
forest. They came at last into a clearing circled by rough wooden
dwellings possessing all the appearance of crude, primitive existence on
little more than a subsistence level.

"This is the village of our Chief," said Sal Karone. "He will be pleased
to explain all you may wish to know about the Idealist Way."

Cameron was shocked almost beyond speech by his first sight of the
clearing. He had tried to prepare for the worst, but he had told himself
that the Markovian's estimate of the Ids could not be true. Now he was
forced to admit that it was. In contact with all the skills of their
Masters, which they would certainly be permitted to learn if they wanted
to, the Ids chose primitive squalor when they were on their own.

Their serenity could be little more than the serenity of the savage who
has no wants or goals and is content to merely serve those whose
ambitions are greater. It was the serenity and peacefulness of death.
The Ids had died--as a race--long ago. The Markovians were loud,
boastful, and obnoxious, but that could be discounted as the awkwardness
of youth in a race that would perhaps be very great in the Universe at a
time when the Ids were wholly forgotten.

Cameron felt depressed by the sight. He began to doubt the wisdom of his
coming here in hope of finding an answer to the Markovian deception. The
warning of Sal Karone on shipboard seemed now like nothing more than a
half ignorant demonstration of loyalty toward the Markovian Masters.
Possibly there had been some talk which the Id had overheard and he had
taken it upon him