rst goal--he was leader. For all of them there
existed the second goal: the hope of someday leaving Ragnarok and taking
Athena from the Gerns. For many of them, perhaps, it was only wishful
dreaming but for him it was the prime driving force of his life.

There was so much for them to do and their lives were so short in which
to do it. For so long as he was leader they would not waste a day in
idle wishing....

* * * * *

When the others were gathered to hear what he had to say he spoke to
them:

"We're going to continue where the Old Ones had to leave off. We're
better adapted than they were and we're going to find metals to make a
ship if there are any to be found.

"Somewhere on Ragnarok, on the northwest side of a range similar to the
Craig Mountains on the plateau, is a deep valley that the Dunbar
Expedition called the Chasm. They didn't investigate it closely since
their instruments showed no metals there but they saw strata in one
place that was red; an iron discoloration. Maybe we can find a vein
there that was too small for them to have paid any attention to. So
we'll go over the Craigs as soon as the snow melts from them."

"That will be in early summer," George Ord said, his black eyes
thoughtful. "Whoever goes will have to time their return for either just
before the prowlers and unicorns come back from the north or wait until
they've all migrated down off the plateau."

It was something Humbolt had been thinking about and wishing they could
remedy. Men could elude unicorn attacks wherever there were trees large
enough to offer safety and even prowler attacks could be warded off
wherever there were trees for refuge; spears holding back the prowlers
who would climb the trees while arrows picked off the ones on the
ground. But there were no trees on the plateau, and to be caught by a
band of prowlers or unicorns there was certain death for any small party
of two or three. For that reason no small parties had ever gone up on
the plateau except when the unicorns and prowlers were gone or nearly
so. It was an inconvenience and it would continue for as long as their
weapons were the slow-to-reload bows.

"You're supposed to be our combination inventor-craftsman," he said to
George. "No one else can compare with you in that respect. Besides,
you're not exactly enthusiastic about such hard work as mountain
climbing. So from now on you'll do the kind of work you're best fitted