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"Their guilt is hard to measure. They knew what was going on but made no move to prevent it. By our doctrine, they are as guilty as Orreduc. Yips look at life differently. Even now they don't understand why they are being punished; Orreduc gave the orders; they merely obeyed, so why this cruel fate?

"But I feel no great sorrow on their behalf. The rule is simple:

"When you travel to far places, obey the laws of the land."

The Yips neglected this rule and are now enroute to Cape Journal."

Returning to Clattuc House, Glawen called Wayness on the tele phone. She seemed wan and despondent, and had little to say.

Halfway through the next morning Wayness telephoned Glawen.

"Are you busy?"

"Not particularly."

"I want to talk with you. Can I meet you somewhere?"

"Certainly. Shall I come to Riverview House?"

"If you like. I'll wait for you out in front."

Glawen drove the Clattuc power wagon south along the Beach Road. A gusty wind from the sea caused the roadside palms to dip and sway, and set the fronds to rasping. Surf roared up the beach, to retreat in hissing sheets of spume. At Riverview House, Glawen found Wayness waiting beside the road, her dark green cloak flapping in the wind.

Wayness jumped into the seat beside Glawen. He drove another mile south, then turned off the road and halted where they could look out over the tumbling sea. Glawen asked, somewhat tentatively: "How are your father and mother?"

"Well enough. Mother's sister has come to visit."

"What of your plans? Are you still set upon your visit to Earth?"

"That's what I want to talk about." She sat a moment looking out to sea.

"I've said very little about what I hope to do."

"You've said nothing."

"Only to Milo, who was coming with me. Now he's gone. It came to me that if, like Milo, I were to die suddenly, or be killed, or lose my mind, then no one would know what I know.

At least, I don't think anyone knows what I know. I hope not."

"Why haven't you told your father?"

Wayness smiled sadly.

"He would be astonished and highly concerned. He would not allow me to go to Earth. He would insist that I was too young and inexperienced for so much responsibility."

"Perhaps he would be right."

"I don't think so. But I must tell someone else, just in case something happens to me."

"It sounds like dramatic information."

"You can judge for yourself."

"You're planning to tell me?"

"Yes. But you must undertake to tell no one, unless somehow I am killed and you fear for your own life, or something similar."

"I don't like the sound of this, but I'll do as you ask."

"Thank you, Glawen. First, you must know that I am not absolutely certain of anything, and I may be off on a wild-goose chase. But I feel that I must learn the truth."

"Very well. Proceed."

"When I visited Earth before, I was just a schoolgirl. I stayed with my father's cousin at a place called Tierens, which is not far from Shillawy. His name is Pirie Tamm; he lives in an enormous echoing old house with his wife and daughters, all older than I. Pirie Tamm is a complicated person, an amateur of a dozen arts and crafts and recondite skills. He is one of the few remaining Naturalists on Earth-or, for that matter, the whole Gaean Reach--by reason of his interest in evolutionary biology. He has dozens of interesting friends; Milo and I both enjoyed every minute of our stay.

"One day an old man named Kelvin Kilduc came to call. We were told that he was the secretary, and possibly the final secretary, of the Naturalist Society, now on the verge of becoming totally defunct, since

the membership consisted only of Kelvin Kilduc, Pirie Tamm, a few antiquarians and two or three dilettantes. The Society had once been prosperous but no longer, owing to the peculations of a secretary named Frons Misfit, who had held office sixty years before. Nisfit |if plundered the accounts, sold all the assets and made off with the proceeds. Nisfit could not be traced and the Society was left with a trifling income from investments Nisfit had not been able to liquidate about enough to pay for the official stationery and the annual registration fee. And of course the Society held title to Cadwal, through the original Grant in Perpetuity, which was integral with the original Charter.

"Kelvin Kilduc in due course became secretary an honorary position, which gave him a unique status at dinner parties;

he was a walking conversation piece. I don't think he took his position seriously.

"I approached him in the most demure and polite manner imaginable and asked if I might look at the original Charter, since I myself was a Naturalist from Throy. He did not want to be bothered and made difficulties: the Charter was locked in a vault, deep under the Bank of Margravia in Shillawy. I did not persist, although I thought him rather stuffy and self-important.

"Poor Kelvin Kilduc died in his sleep two weeks later, and for lack of anyone else Pirie Tamm assumed the post of secretary to the nearly nonexistent Naturalist Society."

"One moment," said Glawen.

Are sens

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