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get there and back through the rain. You needn't worry, though; we'll take care of you when you go to sleep. I wouldn't want anything to eat you, friend Swift!"

It was almost funny to watch Swift's fury. His hands tightened on the spear shafts, and he rose to full height on his walking legs, shaking all over with rage. For several seconds it seemed an even bet whether he would hurl the spears or charge the door across the scattered coals. Nick was perfectly ready for either, but was hoping for the latter; the mental picture of Swift with burned feet was! a very attractive one.

But the chief did neither. In the midst of his fury he suddenly relaxed, and the spear points dropped as though he had forgotten them for a moment. Then he shifted the j weapons backward until he was holding them near their j centers of gravity, in "carry" position, and turned away from the hut. Then, seemingly as an afterthought, he turned back and spoke to Nick.

"Thanks, Chopper. I didn't expect that much help. I'd better say good-bye, now; and so had you—to your i Teacher."

"But—you can't travel at night."

"Why not? You did."

"But how about Fagin? How do you know he can?"

"You told me he could do anything you could. You also said he'd agree to do what we said. If he forgets that, or changes his mind, we can thank you for showing us what to do. Do you suppose he'll like the touch of fire any better than we do?" Swift chuckled and strode swiftly back to the main group, bawling orders as he went. Nick began shouting at least as loudly.

"Fagin! Did you hear that? Fagin! Teacher!" In his anxiety he forgot the tune it always took the Teacher to answer, and drowned the robot out for a moment. Then its answer became audible.

"What's the matter, Nick?" It was not possible to tell from the voice that Raeker was not at the other end; Cerebration; Transportation; Emigration 51

Nick's people had been given a general idea of the "Teacher" situation, but not all the details, and they thought inevitably of the robot as an individual. This was virtually the first time it had made any difference; the man on watch knew the general picture, of course, having been briefed by Raeker when the latter had gone off duty, but he had not actually been present during Swift's initial attack or the subsequent truce. Consequently, Nick's words did not mean all they might have to him.

"Swift is going to start back for the caves right away; he says he'll use fire on you if you don't go with him. Can you stand that?"

There was a little more than the usual hesitation. No one had ever measured the temperature of a Tenebran fire, and the man on watch was not enough of a physicist to hazard a guess from its radiation output. The main consideration in his mind was the cost of the robot.

"No," he answered. "I'll go along with him."

"What shall we do?"

Raeker's order for the villagers to stay put was one thing he had not mentioned to his relief; he had expected to be back on duty long before the start of the journey. The relief did the best he could under the circumstances.

"Use your own judgment. They won't hurt me; I'll get in touch with you again later."

"All right." Nick carefully refrained from reminding the Teacher of his earlier command; he liked the new one much better. He watched in silence as the invaders, under Swift's orders, collected what torches they could from the nearly spent fires. Then they clustered around the Teacher, leaving an opening in the crowd on the side they wished him to go. It was all done without words, but the meaning was plain enough. The robot swung around on its treads and headed south, the cave dwellers swarming after it.

Nick spent only a few moments wondering whether they'd find more torch wood before using up what they 52