Page:Fantastic Universe (1956-10; vol. 8, no. 3).djvu/74

102 feet through our shoes no matter how thick the soles."

Involuntarily she stopped and looked down. That explained the thickness of his rug. That explained why his movements were full of grace he had always walked on soft, green grass.

She found herself turning to look at him. For the last time, she told herself. I'm going now but I want to see him once more

"Are you leaving, Sara?" he seemed amused, and yet there was no mockery in his voice. Just as there was no smugness in his lie to Mr. Archer a few moments ago.

"It will interest you to know, Sara, that I had the privilege of developing the capsule we are using so successfully here in your land."

"I can't understand," she said painfully, every breath she drew stabbing her chest, "I can't understand what your purpose is. What do we have here that you want?"

"We do not plan conquest," he said, faintly reproachful.

"Go away," she said feverishly, her voice dropping to conspiratorial deptli. "Go away now and I won't say a word to anyone. Go back to your own planet and leave us alone!"

"I can't," he said quietly. "We are here to prevent an invasion of our planet. Our agents are placed in key spots in your government to learn of future plans for invasion. We learn about your satellites and your rockets and your space stations." His face saddened. "You see, Sara, we do not want our way of life disturbed. Your people would bring war and hate and disease. And machinery. Machinery is all powerful in your concepts here on Earth. In our civilization the individual is everything. His right to live in peace and fruitfulness is the basis of our way of life. We want no interference."

"But how," she managed to ask in a hoarse whisper, "how can you prevent our government's future plans from being carried out? There will be space travel one day. Why don't you face it instead of  instead of "

His eyes seemed lit from within and suddenly his gaze was more than she could bear. The beating of her heart was repeated throughout her whole body with great painful thumps.

"You can help us, Sara," he said, disregarding what she had said. "In our land each man chooses his own field of endeavor and is equipped for top efficiency in that field. In our laboratories our astronomers and chemists and doctors are provided with eyesight perpetual, piercing and infallible. Our farmers and tenders of the grass are equipped with backs and hand which will never tire, being made of the strongest metal ever forged."

Her throat had closed.

"Come to us, Sara," he was coaxing. "You would be invaluable in