"Because I know the Ancient Tongue. The robot can talk, can't it? Well!
It's between you and me, Doc, and you're the boy who can cure the
Silver Plague. You can't get away from that."
"I-I suppose so. But--"
"You know the way out. Give me time to reach the temple and begin the
ceremony. Then lead the others out. They'll obey you; they're in the
Noctoli trance. Get 'em to the hangar and light out for Oretown. Be
sure to take the recording of the power-source with you."
"You crazy fool," Willard said through stiff lips. "What about Moira?"
Garth's face went gray. "Moira died years ago," he said carefully. "It
was the Silver Plague."
Doc didn't reply. But he nodded as though he had unexpectedly learned
the answer to a problem that had been puzzling him.
"Okay," Garth said. "You know what to do. Give me time enough to make
it. Then get out of here with the others, fast."