"There was a man and a woman once," the voices told him gently.
"Mankind still remembers their legend--John Starr and Lorna, who defied
the Aesir."
"John Starr and Lorna!"
"We fought the Aesir in the days when we and they were human. We worked
with them on the entropy device that made them what they are now--and
made us--ourselves. When we saw what they planned with their power, we
fought.... But they were five, and strong because they were ruthless.
We had to flee."
The voices that spoke as one voice were distant, remembering.
"They grew in power on their Asgard world, changing as the millenniums
swept over them, as entropy accelerated for them. And we changed,
too, in our own place, in our different way. We are not human now.
But we are not monsters, as the Aesir were. We have known failure
and bitterness and defeat many times, Derek Stuart. But we remember
humanity. And as for love--"
Stuart said bitterly:
"You know _your_ love. You have it forever. But Kari ... Kari is dead."
The voices were very gentle. "You have sacrificed more than we. You
gave up your love and your bodies. We--"
* * * * *
Silence again. Then the woman, serene and gentle-voiced, "There is a
way, John. But not an easy one--for us."