"Nothing. Dwell here with us and you will be safe from our people. If
the prediction is not soon fulfilled and you are not the Eric of the
Legend, you may stay or go as you desire."
"My brother, Garve. What about him?"
"He loves the city. He will also stay, though he will be outside this
building." Kroon clasped his hands. "Nolette, will you show Eric his
quarters?"
* * * * *
Eric followed Nolette through a hallway to a well furnished room.
Walking behind her the graceful sway of her walk reminded him of
the touch of her waist as he held it earlier when they rode, and he
felt the blood racing through his veins. He was tempted to seize her
shoulder, turn her, and take her in his arms.
She indicated the room with a gesture. "You will be comfortable here,
and you have only to wish strongly for food or drink. If your wishes do
not conflict with those of the elders they will come into being."
Eric asked, "And is this true of any wish? Suppose for instance I
wished for--You."
She looked at him steadily, "That would depend on the nature of your
wish. If you wished to take me as your wife the elders would approve."
Eric looked at her. He had hardly known her two hours. Yet the madness
of the moment made him rash, and he asked, "And what of your wishes,
Nolette?"
She said, "I am the Daughter of the City, and a virgin. If the Legend
is to be fulfilled I would be wed before I die."
He took a step forward and reached out to take her in his arms, but
she slipped away, saying quietly, "Not now. I will go away and let you
think. When you have decided call me in your mind, and the machine
will let me know." She smiled briefly, and left him alone in the room.
Eric was hardly aware of his actions as he seated himself in the
comfortable chair. He fumbled about for his pipe. He must not be a
fool. Perhaps if he thought quietly, and smoked, he could decide if
this was a dream, if he had gone quietly mad in his space ship, and had
been the victim of hallucinations. The chair was real to his touch, his
pipe was gone, and he remembered leaving it in the navigator's section
of the ship upon his earlier return. The memory seemed real enough. He
wished for his pipe again, and realized that now he held it in his hand.
This was no mirage. He tamped tobacco created by the machine from Red
Martian dust into the bowl of the pipe, and the smoke was as fragrant
as ever. He could see how such luxury would stagnate a race. As the
smoke curled around him he knew that two hours or two years were not
important, and he knew what he wanted. He wished for Nolette.
She came into the room, watching him quietly, suddenly shy. He said,
"It has come to me that I love you. Will you do me the honor to become
my wife?"
She said, "Yes, Eric. Oh! Yes!" and came running to him. Her kiss had
all the passion of his own.
An hour later she slipped from his arms, saying, "I must go and talk
with the elder dreamers. We must be married today, at once. We have so
little time. We must be husband and wife tonight." She slipped softly
from the room.
Eric watched her, marveling at his luck. He suddenly remembered that
he had not seen his brother since he had arrived at the house of the
elder dreamers. He wondered where Garve was, and wanted to talk to him.
Perhaps if he thought strongly enough the machine would get the message
thought to Garve. He concentrated.
Ten minutes later Garve walked into the room. He said, "I thought I
heard you calling. How'd you make out with the dreamers?"
"Well enough. Don't think me mad, Garve, but Nolette and I are to be
married, tonight."
Garve's face grew red, then as white as river sand. He said bitterly,
"I should have let them kill you in the street, but how could I? After
all we are brothers."
"You love her too."
"No! But I love this city. It is paradise, and now you will destroy it."
Eric said, "The Legend again! Everyone believes it. Yet it is but a
prediction. In time such a man as the Legend had to come, and some day
one more greedy than myself may destroy the city. Perhaps I will refuse
to carry out the destruction."
Garve laughed, a bitter cynical laugh. He cried, "You fool! How can you
help yourself? Everyone believes you are the Bronze one and the machine
will make that come true. How can you defeat the machine?"
Eric was staggered by a logic he had not even considered.
"Piece by piece," Garve said, "the prediction is coming to pass. Now
you are to wed Nolette, and that too is a part of the Legend."
"That was predicted?"
"Yes. And that is not the end." Garve's voice was as sharp as the bite
of a whip. "Do you know what else you will do?"
"No!" A thin horror seeped slowly into Eric's mind.
"You will destroy the Daughter of the City."