"Good thinking once more," Seciv said smoothly. "But you could go a little further. It wouldn't be necessary to move the coils themselves, physically; it is the movement of the current within them that could generate forward motion."

Muub was nodding slowly. "I see. So you'd make the current flow back and forth."

"Have it alternate. Exactly. Then the coils could be fixed rigidly to the hull. And, of course, this design would have a certain economy: the craft's propulsion system would be one and the same as the magnetic shielding system." He frowned. "But we would still face the problem of the excessive heat in the interior of the craft generated by a nuclear-burning turbine in an enclosed space..."

Hosch looked reluctant to speak, as if, Dura thought, he genuinely hated to contribute anything positive. "But you wouldn't need to use nuclear burning," he said at last. "Anything to power the turbine would be sufficient... maybe even human muscles."

"No, I fear our muscles would be too feeble for such a task. But we could use the power of animals — a team of pigs, harnessed to some form of turbine — yes, indeed!" He laughed and clapped Adda on the back, sending the old man spinning slowly like a bandaged fan. "So it seems after all that we will be riding pigs to the Core!"

Adda steadied himself, grinning widely.

Muub looked around the group. "I don't believe it." He sounded disappointed. "I think we've come up with something we could build... something that might actually work."

Seciv pulled at his chin; Dura had never seen hands so bony and delicate. "We should build a prototype — there may still be unforeseen problems with the design. And, of course, once the descent begins the craft will encounter conditions we can only guess at."

"And then," Dura said, her spine prickling and cold, "there are the Colonists. In fact, the mission will be a failure if it doesn't encounter the Colonists. What then?"

"What indeed?" Seciv echoed gravely.

Muub ran a hand over his bald head. "Damn you. Damn all of you. You've succeeded too well; I can't justify reporting to Hork that this idea of his is impossible." He eyed the Harbor supervisor. "Hosch, I want you to take charge of the design and construction of a prototype."

Hosch glared back resentfully, his thin face livid.

Muub said icily, "Call on these upfluxers, and you can have some of Seciv's time. As for labor, use some of your workers from the Harbor. But keep it simple and cheap, will you? There's no need to waste more of our energy on this than we have to." He turned in the Air, dismissing them. "Call me when the prototype's ready."

—

The Human Beings, arms loosely linked, followed Muub and the others slowly out of the Stadium.

"So," Adda said. "A chance to confront gods from the past."