Philas and others argued strongly for doing something. "Think about it," she said vehemently, her thin arms raised over her head as she spoke, her fingers spread wide. "What if that really is a wormhole Interface, left over from the past? What if it's still working?"

"That's impossible," Dia said. "The Interfaces were taken down into the Core, by the Colonists after the Core Wars."

"The Mantle is a big place," someone said. "Maybe some of the Interfaces were left functioning. Maybe..."

"Yes," Philas said eagerly, "just think of that. We know that in the days before the Wars Human Beings could cross the Mantle in huge bounds, using the wormholes. If that is a working Interface down there we might complete this impossible journey in a heartbeat!"

Mur looked around at faces rendered sharp by hunger and exhaustion. Philas was weaving a dream of abandoning this ghastly journey, to reach their goal in moments with the aid of magical ancient technology. It was seductive, compelling, all but irresistible.

Despite his loyalty to Dia, he felt himself falling under the spell of that dream.

"There are already people there," he said slowly. "Around the Interface. If it is an Interface. Who's to say how they will react to us? Will they simply let us walk up and wander through?"

"Maybe they're Colonists," Philas said.

"Anyway," said someone, "we won't know unless we go to find out..."

There was a murmur of agreement. Dia dropped her head.

Philas and Mur were named as scouts, to go ahead to the artifact and investigate, leaving the rest of the Human Beings in the forest until their return.

Mur tried to comfort Dia. "It won't take us long. And perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?" She stared at him bitterly. "Perhaps there are wizards there who can restore little Jai to us. Is that what you expect?"

"Dia..."

She seemed to slump, as if the Air was collapsing out of her. "We're going to spend the rest of our lives here. Right here. Dying off one by one. Aren't we, Mur?"

—

Philas and Mur dived away from the forest and into the Mantle. The tetrahedral artifact might be as much as a half-day away, so they each carried a bag containing a little of the tribe's precious, and dwindling, supply of pig-meat.

At first Mur looked back frequently into the Crust-forest. Dia's face, turned down like a small, round leaf, followed them as they descended, her expression soon too distant to read. Then she ducked back into the forest. For a while Mur was able to follow the movements of the other Human Beings as they worked through the forest, using the time to hunt and to repair damaged tools, ropes and clothes. But at last the site of the Human Beings' temporary camp was lost in the swirling, complex tapestry of trunks and branches that made up the Crust-forest.