This was a shock. We had been pondering for some time how we might get access to Amel’s factories and laboratories, and to Amel himself. And we had been divided really, about how and when to attempt this and what danger it would inevitably present if we drew attention to ourselves on account of a special interest in Amel.

And then up comes this smiling civil servant or guardian or special representative of Amel and tells us that Amel is ready to receive us, and that we best be at his personal chambers in the Creative Tower at high noon. We knew what the Creative Tower was of course. This was where Amel lived and worked and ruled. The Creative Tower was one of many buildings in the Creative Gardens, where there were laboratories and factories and libraries which we had not yet seen.

Was this the end of our stay in this paradise? Was this the end of our lives? Was this the end of our mission, and who among us wanted to lock arms and detonate and blow the magnificent and complex world of Atalantaya to high Heaven? Garekyn actually suggested that we flee. After all, it was an invitation, wasn’t it? No guards had been dispatched to take us prisoner and bring us forcibly to the Great One. Why not leave the city now? We could make a report to the Bravennans of what we had seen, a progress report, so to speak, and then come back to do the deed when we were more fully prepared.

“And how do we explain to them,” Derek asked, “that we are not ready now? And that we are not fully prepared?”

Suddenly they were all looking at me. And as this conversation had been taking place in our gathering room, I went out onto the balcony and stared down into the busy streets of Atalantaya. I stared up at the sky in which I could see the ghost of a daytime moon.

When I came in, I told them: “It’s time for us to talk to Amel, to learn who Amel is, and what Amel is, according to Amel.”

I didn’t have to ask as to their disposition about our purpose. No one wanted to fulfill The Purpose. No one wanted to detonate.

Finally, Derek said in a low murmur, “I do not want to destroy all this. Even if I were ready to die, I could not bring myself to destroy all this!”

“I fear that we are supposed to persuade you,” said Welf.

“No matter,” I said. “Today we go to see Amel.”

“And what if he knows our purpose,” asked Garekyn, “and what if he’s been watching us all this time? I mean why else would he be sending for us? There are millions of people around us. Why has he asked to see us?”

Finally after a lot of back-and-forth we all agreed that we were excited, much more excited than we were afraid.