“Of course. But in spite of music and soft light and every- one's comforting thoughts it is still a scary event in a baby's life, being pushed out of a comfortable womb into the cold world. In just a few months you'll be entering the adult world of Ark Three. Are you scared about that? Maybe part of you wants to remain a comfortable neophyte.”

Ruth felt like telling the Healer just how miserable it was to be a neophyte, if you were a person who didn't fit in; but it seemed impolite to contradict, so she said nothing.

The Healer patted her shoulder. “Have a good night's sleep. If the dream comes back remind yourself that being born is a great and exciting adventure, nothing to be afraid of ''

Alone in the cubicle, a little comforted, though not entirely convinced, for the dream had felt so real, Ruth lay down and obediently shut her eyes.

Then the dream was back: the falling, the icy water, the sense of suffocation. She was aware, for the first time, of the noise. It was all about her, the roar of water, echoing, crashing.

“It is the dream of being born,” she told herself as she struggled. “And being born is a great and ... “She woke with a jolt and a scream to find herself sitting up in bed. The sheets and pillows were on the floor and the little night table had been overturned.

The Healer came running in. “Did I hear you call? It's all right. Nothing to worry about. Just a little earth tremor, I expect. Enough to scare anyone.”

“A tremor?”

“Just enough to pop all the cupboard doors open. And knock over your night table, I see.” She picked it up. “The bulb in your lamp is broken. You won't be needing it, will you? I must get back and clean up the broken glass. You wouldn't believe what rolled out of the cupboards. Goodnight.”

She bustled off. For the remainder of the night Ruth lay staring at the dark ceiling and pinching her arm whenever she felt her eyes close. She longed for the lights to come on, for the night to end.

Outside, she thought, the lights won't come on to wake you up or go out when it's time for sleep. You would have to wake and sleep with the sun. How strange that would be. She lay and thought about the golden sun until it was time to get up.

After two broken nights she was quite light-headed during class. The melody that had fallen into her mind when she was Outside kept surfacing until, in dance class, in the middle of a formal set that was supposed to illustrate the Oneness of the Web, the melody took her over.

“So the Freedom Man danced out of the

Ark Over the hills so shady,

Into the light and out of the dark

With his long-haired lady ...”