“She's doing something to the plants down there.” Ruth was less scared now. They seemed to be interested rather than angry. “That triangle at the end is supposed to be sharp. I think she's kind of stirring up the soil around the plants.”

“I see. Well, that makes sense. Now about her clothing - you seem to have had some difficulty in deciding what she was supposed to be wearing.”

“Oh, no.” She spoke eagerly. “I know exactly what it's supposed to look like. It's just so difficult to paint right. It's soft and hairy, not a bit like synthetic cloth.”

“Fur perhaps, like the skin of an animal.” The Initiator touched the surface of the paper with one finger.

“Yes, that's right. How clever of you to know.” She stopped and blushed at her temerity.

“But the point is that you're not making up these drawings, are you?” The Warden fixed her with a rather severe look. “You’re trying to put down something that is very clear to you - something you remember. Is that right?”

“Yes, Warden. That's what we're supposed to do in art class. Put down just what's in our head.”

“In your head.”

“Yes, Warden.”

There was another silence. Then the Custodian reached over and lifted a fat folder off the desk. Is that all about me? thought Ruth guiltily, and slouched down into her chair.

“Now where is that report I'm looking for? Ah, here it is.When Ruth was picked up outside the Dome.”

Ruth blushed and sank even lower in her chair.

“Let me see... The Warden said 'If we let you go what would you do, Ruth?' Do you remember what you replied, Ruth?”

“N ... no. No, I don't think I do.”

“You sang a song. Do you remember the words? Do you, Ruth?”

“Yes, Custodian ''

“Could you sing it for us now?”

Ruth shook her head and stared at the floor.

“You sang the following strange words:

'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.'

Do you remember that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

''And the tune. Do you recollect the tune?”

“Of course I do. It's in my head all the time. It's driving me crazy!” Ruth's fingers stretched out and her legs unwound from around the chair legs. At the same instant the papers on the desk flew up into the air, funnelled up to the ceiling and then drifted down again. “Oh, what's happened!”

The Protector jumped to his feet and ran around the desk to stand behind Ruth, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. “It's all right, Ruth. Steady. Nobody's going to hurt you.”

“How did that ... it can't be another earth tremor, can it? I didn't feel anything. And then there were the tomatoes. They just flew off the counter. Oh, I'm scared!”