As soon as the broth and the bread were finished the questions began. They were addressed mostly to the Initiator, and it soon became clear to Ruth that these people did not trust her. Swift was the main spokesman, asking over and over again every detail of life in Ark Three.

“And you're telling me that everyone works? Even the leaders? The ones you call the Four?”

“It's perfectly true,” Ruth interrupted. “I've done the dishes alongside the Initiator or the Warden. Why, I believe that even the really dirty jobs, like cleaning out the purification tanks, are done by the grown-ups.”

“You believe? You mean they tell you this - you don't know?''

“I was a neophyte until a few months ago. Only the adults did the heavy or dangerous work.”

“Is it true?” The man called Stargazer suddenly spoke - for the first time. “Did you shovel muck down on Five?”

The Initiator laughed. “When it was my turn. The job had to be done. It wouldn't be fair for only a few people to do the unpleasant but necessary work. We shared it, as we share everything.''

“Well then, I'd like to shake your hand, ma'am.” Stargazer wrung her hand painfully hard, though Ruth noticed that the Initiator never winced. Then he looked round at the others. “Well, then,” he said, as if his gesture had proved something. Swift nodded, but Treefeller raised one mighty hand. “Wait. You say you come from a place called Ark Three. And that the same folks built it as built Ark One. You'll be on the same side, then.”

“I don't know about sides. We came from the same University. When the oil came to an end the different faculties planned the Arks together. But then each department, with families and friends who felt as they did, built their Own city. There has been no contact in the hundred and forty years since. ''

“Why? If you were friends. If you worked together.” Treefeller shook his head. “It doesn't sound reasonable.”

“It was done deliberately. We felt that, if there was no contact, each Ark might develop some particular skill that might be useful in the new world. And if anything went wrong,” she added, “the problem would not spread to the other foundations.”

“And now? Why have you come now?”

The Initiator turned to Ruth. “It's your story.”

Stumbling over her words Ruth tried to explain to the strangers everything that had happened in the last year.

“ ... and so we thought that the people of Ark One had developed Esper powers like us and were trying to get m touch ... ''

“Esper? What is Esper?” Swift interrupted.

“But ... you must know. Isn't it you? Aren't you from Ark One? Did I come to the wrong…” She stopped at the expression on the faces around her. “What is it? What did I say?”