“Well,” Window said. “Your search party is leaving. They’ve decided that you’re not on Earth because a boy couldn’t be bold enough to pull such a stunt alone; and being men, we couldn’t find you if they didn’t.” Window smiled dryly. “They’re wrong on several points. We have men and women here, and the ruins above—the dig—is just camouflage. We live beneath, as you know, obviously.”

“How many of you are there?” Proteus asked. “How do you get away with it?” He was refreshed after a good night’s sleep. All he could think of now was the fact that people were actually living beneath the Earth, unknown to the people above it.

“I can’t tell you everything at once,” Window said, smiling. “We’re supposed to be part of a minor archeological society, with our own funds. We report to our own mother group, in the floating city. Archeology is considered a harmless male activity, no longer taken seriously since the main population left Earth. So no one bothers us.”

“I guess I don’t understand,” Proteus said. “Do men rule things here?”

Window shook his head. “Each sex has tried to rule the other, throughout history. In a way, the results were more disastrous when men had the upper hand. They became so alienated from themselves as simple individuals that they could only relate through sex-directed activities. But the women are doing a poor job, too, as you should know, with your background. They tried to retaliate and turn the tables until they took on many of the unfavorable traits they thought were male. I’ll explain more about it later, but I can honestly say that we relate here as individuals. Each person is respected for his or her uniqueness. Even names have individual meanings, and aren’t sexually based.”

“But how many of there are you?” Proteus asked again. “When will you show me around? Why are you called Tellers?”

“As for our name, it’s like this,” Window said. “In ages past, archeologists used the term tell to refer to the artificial mounds that cover the remains of past ruins. Finally they called themselves Tellers.” He shrugged and smiled. “As for some of your other questions, I’m afraid the answers will have to wait for a while. Maybe before too long, you’ll learn the rest.”

“Maybe?” Proteus said.

“Maybe,” Window repeated. “Many of our ways will be directly counter to those you’ve been brought up with. We have to decide just how much you can assimilate and accept. We may have to keep you on the outer edges, so to speak. I hope not—”

“But what could be so strange to me?” Proteus asked. He was tired of sitting around; he wanted to explore the place. “I think you’re hedging,” he said, looking away.