And even if that were not the case, how could be bring her back -- when he could not return himself? He had lost the key!

Dispirited, he returned to the blankets and buried himself under them. The cold was not merely of the body now.

He returned to his review of recent events. What else was there to do?

So Darius went to the alien Mode, armed with the sig -- nal chiplet and a pack with supplies of food and water, be -- cause he had no certainty of finding either quickly in the other reality.

The actual process was simple enough, from his perspec -- tive. Just a matter of standing in the circle that marked the focal point of the Chip. Pwer did something -- and Darius found himself standing at the edge of a level place, sur -- rounded by what were evidently domiciles.

But what oddities they were! Each had many crystalline windows, and peaked roofs, and bits of vegetation around. The level place sent out squared-off offshoots which reached right to the edges of the structures, and sometimes right into them, as if feeding on them.

He stepped out onto the level region. It was completely hard, as if fashioned of stone.

But it was not stone, and not packed dirt. He squatted, touching it with his finger. Less hard than stone, actually, but still impressive.

There was the blaring of a hom. Darius looked up and saw some kind of creature charging him. It was not a dragon, for the smoke puffed from its tail, and it seemed to have no mouth. But it was definitely aggressive.

He scrambled erect and stepped back. The creature charged on by him. There was the sound of a human shout. A human arm projected from the side of the creature and made a ges -- ture with one lifted finger. Apparently there was a person inside who remained alive.

Uncertain how to respond, Darius emulated the gesture. He signaled the creature with one finger.

The creature squealed as it turned and slewed back toward him. Darius retreated farther.

It halted, and mouths on its sides abruptly opened. Human men emerged, in unfamiliar apparel. They converged on Darius, shouting incomprehen -- sibly. They looked angry.

He tried to withdraw, as he did not want trouble, but the men attacked him. He was so surprised at this uncivilized behavior that he invoked an elementary pacification spell --

and it had no effect.

Then he knew: this was one of the realities in which magic was not operative. At least not the type he knew. He was

defenseless.

He tried to explain that he sought no quarrel, but his words seemed only to enrage the young men further. They struck at him with their fists, knocked him down, and kicked him. One of them grabbed at his pack and wrenched it away. Then they sent him rolling down the incline toward what might

have been a stream.