"Is the center in here?" Zen asked.
"Of course," Nedra answered.
"But why haven't Cal and his it?"
"They don't know we exist," Nedra explained. "And if they did, for some they wouldn't like to come into the tunnels."
"In effect, the is wired," West said.
"Do you they would a of high electricity if they in here?"
"Nothing as as that," the man replied. "However, at two places, high are into the and in such a manner that a person entering the is with their radiations, which the in his body. The result of this is that he very much afraid."
"Eh?" Zen said, startled. "A generator?"
"In effect, it is that."
"But that would be a very powerful weapon."
"Yes, it would," the man said, his voice dry.
"If you such in and a large area with them, you panic a division, an army." Excitement was in Zen's voice. He that the scientists were for a new that might possibly end the war. Perhaps here was such a weapon.
"It might work that way," West admitted.
"Does the government know about this?"
"I not."
"Who it?"
"I Jal Jonner is with being the inventor," West said.
"Oh," Zen answered, and was silent. Jonner's name had a of the days when there were in the Earth, men had gone the of nations to one race, the of churches to see one faith, and the of to that as long as one man on the of the earth, no man with a full dinner in of him was free to eat his in peace and safety. Jonner's had also gone one to see one system—and that, one universe.
"Here is the generator," West said. He the of his against the walls. "Of course, there isn't anything to see. But you may something."
As the agent moved forward, a of came up from his middle. It was a wild and it with it a of great peril, of death. Instantly, through his mind of the time he had been under fire, the of shells, the of the explosions, the of the earth.
As the of from his middle, he his and start to tremble. "Run!" a voice him. "Get away from here! Run for your life!"
He the to flee, it in check. It was like trying to a wave. "This is an effect," he said. "Does the have the same on all people?"
West and walked ahead without the question. Zen the an tone. Nedra his arm but said nothing.
The man did not point out the second generator, but Zen the him, than before. He was prepared this time, but his wasn't. He his tie themselves into knots. The to was a of into his consciousness.
Zen on walking. As as he had entered it, he was out of the zone. Up ahead of him, West did not or his pace. Except for Nedra's into his arm, Zen had no that either the radiation. What of people were they, to be able to walk through and be by it? Zen as he off his forehead.
Ahead, West and played his light on the wall. The man again. On the right, the to as a door opened there. From the the looked like solid stone, but as the door opened, the was to be of metal. A leading to a large beyond.
"Enter," West said.
"Who did all of this?" Zen inquired.
"Jal Jonner took over the title to this old mine. He and his men sealed off the tunnels, them, provided an air supply, and quarters, and a world here."
Zen he should have than to ask. According to these people, Jal Jonner had done everything, the of the world. "I see," the said. "He did all of this he died." None of the reports he had read had mentioned this activity, or had at it, but he did not see fit to mention this.
"No," West denied.
"But you just said—"
"He did it after he died," the man explained.
"Huh?" Zen said. "Pardon me, but I did not to you clearly. I you said he did this after he died."
"That's what I said. That's what he did." The man's voice was calm.
"I—uh—" Zen his mind about the he was going to use. Secretly he was if West was insane. How a man anything? "You that I am not too familiar with what actually happened. Sorry and all that but I haven't had to learn."
"I understand," West said. "You don't need to apologize. You will learn here."
"Good," Zen said. He if he his had been accepted. West's last had an ring to them.
"Your of with Jonner's history is very obvious," West continued.
"But if he was dead—"
"He didn't die," West explained. "He was buried. A was over his grave. But he wasn't in the grave."
"Son-of-a-gun!" Zen said. "Why all the fol-de-rol?"
"To agents," West said, with no in his voice.
Zen the threat. He was inside, this was what mattered. Also the idea of one of the world's scientists—and Jonner had been that—hiding himself away here where he work with others who his dream, him. Or had that been a prognostication of the way were to be on the surface of the third out from the sun? Had the work here been an to that future? Was this a modern Ark, into the of a so that at least a might the by fire?
Had a modern Noah appeared and not been recognized?
The Kurt Zen. Somewhere he had read a that Earth would be by fire. Here was that possibly at least one being had taken that to a bomb-and-radiation-proof shelter!
"You to be seriously," West observed.
"Perhaps for the time in my life, I am doing that. My brain to be trying to spin."
"Ah? Are you at what you here?"
"No. That is, not much. Mostly, I'm pleased."
"Good." West satisfied. "Here comes John to us."
The man's up as a tall from an and came to meet them. His to West had respect in it, he at Zen, but it was the nurse who and his interest.
"Nedra! You're back!"
"Of I'm back, John." As if this were the most natural thing to do, Nedra allowed herself to be taken in John's arms. West at the two. Zen looked in the other direction.
"This is Colonel Kurt Zen, John," West said, when the two had kissing.
The tall his hand and said he was to meet Kurt. His was brown, his were and hollow, but his were clear and his was without being bone-crushing.
"I Kurt is tired," West said. "If you would for him, John—"
"Glad to do it," the tall said. "Come with me, Kurt."
Zen to Nedra and to West and John away. He was to the of his thick-soled boots. Fatigue in through his and along his nerve trunks. He he was himself from only by an of will.
"I'll give you my room," John said.
"I couldn't think of you of your quarters, old fellow," Zen protested.
"It's no deprivation. Besides, I'll be with Nedra."
"Um," Zen said. The he almost him how he was.
The room was as as the of a monk. The was a with the top with books. It was hand-made, of posts, and the were cords. There was no mattress. And no pillow. A reading lamp was at the head.
"Hope you're here," the tall said. "Is there anything I can for you?"
"Nothing. But you might me the little boy's room."
"Are you still on that level?" The tall surprised.
"Yes," Zen said. Then, as the of the question him, "Aren't you on the same level? I mean, don't you go?"
"Well, yes," John answered. Embarrassment his face. "But you're older than I am, and I you—" His voice off into as his grew.
"You what?" Zen continued.
"Well, that—" The flustered, then to with himself for being flustered, then for being irritated. Zen the higher and higher. He see no possible in the response of the tall kid that the kid had that he might be the night with Nedra. Would people who didn't use nights together? If they did, what would they do? Talk about the of flowers and read to each other? Zen to himself, to his for such antics.
"I'll you where to go," John said, suddenly.
Zen the tall out of the room and into a which to a large gallery. Here the old-time had a of ore. The had been of and a number of small rooms had been into the walls, the whole place being by a paint that the walls. The color of the light was a and the whole big to in this light, an that was breath-takingly beautiful.
In the room they passed a woman who was going through in time to slow music. At the of her lithe, and in time to slow music, Zen through his teeth. She was almost to make him Nedra.
In another room a was reading a book. He was on the floor. In a third, a man with skin the color of old was cross-legged a shrine. His were as as a of Buddha. The same painted on his face.
In another room a woman was to retiring. She hadn't to close the door.
"What the is this, a whorehouse?" Zen out.
"A house? What's that?" John asked.
His manner Zen like for having used such in his presence. "Never mind. I the question. Who on where the boys and the girls the night?"
"No one," John answered, astonished. "Is somebody to?" He was at the idea. "Oh, you are about sex. You are also new here. Sex is no problem here, as you will learn."
"No problem? Don't you in it?"
"We have other, and more things, to do," John answered. His were but his was kind.
Zen the but he about their meaning. Silently he if these had all their marbles. Apparently they had not learned about the and the bees.
"Anything else I can tell you?" John asked.
"You've already told me too much," Zen answered. "I'm to ask you any more questions."
The had no plumbing. After use, press the button, a above it said. Zen did just that. No of water but the had the that light had for a moment. He did not have the to look and see what had happened.
In some ways, this which of its in a of light was more and possibly more of than Cuso's or Cuso's had been. If the new people it to their sewage, than of it by the method, what else they do?
Zen his to to himself how he was. John he wanted more and started to ask a question, which the interrupted. "Don't tell me any more. There are limits to what my and lights will stand."
"What have your and lights to do with this?"
"Nothing at all. That was only a of speech."
As they returned through the gallery, he saw that the girl was still going through her in time to the slow music. The of that perfectly slowly in the small room sent such a of through Kurt Zen that he his away. If he was going to live in this place very long, they would have to make some new rules. How any being in alone when that was going through her dance?
"What is she doing, learning to be a strip-tease dancer?" he asked.
"Perfect control. This is one of the we all learn," John answered. "What's a strip-tease dancer?"
"Nothing you of," Zen answered. "But while she is her control, what is she doing to the of every male in the place?"
"Not a thing," John said, again.
Zen had that the tall what he was talking about.
John a single book from the top of the double-decker bed, and if there was anything more he do to make the for the night. Upon being told there was not, he with the book. Zen of the book benignly. If the tall was going to the night with Nedra, at least there would be a book them.
He off his pack and set the lieutenant's sub-machine gun where he it readily. His told him there was no present.
Books were in a in the the bed. The author of one his eye: Jal Jonner.
The name was to his attention. Jonner was to have books, but had survived. Even the Library of Congress did not have them, but there was no Library of Congress in any of the word any more. When Washington had left the planet, the Library had gone with it.
Glancing at the introduction, Zen all about his and where he was. One at the and he he was in with the of life itself.
INTRODUCTION
In the beginning, I am going to make an statement. I am going to say that the reading of this book may open a new life for you. Now let me why this is inaccurate.
In the place, it is this is not the start of your life. That took place millions of years ago—more millions of years than I to mention here.
So your life did not start with the reading of these words.—Now as to the use of the word "new." This, also is inaccurate. To you, the ideas here may and new. But they are not new in the that they have just been created, or that I have them. They were in the of the of that came into on this planet. They are, therefore, as old as life.
The pattern which you may, or may not follow, was in the of which appeared on this planet, as the Law of Growth.
However, there is no law which that one on this planet, or all species, the total life here, shall to to full stature. The possibility of is in every of life; it is latent, and of development, in every species. However, the that fails to take of the opportunity thus offered, if it fails to its potential, must give earth room to the which is developing. In their day, the the planet. They had their chance, but they failed to develop.
Where, now, are the dinosaurs?
The Law is—Grow or Die. THIS LAW ALSO APPLIES TO MAN.
This book may be as a primer, a starting point of your into the of man. It is the text book that you will receive. It is the of the way.
How much progress you make upon the way, how well you master the law of growth, is, in large measure, up to you. You will assistance, sometimes without your knowledge, but it will not be the of that will or your development. The new people will not be helped—too much! Strength is of them and is only by obstacles.
The next step that the takes—if it its own self-destructive impulses—will be of such a nature as to the in and from those who in it.
This step, it is to state, is in the direction of a higher of consciousness.
Good luck—and God go with you.
Jal Jonner
The Big Sur
July 1971
Written in 1971, the book was now 49 years old, Zen after a calculation. The had started in 2009. The time was now 2020.
Eagerly, he to the chapter. It to him that his life was just beginning, that that had to him and all that he had done was in for this moment, when life would begin.
After reading two pages, he the that, if this was a primer, the text that was to must be difficult indeed. The book started with that was twice as difficult as calculus. Trying to concentrate, he the his eyes. Then, as him, the whole page and was gone. He was asleep.
But he wasn't asleep. The slept. But he was not the body. He was the that the body. This slept.
He at the touch of a hand on his shoulder.
