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weapons. Fallout was tremendous. Naturally, mutated births began to occur. Both sides, however, instead of facing up to the responsibilities of this new horror, began killing the mutants at birth. Several groups of sympathetic normals, clergymen, and scholars, formed an underground that kidnapped mutants nearly upon birth. Over the centuries, a respectable colony of un-normals existed throughout the galaxy. Several times, the Romaghins and Setessins have launched campaigns to wipe out these semi-people. But they have never quite succeeded. Today, less than ten thousand Muties are living, but they are a vital group. They have discovered a way to rid the galaxy of the two warlike peoples. They have certain psi-talents (every mutant seems to be born with some) that enable them to envision a daring plan. The Romaghins and Setessins ore afraid, for they realize the feasibility of the plan. The Muties are now under the greatest attack in their history. They are fighting for their lives."
    "But how? I know the history, it is the method of obliterating the war mongers that confuses me."
    "Well, the Fringe is the single molecule which is the barrier of quasi-reality between the realities that lay in infinite number. When the energy nets—"
    Tohm sighed, interrupting. "What is a quasi-reality?"
    "Oh. Well, a quasi-reality exists but doesn't exist. It's a sort of no-man's land with the Truths on either side. Understand?"
    "No."
    The library flustered to itself for a while. "I never thought of the complexities involved when attempting to explain the twenty-ninth century to a twenty-second century man."
    "Hey, I'm educated, you know!"
    "Certainly, but you were given only the scientific understanding of the twenty-second century. The only thing you know after that is history. You know what has happened in the last eight hundred years, but not how or why. You're years behind in
concepts
."
    "What would you know about anything," Tohm stormed, the pride of his people surging within him.
    "Before I died, I was," the library said, "Chairman of the Department of Literature at Floating University One."
    Tohm felt his pride sinking in a quagmire of shame. He had never seen a university, much less taught at one.
    "The name is Triggy Gop."
    "Not really?"
    "If you were a student, and if I had my old body, I'd flip you on your back and beat the tar out of you."
    "Sorry."
    "Forgiven. But you see, I do know something about modem concepts of life. I lived a full life of my own. My wife died in childbirth, and I was dying myself. In order to see my child as it grew, I volunteered my brain to the Federation, thus gaining near immortality. I've been a library now for twenty-two years."
    Tohm heaved another sigh. "I really have to go. I have star charts now. I know where my Tamilee is, and I have calculated that she will appear on the slave market within a week."
    "Well, if you must go—"
    "Perhaps well meet again," Tohm said. He felt an odd kinship with the professor-machine-library.
    "Perhaps in some lonely cabaret,
    some black night, some bright day
    with snow upon the ground or grass
    turned yellow with days gone past."
    "Huh?"
    "Poetry. Mine. Not much to do after you read the papes and the new books. I never sleep, you know. Just like you. Weariness is electronically sucked off and the brain is rested a full eight hours in only ten seconds. So, I write my verse."
    "
I take my leave of Triggy
,
    I say goodbye. He seems a little wiggy
    but nice guy
."
    "Hey! Hey, limericks," Triggy said.
    The doors opened behind, and the blackness of space glistened impossibly dark. "Goodbye, Triggy Gop," Tohm called.
    "Goodbye, Jason. May you find your fleece that is the maiden Tamilee."
    "What?"
    "Nothing. Nothing. Just, good luck."
    "You too," he answered, drifting out from the hulking cube. The portal closed behind.

Chapter Three
    HE SWATHED HIMSELF in negative patterns to protect against every sort of radar and coasted in toward the bulbous fruit that was Basa II.