back and put Sweet Cloud in her bed, checked on
his daughter, then slipped out the hallway door. There were four Guards
there and two of them immediately came over.
93 "They've arrested the Attendant in your garage, sir. He admits
planting the bomb, he even brags about it. He's a Purist. The bomb was
meant for both you and the boy, because you defiled the race and the
boy was the product of that defilement. You know their philosophy ...
no mixed marriages. Keep the race pure. Only let each Hashon couple
have one child, until their race is extinct and increase the birth
quota for our people to replace their labor. Only the chosen race, the
Pure Race, should be allowed to survive. All others are inferior."
94 "Yes," North spat, "I know that philosophy. They send me a letter
almost every month trying to get me to join their society. They claim
nearly half The Empire shares their views. I HOPE NOT! I have to take a
little flight. I'd rather go alone, if you don't mind."
95 The Guard shook his head. "No way, sir!" he objected. "You don't go
anywhere tonight, unless two of us are with you."
96 "Very well," agreed North. "Come along."
97 It was not long before they'd left the city and were at the
abandoned mines where so many years ago North had first spoken to a group of desperate young men. He entered
one shaft, and went to its far end.
98 "As you can see, gentlemen," he remarked, "this is a dead end. I'm
perfectly safe here. Go back out to the entrance and wait for me. No matter what you hear, don't come back
in. That's an ORDER!"
99 The two Guards looked at each other but nodded in agreement and
departed. As soon as their lights disappeared and their footsteps
faded, North turned off his own lights, and began to speak, though
there was no one to hear.
100 "Long ago," he began, "on my father's body I