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His　hands　trembled　as　he　handed　the　thing　to　Shevek。

It　was　heavy；　the　yellow　cube　was　solid　gold。　Shevek　stood　motionless；　holding　it

〃I　don't　know　about　you　young　men；〃　said　Atro；　〃but　I'm　going　to　sit　down。〃　They　all　sat　down　in　the　deep；　soft　chairs；　which　Shevek　had　already　examined；　puzzled　by　the　material　with　which　they　were　covered；　a　nonwoven　brown　stuff　that　felt　like　skin。　〃How　old　were　you　nine　years　ago；　Shevek？〃

Atro　was　the　foremost　living　physicist　on　Urras。　There　was　about　him　not　only　the　dignity　of　age　but　also　the　blunt　selfassurance　of　one　accustomed　to　respect　This　was　nothing　new　to　Shevek。　Atro　had　precisely　the　one　kind　of　authority　that　Shevek　recognized。　Also；　it　gave　him　pleasure　to　be　addressed　at　last　simply　by　his　name。

〃I　was　twentynine　when　I　finished　the　Principles；　Atro。〃

〃Twentynine？　Good　God；　That　makes　you　the　youngest　recipient　of　the　Seo　Oen　for　a　century　or　so。　Didn't　get　around　to　giving　me　mine　till　I　was　sixty　or　so。　。。。　How　old　were　you；　then；　when　you　first　wrote　me？〃

〃About　twenty。〃

Atro　snorted；　〃Took　you　for　a　man　of　forty　then！〃

〃What　about　Sabul？〃　Oiie　inquired。　Oiie　was　even　shorter　than　most　Urrasti；　who　all　seemed　short　to　Shevek；　he　had　a　flat；　bland　face　and　oval；　jetblack　eyes。　〃There　was　a　period　of　six　or　eight　years　when　you　never　wrote；　and　Sabul　kept　in　touch　with　us；　but　he　never　has　talked　on　your　radio　linkup　with　us。　We've　wondered　what　your　relationship　is。〃

〃Sabul　is　the　senior　member　of　the　Abbenay　Institute　in　physics；〃　said　Shevek。　〃I　used　to　work　with　him。〃

〃An　older　rival；　jealous；　meddled　with　your　books；　been　clear　enough。　We　hardly　need　an　explanation；　Oiie；〃　said　the　fourth　man；　Chifoflisk；　in　a　harsh　voice。　He　was　middleaged；　a　swarthy；　stocky　man　with　the　fine　hands　of　a　desk　worker。　He　was　the　only　one　of　them　whose　face　was　not　pletely　shaven：　he　had　left　the　chin　bristling　to　match　his　short；　irongrey　Aead　hair。　〃No　need　to　pretend　that　an　you　Odonian　brothers　are　full　of　brotherly　love；〃　he　said。　'〃Human　nature　is　human　nature。〃

Shevek's　lack　of　response　was　saved　from　seeming　significant　by　a　volley　of　sneezes。　〃I　do　not　have　a　handkerchief。〃　he　apologized；　wiping　his　eyes。

〃Take　mine；〃　said　Atro；　and　produced　a　snowy　handkerchief　from　one　of　his　many　pockets。　Shevek　took　it；　and　as　he　did　so　an　importunate　memory　wrung　his　heart。　　He　thought　of　his　daughter　Sadik；　a　little　darkeyed　girl；　saying；　〃You　can　share　the　handkerchief　I　use。〃　That　memory；　which　was　very　dear　to　him；　was　unbearably　painful　now。　Trying　to　escape　it；　he　smiled　at　random　and　said；　〃I　am　allergic　to　your　pla　The　doctor　says　this。〃

〃Good　God。　you　wont　be　sneezing　like　that　permanently？〃　old　Atro　asked；　peering　at　him。

〃Hasn't　your　man　been　in　yet？〃　said　Pae。

〃My　man？〃

〃The　servant。　He　was　supposed　to　bring　you　some　things。　Handkerchiefs　included。　Just　enough　to　tide　you　over　till　you　can　shop　for　yourself。　Nothing　choice　—　I'm　afraid　there's　very　little　choice　in　readymade　clothes　for　a　man　your　height！〃

When　Shevek　had　sorted　this　out　（Pae　spoke　in　a　rapid　drawl；　which　matched　with　his　soft；　handsome　features）；　he　said。　〃That　is　kind　of　you。　I　feel—〃　He　looked　at　Atro。　〃I　am；　you　know　the　Beggarman；〃　he　said　to　the　old　man；　as　he　had　said　to　Dr。　Kimoe　on　the　Mindful。　〃I　could　not　bring　money；　we　do　not　use　it。　I　could　not　bring　gifts；　we　use　nothing　that　you　lack。　So　I　e；　like　a　good　Odonian；　〃with　empty　hands。〃

Atro　and　Pae　assured　him　that　he　was　a　guest；　there　ent；　it　was　their　privilege。　〃Besides；〃　Chifoilisk　said　in　his　sour　voice；　〃the　loti　Government　foots　the　bill。〃

Pae　gave　him　a　sharp　glance；　but　Chifoilisk；　instead　of　returning　it；　looked　straight　at　Shevek。　On　his　swarthy　face　was　an　expression　that　he　made　no　effort　to　hide　but　which　Shevek　could　not　interpret：　warning；　or　plicity？

〃There　speaks　the　unregenerate　Tbuvian；〃　old　Atro　said　with　his　snort。　〃But　you　mean　to　say；　Shevek；　that　you　brought　nothing　at　all　with　you　—　no　papers；　no　new　work？　I　was　looking　forward　to　a　book。　Another　revolution　in　physics。　See　these　pushy　young　fellows　stood　on　their　heads；　the　way　you　stood　me　with　the　Principles。　What　have　you　been　working　on？〃

〃Well；　I　have　been　reading　Pae　—　Dr。　Pae's　paper　on　the　block　universe；　on　Paradox　and　Relativity。〃

〃All　very　well。　Saio's　our　current　star；　no　doubt　of　that。　Least　of　all　in　his　own　mind；　eh；　Saio？　But　what's　that　to　do　with　the　price　of　cheese？　Where's　your　General　Temporal　Theory？〃

〃In　my　head；〃　said　Shevefc　with　a　broad；　genial　smile。

There　was　a　very　little　pause。

Oiie　asked　him　if　he　had　seen　the　work　on　relativity　theory　by　an　alien　physicist；　Ainsetain　of　Terra。　Shevek　had　not。　They　were　intensely　interested　in　it；　except　for　Atro；　who　bad　outlived　intensity。　Pae　ran　off　to　his　room　to　get　Shevek　a　copy　of　the　translation。　〃It's　several　hundred　years　old；　but　there's　fresh　ideas　in　it　for　us；〃　he　said。

〃Maybe；〃　said　Atro；　〃but　none　of　these　offworiders　can　follow　our　physics。　The　Hainish　call　it　materialism；　and　the　Terrans　call　it　mysticism；　and　then　they　both　give　up。　Don't　let　this　fad　for　everything　alien　sidetrack　you；　Shevek。　They've　got　nothing　for　us。　Dig　your　own　pigweed；　as　my　father　used　to　say。〃　He　gave　his　senile　snort　and　levered　himself　up　out　of　the　chair。　〃e　on　out　for　a　turn　in　the　Grove　with　me。　No　wonder　you're　stuffy；　cooped　up　in　here。〃

〃The　doctor　says　I'm　to　stay　in　this　room　three　days。　I　might　be　—　infected？　Infectious？〃

〃Never　pay　any　attention　to　doctors；　my　dear　fellow。〃

〃Perhaps　in　this　case；　though。　Dr。　Atro；〃　Pae　suggested　in　his　easy；　conciliating　voice。

〃After　all；　the　doctor's　from　the　Government；　isnt　he？〃　said　Chifoilisk；　with　evident　malice。

〃Best　man　they　could　find；　I'm　sure；〃　Atro　said　unsmiling；　and　took　his　leave　without　urging　Shevek　further。　Chifoilisk　went　with　him。　The　two　younger　men　stayed　with　Shevek；　talking　physics；　for　a　long　time。

With　immense　pleasure；　and　with　that　same　sense　of　profound　recognition；　of　finding　something　the　way　it　was　meant　to　be；　Shevek　discovered　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　the　conversation　of　his　equals。

Mitis；　though　a　splendid　teacher；　had　never　been　able　to　follow　him　into　the　new　areas　of　theory　that　he　had　with　her　encouragement；　begun　to　explore。　Gvarab　was　the　only　person　he　had　met　whose　training　and　ability　were　parable　to　his　own；　and　be　and　Gvarab　had　met　too　late；　at　the　very　end　of　her　life。　Since　those　days　Shevek　had　worked　with　many　people　of　talent；　but　because　he　had　never　been　a　fulltime　member　of　the　Abbenay　Institute；　he　had　never　been　able　to　take　them　far
enough；　they　remained　bogged　down　in　the　old　problems；　the　classical　Sequency　physics。　He　had　had　no　equals。　Here；　in　the　realm　of　inequity；　he　met　them　at　last。

It　was　a　revelation；　a　liberation。　Physicists；　mathematicians；　astronomers；　logicians；　biologists；　all　were　here　at　the　University；　and　they　came　to　him　or　he　went　to　them；　and　they　talked；　and　new　worlds　were　born　of　that　talking。　It　is　of　the　nature　of　idea　to　be　municated：　written；　spoken；　done。　The　idea　is　like　grass；　It　craves　light；　likes　crowds；　thrives　on　crossbreeding；　grows　better　for　being　stepped　on。

Even　on　that　first　afternoon　at　the　University；　with　One　and　Pae；　he　knew　he　had　found　something　he　had　longed　for　ever　since；　as　boys　and　on　a　boyish　level；　he　and　Tirin　and　Bedap　had　used　to　talk　half　the　night；　teasing　and　daring　each　other　into　always　bolder　flights　of　mind。　He　vividly　remembered　some　of　those　nights。　He　saw　Tirin；　Tirin　saying；　〃If　we　knew　what　Urras　was　really　like；　maybe　some　of　us　would　want　to　go　there。〃　And　he　had　been　so　shocked　by　the　idea　that　he　had　jumped　all　over　Tirin；　and　Tir　had　backed　down　at　once；　he　had　always　backed　down；　poor　damned　soul；　and　he　had　always　been　right

Conversation　had　stopped。　Pae　and　Oiie　were　silent。

〃I'm　sorry；〃　he　said。　〃The　head　is　heavy。〃

〃How's　the　gravity？〃　Pae　asked；　with　the　charming　smile　of　a　man　who；　like　a　bright　child；　counts　on　his　charm。

〃I　don't　notice；〃　Shevek　said。　〃Only　in　the；　what　is　this？〃

〃Knees　—　knee　joints。〃

〃Yes；　knees。　Function　is　impaired。　But　I　will　get　accustomed。〃　He　looked　at　Pae；　then　at　Oiie。